VEGETABLE MANCHURIAN

The past few days have been a little crazy. first my husband left for India. He had a lay over in mumbai the day the most horrific of incidents in the history of the country occurred. He reached his destination just fine. Then my brother was here for thanksgiving, so was busy with that.

And then yesterday I came down with fever.  There was so much happening, that I got left behind in the recipe marathon too. was short by just a week. I guess better luck next time. 

Apart from just a few dishes I made when my brother was there, I have not been cooking much. 

since I was feeling a little better today, I thought of atleast updating my blog with a few recipes I made last week.

vegetable Manchurian, is one of them, that I made just a day before my husband was leaving.

We both love Chinese and with no options for Indian Chinese,I end up making it at home.

I wonder what's the history behind the name"vegetable Manchurian".

anyways here is the recipe

You will need

for the manchurain balls

• carrot-2-3
  
• cabbage-1/2 
  
• garlic-1-2
  
• cornflour
  
• salt and pepper
  
• oil- to fry

for the gravy

• onion-1
  
• garlic-1-2
  
• soy sauce-2 tbsp
  
• chilly sauce-1 tbsp
  
• vinegar-1 tbsp
  
• green onion-2-3
  
• salt and pepper to taste
  
• sugar-1/2 tsp
  
• water-1 cup
  
• cornflour-1 tbsp
  

You have to 

for the manchurian balls

1. grate the cabbage and carrot.
   
2. chop the garlic and add to the grated carrot and cabbage
   
3. add the salt and pepper
   
4. add cornflour and mix everything up.
   
5. heat oil in a pan.
   
6. take a little bit of the mixture, squeeze it. (there will be water) and shape into ball. fry till golden brown.
   
7. note: initially fry one ball and see. if it doesn't break fine. But if it breaks add some more cornflour. You will have to squeeze out the excess water before making the balls and frying.

fried manchurain balls

for the gravy

1. finally chop the onion and the garlic
   
2. in a pan take around 1 tbsp of the same oil (that you used for frying the Manchurian balls).
   
3. add the chopped onion and the garlic. saute till transparent
   
4. in a bowl mix the soy sauce, chilly sauce and the vinegar. add the salt, pepper and sugar.
   
5. mix in the water. add the mixture to the fried onions and garlic.
   
6. in a smaller bowl dissolve the cornflour in water and add it to the gravy, mixing constantly.
   
7. check for seasoning. add the manchurain balls right before serving.
   
8. garnish with green onions.
   
9. serve hot with rice and /or noodles.
   

enjoy

SPICY OMELET/FRITATA

The past few days have been crazy hectic. with my husband leaving for India in just a few days, there is so much stuff to do. shopping, packing are offcourse the main highlights of the event.

Coming so far along in RECIPE MARATHON, I don't want to give up specially in the last few days.

Though the cooking is not going to be anything fancy as the weekend is going to be spent finishing a lot of work, however I will be posting a few simple and common recipes. 

Here is one of them for RECIPE MARATHON DAY 21.

a quick fix for dinner. 

You will need

• eggs-3
  
• chopped onions-1/4th cup
  
• chopped corinader- 1 tbsp
  
• chopped green chillie-1 tbsp
  
• grated cheese- 1/2 cup
  
• salt and pepper
  
• oil- a few drops
  

you have to

1. heat a non-stick frying pan. add the oil. swirl it around to coat the base of the pan
   
2. beat the eggs till nice and fluffy.
   
3. add the salt and pepper. pour the egg batter into the frying pan.
   
4. sprinkle the onions, green chillies and coriander.
   
5. top with cheese, cover and cook till fluffy
   
6. you can fold the omelet or simply let it be
   
7. serve with toast and tomato sauce.

I called this a fritata too, coz when I covered and cooked it, it became nice and fluffy and I was able to cut it up and served it. 

enjoy.

other recipe marathon runners

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochig

BOMBAY BHEL

There is nothing like the spicy, tangy, lip smacking street food of India. My mouth simply starts to salivate the minute I think about the "puchkaas"  (as they call them) of kolkata (elsewhere known as golguppas, mini puffed crackers filled with spicy water, mashed potatoes and spices), or the tikki chana and dahi bhalle of delhi, or off course the bhel, vada pao and pao bhaji of bombay.

I have been lucky enough to taste all of these right from where they belong. Well, its actually impossible not to taste street food growing up in India. Each city has its own speciality.

