Dates Cake

This recipe is similar to banana bread recipe I posted few months back. I just substituted 1 cup soaked dates for banana.
Recipe:
Pan Cake mix (Bisquic or Trader Joes Multigrain Pancake mix) – 2.25 Cups
Sugar – half cup (I used turbinado raw sugar)
Dates - 1 cup soaked in 1 cup boiling water
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 using a blender
* Grind the soaked dates with the same water in mixie and add to the above.
* Add the baking flour(I used multigrain pancake mix from Trader Joes)
* 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 Dates Cake is ready to serve!!!!

Rasmalai

Recently I have been making paneer frequently at home, hence the temptation to make this recipe and I liked it with less sugar, custom made! More pictures...Rasmalai
Recipe:
* Home made paneer like handful, knead well. I used food processor for kneading.
* Make small vada shapes with balls sized like U do for jamoons.
* Add 5 cups water and 1 cup sugar to a flat base cooker and let it melt
* And then add the paneer vadas and pressure cook for 1 whistle and medium flame 10mins.
* In the meantime, boil 1.5litres milk in another non-stick or thick bottom vessel
* Let it boil till it reduces half, add little saffron, elachi and 12 to 16 tablespoons sugar.
* Then add nuts if you like almonds or pistachios coarsely chopped, turn off.
* Gently squeeze the paneer vadas from the cooker to remove the syrup and then add to the above milk.
* Let it cool and move it to fridge. Serve cold!!!!

Koyil Puliyodharai (Tamarind Rice)

Have been wanting to try this for a while, here we go for more pictures...Koyil Puliyodharai
Recipe:
* For the powder, one spoon each of channa dhaal, urad, dhania, sesame and
   little methi seeds with 2 red chillies.
* Dry fry and let it cool and grind to a dry powder
* Soak a lemon sized ball of tamarind in water (mine was on the higher side)
* Squeeze the tamarind and take the water and mix with the ground powder.
* Add like 5spoons of oil to a tava and then add mustard, urad, channa dhaal, roasted peanuts
* Then add turmeric, asafoetida, 3 red chillies, curry leaves
* Add the tamarind + powder mixed water and 2 tablespoons salt or more as per your taste.
* Let it boil for 10mins or so, add 1 spoon jaggery and let is cook for few mins
* Turn off and add to cooked rice as many spoons of this paste as needed.

Veggie Pakora

Great snack for winter time, very nice flavor due to the powder...good way to use your little veggies...
More pictures...Veggie Pakoras
Recipe:
* Dry grind little dhania, ajwain(omam) and big jeera
* Thin slices of any veggie U like and mix the above powder, besan flour, chilli powder and salt.
* Deep fry and serve hot!!!
Veggies I used :
* Shredded pack of carrots and broccoli slaw from Trader Joes
* Thin strips of fresh paneer, spinach, green onions, color peppers, potato, onion
Yummy Yum it was!!!

Egg Kulambu (Diced eggs)

Yet another exciting recipe...very easy recipe and turned out yummy!
Recipe:
* Add 3 eggs(trash 2 yolks), little turmeric, 2 spoons milk and little salt. Beat well.
* Grease a flat vessel with oil and add the egg batter
* Double boil....add an inch height water in a vessel and place the above and close the lid
* Cook for 5mins, let it cool for 5mins and then cut into cubes..it will looks like the above
* Then you could add it to any kind of gravy...kara kulambu, tomato kulambu, palak paneer.
It was yum yum!!!!

Baadhusha

Was excited to try this one..quite simple recipe. More pictures..Baadhusha
Recipe:
* Mix well with a whisk -  1/4th cup melted butter, 1.5 tbsp oil, 1 tbsp sugar,
   2 tbsp curd, half teaspoon baking soda.
* And then add 1.5cups maida to the above and make a dough by adding very little water.
* Let is rest for 2hrs and then make small vadas and press the thumb in the middle.
* On a pan, add half cup sugar, 3/4th cup water, little elachi and saffron
* Boil and make the sugar syrup and finally add little lemon juice. (single thread consistency)
* Add oil to another tava and bring to boiling hot and start adding the vadas and turn off stove
* let it cook and when the bubbles start to slow down, turn on the stove and flip the vadas.
* Cook in medium flame and when golden brown, remove it and add it to the sugar syrup.
* After 5mins, take it out and you will see the syrup crystallizing!!!
* After it cools down, save it in a container for upto few days.

