COOK SPOT...Magic in Kitchen

MASHROOM CHIILI PEPPER DRY

2008-07-09T09:53:00.004+05:30

Its been drizziling every evening in my place and I enjoy Monsoon , back in Mangalore monsoon means you cannot even step ut of the house.. i used to sit outside or in balcony enjoy watchig rain with someting to munch, a hot cup of cofee, and a book in the hand and i can sit throught the day like that and never realise the time.

But in Bangalore there is hardly that kind of rain and if it rains like that i guess entire Bangalore will be floating in water :) . From yesterday I had a strong urge to eat something spicy, crispy hmm.. i kept thinking what can i prepare once i go home and i found a packet of Button Mashroom and I prepared this for the first time and it came out so good and spicy still we both keept licking our fingers.

Mashroom Chilli Pepper Dry/Mashroom Sauteed in Green Chilli and Ground Pepper

Preparation Time:5 min

Cooking Time:10 min

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 packet button Mashrooms

1 medium onion

4-5 green chilli

1 tsp Pepper powder

3-4 garlic

2 tsp oil

Method

Wash and cut lengthwise and keep it aside. Cut onions lenghwise and keep it aside.

Take a frying pan and oil and garlic florets and fry till it becomes golden brown. Then add onion and fry onion in hig flame till it is transparent then add to it the Mashrooms, pepper powder and green chillis and fry it in high flame till it is crispy.

Serve hot and njoy.

Next time I will cut mashrooms and onions in squares and add some veggies like capsicum and tomato and paneer and bruch oil and pepper powder and grill it.

HEALING POWERS OF AYURVEDA

2008-07-07T13:56:00.005+05:30

Ayurveda is a system of health care system in India which is passed from our ancestor to us. The word Ayurveda is a "tatpursha" compound of words "Ayus" means "life" "life Principle" or "long Life" the word veda means "knoweldge" so together Ayurveda means "Knoweldge of Life"

Indian food habits and Ayurveda are very closely interlinked and with our knoweldge or without our knoweldge we always eat food depending on the climate, avilability. My granppa is a "Pandita" in olden days all people who used to give medicines were called this. my first encounter with the ayurveda and food came when my brother who had this unbearable stomach ache which prevented him to eat anything that time my granppa gave him a simple dish which made him allright. The medicine which he gave that time is "Bitter gourd/Karela/Hagalakaayi leaf sasive" that is bittergoud leaf in musturd and curd gravy. Bitter gourd works good for worms.

Ayurveda holds that the tastes of foods or herbs have specific physiological effects. Those tastes that transform after digestion (Vipaka) are more powerful. Sweet (Madhura) - Sweet foods nourish, cool, moisten, oil, and increase weight Sour (Amla) - Sour foods warm, oil, and increase weight Salty (Lavana) - Salty foods warm, dissolve, stimulate, soften, oil, and increase weight Bitter (Katu) - Bitter foods cool, dry, purify and decrease weight Pungent (Tikta) - Pungent foods warm, dry, stimulate, and decrease weight Astringent (Kashaya) - Astringent foods cool, dry, reduce stickiness. Hot (Jhala). This is my contribution for Manasi's Healthy Cooking Event.

Andhra Flavours has awarded me with an Award. Thank you so much girl.

I would like to pass it to all my fellow bloggers.

Mixed Herbs Kashaya/ Mixed Spices Kashaya

Preparation Time: 5 min

Cooking Time : 5 min

Ingredients

2 tbsp Corriander seeds

2 tbsp jeera seeds

2 tbsp methi seeds

4 cloves

1 tsp pepper

Method

Take a frying pan and put all the ingredients in it and fry it in a low flame string continusely to avoid any spice over frying or burining.

Once Jeera and methi starts sputtlering switch of the burner and keep it aside to cool let it cool completely before you put it in a mixture. Make it a fine powder and keep it in tight jar till months together.

To make Kashaya Take two cups of water and add jaggery(to ur taste) and a tsp of this powder and let it boil properly. (Plese note this kashaya need not reduce to half a glass.) just boiling i enough.