After moving to the US, I literally crave for these tastes and how much ever you try you can not get the same taste like you do back in India. You use exactly the same ingredients, exactly the same method, but alas......something is always missing. Maybe the whole feel of standing on the roadside and eating from a paper plate with people all around you.......

Well before I get nostalgic let me get down to my recipe. Bhel. This is a snack, street food item made out of puffed rice or murmura or muri. Its mixed with boiled potatoes, spices, chutneys, and lemon juice. Make it as hot as you want and you got yourself a tasty bowl of India right in your hands, awakening your senses and your taste buds.

This is my recipe for RECIPE MARATHON DAY 20

You will need

• boiled potatoes (diced)-1 cup
  
• onion diced- 1/2 cup
  
• coriander chopped- 1/2 cup
  
• muri/murmura/puffed rice-2 cups
  
• nylon sev (available at any indian grocery)- 1/2 cup
  
• papdi (thin fried crackers, available at indian grocery)- 4-5
  
• green chutney- 1/4th cup (make it at home or use store bought ones)
  
• tamarind chutney-1/4th cup (make it at home or use store bought ones)
  
• green chillies (chopped)-1 tsp
  
• peanuts-1/2 cup
  
• salt - to taste
  
• red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
  
• lemon juice- 1 tsp (or more, depending on your taste)
  

puffed rice

this is what sev looks like

chopped  coriander, onion and potatoes.

You have to 

1. take a bowl. add the murmura, potatoes, onions and the spices. mix it all up.
   
2. crush the papdi and add to the above mixture. 
   
3. mix in the chutneys and the peanut. taste. adjust flavouring if you need it more sour or spicy.
   
4. put it on a plate, sprinkle some nylon sev and garnish with coriander. 
   
5. indulge.......

note: you can keep everything ready, but mix everything only at the time of eating, as it tends to get soggy.

whats smelling so good in all the other marathon kitchens

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochig

ITS MY 100TH POST with BESAN BURFI

I just can not believe this. My 100th post........Just a few days back I was at my sixty fifth post and wondered how it would feel (and how much time it would take),to reach the milestone of 100. This blog actually started out of an urge to do something. With no work authorization hereI had to do something that I enjoyed. 

Loosing interest in something very fast is a major weakness in me. I need to be constantly motivated. This blog would have seen this day had I not kept myself motivated to go on writing (however good or bad). Totally new to the blogging scenario I knew nothing. Nothing at all, be it "burning a feed", or terms like "ping", or "link back". But thanks to this amazing web sphere I learnt it all. And am still learning.

There were days when I use to write and never get back any comments and that began to demotivate me. But I use to read about blogging and that gave me the enthusiasm to keep going. And then slow and steady I got into the groove. And today I have so many of my blogger friends who make so much of a difference to my world of blogging. Its like we all share this kitchen space where we talk, eat and have a good time. Had it not been for all of you, I would not have been motivated to come so far and continue to do even more. all the comments left by each one of you'll makes me feel happy and makes me want to post more intresting stuff.

It surely is not something really great, I know many of you'll have long passed this stage of celebrating 100 posts, but for me it means a lot. now that I have taken to this so seriously I am excited to do a lot more for my interest (which is food...obviously). 

Feels great. 

I think that is a lot of stuff for my 100th post. I should not forget that I have to post a recipe for the RECIPE MARATHON DAY 19TH.

So how can we celebrate without sweets. Here is my recipe for besan burfi, that I made recently. 

You will need

• besan (gram flour)- 1 cup +1/2 cup
  
• ghee-1 cup
  
• sugar-3/4 th cups
  
• cardamom po decorate
  

You have to

1. heat a wok or a kadai. heat the ghee
   
2. add the besan and cook on low till the colour changes to a nice brown and the raw smell of besan is gone. 
   
3. continue to roast it, till the ghee begins to separate.
   
4. take it off the heat and let it stand for 5-10 mins
   
5. add the powdered sugar along with the cardamom powder.
   
6. grease a plate or a thali.
   
7. spread the besan mixture in the thali, and leave it to cool
   
8. cut into diamond shape. place one slivered almond on each brufi.
   
9. enjoy at room temperature.

This can be stored in the fridge and then reheated in the microwave for around 30 seconds. They taste absolutely delicious.

the runners are running strong

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochi

ALOO PARANTHA

I just can not believe it, this is my 99Th post, and soon I will complete my 100Th post.....wowoowo that is great. But more about that after a day.

