Potato Paneer Peas Pulav!!!

Potato Paneer Peas Pulav is different and tasty variety rice. I tried this when I saw on TV, but its not exactly the same. I have made few changes. This is a rich rice with butter, oil and paneer. Good for kids.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 3 cups thats 1.5 alakku (Can use normal rice too)
Paneer cubes - 1 cup cubes(click here for homemade paneer recipe)
Green Peas - 1 cup(Fresh or Frozen)
Potato - 1no
Spices -Bay leaf/- 1no Cinnamon/Cloves/Cardamom - 2 nos each
Butter - 1 tspn
Oil - 3 tspns
Onion - 2 nos
Tomato - 1no
Curry leaves - few
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Green chilli - 1 no
Ginger Garlic - 1 tspn chopped or you can grind with coconut.
Cashews - few
Salt
Coriander/Cilantro - 2 tspns for garnish Optional

For Grinding
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Cardamom/Elachi - 2 nos
Pepper - 8nos

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai, add butter and saute paneer slightly brown and keep aside.
Heat pressure cooker, add ghee, oil, cashews and spices. saute for 2 mins.
Now add onions and little salt, ginger, garlic, green chilli saute till brown. Then add tomato and saute.
Add the coconut paste and mix. Keep in low flame.
Add chopped potato and peas. Add little water and let it boil.
In a kadai, add little butter or ghee saute the basmati rice till you get good aroma.
Mix the rice with the rest of the ingredients in pressure cooker.
Add water about 5cups or if you want it soft 1 cup more.
Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and mix well. Check for salt. Add sauteed paneer.
Close the lid and pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Off the stove and mix well.


Potato Paneer Peas Pulav is ready to serve.


You can serve with any Raitha or Paneer gravy.

This recipe is going for Healthy Lunchbox Ideas by Kalyani hosted by Jayashree.

Other recipes for the event.Mutter Paneer, Simple Paneer Peas Pulav, Paneer Bhurji and Palak Paneer

Curry Podi/Powder!!!

As one of my blog reader has asked me for the recipes of podis. Am sharing the recipes.

Curry Podi/Powder is a very handy homemade masala powder. This can be used for any vegetable curry's. Its very flavourful. I make in small quantities and use it. This recipe is from my mother in law.

Ingredients
Dhaniya/Coriander seeds - 1 cup
Kadala Paruppu /Channa Dal- 1/2 cup
Dry Red Chilli - 1/2 cup or 10nos(As per your spice level increase or decrease)
Peringayam/Asafotida -  a small piece or 1/4tspn

Preparation Method
Dry roast all the ingredients one by one with a 1/2 tspn oil till its slightly brown.
Cool and grind it to a coarse powder.

Store it in an air tight container and for later use.

Notes - You can dry roast without oil for long use and if you are preparing in large quantity.

This multipurpose podi can be used in rice, sundal and curries. 

Check my recipes using this here. 

Create n Carve ~Fruit and Vegetable Event Annoucement!!!

Hi Friends,

This month I am hosting Create n Carve event started by Nayna of Simplysensational Food who has wonderful recipes at her space. I would like to thank Nayna for giving the opportunity for hosting the event.

Inviting you all to participate in the event with your entries. Are you creative?

Logo

Do check out the tutorial link to start with carvings click here.

Rules for the event
1. Any number of fresh entries can be sent. Archived entries to be reposted, else will not be accepted. You can create n Carve Fruit and Vegetable from now till 31st July 2011.
Using fruit or vegetable  show a garnish  or carving you have created . You can  post instructions on how to create your garnish / carving although it is not compulsary. If you use an on line source or video to help you , please do not forget to link the source due to copyright reasons and of course to give full  credit to the owner.
You can use cookie cutters, knives, fancy garnish cutters, graters any tool to help you create your piece of art.You may send entries where you have used your garnish or carving  on a cooked dish but remember the main  emphasis should be to show the carving /creation.
 
2. Use of logo is compulsory.

3. The entry should be linked back to this event announcement and Nayna Events Page.


4. Format of entry
- Name
- Recipe name
- Recipe link
- Pic resized to 300 pixel

5. Non bloggers can also participate, by sending their entries  by email to simplysara07@gmail.com with photograph.

6. Roundup will be posted in August.

So start carving and creating. Looking forward for your creations.

Thanks & Regards,
Saraswathi

Cauli Brocolli Manchurian

In my previous post, I had posted Cauli Brocolli Crisps. I used the same for making this Cauli Brocolli Manchurian. My family liked it a lot.

