Thursday, December 3, 2009

Banana Cake

Ingredients:

 
2 eggs
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 Bananas
1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt (optional)

 
Method:

 
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease 13 x 9 inch pan.
2. Sift together flour, salt and baking powder.
3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until lemon colored; beat in sugar and oil. Mix dry ingredients into mixture mix well. Add bananas, vanilla extract and beat the bater until mixed well. Pour batter into prepared pan.
4. Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pan 15 to 20 minutes, then flip onto rack to finish cooling.

Tuesday, December 1, 2009

Adai (Dosa from Tamilnadu)

Healthy and yuuuumy breakfast item made with 3 different kinds of lentils.

Ingredients:

2 cups Toor Daal
1 cup chana daal
1 cup moong daal
1 cup rice flour
green chillies to taste - try 2 for medium spicy
1/2 inch piece of ginger
2 tsp cumin
Pinch of Asafoetida (hing)

Method:
  1. Soak all 3 kinds of daals together overnight.
  2. Grind them together with rice flour in a grinder to the cosistency needed (to pour over the pan)
  3. Add rest of the ingredients and grind again
  4. Pour big spoon full on a heated pan, spread evenly as much as you can until thin
  5. When it is golden brown on the bottom and starts to come out of pan easily, flip it and fry on other side
Serve hot dosas with coconut chutney

Oatmeal Raisin Cookies

This is a favorite cookie recipe in  my household. I think they are yummy despite misconception by some folks that anything made with oatmeal is dry and bland.

Ingredients:

2 sticks (1/2 pound) butter, soft
1 cup brown sugar, packed
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt (optional)
3 cups oats (quick or old fashioned, uncooked)
1 cup raisins, rolled in flour

Method:
  1. Heat oven to 350°F.
  2. In large bowl, beat butter and sugars on medium speed of electric mixer until creamy.
  3. Add eggs and vanilla; beat well.
  4. Add combined flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt; mix well.
  5. Add oats and raisins; mix well.
  6. Drop dough by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheets.
  7. Bake 8 to 10 minutes or until light golden brown.
  8. Cool 1 minute on cookie sheets; remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store tightly covered.
Variations

Bar Cookies: Press dough onto bottom of ungreased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake 30 to 35 minutes or until light golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Cut into bars. Store tightly covered. 24 BARS. VARIATIONS: Stir in 1 cup chopped nuts. Substitute 1 cup semisweet chocolate chips or candy-coated chocolate pieces for raisins; omit cinnamon. Substitute 1 cup diced dried mixed fruit.


Sunday, November 29, 2009

Chocolate Zucchini Bread

This is one of my favorite breads. By reducing the oil content to certain extent, the taste can still be kept making it a healthy and yummy dish.

Ingredients:

3 eggs (or equivalent egg whites)
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
 - (I use 2/3 cup oil and 1/3 cup milk for low fat recipe)
2 (1 ounce) squares unsweetened chocolate, melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chopped almonds (tastes great with Walnuts too)
2 cups grated zucchini

Method:
  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease two 9 x 5 inch loaf pans well.
  2. Sift together flour, salt, cinnamon, baking powder, and soda.
  3. In a large bowl, beat eggs until lemon colored; beat in sugar and oil. Stir in vanilla, zucchini, and cooled chocolate. Mix dry ingredients into zucchini mixture. Stir in the chopped almonds. Pour batter into prepared pans.
  4. Bake for 60 minutes (50 min in my oven), or until a tester inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool in pans 15 to 20 minutes, then flip onto racks to finish cooling.

Monday, November 23, 2009

Corn Bhel Puri

Ingredients:
1 cup boiled fresh corn chilled
1/2 cup grated carrot1 medium onion chopped fine
1 medium tomato chopped fine
1/2 cup coriander chopped fine
1 large potato boiled
1/2 cup plain yogurt or sour cream or Greek yogurt
1/2 cup sev (fine)
1 tsp chat masala
1 tsp lime juice
1 finely chopped green chilly (or equivalent paste)
1/2 tsp powdered sugar
1/2 tsp cumin seeds powdered.

