Fiery Red Thai Curry flavoured with lemon grass and Kaffir lime leaves

I have been making thai curries for about 2 years now. But I could never find lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves any where. So the curries would taste good but missed that zing. Recently I was able to find lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves at a local oriental store. This time the curry tasted very authentic. Here is some information about leomn grass anf kaffir lime leaves. I got this imformation from http://importfood.com/. You can visit their website. They also sell these products online. I was palnning to order it from them when I found about our local store.

Kaffir lime leaf adds an unmistakable, refereshing taste that is essential in many Thai soups & curries. The leaves have a strong fragrance and flavor that can not really be substituted. If you do not have the leaves, you can try adding lemon zest.If you do get them fresh, you can keep them in Ziploc bags and freeze them for upto 4 months.

Lemon grass also can be frozen and used as required.

 

 

Ingredients:

1 tblsp oil
½ onion chopped in 1/2 inch pieces
1-2 tblsp Thai red curry paste (I use Mae ploy Brand)
2 chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces
½ cup Mushrooms/thai eggplant/baby corn/bamboo shoots (any one or in combination)
2 cups coconut milk
1-2 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon jaggery
1 stalk lemon grass cut into 1 inch pieces
2-3 kaffir lime leaves
1-2 tblsp lemon juice
4 large fresh basil leaves—finely sliced – optional (I just use coriander leaves)


HEAT the oil in a large saucepan over a medium heat and cook the onion for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the curry paste and fry for 2-3 mins. Add the chicken and stir fry for some time. Then the coconut milk fish sauce, jaggery and bring to the boil. Let the curry cook for 5 mins. Then add the vegtables, lemon grass and kaffir lime leaves. Cook for 10 mins or till the vegetables and chicken get cooked. Then add lemon juice and remove from heat. Add the basil leaves or coriander. Serve hot with rice.

If you find the curry paste too spicy, you can increase the amount of coconut milk or add a little water.
For thicker curry, you can add a little cornstarch mixed with cold water and add it 2-3 mins before switching off the gas. I don’t add cornfour.

Fish sauce has a funny smell but in the curry you will not be able to smell it. It is used instead of salt and gives a lovely flavor.

Moong dal mangooris - fritters or vadas

My husband and I do not watch any games. I never even watched cricket back in India. But when i saw this event, I remembered how my mom would make either bhajiyas, mangooris or samosas etc for us. My dad and brother loved cricket and this would spice up things even more. This recipe just takes 15 minutes and tastes wonderful. And what is better than fried food for the game??? This is off to Mansi for the event game night party at http://funnfud.blogspot.com/2008/01/announcing-event-game-night-party.html

 

For the fritters:
1 cup moong dhuli dal - split moong dal with skin
3-4 green chilies
2 tblsp green coriander
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 inch piece ginger
salt to taste.
Oil to deep fry.

Soak the dal for about 1 1/2 to 2 hrs. Grind it in a mixer with all the above. Don't use too much water bcos the batter should be very thick. And do not grind it too fine. It should be a bit grainy. If you feel that the batter has become thin, just add 1 tblsp chick pea flour to thicken it. This is optional.

Heat oil. Put the wadas in the hot oil with a small spoon and deep fry on medium heat till golden bron. Serve hot with sauce or chutney of your choice.

Guilt Free Chivda

I have eaten chivda many times and I love it. My MIL makes it very tasty but she deep fries all the stuff required for the chivda. Even the ones you get in Indian stores are full of oil. I first saw a healthy version of this chivda on Nupur's blog. Its called bhadang and she uses garlic also in it. I generally prepare it a little differently, without garlic. Do checkout Nupur's recipe here. It tastes wonderful. http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2006/01/q-is-for-quick-bhadang.html.

I have seen many different wonderful recipes for this chivda on different blogs, and this is my version.

