Radish Subzi / Radish Curry

    Radish is not one of my favorite, as a child. I reluctantly prepared this curry when I heard the recipe from a friend and to my surprise found it to be perfect and scrumptious. A very big Thanks to her in initiating me to incorporate this healthy vegetable in our menu. This turned to be a great accompaniment for rice. This is how I made it.

Ingredients
 

Radish chopped to small pieces - 3 cups
Oil - 1 tbsp
Chana dal - 1 tsp
Urud dal - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustart seeds - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1 pinch
Onions chopped finely - 1/2
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
Corriander powder - 2 tsp
Red chili powder - 2 tsp
Ginger and garlic paste - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
 

Recipe

1) Heat oil in a pan, splutter chana dal, urud dal, cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once done add the asoefoetida.
2) Now add the onions and fry for 2-3 minutes.
3) Add in the ginger garlic paste and mix thoroughly.
3) Then add the cumin powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and mix nicely for about a minute.
4) Then add the chopped radish and salt and cook nicely for about 10-15 minutes by mixing occasionally.
5) Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tips

1) You can also micro-oven or steam cook the radish for 7- 8 minutes, if you are short of time. Follow the same recipe above but once you add the radish cook nicely for 2-3 minutes only, till all the spices mix.

Wheat Vellaiappam / Wheat pancake

   Appam is a very popular dish in Kerala, a southern state in India. Kerala known as 'God's Own Country' is probably one of the greenest places you will ever see. 

   Usually the authentic appam's are made with rice but getting a little conscious about health, I tried the ones made with wheat after seeing them in a television show, this has also turned out to be an equally favorite dish now. So here goes the delicious appam recipe with the healthy variation.

Ingredients

Wheat flour - 3 cups
yeast - 1/2 tsp
sugar - 1 tbsp + 2 tbsp
salt - 1 tsp + 2 tsp
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Egg - 1

Recipe

1) Take a large bowl and add 3 cups wheat flour, 1/2 tsp yeast, 1 tbsp sugar and 1 tsp salt. Add enough water to make them a thick batter and mix nicely.
2) Close the bowl and keep aside for 8 hours undisturbed.

3) After 8 hours the batter should have considerably increased in volume because of the yeast.
4) Crack one egg in a bowl and beat with a fork or whisk it until blended. 

( See video for whisking egg )

5) Make coconut milk by prying the coconut from its husk with a sharp knife, then peel off any remaining brown bits of skin that adhere to the coconut.Place the coconut flesh and coconut water in a food processor, adding little hot water.Blend until the coconut and water forms a smooth slurry. Strain over a bowl and press the mixture through the strainer. Repeat the straining process till you have got all the milk. ( See video for making coconut milk )

6) Add one cup coconut milk, one whisked egg, 2 tbsp sugar and 2 tsp salt and mix the batter nicely. They should be in an idli batter consistency.

7) Heat a flat pan or girdle. Sprinkle a little oil with a spoon.
7) Add 1/2 cup batter in the center of the pan and spread into a thick round, which is 4 - 5 inches in diameter.
8) Add a little oil on the top and sides. Let cook for a few seconds till the bottom has a few brown spots
9) Turn to the other side with a spatula. Cook for a minute. Add a few drops of oil. Serve with vegetable stew or any spicy Indian curry.

Tips

1) You can also use ready-made coconut milk cans.

Chocolate

   Chocolate is a raw or processed food produced from the seed of the cacao tree. The story of chocolate spans more than 2,000 years and now circles the globe. Here is my version of a delicious, delectable, soothing home made chocolate.

Ingredients

-Milk Powder – 200gms (11/2Cups)—Nestle Dairy Whitener
-Cocoa Powder - 3 tbsps
-Sugar – 1 Cup
-Water – 1/2 Cup
-Unsalted Butter – 1/2 cup

Recipe

1) Take a pan and grease it with butter and keep aside.
2) Mix the milk powder and cocoa powder and sift with a sieve.
3) Heat a pan, add sugar and water and keep stirring till the sugar is dissolved and bubbles appear.
4) Then reduce the flame and keep stirring till you get a one-thread consistency (Syrup when stretched between thumb and index fingers comes like one-thread) or get 110 C with the candy thermometer.
5) To this mix in butter. Stir till the butter melts.
6) Then add the milk powder and cocoa powder mixture.
7) Once all dry ingredients and wet ingredients mix they will look like a smooth chocolate batter. Further cook on low flame for 2 minutes stirring all the while.
8) Then transfer the prepared chocolate to the pan and spread evenly.
9) Allow to cool in room temperature. Then cut into desired shapes.

