Dil Se..

Whole green gram dal fry

2012-01-28T09:30:00.000-08:00

This is another simple and wholesome dal recipe and another variation from the regular dal. The whole moong dal packs more nutrients. A wholesome protein source and this accompanies well with rice or rotis.

Ingredients
To pressure cook
Whole green gram/green moong dal - 1 cup
Tomato - 1 finely chopped
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Onion - 1/2 finely chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Coriander leaves/cilantro - for garnish
Salt to taste

Instructions

Soak the whole green moong dal for about 1 to 2 hours.
Pressure cook the dal, green chillies, turmeric powder and tomatoes with enough water for about 4 to 5 whistles.
Meanwhile, in a saucepan, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
Once everything starts spluttering, add the chopped onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes away.
Add the red chilli powder and garama masala and mix well.
Finally add the cooked moong dal and enough water (approximately 1 cup) and bring it to a boil.
Simmer until the required consistency is obtained.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Note: The green moong dal thickens once the dal cools down. If planning to serve after a while, stir in some hot water or add some water and heat before serving.

This is my entry for day 6 in the 7 day blogging marathon! Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12.

Paruppu Thuvaiyal / Lentil Chutney or Dip

2012-01-27T13:16:00.000-08:00

This is a spicy south indian chutney made with toor dal. It is so so easy to make in a matter of minutes and pairs very well with rice and a dollop of ghee or a drizzle of sesame oil. You can make it with minimal ingredients and as spicy as you like. Just enjoy!

Have you checked out the raffle for the fund drive I am supporting?

Ingredients
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Red chillies - 3
Garlic pods - 3
Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Instructions

In a saucepan, heat the oil and add the toor dal and red chillies.
Roast for about 2 to 3 minutes until the dal turns fragrant and golden brown.
Grind together the roasted dal, red chillies, garlic, coconut and salt into a coarse paste sprinkling a teaspoon of water while grinding.
Serve over rice and a dollop of ghee or a drizzle of sesame oil.

This is my entry for day 5 in the 7 day blogging marathon! Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12.

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

Giveaway - Supporting the fund drive for Vaidehi Ashram of destitute girls

2012-01-27T11:09:00.000-08:00

"Love heals people-- both the ones who give it and the ones who receive it." -Karl Menninger

I was so moved when I happened to read Siri's post about her visit to the Vaidehi Ashram of Destitute Girls in Hyderabad, India.Reading the post made me realize how I take things for granted and how I fortunate I am. Vaidehi Ashram is home for about 108 girls (from 3 to 22 years of age) who have no parents or a single parent who can no longer take care of them.

To read more about the Ashram check out Siri's posts here.

Nobody can do everything, but everyone can do something.

In an attempt to do a little help to these little girls, Siri has planned a fund raiser starting the 26th of January. I am helping her raise money by contributing to the list of wonderful prizes in the raffle.

I will be giving away a Rachel Ray's Whistling Tea Kettle (available in colors - orange, blue and red) to a winner in the raffle. The item is labeled as RU11 in the list of prizes.

There are over 40 exciting prizes to win. You can check out the list of prizes here and more details on how to participate in the raffle here.

1 raffle ticket = $10 or 500 rupees

1. You can contribute your donations via PayPal or Credit Card. Each $10 donated will buy you one raffle ticket towards a raffle prize of your choice. You can donate any amount.You can click the ChipIn! button below to donate or you can do it on Siri's site.

2. Once you have donated and receive your payment confirmation message, please forward the confirmation message to info(dot)siri(at)gmail.com, specifying which raffle prize(s) you are interested in.

3. Within 24 hours, your name and amount will be added to the 'Fund Drive Supporter List'. If you want to stay anonymous, please let Siri know.

4. A random drawing will be conducted by the children of the Ashram and the winners of each of the raffle prizes will be announced on February 27th, 2012.

If you would like to win the Rachel Ray's Whistling Tea Kettle choose RU11 in the list of raffle prizes.

I hope we could help Siri in this wonderful cause and help bring a smile in the little girls' faces.

Act as if what you do makes a difference. It does.

-William James

Moong dal khichdi and giveaway winner!

2012-01-26T12:43:00.000-08:00

Here is yet another comfort food that can be made in a matter of minutes in a pressure cooker. Such one pot meals are always great when cooking for one. The husband has lunch at office and I need to find some inspiration to cook lunch for me. I tend to stay with one pot meals or easy fix lunches like sandwiches and soups. This is one such lunch I made for myself.

I have used the split green moong dal for this recipe. This can be substituted with the yellow split moong dal or the whole green moong dal as well. if using whole green moong dal, make sure to soak it for an hour in advance before cooking it with the rice.

Ingredients
Rice - 1 cup ( I used sona masoori rice)
Split green moong dal - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1/2 roughly chopped
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil/ghee - 1 spoon
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Garlic - 1 clove finely chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch - finely chopped
Green chilly - 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Instructions

Wash the rice and dal with water and drain the water.
In a pressure cooker combine the rice, dal, tomato and salt and add about 3 to 3.5 cups of water. Pressure cook until you get 5 to 6 whistles.
Once the pressure gets released, mash the rice and dal well with a potato masher or a wooden ladle. It should be very mushy.
In a saucepan, do the tempering with the ghee, jeera, garlic, ginger, green chillies and curry leaves and pour it over the cooked rice and dal.
Mix and serve it with pickle and papads.

Ultimate comfort food ready in minutes!

This is my entry for day 4 in the 7 day blogging marathon! Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12.

The winner of the blog anniversary giveaway is Mythreyi of Yum! Yum! Yum! Thanks to everyone of you who participated in the giveaway and left your lovely comments :)

Low fat Ulundha Vadai / Urad dal fritters

2012-01-25T12:21:00.000-08:00

If you are looking for an authentic ulundha vadai / urad dal fritters, this is not the place! I was craving for some ulundha vadai and I did not want to give up my healthy eating by deep frying something. So I made these vadais using my kuzhi paniyaram making pan. They tasted equally delicious and this can be made in a matter of minutes if you have the batter ready. Makes a great accompaniment with your evening chai.

I followed the same ingredient list I use to make the regular ulundha vadais, except for the deep frying method and the hole in the center. I served the vadais with red bell pepper chutney instead of the coconut chutney.

Ingredients
Urad dal - 1 cup
Green chilly - 1 (grated or thinly sliced)
Coriander leaves - 1 sprig
Grated ginger - 1/2 teaspoon
Chopped onion - 2 tablespoons
Salt to taste

Instructions
Soak the urad dal in water for about 3 hours.
Drain the water and in a mixer/grinder, grind the urad dal into a very fine paste. Add very little water (1 to 2 tablespoons) if required while grinding.
When the batter is ready, mix in the other ingredients - green chillies, ginger, chopped onions and salt.
Heat the kuzhi paniyaram pan, and drizzle 1/4 to 1/2 a teaspoon of oil in each hole. Fill with a spoonful of batter in each hole.
After a minute, using a spoon flip the vadais over to cook on the other side.
When the vadais start turning brown, remove them from the pan and serve with chutney of your choice.

You can check out the regular ulunda vadai/ medhu vadai recipe here..

This is my entry for day 3 in the 7 day blogging marathon! Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12.

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

Yellow Moong Dal Tadka

2012-01-24T11:50:00.000-08:00

This is a basic dal recipe. It is so simple yet so comforting. It can be made in a matter of minutes and is so versatile. You can pair it with rotis and subji or ladle of rice drizzled with ghee! Tastes best anyways. I paired this simple dal with ladies finger poriyal and raw plaintain fry and this was our weekend lunch.

Ingredients
Yellow split moong dal - 1 cup
Water 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chilli - 2
Tomato - 1
Salt to taste

For the tadka/tempering
Oil/ghee - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1/2 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 spring
Red chilli - 1
Onion - 2 tablespoons finely chopped (optional)
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Instructions
In a pressure cooker, cook the moong dal along with the turmeric powder, green chilli, tomato and 3 cups of water for about 4 whistles. Alternately, you could cook the moong dal in a stockpot or a heavy bootomed pan, covered for about 20 to 30 minutes, until the dal turns soft. The dal could also be cooked in the microwave.
Once the dal gets cooked, add the salt and mash the dal well.
In a saucepan, do the tempering with ghee, mustard seeds, urad, dal, hing, curry leaves, onions and red chillies.
Pour the seasoning over the cooked dal and serve with rice and your favorite vegetable curry.

This is my entry for day 2 in the 7 day blogging marathon! Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12.

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

Tomorrow is the last day to submit your entries for the giveaway being hosted at Dil Se.. Do check it out :)

Sambar

2012-01-23T12:46:00.000-08:00

While I was compiling a recent post to mark 4 years of blogging, I was astonished to see that I had never blogged about sambar! Sambar is a staple at my house. I make it almost every week or every other week to accompany our dosas and idlies for breakfast and dinner and also with rice and poriyals for lunch. It is a versatile dish to be served for breakfast, lunch and dinner. I try to make different versions by rotating the vegetables I use. This is my mom's recipe for sambar. It sounds like a difficult procedure, but it is so easy to make.

Ingredients
Toor dal - 1 cup
Vegetables - 1 cup chopped (potatoes, drumstick, cauliflower, brinjal, radish, beans, peas, carrots etc. can be used) I use 3 to 4 of the above veggies mentioned
Tamarind extract - from the size of 1 lemon or 1 teaspoon tamarind paste
Sambar powder - 2 teaspoons
All-purpose curry powder/Kuzhambu milagai thool (or chilli powder) - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1/4 cup chopped
Tomato - 2 chopped roughly
Green chillies - 2
Cilantro/coriander leaves - for garnish
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil - 2 spoons
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Hing/Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Instructions

In a pressure cooker, cook the toor dal with about 3 cups of water and turmeric powder until you get 4 whistles. Alternatively, you can cook it in a stockpot for about 30 minutes, until the dal turns soft.
With the help of a wooden spoon or a potato masher, mash the dal to make it into a smooth paste.
In a saucepan/kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with mustard seeds, urad dhal, curry leaves and hing.
Once everything splutters, add the chopped onions and saute until it turns translucent. Then add the chopped tomatoes and allow it to cook for a minute.
Now add the chopped vegetables and saute until the raw smell goes away.
To this add the sambar powder, curry/chilli powder, salt and the tamarind extract and bring it to a boil.
Simmer for about 5 to 6 minutes until the veggies cook well.
Now add the dal to this and mix thoroughly.
Add some chopped coriander/cilantro, cover and cook for about 10 minutes until you get the required consistency.

Alternate quicker method
After step 6, pour all the contents in the kadai into the pressure cooker with the dal. Add about 1 cup of water and pressure cook for 3 whistles. Delicious sambar is ready.

I am participating in a blogging marathon hosted by Srivalli for 7 days and I will be posting under the theme - "Seven Days of Delicious Dals"

Check out the Blogging marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#12

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair #43 started by Susan and hosted this time at Chez Cayenne and Love for Lentils hosted by Sudha

Manathakkali Vathal Kuzhambu

2012-01-19T11:12:00.000-08:00

This is a tangy and delicious curry made with manathakkali vathal known as black nightshade in english. It is of high medicinal value and tastes great in this curry. It is so easy to make and is a staple in south indian households. I remember having vathal kuzhambu once a week for lunch in our hostel mess in college. I never used to like it at that time, but this kuzhambu has become a recent favorite. I served this with rice along with seppankizhagu roast and some papads.

The manathakkali vathal can be replaced with sundakkai vathal or any vegetable.

Ingredients
Manathakkali Vathal - 2 tablespoons
Tamarind extract - from a lemon sized ball
Tomato puree - 1/2 cup
Sambar powder/Vathal kuzhambu powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Methi/Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt to taste

Instructions

In a saucepan, fry the vathal in 1 spoon of oil for a minute and remove from the pan.
In the same saucepan, heat the remaining oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, methi seeds, urad dhal, hing and curry leaves.
Once everything starts spluttering, add the sambar powder or vathal kuzhambu powder and turmeric powder and roast on a low flame for about a minute.
Slowly add the tomato puree and the tamarind extract and salt. Add half a cup of water and bring it to a boil. Add more water if needed to get the required gravy consistency.
Finally add the fried manathakkali vathal and simmer for about 3 minutes until the kuzhambu turns thick.

Serve with a poriyal and papad over rice.

Also, do check out the giveaway to celebrate 4th year blogiversary!

Celebrating 4th year blogiversary with a GIVEAWAY!

2012-01-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

Dil Se.. turns 4!

(image source: vetragames)

I started writing this blog one day without much thought! I just wanted to record all my culinary experiments being a newbie to cooking. Blogging has introduced me to several new friends, people from all parts of the world and also to various cuisines. Blogging also introduced me to food photography and I believe I have come a long way since I started to blog! Blogging gave me the courage to venture into baking! I also had the opportunity to master traditional and authentic recipes. I was able to contribute to several events and contests. I was able to host a few events of my own as well.

Thanks to my dear husband who is always a good critic and gives feedback and also waits patiently at the dining table until I finish my food photography :) I also thank all the lovely bloggers out there who have encouraged me all the way with their valuable comments and feedback!

My very first recipe in this blog - Sweet Pongal

The first thing I ever baked - Sweet Coconut Puffs

The bread I first baked!

My first cake..

First Icecream! - Watermelon Yogurt Icecream

First Jamming - Plum Jam

My non-food blog - Divya Times!

