Wishing all Happy New Year N Best of 2008

Now the time has come to say Bye Bye to 2008 and welcome the New Year with open arms.As the year was ending, i was thinking of writing something about my experiences during this year in the blogworld. I learned a lot (apart from cooking) during this 10 months of blogging. Initially i used to spend so much time browsing other blogs, bookmarking recipes, commenting.. that finally, i was asked by my hubby to take a break.I missed so many exciting events during that time..:( Nevermind.

Before marrige i wasn't much to cooking, just helping my mom sometimes, and when after marrige i had the kitchen of my own, i didn't knew what to do. So for anything to cook i browsed internet and tried the recipe. And then slowly i came across these wonderful blogs,all TRIED N TESTED, which made things easier. So i thought of collecting all my recipes at one place (and sharing them too),and then i came up with this blog ,my own set of fullproof recipes. And now there are so many recipes from other blogs too that are a regular in our menu.

I would like to thank all my blogger friends and readers, who helped me, commented and kept my spirit going. And thanks to Srivalli too, for hosting such a event "Best of 2008", so as to make me write my feelings.It was her blog only where i send my first entry to any event( MEC:Cakes)and she was so polite to reply to all my amateur queries. So this last entry too , goes to you Sri.

Tradional gravy recipes:


Dal Makhani
Mutter Paneer
Dum Aloo
Spicy Chole
Shahi gatta kadhi
Lauki(green gourd) kofta

Appetizers:

Spicy chilli paneer
Sooji Dhokla
Mini Samosas
Veggie Cutlets
Cabbage Rolls
Semolina pancakes

Some more:


Bakarwadi
Murukku
Khandavi
Mathri n nimki's
Burnt corn salad
Carrot salad

Wish you all a wonderful and joyous 2009. May you be blessed with health and happiness.

Posted by Neha 10 comments

Labels: miss.

Vermicelli kheer

Unlike most people, i don't like sweet much. And its quite evident from my blog too, i don't have much desserts or sweets :). May be that's the reason my sweets never turn up quite well..But this is the most simple and delicious sweet that i Do cook often. And the good thing is that you needn't be quite exact about measurements, can vary according to your taste, even when its already done.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli/seviya 1/2 cup
Milk 3 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Dry fruits (of your choice,cashew or raisins)
Cardamom powder 1 tsp
Ghee 1/2 tbsp

Method:

Take a pan, add ghee and fry vermicelli until golden brown.
Add 2 cups of milk and let the vermicelli cook, slowly adding remaining milk,let it simmer on medium heat until the milk starts to condense.
Add sugar and keep stirring on low heat.
Then add powdered cardamom. Fry the cashews and raisins in a separate pan with ghee until golden brown. Add to the above and stir well.
Serve hot or chilled, it tastes equally good.

Note: I do make this a bit thick, but normally it needs to be thin,with about 1 cup more milk into it

****************************************
Sending this to FIC :White , hosted at Kitchen Flavors ,initially started by TongueTicklers.
And also to Recipes for the rest of us:Desserts to Varsha intiated by ramki at One page cookbooks.
And to CFK: MILK products,

Posted by Neha 4 comments

Labels: sweets

Home made Puri's for pani puri

Here is a street food that is wildly popular all over India although it might be called by different names; gol-gappa in Northen India, puchka in Bengal, and pani-puri in Maharashtra. The mere name of it makes me drool. We are so fond of it, but after coming to singapore,we really miss it a lot. Though here too we get Pani puri in resturants, but the real fun is having them in (so called unhygenic) road side carts only.
We tried the Haldiram's and other brands ready packs for it. But the problem was ,the puri's were a bit small and limited and sometimes oil smelled too.
So i thought better to try making them at home, one day before and have a heartful,the next day. So, here goes the puri's.

Ingredients:

1 cup sooji (semolina)
1 tbsp maida
salt to taste

Method:

Take semolina, add salt to taste.
Add a little luke warm water(not much),maida and make a stiff dough
Knead the dough nicely for about 5 7 minutes,taking a few drops of oil in hand.
Let the dough stand for atleast 15 minutes.
Then roll the dough into very very thin sheets(as thin as possible) and cut into rounds with a cutter, or cap of any jars.
Lastly deep fry in low to medium flame.(do not hurry,else it wouldn't be crisp)
It puffs up nicely.
Let them cool fully and then can store in a airtight container.
Use them to serve pani poori.

1 cup sooji yielded about 50+ puri's for me. Mine all puri's puffed well, but wasn't as round as market ones, which is as i believe was because i had used blunt jar caps insted of a proper cutter. Though they nice to taste and very crisp to eat.
If some of your Puri's don't puff nicely, do not worry ,just make Papdi chat out of them and enjoy..