Method:
If using plain yoghurt, tie the it in a muslin cloth for 2 hours to drain out the water (I use Greek yogurt). Chop potato finely. Keep aside sev and half the coriander. Just before serving mix ingredients well in a large mixing bowl.
Transfer to individual bowls. Garnish with sev and coriander. Serve with milk Shakes or tea.
Making time: 15 minutes (excl boiling time)
Serves: 6
Best served fresh

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Cornbread

Low calorie cornbread with less Eggs

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cup Polenta (cornmeal)
3/4 cup All Purpose flour
1/4 cup caster sugar ( or plain)
1 tsp salt
1 egg
2 tbsp butter
3/4 tsp Baking Powder
1/4 tsp Baking Soda
1 cup milk
1 cup fresh corn
Method:
1.Preheat Oven to 350F. Spray Baking Pan with PAM or little butter. Combine Cornmeal,flour,sugar,baking soda,Baking powder and salt.
2.Stir together milk,egg and butter until blended.
3.Now pour the wet ingredients into dry, add fresh corn and mix well
4.Pour into the baking pan and bake for 25-30min until the sides get brown and a skrewer comes out clean when inserted in the middle
5.Let it cool for 5 min and then cut into slices and enjoy. It is little crusty on the outside and moist inside.

Jalepeno & Cheese Cornbread

Ingredients:
2 cups cornmeal
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
2-1/4 cups low fat/fat free buttermilk
1/4 cup honey
3 egg whites, lightly beaten
1/4 cup butter, unsalted,melted
1 cup low fat cheddar cheese grated
1/3 cup jalapeno peppers, thinly sliced

Method:

Preheat oven 400F. Place a 9 inch pan in the oven.
Whisk together the flours along with cornmeal, baking powder,soda and salt.
Whisk together eggs,honey,butter and buttermilk in another bowl.
Add the wet ingredients to the dry at once, stirring quickly and lightly.
Add the cheese and the jalapenos and stir to combine.
Remove the skillet from the oven and grease the pan, covering the bottom and the sides well.
Carefully transfer the batter to the pan.
(Remember: handle of the pan will be HOT from the oven)
Bake for approximately 25-30 minutes or until the top is golden brown and a skewer inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove and serve warm.

Roasted Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients:

About 2 pounds pumpkin, chopped into chunks
1 red onion, chopped
2-3 cloves of garlic
2 tsp ground cumin
1 carrot, chopped
1-2 green chillies
pinch of nutmeg
1 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 cup milk
Salt n pepper to taste
Sour cream, flat leaf parsley to garnish (optional)

Method:

1.Place the pumpkin chunks in baking sheet and brush little Olive oil on the slices. Place the in a preheated oven at 350F
2.Bake for 30min or until they are soft and golden brown around the edges.
3.Take out the pumpkin and with the help of a spoon remove the flesh from the skin and keep it aside.Meanwhile take a skillet and place the chopped onions, garlic, fennel seeds and the chillies. There is no need to add oil – just add some salt which will moisten the onions.Add the punmpkin flesh and 1-1/2 cups of water and let it cook for 5 min.
4.Now either with the help of an hand blender / food processor blend the solids and place them back in the pan. Add the nutmeg and milk and let it come to a boil – about 5min. Add salt/pepper if needed. Garnish with flat leaf parsley/cilantro and some sour cream.