M heartfelt gratitude to each and every reader of this blog! I would like to celebrate this milestone by hosting a little giveaway! Yes, I a giving away one lucky reader a Pure Komachi 2 series Chef Knife

For a chance to win this knife, do any one or all of the following.

Each earns a separate entry. Leave a separate comment for each entry. I will ship worldwide.

Leave a comment telling what is your favorite recipe in my blog and what sort of posts would you like to see more in the future.
Follow Dil Se.. on Google+
Like Dil Se.. on Facebook!
Subscribe to my posts by email or reader..
Tweet the following - Blogiversary giveaway at Dil Se.. @athisayadivyas http://tiny.cc/bs6zc

Giveaway ends on January 25th, 2012!

Thanks again for all your support and helping me reach this milestone!

Brussels Sprouts Poriyal

2012-01-13T12:44:00.000-08:00

I love indianizing recipes. Some recipes include this broccoli poriyal, broccoli dal and indian style pasta. Similarly, I wanted to make something indian with the miniature version of cabbage - brussels sprouts. I settled with this brussel sprouts recipe and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We had it with sambar and rice.

Ingredients
Brussels sprouts - 1/2 kg or 1 lb
Moong dal - 3 tablespoons
Onion - 1/4 chopped
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Tamarind extract - 1/2 teaspoon or juice from 1/2 the size of a lemon
All purpose curry powder/Kuzhambi milagai thool - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For the tempering
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Instructions

Soak the moong dal in water for about half an hour.
Meanwhile cube the onions and chop the brussels sprouts into bite sized pieces.
In a saucepan/kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Once it starts spluttering, add the chopped onions and saute till it turns translucent.
Add the chopped brussels sprouts, soaked moong dal, salt, all-purpose curry powder and the tamarind extract.
Stir everything together, add about half a cup of water, cover and cook for about five minutes until the brussels sprouts turns soft and all the water evaporates.
Add the grated coconut and stir well and switch off the heat.

Serve warm with rice, rotis and any gravy/curry.

Keerai Poriyal / Spinach stirfry

2012-01-09T11:56:00.000-08:00

We love spinach and I love to cook different versions of spinach. I usually make salads, smoothies, spinach rice, spinach dal, pesto, kootu, masiyal etc. with spinach. This poriyal is another easy and delicious side dish I make with spinach and it pairs very well with rice and dal or any curry.

Ingredients

Fresh spinach - 1 bunch (you can also substitute with the frozen variety)

Moong dal - 3 tablespoons

Chopped onions - 1/4 cup

Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Salt to taste

For the tempering

Oil - 1 spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Red chillies - 2

Instructions

Wash the spinach well with water and chop the leaves roughly. If using frozen spinach just skip this step.

Cook the moong dal with little water for about 4 to 5 minutes. Alternatively, you could microwave the dal with little water for about 3 minutes.

In a kadai or saucepan, heat the oil and do the tadka with mustard seeds, urad dal, cumin seeds, curry leaves and red chillies.

Once everything starts spluttering, add the choppied onions and saute till they turn translucent.

Then add the chopped spinach, turmeric powder and salt and saute everything for about two minutes until the spinach starts wilting.

Add the cooked moong dal and the grated coconut, cover and cook for two minutes.

Serve warm with rice and dal/curry.

Trader Joe's Finds: Fig Butter & Pumpkin Butter

2012-01-06T14:34:00.000-08:00

I had recently proclaimed my love for Trader Joes here! Living just a block away from TJ's, I visit the store very often and I love trying out different products. You never know what you might find there! They keep changing the stuff they carry every season and I always end up buying something new each time I go. The prices are great too! And hence, here is my new series called "TJ Finds"

I picked up these two fruit butters - Fig Butter and Pumpkin Butter during my last trip. Here is my review..

Fig Butter
Don't get confused by the name. The fig butter has no butter in it. This is what the bottle says: "To be a butter, a spread must contain more fruit than sugar.." This results in a wonderful very concentrated fig flavor. They taste delicious almost with anything. We had it on toasts, with crackers, with cheese and crackers, mixed into yogurt. I liked it with buttered toast the best!

Pumpkin Butter
I think pumpkin butter is a seasonal item in TJ's. I have found them on the shelves only during Fall. I try to stock them when I find them, because I absolutely adore these. They are not too sweet like jams and perfect on toasts, the way I like them. These can be used as a pastry filling, ice-cream topping!, mixed with yogurt, or mixed into cream cheese to make a very unique spread. The bottle also suggests, adding pumpkin butter to soups. I haven't tried this though.

You can find these fruit butters in the jam and preserves aisle. They cost $3.99 a bottle.

Have you tried pumpkin butter and fig butter? What is your favorite?

On another note, here is the review of the book, I just finished - "In the Convent of Little Flowers" by Indu Sundaresan. You should read it if you like short stories.

Sweet Paniyaram/ Jaggery Paniyaram

2012-01-04T11:07:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all my friends! Hope everyone has a very prosperous and healthy year ahead!

Let us start the new year on a sweet note.. I made these sweet and delicious sweet paniyarams one evening and we enjoyed them as an evening snack. They are healthy since they are made with very little oil/ghee and contain jaggery instead of sugar. Jaggery is unrefined, wholesome sugar which has the goodness of minerals and vitamins.

Ingredients
Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Boiled rice - 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds/ venthayam - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 2 tablespoons
Grated or powdered Jaggery - 1 cup or about 150 grams
Cardamom powder/ Elaichi - 1 pinch
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

Instructions

Soak the raw rice, boiled rice, urad dhal and the fenugreek seeds overnight or atleast for 4 hours.
Grind everything together into a thick batter adding a little water if needed.
In heavy bottomed vessel, add the jaggery and cardamom powder and about 2 spoons of water and bring it to a boil.
The jaggery would melt and turn into a hot syrup.
Filter the syrup to remove any residue and add it to the prepared batter.
Also stir in the grated coconut and mix well.
To make the paniyarams, heat the paniyraram pan and drizzle very little oil in each hole.
Fill 3/4ths of the hole with the prepared batter.
Cook on medium heat for about a minute.
With the help of a wooden skewer or a small spoon, flip the paniyarams and cook the other side for a minute.
Remove from the pan and serve warm. Tastes great by itself.

Seppankizhangu / Arbi / Colocassia / Taro Roast

2011-12-27T23:05:00.000-08:00

Seppankizhangu / Arbi / Colocassia / Taro is a root tuber. This can be used in curries, roasts and fries. They taste great any way you make them and makes a great side dish. I usually make it along with sambar rice or dal.

Ingredients
Seppankizhangu / Arbi / Colocassia - 1/2 kg or 1 lb
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin/jeera powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil - 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Instructions

Pressure cook the seppankizhangu with enough water in a pressure cooker for 3 whistles. Alternatively, boil them in enough water in a heavy bottomed pan for about 20 minutes.
Once cool enough to handle, peel them and slice them into half inch rounds.
In a bowl, take the sliced seppankizhangu, add salt, turmeric powder, chilli, coriander and cumin powder. Mix everything well and allow it to sit for about 10-15 minutes.
In a saucepan, heat the oil and season with mustard seeds and the urad dhal.
Once it starts spluttering, add the marinated seppankizhangu.
Fry for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium heat until everything gets well roasted and turns deep brown in color. Keep stirring in between to allow it to stick to the pan.
Serve immediately with rice and curry of your choice.

We had it with vatha kuzhambu and rice!

Spinach, Apple, Walnut Salad

2011-12-19T11:10:00.000-08:00

It was pasta night of the week. I usually make pasta one night a week and I like to pair it with a simple salad and garlic bread and call it a meal. For the salad, I combined the candied walnuts, baby spinach, shaved apple and goat cheese. I used a store bought raspberry vinaigrette which gave a nice sweet finish to the salad.

Ingredients (serves 2)
Baby Spinach - 4 cups
Candied Walnuts - 3 tablespoons
Goat Cheese - 2 tablespoons
Apple - 1
Raspberry Vinaigrette - for dressing

Instructions

Using a mandolin, shave the apple into very thin slices. Alternatively, use a knife to chop the apple into thin slices.
In a large mixing bowl, combine the baby spinach, candied walnuts, goat cheese and shaved apple.
Drizzle raspberry vinaigrette and toss well.
Serve chilled!

You can find the recipe for candied walnuts - here.

Sending this to Lets cook for christmas- red and Green

Maple Glazed Walnuts / Candied Walnuts

2011-12-15T11:58:00.001-08:00

I always like to try different ingredients in my salads. I like to have one sweet ingredient, be it raisins, dried cranberries, dried cherries or chopped dried prunes. I also add different variety of nuts like walnuts, almonds, pecans and pine nuts to increase the protein content. I came across candied walnuts in a restaurant and I decided to make it at home. The glazed walnuts also make a great snack!

This can be made in a matter of minutes and can also be stored for future use. The walnuts are tossed in maple syrup on the stovetop to make delicious sweet walnuts. The same recipe can be followed with pecans or any nuts for that matter. You can also add in spice powders but this time I kept it simple.

Ingredients

(Recipe Source: Food Network)

Walnuts - 2 cups

Maple Syrup - 1/3 cup

A pinch of salt

Instructions

In a non-stick skillet, add the walnuts and toast them for a minute until the raw smell goes away.
Slowly add in the maple syrup and salt and with the help of a wooden spoon keep stirring, so that the maple syrup coats all the nuts.
In a matter of two minutes, the maple syrup would be bubbling and would have coated all the nuts.
Switch off the stove and allow it to cool completely.
Store it in an airtight container and add to your favorite salads or munch on as a healthy snack!

And watch my Youtube video featuring the recipe!

Roasted Garlic Hummus

2011-12-13T11:36:00.000-08:00

I love trying out the samples at the various grocery stores like Costco, Trader Joes. I always like to experiment with new products in my cooking and sampling helps to to try different food items. During one of such visit to our local middle eastern grocery store, I was offered offered to try samples of various versions of hummus. I happened to try the roasted garlic hummus and I was immediately hooked on to its taste. However, I found that the little tub of hummus was too expensive and I decided to try the same version of hummus at home. I grabbed cloves of garlic and ventured into making this delicious hummus. The garlic turns sweet and mellow when roasted and blends really well the taste of the hummus.

I have made different versions of hummus at home. And we have it with pita bread, lavash, falafels, baby carrots, broccoli and also in sandwiches. This hummus version has become our new favorite!

Ingredients
(Recipe Source: Closet Cooking)
Garbanzo Beans/Chickpeas - 1 cup (soaked overnight) or 1 19oz. can of chickpeas
Garlic - 1 head
Tahini - 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice - 1/2 lemon
Olive oil - 2 tablespoons
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions
Roasting the garlic:

Take a whole garlic head and chop of the head so that the individual cloves of garlic get exposed.
Drizzle about 1 tablespoon of olive oil over the cloves and season with salt and pepper.
Wrap the entire garlic head in aluminum foil and roast in a preheated oven at 400F for 30 to 40 minutes.
Allow the garlic to cool down a bit so that you can handle it.
Using a fork, slowly separate the separate garlic from the skin.

To make the hummus:

Soak the chickpeas overnight or at least for 6 hours in water.
Drain the water and pressure cook in enough water until the chickpeas turn soft.
Add the cooked chickpeas, roasted garlic, tahini, lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper and pulse into a smooth mixture using a blender.
Add a little water to obtain the desired consistency.
Garnish with olive oil and serve with you favorite bread or veggies.

Eggnog Cake

2011-12-07T15:57:00.001-08:00

I love to shop at Trader Joes! Period.

I love looking at the various aisles filled with unique ingredients and each time I visit the store, I always pick up something new to try! With the store situated one block away from my house, you can see me lurking the store often.. I have even been considering blogging about my Trader Joes' finds!

During one such trip to the store, I happened to notice a carton of Eggnog! I have never bought or tasted eggnogs before. I came home and researched about eggnogs and happened to learn that it was a famous holiday drink.. It is made with egg and milk and rich in calories. I even came across some amazing recipes with eggnog. During my next trip I got a carton of light eggnog which is far lesser in fat and calories compared to the regular eggnog.

I had the idea of making a simple pound cake with the eggnog. But I was too lazy to whip up my own cake and I was also running out of time. So I made use of a boxed cake mix to make this delicious cake. Any boxed cake mix can be used for this recipe. Just ignore the recipe instructions in the box and you can make this cake in a matter of minute using just 3 ingredients.

Ingredients (yields two 9 inch round cakes or one large bundt cake)

Any boxed cake mix - 16 oz ( I used Betty Crocker's Carrot cake mix)

Eggs - 2

Eggnog - 1 1/2 cups

Eggnog - 1/2 cup (for drizzling over the cake)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350F.
In a large mixing bowl, beat together the eggs and the egg nog(1.5 cups) for about a minute using an electric hand mixer.
Slowly add the cake mix in batches and beat for about 2 minutes until well combined.
Grease two 9 or 10 inch cake pans or one large bundt pan or two loaf pans with cooking spray or butter.
Slowly add the prepared batter to the pans.
Bake in the preheated oven for about 35 to 40 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.
When the cake is done, let the cake cool in the pan for about 10 minutes and transfer it to a wire rack.
Drizzle the remaining half cup of eggnog over the cake.
The cake absorbs all the eggnog and results in a mist and rich cake.
Serve the cake as a dessert!

The theme for this month's Sweet Punch Baking is 'Your Choice'. This is my entry for this month's Sweet Punch!