I'll post the recipe for pani ,its chutney as well as its stuffings soon.

UPDATE: Can check the whole spread here.

Posted by Neha 7 comments

Labels: appetizers, chaat, semolina

Dum Aloo

Nowadays its raining here always. Everyday i feel like eating something hot and spicy..hehe So while shopping vegetables in the Wet Market, when i saw these cute little potatoes i couldn't resist myself . And now, what could be better use of these cuties, then making spicy and flavourful Dum aloo or Aloo dum pukth.
This is one of the dishes ,that we often get to see in Indian resturants. The speciality of this recipe is all the spices that are added to it, along with our always beloved POTATO, which makes it a perfect family favourite.
Back in India, i use to make it using Dum aloo masala, but this time its without masala powder and its indeed better.

Ingredients:

Small potatoes 1/2 kg
Medium size onion (grated) 1
Fine yogurt (curd) 2 cup
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp.
Turmeric Powder 1/2 tsp.
Chilli powder 1 tsp.
Asafoetida a pinch
Bay Leaves 4-5
Milk 1/2 cup
Ghee/oil 4 tbsp.
1 tsp sugar
Salt to taste

Spices:
Coriander seeds 1 tbsp.
Cardamoms (brown) 4
Cloves 4-5
Black pepper 7-8
Cinnamon 1 small piece
Caraway seeds 1/4 tsp.
Cardamom (green) 2

For garnish:
Few coriander leaves
Green spring onion


Method:

Take all the spices and grind it in a blender to make fine powder.

Prick the potatoes all over with a fork and soak in the water with little salt for 2 hours.
Boil or microwave them till half done.
Peel the potatoes and dry them on a cloth. Then heat the ghee or oil.
Deep fry the potatoes, remove immediately. This is just to give them a crispy texture on the outside,it gets golden brown. Drain and set aside.

Add bay leaves, asafoetida, ginger-garlic paste, grated onion to the remaining oil. Fry till the paste becomes reddish brown and the mixture starts separating from the oil.
Add the garam masala prepared initially to this mixture and cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Fry it about a minute.
Now add milk to make the gravy. Then add yogurt (fine) and continuously stir it.
If you find the gravy too thick, you can add some water.
Finally add pricked fried potaoes to the gravy and pressure cook it(so as the masala seeps inside the potatoes). Switch off the gas after 4-5 minutes (before first whistle).

Decorate it with green coriander leaves and serve hot with parathas or rice ..

Note:
I did half boiled the potatoes ,so as there's no need to deep fry them for long. But in authentic recipe we do not boil, and directly deep fry the potatoes.

****************************
Sending this to RCI: Lucknow started by Lakshmi

Posted by Neha 16 comments

Labels: gravy, potato

Burnt Corn Salad

As soon as i saw this recipe in Mirch Masala, the same day i bought the bell peppers and tried it. This was really good, and its colourful looks makes it even more tempting. Although i made it afterwards also many times, but with whatever peppers i had...:) Its quite healthy and easy to make ,and also it was the second time i tried something Mexican (first was Taco's ) , and it was a huge success at my home. Now 'll try some more mexican dishes soon.

Ingredients:

Olive oil 5-6 tsp
Corn kernels 1 cup
Sliced onion 1
Chopped capsicum 2-3 tbsp
Chopped red bell pepper 1-2 tbsp
Chopped yellow bell pepper 1-2 tbsp
Slices tomato 1
Lemon juice 1 tsp
Degi mirch 1/4 tsp
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste


Method:

Heat oil in a pan, roast corn kernels in high flame & when done (turns soft and brownish spots appear )transfer them in a bowl.
Once again heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onion, green, red, yellow bell pepper & toss. Stir fry for few seconds.
Transfer this mixture in a bowl. Then add sliced tomato.

Dressing:
To prepare the dressing mix olive oil, lemon juice, degi mirch & sugar.
Transfer this mixture in a salad bowl. Add salt and mix.
Burnt corn salad is ready to serve.

*******************************
Sending this to SWC:Salads under 15 minutes.

Posted by Neha 14 comments

Labels: mexican, salad

Sooji Chilla ( semolina pancakes)

SOOJI CHILLA, I simply love to eat them. They are so easy to make and a nice change in the regular breakfast. The basic recipe i learned from mom. Its quite a filling breakfast , and can be made more healthier by adding as my veggies as you want , as per your taste. In this version i didn't added any veggie in the batter, but any chopped veggies can be added in the batter itself.