Serve hot. You can drink this instead of a cup of coffee or tea. You can add 1/4 cup of milk.

SEMOLINA STEAMED BALLS/RAVE UNDE

2008-06-26T09:47:00.003+05:30

I am so happy resume my blogging as usual. So here is a simple breakfast very easy to make.

Semolina Steamed Balls/Rave Unde

Preparation Time:15 min

Cooking Time:20 min

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 cup Idli Rava/Semolina

a bunch of corriander leaves

3-4 green chillies chopped

2 medium onions chopped

2 medium carrot grated

1/2 cup coconut grated

2 tsp ghee

1 tsp musturd seeds

2 dried red chillies

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp chana dal

Method

Take a thick bottomed pan and to this add 2 tsp ghee, musturd seeds, urad dal, red chilli, chana dal and wait till musturd seeds starts spulttering. Add chopped onion and fry till transparent. Then add the Rave and fry for 5 minutes.

Meanwhile take a vessel to this add 2 cups of water, grated carrot, green chilli and salt and let the water boil properly. Once the water starts boiling add the hot water to the fried rava and keep the flame in low so that rava is cooked propely strring in between.

Keep strring till entire mixture forms a single mass. Then put it in plate to cool down and then once it is semi-cool start making balls.

Steam cook it in your cooker/steamer for about 20 minutes in low flame.

Serve hot with your choice of chutney/sambhar

COSTAL DELICACY

2008-06-24T09:38:00.004+05:30

Costal Karnataka has its own delicacy when it comes to the food. My mother used make it so often and still we never get over the taste of it. it is also called Ubbu Rotti /Akki Rotti. So here is the recipe a simple yet healthy breakfast. Akki Rotti served with Cucumber in Spicy Garlic and Coconut Sauce is my contribution for AFAM-Coconut hosted by Tasty Pallets

UBBU ROTTI/PALAK AKKI ROTTI/RICE PANCACKE STUFFED WITH PALAK

WITH CUCUMBER SPICY COCONUT GARLIC SAUCE

Ingredients

For Akki Rotti

1.5 cup Rice flour

1.5 cup water

1 bunch chopped palak/spinach

salt to taste

Ghee to roast

Method

Take a heavy bottomed pan and put 1.5 cup water and salt as desired and wait till the water starts boiling up. Then add the rice flour and mix it throughly and do not allow to form any lump. keep stirring it in medium flame to avoid burning/sticking to pan for abut ten minutes.

Take chopped palak in a microwave safe bowl and sprinkle lilttle water and keep it for a minute or two to blanch. Then without adding the water add the blanched palak to the rice mixture and keep strring it for another 5 minutes till it proprely mixed with the rice batter.

take the pan from the fire and let it cool (do not allow it cool completely) and kneed the dough nicely with the hand.

Either you can direcly make the rottis into the griddle/tava or you can make rottis in a greased plastics and put it into the tava.

Roast nicely with ghee. Serve hot with saambhar or chutney.

Ingredients for Garam Sambhar

1 cup cucumber cut into big chunks

4-5 florets garlic

2 tsp corriander seeds

3/4 cup coconut grated

5-6 dried red chillies

marble sized tamarind

1 tsp jeera seeds

hing/asefotida

salt to taste

3 tsp jaggery

For Tampering

1 tsp oil

1 tsp musturd seeds

2-3 florests of garlic

curry leaves

Method

Boil cucumber chunks with water and and once water starts boiling add enough salt and jaggery.

Take the grated coconut and add all the masala to it and make a corase paste with a mixer. Add the spice mixture to the boiled cucumber.

Let it simmer till the gravy thickns that is for about 10 minutes. Add the tampering to it and boil for another 5 minutes.

Serve hot with plain rice/rotti.

I would like to thank Trupti for passing me this lovely award.

I would like to pass this award to

Asha of Foodies hope

redchiilies

Suganya of Tasty Pallets

Swati of Chitkor

FINALLY I DID IT.....