 

Guilt free chivda

2-3 tblsp oil
2 cups murmura/puffed rice
2 cups thin poha
½ cup peanuts
2 tblsp raisins
2 tblsp Dalia/roasted chana dal
10 curry leaves torn into small pieces
3 green chilies finely chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp sugar
Salt to taste.

Spread the murmura on a plate and microwave for about 2 mins to crisp it up. In between just mix it once and keep an eye on it so it does not burn.
Do the same with the thin poha.
Microwave the peanuts for about 3-4 mins till they crisp up. Mix them in between and ensure that they do not burn.

Heat oil in a wide pan. When the oil heats, add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When they crackle, reduce the heat to low setting; add curry leaves and green chilies. Fry for a min, then add the peanuts, raisins and dalia. Fry on low till everything is little fried and crisp. Then add the turmeric, red chili powder, salt and sugar. Mix well.

Add the poha and murmura, mix well and cook on low heat for 5-6 mins, stirring continuously.

Remove from heat. Cool completely and then store in an air tight container.

Bottle gourd/doodhi/ghiya kofta curry

Bottle gourd/ doodhi is very good for health but my husband is not very fond of it. This is a typical north indian recipe which my mom ould make regularly when we were ypunger. I generally avoid it bcos the koftas are deep fried but it tastes great with rotis. I plan to try this recipe with steamed koftas.

 

 

Bottlegourd/doodhi Kofta curry
For the Kofta :
½ of small bottlegourd/doodhi/ghiya grated
2-3 tblsp chick pea flour/besan
1 green chili
1 tblsp coriander leaves chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry

For the curry:
1 tblsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 medium sized onion grated
1 tsp ginger grated
1 tsp garlic grated
2 tomatoes grated
½ tp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves chopped

For the Koftas

Peel the bottle gourd. Grate it and squeeze it to remove the water. Add all the ingredients for the koftas and make a thick batter. Add the water that you squeezed as required. The batter should be quite thick.

Heat oil. Then add spoonfuls of batter to make koftas and deep fry on medium heat. Fry till golden in color and drain on a paper.

For the gravy
Heat 1 tblsp oil. Add cumin seeds. When they change color, add the grated onion. Fry till the onion is golden brown in color.
Add the ginger garlic and fry for a minute.
Add turmeric powder, red chili and coriander powder and fry for a min.
Add the grated tomatoes and fry till the oil separates and the masala is nicely cooked.

Add a little water and salt cook for 5 more mins. Add the fried koftas, garam masala and cook for 3-4 mins. Remove from heat and garnish with coriander leaves.

Sungta Humman - Prawns in coconut curry a goan speciality

This is the definition of comfort food given by Wikipedia.

Comfort food is typically inexpensive, uncomplicated, and easy to prepare. Many people turn to comfort food for familiarity, emotional security, or special reward.The reasons a dish becomes a comfort food are diverse but often include pleasant associations of childhood.

My husband is from Goa and this is the ultimate comfort food for him. Before marriage to him, i had never tasted this dish. But he used to eat it nearly everyday with rice and fish fry. I would wonder that how could some one eat the same thing every day. But believe me, I tasted it and I was hooked. Now we have changed our eating habits and reduced the consumption of coconut a lot. But i still prepare this once in a while for my dear hubby. The prawns or shrimps that we get here do not have much flavor to them, but if you every get a chance to eat it in India, do try this delicious curry.

This is my entry for Monthly Mingle hosted by Meeta K at her blog http://whatsforlunchhoney.blogspot.com/2008/01/drop-in-decorate-roundup-mm-17.html

 

 

Ingredients
10-12 medium sized prawns/shrimps
1/2 small onion chopped
4-5 pieces of drumsticks - optional
a pinch of hing/Asafoetida

to grind to a smooth paste with a little water:
a small piece of onion
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut (or frozen coconut)
8-10 black peppers
2-3 dry red chilies
1/4th tsp turmeric
2 tsp raw rice
1 tsp tamarind paste or a small piece of tamarind
salt to taste

Coconut oil 3-4 drops optional

Put the prawns, chopped onions and drumsticks in a pan. Add 1/2 cup water and pinch of hing and cook on medium heat without covering for about 10 mins. Grind all the above ingredients to a smooth paste and add to the pan. Cook for another 10 - 15 mins. Check for salt, tamarind and chilies and add more according to taste.
Add the coconut oil, remove from heat and serve hot with rice and fish fry.