Baadhaam/Almond Halwa

 

Kind of rich sweet, have tried this few years back and have over cooked and messed it up into puttu!Now I have mastered it, so sharing the recipe from my mom that I tried today. More pictures...Almond Halwa
Recipe:
* Soak half cup almonds in boiling water, after an hr, peel the skin
* Grind the almonds with water enough to make it into a paste (do not add add water later on)
* Add the paste and equal amount sugar for the paste, little saffron to a non-stick pan
* Stir in low flame, initially it will feel dry and once sugar melts it will be semi liquid
* Stir in medium flame for 10mins and once it starts to tighten a bit like top right picture, turn off.
* U feel it will be half cooked, but turn off, add 2 spoons ghee and stir well.
* Keep adding ghee every few mins, U will start to see it thicken as in the detailed pictures.
* Bottom left picture in the above is like 10mins after I removed from the stove.
Key to this is: stop cooking when it is 3/4th done and keep stirring lots of ghee! In the detailed pictures you can see the ghee I used from the ghee container.

Coconut Burfi

People think I cook/eat healthy food, wonder what the definition is?
Fitness trainers think my food is unhealthy.
I think I include all food in moderate and workout!!!! Swim lessons is my recent adventure!
What I cook/eat includes oil, ghee, salt, coconut plus regular white rice, veggies, other grains and less of sweet as I dont have sweet tooth :-) But surprised to see myself eating some sweets better than what I was a decade ago. So started to try sweets in little quantities...this one is a quick recipe if you have coconut ready. But I used fresh coconut.
Recipe:
* 1 cup grated coconut (I used fresh and ground it in mixie)
* 3/4th cup sugar, half cup water
* Add sugar and water in a non-stick pan and boil for like 5mins
* Check for single thread consistency, by taking a drop of the liquid
* When ready, add coconut and cook for 10mins in medium flame
* Add elachi powder and stir well. Take a small peice to see if you can make a ball.
* If yes, then turn off and transfer to greased plate, cool and cut into diamond shapes.

Paalak Paneer

One of my recent favorites...thoroughly enjoying it when hot!!!
Here is the recipe: (Serves 3)
- sauté half onion, 2 pieces garlic, very little ginger, half tomato, 2 green chillies
- then add washed spinach - one Trader Joes pack (like 8Oz)
- just 2 minutes and turn off, cool down and grind
- add salt, let the gravy boil with little garam masala for 5mins
- then add fresh small Paneer cubes (like 2 handful cubes)
- Boil for 5mins and turn off, serve hot for rice/rotis.

Fresh paneer:
- Boil 2 quarts milk and when it boils well, add 3 spoons lemon juice, turn off as it curdles
- If not, add more lemon juice.
- Strain the water and tie in a muslin cloth and press it hard between 2 plates.
- I put 8lb dumbbell on top of the plate
- After 2hrs move to fridge or use it.

Pineapple Fried Rice

For those of U who enjoy in the Thai restaurant, this is one simple recipe and U will like it for the fact that it is from fresh pineapple. Some of U might be already making it. More pictures...Pineapple Fried Rice
Recipe
* Simple sauted rice recipe with veggies of your choice.
* I used 3/4th cup basmati rice, added it to rice cooker and cooked it separately.
* Add ghee to tava and then add 3 red chillies (broken into 2), few cashews
* Then add diced onions, saute for few mins and then add handful carrots and cauliflower
* Cook few mins and then add raisins, green bell pepper and chopped pineapple, salt
* Saute just 2 or 3mins, then add the rice and serve hot.
FYI, this recipe doesnt need a side, it is yummy by itself. I know lot of friends here will enjoy this recipe!!!
It doesnt taste just sweet, it will have the spice from red chillies.

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!!!!