Ingredients
Cauli Brocolli Crisps click here for recipe 

For Manchurian
Oil - 1 tspn
Onion - 1 no chopped
Capsicum - 1/2 no chopped
Ginger - 1/2 tspn chopped finely
Garlic - 1 no chopped
Spring onion - 1 no chopped
Soya Sauce - 1 tspn
Tomato Sauce - 2 tspns
Chilli sauce - 1 tspn(as per your taste)or Green chilli- Optional
Ajinomoto - a pinch
Salt to taste
 For Manchurian
In a pan add oil (Can use left over oil after deep fry) add onion, ginger, garlic and fry till its transperant.
Then add chopped capsicum and saute. Add salt.
Add all the sauces and mix. If required all some more sauce as per your taste. Add the deep fried veggie. Mix well cook for few mins.


Garnish with chopped coriander leaves or spring onions.


Serve hot with tomato sauce or fried rice.

Enjoy the delicious Cauli Brocolli manchurian.

Notes - Fresh coriander leaves (Cilantro) can be used instead of spring onion.

Spinach Potato Brocolli Curry

Palak Potato Brocolli Curry is very different and tasty sidedish for sambar rice, rasam rice or curd rice or even chapathi.

Ingredients
Spinach/Palak or any greens - 1 bunch chopped.
Brocolli - 1/2 no florets
Potato -  1no chopped to med size
Onion -  1no chopped
Ginger garlic - 1 tspn chopped
Grated coconut  2 tspns(Optional)
Green or Dry Red chilli - 2nos
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - few
Salt
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Jeera - a pinch

Preparation Method
Put Brocolli in hot water and leave it for 5 mins.
In a kadai, heat oil, add mustard and wait till it splutters. Add jeera and fry for  a minute.Add chillies and curry leaves and saute.
Add onion, ginger, garlic, a pinch of salt and fry till transparant.
Now add potato and mix. Let it cook. Close a lid.
When its almost done add palak and mix let it cook.
Once done add brocolli, salt, turmeric and sprinkle little water.
Let everything cook well and when its done, off the stove and add grated coconut if you are using.

Mix and serve. I prepared with and without coconut.

This recipe is going to  Healthbox Ideas Brocolli by Kalyani and Vardhini.

Cauli Brocolli Crisps/Pakoras

Cauli Brocolli crisps /pakoras are very tasty and different. Usually we make cauliflower bajji or pakoras. Adding brocolli made my son eat this veggie too and glad he liked it.

Ingredients
Cauli Flower florets - 4 cups
Brocolli florets - 2 cups
Kadalai Maav/Besan/Chickpea Flour- 2 tspns
Chola Maav /Corn Flour- 2 tspns
Arasi Maav /Rice Flour- 2 tspns
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn (As per taste)
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste
Kesari/Orange colour a pinch - Optional.

Preparation Method
Make small florets of the veggie. Put them in boiling water with little salt and a pinch of turmeric for 10minutes. Close with a lid. leave it for sometime. Drain/Strain fully so no water is left.
Transfer it to a wide bowl. Sprinkle Arasi, Chola and Kadalai maav all over and mix well. Add chilli powder and salt. Sprinkle very little water and mix well.
Deep fry in oil until brown and crispy.

Tasty Cauli Brocolli crisps are ready. This can be had at tea/coffee time at home or office.

Mangai Inji Urugai/Mango Ginger Pickle

Mangai Inji/Mango Ginger is a traditional Tamil Brahmin pickle. This has both flavours mango and ginger. This is available in India in Aadi Masam. But it was available at Little India. I have learnt all these recipes after marriage from my Mother-in-law. My hubby and in-laws like this a lot. Its good for digestion.

Ingredients
Mangai Inji/Mango Ginger - 100 gms
Green Chilli - 10 nos
Lemon Juice - 1 tspn
Salt as per taste


Preparation Method
Wash, remove skin and chop into small pieces. Chop green chilli also into small pieces.
In a glass bowl, add both and mix with salt and lemon juice.

Enjoy Mangai Inji/Mango Ginger with Curd Rice.

Notes - Can be stored in air tight container for about a week.

Mango Apple Smoothie!!!

I tried this long back and got delayed in posting. Enjoy the Mango Apple Smoothie.

Ingredients
Ripe Mango - 1 no(Medium size)
Apple - 1/2 no
Sugar - 1 tspn
Curd - 1 tspn

Preparation Method
In a mixie or blender add mango, apple without skin whip once.
Then add sugar and curd and make a fine paste.

Garnish with Pistachos and Serve chilled.

Notes - If the mango is slight big you can add 1 apple.

This recipe is going to Serve it chilled event by Denise and Krithika.

