Beet Soup

And it is winter time....so a simple soup recipe. You could do the same soup with Cauliflower instead of beet. Most of you might be making it already, for the rest of them, click here for detailed pictures... Beet Soup

Wishing you all a wonderful year ahead...see U next year!

Spicy porial - Cauliflower + Potato + Capsicum

After a long break, here is one of my favorite easy recipe.. Capsicum Cauliflower Potato Poriyal
It is similar to the potato porial that most of you make, just that it is little wet as Capsicum and Cauliflower waters. May be in India, it will be dry just like the other porials. Here are my favorite combos...

* Oats + curd + this porial
* Roti + raita/curd + this porial
* Bread + this porial - in Sandwich maker.

Hope you all had a great Thanks Giving weekend. Have a good week.

Curry leaves chutney - simple recipe...

Atlast got time for a simple and healthy one. You can get lots of curry leaves from Chinese stores like Ranch 99. Try this one..... Curry Leaves Chutney

Brinjal Pachadi (a thicker version of saambaar!)

One of our favorite lunch box item! It's not raita, not sure why they named it pachadi.....basically it is a little thicker version of Saambaar. Ideal for 2 people, doesn't overflow like saambaar. Make sure you don't over cook the dhaal, so better to open boil after soaking it for few hours.

Brinjal Pachadi

Have a good week......would like to see you more often but tamil Teacher is busy!

Curd Semia

Not a great picture, but a great recipe. This recipe is of the kind....Raja likes it, so most people in the world will like it! Most of the time I make this when I host dinner, that too when I make tiffin items, it goes well rather than rice. It is almost same as curd rice, so you can top it with whatever U like, for eg: peanuts, grapes, cilantro, etc. It consumes lot of curd/yoghurt. Detailed pictures... Curd Semia

Easy saambar...(made out of Powdered Dhaal)

Easy saambaar recipe...goes well only with Idlis and Dosas. Normally I make the powder just before making the saambaar. But you can make it few days before too. Then it is a really quick recipe. I enjoy it when it is hot. Dhal Powder Saambar

Kothavarangai Usili!

In summer, when you get Kothavarangai(guvar/guar/cluster beans), you could make this. Alternatively, you could use beans too. It's yummy with curd rice, one of my favorite recipes. Usili

Avial

Have you had "fire" category in Thai Restaurant? I haven't had it, but my avial turned out to be like that. So watch out for the green chillies you use. The more thinner it is the more spicier it is. Finally we had to end our meal with the Thai hard candy (the tamarind one!). You could add more veggies to it...like potato or plantain, brinjal, raw mango, drumstick, etc. I just made with what I had. Here are the detailed pictures....

Avial

Thai food reminds me of basil, yesterday a friend of mine mentioned she tried basil leaves in Tofu masala and I was really tempted to try it. So got the plant from Trader Joes and planted it today! I like the basil flavor, goes well in Fried Rice, Briyani, masala veggies, etc. Try it out when you get a chance. Have a great week!

Vaazhaippu Vadai

An authentic, time consuming recipe! I try to make it once a year. It is made out of banana flower/plantain flower which is available in Indian and Chinese stores. Goes well with curd rice. Here are the detailed pictures...

Vaazhaipu Vadas

And here is how the full flower looks like...

http://www.recipetips.com/glossary-term/t--36230/banana-flower.asp

We had an extremely fun-filled weekend. Got to see Sania Mirza in the Bank of the West US Open Series Finals that happened in Stanford this afternoon. Doubles match was the most exciting one and she won it along with Peer. Hope you all had a great weekend too and have a wonderful week ahead!

Easy Sweet recipe (Sweet Pongal)!

An easy recipe....
* Cook 2 cups rice and half cup dhaal, if you want U can cook it really well by adding more water.
* Melt jaggery 2.5 cups with 1.5 cups water and let it cool. (this is for 2 cups rice and half cup moong dhaal)
* Add 8 spoons ghee to tava, fry some cashews, add elachi powder and turn the stove off.
* Add the jaggery water(leave the last few drops as it might contain dust) and cooked rice, dhaal. You can mash the rice before adding it, if you like that way. Turn on the stove and stir well for 5mins.
* Add few spoons coconut and turn it off and serve hot!

More pictures..... Sweet Pongal

Veggie Kurma

You may want to make this when 4 or more people are there. Veggies add together and turns out to be a lot. I like this with Adai, Rotis, Idlis and Dosas. Not great for Pooris, as both taste oily. Try adding some milk, so it retains some bright color. I used fat free milk as coconut itself has lot of fat in it! (3/4th cup - fat free milk)

Veggie Kurma

You all have a wonderful week ahead! See U next week.