Friday, November 6, 2009

Apple Dapple Cake


Ingredients:
2 cups sugar
1 ½ cups corn oil (use 1 cup oil and 1/2 cup milk for low fat)
3 eggs (or equivalent Egg whites)
3 cups un-sifted all-purpose flour
2 cups chopped pecans (or Walnuts)
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
3 cups diced apples
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon - optional (I perfer it)

Method:
GLAZE
1 cup dark brown (or golden brown) sugar 
¼ pound butter
½ cup heavy cream

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Combine sugar and oil and beat well. Add eggs one at a time. Sift dry ingredients and stir into egg mixture. Beat in apples, nuts and vanilla. Pour into a buttered springform tube pan (I used a bundt pan but have also tried an angel food cake pan) and bake for 1 hour or until a toothpick inserted in the center come out clean (1 ¼ hours with bundt pan) (45 min with 9 X 13 in pan in my oven). Cool the cake for approximately 10 – 15 minutes and remove from pan. Turn upside down on a wire rack with a plate underneath the rack.

Combine glaze ingredients and boil for 3 minutes. Spoon the glaze over the cake. The excess glaze will fall to the plate below and can be re-spooned over the cake until the entire glaze hardens.
Cake can be made with out the glaze and served with ice cream.
It freezes well also.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Eggless Tofu-Spinach Quiche

I got this recipe from allrecipes.com. I played around with it adding different seasonings and vegetables. Original recipe without the pie crust works well for us.

Ingredients:
8 oz. package tofu
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
10 oz. package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/4 cup diced onion
2/3 cup shredded cheddar
1/2 cup shredded swiss
9" unbaked frozen pie crust, thawed (Optional, I don't use it)

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 350.
2. Process tofu and milk in a blender or food processor, until smooth. Blend in salt and pepper.
3. In a bowl, mix spinach, garlic, onion, cheeses, and tofu mixture. Mix well and pour into pie crust.
4. Bake for 30 minutes or until set, and golden-brown.
5. Let stand 5 minutes before cutting.

Cheese and Spinach Quiche - 1

I tried a few recipes from online for spinach quiche and here are my favorites. These are altered versions of my own. I basically wanted a variety without pie base, since its high in calories. Most of the times we eat quiche for breakfast.

Source: cooks.com
Ingredients:
2 eggs, beaten (replacing with equivalent egg whites works well)
1 c. warm milk
1 lb. shredded Monterey Jack cheese (2 cups)
1 pkg. chopped spinach, thawed and drained
1 c. flour (I use Bisquick)
1 tsp. salt
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 stick butter (or vegetable oil)
1 cooked and sliced potato (optional, my own addition)
2 cloves minced garlic
1/2 tsp Black pepper (optional)

Method:
Mix eggs, milk, flour, salt and baking powder. Add cheese and spinach. Melt butter in pie pan. Pour into mixture. Pour mixture into pan and bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes.

Thursday, October 22, 2009

Pin Wheels

Ingredients:
1 (8 ounce) package whipped or regular cream chesse
(Use fat free for low fat appetizers or
Artichoke spinach cream cheese for great flavor)
10 (10 inch) flour tortillas
1/2 cup green onions, chopped
1/4 cup black olives, chopped (optional)
1/2 cup Cilantro chopped
1/4 cup Red bell peppers
Red chilli pepper to taste (optional)

Method:
Spread cream cheese spread evenly on tortillas. Sprinkle the green onions, black olives etc. evenly between all ten of the tortillas. Roll tortillas up jellyroll style. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours.
Remove from refrigerator and slice at 3/4 inch intervals. Arrange on tray and serve.

Lasagna Rolls

Source: Yahoo Recipes
Ingredients:

12 whole-wheat lasagna noodles
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 (14 ounce) package extra-firm water-packed tofu, drained, rinsed and crumbled
3 cups chopped spinach
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons finely chopped Kalamata olives
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 (14 ounce) jar marinara sauce, preferably lower-sodium, divided
1/2 cup shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

Method:

  1. Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain, rinse, return to the pot and cover with cold water until ready to use.


  2. Meanwhile, heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 20 seconds. Add tofu and spinach and cook, stirring often, until the spinach wilts and the mixture is heated through, 3 to 4 minutes. Transfer to a bowl; stir in Parmesan, olives, crushed red pepper, salt and 2/3 cup marinara sauce.


