Wednesday 28 November 2012

Beetroot Cutlet



This is a semi sweet and yummy cutlet. All the members in my family like this very much. My son also who does not like to eat vegetables or beetroot if given in a curry form tastes this without any complaint. So I guess surely this can become a hit in ur house too. :)

Ingredients required are

Beetroot grated -2 nos
Mashed aloo -2 nos
Onion chopped- 1 medium
Curry leaves, Ginger and gharam masala as required.
Can also add other ingredients according to your taste .

To enhance the taste I have added Mayonnise to this .can add butter or cheese instead

Mix everything together, roll on a batter of egg white or Maida, roll on bread crumps and deep fry. Enjoy with ketchup/sauce.

Spinach egg

This is a High protein dish with a different taste. A blend of chinese flavour is given to spinach and added boiled egg on top of it. Very easy to make recipe with minimum ingredients.




Ingredients required are

Egg boiled -2-4
spinach -1 bunch
Onion -1 
capsicum -1
garlic -5-6 cloves
ginger -1/2 inch chopped
Pepper and crushed pepper corns -as required

Cube the onion, capsicum and garlic. in a kadai heat some oil and add the chopped spinach leaves, few garlic and ginger cubes. Sprinkle some pepper powder. Allow the water coming out of the leaves to evaporate and make it dry .( Remember we have not added the salt to it).
In another pan heat some oil and saute the onion, garlic, ginger and capsicum (at last).  Now add the following sauces

Soya sauce -1 tspn
Chillic sauce (green chilli) -1 tspn
tomato ketchup -1 & 1/2 tsp
Mix well till raw smell is gone.

Finally add the cooked spinach and mix well. Sprinkle some pepper powder or crushed pepper on top if u want it to be a little more spicy. The sauces give the required saltiness to the dish. If you feel like adding a little more of salt then can just sprinkle some salt on to it. Now add the boiled eggs, scourged on sides on top of it. simmer the flame. Cover and keep it for few seconds till the flavour blends well with the egg. Enjoy with White rice.


Monday 26 November 2012

Chena ( elephant yam) masala fry

We can use elephant Yam ( Chena in malayalam) for makign a variety of curries. This one is a different yet simple recipe that kids love too much. 

Ingredients

Elephant yam - 1 medium cut into small strips
Masalas required are
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Red chilli powder -1/2 - 3/4 tspn
Veg masala -1/4 tspn If you dont have veg/sabji masala u can add gharam masala or chicken masala too

Marinate the whole together with salt and leave for few minutes. If u see the water left out from the yam after marination throw it off as it will be a bit sticky. Fry the dry pieces in oil and serve with Rice or can have as a snack with sauce/ketchup

Dry nuts Upma

Most of us do not like to have upma . This is surely a relief for them
 
Just try this different and yet tastier version of our normal (boring) and common preparation.


Ingredients required


Bansi Rava - 1 &1/2 cup
Water - 3 cups
Onion chopped- 1 medium
Green chillies ( chopped) 2 nos
Salt and oil - as required
Curry leaves - few
ghee- 1tspn
Nuts/ dry fruits -as per your taste

I have used peanuts, cashew nuts, raisins for this. you can add other dry fruits also as per your taste

Heat oil in a kadai, crack mustard seeds, saute onion, green chillies, curry leaves, Add water and allow to boil. Add salt to this. Once bubbles are formed add Rava and stir on low flame till powdery.

Heat some ghee in a tadka pan and saute the dry fruits and nuts one by one. Garnish this on top of upma. Mix well while serving. SERVE HOT WITH FRIED PAPAD as it tastes even better with papad.
Can also prepare the upma in ghee for better taste or even drizzle a tspn of hot ghee on top while serving for excellent taste.

Friday 23 November 2012

Yummilicious Choco-Nut Dosa

Yummy and Delicious choco-nut Dosa
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This crispy Dosa with chocolate melted in hot ghee is dedicated to all kids and all those who love to dig in Chocolates.