Sending this to Let's Cook- Baked Goodies, Cooking Concepts- Holiday Baking, A 100 Day Global Food Festival, SYF and HWS Series- Cardamom, Jingle All The Way, Christmas Delicacy, Sinful Delights and Bake Fest

Egg Scramble with Vegetables

2011-12-05T13:45:00.001-08:00

This is a typical weekday breakfast at my place. I make different versions of egg scrambles at least once a week. It is so easy to make and includes all the necessary nutrients to make a wholesome meal giving a great start to the day! This scramble is one such variation I made using fresh vegetables from the farmers market.

Ingredients (serves 2)
Eggs - 3
Milk - 2 tablespoons
Vegetables - 1 cup (I used asparagus, bell peppers, cherry tomatoes and mushrooms)
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Grated cheese - 1 tablespoon (optional)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a saucepan, heat the oil and add all the chopped vegetables.
Saute for about two minutes until the veggies turn tender and crisp.
In a bowl, break open the eggs and whisk the yolk and egg whites together with the milk.
Once the vegetables are done, remove them from the pan and transfer to a plate.
In the same pan, add the eggs and scramble the eggs well. Cook for about two minutes, until the eggs are done. Also add the cheese and mix thoroughly.
Add salt and pepper to taste.
Finally add the veggies and give it a quick stir so that everything gets combined.

Serve with toast. We had ours with buttered toast, sliced avocados, potatoes and tea!

Rajma Chawal / Kidney Beans Curry and Rice

2011-11-30T14:56:00.001-08:00

This is a North Indian classic dish made with rajma/kidney beans and rice. Steaming rajma curry served over plain white rice is rich in iron and protein from the kidney beans and carbohydrates from the rice and makes a wholesome satisfying meal.

Ingredients
Rajma/Kidney Beans - 1 cup (soaked overnight or atleast for 5 hours)
Onion - 1/2 medium sized
Tomato - 1
Green chillies - 3
Ginger - 1 inch finely chopped
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Oil - 1 spoon
Salt to taste
Cilantro/Coriander for garnish

Instructions
Soak the rajma in water overnight or atleast for 5 hours.
Drain the water and pressure cook with water until 4 whistles until the rajma turns soft and completely cooked. Alternatively, instead of using a pressure cooker, the beans can also be cooked in a stockpot with a lid for 30 to 35 minutes until the beans turn soft and tender.
In a wide saucepan/kadai, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. once they start spluttering, add the chopped ginger and garlic and saute until the onions turn translucent.
Add in the chopped tomatoes and saute for a minute until the tomatoes turn tender.
Add the turmeric powder, cumin powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt and mix well. Cook for a minute.
Finally add the cooked rajma/kidney beans and a cup of water.
Cover and cook on low heat for about five minutes until all the flavors blend together.
Remove from heat and garnish with cilantro.
Serve over cooked rice.

Coriander-Mint Pulao

2011-11-22T11:02:00.001-08:00

I had a bunch of coriander and mint wilting in my refrigerator which had to be used up before I go on our weekly grocery shopping. I always try to use up all the veggies and herbs I buy and try to minimize wastage.. I was wondering what to make with the herbs, when I got the idea to make a simple pulao using them. I made this colorful rice dish for lunch. We had this along with potato fry, chips and raita. This rice dish makes a colorful lunchbox dish for kids.

I used leftover cooked basmati rice to make this. Any variety of rice can be used for this delicious pulao.

Ingredients

Cooked rice - 2 cups

Onion - 1/2 medium sized

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

Bay leaf - 1

Cardamom - 2

Cloves - 3

Fennel seeds / Shah jeera - 1 teaspoon

Cashews - few for garnish

Oil - 2 teaspoons

Ghee - 1 spoon

Salt to taste

To grind into a smooth paste

Coriander - 1/2 cup chopped

Mint - 1/2 cup chopped

Green chillies - 3

Ginger - 1 inch

Garlic - 2 cloves

Directions

Cook the rice along with water and salt and allow it to cool.
Grind together the coriander, mint, green chillies, ginger and garlic into a fine paste adding a spoon of water if needed.
In a kadai/saucepan, fry the cashews in the ghee until golden brown and remove the cashews from the pan and set them aside.
In the same pan, heat the oil. Once it turns hot add all the spices - fennel seeds, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cardamom and clove and saute for a minute.
Then add the onions and saute until it turns translucent.
Add the ground paste and saute for a couple of minutes, until the raw smell goes away and oil oozes out. Take care the paste doesn't stick to the pan and burn. Add salt to taste
Finally add the cooked rice and mix everything thoroughly.
Add a teaspoon of ghee at this stage and mix well. This is optional though.
Garnish with cashews and more cilantro.
Serve warm with some chips and raita.

Low-fat Aama Vadai

2011-11-17T15:06:00.001-08:00

Aama vadai or masala vadai is a deep fried fritter made with chana dal. It serves as a great accompaniment to evening tea. I tried a low fat option by making it in my kuzhipaniyaram pan instead of deep frying. This method uses very little oil and tastes very much like the classic aama vadai. Though you compromise on the taste the deep fried aama vadai gives, this version wins in the health aspect!

Ingredients
Channa Dhal/Bengal gram Dhal - 1 cup
Onion - 1 small sized
Green chillies - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Shahjeera / Fennel Seeds / Sombhu - 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves finely chopped -1 tablespoon
Salt to taste
Oil

Directions

Soak the channa dhal for about 2 hours in water.
Drain the water and grind together the soaked dhal, green chillies, asafoetida and salt to form a coarse paste.
Chop the onions finely.
To the ground mixture, add the chopped onions, shah jeera, curry leaves and coriander leaves.
Heat the kuzhipaniyaram pan and drizzle little oil, about half a teaspoon in each hole.
Once the oil gets hot, with a spoon, take a little of the ground mixture and add it to each hole.
Reduce the heat to medium flame and cook for about two minutes. Take care it does not burn.
With a spoon flip the vadai and cook for a couple more minutes.
Once done, remove the vadais and serve hot with tea!
Also tastes great with some ketchup.

Chicken Curry for Idly/Dosa

2011-11-14T13:43:00.000-08:00

This is a simple and easy chicken curry which goes very well with idlies and dosas. It also tastes great with rice dishes.

Directions
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomato - 2
Coriander/cilantro and mint leaves - 1/2 cup
Ginger Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Jeera/Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Green chillies - 3 or as per taste
Cashew nuts - 5
Curd/yogurt - 2 tablespoons
Coconut - 1/2 cup grated
Oil - 2 spoons

Instructions

Wash the chicken well and cut into small pieces.
Marinate the chicken in a mixture of curd/yogurt, ginger-garlic paste and a little salt.
Chop the onions and tomatoes and slit the green chillies.
Allow the chicken to marinate for about an hour. You could also, leave it to marinate overnight, by placing the chicken in a bowl, wrapping it with a plastic wrap and leave it in the refrigerator.
In a saucepan/kadai, heat one spoon of oil and add half the onions and fry it until it turns translucent.
Once the onions start to brown, add the tomatoes. Once the tomatoes get cooked, add the green chillies, coriander leaves, mint leaves and all the powders - chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and turmeric powder.
Saute all the ingredients for a minute. Switch off the stove and allow the mixture to cool completely.
Grind the mixture along with the grated coconut and cashewnuts into a coarse paste.
In the saucepan, heat the remaining oil and saute the remaining chopped onions. Once the onions turn translucent, add the marinated chicken.
Allow the chicken to cook for about 3 to 4 minutes and then add the ground masala.
Add about one cup of water and bring it to a boil. Simmer for about two minutes until the flavors blend together. Finally add the garam masala and cook for one more minute.
Garnish with cilantro. Serve warm with idlies, dosas, rice or chapatis.

Coffee and Chocolate Pudding

2011-11-09T14:43:00.000-08:00

Chocolate and coffee make a classic combo and they are an irresistible combination! I made this Coffee and Chocolate Pudding for this month's Sweet Punch.

The pudding turned out to be a delectable and elegant dessert to be served on any occasion - be it a grand party or a simple weeknight indulgence! It hardly takes five minutes of preparation and twenty minutes to bake and there you have an exotic dessert at the table in less than half an hour!

Ingredients

(Recipe Source: www.fairlady.com)

All Purpose Flour - 1 cup

Baking Powder - 2 teaspoons

Cocoa - 2 teaspoons (I used Ghirardelli unsweetened cocoa)

Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup

Melted Butter - 2 tablespoons

Milk - 1/2 cup

Egg - 1 beaten

Salt - 1 pinch

Hazelnuts/almonds/walnuts - 50 grams chopped

For the topping

Brewed Coffee - 1 cup

Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cocoa - 3 tablespoons

Instructions

Preheat oven to 180C or 350F.
Sift together all the dry ingredients - flour, baking powder, cocoa, brown sugar and salt.
Stir together the butter, milk, egg and nuts until well combined.
Mix the dry and wet ingredients together.
Spoon the batter into 4 rameins or mugs.
Sprinkle over brown sugar and cocoa and then pour over the brewed coffee. but do not stir.
Bake in the preheated oven for 20 minutes.
Dust with cocoa powder or sugar or cinnamon.
Serve warm with some vanilla icecream!

Sending this to Bake Fest and Winter Carnival.

Mushroom Biryani

2011-11-01T15:13:00.000-07:00

Mushrooms are a favorite at our place and I try different recipes with mushrooms. I usually make soups, pulaos, fried rice or curries with mushrooms. This was the first time I tried out a biryani recipe and this recipe is sure a keeper. Thanks Ramya for the recipe! I adapted the recipe to our taste and this is quite delicious. Do try this out. The mushroom can also be replaced with other veggies.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium size
Tomato - 1 medium size
Mushrooms - 3/4 cup chopped
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Yogurt - 2 tablespoons
Oil - 2 spoons
Bay leaf - 1
Salt to taste

For the masala to grind
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 4 pods
Tomato - 1 small
Onion - 1/2 small sized
Cardamom - 4
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon stick - 1 stick
Coriander leaves - 4 sprigs
Green chillies - 3
Mint leaves - 2 sprigs

Instructions
Wash and soak the basmati rice for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
Add all the ingredients listed under masala into a fine paste by adding a little water.
Finely chop the mushrooms, onions and tomato.
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and add the bay leaf followed by the onions. Saute till the onions turn translucent.
Add the ground paste and saute for about 2 minutes, until the raw smell goes away and oil starts to separate from the mixture.
Once the ground paste gets cooked, add the tomatoes and fry for about 2 minutes until they get well cooked. Then add the mushrooms and saute for a minute.
Finally add the rice and required quantity of salt. Also add the yogurt and lemon juice. Finally add enough water (water:rice = 1.5:1).
Mix everything together. Cover the pressure cooker and cook until you get two whistles.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve hot with raita or a gravy/curry of your choice!

Sending this to FaveDiets Blog Hop
A celebration of Indian Food and to
Healthy Cooking Challenge: Healthy Lunch Event guest hosted by Kavi and started by Smitha of My Tasty Curry
Winter Carnival started by Smitha.

Microwave Milk Peda / Doodh Peda / Milk Fudge

2011-10-27T16:01:00.000-07:00

I made this quick and easy sweet for Diwali. I have seen this peda recipe all over the internet and it was the first time I made this sweet and I was amazed by its easiness. It can be made in a matter of minutes if you have all the ingredients ready. No sieving, chopping, frying, baking needed! Just mix the ingredients and all you need is microwave for 3 minutes! Yes, you heard it right. Just 3 minutes! And it uses just 3 ingredients!

You cant make a more easier and delicious sweet! Great to make along with kids!

Here is a pictorial video!
http://www.youtube.com/user/DivyaDilSe#p/a/u/0/35M7z20T7aE

Ingredients
Instant Dry Milk Powder - 2 cups
Sweetened Condensed Milk or Milkmaid - one 14 oz can
Butter - 1/2 stick or 4 tablespoons

Instructions

Take a microwave safe bowl and melt the butter by microwaving a few seconds. Do not bring it to a boil.
To the melted butter, add the dry milk powder, sweetened condensed milk and mix thoroughly. Everything should be mixed completely.
Microwave for a total of 3 minutes mixing the ingredients thoroughly after each minute.
Dont forget to mix the sweet after each minute!
After 3 minutes, take the bowl out of the microwave and allow it to cool enough to handle with your hands. This shoud approximately take around 8 to 10 minutes.
Grease a big plate with oil or butter.
Also, grease your palms with oil or butter and take a small amount of the mixture and make into a small sized ball. Flatten slightly and arrange them on the greased plate.
Decorate as needed. I used some crushed pistachios on top.

Other topping ideas: Cashews, raisins, almonds, chironji seeds, sunflower seeds, coloured sugar etc.

Diwali Sweets and Snacks!

2011-10-23T00:18:00.000-07:00

Here is my dose of Diwali Recipes.. Have a fun and safe Diwali!

SWEETS

Athirasam

Quick an Easy Aval Payasam

Little Hearts Biscuit

SAVORY SNACKS

Vengaya Bajji / Onion Fritters

Javvarisi / Sabudhana Murukku

Khara Biscuit / Indian Masala Cookies

Egg Puffs

Kara Vadai

Vegetable Cutlets

Enjoy snacking and bursting crackers! Have a Happy Diwali!

Collard Greens Dal

2011-10-20T16:29:00.000-07:00

We had just returned from India after a fun vacation and I had to make a hearty, comforting meal for lunch. We were craving for some comfort food after eating the airline food for a whole day.

