Happy New Year 2012

Wash , then Chop . Not the vice versa !!!

Do not wash the vegetables after peeling or chopping. This will wash out all the water soluble vitamins.
Wash them before chopping instead.

Egg Paratha

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups or as needed
• Egg -1 
• Tomatoes finely chopped - 2 tbsp
• Onions finely chopped - 2-3 tbsp
• Cilantro finely chopped - 2-3 springs
• Green Chilies finely chopped- to taste ( optional )
• Salt -to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste ( optional )

Directions :

• Knead the dough for paratha and let it rest. Click here for the recipe 
• Beat Egg and add all the remaining ingredients in it.The egg filling is ready. The mixture made of 1 egg can be filled in 2 parathas. So adjust the quantity accordingly. Keep this aside. 
• Divide the dough into equal size portions and make lime sized balls.
• Roll out a ball  into a 4-5 inch disc.
• Drizzle few drops of oil onto the rolled out chapati and evenly coat it all over.
• Fold the disc into half forming a semi-circle, coat the surface with few more drops of oil.
• Again fold the semi-circle into half forming a triangle.
• Dip this triangle into the dry flour and coat all the sides.
• Roll it out again with a rolling pin. Try to maintain the triangular shape.
• Place this rolled out triangular paratha onto a hot tava or griddle and flip it in a minute.
• Cook the other side for just half a minute.
• With the help of a butter knife or the handle of the spoon or fork, gently open up the top layer of the paratha to form a pocket where we can pour our filling.
• Pour in half of the egg mixture into the pocket. Do not press the paratha at this time , the mixture might ooze out.
• Let it cook on low-medium heat for about half a minute till the egg inside is semi cooked.
• Sprinkle few drops of oil on the surface of the paratha and gently flip making sure the egg filling doesn't ooze out.
• Let it cook on low-med heat, pressing slightly until the egg is completely cooked inside.
• Serve hot with green chutney or pickle or curds.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

• Ripe Tomatoes - 5-6
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

• Hing - a pinch
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring

Directions: 

• Blanch the tomatoes and puree them.
• In a pan, cook pureed tomatoes  on low-medium heat.
• Add salt, red chili powder and cook till the moisture is almost evaporated and it gets the paste like consistency.
• Add sugar and mix it well.
• For tadka or tempering, heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal and cook till they start to change color. Add curry leaves and hing. Turn off the heat and pour this mixture over the chutney and mix well.
• Serve with idli , dosa, upma , etc or even rice.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !!!

Eggplant Fry Oriya Style

Ingredients:

• Eggplant ( big one ) - 1
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tbsp or to taste
• Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Amchoor - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - for roasting

Direction:

• Cut the eggplant into round slices 1/2 inch thick.
• Prepare a masala mixture of all the other dry ingredients except oil.
• Roll the slices in the masala mixture till both the sides are well coated.
• Now heat half a tsp of oil on the griddle or a grill.
• Place 2 or 3 slices of eggplant on the griddle and let it cook for 2 minutes. 
• Then turn to the other side. Sprinkle some more oil on the sides of the eggplant slices
• Cook on medium heat till both the sides are cooked and turn brownish.
• Repeat the same process with all the other slices.
• Serve hot with dal and rice.

Grapefruit Pulihora

Grapefruit Pulihora is made just like lemon rice, by just replacing lemon juice with grapefruit juice.
It is a good way to include grapefruit in your diet if you are not a very big fan of it.
This makes a good lunch box recipe.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Grapefruit Juice - of half the fruit or to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Green Chillies - 2-3
• Peanuts - 5-8
• Cashewnuts - 5-8
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder = 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Salt -to taste

Directions:

• Cook the rice and keep aside in a mixing bowl.
• In a pan, heat oil, and splutter mustard seeds. Add peanuts and roast them till golden. Then add chana dal, urad dal, cashew nuts and roast them till they slightly change color.
• Add turmeric powder, hing, curry leaves and slit green chillies.
• Pour this mixture over the cooked rice in the mixing bowl.
• Add salt and mix well till all the grains of rice are coated with the yellow color.
• Add the grapefruit juice to the rice and mix well. I add the juice of half the fruit. You can however adjust to taste.
• Ready !!