2008-06-11T16:38:00.003+05:30

I am always facinated the way north makes so many varieties of parathas. Paratha is such healthy and filling breakfast with that pickle and curd hmm.. im drolling over imaging the plate.. I was just thinking what to cook for breakfast. If I ask M the first option is always sandwich which i cannot carry for my box. So stared searching in the in the fridge. Then i found Cauliflower/Gobi. I havent tried gobi paratha before so was bit hesitated but finally i tried it and it came out nice so thought will share with you all.

Gobi/Cauliflower Paratha

Preparation time :15min

Cooking Time:20 min

makes:10

Ingredients

For the Stuffing

1.5 cup grated cauliflower florets

1 medium onion finley chopped

2 tsp corriander+green chilli paste

1.5 tsp garam powder

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chili powder

salt to taste

For Chapthi

1.5 cup atta

2 cups of hot water

Method

Sieve atta and put it in bowl and make chapati dough and keep it closed for an hour.

Meanwhile take the grated gobi and add all the masala ingredients as mentioned above and put it in a frying pan and dry fry it for about 10-15 minuted to take out the extra water from it. Keep it aside to cool down.

Make medium sized balls from atta and stuff the mixture inside and make thick parathas and roast it with ghee

Serve hot with curd/pickle.

COOKING WITH LOVE

2008-06-09T10:21:00.005+05:30

From past a month I have been jugguling with my personal life and work. I feel that there is no

time for anything.. time is just flying away. I am infront of my comp even on weekends without goig for shopping which is my favourite passtime, not able to go through other blogs and see wat is happening..

Well this weekend i just decided that i have to see wat is happening to my blog and others and prepare aomething really nice and put up. So i was just goin through my blog and found that i have not posted my all time fav Rotti in this. This is my mom's delicy. So this for my mom with love.

ATTA ROTTI /GODI ROTTI

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time 10 min

Makes: 15

Ingredients

1.5 cup wheat powder (i used fresh powder)

2 tsp butter

1/2 cup finely chopped onion

1/2 cup chopped curry leaves

1/2 cup grated carrot

few green chillied chopped

1/2 cup fresh/frozen grated coconut

salt to taste

hot water to kneed

ghee to roast

Method

Sieve the atta and add salt, unsalted butter, chopped onion, curry leaves, green chilli, coconut, carrot and make a dough like our regular chapati dough and keep it aside for half hour to settle.

Grease thick plastic covers with oil and press with help of your palm start from the center to the end. If you have pressing machine follow the above method and press it. Do not make the Rottis very thin it should be medium. Roast the rottis till golden brown and add ghee.

Serve hot with your choice of side dish.

ANNIVERSARY AND FOOD

2008-05-31T13:50:00.003+05:30

Its been a very hectic days in the work and not able to do anything.. more than that i am so cut

of from my favourite blogshpere.. This is my dream CookSpot's first anniverasary and i had

been planning from a month to celebrate it in a very different way but nothing is done beacause of the work.

So here is a simple recipe for my special occassion. This is my contribution to Srivalli's Roti Mela

Mixed Paratha with Baked Tomatoes with Spices

Preparation Time : 25 min

Cooking Time :1 hr

Serves:2-4

Ingredients

For Chapati

1 cup wheat flour

3 boiled medium potatoes

1 bunch methi leaves (dont use stem)

1/2 cup grated cheese

salt to taste

corriander & green chilli paste

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp red chilli powder

2 cups hot water to kneed

ghee for frying

Method

Fry the methi leaves in 1 tsp oil till all the bitterness goes off.

Sieve the flour and to it add salt, mashed, peeled boiled potatoes, corriander and green chilli paste, turmeric powder, chilli powder, chese and methi leaves. and Mix properly.

Add hot water and kneed the atta properly close the lid and let it settle for about an hour.

Then make equal sized balls and roll the chapti into paratha shape. Let the chapati/paratha be lilttle thick.

Roast properly in ghee. Serve hot.

Baked Tomatoes with Spices

Ingredients

250 gms medium riped tomatoes

Italian seasoing (you get it with pizza)

salt to tatse

ginger garlic paste

2 tsp oil

Method

Cut tomatoes into quaters and put into a baking tray with the above mentioned ingredients and mix properly and keep it aside.

