Okra &Tamarind / Vendakai Pulikulambu / Bhindi Curry

Key ingredient: Okra
Origin: Africa
So many recipes are made with this in different parts of the world
(Pickles, stew, gravy, deep fry, dry fry, combo with vegetable/meat soups, salads and much more)

A very famous tangy recipe from Indian cuisine is right here 4 u!!
Ingredients:
Okra I cup (I used frozen unsliced okra)
Tamarind lemon size (if u are using extract, then its 1 ½ spoon of it.)
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Fenugreek seeds ½ tsp
Channa dal ½ tsp
Ground nuts ½ tsp(optional)
Onions ½(vertically sliced)
Red chillies 3
Asafoetida /Hing powder 1 /2 tsp
Cumin seeds ¼ cup
Tomato ½ (well chopped)-optional
Garlic 5 pods (this is one amongst the main ingredients for this dish)
Turmeric powder3/4 tsp
Chilli powder ½ tsp
Rice flour 1 tsp**
Curry leaves 1sprig
Oil
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves

Method:
1) Soak the tamarind in water, extract the juice and keep aside
2) Heat a pan, pour oil, now add mustard seeds, curry leaves, hing powder, cumin seeds,fenugreek seeds,ground nuts,channa dal and fry it well..After 2 min,add onions ,garlic, red chillies, chopped tomatoes. Sauté it well till the onion –tomato mixture is well cooked.
3) Add chili powder, turmeric powder and salt to the mixture. Fry it for around 3 minutes.
4) Pour the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.


5) Add okra to this, mix it well.(you can also add 3/4 cup water for the unsliced okra to cook well ).
**You can also add 1 tsp of rice flour to get a thick consistency.
6) Let it boil until okra becomes soft and tender (cooked well in tamarind mixture).
Garnish with coriander leaves


Best with Rice
Rich in carbohydrates, vitamin c, proteins.

Matter Panner

Paneer- Very common amongst the Persian and Asian cuisines….A protein rich food!!!!but definitely not a low calorie food in any way .From itz history it is said a “Persian origin food introduced in India”.We make both spicy and sweet dishes with this..
So for the start, a basic paneer recipe & easiest of all….Matter Paneer

Ingredients:
Paneer ½ up
Green peas ¾ cup
Onion ½
Tomatoes 3
Ginger (chopped) 1 tsp
Garlic 1 clove (medium size)
Bay leaf 2
Green chillies 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder ¾ tsp
Pepper powder ½ tsp(optional)
Cashew powder 1 tsp
Hing powder ½ tsp
Tomato puree 1tsp
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Garam masala powder ¾ tsp
plain yogurt/Curd 1/2 cup(measuring bowl)
Oil to fry
Salt to taste

Method
1) Add onion, tomato, garlic, ginger in a blender and grind it(fine paste).
2) Cut the paneer in to cubes.
3) Heat the pan ,pour ½ cup oil and deep fry the paneer (juz fry for less than 2 min.Edges of the paneer alone shd turn slight golden brown)
4) Heat an another heavy bottomed pan, pour 1 tsp of oil add mustard seeds, let it splutter and now hing powder, cumin seeds, green chillies are fry them, then add the grinded paste .sauté it well..
5) Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, a pinch of garam masala, bay leaves,1 tsp of tomato puree ,salt to taste.let it boil for around 8 to 10 minutes till the mixture leaves oil at the edges of the pan.
6) Add paneer and boiled green peas in to the mixture and boil it for few more minutes.
7) whisk 1/2 cup of curd nicely and then pour in to the curry

8) Finally add cashew powder/corn flour
9) garnish with coriander leaves..
Serve with Roti, chapatti,Naan


Rich in protein ,calcium, VitaminA

Negative factors: highest % of fats, cholesterol and sodium

Simple Kulfi

Milk ,Nuts & Sugar frozen together and thz KULFiiiiiiii
Ingredients
Whole milk 4 cups
Bread 1(optional, but it adds really good taste….)
Cardamom powder ½ tsp
Chopped/Sliced pista, almonds, cashews (1tsp each….)-nuts of ur choice
Sugar to taste (may be 6-7 spns)
Method:
1)Grind the bread in ½ cup of milk (taken from the 4 cups) and add it to the milk
2)Heat milk in a pan and boil it in medium flame (stir constantly), for about 25min (let the milk reduce to 1/2 of the original measure)
3)Add sugar, cardamom and nuts.you can also add1 tsp of vanilla powder/coco powder for flavors of your choice.
4)If you have Kulfi molds pour the mixture in to it else pour in to any bowl and Cover with a transparent wrap and cool it for around 5-6 hours in the freezer.