Cranberry Dal

Cranberries fit into Indian cooking with an ease because of its tart nature. Cranberry dal is little bit similar to mango dal in taste.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Fresh Cranberries - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 3-4
• Onions - 1 small
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Oil/Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 1/2 cup

Directions: 

• Pressure cook dal and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil/ghee and splutter mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves, hing, green chillies, 
• Add finely chopped onions and saute till translucent. Onions are optional. You can skip this step.
• Add washed fresh cranberries with little water and cook on medium heat till the cranberries are tender and mashed up.
• Add turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder.
• Add cooked dal to the cranberry mixture and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
• Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Bottle Gourd Curry in Milk Gravy ( Lauki )

Bottle Gourd or Lauki is cooked in milk gravy which makes the curry creamy with a silky texture . This is my MIL's recipe which I am sharing here.

Ingredients:

• Bottle Gourd ( Lauki ), cubed - 5 cups
• Milk - 1 cup
• Besan - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 2 pinches
• Whole Red Chili - 1
• Green Chili -1-2
• Salt - to taste

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal , hing, curry leaves and whole red chili and cook for a few seconds till the urad dal starts to change color slightly.
• Add green chillies and turmeric powder.
• Now add cubed lauki and salt. Mix well . Cook covered for 7-10 minutes till lauki is tender.
• In a small bowl mix besan  with milk without any lumps. Add sugar to it. Adjust sugar to taste. We just want the curry to be very slightly sweet.
• Add this milk mixture to the curry and cook on low-medium flame until all the milk is evaporated.
• Serve with rice or chapati.

Methi Paratha

Ingredients: 

• Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
• Fenugreek Leaves ( methi ) - 1 cup
• Carom Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2  tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to drizzle
• Water - to knead

Directions:

• Wash methi leaves, pat them dry and chop them.
• In a mixing bowl, take flour, chopped methi leaves, turmeric powder, carom seeds,ginger garlic paste,chili powder, salt.
• Knead the dough with lukewarm water . Add water little by little to make a pliable dough. (Click here for more details )
• Rest the dough for half an hour.
• Make balls of equal size from the dough.
• Roll them into round parathas.
• Pre heat the tawa and layout this paratha on the hot tawa.
• Roast these parathas by applying ghee or oil on both sides.
• Remove from the pan when both sides are cooked.
• Serve with any raita and pickle 

Palak Pulusu

This healthy and easy palak pulusu goes very well with plain dal and rice.

Ingredients:

• Chopped Spinach - 3-4 cups
• Onion - 1 small ( optional )
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Tamarind Juice - 3 tbsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 inch
• Rice Flour - 1 tsp
• Besan ( Chickpea Flour ) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Sambar Powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste (optional )
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 3 cups

For Tempering:  

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Methi Seeds - 4-5 seeds
• Whole Red Chili- 1-2
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Directions: 

• In a pan or pot, heat oil and saute finely chopped onions till translucent.
• Throw in the chopped spinach and cook till spinach wilts.
• Add tamarind juice, grated jaggery, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and sambar powder. 
• In a separate small bowl mix rice flour and besan with a little water without lumps and add this paste to the gravy. 
• Add water and mix well. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes.
• In a separate small pan , heat ghee for tempering. Splutter mustard seeds. Add torn red Chillies, methi seeds, hing and heat for just half a minute.
• Pour this tadka over the pulusu and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Serve steaming hot with dal and rice.

Hummus

Hummus is a dip or spread made of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic and few other ingredients and is a very popular dish of Middle Eastern Cuisine.

I have been eating store bought hummus all these years, till I came across an easy home made hummus recipe shared by a close friend of mine. It is not only easy to make but the fresh home made hummus taste 100 times better than the store bought ones.
Try it out at home, I guarantee that you will stop buying from store too.


