Pavakkai - Chick Peas Dhaal

Enjoyed this pavakkai recipe from an Aunt from India who visited us recently. More pictures...Pavakka Chick Peas Dhaal
Recipe:
* Soak handful chick peas overnight, pressure cook with handful of toor dhaal, half salt and turmeric.
* Chop into small cubes - pavakkai(bitter gourd) - add to little tamarind water, boil 2 mins and remove the water.
* Add oil to tava, add little seasoning with big jeera or small jeera, curry leaves.
* Add diced onions, tomatoes and then after few mins add the pavakkai, saute for few mins.
* Add sambaar powder, salt and tamarind water, boil for few mins.
* Add the cooked dhaal and chick peas and boil for few mins. Serve hot!
Was yummy with rice/dosas/idlis.

Sweet Mango Pickle

Though both of us not into pickles...this is one of my fav pickles. Pickle sounds like a herculean task, that was one reason I wanted to challenge myself to try it out. Then I realized it is not a big deal. This was very easy and all the ingredients are available in the US too :-) More pictures..SweetMangoPickle
Original Recipe:
* 8 cups - diced Mangoes (hard ripe..like we use for our salads), Salt - less than half cup
* Mix Mango and salt and soak it overnight
* Next day filter the water from it and save the water in fridge.
* Dry the mango in a foil sheet for 1 or 2 days. (preferably in Sun)
* Dry fry these and powder them : Jeera - 1/4 cup, Mustard - 1/4 cup, Methi seeds - 1 spoon
* Add  Chilli powder - 1/4 cup to the above powders.
* Add 3 cups water to 1.25cups grated Jaggery , melt and filter.
* Add jaggery water to salt water from fridge and boil for 5 minutes
* Add all powders to above water with no lumps and keep stirring
* Boil in another vessel : Idhayam oil - 3/4 cup and then add it to the above water.
* Boil for 5mins and then add mango and boil 2mins, then turn off.
* Close the container with cloth and let it soak and cool down.

Note: It takes 20+ days to fully soak, so U just stir in once in 3 days or so.
Keeping it in sun wasnt required. If U want, U can save it in fridge after a month or so.
I used 2 large Mexican Mangoes which was upto 5cups, so I reduced the other ingredients accordingly.
FYI, stove time is hardly 15minutes!

Onion Puffs

My better half's favorite childhood snack!!! Used the same spring roll sheet. Folding takes little time, otherwise the stuffing and frying is easy. More pictures..Onion Puffs

Recipe:
* Chop lots of onions..I used 4 medium sized (US size!)
* Add oil to tava and then add urad and mustard seeds
* Add the onions and saute for few mins,
* Add turmeric, chilli powder and very little sambar powder, salt.
* Cook for few mins and turn off, let it cool.
* Add it to the spring roll sheets and roll it to the shape U like
* Deep fry and serve hot.
FYI, you could try with your favorite stuffing.

Banana Bread

Have been baking this for a long time now, but havent posted it in my blog. So decided to do it now! Very easy recipe, only mixing part is ours, then it is baking on timer! You may want to try this recipe only when U have really ripe bananas!!!

Pan Cake mix (Bisquic or Trader Joes Multigrain Pancake mix) – 2.25 Cups
Sugar – half cup (I use turbinado raw sugar)
Banana – fully ripe – 3 (mashed into 1.5cups) - US size!!!!
Nuts sliced – half cup - I use Walnuts
Egg – 3 full
Vanilla essence – 1 spoon (Optional)
Oil – ¼ cup (any vegetable oil or Olive Oil)

* Mix oil, sugar, egg in a bowl and then add banana and flour. Mix well. ( I use hand blender )
* Finally add the nuts and mix well.
* Preheat oven in Bake - 350F
* Add the mixed batter in a greased oven safe container
* Bake for 40 to 45mins, by checking with a tooth pick to see if it is done.
* Yummy Banana Bread is ready to serve!!!!

Oats Tomato Dosa

One of the quickest dosa recipes...liked it with coconut chutney.
Recipe:
* 1 cup Oats, 1 roma tomato, 1 red chilli, little big jeera, salt.
* Grind all in mixie to fine or almost fine paste.
* Make dosas and serve hot!!!!!

Veggie Spring Roll (with Green Moong Sprout)

U can call it a fusion spring roll! I dint use any of the chinese sauces as I generally dont have them at home :-) Loved the flavor of ginger, garlic, sesame, black pepper blend. Was totally excited to roll them and not even one opened up while frying. More pictures...Veggie Spring Roll
Recipe:
* Chopped Green onions, cabbage. Shredded Carrots, sprouted green moong.
* Optional - try the fine rice noodles.
* Grated ginger, garlic. Little pepper powder and coarse roasted white sesame seeds powder.
* Spring rolls pastry sheet...I got from Ranch 99 store.
* Add oil to tava, saute g.onions base and then add the ginger, garlic.
* Saute for few minutes and add all of the remaining ingredients, saute for few mins with salt.
* Turn off, let it cool. Then split the sheets and start to fill and roll them.
* Add half spoon maida to a bowl with little water and microwave for 10secs.
* Use this on the final rolling edge and it will bind well.
* Deep fry and serve hot. Yummy Yummy Spring Rolls are ready!!!!

Stuffed Mushroom

Yummy appetizer...turned little juicy as I had to wash mushroom for my satisfaction!. If you are ok, just wipe mushrooms with a paper towel and use them. More pictures...Stuffed Mushroom
Recipe:
* Wipe mushroom with a paper towel after removing the stems.
* Fine chop the stems, fine chop green onions and few color peppers
* Add oil to tava, saute g.onions, peppers, mushroom stems with little chilli powder and salt.
* Let it cool.
* Grate pepper jack cheese.
* Mix the veggies with little cheese when cooled down, then start to stuff the mushrooms
* Finally top with more cheese...add more cheese if U like.
* Preheat oven at 350F and bake for 30mins, serve hot...yummy yum!!!!