Very easy to make and yummilicous dosa for kids. I got surprised to see my son finishing and wiping off his plate very fast in few minutes. thats Really a satisfactory moment for any mom in this world. :D


The ingredients required are just three. 1) Dosa batter and 2) chocolate bars (either cooking chocolate /hazelnut choco bars that are available in various brands) and 3) few chopped nuts and badam (or can grate it too for better taste)


Pour out a laddle of batter on medium heat Tawa. Spread it to a thin dosa. Slowly increase the flame and drizzle drops of ghee on sides and center. Tilt the pan so that the ghee evenly spreads everywhere.



Now grate the chocolate on top of dosa. Immediately it starts melting on hot ghee. Spread the chopped or grated nuts.  Wait till sides get crispier. Can adjust the flame high/low accordingly. Slowly detach the sides of the dosa from pan and Roll on.


This is medium sweet in taste and the hot flavour of chocolate plus the yummy taste of ghee gives it a superb taste. This Dosa doesnt require any side dish also. You can have as such.Try this at home and  Enjoy :)


Thursday 22 November 2012

Rich chocolate moist wheat cake with dates and almond filling.

Just tried this recipe out of my own imaginative recipe and added the ingredients that I liked to bake this cake. Was doubtful till the cake was fully baked about how it will come out. But to my surprise it came out nice and yumm. Thanks to God  for that :D



After Baking. I hope you can see the dates bits


With rich cream chocolate icing and cherry and cashew nuts decorated on top
Well Now here is the recipe how I made this

Wheat flour ( Mixed grains atta) - 1 & 1/2 cup

Sugar powdered - 1 cup
Milk - 1 +  1/2 cup
Cooking chocolate - 100 gms
Butter- 100 gms
Egg -1  full (including white and yellow)
Thick curd or yoghurt - 3/4 cup
Coffee powder -1 tspn
Hot/boiled water- 1 cup
Dates- 10 nos chopped thin
Almonds -chopped to bits -2 tspn
oil -2 tbpn
baking powder-1/2 tspn
Baking soda- 1/2 tspn

1) Seive the flour, baking powder and baking soda.

2) In another vessel mix butter ( room temperature) with powdered sugar. Beat till fluffy. Add one egg and continue beating.
3) In a pan boil  1 cup milk , add the cooking chocolate into it and dissolve completely by mixing.
4) Add 1 tspn coffee powder to the boiled water (1 cup) and allow it to rest till the coffee dissolves in.Once it is thick black strain and keep the coffee decotion aside.
5) Using another half cup milk grind the dates bits in a mixer.
6) When all these come to room temperature mix everything together one by one.
7) Finally add the curd.
8) Fold in the dry mixture ( flour+baking powder+ baking soda) to the wet mix. Beat everything thoroughly till no lumps are formed
9) Add 2 tbsp of oil atlast just before pouring in to the tray
10) Grease a baking tray with oil and pour in the batter
Bake in a preheated oven @ 200 deg C for 25-30 minutes ( Time can be adjusted according to you oven settings or bake till the skewer inserted in the cake comes out clean )

Allow it to cook and use the icing of your choice to decorate.


Aloo Parwal dry Masala.


Dedicate to my husband ..who loves aloo-parwal combo


Aloo - 2nos
Parwal - 4-5
tomato -1 medium
Onion -1 big
Garlic-5 cloves
Curry leaves -few

Turmeric powder -1/2 tspn
Red chilli powder -1 tspn
Vegetable masala (Sabji masala) - 1 tspn ( can use chicken masala also instead)
Salt and oil as required

Cut the vegetables to cubes. Boil Aloo and parwal together with turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Cook till half done. But water should be completely evaporated. (adjust the water accordingly).

In a kadai heat some oil, crack mustard seeds, Add chopped onions, garlic,curry leaves, saute till transluscent, add chopped tomatos, . Sprinkle some salt for easy cooking. Now add the vegetable masal and saute till raw smell is gone. Mix cooked Aloo-parwal along with this and remaining cooking of aloo parwal is done in oil. Drizzle few drops of oil on top of sabji and cook on low fire , sauting in between till it is completely done.