This is the second day of the second week of the Recipe marathon. I really had no idea that it would be so much of an adrenalin rush even though we are not actually running on real tracks. The amazing recipes, the number of blogger friends and offcourse the enthusiasm with which each one is taking part is simply great. And with Dk doing such a nice write up about all the fellow runners, who would not enjoy being a part of something so much fun.

So here it is my RECIPE MARATHON RECIPE DAY 18.

Nothing jazzy, nothing uncommon, just plain simple aloo paranthas. sometimes its the simple things in life that make all the difference.
here is the recipe

You need

for the filling

• boiled potatoes-2
• chopped ginger-1 tsp
• green chillies (chopped)- 1 tsp
• chopped coriander-1 tbsp
• red chilly powder-1 tsp
• dry parsley (ajwain)- 1/2 tsp
• salt - to taste
• ghee (this gives it that mouthwatering taste)- to smear the paranthas
  
  for the dough
• whole wheat flour-2 cups
• water-1 cup (apporx)

You have to

1. knead the dough by adding little water at a time to the flour. cover and keep in the fridge till ready to use.
2. in a bowl add the boiled potatoes add all the spices along with the ginger, coriander and the green chillies.
3. mash it all up and mix. check for salt.
4. heat a griddle (tawa).
5. take a little bit of the kneaded dough, roll out to small round disc. approx 2 inches or so.
6. fill it up with around a tablespoon of the potato mixture.
7. seal the top with little more dough if needed.
8. now roll it to the size of a chapati. do not put to much pressure as the mixture tends to come out.
9. place it on the hot tawa. smer with ghee and flip over.
10. cook both sides with little ghee till nice and brown.
11. serve hot with raita and achaar.

enjoy.
these can be made and frozen too. they taste just the same once heated up

check out what is sizzling on all the other platters
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochi

PALAK PANEER

This is a very famous north indian dish. extremely popular in restaurants. Lots of people generally don't like spinach by itself but the addition of paneer makes it really tasty.
Add some cream to the gravy and you got yourself a rich north indian delicacy.
let me not waste much time talking about the goodness of the dish, lets get down to its recipe

RECIPE MARATHON DAY 17

You will need

• spinach (palak)- 1 packet (frozen), or 2-3 bunches fresh
• paneer- (cut into cubes) - 1 cup
• onion- 1
• ginger-1/2
• garlic-2-3 pods
• green chillies-2-3
• butter/ghee- 2 tbsp
• cream-1/2 cup
• red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
• cumin and coriander powder-1/2 tsp
• garam masala powder- 1 tsp
• salt- to taste

You have to

1. thaw the frozen spinach. If using fresh, wash and boil it. do not throw away the water. puree the spinach in a blender. keep aside.
2. puree the onions, grind ginger garlic and green chillies together.
3. heat the butter or ghee in a pan. add the onions. saute the onion puree till nice and brown. remember to do this well or else the gravy will taste a little bitter.
4. add the ginger garlic paste. saute. add the pureed spinach along with any water that is there.
5. add all the spices except garam masala. mix. let it simmer for sometime on low heat.
6. now add the creme and some water and the paneer cubes. mix everything well. cover and let it simmer for another 15- 20 mins.
7. You will see the palak changing its colour and the cream thickening the gravy. taste to check the seasoning.
8. turn off heat. sprinkle some garam masala. mix

serve with naan or roti.
you can make the spinach gravy as thick or thin you want.
lots of people like to add curd to the gravy too. that is optional.
enjoy.

Check out whats simmering in all the other pots
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochi

GUJARATI MOTH DAL

A gujarati thali is never complete without a lentil, that is often cooked dry. It is called "khathor" or dry lentils. Green moong, red gram dal, black chana are some of the common pulses that are cooked and served up with other dishes like tuhar dal, kadi, raita, etc.

I simply love the look of the entire thali (plate) lined with small katoris or bowls, filled with such delicacies and then the thin chapatis.....it tastes so good.

My husband is a Gujarati, so after marriage there was a lot to learn from my mother in law. the traditional recipes, the staples and all that my husband liked. It is actually fun learning all that special stuff and adding your own little twist.