Spicy Apple Thokku

Spicy Apple Thokku ...a great spread for bread, I spread 'Light Believe it or Not' Butter on one side and this thokku on the other side....it tastes yummy! Apples I used are from Arun's backyard. You could try using the Green Apples (Grany Smith brand).

Apple Thokku

Enjoy the rest of the week.

"More Kulambu!" (South Indian Kadi)

One of my favorite recipes...

Morekulambu

Hope most of you are enjoying the Jul.4th holiday. Enjoy the rest of the week!

Altast Sweets - Cashew/Almond

Interesting fact about this week's recipe is that I had to name it after an hour of making it! Above is the cashew burfi that I made last week and it came out ok for the first time. This week started with Almond Halwa...hmmm...after few mins it became Milk Halwa...hmmm....finally converted it to Almond Puttu! Overcooked, so make sure you take it when it comes to the middle, leaving from the sides and half solid. Anyways it was fun making it, though I din't eat it. My dear says taste is good, so taking it to work tomorrow.

Sweet Cashew Almond

Have a great week and I am all excited this week as we plan to go for camping.

Saambaar for Idli/dosas

The so called Nandhini Saambaar/Annapoorna Saambaar is here! If you prefer small onions, you could try using that as well. Goes well with Mini Idlis, Idlis, Dosas. Quantity will be a lot for 2 people so make it when U have more people! Here are the detailed pictures.

Saambar

Healthier way to make an Unhealthy recipe!

For those of you who make pooris,

After few years, yesterday I was using 'Sujata' brand Atta from Indian store to make pooris and you won't believe how much oily it was. As always I made the dough just before making the pooris and with less water too! I would recommend whole wheat flour from Wal-mart or Trader Joes. Letchu used to comment that my pooris are good with less oil, I din't realize it as I don't remember having pooris outside in the recent years and until I made the Indian store one yesterday!

Trader Joes pack says 'Traditional Whole Wheat Flour'
Wal-mart pack says something like 100% whole wheat flour and the brand name begins with M (montana or so).

For Pooris: Use the TJ or Wal-mart flour
For Rotis : I mix 1 cup Indian atta with 1 cup TJ or Wal-mart flour.

For those of U who make idlis, try 'Pooja' Brand urad from Bharat Bazaar.

And this week's recipe is a bit delayed, watch out for yet another all time hit recipe tonight. Thanks to Nandhini....it is a very good one...lot of names for it...araicha saambaar/ Annapoorna Saambaar/Nandhini Saambaar!

Have a great week.

Tofu Pakoda

A deep fry recipe...quick recipe..

Make sure U leave the tofu bar in a slanting cutting board, so the water is almost out. I used one bar from the Twin-pack Oraganic Extra Firm Tofu from Trader Joes. Serves 4 people.

Recipe:
1. Mix all these together....half bar tofu, 6 spoons besan flour, 2 spoons rice flour, chilli powder, salt, grated ginger, fine chopped cilantro, curry leaves, onions.
2. Deep fry the pakodas. Serve hot! It is crispy outside and soft inside.

Here are the detailed pictures.

Pakkoda

Have a good week!

Taro masiyal (seppang-kizhangu!)

One of my favorite food! This is made out of taro root which U get in almost all stores...American, Indian and Chinese stores. Tastes yummy with ghee rice and curd rice.

Masiyal

Hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend and happy that work week is going to be short! Have a great week.

Easy Channa recipe and tough murrukku recipe!

After so many years, atlast I got a taste for Channa and here is the easy recipe for the busy moms! I would say this as South Indian Channa as I like the taste of the gravy with saambaar powder and chilli powder. Here are the detailed pictures...
Channa Masala
Only if U have passion, patience and time, you may want to try the below recipe, but no harm taking a look at the pictures!
Murukku

Have a great week......

Curry leaves kulambu

Before I start with the recipe......Good or bad, I have to admit that I am the photographer for 99.9% of my blog pictures! This morning I took them in a hurry, so bear with me.

Most of you might be making this recipe already, so for the others.....
I know in some places it is hard to get curry leaves, but if you have a Chinese store or Indian store, you will get it. Curry leaves is suppose to be good for our hair, but with this recipe not sure how much nutrients is exhausted! Here are the pictures...