  3. Wipe out the pan and spread 1 cup of the remaining marinara sauce in the bottom. To make lasagna rolls, place a noodle on a work surface and spread 1/4 cup of the tofu filling along it. Roll up and place the roll, seam-side down, in the pan. Repeat with the remaining noodles and filling. (The tofu rolls will be tightly packed in the pan.) Spoon the remaining marinara sauce over the rolls.


  4. Place the pan over high heat, cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to medium; let simmer for 3 minutes. Sprinkle the rolls with mozzarella and cook, covered, until the cheese is melted and the rolls are heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Serve hot.
    Yield: 6 servings

Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Handvoh

Ingredients:
2 cups Handvoh flour – Available in Indian grocery stores
To prepare flour:
Dry grind together to fine semolina texture:1 cup rice1 cup yellow moong dal
Others:
1 ½ cup grated Italian Zucchini squash and/or carrots or grated bottle guard
3 tbsp. coriander chopped
2-4 green chillies finely chopped
3 cups buttermilk or (2 cups yogurt + 1 cup water)
3/4 tsp. soda bicarb
1 tsp minced ginger
1 tsp minced garlicSalt to taste (try 1 ½ tsp)
2 tbsp jaggery (brown sugar) optional
1 tsp pickle masala optional (available in Indian groceries)
4-5 tbsp. oil
1 tsp. each urad and channa dal
1/2 tsp. each cumin and mustard seeds
Pinch of Hing (asafetida)

Method:
1. Take butter milk in a large vessel.
2. Add salt, soda and flour, mix well.
3. Keep aside for 6-7 hours.
4. Squeeze out excess water from shredded vegetables.
5. Add shredded vegetables, coriander, greenchilli, ginger and garlic, mix well.
6. Heat oil in a pan, add urad & channa dals, and seeds.
7. Allow to splutter, then add hing and fry few more seconds; pour half of this garnish mix in the batter, mix thoroughly.
8. Put in a greased oven proof deep container.
9. Pour remaining seasoning on top.
10. Place in a preheated oven at 536F (280C) for 10 minutes.
11. Reduce to 392F (200C) or 356F (180C) for 40 minutes or till done.
12. Check by inserting a skewer which should come out clean.
13. Slice into wedges and serve hot with mint chutney or ginger chutney or even Maggi masala chilli sauce.
Making time: 30 minutes (excluding fermenting and baking time)Makes: 5-6 servingsShelflife: Flour may be stored in a dry airtight container for 3-4 weeks.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

***Rasam

Ingredients:
Tamarind paste
Rasam powder
Jeera powder
Dhania (coriander) powder
Red chilli
Curry leaves
2 cups water
mustard seeds
Method:

Sunday, September 6, 2009

Jeera Rice

Ingredients:
1 cup Basmathi Rice
2 cups water
2 tsp jeera (Cumin)
2 tsp ghee
1/2 cup grean peas
1 tsp salt or to taste
Method:
Heat ghee in pan, add jeera fry until light brown, add grean peas and fry for a min, add rice, water and salt, cook in rice cooker until done. Fluff and serve.

Friday, August 28, 2009

Pesarattu

Ingredients:
Whole green gram or split washed Moong Dal - 1 cup
Raw rice – ¼ cup or Rice flour – ½ cup
Green chillies - 2-3
Ginger - 1 cm
Salt - to taste
Soak gram and rice together for 6-8 Hrs. Grind with rest of the ingredients to a smooth, thick batter.

Method:

Heat a thick flat griddle, preferably non stick, till few drops of water, sprinkled on it sizzle and evaporate quickly
Lower the flame,Pour about 1 ½ cup of batter on it and spread quickly with the back of a laddle, as thin as possible. ( It will be slightly thicker than standard dosa)
Drizzle some oil all round and on top.
Cook on medium heat till the under side is well browned.
Sprinkle some filling on the dosa and fold the other to cover the filling.

