Easy Steps to Prepare Carrot Halwa December 3, 2008

 Preparation Time

 30 Mins

Serving

Serves 4

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients 
1.  4 Carrots
2. One cup Carnations or Condensed Milk
3. Sugar/ Sweetener to taste
4. Cashews – 5-6 nos
5. Raisins – Light Brown – 5-6 nos
6. Saffron
7. Cardamom
8. 2 tsp Ghee
9. ½ litre or 1 pint milk

 
 Preparation Steps
1. Use the grater and grate 4 carrots (peeled or unpeeled depending on taste and quality of the carrots)
2. Roast the cashews and raisins in ghee until golden brown and set them aside
3. Add milk and allow it to heat
4. In boiling milk add the grated carrots constantly stir until carrots are soft and appear cooked – or the milk is ¾ the original amount you added ( Try and use a non-stick pan to avoid charring)
5.To this mixture add 100ml of carnations/ condensed milk
6.Allow the mixture to gel well
7.Garnish with the roasted cashews, raisins, cardamom and saffron

Recipe for Channa Dal Sundal December 12, 2008

Channa Dal Sundal

Prep Time

30 Mins (Including the time to boil the Channa)

Serving

Serves 4 as a evening time snack

Ingredients

1) 1 Large Indian Onion preferably – Finely Chopped

2) 3 Green Chilles – Finely Chopped

3) 2 Dried Chilles

4) 1 Small Raw Mango – Finely Chopped or Grated

5) 100 Grams of Channa Dal boiled in a microwave for 20 mins at full power or in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles –Add Turmeric powder and salt before boiling

(For Guidance on the Dal – Refer the link – http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/ejones/ufdi/topics/dalrec/ddef2.html )

6) 1 Small Lemon

7) Salt to taste

8  Chilli Powder

9) Chat Masala

10) Asafoetida based on taste

11) Mustard Seed

12) Urid Dal/ Black Gram

13) Turmeric Powder

14) Mustard Seeds

15) Sesame Seeds

16) Cumin/ Jeera Seeds

17) Coriander SeedsCurry Leaves

18  Coriander Seeds

19) Coriander Leaves

20) Olive Oil or any Vegetable Oil

Preparation Steps

1) Add 1-2 Tsp of Oil in the pan

2) Add the mustard Seeds, Cumin Seeds, Coriander Seeds, Dried Chilli, Green Chilli, Sesame Seeds, Urid Dal

3) Wait till the mustard seeds sputter

4) Add the chopped onions

5) Add chilli powder

6) Add salt

7) A pinch of turmeric powder

8  Wait till the onion turns golden brown

9) Add the Channa Dal to this mixture

10) Sauté the mixture again

11) Finally add the grated/ chopped raw mango

12) Take the mixture off the gas allow it to cool a bit; squeeze some lemon juice and add chopped coriander

13) Add some Chat Masala and mix well

Add some fresh grated or desiccated coconut if you like it! Your sundal is now ready!

You can be creative and add some grated carrot in which case the onions are optional…carrot gives a beautiful colour

The same dish can be repeated by supplementing the Channa with any other Dal preferably, Chick Peas, Mung Dal etc

Cooked Vegetable Salad October 10, 2008

Salads are generally considered healthy when uncooked…However I recommend that adding these cooked components to it will definitely increase your love or at the least decrease your hatred towards it if you had one!

Preparation Time 

20 Mins (depends on how fast you can cut the veggies) 

Serving 

Serves 2 as lunch or 4 as a supplement to main course 

Ingredients 

•  1 Capsicum – 1 No, finely chopped
• 2 Onions – 1 No, finely chopped
• 3 Spring Onion – 1 plant, finely chopped
• 4 Cucumber – 1, cut in bite sizes or grated based on individual preference ( If grated add salt the last as it drains all the water)
• 5  Salt
• 6 Urid Dal – 1 tsp
• 7 Mustard – 1 tsp
• 8 Oil – 1 tsp
• 9 Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
• 10 Fresh Coriander – 10gm, finely chopped
• 11 Pepper Powder – a pinch
• 12 Green Chilli – 2 nos finely chopped

onion spring onion cucumber

 

