Coconut Chutney

I am in the mood for chutney's today :) Let me share with you as many recipes I know until I run out of patience to type :P

What you will need :

• 1 cup coconut, grated
• 2 small green chillies, chopped
• 1 teaspoon ginger, grated
• 1 tablespoon roasted split gram ( optional )
• salt to taste

For the tempering :

• 1/2 teaspoon mustard
• 1 red chilli, broken into pieces
• 2 to 3 curry leaves
• 1 teaspoon oil

How to make it :

• Put the coconut, green chillies, ginger, roasted split gram and salt in a blender with a little water and grind to make a fine paste. Keep aside.
• Prepare the tempering by heating the oil and adding the mustard seeds, red chilli and curry leaves and stirring till the mustard seeds crackle. Pour this tempering over the chutney and mix well.
• Refrigerate and use as required.

Tomato Bath/ Tomato Khichidi

I don't feel like cooking today ... only because its not fun cooking for just one person.. So, I decided to cook something fast and yummy and something that would make me want to eat :) For those who hate the normal Upma, this is a good variation and is a hit with the kids as well.

What you will need :

• Sooji ½ cup
• Chopped tomatoes 2
• Chopped onion 1 small
• Green peas ¼ cup (optional)
• Grated carrot ¼ cup (optional)
• Curry leaves 6 to 8
• Finely chopped coriander 1 tbsp
• Bay leaf 1
• Cinnamon 1 inch
• Cardamom 3
• Cloves 2
• Ginger garlic paste
• Water one and a half cups
• Oil 1 to 2 tsp
• A pinch of turmeric
• Salt to taste

How to make it :

• Dry roast the sooji till a nice aroma comes out.
• Heat oil in a kadai and add bay leaf, cinnamon, cardamoms, and cloves.
• Add chopped onion and curry leaves. Fry till onions turn translucent.
• Add chopped tomatoes. and cook till tomatoes are done.
• Add turmeric powder, ginger garlic paste, green peas, and grated carrot. Fry for a minute or two.
• Add water and salt to taste, and bring to a boil.
• Add sooji slowly stirring continually to avoid formation of lumps. Cover and cook on a slow fire stirring occasionally till done.
• Serve hot garnished with chopped coriander and a dash of ghee.

It goes well with curd/ potato chips/ coconut chutney or eat it as it is :)

Poha upma

This is one of those evening when I don't feel like cooking but yet want to make something tasty and nutritious. I think of sabudana khichdi and then realize I have not soaked it and don't have the time to let it soak.. the next best option - Poha :) It is a favourite Maharashtrian dish, and eaten very frequently for breakfast and snacks.

What you will need :

• 1 1/2 cups poha
• 1/2 cup broken raw peanuts
• 1/2 cup green peas ( I prefer using Saffal Peas which is readily available in supermarkets)
• 2 green chilies sliced long ways
• 3 tablespoons oil
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
• 1 teaspoon salt adjust to taste
• 1 tablespoon lemon juice
• About 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
• Curry leaves - 4 - 5 nos

How to make it :

• Gently wash the poha and then drain all the water, else it will become one big clumpy mass.
• Roast the peanuts on medium heat in a little oil until they are lightly brown. Keep aside.
• Heat the oil in a frying pan on medium heat. Test the heat by adding one cumin seed to the oil; if the seed crackles right away then oil is ready.
• Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds after seeds crack add green chilies, curry leaves and stir for a few seconds.
• Next add the green peas and stir fry until peas are tender.
• Add turmeric, and salt and stir fry on medium heat continuously.
• Add the poha and for another 3-5 minutes.
• Remove from flame and fold in lime juice, cilantro and sugar.
• Serve hot and enjoy as it is or with tomato sauce / Coconut chutney/ Peanut chutney/ curd :)

Strawberry Jelly Slush Recipe

Who does not like Jelly ..? I still cannot stop myself from buying those jellos from the super market :) And when I have the time - Jelly and Custard ..... Yummmmm... This evening, I made something that I really like and will be an instant hit with both Kids and Grown ups :)

This is what you will need :

• 250 g Strawberries (chopped 2 cups)
• ¾ cup Sugar
• ½ tsp Salt
• ¼ tsp Strawberry Essence
• Few drops Red Color
• 1 cup Strawberry Jelly
• 2 glasses Water
• 10-12 Crushed Ice Cubes

How I made it:

• Place a large saucepan on fire and add strawberries, sugar and salt.
• Mix the ingredients to form a pulp and bring it to a boil.
• Remove from fire and cool down. Refrigerate.
• Prepare and set the jelly as per the instructions given on the packet.
• Pour the pulp, jelly chunks, red color, strawberry essence and water in a blender.
• Blend the mixture very lightly.
• Place some crushed ice in serving glasses.
• Pour the liquid into the glasses.
• Insert a straw and serve.

Sit back and Slurp away :)

Strawberry Milk Shake

Tis the season of Strawberries :) and apart from eating them as they are, there are just so many things one can do with this amazing and healthy fruit... Ive started with Strawberry Milkshake.. Kids love this flavour :)

What you will need:

• 1 cup of fresh strawberries
• 2 scoops of ice cream (vanilla / you could experiment with different flavors )
• 1 cup of milk

How to make it :

• Put the strawberries in a blender and puree it.
• To this, add ice cream and milk.
• Mix well and blend.