Olan

Olan is a traditional Kerala dish. This is a traditional sidedish in Kerala. It is also prepared for weddings. Its pending in my drafts when I prepared last time and I made it yesterday. It is non spicy. Easy and tasty.

Ingredients
Pooshanikai/Grey Pumpkin - 1 cup(chopped into squares)
Karamani/Black eyed beans(white or brown) - 1/2 cup
Coconut Milk - 1/2 cup(thick)
Coconut oil - 1 Tablespoon
Curry leaves -  few
Green Chilli - 1 or 2 nos slit.
Salt

Preparation Method
Pressure cook karamani with water upto 3-4 whistles.
In a wide vessel, cook pooshanikai with water, green chilli, salt and a pinch of turmeric.
Once its done, add the boiled karamani and coconut milk.
Just let it bubble up and dont over boil.
Off the stove add coconut oil and curry leaves.
Mix well.

Serve with sambar rice as sidedish.

I am back with Holige/Obattu Saaru/Rasam!!!

I was away from blogging for a while and was enjoying with my sis-in-law in town for holidays. Hope you all are doing good. I will be visiting your blogs soon. Since my inlaws are here, I will posting few authentic and traditional Tamil and Kerala Recipes soon.

A sweet and tangy rasam, prepared with hoorna. This is prepared for Ugadi generally after making Holige/Boli. Checkout my recipe for Obattu/Boli here.

Ingredients
Leftover Hoorna/Poornam water.(checkout recipe here)
Sambar/Rasam Powder - 1 tspn
Tamarind water - 1 cup
Salt

Seasoning
Ghee - 1/2 tspn
Oil - 1/2 tspn
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Curry leaves - few
Grated coconut - 1 tspn 


Preparation Method
Mix all the ingredients in a vessel and boil well in medium flame.
Season it except coconut and garnish with coconut.

Tasty Obattu Saaru is ready to serve. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Instant Dhokla/Steamed Savoury Cake and Award!!!

My Eggless Chocolate Cake won the Best Cake Recipe in Crazy for Cake Event hosted by Priya Mahadevan. Thanks Anitha for choosing my recipe from so many entries and its a big surprise. Thanks Priya for hosting such a wonderful event and for the award. I feel very happy and it motivates to bake frequently. You guys have made my day:-)

My Dad asked me to prepare Dhokla since the time he came here, I somehow couldnot do. Today prepared for evening snack as they are leaving back to India. This time it came out perfect.

Dhokla is a popular Gujarathi dish. Its very delicious and tastes like savoury cake.

Ingredients
For Dhokla
Kadalai Maav/Besan - 2 cups
Thair/Plain curds/Yogurt - 2 cups
Manjal/Turmeric powder - 1/4 tspn
Eno fruit salt - 1/2 tablespoon
Water as required
Salt as required

For Seasoning
Oil - 3 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Green Chilli -2 nos
Grated coconut - 2 -3tspns
Chopped coriander - 2tspns

Preparation Method
In  a vessel, add Kadalai maav/besan, curds, water, salt, turmeric and mix well with a help of a karandi/laddle or whisk to dosa batter consistency.
Finally add Eno salt and mix. Leave it.
In a pressure cooker, fill little water.
Grease a flat vessel with oil. Transfer the batter.
Steam it for 10-15 mins without whistle.
Season it with the above ingredients except grated coconut and coriander.
Pour it and allow it to cool and cut into desired shapes.

Serve with Green chutney with the seasonings on top.

Delicious Dhokla/Steamed Savoury Cake is ready to serve. Serve with Green Chutney or as it is.

Anitha and Priya this is for you:-)

Notes -You can also use Idli plate and steam like idlis.

Holige/Obattu ಹೋಳಿಗೆ/ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು Step by Step Recipe!!!

Holige/Obattu ಹೋಳಿಗೆ/ಒಬ್ಬಟ್ಟು is one of the popular sweet in South India - Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Tamilnadu . Its popular and must sweet in Karnataka for festivals, weddings and functions. I prepared this for Tamil New Year in Karnataka style. My mom and dad helped me in this. Thanks a lot.

Ingredients
Chiroti Rava/Small sooji,semolina - 2 cups
Salt a pinch
Turmeric - 2 pinches
Oil - 1 cup

For Filling/Hoorna/Poornam
Toor Dal - 2 cups
Jaggery - 2cups(As per your taste)
Grated Coconut - 1 cup
Cardamom powder/Elakka - a pinch
Preparation Method - Step by Step Method

Mix Rava, turmeric, 1 tspn oil, salt with little water and form soft dough. Pour oil and leave it for 3-4 hrs.(You can do this previous day too and leave it in fridge.) Keep punching and beat it like chapathi dough.The more it rests, the obattu will be very soft.