Preparation Steps 

1  Add one tsp of oil (i would prefer Olive oil) to a non-stick pan 

2  Once the oil is hot add the urid dal, mustard seeds and the green chillis 

3 Add the onions (spring & indian) and capsicum once the mustard seeds start sputtering 

4 Mix well and saute for 2-3 mins 

5 Room from heat and allow to cool 

6 Add the cucumber to this, salt, coriander powder,a pinch of chilli powder and pepper 

7 Mix Well 

Viola a really inviting salad is ready 

Garnish with the coriander leaves 

The Salad

Fruit Salad December 10, 2008

Fruit Salad

Fruit Salad with custard is very tasty nonetheless but has loads of calories from all the sugar. The follwoing recipe is a simple but low calorie subsitute to the traditional one.

Prep Time

10 Mins

Serving

Serves 2 as a dessert

Ingredients

• Clementines/ Oranges – 2 nos (peeled and the slices separated from the piff
• Apples/ Pear - 3 nos finely chopped
• Some nuts (almonds preferably) – 5/6 nos – pre-soaked for a day and then grated
• Raisins or Fresh grapes – 10 nos ( based on taste you could include any fruit)
• Creme – Single or Double – Choose the low fat one if on a diet - 25 ml
• Chocolate Sauce to Garnish based on taste not a mandate
• Milk – 50 ml
• Honey – 2 tsp

Preparation Steps

1) Boil some water say 20 ml and when warm add the 2 tsp honey. Allow this to cool

2) Mix the Creme and Milk and add the above mixture to it

3) Add the nuts/ raisins to the milk

4) Blend them well with a blender if available or a laddle mixture will do

5) Add a fruits to this

Can be eaten immediately or after refrigeration. On refrigeration for 2 hours in the chiller tray, the salad simply tastes amazing!

Garnish with Chocolate Sauce!

Pasta – Under 30 Minutes November 17, 2008

 

Farfalle Pasta

This one is for those working women who can’t afford hours and hours in the kitchen! 

 Prep Time 

 25 Mins (including the time to boil the pasta) 

 Serving 

 Serves 4 as lunch 

 Ingredients 

 Pasta – 100gms (Conchiglie/ Farfalle) 

• Olive oil – 1 tsp
• 1 Clove Garlic
• One medium sized onion finely chopped in a blender
• Fresh Coriander very finely chopped
• 2 tomatoes pureed
• Salt 2 tsp
• Water

Preparation Steps 

 1 Heat about  200 ml of water with 2 tsp of salt and bring to boil 

 2 Add the pasta to the boiling water – let this remain for another 10 mins in the stove till the pasta becomes soft. You could add a spot of oil to prevent the pasta from sticking to each other 

 3 In a pan, add 2 tsp Olive oil, finely grated Garlic and Onions and saut´e till the onions are translucent 

 4 Add tomato puree and mix well, wait till the raw smell from the tomatoes disappears 

 5 Add the pasta that was boiling after filtering the stock (retain the stock), mix well 

 6 Now keep pouring the stock in parts i.e. add 20 ml of stock to the mixture and saute, allow it to gel. Repeat this till all the stock has been exhausted 

 Garnish with coriander and your pasta is now ready!!!

Recipe for Aloo Mutter November 12, 2008

Mashed Potatoes with the Spices

Preparation Time
30 mins

Serving

Serves 4 for a lunch with Chappatis

Ingredients
1) 3 big potatoes or a dozen baby potatoes (boiled enough to be able to easily mash them)
2) Channa Dal or Choley Masala (Preparation is quite easy or it can be store bought) – 3 tsp
3) One Large onion
a. Half of it finely chopped
b. Half made into a paste in a blender
4) One tomato made into a paste in a blender
5) Coriander leaves – 3-4 gms
6) Cumin Seeds – 2 tsp
7) Salt – 1 tsp
8  Chilli Powder – 2 tsp
9) Peas – Frozen or Fresh – 1 cup
10) Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
11) Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
12) Corn Flour Poweder – 1 tsp

Preparation Steps
1) Mash the potatoes with a mashing ladle or hand till it has no discrete piece