We had almost nil fresh produce at home and I was glancing at my freezer to find something to cook with for our lunch. I found a pack of chopped collard greens, which I had picked up on sale just before we left on our trip. I have this habit of stocking up on frozen veggies and greens whenever they are on sale and they always come in handy when I run out of fresh produce. I used up fresh tomatoes and green chillies from my little balcony garden and made this dal in minutes. We had the dal with rice, roti and some vadams for our lunch.

Ingredients
Collard greens (fresh or frozen) - 1 cup chopped
Toor dal - 3/4 cup
Tomatoes - 2
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For the seasoning
Oil - 1 spoon
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds/jeera - 1 teaspoon
Dried red chillies - 2

Instructions

If using fresh collard greens, wash them and chop them into strips. If using frozen greens, use them as is.
In a pressure cooker, combine together washed toor dal, the collard greens, chopped tomatoes, slit green chillies and turmeric powder. Add about 4 cups of water and pressure cook for 4 to 5 whistles.
When the pressure gets completely released, open the cooker lid and mash the dal with a potato masher. Add salt to taste and mix well.
For the seasoning, heat the oil in a saucepan and add the mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add the urad dal, jeera, asafoetida and dried red chillies.
Pour the seasoning over the cooked greens and dal and mix well.
Serve hot with rice or roti.

Monthly Mingle - Scintillating Salads Roundup

2011-10-14T15:36:00.000-07:00

Hello All,
Am back with the roundup for the event Monthly Mingle - Scintillating Salads. I received several delicious and healthy salads great for every meal. Here comes the roundup!

Olga Arlegan - Lentil Salad

Deepika Anand - Tricolored Pasta Salad

Deepika Anand - Grilled Spring Onions, Radish & Cottage Cheese Salad

Sadhana - Navara Rice Salad

Tandy Sinclair - Cabbage Salad

Lauren Hairston - Technicolor Vegetable Salad

Janet - Lime-Cilantro Quinoa Corn Salad

Janet - Skillet-Toasted Corn, Tomato and Anasazi Bean Salad

Janet - Sea-weed and Greens Salad

Vaishali Sabnani - Zesty Fruit Salad

Krithi - Pasta Salad with Lemon and Peanut Dressing

Chinmayie - Lite and Colorful Pasta Salad

Anu Anand - Spicy Asian Salad

Graziana - Fried Peppers Salad with Mint

Mythreyi - Watermelon Salad

Hope you enjoy all these lovely salads..

Happy Salad Munching..

Monthly Mingle - Scintillating Salads

2011-08-28T23:44:00.000-07:00

This is a Monthly Mingle and I invite you all to take part in this mingle by sending in your salad entries. Yes! The theme for this mingle is Scintillating Salads!

Salads are versatile and makes a great start to any meal - incorporating all the goodness and freshness from the freshest ingredients available on the planet. Salads can be served as any part of the meal - appetizer salads, side salads, main course salads, dessert salads etc.

Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes including vegetable salads; salads of legumes, grains, pasta; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, seafood; and fruit salads. Green salads include leaf lettuce and leafy vegetables with a sauce and dressing. Other salads are based on pasta, noodles or gelatin. Most salads are traditionally served cold, although some, such as south German potato salad, are served warm.

With umpteen number of options and varieties of salads available, adorn your thinking hats and blog about your favorite salad and send it to the mingle this month!

Here are a few guidelines for the event:

Create a dish that fits the "Scintillating Salads" theme.
Post about it in your blog from now until September 30, 2011 (entries must be in English)
Your creation should be prepared for the current Monthly Mingle theme and shared with a maximum of 2 other blog events.
Please provide a link to this post and the official Monthly Mingle page.
Once you have posted the dish, please send the following details to divyablogs[AT]gmail.com on or before September 30, 2011.

Now, go start tossing your favorite salads!! Here are some salad ideas!

Red Chard Kootu

2011-08-25T13:40:00.000-07:00

I have always seen red chard and swiss chard in the grocery stores and farmers markets, but they looked huge to me and I have been always reluctant to pick them up. After knowing that the chard family is a storehouse of essential vitamins and minerals I had to buy them.

I made an Indian style kootu with the greens. Kootu is generally made with vegetables, coconut and cooked dhal and served along with rice. I decided to make a similar dish with the red chard. I was surprised that it tasted very much like the arai keerai we get in Tamil Nadu. This has become a regular in my household and I serve it with rice and papads.

Ingredients
Red Chard(can be substituted with swiss chard or any type of greens) - 3 cups
Toor Dal (split pigeon peas) - 3/4 cup
Turmeric Powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

To grind
Cumin seeds - 2 teaspoons
Urad dhal - 2 teaspoons
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies - 3

Seasoning
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida/Hing - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Red chilly - 1

Instructions

Wash the red chard leaves thoroughly and chop them roughly along with the red stem.
Cook the toor dal with about 2.5 cups of water and turmeric powder until soft. I pressure cooked the dal to make the process quicker.
In a saucepan, dry roast the two teaspoons of urad dhal until it turns fragrant and brown. Then grind it into a smooth paste along with the other ingredients - grated coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies adding a little water.
In a heavy bottomed pan, cook the chopped red chard along with the stem in a few tablespoons of water. Once it starts wilting, add the cooked dhal and the ground paste and mix everything together. Season with salt.
In a saucepan, do the tempering by adding oil, mustard seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida, curry leaves and red chilly one by one. Once everything starts spluttering, switch off the stove.
Pour the seasoning to the cooked chard and dhal and mix well.

Serve along with steamed rice and papads.

Perfect Pound Cake

2011-08-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Pound cakes are really simple to make and perfect for any occasion! Great along with evening teas; more exotic when served along with a cream cheese or simple lemon frosting; a perfect accompaniment with some strawberry syrup, and amazing with some ice-cream by the side and served as an elegant dessert! However you may serve this cake, this cake sure tastes delicious.

I was unable to bake this cake for last month's sweet punch, but I knew i had to make it sometime after hearing so many good reviews from everyone. I made this one evening and I was surprised when it tasted very much like the cakes we get in the bakeries in my native place.

This pound cake turned out to be moist, fluffy and perfect! It is a foolproof recipe and great for first time bakers! Measure the ingredients, whisk them together and pop it into the oven and delicious pound cake is ready in minutes!

Ingredients
Recipe Source: The Cake Bible
Milk - 3 tablespoons
Eggs - 3 large
Vanilla extract - 1 1/2 teaspoon
Sifted cake flour - 1 1/2 cups
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Baking powder - 3/4 teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
Unsalted butter - 13 tablespoons, softened (184 grams)

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 F. Butter an 8 x 4 x 2.5 inch loaf pan, or any six cup loaf or fluted tube pan. Lightly whisk together milk, eggs and vanilla in a medium bowl.
Place dry ingredients in a large bowl and mix on low speed for 30 seconds, until blended. Add the butter and half the egg mixture, and mix until dry ingredients are moistened. on medium speed, beat for a minute. This will aerate and develop the cake's structure. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.
Add the remaining egg mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds between each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
Pour the prepared batter into the prepared pan. Smooth the surface with a spatula. bake for 55-65 minutes (35-45 minutes if baking in a fluted tube pan), until a wooden toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean. Let the cake cool on a rack in the pan for 10 minutes before inverting onto a greased wire rack. if using a loaf pan, flip the cake over so the top is up.

For making Cake Flour at home : Take one cup of all purpose flour and remove 2 tablespoons from it. Replace the 2 tablespoon flour with corn flour and sift together 2 to 3 times. Cake flour is ready to use.

Home Style Garam Masala from Hari Nayak's Kitchen and a cookbook review

2011-08-19T17:43:00.000-07:00

I was contacted by Cheryl Duncan last week asking if I could do a cookbook review, I immediately agreed. A few days later, I received the book and I am already in love with the cookbook. The book looks so appealing and enticing with all its amazing food pictures by Jack Turkel.

"My Indian kitchen - Preparing delicious Indian meals without fear or fuss" by Hari Nayak is a perfect Indian cookbook for every cook - for novice to experts. It has simple recipes like the Sweet Mango Yogurt Lassi to exotic recipes like Samosas and Malabar Crab curry. The book also features recipes of Indian spice mixes to get you started on Indian cooking.

Hari Nayak is a celebrity Indian chef and a restaurateur from New Jersey. Growing up in a coastal rural town, Udipi in southwest India, Hari nayak shares his family's own style of southern Indian cooking that includes meats and seafood. The chef also includes the usual favorites such as his famous melt-in-your-mouth Cafe Spice Chicken Tikka Masala found at Whole Foods hot bars throughout the US.

The book starts with an introduction to indian food which explains that Indian food is much more than just curry! Nayak also gives sample vegetarian and non-vegetarian party menus to get you started. he also gives suggestions on the various wines that pairs beautifully with Indian food. He then gives a few simple techniques and a very interesting introduction to exotic Indian ingredients. The book is then divided into various chapters - Indian spice mixes, chutneys and accompaniments, appetizers, soups and dals, vegetable and cheese dishes, fish and seafood, poultry and meat, bread and rice and finally desserts and drinks.

A few of my favorite recipes from the book which I will be trying very soon..

Plum-Tomato chutney with mustard seeds
Spicy Paneer Cheese Kebabs
Fiery South Indian tomato Soup
Mangalore Spiced potatoes
Saffron Chicken biryani
Flaky Paratha Breads stuffed with potatoes
Pistachio Biscotti and Almond Butter Cookies

Here is the first recipe I tried from the cookbook - Home Style Garam Masala. My entire smell is filled with the fragrance of the masala and I cant wait to use the masala in various recipes.

Ingredients

Makes about 2/3 cup (75 grams)

Prep time: 5 minutes

Cook time: 5 minutes

Cumin seeds - 2 tablespoons

Coriander seeds - 1 tablespoon

Black peppercorns - 1 tablespoon

Cinnamon - one 1/2 inch stick

Green cardamom pods - 10

Whole cloves - 1 teaspoon

Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon

5 bay leaves

Directions

Dry roast the whole spices in a small skillet, over medium heat, stirring until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes.
Remove the spices from the skillet and set aside to let cool completely.
Grind the spices, with the bay leaves, in an electric spice grinder or mixer to a fine powder.
Store in an air tight jar for up to 4 to 6 weeks.

T.G.I.Fridays!

2011-08-17T13:01:00.000-07:00

Attention Chicago area Friday's® fans! Head on over to your local Friday's® now to pick 2 items for only $10!

Enjoy two of Friday's® delicious specials (including appetizers, entrees, and desserts):

Spinach Florentine Flatbread
Savory Dragonfire Chicken
Pan-Seared Parmesan Flounder
Delicious Vanilla Bean Cheesecake

This offer is available every night of the week! For the full menu being offered, please visit this page for details.

Please not that this promotion is also available to those residing in Indianapolis, Baltimore and West Palm Beach. Make your next eat out memorable for your family by visiting TGI Friday!

Note: “This sponsorship is brought to you by Friday's® who we have partnered with for this promotion.”

Foodbuzz - Kodak Tastemaker Outreach

2011-08-12T17:16:00.000-07:00

I was one of the lucky recipients of the Kodak Photo Book offered as part of the FoodBuzz Tastemaker Outreach Program. I had real fun putting together my photo book. It was similar to a scrapbook project. The photo books showcase your amazing photographs as an elegant collection. The photo books come in various sizes both in hardcover and as a paperback.

At Kodak Gallery, it is easy to create photo books and photo albums. Start by choosing a book size and style. The choose between two ways to make your photo book. If you are short on time, just load your pictures and watch them flow into your book instantly. But, you can easily move your photos around and add fun, finishing touches to customize your photo book your way. Prefer to give more consideration to every detail of photo book creation and manage every customization detail yourself? Then choose the alternative method that enables you to set your own pace. Either way that you choose results in a one-of-a-kind photo book you can cherish and be proud of. Kodak also offers volume pricing on most products. So the more you buy, the more you save. As with all Kodak Gallery products, the photo books and photo albums are backed by their 100% satisfaction guarantee.

Visit http://www.kodakgallery.com/products/photo-books/pc-Products-c-C830001
to know more on how to create photo books. KODAK Gallery is also providing an exclusive offer to my readers; 40% off a medium hardcover or a large Photo Book. Visit www.kodakgallery.com/creativity and order your photo book. The offer is only available through this URL from 8/1/11 - 8/31/11.

Kathirikkai Pulikuzhambu/ Eggplant or brinjal in a tamarind sauce

2011-08-10T13:35:00.000-07:00

This is a curry made with eggplant/brinjal simmered in a tamarind based sauce and often part of lunches especially in South Indian households. Amma makes puli kuzhambu atleast once a week with different vegetables like brinjal, drumstick, okra/ladies finger etc. She adds a lot of garlic which gives a nice flavor to the curry. This tastes great especially with cooked rice and some papads or vadagam or omelette to accompany it.

Ingredients
Eggplant/Brinjal (the smaller variety) - 8 to 10
Tamarind extract - from a lemon sized ball of tamarind
Onion - 1/2 medium sized
Garlic - 10 cloves or as per taste (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder or all-purpose curry powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For tempering
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - few

Directions

Soak the tamraind in warm water for about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp to get tamarind extract.
Chop the onions. Also slice the brinjal/eggplant lengthwise.
In a pressure cooker or a kadai, do the tempering with oil, mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. once they start spluttering, add the onions and saute till they turn translucent for about a minute.
Add the peeled garlic and saute for a minute.
Add the sliced brinjal/eggplant, salt, turmeric powder and the chilli powder/all-purpose curry powder and stir well.
Finally add the tamarind extract and about half cup of water.
Pressure cook for about 3 whistles. If using a kadai, cover and cook for about 15 minutes until the brinjal and the garlic becomes tender.
Allow the sauce to simmer until you get the required consistency.