This recipe is something we both love. Its healthy, good source of protein, and if there is extra there is so much one can do with it. Here you go, RECIPE MARATHON DAY 16

You will need

• red gram dal (moth dal)- 1 cup
• cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
• whole red chilly-1-2
• bay leaves (tej patta)-1
• ginger-1/2 tsp green chillies-
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder-
• 1/2 tsp jeera dhania powder-
• 1/2 tsp asefotida (hing)-a pinch
• dried parsley (ajwain)-1/4th tsp
• lemon juice-1 tsp
• coriander

You have to

1. soak the red gram over night. wash and microwave for 15 minutes.if you dont have a microwave pressure cook it just for one whistle. (the lentils should be soft and retain their shape)
2. heat oil in a kadai. add the cumin seeds, red chilli (whole), bay leave and hing.
3. once the cumin seeds get roasted add the boiled lentil.
4. add the salt, jeera dhania powder (cumin and corainder powder), red chilly powder and the ajwain. mix it all up.
5. add little water and cover and cook for 5 mins.
6. Add lemon juice. garnish with corainder.

enjoy it with kadi, and rice.

LEFTOVER IDEAS: these taste very good while making behl, or making pani puri. add the moth to the puri. tastes great like a salad with added cucumbers, onions, red tomatoes. etc.

On that healthy not, check out the fellow runners
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochi

CREAMY BANANA SMOOTHIE

I know in some parts of the world its already time to cuddle up with a cup of hot chocolate, but here in San Diego it was really hot today. Its the middle of November and we are still sipping down smoothies.
Just made this real quick banana smoothie just a few minutes ago. What's so special about the smoothie, well the fact that I used rich creamy strawberry flavoured yogurt in it.

So here is my recipe for RECIPE MARATHON DAY 15TH

You will need
Banana-1
strawberry flavoured yogurt-2 cups (I used Le creme)
milk-1 cup
whipped cream

You have to
its as simple as 1,2 , 3.
Just put everything in the blender and blend till smooth.
pour out in glasses. serve with whipped cream
enjoy.

check out whats being whipped up by all the runners

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Kamalika25)Roochi

ROASTED EGGPLANT WITH PEAS (MUTTER BAIGAN BHARTA)

I simply love baigan bharta. Specially if its roasted well. We have a an electric stove top, so I have to do the roasting in the oven. But there is no roasting like that done on an open flame. The charred taste that is added to the eggplant is simply mouthwatering.
I added some peas to this as that adds a little bit of sweetness to the dish. With lots of onion and tomatoes, this tastes really good with plain paranthas.
So here is my recipe for RECIPE MARATHON DAY 14TH

You will need

• eggplants-2
• peas- 1 cup
• tomato (sliced)-3-4
• onion (sliced)-1 big
• ginger and garlic paste- 1 tsp
• green chillies- 2-3
• oil- 2 tbsp
• red chilly powder- 1 tsp
• cumin powder-1/2 tsp
• coriander powder- 1/2 tsp
• amchoor (dry mango) powder- 1/2 tsp
• salt - to taste

You have to

1. roast the eggplant on top of the stove (if you have a gas stove), or half it, sprinkle some oil and salt, place it in a baking dish, and roast till nice and brown from top.
2. You will see a little of the juices in the baking dish, do not throw that away.
3. now take a spoon and scoop out the roasted eggplant, discarding the skin and the stem.
4. heat oil in a pan. add the ginger garlic paste along with the green chillies
5. saute. add the sliced onions.
6. saute well. once the onions begin to brown add the sliced tomatoes
7. saute till tomatoes become soft. add the green peas.
8. add all the spices. cover and cook till peas soften.
9. now add the roasted eggplant with all the liquid in the dish.
10. mix everything (You will need to mash the eggplant).
11. cook uncovered till the oil begins to separate and the masala is nicely cooked.
12. garnish with chopped coriander and serve with parantha.
13. enjoy

I can smell something cooking in these kitchens

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 25)Kamalika 26)Roochi

ALOO DUM MASALA

I find potatoes as the most versatile of all the veggies. Cook it any way and it tastes good. And there are unlimited recipe combinations that one can get using potatoes. This time I made a dry version of aloo dum.

Here is the recipe for RECIPE MARATHON DAY 13

You will need

• small baby potatoes- 6-7
• cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp
• red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
• chat masala-1/4th tsp
• garam masala- 1 tsp
• kasoori meethi (fenugreek leaves)-1/2cup
• curd-1/2 cup
• tandoori masala-1/2-1 tsp
• salt to taste
• oil- 2 tbsp