Aloo Mutter

2) Add a pinch of salt, turmeric powder, pinch of coriander powder and chilli powder
3) Add a teaspoon of oil and sauté this mixture for about 3-4 mins and set aside
4) Add a teaspoon of oil in a pan and fry cumin seeds to a light brown colour
5) Add the cut onions and peas and sauté
6) Add the onion and tomato puree, paste and let the whole mixture come to a light brown shade
7) Add the potatoes to this mixture

8  Mix them after add some more salt and chilli powder based on taste
9) Add the Channa or Choley Masala and mix well
10) Add 400ml water to the mixture and a tsp of corn flour
11) Let the water evaporate to allow the mixture to have a consistency as show in the picture above

All that is left now is eating it! You can serve this with Chappati/ Roti or any bread. Enjoy

Okra/ Bhindi/ Vendaikai Curry October 19, 2008

Preparation Time

 20 Minutes (Vegetable cutting time exclude)

Serving

Serves 4 – to be eaten as a side dish with rice/ chappati

Ingredients

• 1 kg Okra
  

  Vendaikai Curry

• Urid Dal 3 tsp (Gives a lovely crunchy taste)
• Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp
• Coriander Seeds – 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp
• Coriander Powder 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder 2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Onion an optional ingredient – if used, 1 #,  finely chopped

The following are my personal choice ingredients – rather my secret ingredients for a crispy okra

• sooji- 2 tsp
• Gram Flour – 3 tsp

Preparation Steps

The onions and the Okra are of different consistencies and hence different level of cooking. I recommend that both are cooked separately and then mixed. However, if you are hard pressed for time, cook them together.

1) Add 2tsp of oil in a pan and then add the cumin, mustard, coriander seeds and urid dal

2) Once the mustard starts sputtering add the onions. Saut´e till golden brown

3) Set the onions aside. Now to the pan add the okra, gram flour, sooji, chilli powder, coriander powder and salt saut´e  (you could pre-mix them in a bowl and then add them to the pan)

4) Cook in simmer for about 10 mins tossing the okra occasionally. You will a thin crispy crust of the gram flour indicating your curry is now done

5) Add the onions that you had set aside. Mix them and leave it on the stove for another minute so that they combine

Tasty Okra is now ready!!!!!

Peanut Sundal December 20, 2008

Peanut/Verkadalai Sundal

Preparation Time

30 Mins (Including the time to boil the peanuts)

Serving

Serves 4 as a snack

Ingredients

• Peanuts – 75 gms
• Oil – tsp
• Salt – to taste
• Onions finely chopped – I use spring onions as they give a good colour combination
• Cumin Seeds – 2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds
• Chilli Powder
• Raw Mango – finely chopped
• Fresh Coriander
• Turmeric/ Haldi powder – 1 tsp
• Dried Red Chillies – 2 nos

Preparation Steps

1 Boil the peanuts in a pressure cooker adding salt to taste and the turmeric powder. Boil it such that its soft but does not break/ disintegrate

2 Add 2 tsp of oil to a pan and when hot add the cumin & mustard seeds and the red chillies

3 Add the onions when the mustard begins to sputter

4 Add a pinch of chilli powder. Saute till golden brown

5 Add the peanuts and mix well. Leave it on the stove for about 5-7 mins ocassionally tossing the mixture

6 Remove from heat and add the raw mangoes

7 Garnish with Coriander

Recipe for Colocasia/ Taro Curry December 7, 2008

Taro

One of my favourites. I guess every vegetarian likes this dish. Sadly this tasty vegetable is not the best for health. Since a fair amount of oil needs to be used while cooking and the vegetable as such is high in carbs I’d recommend eating it just occasionally.