Serve with rice and papads.

Cauliflower kuzhambu / Cauliflower Curry

2011-08-01T12:50:00.000-07:00

This is simple and elegant curry made with cauliflower and tastes great with some cooked rice. It can also be enjoyed along with some chapatis or rotis. it is a one pot dish and can be made in minutes using a pressure cooker. The mild red color of the curry comes from the all purpose curry powder/ kuzhambu masala podi. It mildly spices the curry and is very flavorful.

Ingredients
Cauliflower florets - 2 cups
Onion - 1/2

Oil - 1 spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon

Urad dal - 1 teaspoon

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Salt to taste

To grind into a coarse paste
Onion - 1/2
Tomato - 2
Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons
All purpose curry powder/ kuzhambu masala podi - 1 tablespoon

Instructions

Wash the cauliflower florets and blanch them in hot water and set them aside.
Grind all the ingredients listed above into a coarse paste.
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and temper with the mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. once everything starts spluttering add half the chopped onion and saute until it turns translucent.
Add the blanched cauliflower florets along with some salt and saute for a minute.
Then add the ground masala and stir well.
Add a cup of water, close the cooker with a lid and cook until 3 whistles. If using a kadai instead of a pressure cooker, cook for about 10 minutes, until the cauliflower florets get well cooked.
Adjust salt and garnish with cilantro/coriander leaves.

Serve with warm rice and some papad for a delicious lunch!

How to make Kuzhambu Masala Podi/ Kuzhambu Milagai Thool/ All-purpose Curry Powder

2011-07-27T13:48:00.000-07:00

This is a basic all-purpose curry powder used as a base in several South Indian curries and stir-fries. Every household has a different recipe and this recipe was passed on from my grandma to my mom. I have never tried making this powder since my mom never fails to replenish my masala podi stock each time I go home. This masala podi is usually prepared in bulk, by sun drying or dry roasting the spices and grinding them in mills. They can be stored in airtight containers for a few months.

This powder has several names in different households - curry powder, kuzhambu masaal podi, kuzhambu milagai thool, kuzhambu podi etc.

Ingredients
Dry red chillies - 1/2 kg
Coriander seeds - 1/2 kg
Cumin seeds/ Jeera - 1/4 kg
Whole black peppercorns - 100 gms

Instructions

Sun dry all the above mentioned spices for 2 days. Alternatively, you can dry roast the spices seperately for a few minutes until they turn fragrant.
Grind all the ingredients together in a mill to get a fine powder.
You could also make this at home in small batches using a mixie, spice grinder or coffee grinder.
Store in an airtight container at room temperature.
Use a teaspoon of this powder in all your favorite curries, stir-fries and sambar.

Masal Vadai

2011-07-21T12:29:00.000-07:00

Masal vadai with a hot cup of coffee/tea make a heavenly combo! These crunchy fritters can be served hot any time of the day as appetizers, snacks or as part of any meals. This masal vadai is usually found in menus in almost all south indian restaurants. It can be made with minimal ingredients and is packed with protein. I made these yesterday and we enjoyed a cold day with these crispy masal vadai and some masala chai.

Ingredients
Channa dhal/ Bengal gram dhal - 2 cups
Onion - 1 small sized
Green chillies - 3
Fresh ginger - 1/2 inch
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Asafoetida/ Hing - 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
Sombu/fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Directions
Soak the channa dhal in water for atleast 1-2 hours.

Remove about 1 tablespoon of the soaked dhal and keep it separately. Grind all the remaining dhal along with salt and the fennel seeds into a coarse paste without adding any water to the dhal mixture.

Chop the onions, green chillies and fresh ginger very finely. In a bowl combine the ground dhal mixture, the reserved dhal, onions, green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and asafoetida and mix until everything is combined together.

In a kadai or a heavy bottomed vessel, heat oil for deep frying. Make small lemon sized balls with the dhal mixture and flatten using both palms. When the oil turns, hot carefully add the prepared dhal mixture. Cook on medium heat for about 2 minutes on each side until the vadai turns golden brown in color.

Drain on paper towels and serve warm!

Pulikachal/ Puliyodharai Mix

2011-07-18T14:34:00.000-07:00

This is the way amma makes pulikachal/puliyodharai mix. Made with tamarind, the mix is a very tangy and delicious one and makes a comforting rice dish perfect for lunchboxes and picnics. Puliyodharai can be whipped up in a matter of minutes when you have this pulikachal in hand. The mix stays fresh for quite a few days because of the addition of tamarind. The rice can be had all by itself, or a simple potato fry or papads or vadagams or coconut thuvayal.

Ingredients
Tamarind - 2 lemon sized balls
Gingelly/Sesame oil - 4 tablespoons
Mustard seeds - 1 tablespoon
Urad dhal - 3 tablespoons
Channa dhal - 3 tablespoons
Red chillies - 6 or 7 depending upon spice levels
Curry leaves - few
Garlic - 7 cloves (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek/methi seeds/vendhayam - 1/2 teaspoon
Asafoetida/Hing powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cashews/Peanuts - 1 tablespoon (optional)
Salt to taste

Directions
Soak the tamarind in about 1/2 cup of warm water for about 10 to 15 minutes. Mash the tamarind well and strain to get a thick tamarind paste.

In a kadai, dry roast the fenugreek seeds and grind it into a fine powder.

In the same kadai, heat the oil. Add the mustard seeds. Once the seeds start spluttering, add the urad dhal, channa dhall and saute till they turn golden brown in color. Add the cashews/peanuts if using. Add the red chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and fenugreek powder.

Switch to low flame and slowly add the tamarind extract. Take care because it might splutter. Add the garlic, turmeric powder and salt. Simmer and allow it to cook for about 10 to 15 minutes or until the mix thickens well. It should be in a thick paste like consistency and the oil well separated from the tamarind extract.

Once done, switch off the flame and when required, add a little amount of the mix along with some cooked rice and enjoy warm!

We had the puliyodharai along with some coconut thuvayal.

Mixed Veggies Poriyal/Stir Fry

2011-07-14T16:18:00.000-07:00

This is a simple stir fry made with mixed veggies and can be made in a jiffy. It can be prepared in 10 to 15 minutes and great for lunch-boxes or weekday meals. I used the frozen mixed veggies from Costco to make it even more quicker. The veggie mix had beans, carrots, peas, corn and edamame beans. The stir fry is slightly spiced and makes a simple accompaniment to any meal.

Ingredients
Mixed veggies - 1 cup (carrots, beans, peas, corn etc.)
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 1 small sized
Green chillies - 2
Curry leaves - few
Grated coconut - 2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Directions
If not using frozen veggies, chop all the veggies into equal sized pieces. Also chop the onions finely and slit the green chillies lengthwise.

In a kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal and curry leaves. Once they start spluttering, add the chopped onions and green chillies and saute until the onions turn translucent. Add the mixed veggies, salt and sprinkle little water. Cover and cook until the veggies turn soft.

Finally, add the grated coconut and mix thoroughly. Serve warm with some rice and dal!

Show me Your Summer Cooler Roundup

2011-07-11T15:59:00.000-07:00

Summer is fun! And summer can be made more exciting and fun with these delicious and refreshing summer coolers! Here are the various entries I received for Show Me Your Summer Cooler! event. Hope you enjoy them. Also do check out the next in the series - Show me your Dosa!

Nirmala - Mixed Fruit Milkshake
RS - Badam Milk

Rupali - Beetroot and Carrot juice with Coconut Water

Vaishali - Lemonade

Deeksha - Beer Color Mocktail

Vaishali - Honey Dew Cooler

Kalyani - Spicy Buttermilk

Vaishali - Falooda

Vimitha - Blue Berry Mocktail

Vaishali - Mocha Orange

PJ - Oreo Cookies Milkshake

PJ - Apple Frapple

PJ - Dragon fruit - Banana Smoothie

Kaveri - Mixed Fruit Milkshake

Vaishali - Pink Lady

Priya - Rose Yogurt

Radhika - Watermelon Cooler Shruti - Mango Smoothie Vaishali - Faalsa SharbatVaishali - Fruit Lollies Jaleela - Red Cocktail CoolerMadhusmita - Cranberry Lemonade

Prathima - Apple Lemonade

Vatsala - Cucumber Water

Priya - Mango and grapefruit juicePriya - Strawberry Lemonade

Priya - Ginger and Lime Barley WaterPriya - Mango and Avocado Smoothie Priya -Raspberry SmoothieKrithi - Carrot Kheer Shama - Sarbath

Denny - Rose Milk

Denny - Minty green Cucumber JuiceJay - Mango Lassi

Divya Vikram - Blueberry LemonadeVatsala - Mixed Fruit Juice

Thanks everyone for participating and sending in your refreshing ideas!

Cucumber Sandwich with basil-mint-cilantro chutney

2011-06-29T22:29:00.000-07:00

Picnic food would be incomplete without sandwiches. And cold sandwiches to cool you down would be the best. This sandwich is made with cucumbers and smeared with some cream cheese and basil-coriander-mint chutney. It is very simple to make and can be made ahead and left to chill in the refrigerator till you enjoy them. Make these sandwiches along with other delicious and simple to make picnic food like desi omelet, kale chips, 10 minute banana bread, marble cake, falafel-pita sandwich and wash them all down with this gorgeous blueberry lemonade.

For the blogging marathon, I was paired with Harini and I had to make something from her blog based on the picnic theme. I chose this basil-mint-cilantro chutney and made simple cucumber sandwiches with the chutney. The chutney paired the cucumbers really well and made a great evening snack. This can also be packed as lunches for kids. I made the chutney with my homegrown basil and cilantro harvested fresh from my garden!

Ingredients for the Chutney

Recipe Source: Tamalapaku

Basil - 1 cup

Mint - 1/2 cup

Cilantro/Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup

Tamarind paste - 1 teaspoon

Green chillies - 2

Oil - 1 teaspoon

For the seasoning - Mustard seeds(1 tspn), urad dal(1 tspn), channa dal(1 tspn), red chillies(1), hing(1 pinch)

Salt to taste

Directions

In a small pan heat the oil and do the seasoning with the mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal, red chillies and hing. Once the dal turns brown in color, add the basil, cilantro and mint. Saute for a minute until the leaves wilt.

Allow it to cool and blend it together with the tamarind paste, green chillies and salt without adding any water.

To assemble the sandwiches

Cut the edges of the bread and slice them into triangles. Smear some cream cheese/butter on both sides, followed by 1/2 a teaspoon of the prepared chutney on each slice. Place 3 or 4 sliced cucumber rounds and place another slice of bread on top to make a sandwich.

Enjoy!
Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#6

Sending these sandwiches to Sandwich Mela and to the Giveaway by Ruchika Cooks

Blueberry Lemonade

2011-06-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

Picnics during the summer would be incomplete without some summery juices and lemonades. This is a no brainer recipe for lemonade with a few blueberries floating which provide just the right amount of tanginess and color to your ordinary lemonade. Also, your lemonade will have an antioxidant punch from the blueberries! This can be served during parties and during picnics and can be made in no time. They can also be made ahead and stored in a pitcher in a refrigerator. The blue color increases with time.

I found this idea to make blueberry lemonade when i was browsing for recipes to use up my berries. i made these using frozen berries. They taste great when made using fresh berries. The lemonade can also be made using different berries like raspberries, strawberries, cranberries etc.

Ingredients (serves 2)
Lemon juice, freshly squeezed - 3 tablespoons
Sugar - 3 tablespoons
Ice cold water - 2 glasses
Blueberries, fresh or frozen - 3 tablespoons or more

Directions

In a bowl, stir together the lemon juice, sugar and water until the sugar dissolves completely.
Add in the blueberries and with the back of a spoon, just press a few blueberries, so that the blue color dissolves into the water.
Adjust sweetness and pour into a glass with ice cubes and enjoy!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#6

Marble Cake

2011-06-27T22:02:00.000-07:00

This is one pretty cake which does not require any frosting and it looks beautiful and tastes great by itself. It is very similar to the zebra cake except that the cake has a marbled effect and not the perfect black and white lines. It is fun to have a random mix of chocolate and plain vanilla cake in each bite.

Ingredients
Recipe Source: Joy of Baking
Maida/All purpose Flour - 2 1/4 cups
Unsalted butter - 1/2 cup at room temperature
Granulated sugar - 1 1/4 cups
Eggs - 2
Semisweet Chocolate, chopped roughly - 2 oz or about 55 gms
Brewed coffee - 1 tablespon
Vanilla Extract - 2 teaspoons
Sour cream/Yogurt - 3/4 cup
Milk - 1/3 cup
Cinnamon powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking powder - 1 tablespoon
Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

Melt the semisweet chocolate and brewed coffee in a double boiler (Bring water to a simmering boil in a saucepan. Place a the semisweet chocolate and brewed coffee in a stainless steel bowl and place the bowl in the saucepan with water). Once the chocolate melts, remove from the heat and set aside. Alternatively, you could microwave the chocolate and coffee together for about 30 seconds.

In a bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.

In another bowl, cream together the butter and sugar using a hand mixer/electric mixer until soft and fluffy or about 2 to 3 minutes. Add eggs, one by one and continue beating. Slowly add in the vanilla extract and sour cream and beat until well incorporated.