Meanwhile pre heat the oven in 180 degrees and bake the tomotes for 45 minutes or till the tomotes are properly mashed.

Serve hot with the Chapati/paratha.

COOKING WITH BHINDI

2008-05-18T19:52:00.005+05:30

Its been a hectic week for both me and M. you wont belive that i almost did not cook entire week because of my hectic work. Fell sick in between so had take off from work and when i went to office my mails were awaiting for me touch and the entire week we have been goin to office in early morning and coming late in the night, eating out and at the end of it both of were dieiing to eat home food. Bhindi and dal is both is our all time fav. So tried my own version.came out good so thought of sharing.

When it comes to bhindi i thought i will share this with you. So many people come to our life some make our life change to a large extent some just go away.. When I think of bhindi now it reminds me of my collegue who just left office to move to her home town. She is crazy of bhindi and this dish im dedicating to you girl "Aparna".

She is much junior to me in age but she is full of life and her thoughts are very matured. I had a very lovely moment with her sharing our misery happiness.... endless topics and pulling her leg.. She loves food when i say she loves it she enjoys eating.. So i want to wish her all the very best in her life and career and miss you..

Bhindi Dal

Preparation Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 20 min

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

15-20 tender bhindi

1 medium onion

1/2 cup toor dal

1/2 cup moong dal (yellow)

4 green chillies

1 tsp turmeric powder

3 tsp jaggery

2 tsp tamarind water

salt to taste

corriander leaves to garnish

For Tampering

1 tsp oil

1 tsp musturd seeds

2 red chiili dried

garlic 2 pods

Method

Wash bhindi and pat it dry with a cloth and cut into 1" inch length piece and cut onion lengthwise and keep it aside.

Pressure cook the dals and wait till it is cool. Then add dal, onion and bhindi along with green chiilies and water. wait till water starts boiling then add salt and jaggery, tamrind powder and let slowly cook the bhindi.

Then add turmeic powder and wait till the gravy becomes thick

Put the tadka and garnish it with corriander leaves.

My wishes and thanks to Swati Raman Garg who passed me one more award and i would like to pass it all my blogger friends who with thier thoughts, feedbacks, appreciations support me everyday . Thank you once more.

CAPTURES & FIRST AWARD...

2008-05-09T10:05:00.004+05:30

Last week i had been to my native for few days to attend my friends wedding. Thinking of goin home brings many old memories and of course i will be with my mother spaeking about whole lot of things,irritating her,teasing her is my fav past time if i am with her. So here is few photos from my mom's garden..

Here is my first Award which is given to me by Swati Raman Garg . Thank you girl..

Hope you all enjoy this...

HEALTHY TAMBLI

2008-05-07T09:51:00.002+05:30

Tambli is one of the traditional food we have in our diet. I had been to my native last week and my mother always prepares this whenever im home. This time i bought these things from mynative so here is the recipe. This works for indigestion.

Koodi Tambli

Preparation Time :10 min

Making Time:10 min

Serves:2-4

(Guava tender leaves, Nekkarika, )

Ingredients

1.5 cup of above shown tender leaves

1 tsp jeera

2 tsp ghee

2-3 green chilli

1/2 curd/buttermilk

1/2 cup grated coconut

salt to taste

For Tampering

1 tsp oil

1 tsp musturd seeds

1 strand curry leaves

Method

Take the tender leaves in a pan and keep stirring in a low flame till the mostiure from the leaves has gone. Then add 2 tsp ghee and fry till you get a nice aroma from the leaves.

Then take blender and add grated coconut, fried leaves, jeera, green chilli and make a nice paste by adding very lilttle water.

Put it in a vessel add curd and water, salt and bring it into a medium consistency. Do not make it watery. Add the tampering and keep it in the fridge.

Njoy with plain white rice and ghee...

GINGER LIME SODA

2008-05-04T12:34:00.002+05:30

Here is another cooler which can help you beat this Summer. Food diets for summer can be salads, cool bevereges, fresh fruit juices, buttermilk, water filled vegies like cucumber, sprouts and of course plenty of water to avoid de hydration. So here is a simple recipe to keep you cool from the heat. This one is my all time favourite.