Pressure cook toor dal to one whistle, strain the water and keep aside for rasam. Allow dal to cool. I will post this photo soon.

For Filling/Hoorna now Grind toor dal, jaggery, grated coconut and elachi powder to fine paste.  (Wash the mixie with water and keep aside this mixture for rasam)

Take a thin plastic paper grease it with oil.

Take small balls of the dough, knead it to a puri shape and fill it with lemon size hoorna.

Close all the edges turn it.

Knead with a rolling pin to form a chapathi shape slowly.

Heat a tawa/skillet, grease your hands and slowly remove from plastic sheet and put in on the tawa/skillet.

You can put ghee or oil and cook both sides till light brown.

Follow the same procedure with the rest of dough.

Delicious Holige/Obattu is ready to serve. It will be very soft because of the rava. You can eat after 2days too.

Notes - You can store the balance dough and filling in air tight container and refridge it for later use.

Sprouts Vadai!!!

In Singapore, the weather is unpredictable its sunny in the morning and suddenly its raining in the afternoon and chill in the evening. So this is perfect for the weather.

I prepare paruppu vadai earlier, without onion. I have been preparing green gram sprouts almost daily for my parents in the diet, so have stock of it. Prepared this for lunch for my friend and her mom.

Ingredients
Greengram Sprouts - 2 cups(click here for how to make sprouts)
Kadalai Paruppu /Channa Dal -  1 cup
Onion - 2 nos chopped
Curry leaves - few chopped
Coriander leaves - few chopped
Dry Red chilli - 2nos(as per your taste)(Can also use green chilli)
Ginger  - 1" piece
Salt
Oil for Deep frying

Preparation Method
Soak kadalai paruppu for 2hrs in water.
In a mixie, add sprouted green gram, channa dal, ginger, dry red chilli and grind it coarsely without water. If required just add little water.
Transfer it to a wide vessel, add thinly chopped onion, curry leaves, coriander leaves, salt and mix well.
Take lemon size balls and slowly flatten on hand.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Drop slowly in oil and deep fry both sides till golden brown in medium flame.

Crispy Sprouts vadai is ready to serve.
Enjoy hot vadai with coffee/tea as it is or with coconut chutney.
This can be had with sambar rice, rasam rice or any variety rice.

Notes - You can store the balance dough in the fridge and use later.

Strawberry Milkshake

My son likes strawberry flavour a lot, first time I bought fresh Strawberries and tried the Milkshake. It was refreshing and good to beat the heat.

Ingredients
Fresh Strawberries -  6 nos
Sugar - 2 tspns
Water  -1/2 cup
Milk - 2 cups

Preparation Method
Grind strawberries, sugar and water to smooth paste and add milk and again whip to smooth paste.

Serve chilled or as it is.

Notes - Can use any milk or chilled milk.

This recipe is going to Food Palatte Pink by Akheela and Fun n Sun by Radhika.

Upma Kozhakattai with Moong Dal!!!

Upma is a popular South Indian Breakfast/Tiffin prepared with Sooji/Rava. I am posting  Upma Kozhakattai recipe. Its very filling.

Ingredients
Rice Rava/Sooji/Semolina - 2 cups(see notes)
Paasi Paruppu/Moong Dal - 1/2 cup
Jeera - 1 tspn
Water - 4  to 5 cups
Dry Red Chilli - 2 nos(as per your taste)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Curry leaves - few
Nalla Yennai/Gingelly Oil/Sesame Oil - 2-3 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Hing - a pinch
Salt

Preparation Method

Soak Passi Paruppu in water.
Grind 2cups rice in mixie to fine powder.

Boil water and keep aside.

In a wide kadai/wok, add oil, mustard, urad dal, curry leaves, dry red chilli and saute till dal is brown. Add hing.

Add water and paasi paruppu. Allow it to boil.
Once its cooked and boiled. Reduce flame. check on salt.
Add rava and mix without allowing to form lumps.
Once its cooked like upma, transfer it to a wide plate and allow it to cool.

Grease idli plates with little oil.

Wet your hands in water and take lemon size of upma. shape it up by hand to fist shape, and keep aside. Beware its too hot.
Steam for about 12-15mins.

Upma Kozhakattai is ready. Serve as it is or with Sambar, Chutney or Rasam.

Notes - You can also add Mor Molaga.

This recipe is going for Breakfast Mela by Srivalli.

Mangai Pachadi and methods!!!

Wish you all a very Happy Vishu!!!

Mangai/Raw Mango Pachadi is a traditional South Indian side dish prepared for the New Year.