Slowly add in the flour mixture and milk by alternating them and continue beating, until you have added all the flour and milk.

Once the batter is ready, pour half of the batter into another bowl and add the melted chocolate into one half and mix thoroughly.

Grease a bundt/loaf pan and pour the batter into the pan alternating with a spoon of chocolate and vanilla batter. Using a spatula or a spoon, draw some swirls in the batter to give a swirling effect.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50 to 60 minutes until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Cool on a wire rack for about 10 minutes and slice the cake.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

This cake makes a great snack at picnics and this is my post for the Blogging Marathon with the theme Picnic Food. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#6

Kale Chips!

2011-06-26T19:42:00.000-07:00

Are you someone who hates kale? Then you should definitely try these crispy, crunchy, delicious kale chips! I have been seeing these kale chips a lot around the blogosphere and I had to try it. Kale is a chock full of Vitamin A, C, calcium and iron. I grabbed a bunch of kale from my farmers market to make this chips and some salad. But I have been staying away from kale salads, fearing it might have some strong taste. But when I made these chips, I knew I am going to make these very often! They are so addictive like potato chips!

The recipe is so simple. I kept it simple by adding olive oil, salt and apple cider vinegar. The vinegar gave some tanginess to the chips. The chips also taste great with just olive oil and salt. You could also make several other variations - pepper, rice vinegar, balsamic vinegar, canola/vegetable oil, nutritional yeast, flax seed meal, garlic salt, italian seasoning etc.

Ingredients
Kale - 1 bunch
Olive oil - 1 tablespoon
Apple cider vinegar - 1 teaspoon
Salt to taste

Directions

Wash the kale and dry them well with paper towels. The leaves should be dried completely. If wet, the kale would just be steamed instead of turning into chips.

Tear the kale leaves into bite sized pieces leaving the thick vein or inner stalk.

In a bowl add the kale and drizzle some olive oil, vinegar and salt to taste. Using both your hands, massage the kale well, so that the seasonings blend well with the kale leaves.

Preheat oven to 350 F.

In a baking tray, line with parchment paper or spray with some non-stick cooking spray and line the kale leaves in a single layer. Do not over crowd the pan as it might result in steamed kale and the chips might not turn crispy.

Bakein the oven for about 10 - 15 minutes depending on the oven. Keep checking after 10 minutes to see if the chips have become crunchy and crispy. Mine took around 12 minutes to turn crispy.

Enjoy! Store in an airtight container.

This is my entry for the Blogging Marathon with the theme Picnic Food. This would be a great healthy snack to munch on during picnics. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#6

Also sending this to Quick and Easy Recipe Mela.

Desi Omelette

2011-06-25T18:22:00.000-07:00

Anyone who has travelled by trains in India, must have come across this omelette made with onions and tastes great even if it is not that warm. they are great during trips and picnics. They taste great all by themselves or wrapped between toast and served as a sandwich. Makes a filling and nutritious breakfast or even as a quick snack. The omelette can be tweaked several ways by adding your favorite veggies, herbs and cheese. I kept it simple this time and just added onions and green chillies. This is exactly not a recipe and the quantities if the ingredients can be varied according to ones likings.

Ingredients (serves 1)
Eggs - 2
Milk - 1 teaspoon
Onion - 3 tablespoons finely chopped
Green chilly - 1 finely sliced
Butter/oil - 1 teaspoon
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
In a bowl, break the eggs and add the milk. Using a whisk or a fork, beat the eggs and milk until it turns frothy.

Heat a skillet, add the butter or drizzle some oil.

Add the chopped onions and green chillies. Saute for a minute until it turns soft. Spread the onion-chilli mixture evenly on the skillet.

Now pour the egg-milk mixture into the skillet. Take the skillet in your hand and give a quick swirl, so that the egg forms a nice round omelette.

Cook for about a minute and flip the omelette using a spatula. Cook the other side for one more minute and season with salt and pepper.

Serve warm. if you are planning to pack this for a picnic, wrap the omelette immediately using aluminum foil and serve with some bread as a sandwich. You could also spice up the omelette sandwich with some ketchup or hot sauce.

Variations: Various vegetables like mushrooms, spinach, asparagus, bell peppers, tomatoes, chopped ginger, chopped cilantro, dill, thyme, oregano, grated cheese etc.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#6

Also sending this to Quick and Easy Recipe Mela.

10 Minute Banana Bread

2011-06-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

I bake banana breads often, atleast once a month. I make sure we have a few ripe bananas left just to make this banana bread. i have experimented different banana bread recipes, but this one has been a recent favorite and a regular at my kitchen these days. It is so simple and takes about 10 minutes from the start till it gets into the oven.

Picnics are all about food and snacking. A fresh loaf of this banana bread makes a great picnic snack. it can be stored easily and sliced just before enjoying. Also makes a great quick and filling breakfast/snack with some coffee or tea. This is my second post for the blogging marathon!

Ingredients (Yields 1 full sized loaf or 2 small loaves)
Recipe Source: www.thefreshloaf.com

Bowl 1
Butter - 1/2 stick or 5 tablespoons
Eggs - 2
Ripe bananas - 2 or 3
Sugar - 2/3 cups

Bowl 2
Maida/All purpose flour - 11/3 cup
Salt - 3/4 teaspoon
Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking powder - 1/4 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)

Walnuts - 1/2 cup (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

In a bowl combine all ingredients listed under 'Bowl 1' and using a potato masher, or a fork or a spoon mash the bananas well. The banana should be mashed well, but a few chunks here and there should be fine.

In another bowl, combine all the dry ingredients listed under 'Bowl 2.'

Then, combine the wet and dry ingredients together and stir in the chopped walnuts.

Pour the prepared batter into a greased loaf pan and bake until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

It take 40 minutes for small sized loaf pans and 50 minutes for large loaf pans approximately, depending on ovens.

Remove from the oven and allow the loaves to cool for about 10 minutes before removing it from the pan and slicing the bread.

Serve warm or cold. This bread also freezes well when wrapped in foil and stored in a ziploc bag.

Falafel-Pita Sandwich

2011-06-23T12:40:00.000-07:00

Summer is ideal for picnics! Beaches, parks, riverbanks, trails, campsites are ideal for picnics. Picnics would never be complete without food and snacking! I have chosen the theme - Picnic Food for my blogging marathon this week. Yes, I will be continuously be posting recipes everyday for a week all revolving around the theme Picnic Food!

Food taken for picnics are dishes that taste great even when served cold, spill-proof and great eaten without the use of much cutlery. This falafel-pita sandwich is great for such situations. they can be made ahead and wrapped in plastic or foils and makes great picnic food. The falafels can also be prepared individually and then sandwiches can be assembled with the pita bread and the sauce just before eating.

Here is a simple and easy recipe for making great falafel-pita sandwiches. I have used hummus and greek yogurt as the sauce in this sandwich. Any kind of sauce can be used. I bought most ingredients from the grocery store except for the falafels which I made at home.

I used the kuzhipaniyaram pan to make the falafels more healthy with less oil. Falafels are traditionally deep fried. I have also tried baking the falafels. But we loved this version better.

Ingredients (makes 4 sandwiches)
For the falafel
Dried garbanzo beans - 1 cup/16 oz. can of chickpeas
Onion - 1 medium sized
Garlic cloves - 2
Fresh parsley/coriander leaves - 2 tablespoons chopped
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste

For the sandwich
Falafels - 8
Pita bread - 2
Cherry tomatoes - 12 (or) Regular tomatoes - 2
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped (optional)
Cucumber - 1
Greek yogurt - 4 tablespoons
Hummus - 4 tablespoons

Directions
To make the falafels
Soak the garbanzo beans overnight or atleast for 5 to 6 hours. Drain the chickpeas and pressure cook for about 10 minutes. If using canned garbanzo beans, you can skip the above step.
In a blender add the cooked and drained chickpeas along with all the ingredients listed under falafel and grind to a coarse mixture.
If using the kuzhipaniyaram pan, drizzle a little oil in each hole and place a lemon sized ball of the falafel mixture. Slightly press with the back of a spatula.

Cook on low heat for about two minutes on each side. Do not cook on high heat, because the outsides might brown too quickly and the inside might remain uncooked. Remove the falafels once cooked and allow it to cool. You can make these falafels ahead and refrigerate or freeze leftovers for future use. The falafels stay good in the freezer atleast for a month.

Alternatively, you can also make the falafels by deep-frying or baking them.

To assemble the sandwich
Take a pita bread and slice it into two equal pieces. You can toast the pita on a pan for a minute. this step is optional.

Open the pita pocket carefully, and smear one tablespoon each of the greek yogurt and hummus. Place two falafels in each sandwich. Top with your favorite toppings - cherry tomatoes, sliced onions, sliced cucumbers, coriander, parsley etc. You can also use tzatziki or tahini sauce as toppings.

Enjoy your falafel-pita sandwich!

Show Me Your Dosa!

2011-06-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

After a little break from the Show Me Your.. series, I am here with another theme. It is going to be dosas this time. Dosa is a staple breakfast in South India. You can never find any home without a grinder to make dosa batter. Even people moving abroad, never forget to pack a grinder along with their luggage. It is that famous!!

Dosa is a fermented crepe made with rice and black lentils. The dosa is rich in carbohydrates, contains no salt, sugar or saturated fats and its constituent ingredients of rice and lentils mean that it is gluten-free and contains protein. The fermentation process increases the vitamin B and vitamin C content. There are various ways of transliterating dosa: dose, dhosha, dosay, dosai, dhosai, tosai, thosai, or dvashi. There are several different kinds of dosas made with different grains and legumes. Dosa can also be made healthy with brown rice and beans.

Here are some guidelines for the event:
Blog about your favorite dosa and email me the following details to divyablogs[AT]gmail[DOT]com on or before July 31, 2011:
Name:
Recipe name:
Recipe URL:
Attach a picture of your final dish:
Feel free to use the logo.
Link your blog post to this event announcement.

Archived entries are allowed. But please link back to this announcement.
Non-bloggers can email your recipe and picture to the above email address.

Looking forward to all your delicious dosa entries!

Show Me Your Muffin - Roundup

2011-06-17T21:28:00.000-07:00

Need Muffin or Cupcake recipe ideas?

Check out all these delicious muffin/cupcake entries i received for Show me Your Muffin event, with banana muffins topping the list! I received the maximum number of banana muffins. Needless to say, it is everybody's favorite. Thank you friends, for sending in all your delicious entries!

Priya - Eggless Orange Poppyseeds Muffin
Krithika - Eggless Bottlegourd muffins

Priya - Eggless Lemon Poppyseeds Muffin
Priya - Vegan Kiwi & Cornmeal Muffins

Shylaja - Wheat flour banana muffins
Priya - Vegan pineapple Muffins

Sumi - Sweet Potato Muffins
Shylaja - Whole wheat oats and dates muffin

Sravani - Papaya muffins
Sumi - Apple Cinnamon Muffins

Denny - Flax Banana Muffin
Veena - Eggless mango Muffins

Radhika - Mom's Sweet Muffins
Vidhya - Upside down double apple muffin

Radhika - Banana Nut Muffins
Sravani - Crunchy Banana Muffins

Meghna - Mango Macadamia Muffin
Vimitha - Chunky Chocolate Cupcakes

Gayathri - Eggless chocolate cupcakes
Gayathri - Eggless spiced nutty muffins

Deeksha - Orange Muffins

Ambreen - Tangerine Butterfly Cupcakes

K - Mini Rotelle Pasta Muffins
Rekha - Apple Pecan Muffins

Raks - Eggless Banana Walnut Muffins
Ambreen - Pineapple Coconut Muffin
Ambreen - Almond Cupcakes

Sojo - Vanilla Cocoa Pound Cake
Vimitha - Dark Chocolate Cupcakes

Krithi - Mango Cupcakes

Krithi - Mocha Chocolate Muffins

Kalyani - Eggless Oats Banana Muffins
RS - Strawberry muffins

Richa - Savory Corn Muffins
Prathima Rao - Banana muffins

Gayathri - Eggless banana muffins
Gayathri - Eggless peanut butter cupcakes

Cooking Foodie - Banana Walnut Chocolate Chip Muffin
Jayashree - Eggless Mango Banana muffins

Divya Vikram - Eggless Banana Walnut Muffin
Neetu - Orange Muffins

Thanks again, for all your entries!

Iyengar bakery Khara Biscuit for ICC

2011-06-15T22:04:00.000-07:00

Iyengar Bakery Khara Biscuits was the recipe featured for this month's Indian Cooking Challenge. Though, I haven't tasted/tried making these biscuits/cookies, these were so easy to make and tasted delicious too. I made them this evening along with our evening coffee and they made a great accompaniment to the coffee. We loved the Indian touch to the cookies, because of the addition of green chillies and coriander and no eggs and baking soda which are regular ingredients in any cookie!

Ingredients

Maida/All purpose Flour - 2 cups/250 gms

Butter - 1/3 cup at room temperature

Green chilly - 1 minced or finely chopped

Sugar - 4 teaspoons

Salt - 1 teaspoon

Cilantro/Coriander leaves - a few sprigs

Yogurt/curd - 3 tablespoons

Directions

Preheat oven to 350F.

In a mixing bowl, combine the flour and salt together. In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Also add the yogurt and mix together until incorporated.

Slowly add the flour-salt mixture to the wet ingredients and knead well until everything comes together.

Also add the chopped chilly and coriander leaves along with the dough while kneading.