Ginger Lime Soda

Preparation Time:2 min

Making Time:5 min

Serves 2-4

Ingredients

1 big lime

1.5" ginger crushed

sugar/honey to taste

salt(optional)

Soda of your choice

Method

Take a vessel and add water and sugar and let the sugar dissolve completely in it later add the lime juice. Add crushed ginger and Soda.

Served chilled with ice cubes. Njoy

CUSTURD WITH A TWIST...

2008-05-01T18:42:00.005+05:30

Weather is taking a very bad turn in Bangalore. It pours a day and next day it is so hot and suffocating so we dont feel like eating anything just drinking cold water, ice creams which is not a good food habits but cannot bear the heat too. Here is a cooling recipe for hot summer.

Custurd

Preparation Time: 5 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Serves: 2-4

Ingredients

1/2 ltr milk

2 tsp custurd powder

1/2 bar dark chocolate

1/2 cup sugar

2-4 riped banana

Method

Boil the milk do not allow to form the cream on top. Take half portion of the milk and let it cool down completely. Mean while take the remaining half portion and put the sugar depending on your sweet tooth and let the sugar disolve completely. Keep stirring till the sugar dissolves.

When the other portion of the milk cools down add the custurd powder and stir it properly without forming lumps. Once it is done add the mixture to the hot milk and stir for 3-5 minutes. As you stir custurd thickens. Do not allow it to become too thick.

Let the mixture cool down and then put it in a box and freeze it ( not in the freezer) for 1 to 1.5 hrs.

Serve with riped bananas. I add grated dark chocolate for a twist. Njoy.

SPROUTED MOONG IDLIS

2008-04-24T11:34:00.004+05:30

Idlis, dosa are South Indian stable diet. But I gave a twist to the regular idli. So here is the special stuffed idils.

Sprouted Moong Dal Idli & Onion & Green Chilli Chutney

Preparation Time: 10 min (Excluding Fermenting Time)
Cooking Time: 20 min
Makes: 20 Idlis

Ingredients

½ cup sprouted Moog Dal (green)
½ Urad dal
1 cup Idli rice
¼ cup poha/rice flakes
Salt to taste

For Tampering

1.5 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 tsp chana dal
Crushed cashews

Method

Soak urad dal, rice differently in water for about 5-6 hrs. Soak moong dal in water overnight and then remove from the water and tie it in a cloth till you see sprouts in it.

Take all the soaked ingredients (except the rice) with moong dal and poha (wash poha in water till it becomes soft). Add it to the blender and make a very fine paste. Do not add too much water.

Then blend the rice very coarsely and mix it to the fine paste and mix properly. Add the tampering & add salt and keep it for fermenting overnight.

You can make idli either in Microwave or in traditional idli maker which takes to you good 20 min.

Serve hot with choice of chutney. This idli becomes soft.

Idli Varities in CookSpot

BEETROOT HALWA

2008-04-21T17:46:00.003+05:30

M just hates beetroot. So i decided to suprise him by making this. Believe me he didnt realise unless i told him. So here is the recipe for the same. This is another halwa which i prepared from Microwave. This especially goes well with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- BeetRoot Halwa

Preparation Time:10 min

Cooking Time:25min

Serves:2-3

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Ingredients

1.5 cup grated Beetroot
2 cups milk
3 tsp ghee
2 cups sugar(depending upon your taste)
cashews, almonds crushed
1tsp cardamom powder

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----
Method

Peel beetroot and grate it and put in a microwave safe bowl with the milk and put in Microwave mode HIGH for 10 min strring once in 5 minutes. Let it stand for 2 beeps after ten minutes is over.

Then add sugar and mix properly and keep again inside for 10 more minutes. After 8 minutes remove the safe bowl mix properly and add ghee, cardamom powder and crushed nuts and mix thoughly and keep for remaining two minutes. Give a standing time of 2 beeps.

Remove the bowl and mix it and cook in the same temp for 5 more minutes and give a standing time of 2 minutes (2 beeps).

Put it in a bowl and serve hot with scoop of vanilla ice cream. It yummy.