Kaalan ( Yam in thick yoghurt curry)

This is yet another delicacy of Kerala Cuisine and is an important item in Kerala Sadhya.

Yam - 200 gms cut into cubes
Pepper powder -1 tspn
Turmeric powder -1/2 tspn
salt as required

Pressure cook Yam with pepper powder, salt and turmeric powder for 2-3 whistles. (can mash it if the curry need to be more thicker or can use it in cube form itself).




Meantime grind to a smooth paste

grated coconut -1 cup
Jeera-1/2 tspn
Pepper corns -1/2 tspn
turmeric powder -1/2 tspn
Curry leaves -few
Small onion/shallots -2-3
garlic -2-3 (can avoid also)

Make a cup of thick yoghurt (can use the strained yoghurt made at home or the readymade thicker one also). beat it without lumps.

To the cooked yam add the grinded coconut mix and heat in slow fire till bubbles start coming. stir it. the curry shouldnt boil too much but at the same time the raw smell of the ground mix should go off. so you can keep on stirring for few more seconds.

Switch off the burner now and when it is not too hot but still warm add the beaten curd. Mix well and adjust the salt level now.
( pls remember NOT to add the cur while the curry is too hot as this will loosen the consistency)
Now season with mustard, dry chillies, curry leaves and 2-3 shallots deep fried in oil. Please take care not to mix this immediately . Just pour it on top of the curry and mix it only while you serve. this enhances the taste of the curry more.
Serve with rice.

Aloo-Phool gobhi pepper fry ( Potato and Cauliflowr pepper fry)

As the name indicates the major ingredients are Potato and Cauliflower. Very easy to make, less spicy and tastier side dish for Rice. This is relished so much in our home and my family demands making this more often than the usual manchurian or masala curry with cauliflower.

Gobhi - 1 medium sized 
Detach the florets from the flower ( make it to small florets) . Boil in hot water with salt added for 10 minutes. S

train and keep it aside.

Potato - 2nos
Onion chopped - 1 big
green chilli -3-4
Crushed pepper - 1 to 1 & 1/2 tspn
Salt - as required
Oil as required

In a kadai heat oil, crack mustard seeds, and fry onion , followed by chopped potato,Add salt . when potatos are half done add the cooked gobhi florets and slit green chillies. saute till all are cooked very well and a nice aroma comes. Add crushed pepper now. Mix well and keep on low fire for some more time. Serve with rice. 

Malai moong - Sprouted Moong beans (green gram) in malai gravy

A very tasty and yummy side dish for Rotis, Naans and parathas. Excellent in taste and yet easy to make. 




Moong beans/green gram - 1 cup
Soak the beans in some water and allow it to sprout.

Pressue cook the beans with salt and the following ingredients for 3-4 whistles.

Ginger -1 inch -chopped thin
Garlic -10 -15 cloves chopped ( have used too much of garlic for this to give a special flavour).
Onion - medium sized 1 no.chopped.

For the gravy:

In a kadai heat some oil,  Crack mustard seeds followed by saunf (perumjeerakam).
Add 1 onion chopped to this and saute till golden brown
Add few curry leaves. Now add the masalas required one by one

Turmeric powder -1 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1/2- 3/4 tspn (depending on your taste for spiciness
Coriander powder - 2-3 tspn

Saute the masalas in the oil along with onion till raw smell is gone. Add  the Vegetable masala towards the end (can also use Chicken masala or home made gharam masala also). Saute till the masala powders change the colour ( but shouldnt charr).

Mix the cooked moong beans in this masala. Saute well and add the required amount of water sufficient for a thick gravy. Allow it to boil .And Finally add fresh cream ( I have used Amul Fresh cream) 100 gms. Mix and boil till first bubbles. Mix well cover and allow to rest. Serve after few minutes. Enjoy the taste. :)