5)After 6 hours, pass the knife around the edges of the bowl (I used an ordinary soup bowl).The Kulfi now will automatically slip out.

6)Cut in to desired pieces and serve ……


Note:Over burnt milk will not smell good and it will spoil the kulfi too..so we should be very cautious about boiling the milk in this dessert...

Tamarind Rice!!

Tamarind Rice-Sure to find this dish in temples...........The best!!

preserve the tamarind extract,mix it when ever you want it!!!easy right?!

Ingredients

Tamarind juice (thick extract got from water -soaked tamarind) 1 full cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Whole red chili 2

Small Onions ¾ cup(optional)

Chili powder ½ tsp(optional)

Dry tamarind powder 1 tsp(optional)

Peanuts – ¾ cup

Turmeric powder – ¾ tsp

Jaggery - 1 tsp

Sesame oil/groundnut oil 4 tsp (varies)

Salt to taste

Curry leaves

Coriander leaves

Cooked rice

Roast and grind:

Red chili 5-6(depends)

Urad dal – 3 tsp

Channa dal - 2 tsp

Sesame Seeds 4 tsp

Coriander seeds- 2-3tsp

Cumin seeds ½ tsp

Fenugreek seeds 1/2 teaspoon

Pepper corns - 1 teaspoon

Method:

1)Wash and cook the rice with water and 1 tsp of oil(you will get a grains separated rice)

2)Heat the pan roast and grind the ingredients listed above.

3)In the same pan, pour oil, add mustard seeds, let it splutter, now add peanuts, red chilli, onions ,coconut pieces and curry leaves.fry it well and then add the tamarind water

4)Add chili powder, turmeric powder, hing powder, tamarind powder, jaggery to it and let it boil for about 7-8 minutes.

5)Mix the grinded powder, add very little amount of water; allow it to boil till you get a thick texture.

6)Mix this extract with rice……

Tangy & a perfect Tamarind Rice is all urzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz....

Serve with:Pappad,potato fry

Mirchi Curry

Ingredients:
Green chillies /bell peppers 1 cup (deseeded)
Mustard seeds 1/2tsp
Fenugreek seeds 1/4tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4tsp
Coriander powder 1/4tsp
Curry leaves
Salt to taste




To Grind:
Peanuts 4 tsp(roasted and outer layer removed)
Sesame seeds 2 tsp(roasted )
Mustard seeds 1 tsp(roasted well)
Red chilli 3
Cumin seeds1/2 tsp
coconut(shredded)-1-2 tsp(optional)
Ginger-garlic paste-1 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the chillies and deseed them. Slightly fry in oil
2. Put all the ingredients in a blender (listed-to Grind)
3. Heat another pan, add the cumin seeds, add( very less as we add some to grind)mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves, add the grinded paste, coriander powder, turmeric powder, ,salt to taste ,1 cup water and allow it to boil Then add the slightly toasted chillies and salt. Let it boil till it comes to a gravy consistency.
4. Better check for the taste and if u need to add something more you can do it now..
5. Dont forget to add 1 tsp jaggery...
6.Thz it!Mirchi curry/Mirchi ka salan is ready to eat with Rice!!!!

Tandoori Chicken(Grilled)

Tandoori.............I was simply amazed when i read the actual meaning of tandoori and the story behind it which you could find in Wikipedia...the clay oven used typically for this is very well explained with its tools in spices of India website....i should say my chicken is just grilled tandoori and not the original one........cooked inside the clay oven!!!

Hmmm...get ready with the following stuffs..we will try grilled tandoori today!!!!!

Curd 1 cup
Chili powder 3 tsp
Coriander powder 4 tsp
Cumin powder 2 tsp
Fennel powder 1 tsp
Pepper corn powder (freshly grounded) 2 tsp
Pepper powder 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp(it would be better if it is freshly grinded)
Food color 1 tsp (optional)
Lemon juice 5 tsp
Oil salt to taste

Method:
Tandoori masala
1)Mix all the ingredients in yogurt,add lime juice and mix it well..
2)Peel off the skin on the chicken
3)Draw deep lines with a knife around the chicken piece so that the masala we add gets in to the chicken when we marinate in the tandoori Masai.Add 3 tsp of oil to the tandoori masala.
4) Let the chicken marinate for around 1-2 hours.Pour 3 tsp of oil on the top of it..(by this time...the masala would have gone in).
5)preheat the oven,Place the chicken in the grill at 450f ,cook until it becomes soft and tender(around 25 minutes).Squeeze lemon juice on the top of it..Serve with onions.