Soy Chunks Biryani

 

One of the easiest rice to make except for the greens cleaning part. More pictures...Soy Chunks Biryani

Recipe from my cousin, here it is..

* Boil water with salt and turn off, soak soy chunks in that water for 15mins, then cut into if big chunks

* Clean 2 big bunches of cilantro and one bunch mint

* Add oil/ghee to tava, add little big jeera and small jeera, clove, cinnamon, bay leaf.

* Add curry leaves, onions, 3 slit green chillies, saute for few mins, add grated ginger, saute for mins.

* Then add chopped mint, cilantro and soy chunks, mix well, add salt.

* Add basmati rice one cup, soaked for 10mins and drained.

* Saute well and add it to rice cooker with 2.5cups water.

* Once cooked, leave it in rice cooker for 15mins, then remove it, soy chunks will change color otherwise.

Yummy yum it was, loved the aroma!!!!

Fresh Fruit Popsicles

Was so excited to try out the fresh fruit ice pops or popsicles. More pictures...Ice Pops
Recipe :
* Just blend the fruit you like with little sugar or agave nectar and very little water only if needed.
* I used Mango, Strawberry, Kiwi, Watermelon and Orange.
* Pour it into ice pop molds and freeze it for 3hrs
* If you want multiple colors. Fill half of the mold, freeze for an hr and then fill the rest and freeze more.
* When ready, rinse the mold in regular water for few minutes or soak it in water and then pull the ice pop out, so you dont break the mold!
Thoroughly enjoyed the whole process :-) Great for summer.
For those of you wanting to buy the mold, check out the 2 kinds..one has individual removable molds like
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80208478/
other one is all 6 molds attached Attached Molds

Green Apple Raita

Loved this raita so much...quick recipe..
* Fine chop green apple
* Optional items...little of cucumber, color peppers, very little onion and tomato without seeds.
* Add yoghurt and salt. I used Non fat Organic Plain yoghurt from Trader Joes and greek yoghurt too.
* Season if U like with mustard, green chilli and asafoetida.
Yummy to eat by itself too!!!!

Paneer Capscicum Bajji

Was watching couple of interesting paneer recipes online and was tempted to try 2 of them, here we go for the first one. More pictures..Paneer Capsicum Bajji
Recipe:
* I would suggest to make this on the same day U have green chutney.
* I had made this chutney for my green rice
.....saute mint, cilantro, little ginger, g.chillies, salt and coconut and grind
* Slice paneer and capsicum to one inch sqaures, as thin as possible, mine was little thick.
* Layer it like this, capscicum, chutney, paneer, chutney, capsicum.
* Then dip into bajji batter and deep fry. Serve hot.
Note: Mine will always turn non-oily as my bajji batter is in the ratio of 3:1 => Besan : Rice flour.
All I do is add little red chilli powder and salt, and batter has to be thick.

Cottage Cheese Pakodas

Thoroughly enjoyed these pakodas, no one will ever find the key ingredient and is very easy to make. If U have tasted Masala Paniyaram in India, this one tastes very similar to that. More pictures...Cottage Cheese Pakodas
Recipe:
* Equal portions of flour to cottage cheese (I used fat free cottage cheese from Trader Joes)
* Flour...my friend mentioned only rice flour. But I did rice flour and besan in equal portions.
* Add little ginger, g.chillies, flour and cottage cheese in food processor and blend well.
* After I took out from processor, I added some more flour and fine chopped curry leaves, onions, cilantro.
* Make pakodas as you normally deep fry and serve hot with red or green chutney.
Yummy it was!!! Looking forward to try some interesting Panner Pakodas/Bajjis that I saw online.

Pavakkai Curry (Pitlai/Pitley?)