Ingredients
Mangai/Raw Mango - 1/2 no
Vellam/Jaggery - lemon size
Water -1 cup + little more
Sambar Powder or Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Green Chilli - 1no(slit)
Salt

Talipu/Seasoning
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Peringayam/Hing/Asafotida- a pinch
Venthayam/Fenugreek seeds - 1/12 tspn
Veepam Poo/Neem Flowers - 1/2 tspn(Optional)

Preparation
Method 1
Wash, remove skin and cut mango into thin slices.
In a wide vessel/kadai, add mango, jaggery, water, green chilli, sambar/chilli powder and salt. Boil well in medium flame until mango cooks and becomes thick and blends well like gravy.
Add more water if required.
Season it with above ingredients and add to the gravy.

Method 2
Wash, remove skin and cut mango into thin slices.

In a vessel, add mango, jaggery, water, green chilli, sambar/chilli powder and salt.
Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles and season it.

Method 3
You can try microwaving too in a microwave safe dish with same ingredients above.

My preparation is Method 1.

Tangy Mangai Pachadi is ready.

Serve with hot steamed rice or sidedish for sambar, kootu and curd rice.

Checkout Kerala recipes for Vishu here.
Aviyal
Puli Inji
Palapazham/Jackfruit Payasam
Sweets

Notes
You can also use mango with skin.
Veepam Poo/Neem Flowers - If you are using fry in ghee or oil separately and garnish it.

Rose Payasam!!!

Wish you all a very Happy Tamil New Year's Day இனிய தமிழ் புத்தாண்டு நல் வாழ்த்துகள்.

Ingredients
Basmati Rice - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 lt(Any milk low fat/slim/full cream)
Sugar - 1/2 cup(Adjust sugar accordingly as rose syrup has sugar in it)
Rose Syrup - 2 tablespoons
Cashews -  1tspn(Optional)


Preparation Method
In a tall vessel, add milk and rice. Close with lid and pressure cook for about 8 to 10 whistles.
When steam goes off. Mash the rice in laddle and transfer to wide vessel.
Add the sugar, nuts and rose syrup. If its too thick add milk as required.
Allow it to boil once in low flame and blend well.


Off the stove.


Serve warm or chill.

This recipe along with Rosemilk is going off to Food Palette Pink by Akheela and Celebrate Sweets - Sweets with Rice by Priya started by Nivedita.

My next few posts will be my New Year Recipes Mangai Pachadi, Paruppu Boli/Bele Obattu and Obatt Saaru/Rasam.

Badam/Almond Burfi!!!

I prepared Badam Burfi after tasting it in my friends place, but that was different one. I tried this simple Badam Burfi. Hope you like it.

Ingredients
Badam/Almond - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tspns
Elakka podi/cardamom powder - a pinch

Preparation Method
Soak Badam for 1hour in warm water and remove skin.
In a mixie/blender, add badam and grind to fine paste.
Heat a kadai, with 1 tspn ghee, add badam  and cook for few minutes in low flame.
Add sugar and mix well. Keep stirring, add elakka podi and little ghee.
Stir till it doesnt stick to kadai and becomes thick like other burfi.
Grease a plate with little ghee.
Pour and flatten it. Allow it to cool.
Cut into desired shapes or roll out.

Badam Burfi is ready.

Avacado Milkshake

Avacado Milkshake is simple and refreshing drink.

Ingredients
Avacado(Butterfruit) - 1 no ripe, deseed and remove skin.
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1tspn or as per your taste
Ice cubes - Optional

Add all the ingredients in a mixer/blender and blend well.

Avacado Milkshake is ready to serve.

Babycorn Pakoras

I usually make Golden fried Babycorns, but this time my son did not eat found difficult in biting. So quickly I changed and immediately prepared this and he enjoyed. I was happy making him eat babycorn and my parents enjoyed too:-)

Pls bear with the photo as it is from my BB, my camera is back on Monday.

Ingredients
Babycorn - 5 nos(1pkt)
Onion - 2 nos
Besan - 1 cup or less (to cover the corn and onion)
Corn flour - 1 tspn
Rice flour  2 tspns
Curry leaves -  1 tspn
Coriander leaves - 2 tspns
Green Chilli - 2nos or Red Chilli Powder
Salt
Oil for deep frying.

Preparation Method
Chop into small pieces babycorn, onion, curry leaves coriander and green chilli. Put in a bowl.
Now add rest of the ingredients and mix with little water. The mix should not be too thin nor too thick.
Heat oil in kadai, take about a tspn of the mix and drop them in oil and deep fry both sides.

Serve with chutney or tomato ketchup.