You have to

1. semi bowl the potatoes. You can microwave it for 5-7 minutes. they should not be over boiled, as they will cook over the gas too.
2. In a bowl take curd, add one tbsp of the oil and all the spices except the cumin seeds, garam masala and kasoori meethi.
3. add the boiled potatoes to the curd and spices mix.
4. let it marinade for around half an hour.
5. heat the rest of the oil in a pan.
6. add the cumin seeds. once they splutter add the entire mix of curd, spices and the potatoes.
7. add the kasoori meethi, cover and cook on low.
8. let it simmer till the masala begins to dry, you might have to add little water to get the masala to coat the potatoes.
9. check if the potatoes are properly cooked. sprinkle the garam masala powder.
10. let it cook uncovered till the gravy dries up.
11. serve hot with toothpicks as a snack or as a side dish with a curry along with chapati, naan or any other flat breads.

enjoy

check the other marathon runners

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Roochi 25)Kamalika

RAJHMA MASALA

I am so glad I am finally at par with the rest of my RM members. And off course a nice big thank you with a smile for welcoming me. It sure felt like a marathon to me, specially coz I was literally racing to update my blog. (I actually needed that........)

So here is my recipe for RM DAY 12

You will need

• red kidney beans (soaked overnight)- 1 cup
• onion-1
• tomato -2
• ginger-1/2
• garlic-2
• green chillies-2-3
• tomato puree-1/2 cup
• red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
• cumin powder-1/4th tsp
• coriander powder- 1/4th tsp
• garam masala powder-1 tsp
• oil -2 tbsp
• salt to taste

You have to

1. pressure cook the red kidney beans till soft.You can even use the tinned red kidney beans available in grocery stores here in the US.
2. puree the onion keep aside.
3. puree the tomato along with ginger, garlic, and green chillies.
4. heat oil in a pan. add the pureed onions.
5. saute till nice and brown. now add the tomato ginger paste.
6. add all the spices except the garam masala. add the tomato puree.saute till the oil begins to separate.
7. Now take around half a cup or so, of the boiled kidney beans and add to the masala. mash it well along with the masala (This is a great way to get a nice thick gravy.)
8. add all this to the rest of the kidney beans in the pressure cooker, along with the garam masala and pressure cook for two -three whistles more.
9. serve hot with garnished onion rings with naan, parantha or chapati.

   

note: if using tinned kidney beans, obviously there would be no pressure cooking. You can add the tin of the beans along with its liquid to the masala and cover and cook till the gravy begins to thick .

sometimes I add a little cream to this too. it adds to the texture.

enjoy.

here are all the other fellow runners

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani 24)Roochi 25) Kamalika

NAVRATAN KORMA

My RM day two of week two. Navratan means NINE JEWELS and korma means curried . so simply put a curry made with nine jewels or nine different vegetable ingredients. A popular north indian restaurant dish,its taste has a little sweetness along with the saltiness.

here is the recipe

You will need

• paneer (indian cheese),cubed- 1 cup
• carrot (cubed)-1/2 cup
• corn-1/4th cup
• peas- 1/4th cup
• beans (cut)- 2-3
• tinned pineapple pieces- 4-5 pieces
• bell peppers (green, red, yellow) - 1/2 cup mixed
• cream-1/4th cup
• tomato sauce-1 tbsp
• red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
• turmeric powder-1/4th tsp
• tandoori masala-1 tsp
• garam masala- 1 tsp
• salt- to taste
• oil- 1-2 tbsp

to be ground into a paste

• cashews-1/2 cup (soaked)
• onion-1
• ginger 1/2 piece
• garlic-1-2
• green chillies-2-3

You have to

1. grind all the above ingredients in a blender or processor
2. heat oil in a pan. add the ground paste.
3. fry the paste till it begins to brown.
4. add all the vegetables, add salt and turmeric powder along with little water.
5. cover and cook.
6. once the vegetables are tender add the pineapple pieces and the paneer pieces.
7. cook everything for a few minutes. Now add rest of the spices.
8. add the tomato sauce and the cream.mix
9. add little water and let it all simmer till the gravy begins to thicken.
10. taste for seasoning.
11. serve hot with naan.

This actually tastes better a day later as all the spices settles in actually helps in developing the taste. So next time there are people over for dinner, you can make this in advance and enjoy with your guests......
yummyyyyy

the RM'S are on a roll

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani

RECIPE MARATHON.....GET SET GO!!!!!

I know this is like ten days late,but I am finally a part of it. Seeing all the delicious recipes being posted everyday by 23 of my fellow bloggers, I got pretty excited to be a part of it too. And more over I needed a push to get up and get going with my blogging.(I have been lagging behind.....) Thanks a ton to Dk of culinary bazaar, who allowed me to be a part of it, only under one condition and that was I had to update my blog from the 1st of November and off course post every day. No better time to post the recipes that have been sitting in my draft for sometime now. So I got on my marks, got ready and took the huge stride. Right now I am last in the tracks but it sure is fun to be a part of something so exciting.
Below are all the recipes that I had posted for the RM, starting NOV 1st. Would really appreciate if you'll could visit the recipe links.