Yet another pavakkai recipe...for those of U in bay area...Newark Farmer's market carries awesome pavakkais...very tender. More pictures...Pavakkai Curry
Reciepe:
* It is similar to our aracha saambaar!
* Dry fry 4 red chillies, little of each - pepper, jeera, urad, channa dhaal and dhania
* Add little coconut and grind into fine wet paste
* Pressure cook half cup - yellow split peas or toor dhaal with turmeric
* Add oil to tava and seasoning of your choice and then add diced pavakkai (and mavathal optional)
* Saute few mins and add tamarind water and salt
* Cook for few mins and add the ground paste
* After few mins, add the mashed dhaal.
* Add jaggery at the end, serve hot with idlis, dosas, rice.
Note: Mine went little over on dhania, so just add very little. Watch out for an interesting deep fry appetizer next.

Peanut Sauce

Yummy Yummy peanut sauce, got used to this one thru my friend, in Thai restaurant. And since I had some red sauce from my previous recipe, it was quick and easy to make. All I did was added the red sauce and roasted unsalted peanuts in mixie jar and ground it to fine paste. Enjoy it with some veggies. It was too good! You will like it if you like peanuts. Here is the sauce recipe..Peanut Sauce

Marinated Tofu

One of the yummiest tofu recipe I have ever tried!!!! I was watching Vijay's TV's kitchen superstar show and saw this interesting peanut sauce recipe. Then was surfing online to find a clear recipe, then randomly thought of marinated tofu and finally it landed in this kind of recipe :-) More pictures...Marinated Tofu
Recipe:
* For the sauce :
   - Grind 5 or 6 red chillies,2 garlic pieces, little sugar and salt for the full dish
   - Add 2 cups water and let it boil for few mins and turn off.
   - then add some tamarind and jaggery water to it, mix well.
* In the meantime, filter the tofu water and cut tofu into shapes and let it dry in muslin cloth.
* Heat non-stick flat pan, no oil needed. Dry fry Tofu, in medium flame, both sides for few mins.
* Take a flat container, add the tofu and sauce. (add sauce as much as it needs to soak, save the rest)
* Marinate in fridge overnight or atleast 6hrs.
* Then add big chunks of onions in tava with little oil, fry for few mins
* And add the tofu with the sauce, then let it cook for few mins, till the water dries off.
* Add roasted peanuts whole or crushed depending on your taste, turn off.
Serve with little salad. Can be an appetizer or main meal.

Quinoa Crepe (Dosa you can call it :-))

Was so excited to try this recipes as I had crepes in a restaurant 2 consecutive saturdays. One of my cousin gave me the dosa recipe, then I thought why not try with add ons! More pictures...Crepes
Recipe:
* Soak together - 1.5cups Quinoa, half cup brown rice -- for 6hrs
* Then grind into fine batter in mixie with salt
* If you like, add fresh jeera and little crushed pepper.
* No fermenting required, make dosas like appam.
* Pour 2 big spoons batter in center and rotate the pan.
* Cook both sides and serve hot with sides.
Note: I liked this combo...cauliflower gravy + dhaal veggie + raw veggies.
You can try with spicy kulambu, kootu and raw veggie or
Tomato Kurma with raw veggie. Have fun cooking!!! Get creative with your own toppings!!!

Mixed Veggie Raita (Broccoli stalk, Purple Cabbage, Carrot)

Loved this recipe...very easy and colorful.
Recipe:
* Grate carrots, broccoli stalk (remove the skin), fine chopped purple cabbage.
* For those of U who like onion, add one or 2 spoons fine chopped onions
* Add stirred yoghurt and salt. Season with mustard, slit g.chilli and asafoetida.
Note: I had excess veggies, so I used the shredded ones in uthappam. Had it with Mango dhaal and fresh coconut chutney. It was yummy!!!! You could add the excess veggies in roti dough too.

Cabbage - Soy Bean Spicy Porial

Recently started to increase my protein intake, so trying different stuff from different stores. Got this bean from Chinese store and the pack says 'Organic Soy Bean'. It looks round, but when you soak it will become little oval in shape. Initially soaked it for sundal, but had a handful excess, so decided to add it to my masala porial and it turned out to be very good. Tastes great with rotis too. More pictures...Cabbage Soy Bean Porial
Recipe:
* Soak handful soy bean overnight and pressure cook with little salt
* Add oil to tava, mustard, urad and big jeera.
* Add fine chopped garlic and half onion, saute for few mins
   and add one small tomato chopped.
* Add turmeric, chilli powder and sambaar powder..little of each
* Add chopped cabbage and salt and cook for few minutes
* Then add the cooked bean without water, saute well and serve hot with rotis, rice, etc.