Chicken Curry

Ingredients:
Chicken 150-200 gm
Red onion (chopped) ½ cup
Tomatoes (chopped) 2
Chili powder 1 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 2 tsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
pepper powder 1 1/2 tsp
salt to taste
coriander leaves
Curry leaves
To grind:
Small onions-1 cup(grind it separately)
Poppy seeds 1 tsp
Red chilies 5
Grated coconut 2 tsp
Coriander-cumin seeds 1 tsp
Whole garam masala 1 tsp (all together juz 1 tsp will do)
(fennelseeds+clove+cinnamon)
Method



1) Heat the pan, pour oil, roast all the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Roast the small onions, grind and make a paste and keep it separately
2) Take a deep and heavy pan to 2 tsp of oil ,add ½ tsp of fennel seeds, mustard seeds ,green chilli(optional),chopped onions ,ginger garlic paste and fry them till they are golden brown.

3) Add the masala paste, all the other powders listed, fry it properly and now add the chopped tomatoes, onion paste, and salt.

4) Fry it for around 10 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and mix it .just sprinkle some water (no need to add much water as chicken will cook with the water that comes out from it when it boils).close the pan with a lid, stir at regular intervals of time. let the chicken boil well. This might take around 10 or 15-20 minutes but not more than that.

Finally squeeze lemon juice and water.
Garnish coriander leaves.Chicken tr8!

Aviyal

You have very less quantity of all vegetables not able to which one to use even one as the key ingredient?
Go with this dish!!!Mild and tasty!This dish has itz roots from kerala....
Ingredients
1. Carrot 2
2. Yam ¾ cup
3. Raw banana 1
4. Green chilies 5-6 or even more
5. Cumin seeds 2 tsp
7. Grated coconut 4-5 tsp
8. Curd 1/2cup
9. Potato ¾ cup

Method:
1) Cut all the vegetables, boil it in water and add some salt to it…when it is boiling..
2) Grind coconut, green chilies, cumin seeds and curd together to make a paste
3)Add the grinded paste to the boiled vegetables, add very little water.. Let it boil for some time. Season it with mustard and curry leaves
Note: seasoning it with coconut oil will give a good flavor to your dish

Tindora Fry(Dry)

Tindora with tamarind was gr8!? Right... (Older posts) just a dry
Ingredients:
Tindora 1 cup
Red onion 1 chopped
Channa dal 1 tsp
Cumin seeds 1/2tsp
Urad dal 3 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Oil 2tsp
Red chillies 4
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Coriander –cumin powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Grated coconut 2 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:

1) Cut the tindora in to slices, add salt, water and boil it till it becomes tender
Drain out the water and keep aside

2) Heat the pan, add oil, channa dal, urad dhal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds let them pop out, add red chillis, onions and fry it till golden brown. Add a pinch of salt as we have already added for tindora.This is just for the onion mixture.

3) Now add chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander –cumin powder, salt and the boiled tindora…..Sauté it well…..fry it till you get a dry consistency!

Best medicinal herb ….now with u in two different forms!!

Rava Kesari

Ingredients:
Rava -1 cup
Sugar – 1/4 cup
Water – 3cups
Ghee -1/2 cup
Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
Cashew nuts, Raisins (fried) -1/2 cup
Method:
1) Roast the Rava in 2 tsp of Ghee of ghee for few minutes (it will turn slightly brown).
2) To 2 ½ c cups of water, add, Rava and stir continuously and also add liquefied ghee on the sides of the pan as and when Rava boils.
3) Turn off the flame when Kesari boils to a consistency that it becomes soft (it should not stick to the pan, add some more ghee as per your pref)
4) Add roasted Cashew nuts, raisins and also Cardamom powder.
5) Transfer the Kesari to ghee/butter greased plate.
Note: You can add saffron and color to your Kesari as an added flavor

D(h)al Recipe

A simple Dhal Recipe... The fastest...easiest....tastiest........Always @ my house when I feel lazy to spend more time in cooking.