Serve hot with a chutney.

Thursday, August 27, 2009

Tamarind Rice

Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup (measurement before cooked)1 & ½ table spoons Tamarind Paste 2 Green Chilies - Cut the length wise.
3 Red chilies1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
3/4th tsp Turmeric Powder1 ½ tsp salt (or to taste).
1 tsp Sugar

For Seasoning
1/2 tbsp Mustard1 tbsp Chana Daal
1 tbsp urad daal
2 tbsp groundnutsa pinch of asafetida
A pinch of fenugreek powder – optional
2 tsp gingley seed powdered – optional
Few curry leaves2 tbsp oil

To make tamarind paste: Soak tamarind in just enough water, cook on medium heat for 15 min until soft and grind. Can be stored in refrigerator for at least a month (add 2 tsp of salt for 500 gm of tamarind to store well)
Method:
· Boil the rice with less water (than normal) so that the grains are separable from each other and allow it to cool in a wide bowl or a basin.
· Add tamarind paste, salt and turmeric to the cooked rice and mix evenly.
· Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, chana daal, urad daal, groundnuts, red chilies and fry just a little, then add green chilies and ginger and fry till daal and nuts become golden brown, now add curry leaves and asafetida fry few more seconds and remove from heat. (Basically fry all the ingredients so that they give out nice aroma and not over fried). Add fenugreek powder and/or gingley powder at this point if using.
· Pour this seasoning mixture over rice, and then add sugar.
Mix well with a wide flat spoon (or hand) until it is evenly mixed and serve.

Can be served with Papad. Also, goes well with potato curry, vegetable raita (vegetable and yogurt/curd salad) or spicy chicken curry.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Coconut Chutney

Ingredients:
1 cup coconut gratings
2-3 green chilies
Finely chopped Coriander Leaves
About 4 curry leaves - optional
Tamarind Concentrate-1\4 tsp
Salt to taste

Method:
To prepare chutney grind coconut, chillies, tamarind paste and salt to a smooth paste adding little water to grind. Mix coriander leaves. Season this with a tsp of oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Saturday, August 22, 2009

Rava Idli

Ingredients:
Rava/Sooji (White) - 1 1/2 cup
Mustard - 1 tsp
Green Coriander chopped - 1 tbsp
Green chillies Chopped - 4
Ginger grated - 1/2 inch
Curry leaves chopped - 10-12 leaves
Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil - 2 tsp
Curds - 2 cups
Cashew pieces - a few (optional)

Method:
Take oil in a pan and heat it. Add Mustard seeds and cashew pieces and fry for a minute.
Add rava and fry on medium flame for 3 minutes then cool it on a plate.
Take a mixing bowl and mix rava, chillies, coriander, curry leaves and ginger. Add salt.
Heat water in a pressure cooker.
Mix curds just before preparing idlies. Check for salt. Add baking soda and mix the dough lightly. You can see the bubbles coming from the dough. If the mixture is too thick you can add water.
Steam this mixture in idli moulds without putting weight to the pressure cooker. Cook on medium flame for about 12 minutes.
Let the idli stay in the cooker for a minute and then remove it.


Serve hot with ghee and coconut chutney.