Prep Time

40 minutes (Including time to boil the Taro)

Serving

Serves 4 – to be eaten with rice & yoghurt or rice & sambar

Ingredients

Taro – 1 Kg

Urid Dal 3 tsp (Gives a lovely crunchy taste)

Mustard Seeds – 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds – 1 tsp (Optional)

Gram Flour - 3 tsp ( Secret Ingredient – Thanks Mum)

Chilli Powder 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 3 tsp

Turmeric Powder a pinch

Chepungkizanghu/ Taro/ Colocasia Curry

Preparation Steps

1 Boil the taro in a cooker adding salt and turmeric powder

2 Once the Taro reaches room temperature, peel the skin

3 To the peeled Taro add turmeric powder, chilli powder, gram flour and salt

4 Mix this well with your hands

5 Heat 3 tsp oil in a pan. The usual add the cumin, mustard seeds and the urid dal

6 Once the mustard seeds start sputtering, simmer the stove and add the taro

7 Cover the pan and cook, saute occasionally to avoid charring

Be patient the vegetable takes time to cook. Wait till a uniform crust forms. Your Taro cury is now ready!!!!!

Therati Paal-Khoa December 28, 2008

Therati Paal/ Khoa

I have had my mom prepare this often at home. It is a very simple recipe but like most dishes involves two main ingredients patience and the right timing in adding the ingredients.

Prep Time

45 mins

Serving

Difficult to be specific for a sweet dish

Ingredients

• Milk – 1 litre
• Carnations (Optional)
• Sugar – 50 gms
• Cardomom – 2 gms
• Saffron

Preparation Steps

1 Add the milk to a wide mouthed pan and keep stirring till it turns off-white. Use a non-stick vessel if possible considering the perils of washing it after cooking. Always cook in simmer

2 When the milk reduces to about 1/2 the original amount add sugar. The timing of adding the sugar is very critical if added too soon it will not let the milk thicken. When sugar has been added the mixture may get a bit watery but don’t lose hope ! Keep Stirring!

3 Finally the mixture arrives to the consistency of a Khoa

4 Take it off the gas/stove and garnish with cardamom and saffron

Serve hot when done or cold after refrigeration. Tastes great both ways!

Recipe for Carrot Curry December 28, 2008

  

Carrot Curry

 

A very typical carrot curry preparation has been elaborated below. Suggestions in terms of enhancements to this dish have also been mentioned! Do leave your comments 

Carrot is one of my favourite veggies for a reason! It’s a versatile vegetable that can be used in salads, sweet, curries, rice dishes and the list is endless! 

Prep Time   

15 Mins   

Ingredients   

• 3 Carrots
• Mustard Seeds – 2tsp
• Urad Dal – 2 tsp
• Oil – 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies
• Salt
• a squeeze of lemon
• Fresh Coriander leaves

Serving   

Serves 2 as a salad   

Preparation Steps   

1 Add a ts of oil in a pan, 2tsp mustard seeds, 2 tsp urad/urid dal and wait till the mustard sputters   

2 Add the green chillies to this and take the pan off the stove/gas/cooker   

3 Grate carrots finely using a grater   

4 Add the seasoning that you just prepared to the carrot   

5 Add a squeeze of lemon and a salt to taste   

6 Mix them well & Garnish with Fresh coriander   

It tastes amazing! You can add cooked peppers and steamed gram dal to this and you will love it even more. Enjoy!

How to make tasty Raitha! December 28, 2008

Onion Raitha

Not all raithas taste the same. Here’s the recipe to make one that tastes just great!

Prep Time

10 Mins

Serving

Serves 4 as an accompaniment to Biryani

Ingredients

• Large Onion 1#
• Urad/ Urid Dal 2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
• Green Chillies 3# finely chopped
• Oil 1/2 tsp
• Roasted Urid/ Urad dal powder – 1 tsp
• Yoghurt/ Curd – 10 tsp
• Water 100 ml
• Finely Chopped Coriander for garnishing
• 1/4 tsp red chilli powder
• 1/4 tsp chaat masala
• Salt – 1 tsp

Preparation Steps

1 Finely Chop the onions and set aside

2 To a pan add 1 tsp of oil and add the urid/urad dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, the green chillies can be added to this or may be added to the onions that has been set aside

3 Once the mustard has started sputtering remove off the gas/stove/cooker and add to the onions

4 Add the Yoghurt and mix well, now add the uris/urad dal powder and salt to taste

5 Add the chilli and chaat masala to it

6 Add some water and mix well

7 Garnish with Coriander leaves and serve

Possible Alterations

You can fry the onions till golden brown instead of eating them raw (however i prefer the traditional one).