Ingredients:

channa/toor /Mysore Dhal 1 cup
Water 2 cups
Onions 1/2 cup
Green chilli 2
red chilli 3
Tumeric 3/4 tsp
Chilli powder a pinch(optional)
Pepper corns 1 tsp
Garlic 3 pods(chopped)
Cumin seeds 2 tsp
Coriander powder 3/4 tsp
Tomato 1/2
Asafotida Powder 3/4 tsp
Curry leaves 1 spring
Coriander to garnish
Salt to taste


Method:

1)Wash the dhal,pressure cook the dhal with 2 -2 1/2 cups of water,a pinch of jeera,green chilli&allow it to cool.
2)Heat the pan,add 2 tsp of Ghee/oil ,add mustard seeds,cumin,peppercorns,red chilli,onions,garlic pods,coriander powder,curry leaves,tomato,asafotida powder,turmeric powder,a pinch of chilli powder and fry them.Add cooked dhal to this mixture .
3)Add little water and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve Hot...


Note: If you want,you can also Add 3 spns of tamarind juice,2 tsp of grated coconut.U ll get a spl flavor in ur usual Dhal curry.

Best with Rice served with pappad&dry &deep fried Yoghurt chilli.

Tomato Rice

This is one amongst my fav food! This is how I do tomato rice with spices...I love the regular one too. I enjoy when I cook with lot of tomatoes.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes 5
Tomato puree 5 tsp
Briyani leaf 2
Meal maker(optional)10-15
Red Onions 1
Green chilly(vertically sliced) 5-as per ur pref
Fennel seeds 2 tsp
clove 2
cardamom (optional if u don like the taste ) 2
cinnamon stick (medium size) 1
kas kas 3/4 tsp
ginger -garlic paste 1/2 tsp
chilli powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 3/4 tsp
oil
curry leaves
coriander leaves
salt to taste.
Method:
1)Wash the rice, pour 3/4 tsp of oil. Add rice, meal maker, bay leaf and cook(usually 1 cup rice- 2 (or)2 3/4 cup water. This would take nearly 15-20 minutes in a rice cooker.
2) Grate the following items in a blender
(5 tomatoes,1/2 onion,1 tsp fennel seeds,2 cloves, cinnamon stick, green chilli, kaskas)
3)Heat the pan, pour oil ,add 1 tsp mustard seeds ,let it splutter, add curry leaves, fennel seeds,cardomom ,channa dhal, remaining cut onions, ginger garlic paste.fry properly till onion turn golden brown.

4) Now add the grinded masala, tomato puree, chili powder , turmeric powder and little water to it...

5)Let this boil till you get a gravy consistency.
6) Now add gravy to the boiled rice and mix it.

Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with chutney, pappad

Rasamalai

RASAMALAI!!! One amongst my most fav milk sweets..whenever I go to any restaurant, I will first check for the dessert list in the menu card to make sure rasamalai is over there…most of us like the sweets made with fresh paneer(rasamalai,rasagulla,kalakand )….We shall try this.,…

TThe mix for such sweets is readily available at shop…….We could either get this mix,

Make small patties with milk and mix(basically milk powder) -->boil it in sugar syrup -->then soak in milk syrup .This is one way!

Another way,

Milk-->soft paneer---->knead the dough make patties-->prepare sugar syrup -->boil the patties in syrup --->prepare milk syrup with badam powder and sugar -->soak patties garnish with cashews, almond, pistachios.

Will go through the second process now!!!!

First let we be clear in what we use.

Fresh paneer:

Whole Milk 1 litre

Lime juice/Vinegar (to squeeze it in the boiling milk)

Muslin cloth/cheese cloth 1

Syrup (to boil the Patties)

Sugar 1 /2cup

Water 4 cups

Cardamom pods ½ tsp

Malai (Milk Syrup)

Whole milk 1/4litre

Sugar 1/2 cup

Grinded cashew/almond paste ¾ cup (or) as an alternative you can use even badam drink mix.

Garnishing

Nuts and saffron

Method:

Fresh paneer:

1) Take a deep pan, boil milk in low-medium flame .let it boil well...slightly reduce the heat and add vinegar or lemon juice (around 3 -4 tsp) and whisk it slightly.

2) Adding citric acid will make the milk to curdle and float on the to separate them out ,take a muslin cloth drain excess milk from this fresh paneer(It might take from 40 min -50 min),knead this to get a dough consistency and now make small round patties (here I lost my patience in making flat and round ones….I started making different shapes tooJ)

Syrup (to boil the Patties)-do it in medium flame

3) Take another Pan; boil the water with sugar and cardamom powder

4) Put patties, let it boil till it becomes big and soft enough.(remember to close the pan with lid when it is boiling)

Malai (Milk Syrup)

5) Boil Milk with sugar, cashew/almond paste, saffron.(or)just boil the milk with the badam feast mix you have….