Friday, August 21, 2009

Upma

Ingredients:
Cream of wheat (Hindi: Sooji)
1 cupThinly Chopped or shredded vegetables (Cabbage, Carrot, Capsicum and Onions)
1 cup Green Chilies 2 nos (1 for mild spice)
Ginger, minced – 1 teaspoon (optional, it gives good flavor that goes well with all other ingredients used)
Curry Leaves 1 sprigCoriander (cilantro) leaves to garnish
Salt to taste (about 1 tea spoon)
Sugar 1/2 tsp (optional)
Tomatoes chopped 2 nos (optional)
Water 2 cups
Oil 4tsps.Mustard 1 tsp.Channa dal (split garganzo beans) 1 tsp
Cashews or Groundnuts/Peanuts 1/4th cup (Eliminate this if you have allergy to nuts)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, when it cracks add channa dal and nuts, when done (golden brown) add chopped green chilies, minced ginger and curry leaves. Add the vegetables
and onions. Add salt and sugar and cook the vegetables till done (about 5 min) on a low flame. (Don’t overcook or brown them)Add chopped tomatoes and cook till soft. Add water and bring it to a boil. Lower the flame and to the boiling water slowly stir the cream of wheat in and cook. (to avoid lump formation, add cream of wheat to the boling water very slowly from a cup while stirring the water constantly with a spoon). When the water content begins to reduce lower the flame and cook under cover for 5 minutes. Before serving garnish with coriander leaves.

Servings : 2
Cooking time: 15-30 Min

Upma can be made in different variations, according to the availability of vegetables. All the variations are tasty and have their own different taste. · Use just onions, without any other vegetables or tomatoes (this is just Upma)· Use Onions and Tomatoes (this is called Tomato Upma)· Those who don’t like onions can avoid onions and use combination of other vegetables. You can experiment with the mix of your favorite vegetables (well may be not Broccoli). Curry leaves is the key ingredient to get authentic flavor but Upma still tastes good without

Tuesday, August 18, 2009

Tomato Rice (Spanish)

Ingredients:
2 tablespoons olive oil ( I use 1 tbsp, it tastes the same yummy)
1 medium onion, chopped fine
1 garlic clove minced
1 tsp ginger minced - optional
1 red or green chili - optional
2 cups of long-grain white rice or Basmati or Jasmine rice
3 cups vegetable stock or water ( amount of water depends on the kind of rice being used)
Half cup freshly cut tomatoes and 1 cup cooked and pureed tomatoes (or) 1 cup freshly cut tomatoes (or) 1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste or
1 tsp brown sugar
2 tbsp cilantro chopped
Salt to taste (more or less 2 tsp)

Method

1) Heat oil in a large pan. Cook the onion until softened. Add garlic, ginger and chili and stir through for 1 minute. Add rice to the skillet and cook onion rice mixture, stirring frequently, about 4 minutes or until the rice is starting to become brown.
2) In a separate sauce pan bring vegetable stock or water to a simmer. Add tomato puree and/or fresh cut tomatoes, half of the cilantro, brown sugar and salt. Add rice to broth. Bring to a simmer. Cover. Lower heat and cook 15-25 minutes, depending on the type of rice and the instructions on the rice package. Turn off heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

Fluff and sprinkle rest of the cilantro and serve.

Monday, August 17, 2009

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
3 cups Basmati or any fine rice
1 large fresh Coconut (grated) (or 1 can of coconut milk)
3 tbsp. ghee (or oil)
1 large onion (Finely sliced)
2 green chilies (or to taste)
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
½ cups finely cut coriander (cilantro) leaves
2.5 tsp salt (or to taste)
½ cup cashews
Serves 6
Method:
Grate the coconut, soak in three cups boiling water and when look warm, pass through a blender and strain the juice. (Or use 1 can of coconut milk)
Soak the rice for half an hour.
Heat ghee and fry cashews and keep aside. In this ghee fry the onion few minutes till transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry till golden brown. To this mixture add chilies and rice fry for 5 minutes. Add coriander leaves, coconut milk, water and salt. Cook in the rice cooker or till done. Garnish with cashews.

This rice can be made with vegetables like potatoes and green peas and/or carrots.

Friday, August 14, 2009

7 Layer Burfi

Ingredients:
1 cup besan
1 cup oil
1 cup coconut powder
3 cups sugar
1 cup milk
1 pinch baking powder

Method:

Mix every thing together and cook


Ricotta Burfi

Ingredients:
15 oz Ricotta cheese
3/4 cup milk powder
1 cup sugar
4 tsp ghee
4 cardamoms powdered

Method:
Mix all the ingredients and cook on medium high heat for 10 min and on medium heat for another 5 min. Pour this mixture over a greased pan and let it cool. Cut into pieces and serve.