RM DAY 1: INDIAN TEA
RM DAY 2: ALMOND CLUSTERS
RM DAY 3: BEANS AND COCONUT MASALA
RM DAY 4: EASY BREAD CRUMBS
RM DAY 5: EGG PANEER KATHI ROLL
RM DAY 6: CHEWY OATMEAL COOKIES
RM DAY 7: NUTELLA COOKIES
RM DAY 8: GREEN ONIONS AND CHEESE RAVA DOSA
RM DAY 9: VEGETABLE SWEET CORN SOUP.

Hope you'll enjoy surfing through the dishes.

Starting today, I thought of posting Menus that I prepare for my tiffins, (that I had started doing sometime back) and then posting the respective recipes for the dishes in the menu. That way it would a little more organised.
Here is the menu for the week and the recipe for the first menu.

MON: ragda patties
TUE: navratan korma
WED: rajhma masala
THURS: aloo dum masala
FRI: mutter baigan bharta
SAT: gobi parantha with pineapple raita
SUN: to be decided!!!!

RM DAY 10- RAGDA PATTIES

You will need
For the ragda

• yellow peas: 1/2 cup
• chopped ginger-1/4th cup
• green chillies- 1 tbsp
• cumin seeds-1/2 tsp
• turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp
• red chilli powder-1/ tsp
• chat masala-1/2 tsp
• garam masala-1 tsp
• oil-1 tbsp
• salt to taste

For the patties

• potato (boiled)-2-3
• salt-to taste
• red chilly powder-1/2 tsp
• bread crumbs- 1/2 - 1 cup
• oil- for shallow frying

for the garnish

• green chutney
• tamarind chutney
• sev
• lemon juice

You have to

for the ragda

1. Pressure cook the yellow peas with salt and turmeric powder. it will take around 4-5 whistles.
   keep a check as the peas need to be soft and hold their shape. it should not be mushy and over cooked.
2. heat oil in a pan. add the cumin seeds
3. once they splutter add the chopped ginger and green chillies
4. saute. add the red chilly powder and the garam masala.
5. add the boiled yellow peas and mix everything up.
6. add some water. adjust the salt, cover and cook.
7. uncover and simmer for 5 mins till it begins to thicken.
8. turn off the heat.

for the patties

1. mash the boiled potatoes.
2. add salt and the red chilly powder.
3. shape into round patties or tikkis. coat with bread crumb.
4. shallow fry till nice and brown on both sides.

to assemble

1. place the patties on the side.
2. add the ragda on the side.
3. garnish the ragda with both the chutneys and pour some lemon juice.
4. garnish with sev.
5. you can add chopped onions and tomatoes too on the top.
6. another way to serve it, is by pouring the yellow peas curry (the ragda) on top of the tikki and garnish it.

We love anything "chatpatta" meaning spicy and sour. so we tend to add a lot of green chillies. You can make it as spicy you want.
A nice and spicy dish to open up all our senses.....
enjoy.
more to come.

Check out all the other RM'S
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani

VEGETABLE SWEET CORN SOUP

Our dinner tonite was just steamed dumplings and sweet corn soup. The dumplings were from trader joes. they have this nice variety of vegetarian dumplings. All you need to do is steam or pan fry them. I steamed them. The weather was just perfect for some hot steaming soup. So I decided to make vegetable sweet corn soup. A very famous soup in all the Chinese restaurants on India. Yet another Indian Chinese speciality.
I must admit I did take a little bit of a short cut here, but it paid off and tasted good too. actually as I was making the soup, I realised I had run out of cornstarch. But then I found a packet of Knorr sweet corn soup. So here is what I did.

You will need

• knorr corn soup- 2 tbsp or regular corn starch.
• milk- 1 cup
• vegetable of chicken broth- 1 cup
• carrots (diced)- 1
• green onions (diced)- 1-2
• tinned sweet corn- 1 cup with the liquid.
• butter- 1 tbsp
• sugar- 1/4th tsp
• salt and pepper- to taste.