6) Transfer the drained patties in to the milk syrup bowl, garnish with nuts

Refrigerate and serve Cold!!

Thakkali(Tomato) Rasam

Typical south Indian Soup!!!!!!
right?

freshly prepared with spices...

Ingredients:

Tomato 3
Tamarind less than lemon size
Small Onions 2
Green chilli 1
Curry leaves 2 sprig
Chilli powder 1 tsp
Garlic 3 pods
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida powder 3/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves to garnish
Method:
1)Soak very little amount of tamarind in water
2)Cut the tomatoes,boil it in water for few min and let it cool.
3)Now mix the tomatoes and the tamarind extract(taste and check for the sourness)& add salt too
4)Heat the pan,pour oil/ghee ,add cut onions,green chilli ,curry leaves,fry it and then add tomato extract to it.
2)Pour some water(if needed).now add all the powders except asafoetida powder.
3)Smash the garlic and add to the rasam,now add asafoetida powder.
4)Finally the coriander leaves.
Note:
Freshly grinded combination of cumin seeds,coriander,pepper,garlic ,asafoetida,curry leaves will add very good taste your rasam.

Serve hot with rice.

Bread Bajii

Bread Bajii-A solid Snack with Tea... ultimate taste....itz not the method we cook... Who ever makes this..itz going b yummy. our part is juz dip and fry... the flour and bread with oil...make an excellent yummy combination...

ALL U need is
Sojii flour 1 cup
chilli powder 1 tsp
cumin seeds(optional) 1tsp
Hing powder 1 /2 tsp
Salt to taste
Soda oil

Method:
1) Pour oil in a deep frying pan Let the oil heat up..

2)Add Chilli powder,cumin seeds,Hing powder salt ,soda to flour,mix it well without leaving any balls..whisk it once..so that u get a even batter.

3)cut the bread in any shape u like,dip it in batter fry in the oil.


Here u go......A sweet an salty snack!!! Best with coconut chutney /sauce

Beetroot Thovaiyal

Beetroot- a beet grown for its edible red root.....
This Solid vegetable has
The capacity to Lower blood pressure
Normalize cell respiration
0% fat
high source of fibre...........

shall we include this vegetable in our cooking menu...?????????
WE SHOULD!!!
Ingredients:

To grind:
Beetroot(Grated) 1 cup
Red chilli 5
Toor Dhal 3-4 tsp
Channa dhal 2 tsp
Red onions 1/2 cup
Tomatoes 2(medium size)
Salt to taste.
Seasoning:
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Oil 1 tsp

Method:
1)Heat the pan, to 2 tsp of oil,add all the grinding ingredients and fry them for5 -10 min.allow it to cool for few minutes.
2)Then transfer the contents to the blender and grind to get a fine paste.
3)Season it with mustard seeds &curry leaves.
4)Serve with Rice/Idly/Dosa.

Rich in calcium

VennPongal

One of the "for sure" dish in any function and festivals esp Thai pongal( ref as harvesting festival in tamil nadu).The dish is perfect when it is "Not pressure cooked/not boiled in pans.
My granny has a spl pots...black pot with deep & heavy bottom which adds spl flavors to all the dishes she cooks in that pot.Over here....i dont have neither a pot nor a heavy pan.So I used this pressure cooking Style!
any way...let us start with it..

Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup(slightlyroasted)
Moong dha( slightlyroasted)l 1/2 cup
Ghee 4 tsp
Ginger(chopped) 1 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Pepper corns 1 tsp
Cashew nut(roasted in ghee) 1/4 cup
Asafotedia powder(hing) 3/4 tsp
Water:
This is the main source which gives the consistency you wish..".Grainy" consistency wont go good with pongal.So pour more water!!
If you juz pressure cook Moongdhal and Rice-quantity of water used for this dish should be slightly more tgan normal 1:2 1/2
If you happen to boil it in a deep pan then for 2 cups , pour 6 -7 cups of water

Method:
1)Wash the slightly roasted Rice and Dhal.

2)Take the pressure cooker,heat it,pour Ghee add cumin seeds,peppercorns,roast them for few seconds.

3)Now add Rice and Dhal to it, pour 4-4 1/2 cups of water,salt to taste and leave it for 4 whistles.

4)Take another small pan,heat ghee add ,curry leaves,chopped ginger,hing powder.

5)Now add to the roasted cashews and the fried spices to the cooked rice-dhal mixture.

Venn pongal is ready to be served with Chutney.