Macaroni Kulambu

Was in a baby shower party last weekend and learnt this recipe from there. It was really yummy, but mine turned out little spicy, so watch out how much saambaar powder and how much masala you grind and adjust according to your spice levels. More pitures...Macaroni Kulambu.And you could use the same gravy for paneer or maida dosa and make kulambu. It is just the same.
Recipe:
* Soak little tamarind.
* Dry fry - little dhania, big jeera, khas khas, 3 red chillies, little roasted gram.
* Add little coconut and grind the above spices into a paste.
* Add oil to tava, add seasoning and then diced onions and garlic and saute few mins.
* Add one chopped tomato and saute few mins.
* Then add dhaal water if U have and little saambaar powder.
* Pressure cook one handful pasta/macaroni if it is big and then add it to the above.
* I added one handful diced firm tofu.
* Add salt, tamarind water and cook well. Then add the ground paste and cook well.
* Serve hot with rice/idli/dosa/idiayappam....enjoy!!!!

Kadai Paneer

Had half pepper left in each color and the 10oz paneer from Indian store, so decided to make this recipe. Checked out few sites and came up with this recipe similar to my other masalas...so I dint take the detailed pictures.
Recipe:
* Dice all color peppers and the paneer.
* If you like, saute them separately in ghee.
* For the paste...saute onion, tomato, little ginger, garlic, 3 g.chillies and then grind
* Add ghee to tava and add the ground paste and fav.masala powers and salt.
* Cook for few mins and add peppers
* Cook for few mins and then add paneer. Cook for few mins and turn off.
Serve hot with roti/naan/white rice.

Pavakkai Peanuts Kulambu (Bitter Gourd)

Just wanted to heads up that I will be slowing down on my blog as I start to train for my run and they keep insisting on Protein intake and doesnt fit into any of these recipes :-)
Back to this recipe, one of my fav kulambu, loved it due to peanuts I guess. Anything with Peanut seems to be my liking for now. More pictures...Pavakkai Peanuts Kulambu
Recipe:
* Soak 1 handful peanuts overnight, pressure cook with little salt.
* Soak little tamarind, chop onion, garlic and pavakkai into small dices.
* Add oil to tava, add seasoning - urad, mustard, methi seeds,
   black pepper, jeera, curry leaves.
* Add garlic, onion, saute for few mins and then add pavakkai, saute for few mins
* Then add the dhaal water, saambaar powder, salt. Cook for few mins.
* Then add peanuts and tamarind water, cook for few mins and then finally add jaggery.
Serve with dhaal porial and rice/quinoa.....yummy it will be...have fun!!!

Vazhai Poo Thuvattal (Banana Flower)

Vazhai Poo is one vegetable that I buy once a year or so. Since I had it used for the previous post, using the rest for the dhaal Porial. We dont get it that fresh, so I am not tempted to buy often. Please do let me know if you see it really fresh in some store in Bay Area. Suppose to be really nutritious! More pictures...Vazhai Poo Thuvattal
Recipe is quick if you have the veggie sorted out and cleaned.
* Soak 1 handful Toor dhaal for an hr or 2, then open boil with turmeric and lots of water.
* Once cooked, save the water for kaara kulambu.
* Add oil to tava and season with mustard and urad, add half onion chopped and 2 slit g.chillies.
* Then add the chopped veggie and cook for few mins with salt and little water sprinkled.
* Then add the cooked dhaal and serve it with Kaara Kulambu.
Note: Generally I make dhaal porial when I make the kaara kulambu.

Multi Lentil Adai (with Beet/Vazhaipoo - banana flower?)