Check out more sweets under Sweets/Dessert section in the site.

CHEWY COOKIES

2008-04-17T12:45:00.004+05:30

Cookies are my all time favourite. I can munch it whole day skipping my usual breakfast, lunch, dinner. i wanted to try cookies with the ingredients which i had in the pantry. So coconut is one ingredients which is always in my pantry or you can say without which my recipes wont be complete. So tried my version of Chewy Coconut Cookies.

Chewy Coconut Cookies

Preparation Time: 10min

Cooking Time:9 min

Makes:25 Cookies

Ingredients

150 gms All purpose Flour

150 gms Wheat Flour

300gms castor sugar

2 tsp vanilla essence

200gms coconut grated

150 gms unsalted butter

salt a pinch

1 cup milk with cream

1tsp baking soda

Method

Sieve all the dry ingredients together and keep it aside. Take grated coconut and make a corase paste and mix with the dry ingredients. Mix nicely so that it blends with the flour. Do not over mix it.

Then add to it the vanila essnce, sugar flod in with the help of you finger tips and then slowly add the milk and bring the dough into chapti dough consistency and close the lid and keep it for an hour.

After an hour line in the baking tray or cookie tray. Meanwhile preheat the microwave in 180 degrees and shape the cookies with the cookie cutter.

Bake the cookies for 9 minutes and see if you insert sharp knife if it stics a bit then it is done. if you want to make it hard cookies bake it for 12 minutes.

Njoy with a hot cup of coffee or tea.

COOKING WITH SPROUTED MOONGS

2008-04-15T11:11:00.004+05:30

After i started blogging and especially i started taking part in the events in the blogging world whenever i go shopping for groceries i always have the list of events which will be happening. So M always laughs about it and always tell that now im at Bloggers mercy. I had seen few recipes in my favorite cooking show by Sanjeev Kapoor called Khana Kazana wherein he has used the sporuts to noodles to make it healthy. So i had moong sprouts in pantry and wanted to use it with something. So I prepared Moong Parathas and Baagare Baingan. I am sending Bagere Baingan to Think Spice event hosted by Gretchen started by Sunita.

Moong Dal Paratha & Bagere Baingan

Preparation Time:10 min

Cooking Time:25 min

Serves:2-4

Ingredients

1 cup sprouted moong dal

2 cup wheat flour

salt to taste

2 tsp ghee/oil

2 cups of hot water

Method

Sieve the wheat flour and put it in a bowl and to it add salt and ghee and mix it properl without forming any lumps.

Meanwhile take the sprouted moong dal and bring it to a nice paste without adding any water and mix it with the dough and bring the atta into a chapati consistency and keep it aside for at least an hour.

After an hour make a equal sized balls from it and start rolling the chapatis. (Please note that the dough become extra soft after adding the moong so you have to be very careful to bring it to a desired round shape).

Roast with the ghee with both the sides and serve hot with your choice of side dish.Njoy

Ingredients for Bagere Baingan

8 small purpule coloured egg plants

2 medium onion

2 strands of curry leaves

1 tsp oil

2 tsp butter

salt to taste

For Masala

4 dried red chillies

3 tbsp coconut grated

3 tbsp peeled peanuts

1 tsp jeera seeds

1 tsp corriander seeds

1/2 tsp jaggery

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

2 cloves

1/2 stick cinnamon

1 tsp tamarind juice

1 tap GG paste

Method

Wash the egg plants thourghly in the water and make 4 slits in the brinjal and soak it in water to extract the bitterness .

Mean while Take a pan add 1 tsp oil and 2 tsp butter and fry onion till they are tarnsparent then add the GG paste and fry for another minute and add the Brinjals to it and fry it. Then add half glass of water and close the lid and let it cook properly for till they become tender. I added salt and tamarind water to it.

Take all the masala ingredients as mentioned above (excluding the powder) and fry for 2-3 minutes. Then let it cool down and make a nice paste out of it by adding a very lilttle water.