Why does my Rasam taste bland???

I always made rasam with ready made rasam masala. I first had rasma when my colleague from office (who was from Kerela) got it in office. She would get a variety of rasama and i fell in love with them. After marriage, i tried many time to make rasam at home, but they always tasted bland. I didn't know then that using ready made masala was the reason for this. I knew but was lazy I guess.

Recently I saw a recipe for mysore rasam on http://greenjackfruit.blogspot.com and thought i should make my own rasam powder at home. The difference in taste was unbelievable.

 

 

This is the recipe i got from http://greenjackfruit.blogspot.com/2006/09/mysore-rasam.html I made some changes to it to suit our taste.

Mysore rasam

2 Tbsp toor/arhar dal, cooked
1 lemon-sized tamarind
1/2 tsp Turmeric
salt
1 tomato, finely chopped

For the tadka
Ghee or oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
curry leaves 8-10
dry red chilies 2-3
Hing a pinch


For powder:

1 tbsp tur dal
2 red chilies
5-6 peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp chana dal
1 .5 tsp coriander seeds
a pinch of Hing
a few curry leaves.

Dry roast the spices for the powder on low heat till the seeds change color and emit a nice aroma. When cool, grind to a course powder. You can increase the quantities and make more powder to store for later.

Boil diluted tamarind water with tomatoes, turmeric and salt. Add the cooked and mashed dal to it, add 2 tsp of rasam powder and boil. Simmer on low heat for 15 mins.

Heat ghee or oil in a pan, then add mustard seeds. when they crackle add curry leaves dry red chilies and hing.

Add to rasam mix well and remove from heat. Garnish with green coriander.

Serve hot with rice and sabji.

Bottle gourd/Doodhi/Sorakaya paranthas

Bottle gourd/doodhi/Sorakaya is a very nutritious vegetable. It was a regular dish in my mom's place. But my husband did not like it and so for a number of years, i did not make it. My 2 year old eats it in any form, and since its good for him, I have started incorporating bottlegourd in our food in a number of ways.

Making bottle gourd paranthas or theplas is one of them. These paranthas taste very good with some achar, yogurt and any sabji. We also had some srikhand with it.

 

 

1 cup grated doodhi/ bottle gourd
1 tblsp besan (chickpea four)
1 ½ cup aata / whole wheat flour
2 green chilies finely chopped
1 tblsp green dhania finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp sugar (optional)
Salt to taste
1 tsp oil
Oil to make paranthas.

Grate the doodhi/ bottle gourd. Add all the above ingredients and mix well. Doodhi has a lot of water content and so first make a dough with the above and then add water as needed. Knead the dough for 5 mins, add 1 tsp oil and knead again.
Then cover and keep aside for 30 mins.

Heat tava over medium heat. Take a small ball of the dough and roll it out into a thin disc, like u make a roti. For parantha roll a little thick, for thepla roll it a little thin. Put the parantha on the tava, cook for 20 sec, turn and cook 20 sec more. Then put ½ tsp oil on each side and cook till golden spots appear. Serve hot with pickles and yogurt. These taste good with any side dish of vegetables too. .

nature's play- so many strawberries in one

 

Chicken cheese ravioli with brown butter and walnut sauce and a salad

Wednesdays are reserved for pastas or pizzas. We love pasta and so most Wednesday nights, its pasta night. This week it was ravioli. This is the first time that i made ravioli, well boiled it. It was so delicious that we will end up making it very soon again. This meal takes only 20-30 mins to put together and with a healthy serving of salad, its not too unhealthy either.