More pictures..Multi Lentil Adai
Quick recipe :
* Half cup brown or white rice, Half cup mixed lentils (please see at the end of the post)
* Soak the above overnight or for 4 hrs, grind coarse in mixie with
   2 red chillies, 2 g.chillies, salt, jeera
* If you dont mind light green color, add the below while grinding.
   Otherwise, add it to the batter after grinding.
   - Little ginger, cilantro, curry leaves, few spoons coconut
* Mix all well and add fine chopped onions and make adais, cook well on both sides,
   takes a while.

Optional Toppings:
* I split the batter into two
   - On one part I added, half cup shredded beet
   - On the other I added, half cup fine chopped vazhaipoo - banana flower?
* Mix the batter well and make the adais.
* You could try adding the green moong sprout that looks like vazhaipoo too

Note: I mixed all the lentils/beans I had, except the regular dhaals, which I use almost everyday in one form or the other. I missed green moong dhaal, though I had it. Feel free to add them too. You can mix a handful of each and store it in a dry tight container.   

Raagi Dosa

Got this recipe from a friend of mine, you can mix stuff at home and make it, so we call it instant raagi dosa. More pictures..Raagi Dosa
There are 2 versions of Raagi dosa I make...
Instant version as you see in the above pictures
Recipe:
* 1 cup raagi flour, half cup wheat flour or left over dosa batter, little butter milk
* Fine chopped onions little, 1 g.chilli, little salt, fine chopped curry leaves little.
* Mix all of the above together and make very thin batter - watery consistency
* Make dosas as you do for rava dosa.
I have to tell you this, making this instant dosa or rava dosa is an ART! you definitely need to get used to the heat/water/cooking consistencies!!! It does take time to cook, and works well with high heat initially and then low heat for a while.

Other Raagi Dosa Version
* Soak half cup urad dhaal, grind well as if you do for dosa.
* After you grind, add equal qty of raagi flour and water mixed batter and then add salt
* Mix well, ferment it overnight and make regular dosas, cook well on both sides.
* Batter consitency should be like regular dosa batter.

Tri-Color Idiyappam

Was excited to try this recipe. I have already tried white and brown ones, corn was new to me. All 3 flours are available in Indian stores. Please find the brand and more pictures..Tri-Color Idiyappam

Recipe:
* Take one cup of any of the three flours in the above link.
* Boil water...really really hot...boil well
* Pour the boiling water to the flour with little salt added. Mix well in to tight dough.
* Add it to the presser and make idiyappam shapes and steam it for 5 to 10mins.
* Serve hot with a side dish...today I made Tomato Kurma.
Most of the time we have idiyappam with yellow moong dhaal gravy.

Beans Koottu

Beans koottu...not sure if they call this as poricha koottu. I loved the taste of the coconut, jeera, chilli. Very easy to make and aroma is good too, colorful to serve. More pictures...Beans Koottu
Recipe:
* Fresh beans chopped - 1 bowl
* Yellow moong dhaal cooked with turmeric - 1 bowl
* Grind into paste - 3 spoons coconut, half spoon jeera and one or 2 g.chillies.
* Add 2 spoons ghee to a tava, then add little jeera and curry leaves.
* Add beans, half cup water and salt. Cook for few mins till beans is almost done.
* Then add the cooked dhaal and ground paste, just cook for a min and turn off.
* Serve hot with dosas, rotis, rice, etc. Yummy yum it was!!!

Curry Leaves Dosa

Got this recipe from my chithi long time back and atlast got to try it today as a last minute food for dinner. Most of you might be already making it. I was able to make even roast out of it. Recipe:
* One pack curry leaves from Indian store (it is like 40 leaves or so, here it is small), one green chilli, half spoon jeera and salt.
* Grind the above - raw into fine paste and add it to little dosa batter. (like 6 to 8 dosas)
* And make dosas, I was able to make both soft and crispy ones.
Aroma was tooooo good!!! Liked it very much...