Ingredients:

For the batter:

1 cup Semolina (Rava)
4 tbsp yogurt (curd)
a pinch of sodium bicarbonate(khane ka soda)
salt to taste

For the topping:

1 small tomato,chopped
1 grated carrot
1 small onion, chopped
Green peas(optional)
grated cheese (optional)
coriander leaves

Oil to cook pancakes
Musturd seeds
Curry leaves

Method:

Mix yogurt, semolina, salt and beat well. Let it rest overnight(so curd gets a bit sour and semolina swells nicely) or atleast for 2 hours.
Just before making pancakes add soda.



Heat the wok.
Add about 1 tsp (or even less) oil, then add musturd seeds (few ) and curry leaves.
When the seeds splutter, pour about one big ladle of the batter at the center of the pan. Spread it a little bit.
Spread some onions ,tomatoes , carrots n green peas over the top.
Cover it and let it cook for a few minutes in low flame,or until the bottom of the pancake is light brown. Flip over and let the other side cook.
Garnish with coriander leaves and/or cheese.
Serve hot with ketchup and/or any other chutney.

Tips:

Don't spread the pancakes too much. While cooking covered ,they swell a bit, and are better enjoyed hard on crust and soft inside.
Can sprinkle some chat masala powder over it, to enhance its taste.

Posted by Neha 11 comments

Labels: breakfast n brunch, semolina

Green Peas Usal

After the SWC: Maharashtra roundup, i took a small break, as suggested by my hubby.. But though i was on a break, still i couldn't keep me away from the blogsphere. I didn't had any post published in my blog but browsing other blogs was goingon, as it is...hehe.And alongwith it trying out the recipes too.
So, from those tried recipes here comes Usal ,as contributed by EC of Simple Indian Food during SWC: Maharashtra . I did had dried green peas for a long time, but didn't knew exactly how to cook it. But after reading hers and others contributors recipe, realised that a lot a other dry beans or peas can also be used to make Usal on similar terms.

Ingredients:

Dried green peas 2 cups(soaked overnight)
1 tbsp oil
1 tbsp shredded dry coconut,
1 onion chopped
1 tsp cumin seeds and mustard seeds
4 green chilies,chopped finely
4-5 small garlic cloves,chopped
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
Tamarind ,small lemon sized soaked in water
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves finely chopped

Method:

Cook the green peas in pressure cooker till soft.
In a skillet, lightly roast dry coconut and cumin seeds.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds.
When they splutter, add asafoetida, turmeric powder and garlic and green chillies. Add onions pieces and fry till they look translucent
Then add tamarind juice, cooked peas ,coconut ,salt and all the other spices.
Add some water if required and cook for some time till you get a thick gravy.
Mix well and cook further for 5 minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rice or chapati.



Or,
you can have it as chat.
Spread out this gravy on a plate, add some sweet chutney and green chutney as per taste. Add lots of sev to it and finely garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve immediately .
*******************
Sending this to MLLA Seventh Helping at Cooking4allseasons.
And to Lentil mela at Ashwini's spicy cuisine

Posted by Neha 9 comments

Labels: gravy

Coming Soon...

Had quite a long long break. I do have a lot of recipes in drafts, but wasn't getting time to post them...
So, just have a glimpse to what coming's next..,
Soon i'll post the detailed recipe too.

Burnt Corn Salad


Palak paneer Kofta Curry


Green peas Usal


Rajma(kidney beans) Curry


Savein(Vermicilli) Kheer

and a lot more.......

Posted by Neha 3 comments

Labels: miss.

SWC Maharashtra Roundup

Now here comes the roundup of SWC: Maharashtra. Thank you all for participating in the event.
Here's a nice collection of marathi recipes, of which some i have already tried during this month. Some are authentic recipes from ours marathi bloggers, n others are very succesful attempt by bloggers all over to get to know the marathi dishes, and which ofcourse, is the motive behind having these events.I would really like to thanx lakshmi to start it for Singapore Women Community.

I did categorized the entries as Snacks/Appetizers, Chat Food ,Main course, Dry veggies, Curries, Drinks, Salads and Chutneys and lastly Sweets. So just Enjoy....

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Starters/Appetizers
*************************


Kanda Pohe by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen




Pohe by Anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Kanda pohe by Aditi of peepinmykitchen




Sabudana Vada (Sago fritters) by Sukanya Thalpati of Sukanya's Musings




Sabudana wadi by anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Sabudana vada by Sheetal sweety-mytchen




Kothimbir-vadi by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen




Alu wadi by anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Phodnichi Poli, queen of leftovers, by Sireesha of Mom's Recipies




Kanda bhaji by Priyanka of Asankhana




Bakarwadi by Neha of Tasty Recipes




Dhirdi by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen




Thali Peeth by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen




Thalipeeth by Hemali , a non blogger recipe at the end.