Mango Pie

Ingredients:

1 can - Mango pulp
8 oz Philadelphia cream cheese
8 oz Cool whip
3 packets unflavoured gelatin
1 cup sugar
3 cups water

Method:
Boil water, stir galatin into hot water carefully and mix well to dissolve all the lumps. Blend together cream cheese, mango pulp, sugar and cool whip while slowly adding gelatin water mix. Pour this mixture over pie base and refrigerate for 6 hours or un til done.

Pie base is not necessary, I refrigerate this mixture as it is in a pie plate. It tastes yummy wtihout pie crumbs.

Thursday, August 13, 2009

Ginger Chutney

Ingredients:
50gms ginger
4 green chilles
Small lemon sized (table spoon) tamarind soaked in hot water
2tbsp Jaggery
2 cloves of garlic
Few sprigs of Coriander Salt to taste (try 1 teaspoon, then add as needed)

(To me the above measurements are a bit hard to remember and confusing when I actually start preparing in the kitchen so I just take approximately equal amounts of ginger , tamarind, chillies, jaggery and use the other ingredients to taste. For me this way works great.)
Method:
Grind all of the above ingredients till smooth.
Garnish with (not needed as the chutney tasted good without garnishment):Half spoon of each of these: mustard, urad daal, garlic, curry leaves, small pinch of Hing (asafetida), all together roasted in small amount of oil.

This chutney goes well with any Rice dish, Idli, Dosa, Upma or any snack items like pakoda, Vada etc. and also tastes excellent as bread spread. If you want to store chutney for more than a week, make sure chillies and ginger are dried off after washing, use hot water for tamarind and do not add coriander when grinding, instead add fresh to small amounts of chutney when you use. If prepared this way, chutney can be refrigerated for 3 -6 months.

Groundnut (Peanut) Chutney

Ingredients:
1 Cup dry roasted Groundnuts1 green chilli (or to taste)
1 spoon of tamarind (raw soaked in water or paste) (can replace with lemon, gives different taste)
2 teaspoons dry coconut grated
2 cloves of garlic
1 spoon of cumin (roasted or not roasted o.k.) seeds
2 stems of coriander
4-5 Curry leaves Salt to taste (1 spoon or less)
¾ to 1 cup water (to the consistency you like)
Method:
Grind/blend all of the above ingredients in mixer/grinder.
(Garnishing with garlic, curry leaves etc. in heated oil is the normal way). But for the times we are living in, using less oil in the dishes wherever possible makes sense. So just grind all the garnishment ingredients with the chutney and it tastes as good.

This chutney goes well with Idli, Dosa, Upma and any snack items like pakoda, vada etc.

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Carrot Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup (measurement before cooked)2.5 to 3 table spoons Lemon juice, freshly extracted
¾ cup Grated Carrots2 Green Chilies - Cut the length wise.
3 Red chilies1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
1/4 tbsp Turmeric Powder1 ½ spoon salt (or to taste).
For Seasoning
1/2 tbsp Mustard1 tbsp Chana Daal
1 tbsp urad daal
2 tbsp groundnutsa pinch of asafetida
Few curry leaves2 tbsp oil

Method
Boil the rice with less water (than normal) so that the grains are separable from each other and allow it to cool in a wide bowl or a basin.
Add salt to the lemon juice.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, chana daal, urad daal, groundnuts, red chilies and fry just a little, then add green chilies and ginger and fry till daal and nuts become golden brown, now add curry leaves, and then grated carrots and asafetida fry few more seconds and remove from heat. (Basically fry all the ingredients so that they give out nice aroma and not over fried).
Pour this seasoning mixture over rice, and then add turmeric, lemon juice + salt mixture and sugar.
Mix well with a wide flat spoon (or hand) until it is evenly mixed and serve.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients:
Rice 1 cup (measurement before cooked)Lemon juice – 2 table spoons freshly extracted2 Green Chilies - Cut the length wise.
3 Red chilies1 tbsp Ginger finely chopped
1/4 tbsp Turmeric Powder1 ½ spoon salt (or to taste).
1 spoon sugar
For Seasoning
1/2 tbsp Mustard1 tbsp Chana Daal
1 tbsp urad daal
2 tbsp groundnutsa pinch of asafetida
Few curry leaves2 tbsp oil