Once the egg plants become tender add the grinded paste and along with it add 1.5 cup of water or depends on you the consistency you wants and mix the whole thing and add jaggery+turmeric powder+chilli powder and mix it. let it simmer for another 5-10 minutes till the gravy thicknes.

Serve hot with the Chapati & Njoy.

VISHU WISHES & BITTER MAGIC

2008-04-13T10:54:00.005+05:30

WISH YOU ALL HAPPY VISHU

I always found cooking bittergourd is a pain so i never bought it home. But i liked whatever my mom cooked out of it especially the bittergourd rasam, bittergourd gojju/chutney and bittergourd majjigehuli. This month when i went shopping for my groceries i found this tender lovely green bittergourds so couldnot resist myself. I thought let me ask my mom and cook it and eat. So my first time with it and thank god did not turn out a bitter episode..So Pooja this is you for VOW-BitterGourd.

Bittergourd Rasam/Hagalakaayi Saaru

Preparation Time:5 min

Cooing Time 20-25 min

Serves:2-4

Ingredients

1.5 cup bittergourd

salt to taste

3 tsp jaggery

For Masala

1.5 tsp Rasam Masala

1/4 cup coconut grated

3tsp tamarind water

1 tsp turmeric powder

For Tampering

1.5 tsp oil

1 tsp musturd seeds

1 strand curry leaves

1 red chilli

Method

Wash and cut the bittergourd into round medium thin slices and keep it aside. Take a thick bottmed pan and 2 cups of water and put the bittergourd into it and close the lid. Once the waterstarts boiling add the salt and mix properly and close the lid. Let the water drain completely.

Meanwhile take the grated coconut, rasam powder(includes, corriander leaves, dry red chilles, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves, asafetida/hing, jeera/cuminseeds, methi seeds fried together and grind into nice powder), tamarind powder, turmeric powder into a blender and bring into a coarse paste and keep it aside.

Add to the bitter gourd 1.5 cup water and let it boil then add the jaggery and salt if need and wait until the jaggery melts init. Then add the grinded masala and boil for another 5 minutes in low flame. Put the tampering.

Serve hot with white rice. Njoy

SOFT & CRISPY COOKIES

2008-04-10T10:17:00.004+05:30

I was very scared to bake cakes, cookies till i made Naan Katai. So tried this one. Chocolate is everybody's fav so tried my own recipe in this.

Preparation Time:10min(excluding keeping time)

Cooking Time 10 min

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

300gms All purpose Flour

300gms castor sugar

100 gms unsalted butter

1tsp baking powder

1 cup milk with cream

100gms coca powder(Cadbury's)

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/2 cup each of badam & cashew crushed

Method

Sieve all the dry ingredients all purpose flour, baking powder, cocoa powder together and keep it aside.

Take castor sugar add into the dry ingredients along with the vanila essence and roughly mix it without forming any lumps.

Make a hole in the center of the bowl and add the unsalted melted butter and start mixing by the finger tips. Slowly add the milk and make a dough which doesnot stick to your hand. Do not over mix.

Let the dough sit for an hour. Close it with a lid or a muslin cloth.

Line the baking tray or grill stand and pre heat the Microwave in 180 degree . Make small round shapes or your desired shape with a cookie cutter and stuff the nuts.I did cup shape.

Bake the cookies in 180 degree for 10 minutes. if you do not want the crispy and soft cokkies then bake it for12 minutes.

The cookies become crisp at the soft and in between it will be soft and chewy.

Njoy. Store it in a air tight jar.

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Naan Katai

UGADI WISHES & OBBATTU

2008-04-08T12:30:00.005+05:30

WISH YOU ALL HAPPY UGADI

Ugadi means Hindus New Year which is celebarated with a combination of Neem and Jaggery . Neem and Jaggery symbolises the Sorrow and Happiness of the Life. there is a famous Kannada saying which goes as follows:

"Ugaugadi Kaledaru Ugadi Marali Barutide

Hosa Varushada Hosa Harushada Hosatu Hosatu Tarutide...."

Here is a special authentic dish for the event.My first try on the obbattu. On this occassion I am posting 100th Post.