Falafel

One of the Mediterranean Recipes that we like and is almost like our chick peas vada. You could serve this with Hummus, Pita Bread. But we liked it with the salad and home made Tahini sauce. More pictures..Falafel
Recipe:
* For the tahini sauce...thick curd(filter in muslin cloth or use greek yoghurt), roasted sesame seeds, one little garlic piece, half spoon lemon juice, little chilli powder and salt. Grind all in mixie and save it in a bowl.
* Soak 1 cup chick peas overnight and coarse grind with salt in food processor
* Fine chopped garlic little, half onion and half bunch parsley.
* Little turmeric powder, pepper powder, dhania-jeera powder, salt, 2 spoons besan or all purpose flour for binding.
* Mix all of the above and make vada shapes and deep fry.
* Serve with Tahini sauce, little lettuce, sliced cucumber and tomatoes.
It was yummy!!!

Burrito Bowl

For those of you who love Chipotle food, you will definitely enjoy this one. One of my fav main dish!FYI, when you make this one, you may want to skip appetizer and dessert as it fills you a lot and prefer to serve this for lunch. Recipe looks long, but takes less time as cooking is very less on this one. More pictures...Burrito Bowl
Recipe - serves 4
* 1/4th cup of Organic Moz.cheese shredded from TJ or 3 mexican cheese blend which is a fine shredded one or any cheese you would like to add
* 1/2 cup - Stirred thick yoghurt or sour cream - I used greek yoghurt with little salt
* 3/4th cup Black bean - soaked overnight, cooked well in pressure cooker (without vessel inside the cooker, takes atleast 10mins) with little salt and chillie powder or taco seasoning from TJ.
* Salsa - mild I made at home - 2 tomatoes diced without seeds, little of fine chopped cilantro, onions, lemon juice salt, little g.chillie or Jalapeno.
* Medium/Hot Salsa - store bought - one small box
* Fajita - onion and mixed bell peppers sauted with little pepper and salt
* Shredded Lettuce
* Gaucamole - 2 mashed avocados with little lemon juice, salt, onions, cilantro
* 3/4th cup - steamed yellow/white corn with little salt
* Half cup cooked rice - let it cool and add little lemon juice and cilantro.

Make everything and arrange in bowls and let the guests make their own bowls.
Mix well with 2 forks in your bowl and enjoy the yummy yummy burrito bowl!!!!

Shahi Paneer

I just randomly saw few recipes and formed my own recipe out of it. Some of you might be already making it. More pictures... Shahi Paneer
Recipe:
* Light sauted paneer cubes, cashew powder, thick curd, tomato (ground),
   fine paste of onion, garlic, ginger, green chillies.
* And masala powders of your taste.
* Add oil to tava and add jeera and any other seasoning like bay leaf
* Then add the ground onion paste, cook for few mins and then add the tomato paste
* Cook for few minutes, add the masala powders, salt
* Add the cashew powder and thick curd, stir well and cook for few mins.
* Turn off and server hot with rotis/naan/rice.
Enjoy your spring break/weather!!!!

Pavakkai Chips (Bitter Gourd Chips)

Long time pending post...this is a oven baked/broiled chips and it is not really equivalent to deep fried pavakkai chips, but does have a different kind of crispness. More pictures...Pavakkai Chips
Simple recipe
* Slice (thinner the better) bitter gourd like 8 or so if you are using big oven.
* Add few spoons olive oil, chilli powder, turmeric powder, salt.
* Mix well and arrange it in a baking tray with aluminium foil on the tray.
* Preheat oven to 350F and then bake for 20 to 25mins
* Then turn to broil mode at 400F and broil for 2 or 3mins, keeping an eye, turns brown soon.
* Let it cool and save it in tight container
* Yummy with curd rice/koottu.

Masala Kadalai (Peanuts)

One of the most easiest deep fry! Thanks to my friend Alamu for the recipe.
Here is the quick recipe:
* You could use roasted salted/unsalted peanuts from the regular grocery stores or
   use the raw peanuts from the Indian stores.
* Just dip them in water for a minute or 2. Then drain the water.
* Add few spoons besan to coat it and add salt
* Fine grind  few red chillies + big jeera and add it to the above, mix all well.
* Then deep fry till golden brown and let it cool, store it in tight container.
Note: When adding it into the oil, try to split the peanuts by hand (not inside the oil :-))
and also after you take it out from oil, it will not be crispy initially. It gets crispy as it gets cold.