Curry Leaves Kulambu

Recipe:

1. Take one bowl of curry leaves and wash well.
2. Soak little tamarind, chop onion, garlic.
3. Add curry leaves, 1 red chilli, 1 spoon salt, little jeera, pepper and grind in mixie with water.
4. Add oil to tava, then add mustard and jeera
5. Add onion and garlic and fry for sometime.
6. Then add the ground paste and tamarind water.
7. Boil well and serve with idlis/dosas/rice.

Hope you enjoy, have a great week!

Mushroom-Tofu Masala

Tastier way to eat mushroom and Tofu...I know most people eat for the sake of it being healthy. I guess this one will be close to any spicy porial you make. Since I made it for a get-together, the quantity is high. You could use just one pack mushroon and half bar Tofu.

Here are the detailed pictures...

Mushroom Masala

Recipe:

1. Wash mushroom well and chop into small cubes
2. Strain the water from the tofu bar
3. Chop onion, tomato
4. Add oil to tava, then season with mustard, urad and big jeera.
5. Add onion, fry for sometime and then add tomato and fry for few minutes.
6. Add turmeric, chilli powder and saambaar powder.
7. Add the chopped mushrooms, cook well, add salt.
8. Saute tofu cubes in one spoon oil in a separate pan
9. Add it to the mushroom fry.
10. Turn off and garnish with Cilantro.

I used 'Extra Firm Organic Tofu - Twin pack' from Trader Joes.
Enzzzzzoy and have a great week!

Bhel Puri or Salad Puri!

Bhel Puri

My favorite food since college days. Still remember the days we used to try in so many chat corners in Madras and even some places in US. Finally I am making it for the past year or so......and seems to be my favorite recipe now! Requires lot of prep work but very minimal on the stove. U may want to make this only if there are atleast 8 people.

And I cannot call it a Bhel puri as I have some people close me who hate it! (so the alternate name - salad puri)

Have a good week!

Carrot Rice

In case U are looking for a way to use lot of carrots, then this is the recipe! I use about 1 bowl of shredded uncooked carrot for 1 bowl of cooked rice. So that is a lot of carrots.

Recipe...

1. Soak 1 cup basmathi rice for an hr and cook it separately.

2. Peel and grate 7 or 8 big carrot(12 small carrots).

3. Dry fry - 4 red chillies, little dhania, chana dhaal(kadalai parruppu) and jeera. Let it cool and grind into fine powder.

4. Chop half onion

5. Add oil to tava, then add mustard and urad dhaal.

6. Then add the onions, fry for 2 mins. Then add the powder and carrots.

7. Add half cup water and mix well. Close lid and cook for sometime.

8. Then add 1 spoon salt and cook for few mins.9. Once carrots are 3/4th cooked, then add the rice and mix well.

Server hot with raita or masala! And here are the detailed pictures...

Carrot Rice

Hope U enjoy.....have a great week.

Tomato Dosa

A quick recipe for US people...best part...you don't have to ferment it.

Source: Raji's mom!

You could add more tomatoes, I was running short, so used little. And also grapevine tomatoes will add more color, so try using them. In future, I will try to put the recipe steps here itself, so it will be easy to get it...instead of surfing thru the pictures to get it.

Tomato Dosa

Note: If U like more dosa taste, add just one spoon toor dhaal and then half cup urad dhaal.


Don't forget to smile! Have a great week.

Spicy Rasam

Know it is a simple recipe, but on request by my friend I am posting this....yet another all time hit recipe of mine.....and all the credits go to Raja's Anni - my teacher for this Rasam (the only kind I make - has garlic, tomato, dhaal, tamarind, etc). And this recipe reminds me of the way I made my first rasam a decade back....mmm...let's not think about it! She taught me 11 years back....wow...have been cooking so long and glad that still I have some interest in it.

Those who make good rasam already, can lift your collars now! One of my friend's dad said, 'One who makes good rasam, is a very good cook'. And here are the pictures...

Rasam

Have a great week....see U next week....

Veggie Uthappam

Simple recipe....but has equal veggies as the batter so less carb compared to our regular idlis and dosas. Detailed pictures..

Veggie Uthappam

Tip...

Today I messed up my rice cooker by letting pongal overflow and so the outside of the rice cooker turned yellow. I wiped it with wet towel and left the rice cooker in sun for half an hour and the yellow is gone! Same concept as our rugs.

Have a great week and enjoy cooking!

Peanut Salad

Yet another all time hit recipe! A colorful appetizer for the summer dinners. U could use either peanut or brown sundal or green moong dhaal with the same veggies. Do U think U can eat raw zuchini?...yes, U can...try this salad and let me know your comments. Here are the pictures...Peanut Salad

Saambaar Saadham

This is my all time hit recipe. Pictures are in the link below. Important tip...make this only if there are 6 people or more!