Ingredients

For the Chapati

1 cup whwat flour
1 cup All Purpose Flour
pinch of salt
2 tbsp oil/ghee
1/2 cup milk

For Stuffing

2 cups of Chana Dal
1 cup grated jaggery
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
1tsp nutmeg powder

Method

Sieve all purpose flour and the wheat flour and add to this salt, oil and by adding milk and water bring it into dough consistency. Kneed properly and keep it aside for an hour.

Mean time pressure cook chana dal for 4 whistle in cooker and once it is cool down take it in a pan and add sugar and jaggery and bring it into one single mass.Keep the mixture in a plate cool down once it is completley cool down add the mixture along with the nutmeg and cardamom powder to the blender and make a fine paste.

The paste should be stiff like dough consistency. If you are not able to make balls from it then you can heat it as it is in low flame till it forms a single mass and you are able to make balls from it.

Once this is done you take the already made chapati dough and make equal sized balls slightly bigger than the chapati. Roll it lilttle bit and then add the slighly bigger than lemon size chanadal mix and roll a thin obbattu.(You can make thick one also but i like it thin so made it thin).

Heat the tava/griddle and put the obbattu into it and roast it with ghee till crisp. Serve hot with ghee.

You can store in the fridge for longer days.

FOR A SWEET TOOTH

2008-04-04T10:31:00.004+05:30

Its been really longtime i didnt prepare Kheer or payasa.. and not much recipes in the blog too . My younger bro had come home and just like me he too likes sweets a lot and he likes to help me and my mom in the kitchen must tell u does nice rasam, chapatis and chats..

So here is the simple recipe for a delicious Kheer/Payasa

Preparation Time:5min

Cooking Time:25-30 min

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

1 cup broken wheat

1/2 cup jaggery

1/2 cup sugar

2 cups coconut milk

1 cup milk

1 tsp cardamom powder

cashew nuts/badam/raisins

Method

Wash broken wheat properly and pressure cook it for 4 whistle in 1.5 cup water and keep it aside.

Meanwhile prepare Coconut milk. I always like to put fresh coconut milk. Grate the coconut and put it in a blender with very lilttle water and make it a corase paste. Take out the milk either with the help of a muslin cloth. Do not put water to the first time when you take the milk and keep it aside the thick coconut milk. Once it is done then you can add water and take out the milk. Keep this saparately.

Take thick bottomed pan add the cooked broken wheat and add the watery coconut milk and the cow milk and let it boil. Just when it starts boiling add the 1/2 cup jaggery and 1/2 cup sugar and mix properly. and let the jaggery and sugar disolve competely.Please always stir in between as it tends stick to the pan.

Once the jaggery and sugar is dissolved add you choice of nuts, thick coconut milk and the caramom powder. Let it boil until thick consistency in a low flame.

Serve hot/cold it tastes very nice.

ITS SOUP TIME..

2008-04-02T12:03:00.005+05:30

I always look forward for weekend especially the second saturdays when my office is shut and i get time to spend in kitchen and try various things. Its a weird weather in Bangalore from past one month..either it is too hot or too cold so we really dont no wat to do with it and suddenly it starts raining. I love monsoon but not at odd times.

But when it comes to soup it is welcome all the time. So here is the reciepe for the same..This is my contribution for JFI-Garlic

Preparation Time: 10 min

Cooking Time:20 min

Serves:2-4

Ingredients

5-6 medium tomato

3-4 medium carrot

3-4 florets garlic

1 tsp pepper crushed

slat to taste

4 cups of vegetable stalk/water

2 tbsp butter

2tsp cream to garnish

1 tsp sugar

Method

Chop roughly tomato and carrots and keep it aside. Take a pan and add butter and add the chopped garlic and wait until it turns brown.

Add the chopped veggies to it and fry for a minute and then add the vegetable stock and the crushed pepper. close the lid and let the vegetable cook properly for 10 minutes.

Then put it in a plate to cool it down completely. Once it is cooled down add the entire mixture to large blender jar and make a fine paste. pour the mixture back to the pan and let it boil in sim for another 3-5 min and in the mean time add 1 tsp sugar.

Serve hot with masala papad. Njoy.