Ingredients:

• Chickpeas - 1 can or 2 cups
• Garlic - 4-5 cloves
• Tahini - 1/2 cup
• Lemons - 1-2 ( to taste )
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
• Fresh Parsley - 1 tbsp
• Chili Flakes - to taste
• Ground Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions: 

• If you are using raw chickpeas, then soak them for 6 hours in water and boil in a pressure cooker till soft. 
• If you are using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them before use.
• Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
• Garlic, Lemon juice, salt and chili flakes are to taste.
• If the mixture is too dry, add little more olive oil and grind. Usually a lot of olive oil is used in this recipe. I do not prefer adding water while grinding but if you feel it is too dry to blend, you can add a little water , just enough to help you grind.
• Serve this dip with pita bread or falafel.

Note: You can either use readymade tahini or make at home.

Click here for Tahini Recipe. 

Tahini

Tahini is a part of many Middle Eastern dishes like Hummus and Baba Ghanoush, etc.
It can be purchased readymade from store or can be made at home in just 5 minutes.
Here is the simple recipe :

Ingredients:

• Sesame Seeds - 5 cups
• Olive oil - 2 cups

Directions: 

• In a wide pan, roast sesame seeds just for a 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, till they slightly change color to golden. Do not brown them. Let it cool.
• Blend sesame seeds and olive oil in a blender till a very smooth paste. 
• Store it in the fridge in an air tight container. It can stay good for a month.

Soya Granules with Spinach

Soya granules cooked with spinach is a very healthy dish full of proteins.
Soya is a very good substitute of meat for the vegetarians. It is sometimes also called as vegetarian kheema :)
Apart from the good value it contains, it is so easy to make that it can be made in less than 10 minutes.
So here's the recipe.


Ingredients:

• Soya Granules - 3/4 cup
• Chopped Spinach - 2 cups
• Chopped Onions - 1 small
• Green Chillies - 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Directions: 

• Soak soya granules in warm water for 5 minutes, not more. Strain them and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan.  Sizzle cumin seeds. Add finely chopped onions. Saute them till golden.
• Add sliced green chillies and turmeric powder.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Adding freshly minced ginger and garlic is even better.
• If you do not mind mixing spinach with tomatoes, you can add 1/4 cup of finely chopped tomatoes at this stage and cook till tender. This is optional. (The combination of spinach and tomatoes is said to be harmful for kidney stones . Please google for more details.)
• Stir in the chopped spinach and cook for a minute or two till the spinach wilts.
• Add the soya granules and give it a good mix.
• Cook covered for a couple of minutes.
• Add red chili powder,salt and garam masala . Mix well and cook for another minute.
• Serve with chapati.

Rasam Powder

Here is the recipe for home made rasam powder.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1/3 cup
• Coriander Seeds - 1 cup
• Cumin Seeds - 2 tbsp
• Black Pepper Corns - 3 tbsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chillies - 6-8 or to taste
• Hing - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring ( optional )

Directions:

• Dry roast all the ingredients except hing on a low heat. Keep stirring ocassionally making sure none of the ingredients are burnt.
• Roast till the dal turns reddish, curry leaves( if using ) and red chillies are dried and crispy and it's aromatic.
• Let it cool. Grind along with hing to a slightly coarse powder.
• Store it in an air tight container.

.... and I am back !!!

Heyaaaa Friends, I am back from a wonderful vacation. I am all rejuvenated :)

However I am still hungover with the magic of such a vacation. I am just not liking to get back to the grind and to the routine.

We had been to the West Coast of USA. We first visited Las Vegas. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the city, the city which never sleeps . Loved the casinos and the hotels on the Vegas Strip.

We drove the entire strip almost 12-15 times and still was not enough for the eyes.

We next visited Grand Canyon, AZ. That was such a marvel.

We walked on the breathtaking Skywalk.

Our next destination was Disneyland, LA. My daughter had a great time and so did we.

We enjoyed all the rides. Saw the fireworks over the sleeping beauty castle. It sure was magical.

Next day, we were in Hollywood, Universal Studios. Took a tour to the studio, enjoyed the rides, and some 4D movies.

Our next destination was San Fransisco. It is a nice place as well.

I also met an old friend of mine from school, Ritu. Oh we wad such great time gossiping after so many years.

Ok I just wanted to tell you the highlights of my vacation.I am so happy about it, so just wanted to share it with you all. Lemme now share a collage of the places I visited.

I shall soon get back to my recipe blogging.... Stay Tuned !!!!