Roll the dough into 1/4th inch thickness and cut using cookie cutters into desired shapes. I flattened the cookies slightly with a fork to make impressions.

Bake for about 20 minutes until it turns golden brown in color. The cookies might be soft when you remove them from the oven in 20 minutes. But they crisp up when they cool down.

Cool on a wire rack and store them in airtight containers.

Serve along with coffee or tea!

Pavakkai Fry/ Bittergourd fry

2011-06-13T13:09:00.000-07:00

Bittergourd/Pavakkai is one of the most hated vegetables. I had an aversion towards the bitter veggie for long, but knowing its nutritional benefits, I knew I had to make it at home. I made this crispy version and it tasted great as a side dish with rice and dal and also with curd rice. I made it the simple way as I usually make other vegetable stir fries. I added some grated coconut towards the end to mitigate the bitterness of the bitter gourd.

Ingredients
Bittergourd / Pavakkai - 2 medium sized ones
Onion - 1 small sized
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Grated coconut - 2 tablespoons

Directions

Wash the bittergourd and slice it finely.
In a kadai, heat the oil and do the tempering with the mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves and add the sliced onions.
Once they turn translucent, add the sliced bittergourd and saute for a minute. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt to taste and mix well.
Sprinkle some water and cover for about two minutes and cook until the bittergourd turns soft. Remove the lid and fry for a few minutes and until it turns crispy.
Add the grated coconut and saute for a minute until everything combines together.

Serve warm along with rice and dal.

Cajun Guacamole

2011-06-08T13:30:00.000-07:00

I received a pack of delicious and ripe California Avocadoes as part of the Foodbuzz Featured Publisher Program and I made this delicious dip to go with some tortilla chips. I usually make the regular guacamole, but I wanted to spice it up a little bit. So I made this guacamole with a Cajun touch. It turned out delicious and spicy and was a perfect evening snack. I served this with some wholegrain flax seed tortilla chips from TJ's.

The recipe is so simple and can be whipped up in minutes.

Ingredients
Fresh California Avocados - 2
Tomatoes - 1 small sized finely chopped
Red onion - 1/4 cup finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves finely minced
Fresh lemon juice - 1 tablespoon
Fresh cilantro for garnish
Cayenne Pepper - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Peel the avocados and remove the seed. Coarsely mash the avocados.

Add all the ingredients and mix well. Garnish with cilantro leaves. Serve immediately. The avocados oxidize quickly and turn black.

Serve as a dip with any appetizer. Also tastes great in sandwiches.

Sending this to Quick and Easy Recipe Mela.

Simple Strawberry Jam

2011-06-01T12:25:00.000-07:00

When I grabbed a fresh box of delicious and juicy strawberries from the farmer's market, I immediately wanted to make strawberry jam. It has been a long while since we got jams and preserves from the grocery stores. We were just out of our cranberry jam and this batch of strawberry jam replenished our jam stock.

I just made a small batch since this was the first time I tried my hand in making jam with strawberries. But this has been our favorite so far. The best part of making jams at home is that you could actually control the amount of sugar that goes in. The sugar can also be replaced with other natural sweeteners like honey, agave nectar etc. to make it less in calories and diabetic friendly.

This jam uses just three ingredients - strawberries, lemon juice and sugar and requires no pectin.

Ingredients
Strawberries sliced finely - 2 cups
Brown/White sugar - 1.5 cups
Lemon juice - 2 teaspoons

Directions
Wash and pat the strawberries dry.

If you like to bite into the strawberry pulp, just slice the strawberries finely. If you do not like to bite into pieces, just puree the strawberries into a coarse mixture.

In a wide saucepan, place the sugar and lemon juice together and bring it to a slight boil. Switch to medium heat and immediately add the sliced strawberries or the pureed strawberries. Allow the sugar to melt and the strawberries to cook well and thickens to form a jelly consistency.

In order to test if the jam is ready, place a small stainless steel plate in the freezer for about five minutes. With a spoon take a little jam from the saucepan and pour it in the chilled plate. If the jam stays like a jelly without spreading out, the jam is ready.

Switch off the stove and allow the jam to cool. Transfer to a sterilized glass jar and refrigerate.

To know how to sterilize a glass jar - read this. Once the jam has cooled completely refrigerate. This stays fresh for 4 to 5 weeks.

Tastes great with toast!

Sending this to Back to Basics initially started by Jaya.

Vegetable Dum Biryani

2011-05-24T12:47:00.000-07:00

Vegetable Biryani is a versatile rice dish that goes well along with any type of curry. It is great for parties or for an elaborate weekend meal. I always make biryani the easy way as a one pot meal. I just dump the spices, rice and vegetables in the pressure cooker and cook it up. But this time I wanted to make it the regular way. I cooked the rice and the vegetables separately, layered the rice and vegetables and allowed the flavors to blend in the oven. It takes time and effort to make this biryani but truly worth the effort. I adapted the recipe from Anu's place.

You could use vegetables based on availability and preference.

Ingredients
For the Rice
Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomatoes - 2 small ones
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Green chillies - 2 slit lengthwise
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Oil/Butter - 1 tablespoon

Whole Spices
Bay Leaves - 3 to 4 leaves
Cinnamon sticks - 2
Cloves - 4
Cardamom/Elaichi - 4
Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Star Anise - 2

Vegetables
Cauliflower florets - 1/2 cup
Carrots - 2
Green beans - 1/2 cup sliced lengthwise
Potatoes - 2 medium sized ones
Green peas - 1/2 cup

For the marinade
Curd/Yogurt - 1.5 to 2 cups
Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Cumin/Jeera powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Kasoori methi leaves - 1/2 teaspoon (optional)
Salt to taste

Directions
Soak basmati rice for 30 minutes in water.

First, prepare the vegetables and marinade. Chop all the vegetables in equal sizes. To the yogurt, add all the spice powders and whisk well together.

Add a little water if required. Add the marinade to the vegetables. Cover and refrigerate. Allow the veggies to marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, prepare the rice. In a wide saucepan, add the oil or butter and add all the whole spices. Once the spices start giving out their aroma, add the soaked rice and give it a stir. Also add salt, chilli and turmeric powder, the required amount of water (water:rice ratio - 2:1), cover and cook until the water gets completely absorbed. Fluff the rice with the fork once it gets done.

To prepare the vegetables, in a saucepan, add a little oil. Add the onions and saute until they turn translucent. Add the ginger garlic paste and green chillies and fry for a minute. Add the tomatoes and saute them for a minute. Then add the marinated vegetables along with the yogurt. Cover and cook on low heat for about 15 to 20 minutes. take care to cook on low heat since the yogurt might curdle more and result in a sour mixture. Once the veggies get well cooked, switch off the heat.

Now comes the assembling part. In a baking dish, add a layer of rice, almost half the rice followed by a layer of vegetables. Top off with the remaining rice and garnish with some cilantro.

Cover tightly with an aluminum foil and cook for about 15 to 20 minutes at 300F. Fluff the veggies and rice with a fork together before serving.

Serve warm with a simple raita, boiled eggs and chips. Makes a great weekend lunch!

Sending this to Bookmarked Recipes hosted by Priya.

Mirchi ka Salan

2011-05-16T23:10:00.000-07:00

Even though I have seen several versions of Mirchi ka Salan around in the blog world, I haven't really tasted it myself. I only knew it was really spicy because of the jalapenos or peppers present in the curry. We happened to taste this in an Indian restaurant one weekend and got hooked to its taste. I knew, i had to make it at home and got a bunch of jalapeno peppers just to make this curry. I adapted this recipe according to our tastes and it turned out to be truly delicious. this recipe is a keeper.

This is a specialty of the cuisine of Andhra which is famous for all its spicy stuff starting from biryani to pickles. Whole chillies or pepper are pan fried in oil and then added to a thick gravy made with a mixture of sesame and peanuts which mellows down the spice level of the peppers making it tolerable to eat!I removed the inner seeds of the jalapenos to reduce the heat level. If you want the curry to be really really spicy, go ahead and leave the seeds in there at your own discretion!

Ingredients
Jalapenos/Chillies/Peppers (any variety) - 6
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cumin/Jeera powder - 1 teaspoon
Tamarind pulp - from a lemon sized ball of tamarind
Oil - 2 spoons

To grind into a smooth paste
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Sesame seeds - 2 tablespoons
Onions - 1/2 chopped
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon - 1/2 inch
Cloves - 3 to 4

For the tadka/tempering
Oil - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Jeera/cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Methi/fenugreek seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Curry leaves - a few

Directions

First prepare the jalapenos. Slit the jalapenos from the bottom about half way keeping the stem/stalk intact. Carefully remove the pith present in the center of the peppers along with the seeds. Take care to wash your hands immediately after handling the peppers to avoid hand burns.
In a wide skillet, add the oil. Once the oil turns hot, add the prepared peppers. Immediately cover with a lid because the oil starts spluttering outside. After about a minute, open the lid and give the peppers a turn. Cover and cook for two more minutes until the peppers have charred a little bit and the skin turns color. Remove the peppers and keep them aside.
Grind the ingredients listed into a smooth paste adding a little water.
In a saucepan/kadai, heat the oil for tempering and add the mustard seeds, jeera, methi and curry leaves one by one. Add the charred jalapeno peppers, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder and the ground paste. Also add the tamarind pulp. Add about 1 cup or required quantity of water and required amount of salt to taste.
Cover and allow the gravy to simmer for around 12 to 15 minutes. The gravy should thicken and soak the jalapeno peppers with all the goodness!

Garnish with cilantro.

Serve along with chapatis, rotis, naan, plain rice or pulaos. Also tastes great with curd rice!!

Ready for some spice in your life?

Show Me Your Soup - Roundup

2011-05-14T22:53:00.000-07:00

Here is the roundup of Show Me Your Soup event. Thanks everyone for your delicious soup entries.

Sameena Pratap - Ladies Finger Soup
Sameena Pratap - Oats Soup

Sweet Artichoke - Spinach Ginger Soup
Krithika - Mixed Vegetable Soup

Hasna - Hot and Sour Soup
Smitha - Tomato Carrot and Bottlegourd Soup

Meghna - Vegetarian Pasta e Fagioli
Urmila - Asparagus Soup

Supriya - Veggie Noodle Soup
Supriya - Roasted Red Pepper Carrot Soup

Chitra and Dibs - Horse Gram Thin Soup
Usha - Spinach Orange Soup

Usha - Bone Soup
Ila Nila - Celery Soup

Sameena Pratap - Sweet Corn Veg Soup

Do check out the current event - Show Me your Summer Cooler! going on now at Dil Se..

Paneer Butter Masala - Version II

2011-05-11T14:45:00.000-07:00

Paneer Butter Masala or Paneer Makhani is a signature Indian curry made with Paneer or Indian cheese. This tastes best with homemade paneer. I usually make PBM according to this recipe, but this version is richer due to the addition of cashews. You can never go wrong with this recipe. It is so easy to make this and tastes delicious with naan or rotis or chapatis or any kind of rice!

This curry is similar to other paneer gravies, except that, it is more rich due to butter and the gravy is thickened by using onions, tomatoes and cashew paste rather than just cream. I omitted the cream, since I felt the gravy was already rich with the addition of butter and cashews.

Ingredients
Onion - 1 medium sized
Tomato - 2 medium sized
Paneer - about 250 grams
Butter/Ghee - 2 tablespoons
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Green chillies - 2
Green peas - 1/2 cup(optional)
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Cumin/Jeera powder - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder - 1 teaspoon
Cashews - around 10 to 12
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish

Directions

In a kadai heat 1 teaspoon of oil and add chopped onions and saute for about two minutes until they start getting brown in color. Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute until the raw smell goes away. Then add the diced tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes turn mushy. Switch off the stove and allow the mixture to cool.
When the mixture gets to room temperature, add this mixture to the mixie along with the cashews and blend into a smooth paste.
In a kadai, add the butter and add the cumin seeds. once they start spluttering, add the blended onion-tomato mixture and saute until the raw smell goes away. Add the turmeric powder, cumin-coriander powder, garam masala and chilli powder and salt. Mix together and saute for about a minute.
At this point, add the diced paneer and saute until the mixture coats the paneer. Also add the peas if using. Green peas is usually added only in mutter paneer and not in paneer butter masala. but I like the fact that the peas adds a little more color and sweetness to the dish. Allow to cook for a minute and then add half cup of water. You can substitute the water with heavy cream or a little milk. However keep the heat low so that the milk doesn't curdle. I just added water.
Cover with a lid and allow the gravy to simmer on low heat for about 5 to 7 minutes until the paneer absorbs all the spices and the flavor.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with your favorite side. I served this delicious curry with green peas pulao!

Almond Meal Cookies

2011-05-09T14:26:00.000-07:00

It is Sweet Punch time of the month again! We are celebrating our one year anniversary and we were allowed to bake any item of our choice! We have been baking pizzas, wholewheat almond cookies, fruit crumbles, molten lava cakes and many more interesting bakes! I chose to adapt Martha Stewart recipe this month and bake this delicious almond meal cookies. They were perfect for tea time and they tasted very much like the chinese almond cookies served at restaurants after meals.

They are so easy to put together and can also be made with fresh almonds instead of almond meal. I just had a pack of almond meal from TJ's waiting to be finished up and hence used it in this recipe.

Ingredients
Almond meal - 1 cup
Unsalted butter (at room temperature) - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Egg - 1
Finely grated orange zest - 1 teaspoon
All purpose flour/maida - 1 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Note: If using whole almonds instead of the almond meal, toast 1 cup of almonds in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for about 5 to 6 minutes. Allow it to cool and pulse in a food processor until finely powdered. Do not over process as it might turn into almond butter.