The day i decided to make ravioli, i looked up the recipe for its sauce on Food Network, epicurious etc but all recipes called for some or the other ingredient which i did not have on hand. So this recipe is combination of recipes that i saw on these websites.

 

For the pasta:

1/2 pound chicken and cheese ravioli (We got it at costco-next time will try the one at TJ).
1 tblsp butter
2 tsp olive oil
2 cloves garlic
1/2 tsp chili flakes
1/4 cup walnuts
1-2 tblsp grated parmesan cheese
Parsley for garnish (I used coriander but recipe called fro basil and parsley)

Break the walnuts into small pieces and microwave for 2-3 mins till they get a bit roasted.
Heat butter on low heat. Wait till it turns brown. Then add olive oil, chopped garlic and chili flakes and cook on low heat. Add walnut pieces and keep the sauce warm.

In the meantime, cook the ravioli as per the directions. This took only 4 mins in the boiling water.

Drain the pasta, Add to the sauce and mix well. Remove the pan from the heat. Put some pieces of ravioli on a plate, spoon the sauce with walnut pieces, garnish with coriander and grated parmesan cheese.

For the salad:
Mix greens (we use the organic mix greens from Costco)
Chopped tomatoes
chopped carrots
sliced onions
your fav dressing.

Mix everything together and serve. I used the wishbone spritzers for the first time (Italian dressing). It tasted great with the pasta).

Spicy pepper chicken - from Shilpa's blog aayi's recipes

Every friday night is celebration time and what is better than chicken??
I try to make either chinese, or mexican or some other snack type item on friday. It has to be very spicy and very hot. I saw this recipe on Shilpa's blog Aayisrecipes. She has a wonderful collection of non-veg recipes. This is very easy to make and yummy too. Thanks Shilpa.

 

This is Shilpa's recipe. I made some changes which are mentioned in brackets
Ingredients:
1/4 lb boneless chicken
A pinch turmeric
1 tbl spn thick yogurt (i used more yougurt about 2-3 tblsp)
1 tea spn ginger paste
1 tea spn garlic paste
1/2 tea spn chili powder (I used about 2 tsp kashmiri red chili powder)
1 tea spn pepper powder
Oil
15-20 curry leaves
Salt


Method:
Apply ginger-garlic paste, chili powder, 1/2 tea spn pepper powder, salt, yogurt to chicken and leave it aside for about 2-3hrs.
Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is steaming hot, add the marinated chicken (i added gried red chilies broken in 2 before adding the cjicken). Cook for 5-6mins from both sides (do not add any extra water). When the chicken is almost half done, add 1/2 tea spn pepper powder, curry leaves (cut into two), cover and cook till chicken is completely done. (Add coriander leaves and lemon juice)

Stuffed bitter gourd/karela and Maharashtrian Aamti with goda masala

Maharashtrian Aamti
This aamti is a staple in my in-laws home. Even though they are from Goa, my hubby’s brother and bhabhi do not eat non-vegetarian food. So there is fish curry, and then there is this aamti. My MIL tries to vary the menu but this is one of the aamtis which is regularly made. Its sour, and spicy and a bit sweet.

We love stuffed karelas. This is a simpler version of the same. there is another elaborate recipe for stuffed bitter gourd on my blog.

 

Maharashtrain aamti

½ cup toor/arhar dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
a pinch of hing
8-10 curry leaves
1/4 tsp turmeric
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp goda masala
a small piece of tamarind, soaked and pulp removed
1 inch piece of jaggery or gur
2 tsp oil
salt to taste
coriander leaves for garnish
2 tsp grated coconut

Wash the toor dal and pressure cook till it is done.
Add turmeric, red chilies, gur, goda masala, salt, tamarind pulp, 1/2 cup water and cook for 10-15 mins.

Heat oil. Add mustards seeds. When they crackle, add hing and curry leaves. Add this to the dal, cover and cook 5 mins on low heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and coconut. Serve hot with rice and any vegetable.
Goda masala is a blend of about 20 spices and coconut which are roasted and then ground. I get mine from my MIL. I think there is a recipe for it on Nupur's blog.