Tips

1) Sift for more then two times so that we get a fine powder.
2) Once you lower the flame after the bubbles appear keep the stove in low throughout.
3) I left the chocolate to set for more then eight hours.

4) Add few nuts or raisins to make your own fruit and nut chocolate.

Pasta in Alfredo Sauce

Pasta in a tradition white creamy Alfredo sauce with lots of flavor. This is a quick and simple recipe. Hope you will all enjoy.

Ingredients

Pasta - 5 cups

Olive oil - 2 tbsp

Butter - 2 tbsp

Cheddar cheese - 2 cup

Basil leaves - 1 cup

All purpose flour - 1/4 cup

Warm milk -  2 cups

Pepper as per taste

Salt as per taste

Recipe

1) First cook the pasta in a large saucepan according to the package directions. Add olive oil  (this will prevent the pasta from sticking with each other) and salt in boiling water. Drain and keep aside.

2) Melt butter in a large pan, saute garlic for a minute, don't let it brown.

3) Add in flour little by little and stir with a whisk continuously.

4) Then add the milk slowly and keep whisking for about eight minutes continuously.

5) Gradually add cheese, salt, pepper and stir. 6) Once done mix the pasta and sauce gently until the sauce has absorbed into the pasta. Garnish with  Parmesan cheese and parsley. Serve hot.

Amaranth stem sambar

               Amarath (Thotakura in telugu and Mulai kerai in tamil) is a green leafy vegetable widely used in the southern parts of India. Amaranth is a moderately tall, broad-leafed, bushy type of plant that produces a brightly colored flowery head containing a very large number of seeds. Amaranth plants can produce as many as 60,000 seeds.
               After making a curry with the leaf's I made sambar with the left over stems. They are very delicious and simple to make.

Ingredients

Toor dal - 1 cup
Amaranth chopped to 1/2 inch pieces - 2 cups
Onion chopped - 1
Tomato chopped - 1
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Salt as per taste
Fenugreek seeds - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 2 tsp
Curry leaf - 1 sprig
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Sambar powder - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size
Cilantro - 2 tbsp
Water as needed

Recipe

1) Pressure cook 1 cup dal with 2 cups of water for 2-3 whistles in a pressure cooker. Once the pressure reduces, smash the dal and keep aside.
2) Heat oil in heavy cooking pan and add the mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Once they splutter add the curry leaves and onions. Fry the onions for 2-3 minutes and then add the tomatoes and cook till they become mushy.
3) Then add the amaranth stems and cook for about 2 minutes. To this add the remaining spices red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, sambar powder, salt and mix nicely.
4) Soak tamarind in warm water and take the pulp and add them to the pan.
5) Then add little water and smashed toor dal and cook nicely. Adjust the consistency of the sambar with water. Allow it to come to a boil, you can see bubbles. Then simmer the stove and cook for 5 more minutes.
6) Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off the stove. Once done close with a lid.

Tips

1) Try using the tender part of the stem.
2) You can also use the ready made tamarind pulp found in Asian stores.

Mango Rice

  For me raw mangoes are a heaven, when I have them as slit pieces with salt and chili powder or as an instant pickle that goes well with rice. I had to think about another alternative when I ended up with only a raw mango in the fridge for dinner. I remembered the tangy flavorful rice with fragrant tempering which we usually make for Ugadi (Telugu New year). I Made it for dinner and ended up having a delicious festive rice. Here is how I made it.

Ingredients

Raw mango peeled and grated - 1
Red chilli - 2
Urud dal - 1/2 tbsp
Chana dal - 1 tbsp
Coriander leaves chopped - 2 tbsp
Green chilli slit - 2
Cashew nuts / Peanuts - 1/3 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida powder - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Ghee / Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil - 2 tbsp
salt as per taste

Recipe

1) Pressure cook the rice with ghee, turmeric powder and salt. Keep aside.
2) Heat oil in a pan. Add cashews / peanuts and saute them for a minute.
3) To this add red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, chana dal,urud dal and green chillies respectively. Once they splutter add in the curry leaves and green chillies.
4) Mix the asafoetida powder and add the grated mango to the pan. Mix nicely for a couple of minutes and switch the stove off.
5) Now add the mango tempering with the cooked rice and mix nicely with a ladle.
6) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Tips

1) To check if the peanuts are cooked just tap them with a ladle and they will break into two halves.
2) Do not cook the mangoes for more then two minutes, they will lose the flavor.
3) Try with Basmathi rice for more taste.