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
In a mixing bowl, beat the butter and sugar together with an electric mixer or with a whisk until it turns fluffy. Add the whole egg and the orange zest and continue beating until it turns into a smooth mixture.
In another bowl, whisk all the dry ingredients together - the flour, almond meal, salt and baking soda.
Slowly add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix until well incorporated.
Grease or line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Using 1 level tablespoon per cookie, roll dough into balls. Place on prepared sheets, at least 1 inch apart. Using the floured end of a thick wooden spoon handle (or your thumb), press lightly in the center of each cookie. Place a whole almond or sliced almonds in each indentation.
Bake, rotating sheets halfway through, until golden brown, 12 to 15 minutes. Let cool slightly; transfer cookies to a wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy with tea or as a dessert!

Show me Your Summer Cooler!

2011-05-04T12:55:00.000-07:00

It is summer in most parts of the world and it is time to chill out with some refreshing summer drinks! It might be so hot outside and you might not feel like slaving yourself cooking up meals at the kitchen. Go make yourself a refreshing drink to chill yourself and beat the heat! Summer involves so many activities like outdoor water fun, gardening, beaches, bike rides, beach trips and outdoor games. Top all these fun activities with summer coolers!

All you have to do is to whip up a quick and refreshing summer cooler, blog about it and send it across to me. It can be any type of drink - lemonades, sodas, ice teas, fruit juices etc.

Here are a few guidelines..

Post a recipe of your favorite summer drink in your blog during the month of May. Archived entries are not allowed.
Please link back to this announcement and feel free to use the logo.
Also do shoot me an email to divyablogs[AT]gmail[DOT]com before May 31st with the following details.
Name
Blog Name:
URL of the post:
Picture of the drink:

Thanks for sending your lovely entries for Show Me Your Muffin event. Will be posting the roundup soon.

To start, check out this watermelon lemonade recipe! Now, GO chill out with your favorite drink!

Eggless banana walnut muffin and a product review

2011-04-28T13:51:00.000-07:00

Bananas and walnuts make a great combination. They taste great when baked together. I always look out for quick bread recipes to have along with our evening tea and this recipe from Raks definitely suited my needs. It tasted delicious and it is eggless! The muffins turned out soft and moist with a bite and crunch from the walnuts.

I received a pack of Xylitol for a product review and I substituted xylitol instead of sugar in the recipe and we loved the taste. We definitely did not miss the sugar. Dont get fooled by the name Xylitol. It is NOT a chemical based sweetener. It is a 100% natural sweetener. It is an all natural sugarless sweetener from birch trees. It has the same sweetness and consistency as sugar. However it has 40% fewer calories, 75% fewer carbs, and is safe for diabetics. It is a perfect alternative to artificial sweeteners while avoiding regular sugar as well.

Now on to the recipe..

Ingredients
Banana - 2 ripe ones
Maida/All purpose flour - 3/4 cup
Walnut - 1/4 cup chopped
Xyitol or Sugar - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 teaspoon
Baking powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Vanilla essence - 1/2 teaspoon

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degree F.
Peel and mash the bananas well into a smooth paste. Add all the oil, vanilla essence and the xylitol/sugar and mix well.
In another bowl, mix together the dry ingredients - flour, baking soda and baking powder.
Slowly add in the wet ingredients to the flour mixture and mix just until blended. Do not overmix, this might make the muffins hard and dense.
Add the walnuts and stir them in to the batter.
Line the muffin pan with muffin liners and grease them with non-stick spray if desired.
Pour the batter to 3/4th the level. The batter rises and yields a good muffin top. Top off with a few walnut pieces.
Bake at 350 degree F for about 28 to 30 minutes.
Serve warm with butter or just by itself! Also makes a quick breakfast!

Sending this to Show me Your Muffin hosted here at Dil Se..

Superfood Smoothie - A perfect quick breakfast!

2011-04-18T09:34:00.000-07:00

No time for breakfast?

Even if you are rushed in the morning to get to work or school, you still got time to refuel yourselves and break your fast with this quick smoothie. Breakfast eaters think and perform better. if you are someone who does not have time for breakfast, or are just lazy to make a hearty breakfast, go for this smoothie. It has the heartiness of acai berry juice which is called a superfood, bananas, oatmeal, antioxidant rich berries and yogurt.

The recipe for this smoothie is very forgiving. I picked up the acai berry juice at Costco and found this recipe in the bottle. The juice can be replaced with any other fruit juices like orange juice, apple juice etc. Any type of berries - blueberries, strawberries, raspberries can be added. I just added low fat strawberry yogurt since that is what I had in hand. It can be substituted with any greek yogurt or just plain buttermilk.

It does not take more than two minutes to make this super healthy smoothie. Just add all ingredients in your blender. Give a few pulses, pour into a tall glass and enjoy!

Ingredients (Makes 2 servings)
Acai berry juice - 1 cup
Frozen berries - 1/2 cup
Banana - 1
Any yogurt variety - 1/2 cup
Flax seeds - 1 tablespoon
Quick cooking oats - 1 cup

Directions
Add all the above ingredients in the blender. If not using frozen berries, you could add a couple of ice cubes if you like your smoothie to be cold. Pulse for about 30 seconds. If you find the smoothie very thick, add a little water.

Pour into a glass and enjoy a hearty and filling breakfast!

Sending this chilled smoothie to Fun n Sun event

Almond Butter Oats Cookies for Maitri

2011-04-11T17:16:00.000-07:00

Have you checked out Maitri yet? It is a friendship chain in which you get a box of mystery from a foodie friend! Exciting right? For more details check out Priya and Reshmi's sites.

I was matched with Savitha and I received a fun package from her last week. The mystery ingredient was quick cooking oats. She also sent me a little measuring cup. Thank you so much Savitha. I use the oats and the measuring cup today to make these delicious cookies!

I recently discovered the goodness and deliciousness of almond butter and picked up a huge jar at Costco. I used it to make these cookies and they tasted great with a glass of milk. They also make a great tea-time snack or even a dessert!

Moving on to the recipe..

Ingredients (Yields 1 dozen cookies)
Dry ingredients

Whole wheat flour - 1 cup
Rolled oats/Quick cooking oats - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Brown/White Sugar - 3/4 cup
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon

Wet Ingredients
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
Almond butter - 1/4 cup
Milk - 1/4 cup
Vanilla extract - 1 teaspoon

Directions
Preheat oven to 350F.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper or lightly grease the baking sheet.

Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl. Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.

Add dry to wet and mix until just combined. Form a lemon sized ball, and press onto baking sheet until 1/2 inch thick. you could use a fork to flatten out the cookies. It also gives a nice imprint on the cookies.

Bake until lightly browned, about 15-17 minutes. After about 5 minutes, transfer the cookies to a wire rack and allow them to cool. The cookies will not firm and crisp up until they are cooled.

Enjoy some warm cookies along with milk or tea!

Pesto Pizza

2011-04-07T15:43:00.000-07:00

It is Sweet Punch time again! This time Divya selected Pizza as the bake. I loved baking the pizza. The base took no more than 10 minutes to put together. It tasted delicious too. For the toppings, I kept it simple by using a store bought pizza sauce and topped it with fresh pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, black olives and cheese. The pizza toppings are inspired by a pizza we get at a local pizzeria. It is more of the mediterranean style toppings. Mozzarella would have been a great addition, but since I did not have it, I used a combination of shredded cheeses. I halved the recipe for the pizza base and made one medium sized pizza.

A great way to make a quick and delicious meal.

Ingredients
For the base (Makes two crusts)
(Recipe Source: The Pioneer Woman)
Active Dry or Instant Yeast - 1 teaspoon
All-Purpose Flour - 4 cups
Kosher Salt - 1 teaspoon
Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 1/3 cup

For the toppings
Pizza sauce - 3 tablespoons
Fresh Pesto - 2 teaspoons
Cherry tomatoes
Olives
Shredded cheese
Oregano - 1/2 teaspoon
Parmesan cheese - 1 tablespoon

Directions

Sprinkle yeast over 1 1/2 cups warm (not lukewarm) water.

In a mixer, combine flour and salt. With the mixer running on low speed (with paddle attachment), drizzle in olive oil until combined with flour. Next, pour in yeast/water mixture and mix until just combined.

Coat a separate mixing bowl with a light drizzle of olive oil, and form the dough into a ball. Toss to coat dough in olive oil, then cover the bowl tightly with plastic wrap and store in the fridge until you need it.

Sprinkle the pizza stone or baking sheet with cornmeal/semolina.Roll out the pizza to your liking[thin/thick]. Spread the oil over the dough. Spread enough pizza sauce over the base.

Then add all other toppings - pesto sauce, cherry tomatoes, olives and oregano.

Then top with required amount of cheese.

Preheat oven to 500F.

Bake for about 15-20 minutes or till the cheese starts bubbling and the pizza is evenly cooked/browned.

Serve hot! Think before you order your pizza next time, when it can be made so easily at home!

My Weekly Menu Plan

2011-04-04T12:10:00.000-07:00

What's for Breakfast? What's for Lunch? What's for Dinner?

These are the questions I face when I enter the kitchen everyday. Even though I have a pantry and fridge fully stocked, I find it difficult to quickly plan meals. This results in some grocery ingredients forgotten to be used up, going bad and finally they get tossed. Without any menu planned out for the week, I found that we were eating the same meals over and over. This results in a cooking and eventually a blogging block since I have no interesting stuff made in my kitchen.

I realized that I need to follow a proper planned out menu, in order to make interesting, healthy and balanced meals and also use up all ingredients in my pantry. Monthly menus did not work well, since I ran out of certain ingredients or forgot to restock some of them. I hope weekly menus would be more effective and would also serve as a guideline for my weekly grocery shopping. It helps save time and make my meals more balanced.

So, you will be seeing weekly menus here, probably for all three meals of the day, probably at the beginning of each week. I will also try to link to the recipes if I have them already in my blog.

So here is the menu for the week!

Monday

BF - Soaked Almonds - 5 each, Steel Cut Oats cooked with flaxseed meal and topped with walnuts and blueberries, Coffee

Lunch - Bean burger on sandwich thins, side salad with lettuce, olives, tomato, cucumbers and goat cheese, homemade buttermilk

Dinner - Aloo Paratha with ketchup and yogurt

Tuesday

BF - Soaked Almonds - 5 each, Dosa with tomato chutney, Orange juice

Lunch -Whole wheat pasta salad and lemon juice

Dinner - Bisibelabath and homemade vazhakkai/banana chips

Wednesday

BF - Moong dal sprouts, steel cut oats with bananas and walnuts, OJ

Lunch - Trader Joes Masala Burger on Sandwich thins, Banana

Evening Snack - Ginger Tea and Kuzhi Paniyaram

Dinner - Chapati/Roti with channa masala

Thursday

BF - Moong Dal sprouts, Bread toast with homemade jam, OJ

Lunch - Left over channa masala, rotis

Dinner - Chapati with egg kurma

Friday

BF - Soaked Almonds - 5 each, cereals/steel cut oats with berries, OJ

Lunch - Rice, dhal and beetroot poriyal, curd rice

Evening snack - Kesari!!

Dinner - Eat out

Since I cook lunch only for myself, I tend to keep my lunches simple and make elaborate meals for dinner. Also, as of now I am planning menus only for weekdays. Will start posting weekend menus, once it I try sticking to the weekday menus.

If you have similar menus planned out, do leave a link in the comments section and I shall link them up in my posts.

Do you plan out your meals regularly? If so, how do you keep track of them?

Show Me Your Muffin and the giveaway winner!

2011-03-22T14:57:00.000-07:00

To check out the winner of the giveaway, please scroll down to the bottom!

I am here with the next edition of "Show Me Your.. " series. After breakfasts, cakes, omelettes, lunchboxes, curries, fridges, wholegrains, cookbooks, salads, sandwiches, smoothies and soups it is MUFFINS this time! Muffins have always been our favorite be it plain ones to ones with nuts and chocolate! They are great finger foods and even make a wholesome breakfast.

So get out your aprons and baking pans and start baking your muffins. Send them across for this event. Some guidelines for the event.

Create a blog post featuring your muffin recipe.
Feel free to use the logo.
Please link back to this announcement page.
Eggs are allowed in recipes.
Multiple entries are allowed.
Archived posts are allowed if you provide a link to this announcement page.
Email your entries to divyablogs[AT]gmail[DOT]com on or before April 30, 2011.

And the lucky winner of the CSN giveaway chosen randomly is..

Swapna of Simple vegetarian Recipes!

Thanks everyone for participating and sharing about your favorite cookware!

A giveaway!

2011-03-14T12:53:00.000-07:00

This is a special giveaway for readers here at Dil Se...!

What is your favorite cookware? I am a big fan of pan sets which range from non-stick ones, stainless steel and copper pans. I happened to find these beautiful Tri-Copper Pan Sets in the CSN Stores Website. Don't these look beautiful?

Would you like to win this giveaway and buy your favorite cookware for your kitchen? You have the opportunity to win a gift card and choose your favorite cookware from their online stores.

All you have to do is..

Leave a comment in this post, telling what is your favorite cookware.

For extra entries, follow my blog publicly, in a reader, subscribe by email, like the site's facebook page and leave a comment for each entry right here in this post.

I will be choosing the winner on the March 21, 2011 using a random integer generator.