Serve in tall glasses with a few slices of strawberry fruit . Sit back and enjoy :)

Tamarind /Puli Sevai

I have an exam at work tomorrow and I need to cook something quick and tasty for dinner tonight so I have more time to study. I sometimes have a craving for anything tangy like vatha kozumbu, poondu kozumbu, fish gravy (Andhra style) and the like. Tonight, Tamarind sevai it is :)

This is what you will need (serves two) :

• Instant Sevai Mix /Rice noodles - 250 gms (readily available in the supermarket)
• Red chillies - 3
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 spoon
• Turmeric powder - a pinch or two
• Salt to taste

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad daal, - 1 tsp
• Channa daal, - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 3 to 4
• Hing - a pinch

A handful of roasted peanuts and Cilantro - for garnishing

How to make it :

• Cook the sevai/ Rice noodles as instructed on the pack and keep aside.
• In a pan heat little oil, pop mustard seeds, add turmeric powder, urad daal, channa daal, chillies, curry leaves and fry till the daals are golden brown.
• Add some water (about 1/4 cup) to the tamarind paste, dilute it and add this tamarind water.
• Let it boil till the raw smell goes and thickens.
• Turn off the stove and add the sevai/ boiled noodles and salt. Mix well.
• Garnish with cilantro and roasted peanuts.

This goes well with coconut chutney/ pottu kadalai chutney :)

Spring Onions Subji

I've always loved the flavor of spring onions and have never tried it in anything beyond Chinese, Italian or in Omlettes... I had decided to make dosas for dinner but did not want the same old combinations of chutney/ sambhar and the like...  I put this together last night as an accompaniment with Dosa's and it was awesome , if I may say so myself :) Here is how I made it :

What all you will need ( for two people) :

• Spring Onions : 1 -2 chopped
• Onion: 1/2 sliced thin
• Methi Seeds: 1/4 tsp
• Red Chillies: 2 broken
• Oil: to fry
• Sambar powder: 1- 1/2 tsp
• Hing: a small pinch
• Besan: 3/4 - 1 tablespoon.

How to make it :

• Heat oil in a pan, add the methi and red chilli when the oil is hot.
• Now add the sliced onions and fry for a few minutes.
• Now add the spring onions and saute for 2-3 minutes.
• Add the Sambar powder and saute for a minute.
• Add the Besan and stir well. fry for a few minutes.
• Now, add some water until you get some gravy.
• Allow it to boil for 2 minutes. Add salt to taste.

This can be had with Roti's also or as a sandwich spread as well :)

Soya Nuggets in Tomato Gravy

I've always had a fascination for soya nuggets and remember fishing them from the rice in Soya biryani or in any gravy they were in ... While I was staying over at a friends place until I got a rented place of my own in Hyd, I remember making this one evening for my friends kid, as an accompaniment with roti's..... and he polished the entire bowl :)

Here is what you will need :

• Soya chunks : 1 small bowl
• Tomato : 4 medium
• Cumin powder : 1 Tsp
• Green chillies : 2
• Ginger garlic paste : ½ Tsp
• Corn flour : 1 Tbsp heaped
• Salt : To taste
• Turmeric powder : A pinch
• Coriander powder : 1 tsp
• Garam masala : 1-1/2 Tsp
• Kasoori methi : 2 Tsp
• Oil : 1-2 Tsp
• Mustard seeds : ½ Tsp
• Curry leaves : 8-10

How I made it :

• Soak Soya chunks for about 20 minutes in warm salted water.
• Squeeze extra water and keep aside.
• Make puree of tomatoes and green chillies. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds and add curry leaves.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and fry till it gets light brown.
• Add tomato puree, mix all spices and fry on low flame.
• Dissolve corn flour in some cold water and add into gravy. Adjust the thickness with water.
• Add soya chunks and cover the lid.
• Cook for about 5-7 minutes on low flame.
• Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with chapatti or rice and ghee :)

Rasam

What do you do when you have bad cough and buy tabs but don't take them regularly - make Good Old Rasam :) I don't have a mixie at home right now so had to make it minus all the grinding of Jeera and Pepercorns that I would prefer..This came out just as good and I ended up drinking it instead of consuming it with rice . This is how I made it :

What all you will need :

Tomatoes: 2
Tamarind: Size of an amla soaked in about 2 cups of water
Rasam powder: 3 heaped teaspoons
Water: 2-3 cups
Hing: a pinch
Turmeric: a pinch
Mustard, Jeera: 1 tsp
Ghee: 2 teaspoons
Curry Leaves: 4-5
Corriander Leaves: to taste.
Jaggery: 1/4 tsp.

This is how I made it :

• Take the bowl, which has the tamarind soaking it in and sqeeze the tamarind well.
• Throw in a tomato, squeeze it into the water.
• In a saucepan, heat the ghee and fry the mustard, jeera and curry leaves.
• Pour the tamarind water.
• While waiting to boil, add the rasam powder, chopped tomato. salt, turmeric and hing.
• Let it boil for 10-15 minutes until the raw smell of tamarind vanishes.
• Now taste the rasam, add Jaggery to adjust the taste.
• Finish with corriander leaves!

Mix it with rice as an accompaniment or drink it straight from a cup :)

Mooli Paratha's ( Radish )

I remember my mum making this for me when I was in school and it used to be YUMMY !! Today, Mooli Parathas it is :) There is no extra work to be done except for grating the radish of course :D

What all you will need :

• Radish - 2 nos ( you an use either red/white.. )
• Atta - 2 cups
• Salt to taste
• Green chilli - cut into small roundels ( optional for those who like it spicy)
• Water to knead the dough
• Oil - 2 tbsps to mix with Atta

What you need to do :

• Grate the radish and add it directly into the atta to be kneaded.
• Knead the dough with salt to taste and some oil and water and chillies if adding any.
• Please keep in mind that the radish will give out water and so the paratha's need to be rolled out and cooked immediately.
• Eat them hot with bullseye/ curd with chilli powder/ pickle.

Hope you like it !