Thalipeeth by Sireesha of Mom's Recipes




Sabudana Thalipeeth by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen




Sabudana Khichdi by Deepthi Shankar of Vegetable Platter



**************************
CHAT FOOD
**************************

Sev Usal by EC of Simple Indian Food




Paav Bhaaji by Anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Batata Vada by Priyanka of Asankhana




Batata Vada by lakshmi of Cooking Station






Vada Pav by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen



**************************
MAIN COURSE
**************************

Bhakari by Anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Poli by Sowmya of Creative Saga




Puran poli by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen




Masale Bhat by Sheetal of sweety-mykitchen




Phodnicha bhaat by Nupur of Cinnamonhut



**************************
DRY VEGGIES
**************************


Vegetable Kolhapuri by Sireesha of Mom's recipies




Zunka by Anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Alloo Bhaji by Priyanka of Asan Khana




Batatyache Bharit by Sheetal by sweety-mykitchen




Vaangi bharit by Sheetal by sweety-mykitchen




Flowerchi Bhaji by Priyanka of Asan Khana




Bombai Gojju by Lakshmi of Cooking Station




Sorakkai curry (Dudhi Bhaaji) by Vani of Illatharasi




Cauliflower Bhaji by Neha of Tasty Recipes



******************************
CURRIES
******************************

Bharla Vaang by Sheetal by sweety-mykitchen




Usal by Usha of Veg Inspirations




Solkadhi by Sheetal by sweety-mykitchen




Maharashtrian Kadhi by Anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Kanda Batata Rasaa by Sheetal Sweety-mykitchen




Chakolya by Sheetal of Sweety-mykitchen




Katachi Aamati by Sireesha of Mom's recipies



****************************
DRINKS
****************************


Kairi panha by Sowmya of Creativesaga





Mattha by Neha of Tasty Recipes



*****************************
SALADS AND CHUTNEYS
*****************************

Gajarchi Koshmibri by Priyanka of Asan Khana




Doodhichi koshimbir by Sheetal of Sweety-mykitchen




Tomato Onion Koshimbir by Anupriya of myspace-mycreativity




Techa by Hemali, recipe at the end




Mirchicha Chatka by Priyanka of Asan Khana




Carrot salad by Neha of Tasty Recipes



*************************
SWEETS
*************************

Sheera by Sireesha of Mom's recipies



And here's Hemali's recipes,

Thalipeeth

Ingredients :
1 cup: Whole wheat flour (atta)
1 cup: Bajra flour
1/2 cup: Rice flour
1/2 cup: Besan
1/2 tsp: Chilli powder
1/2 tsp: Turmeric (haldi)
1 tsp: Cumin powder
1 tsp: Dhania powder
Oil as required
Salt to taste

Method :
Mix the flours and roast lightly in a pan or a griddle.
Add chilli powder, salt, haldi, dhania powder and jeera powder.
Knead to a firm dough with the water.
Roll into thin rotis and cook over a tawa (griddle), smearing oil on both sides, till crisp.

Thecha

Ingredients :
10-12 Green chillies
5-6 cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp roasted Peanuts
Salt
Oil

Method :
1) Remove the heads of chillies.
2) In a skillet, take 1/2 tsp Oil, and add chillies and garlic to it
3) Roast them uniformly on all sides till you see brown black spots over them
4) When done, pound these alongwith peanuts and salt as required using a mortar pestle (mixie will do, but mortar pestle works best)
5) Add a bit of oil while serving, and some salt(this will reduce the spiciness a bit).
6) Serve with bhakris!

Junka

Ingredients :
1/2 -3/4 cup gram flour
2 onions cut
5- 6 green chillies
Oil
Salt to taste

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard, jeera and green chillies and fry
Add cut onions, some water and cook the onions
Meanwhile mix gram flour in water and consistency should be that of buttermilk.
Add the above mix to the cooked onions, add salt.
Let boil for approximately 10 mins till desired consistency is reached and till raw taste of gram flour vanishes.
Serve hot with rotis/puris
Add more gram flour if desired consistency is not reached then and let boil.
-------------------

After this huge roundup (50+ entries), i would specially like to thank Sheetal for sending more than a dozen recipes, and making the event a success. Next month's theme is SWC: Karnataka, and is being hosted by Sheetal . Previous round ups of SWC can be seen here,

Kashmiri Cuisine
Punjabi Cuisine
Gujarati Cuisine
UttarPradesh Cuisine

Posted by Neha 21 comments

Labels: event