Stuffed Karela/ bitter gourd
Ingredients:

6 small tender bitter gourd/karelas
2 tsp yogurt
2-3 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp amchoor powder
½ tsp sugar
Salt to taste
1 tblsp oil + ½ tblsp oil

Peel the karelas and slit them and remove all the seeds.
Apply salt and 2 tsp yogurt liberally, both inside and outside. Keep aside for at least 1 hour. Wash the karelas nicely, squeeze out all the water and keep aside.
In the meantime, prepare the stuffing.
Mix 1/2 tblsp oil with all the ground spices. If you use mustard oil, that will taste much better in this recipe.
Stuff a little stuffing in each karela.

Heat oil in a non-stick pan. place the karelas in the pan and cook on low heat till brown on each side. You can cover and cook for initial 10-15 mins and then cook without a lid for the remaining time till brown.

If you like bitter gourd, do try out another stuffed karela recipe on my blog.

Thank you Ashaji

Ashaji has been an inspiration not only to me, but many new bloggers. When we enter the world of blogging, we do not know the rules. No one out there know us. At a time like this, any one who welcomes the new blogger with his/her sweet comments, brings great joy and a sense of satisfaction. Ashaji does this admirably.

She has such a wonderful blog with excellent recipes. I always wondered how she got the time to visit all blogs and leave her comments. I have a toddler and am a stay at home mom and sometimes do not get too much time to blog. She utilized her valuable time to encourage new members and connect with the old.

Thank you Ashaji. Hope you will still get some time to visit us.

Spinach/palak chicken - taste bhi, health bhi

We love chicken and I make it at least once a week. Making the same recipe every week gets a bit boring. And incorporating palak with chicken makes it more nutritious.
Whenever i made palak paneer, i felt it tasted too bland. My friend Vineeta came to my rescue. She showed me some tricks to make palak paneer yummy. I used the same tricks in the palak chicken and i really tastes wonderful. Do try this dish.

 

Spinach/Palak Chicken
Ingredients:
Palak/baby Spinach ½ pound (you can use regular spinach)
6-8 small pieces of chicken – I use bone in halal chicken.
1 tblsp butter
2 bay leaves
3 cloves
6-8 black peppers
1 piece cinnamon
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 large onion thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic grated
½ inch piece of ginger grated
1 large tomato chopped
2 green chilies chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
½ tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
Salt to taste
Method-

Chop half of the spinach, add it to boiling water and cook it for 3 mins. Keep aside. Boil the other half of the spinach in water for 3 mins and then grind it with a little water into a smooth paste.

Heat the butter in a pan (I use a non stick pan). Heat it on a low heat till it turns light brown. Add the bay leaves, cloves, black peppers and cinnamon. Then add cumin seeds. Fry for a minute and then add the sliced onions. Increase the heat to medium.
Fry the onions till they are light brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and chopped green chilies and fry for a min.
Add turmeric powder, red chili powder and coriander powder and fry for 30 sec.
Add the chopped tomato and fry for about 10 mins, till the masala is cooked and oil separates from the masala.
Add the chicken pieces and mix well. Fry the chicken with the masala for 5 mins. Cover and cook on low heat for 10 mins. Add a little water if needed.
Add both the pureed and chopped spinach and mix well. Add ¼ th cup water. Add the garam masala, mix well, cover and cook for 10 mins. Serve hot with naan and chopped onions.

The browned butter gives a nutty taste to the spinach. Keeping half of the spinach chopped gives a very nice texture to the palak chicken.

Aloo baingan ki sabji - potatoes and brinjal cooked with onion, tomatoes and masalas

This is a vegetable that we have regularly for lunch with rotis and curds. In most punjabi households, rice is not common. Rotis are eaten for lunch and dinner. Most punjabi vegetables are made with the same method. gobhi all, baingan aloo, matar aloo etc aste great with rotis. It tastes yummy with rice too.