Butter Biscuits

       When Mr R asked me if I would make Butter biscuits for him after tasting them in a bakery, I got a little frenzy not knowing what will turn out from my first attempt, the bakery ones were very delicious and I was wondering if I can make anything close to it. After blogging for a while and fixing my mind with a recipe and boosting confidence I got ready for the task. I started around 5"o clock in the evening, every step went by smooth and these little treats were all done in 20 minutes. 

      Then finally I waited for my dear food critique to arrive and kept my fingers crossed. Mr R was very excited when he saw the biscuits on the table. He straight rated it to a 5 star. Together with the family we finished every bit of it. I am very happy to share this quick and simple treat with all of you.

 
Ingredients

All purpose flour - 1 cup
Baking soda - 1/4 ts
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Room temperature butter - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/3 cup

Recipe

1) Sift all the flours (all purpose flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt) and keep aside.
2) Mix butter and sugar nicely until creamy and fluffy.
3) Add in the flour mix little by little to make a soft dough.
4) Then make them into 12 equal size ball and flatten them with your palm without pressing too hard. Place them on a non-stick baking sheet 2" apart,sprinkle little flour on top for a thin coating. Keep them in the fridge for 10 minutes.
5) Heat the oven to 350 F.
6) Then bake for 12 - 15 minutes or till they are almost white with a very slight golden color.
7) Allow to cool on a rack for some time and then enjoy the biscuits. Store in a air tight container.

  
Tips

1) Mixing equal quantities of dalda (Indian product) and butter makes the biscuits more delicious.

Rasam in a jiffy

Rasam the comfort food from south Indian cuisine. This spicy clear soup is among the first few items I learnt to cook. So here goes the recipe.

Ingredients

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Red chilli - 1

Peppercorns - 5

Tomato chopped or pureed - 1/2

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size

Water - 5 cups

Salt as per taste

Turmeric powder - 1 pinch

Recipe

1) Heat oil in a deep bottomed vessel, add mustard seeds and cumin seeds once they splutter add red chilli, curry leaves and garlic.

2) Then pour in water and add all the remaining ingredients.

3) Allow to boil nicely for 10-12 minutes, then switch off and garnish with cilantro.

Coconut mango chutney

This is a very tasty chutney and prepared in moments in the blender.

 Ingredients

Coconut grated - 2 cups
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsps
Salt as per taste
Raw mango - 3 tbsp
Onions chopped - 2 tbsps
Green chilli - 1

Recipe

1) Blend in all the ingredients into a fine paste adding little water. Goes well with idlis.

Paneer Sizzlers

    Paneer sizzler is a vegetable barbeque recipe with paneer cubes marinated in tantalizing array of sauces and spices and then placed in a griller. The paneer sizzlers are easy to prepare and mouthwatering in taste. A perfect starter or cocktail snack item. I have used the store bought chutney's in this recipe, you can find them in any Indian grocery stores.

Ingredients

Paneer into 1" cubes - 14 oz
Red onions into 1" chunks - 1 no
Capsicum into 1" chunks - 2 nos
Cherry tomatoes - 15 / Roma tomatoes into 1" chunks - 2 nos
Mint chutney - 4 tbsps
Chilli chutney - 2 tbsps

Tamarind date chutney - 4 tbsps
Ginger paste - 1 tsp
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 no
Salt as per taste
Coriander powder - 2 tsp
Pepper powder - 2 tsp

Recipe

1) Take a wide vessel and combine all the chutneys, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt and powders and mix nicely.
2) To this add the paneer, red onions, tomatoes and capsicum and mix nicely.
3) Allow this to marinate for about an hour.
4) In a skewer insert a chunk of onion,tomato,capsicum and paneer and repeat till the skewer is filled.
5) Brush them with oil.
6) Grill them in your griller or arrange the skewers in a baking tray and bake at 350 F for 15 minutes and then broil for 10 minutes.

Tips

1) Soak the skewers in water before inserting the vegetable chunks for 20 minutes so that they will not burn.
2) Turn the skewers occasionally while grilling or baking.
3) Serve hot, garnished with lemon and onion rings.