Urid/ Urad dal is not a must

Carrots and/or cucumber can be added to this – do not cook them!

Double Ka Meeta January 17, 2010

 Thanks to Sai for introducing this dish to me.

Prep Time

45 min – 1 hour (a bit steep for a weekday)

Serving

Serves 5

Ingredients

•  Bread – 1  loaf
• Oil – Enough to fry bread
• Sugar – 150 gms
• Cream- Spray Can

Preparation Steps

  1) Slice bread as a triangle or into small squares as illustrated

  2) Fry the bread in oil (although usage of ghee is traditional, best to stick to oil as ghee is heavy in cholesterol). Leave the fried bread in kitchen tissue to drain any excess oil

  3) Add sugar to a pan and add water. Wait till the syrup is of a string like consistency. To test take some syrup between thumb and index finger

4) Soak the fried bread in the sugar syrup. Set aside it for 15 mins

5) Garnish with Cream, Cashews and serve hot or cold tastes grand both ways!

Chakkara/ Sweet Pongal January 16, 2010

Sakkara Pongal

Belates pongal wishes to all…I celebrated mine with the taste of sweetness…here is the recipe for chakkara (tamil for sugar) pongal

Preparation time

45 mins

Serving

Serves 6

Ingredients

 Rice – 4 cups

Jaggery – 200gms

Milk – 1.5 pints

Moong Dal – 1/2 cup (optional)

Saffron – couple of strands

Cashews – 10 finely chopped

Raisins – 10

Ghee – 7-8 tsp

Water

Preparation Steps

1) In a pan add 200gms of jaggery and 200ml of water. (Break the jaggery into smaller pieces before tossing it into the pan). Wait till it becomes gooey. Take care to ensure its still liquidy and does not become a paste. Usually this takes 10-15 mins. Ensure you set the gas at low.

2) In another pan as a parallel activty, roast rice and moong dal with ghee

3) After 2 mins of roasting, add milk  (1 pint) and cook the rice with milk until it gets crunchy. Add a spoon for ghee every 10 mins. Do this for about 30 mins again the gas should be set at low

4) Now add the jaggery to the rice pan. Constantly stir while adding the jaggery. Stiring ensures you blend the flavours

5) Add another 1/2 pint of milk and stir till the rice is now completely cooked.  Add saffron

6)Fry cashews and raisins in  ghee. Ensure you add the raisings after the cashews as raisins tend to cook faster. Take off the gas when golden brown

7) Garnish the dish with cashews and you have a winning dish there…yum!

Modak/ Kozhakattai September 13, 2009

This Ganesh Chathurthi, I dedcided to get a bit adventurous and I made modaks. It was quite simple as long as you had the time for it.

Prep Time

60 mins

Serving

Serves 4 as a snack

Ingredients

Rice Flour – 200 gms

Coconut – 1 grated

Jaggery – 150 gms

A pinch of salt

Oil – 5 tsp

Cinnamon Powder – 2 tsp

One Steamer

Preparation Steps

1. Rice Flour to preparared by soaking raw rice in water for an hour. Draining the water and drying it, grinding it to make the flour.  Easier method is to use store bought rice flour. There will definitely be a difference in the taste but if you plan to consume it on the same day, rice flour that is store bought is definitely a sensible decision

2. To 200 gms of rice flour add 120 ml of water and the pinch of salt. Add couple of tsp of oil while preparing the dough

3. Roll the dough to medium sized balls. 

4. To the jagerry add water and filter the impurities in it. Heat the jaggery in low flame to form a gluey paste. To this add the grated coconut. Stir till a dough like paste is formed. Add 2 tsp of cinnamon powder to this.

5.  Transform the balls into cups by pressing them in. Look at the pictures to understand how this is done. Add some of the cocunut- jaggery paste and seal the cups

6. Steam in a idli or rice cooker. Prepare the containers in the steamers by greasing them in oil before placing the modaks

7. Once steaming is done for 7-10 mins, serve the snack…Yummy!