 

 

Aloo Baingan
Potatoes chopped into ½ inch dice 1 cup
Brinjal chopped into ½ inch cubes 1 cup
1 medium sized onion finely chopped
1 tomato finely chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 clove garlic grated
½ inch piece ginger grated
½ tsp turmeric
1-2 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp coriander powder
½ tsp garam masala powder
Salt to tatse
Coriander to garnish
Oil 1 tblsp

Chop the potatoes and brinjal and keep in water.
Heat oil add cumin seeds. Then add chopped onions and sprinkle a little salt. Fry on medium heat till golden brown. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a min.
Add turmeric powder, red chili and coriander powder and fry for a min
Add chopped tomatoes and fry till oil separates from the masala.
Add the potatoes, mix well and put ¼ cup water, cover and cook for 5 mins. Add the brinjal and cover and cook on low heat till done. There should not be too much water, only enough to cook the vegetables.
Sprinkle garam masala and green coriander.

Serve hot with rotis and dahi

Punjabi Bhuna mutton / rada mutton - finger licking goooood

When we were growing up, mutton or chicken was a weekly fare. And then, one day I went with my dad to the butcher to get some mutton. And that was the end of non-veg eating for me. The sight of the butcher cutting the mutton put me off eating non-veg for a number of years.

And then I fell in love, and who would I fall in love with, but a goan, who loved loved loved fish and rice and had it every day. And so it was either me starting to eat non-veg again or he leave eating it. So I started eating non-veg after marriage, and cooking it too.

But mutton was something else. For 8 years after marriage, i did not cook mutton. And then decided one day to cook it for my hubby. I did not taste it but he just gobbled it up. Then I made it again on my son's first birthday and it was the first dish to be completely polished off. Now i have started eating mutton again and believe me its delicious.

 

 

Ingredients
Mutton 3 pounds shoulder piece cut into small pieces

For the marination
1 cup yogurt
2 inch piece ginger chopped
7-8 cloves garlic chopped
1 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chili powder
4-5 green chilies chopped
1 tblsp coriander powder

other ingredients
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
2 small green cardamom
1 black cardamom
2 piece cinnamon
10-15 black pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds
1tsp fennel seeds
2 jumbo sized red onions chopped
3 big tomatoes chopped
1 tsp garam masala
1 tblsp kasoori methi or dry methi
green coriander to garnish
Oil 5 tblsp
salt to taste

Marinate the mutton overnight in the ingredients for marinade.

Heat oil . Add bay leaves, Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, and black peppers. Then add cumin seeds.

When they pop, add onions with a little salt. Fry for about 30 mins on medium heat till they turn golden brown.

Add the mutton pieces (reserving any marinade)and fennel seeds and fry with the onions till all the water dries up. This will take about 45 mins.
Now add the tomatoes ad fry for 15 mins till the oil separates. .

Then add kasoori methi and garam masla and 1/2 cup water, salt and pressure cook for 10 mins. When the pressure drops, open the cooker and fry for five more mins. Garnish with green dhania.

I add more oil while frying so that it is easier and takes less time. After opening the cooker, i remove all the oil that floats on the top and the fry the mutton for 5 mins.

The trick to this mutton is frying frying frying . The more you fry every thing, the tastier it gets. I make 3 pounds at a time and freeze it in small containers.
Garnish with green dhania

The same old Aloo parantha, but extra soft

Paranthas were a staple for breakfast while growing up. Aloo, gobhi, mooli, palak, dal, methi were some of the common parathas we had. Now we have them for dinner once in a while.

Bhardwaj aunty, our neighbour after marriage, showed me the trick to making the softest of paranthas.

 

Recipe for aloo parantha

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour
1 tsp salt
warm water as needed
1 tsp oil.

Knead the dough as u would for rotis, but not too stiff. Keep aside for 1/2 hr to 1 hr, covered with a moist cloth or paper napkin.