You have to

1. heat a sauce pan. melt the butter
2. add the carrots and saute till soft. add the green onions and the entire corn with the liquid.
3. add salt and pepper to taste and the sugar.
4. add the milk.
5. dissolve the corn starch or the soup mix (knorr) in the broth.
6. pour it in the saucepan.
7. cook till it comes to a boil and begins to thicken a bit.
8. serve it hot. You can add some chilly sauce if you like it spicy.

enjoy
This is for the RECIPE MARATHON DAY 9. Check out all the other members and what they are dishing out.

1) DK
2) Siri
3) Srivalli
4) Ranji
5)PJ
6)Curry Leaf
7)Medha
8)Priya
9)Bhawna
10)Raaji
11)Ruchii
12)Anu
13)Kamala
14)Roopa
15)Divya Kudua
16)Rekha
17)Divya M
18)Lakshmi
19)Raaga
20)Lakshmi Venkatesh
21)Sripriya
22)Viji
23)Pavani

GREEN ONIONS AND CHEESE RAVE DOSA.

This was the lunch special. I learnt this from my mother in law. my husband loves rava dosa so off course, as any wife would do, learn all that her husbands mom's special recipes.

Its actually easier than making the regular rice and dal dosa variety. Rava also known as sooji or semolina makes the dosa more crispier. Though we don't tend to get the size that you usually get in the restaurants but it sure tastes good.

had it with coconut chutney. I avoid making sambhar cause my husband does not like it much and just making it for myself.......nope.

You will need

White udad dal- 1/2 cup
sooji (semolina)- 1 cup
curd- 1/2 cup
chopped green onions-1/2 cup
chopped green chillies- 2-3
shredded cheese- 1 cup (you can use any variety. mozzarella works best. but I used the Mexican blend as that is what I had. amul cheese would taste good too)
water- 1/2 cup
salt - to taste
oil
butter

You have to

1. soak the udad dal overnight.grind to a fine paste.
2. mix in the sooji along with the water and the curd.
3 add salt and let it stand for 3-4 hours.
4.heat a flat griddle.
5.wipe it with water.
6.put a little batter on the griddle and spread it thin.
7.sprinkle little oil on top.
8.top with a little green onions, green chillies and cheese.
9.let it cook for 5 minutes or so.
10.the sides will start to leave the griddle.
11.and a blob of butter.
12.fold and serve hot with chutney and sambhar.

the melting cheese

folded over.

I did not make the chutney at home. I got it ready made from Indian store. But there is a very nice coconut recipe posted by dk of culinary bazaar. I have not tried it out yet. but it looks really good.

so that was lunch.
happy eating guys,

DAY 8, we are not even half way through the tracks......check out all the others.....
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani

NUTELLA COOKIES

Ok, for all those wondering weather I am doing a series on cookies.....no. Just getting back on track with my blogging. My recent cookie post was lying saved as a draft and hence got posted late. This one is very recent. Actually I made these cookies just a couple of hours back. The cookie jar is still a little frosted with the warmth of the cookies.
This is my first jar of nutella. Have seen it being used in a number of recipes like crepes, cakes, and cookies off course. The timing to try out these yummy cookies were just perfect, specially after I saw my hubby looking for cookies the other night.

sifted through a few cookie recipes and settled with this one. here is the recipe



You will need

• nutella -1/2 cup
• brown sugar-1cup
• egg- 1
• vanilla essence-1 tsp
• flour-1 1/2 cups+1 1/2 tsp
• salt-1/4th tsp
• baking soda- 1/2 tsp
• baking powder- 1/2 tsp

You have to

1. preheat oven to 350 degree Fahrenheit
2. grease or spray a baking sheet.
3. cream nutella, butter and brown sugar. beat in the the egg.
4. stir in the vanilla essence.
5. sift together flour,salt, baking soda and baking powder.
6. gently fold in the dry ingredients with the wet ones.
7. drop teaspoon full of dough on to the sheet.
8. press each with a fork to get a design.
9. bake for 10-13 mins.
10. cool on a wire rack.

note: if you want smaller cookies, drop smaller quantities before baking. they tend to expand while cooking.
You will know they are done once the sides begin to brown. the center will stay soft.
cool and store.
enjoy guys

Its DAY 7, we are completing one week
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani

CHEWY OATMEAL COOKIES

There is nothing like dipping cookies in a cold glass of milk and popping it into your mouth right away, just before the soft cookie crumbles into the the milk..........heavenly. I love all types of cookies. made these ones sometime back. I had never made oat cookies so I sat down with a cookie book that I have. Its called "old fashioned cookies" and started searching for recipes. found this one really easy to make. the original recipe calls for pecans but I did not have them and added walnuts instead. this recipe gave me around 30 cookies. everyone loved it coz they are already over.

here is the recipe.