Recipe Source : My friend UB (Uma Bharathi) - UG classmate
Pros: Healthy, always a hit recipe, requires not much attention in the stove. Ideal Menu item for camping!
Cons: Doesn't suit for 2 people, requires lot of prep work...cutting, making powder. But worth the efforts.

Saambaar Saadham

Have a good week!

Green Chutney

Made this with mini puffs few days back and it was a good combo!

Green Chutney

Beet Rice!

Yet another healthy recipe....try making it spicy as Beet is kind of sweet. Other beet recipes you could try...beet soup, beet adai...make sure U add more chillies! Here are the pictures...

Beet rice

Hopefully this is the last recipe for this week..see U all next week...have a good week!

Asparagus Porial

Since this is the best season for Asparagus, I was tempted to try this porial. Below are the pictures in the link...

Tips
* Try making this only when U get tender Asparagus
* It goes well with spicy kulambu
* Try to cook until 3/4th done, before it turns pale green.

Asparagus Porial

What's good in this veggie....check this link....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asparagus#Nutrition

For Spinach kulambu...all I did was...made the kulambu first and before the last 5mins, I added the chopped spinach.

Healthy recipes....Spinach Raita, Dhaal for rotis...

Simplest recipe so far....Spinach Raita!


Spinach Raita

Yet another simple recipe....'Dhaal Makhini'...oops did I say that loud...my neighbourhood friend might kill me if she heard it! (Suppose to use - black urad dhaal and kidney bean) But I used masoor dhaal with skin, green moong dhaal and black eye bean. You can use the same recipe for black urad dhaal...but make sure you pressure cook directly without vessel and also for a longer time...it takes a while to cook.

What's healthy in this recipe...using dhaals with skin!


Healthy Dhaal

Red Capsicum + Dhaal Chutney!

This week's recipe....red capscium + dhaal + coconut chutney.

As our dietitian friend keeps saying red capsicum is more nutritious than green, trying out more recipes with the red ones. Below is the link to the pictures.

Oops...mine turned out little watery! Try making it thick and it tastes similar to the regular Dhaal Chutney.

Red Capsicum Chutney

Sundal Kulambu!

One of our favorite recipes....

Sundal Kulambu Kadalai Curry

Kuzhakattai!

Tips...
* Time consuming recipe...so do the stuffing ahead.
* Do not use the rice flour from Indian store..it will be sticky. Look for sevai podi, idiyappam flour..basically it should be a roasted rice flour.
* When making the balls, flattening the balls, etc...make sure you close the remaning dough...it will dry out soon!Poorana Kuzhakattai Salt And Sweet Dumplings

Kancheevaram Idli (Tumbler Idli!!)

K.Idli turned out well for a first timer. Exciting part...making in tumblers..Nandhini's mom's recipe...thanks!Kind of dry recipe, tastes like white rava.Made it with spicy Tomato chutney and y.moong dhaal liquidside dish(that I had for poori)...combo wasn't good.So it is better to...

Karthik's suggestion...top it with hot ghee

Sujatha's suggestion...For US lifestyle, better tohave it with ground Saambar (What we call it Nandhini saambar and Raja calls it Annapoorna saambaar!) orKaara kulambu (+ cocunut chutney)Kancheepuram Idli

Two Rice Items!

All Colors Capsicum Rice

Broccoli GreenCapsicum Fried Rice

Healthy Soup

It really fills you up like a meal...even thoughwe end up eating Dosa after that!

Soup

Recipe...
* For the base liquid, pressure cook, let it cool and then grind to fine paste - Red capsicum, carrot, little onion, tomatoes, small potato, 4 thai chillies (green, spicy), salt
* For the soup - chop into small squares whatever veggies U like in soup...I use - Tofu, carrot, celery, zuchini, cauliflower

Optional...

* Cook one handful pasta (macroni), add to it

* Soak one handful white sundal, kidney beans for 6hrs, pressure cook and add it to the soup.

1. In a pan, start adding the water from the boiledveggies, hard veggies that need to cook more time,then later the soft veggies.

2. Then add the ground paste, and other boiled stuff like pasta, sundal,kidney bean, etc.

3. Finally add one spoon ghee or butter

Add required salt in all of it and little pepper if you like it.

Enzzzoy!

My first post! - Mini puffs

The first recipe that made me start this blog.

Mini Puffs