For the potato filling:

2 boiled potatoes
1 tblps finely chopped onion
4 green chilies finely chopped
1 tblsp green coriander finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
2 tsp dhania or coriander powder
1 tsp amchoor/mango powder or lemon juice - optional
salt to taste

mash the potatoes very well so that there are no lumps. then add all the above and mix well. chop every thing very finely.

While making paranthas, take a small ball of dough, roll it out to about 2 inch diameter, then pinch the sides to make them thinner than the center. Now put filling in the center, the size of the ball of dough or even more. The more the filling, the tastier the paranthas will be. Bring together all the edges of the dough over the filling and close it properly.

Keep the ball on the surface and press it gently with the back of ur palm or ur fingers. this helps in spreadng the filling evenly and prevents the parantha from breaking. now roll it slowly into a thin round.

Heat the griddle or tava and cook the paratha on one side for about a min, turn over and cook another min, now put 1 tsp oil on each side and cook for 2 mins more or till the parantha is nicely roasted and turns golden brown.

These paranthas melt in the mouth bcos the filling is more that the dough itself. U can serve it with curds and pickles.

chicken chettinad and karela curry- cooking from other blogs and websites

I love trying out new recipes from blogs and other websites. One such website is vahrevah.com. The chef, Sanjay Thumma demostrates excellent recipes. These can also be found on youtube, rediff and some other websites. I love this recipe for chicken chettinad, which is different bcos it does not use coconut and is therefore healthier.

The recipe for karela curry is from one of my fav blogspot, Shaheen's. The recipe can be found on Shaheen's blog. Thanks Shaheen.

http://malluspice.blogspot.com/2006/10/pavakka-curry-biitergourd-with-yogurt.html

 

Chettinad chicken

250 grams chicken cut into small pieces (boneless or boned)
2 piece cardamom
2 stick cinnamon
3 piece cloves
2 tsp coriander pdr
1 tsp red chilli pdr
2 tsp coarsely crushed pepper corns
1 tsp cumin
2 springs curry leaves
1 tblsp fresh chopped coriander
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
3 gr chillies
1 tsp mustard
2 tblsp oil
1 large onion
2 tomatoes
1 tsp lemon juice
Heat the oil in a large pan. add mustard and cumin Add finely chopped onions, and fry till the onions turn light golden brown. Add turmeric, ginger garlic paste, curry leaves, and green chilli and saute for a while.
Add chopped tomatoes . . Then, add the coriander powder and salt and mix well. Add the chicken to the frying pan and mix well, and cover and cook over a low-medium heat for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Add a little water only if u need it. The chicken gives out some water. When the chicken is almost done, add the ground pepper into the mixture and mix well. Garnish with green dhania. sprinkle some lemon juice on top.

Deep fried and satisfied - with bread pakoda

I love deep fried foods. Before marriage, breakfast in our house would be bhajiyas, bread pakoda, bread roll, paranthas etc. After marriage it all changed to idlis, dosas, poha, upma etc. more healthier no doubt. But I do miss the deep fried foods from my childhood. And in this cold weather, what can be more satisfying than a plate of deep fried snacks for breakfast.

So here goes the recipe

Ingredients

White bread slices 4
1 cup besan or gram flour
1 tblsp finely chopped onion
1 tblsp finely chopped coriander leaves
2-3 green chillies finely chopped
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
salt to taste
oil to deep fry

I use white bread for this recipe bcos that is what we had as kids and i still love these snacks with white bread.

Cut each bread slice into 2 pieces at an angle.
Mix the besan, onions, green chilies, green coriander, salt, chili powder, coriander powder and salt. Add enough water to make a batter, which should not be too thick or too thin. Something like the consistency of dosa batter.

Heat oil. reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tblsp of hot oil to the batter and mix well. Then dip each piece in the batter and deep fry in hot oil on medium heat till golden in color.