You will need

• butter- 1 cup
• egg- 1 beaten
• brown sugar- 1 cup
• vanilla - 2tsp
• milk- 1/4th cup
• baking soda-3/4th tsp
• flour- 2 cups
• salt- 1/4th tsp
• cinnamon-1 tsp
• raisins-1 cup
• chopped walnuts- 1/2 cup
• oats- 2 cups

You have to

1. pre heat the oven to 375
2. cream butter and sugar. add the eggs,vanilla and milk. mix
3. in a bowl mix together soda, flour, salt and cinnamon.
4. slowly mix the dry ingredients with the wet ones. fold in the raisins and the walnuts
5. take a greased baking sheet. drop teaspoon full of the dough and bake for 14- 15 mins.
6. remove on cooking rack and cool.
7. enjoy.

ITS DAY 6, whats smelling so good in all the other kitchens........

1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani

EGG PANEER KATHI ROLLS

"ROLL", a food that I grew up eating and relishing back in kolkatta (India). and recently tasted it first time here in the US, in New York city.......god did it bring back memories. memories of the streets of kolkatta where the whiff of eggs being cooked on a "tawa" would fill the air. Where the aroma of the paranthas would make the mouth water and each time the "roll" guy would add the final touches of the hot and spicy sauces you would just wait in anticipation, of biting into the oh so juicy "double chicken anda roll" (chicken egg rolls).
How I miss it so much.........I have never had kolkatta style kathi rolls anywhere even in India. I just don't know what it is. Maybe I grew up eating them and that makes me bi oust. But seriously for those in India, if ever you"ll happen to be in kolkatta, trying out the rolls are a must. its like going to New York and not visiting the Statue of liberty.

Coming back here, on our recent trip to the east coast I got a taste of these rolls at a small khati roll place on MC dougal street. It was really good. I would not say exactly like the ones you get in kolkatta (I am bioust.......) but pretty good. because I love rolls so much I often try making them at home. These ones I had made sometime back and I don't know why I did not post them up. Maybe I was destined to post them after eating in New York.....does that make sense??? whatever. Here is the recipe.

You will need

• paneer masala (recipe below)- 2 cups
• uncooked tortillas- 2
• eggs-2
• oil- 2-3 tbsp
• green chutney- 2 tbsp
• tomato sauce- 1 tbsp
• onion (sliced)- 1 cup
• lemon juice- 1 tbsp

for the paneer masala

• paneer (sliced)- 1 cup
• green bell peppers (sliced)- 1 cup
• salt - to taste
• tandoori masala- 1 tsp
• garam masala- 1/2 tsp
• chat masala- 1/2 tsp
• oil

You have to

1. heat oil in a pan. add the sliced bell peppers. saute till soft.
2. add the paneer pieces. add all the masala. cover and cook for five mins.
3. mix everything up. and cook uncovered for another few minutes.
4. once the paneer and bell peppers are coated with the masala (spices) and the oil begins to separate, turn off the heat.
5. keep aside.

For the roll

1. heat a tawa (griddle).
2. cook the uncooked tortillas on both the side,using little oil. if using cooked tortillas heat it up nicely. keep aside.
3. add little oil to the tawa. beat the eggs with salt.
4. pour around half cup of the beaten egg onto the griddle.
5. place the tortilla on top of the egg.

6. let the egg cook. now flip the egg over. the tortilla will be at the bottom. cook for a few minutes.

7. place this tortilla on a plate.

8. spoon some green chutney, some tomato sauce on top.

9. add a few sliced onions, and add the paneer masala mixture on top.

10. pour 1/4Th tsp of the lemon juice.
11. roll it up and enjoy.......

repeat with the rest of the tortillas.

note: this can be made with leftover chicken tikka, tandoori chicken, or paneer tikka, paneer bhurji.
We even sometimes add chopped green chillies and cilantro while beating the eggs.
You can make the parantha at home, but I find this a little easier.

RECIPE MARATHON DAY 5, the race has just begun.
1) DK 2) Siri 3) Srivalli 4) Ranji 5)PJ 6)Curry Leaf 7)Medha 8)Priya 9)Bhawna 10)Raaji 11)Ruchii 12)Anu 13)Kamala 14)Roopa 15)Divya Kudua 16)Rekha 17)Divya M 18)Lakshmi 19)Raaga 20)Lakshmi Venkatesh 21)Sripriya 22)Viji 23)Pavani