Method

Boil the rice with less water (than normal) so that the grains are separable from each other and allow it to cool in a wide bowl or a basin.
Add salt to the lemon juice.
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, chana daal, urad daal, groundnuts, red chilies and fry just a little, then add green chilies and ginger and fry till daal and nuts become golden brown, now add curry leaves and asafetida fry few more seconds and remove from heat. (Basically fry all the ingredients so that they give out nice aroma and not over fried).
Pour this seasoning mixture over rice, and then add turmeric, lemon juice + salt mixture and sugar.
Mix well with a wide flat spoon (or hand) until it is evenly mixed and serve.

Can be served with Papad. Also, goes well with potato curry, vegetable raita (vegetable and yogurt/curd salad) or spicy chicken curry.

Pongal

Ingredients:
1 cup - raw rice (do not need Basmathi rice for this item)1/3 cup - Green gram daal (split Moong daal)
½ cup milk (optional)
1 tsp - black pepper
1 ½ tsp - cumin seeds
1 tbsp - broken cashew nuts
1 tbsp - finely cut ginger (optional)a few curry leaves
1 tbsp – ghee (use oil if fat conscious, flavor is good with ghee)
5 cups - water
salt to taste

Method
1. Wash rice and daal and cook them together with water and salt in pressure cooker for15min - or until 4 whistles (Indian pressure cookers).
2. Add half a cup of boiled hot milk to the cooked rice-daal mixture.
3. Sautee ginger, cashew nuts, pepper, cumin seeds in ghee till light brown, add curry leaves and fry few more seconds.
4. Pour this spice mixture over the rice-dal mixture.
5. Mix well and serve steaming hot with sambaar, coconut chutney, or ginger chutney. Pongal tastes good by itself.

Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Ravva Laddu

Ingredients
Makes - 10 Laddoos of normal size
Rava / Semolina - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Ghee - 25 gms
Milk - 25 ml
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Cashew nuts - 10 whole nuts
Raisins - 10 nos
Grated fresh coconut - 25 gms



Method

  • Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai. Once the ghee is hot enough, simmer the flame and roast cashew nuts and raisins.
  • Once the raisins balloon up, remove. Then roast the grated coconut.
  • Remove once done. Keep all these aside. Add the remaining ghee and roast the Rava till its well roasted and aroma starts coming out.
  • In a bowl, take all the roasted Rava, Nuts, Coconut and add the Cardamom powder. Then add the sugar. Mix well.
  • Then slowly add the warm milk into the bowl. Check if you are able to gather as balls.
  • When you find that milk added is enough to get you laddos, transfer it back to the kadai and cook in sim for 2 mins. Mix well and then cover it and let it rest for 2 mins.
    Notes: This step may be unnecessary since it forms perfect balls at the get go and even without following this step it comes out well.
  • Then immediately make balls or laddus.

Notes:
While roasting the Ravva, make sure you set the stove in low-medium heat, or else there is a chance of the ravva getting over roasted.
Its enough to add only the required amount of milk to get you form balls. Depending on the ravva and the sugar at times we may not use all the 25 gms
Since we add milk, its best to consume within 5 days of making them. If you store them in fridge, you can have them for a week.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Chakkera pongal

Rice 1 cup
Moon daal - 1/4 cup
Sugar 1.5 cup
Milk
Ghee
Cook rice and daal, add sugar and milk and cook some more, add Cahsews and Kiss miss golden fried in Ghee. Serve