Serve with either green chutney or sauce.

dahi sev batata puri

Dahi Sev Batata Puri
Sunday evenings, as the weekend ends and a new week is about to start, we crave for something spicy and chatpata. So generally I make chats for dinner. Last weekend was dhai sev batata puri. The recipe is for 2 people.

 

 

 

For this you need:

Puris used for panipuri 20
Boiled potatoes 2
Roasted jeera powder
Green chutney
Tamarind chutney
Curds 1 cup
Chopped onions
Chopped cilantro
Thin sev

For green chutney
1 bunch coriander/cilantro leaves
¼ bunch mint leaves
4-5 green chilies or as per taste
1 clove garlic
1 spoon lemon juice
Salt
1 tblsp peanuts

Grind the above in a mixer with a little water. The chutney should be a little thin in consistency.

Tamarind chutney
I use the ready made tamarind and date chutney – Deep brand. It tastes wonderful and is available whenever we need it to serve with snacks. You can make the chutney at home:

½ cup tamarind
3/4 cup jaggery (gur)
10 dates
2 tsp Chili powder
½ tsp salt
1 tsp roasted cumin powder

Clean and remove the seeds from the tamarind and wash it. Soak the tamarind, dates and jaggery (gur) in warm water for one hour. Then run it through a mixer. Sieve the pulp and add some water to get the desired consistency. Cook this on a low flame for about 15 mins. Add the salt, chili and cumin powder. You can store this in the fridge for upto 2 months.

Method

Boil the potatoes and mash them nicely once they are cool. Add salt, chili powder and roasted jeera powder.
Beat the curds and add a little salt and sugar to it. You can add a little milk to make it thin.

When ready to eat, make a hole in the puri. Add potatoes, chopped onion, green chutney, tamarind chutney, curds, green coriander, and sev. Serve it immediately.

Khichdi with Kadhi (from Mallika's blog-http://www.quickindiancooking.com) and papad - soul food

When we were younger, my mom would make khichdi only when some one was sick. And then it would be served with its 4 yaar - Dahi, papad, Ghee and Achhar.

Now I make khichdi for my son (who is 2) but my hubby and i never have it for dinner. After reading Mallika's post, we tried this combination and loved it. I made the kadhi using her recipe as a base, with a little variation. Here is Mallika's recipe

http://www.quickindiancooking.com/2007/06/26/cool-kadhi-and-nutty-khichdi/






Gujarati kadhi
For the kadhi

1 cups plain yoghurt a little sour
2 tbsp gram flour (besan)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp finely chopped fresh ginger
Salt to taste

For the tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp hing
3 cloves
10 curry leaves
2 green chilies
2 whole red chillies
1 tbsp ghee or oil
Green coriander


In a large bowl, mix together the yoghurt, water, gram flour, salt and sugar and chopped ginger. Whisk it briskly until bubbles appear. Boil the kadhi on a low heat for 10 mins.
Heat ghee or oil in a pan, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add cumin seeds, and hing.
Then add the cloves, curry leaves, green chilies, and dried red chilies. Add this tempering into the kadhi, cover and simmer for 5 more mins. Serve hot, garnished with coriander leaves.
Cook the kadhi on low heat through out and keep stirring.

Khichadi with vegetables.

Ingredients
1 cup rice – bastmati or sona masoori
½ cup yellow mung dal or toor dal
¾ cup chopped vegetables – I use frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots corn and beans)
1 tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp hing
½ tsp turmeric
½ tsp chili powder
1-2 tsp coriander powder
Oil or ghee 2 tsp
Salt to taste.

Wash the rice and dal nicely and soak for 30 mins. Heat oil or ghee in a cooker. Add cumin seeds, and after they splutter, add hing.
Then add the vegetables and fry for 2 mins.
Then drain the rice and dal and add it to the cooker and fry for 2 mins.
Add the turmeric, cumin and chili powders. Fry for a min.
Add 4 cups water and salt. Close the cooker and after the first whistle, reduce the heat to medium low and cook for 7 mins.
Serve the khichdi hot with kadhi, papad and achaar..