KAARA BOONDI

At my home in any festival, my mother in law is head cook I just assist her for whole work. Even the special snacks and sweets made by her. Today I am here with recipe of Kara Boondhi which is made by my MIL.

KAARA BOONDI

INGREDIENTS:-

Gram flour(Besan)- 2 cup

Rice flour- 2 spoon

Water- 1 to 2 cups

Curry leaves- few

Raw peanut- 1/4 cup

Cashew Nut – 1/8 cup

Asafetida Powder – ½ tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- for deep fry

METHOD:-

1. Mix Gram flour, Rice flour, salt and required water in a wide vessels.
2.  Mix it without any lumps.
3. The batter should be little watery and not so thick.
4.  Heat little Oil in medium flame. 
5.  Pour the batter over the perforated ladle (ladle with small round holes) and rub it with another ladle which makes the batter to fall through the ladle like small balls. 
6. Cook till it turns into crispy.
7. Drain this from oil and repeat the same for the whole batter.
8. Finally mix the boondi, fried peanut cashew nut  curry leaf, asefetida powder, salt and black paper powder or red chilli powder.

SPICY MUSHROOM & POTATO

I don't know how many of us know the benefits of mushroom. Most of typical vegetarian people do not include this is in their food because it is to be considered as non vegetarian food. Even at my home it is same but my in laws have never put restriction on me, my hubby and daughter to eat this. I cook something or other with mushroom at least once in a week.See Mushroom benefit Mushroom

Recently I tried mushroom with potato and spice came out extremely well. Check it out

SPICY MUSHROOM & POTATO

Preparation Time - 15-20 min
Cooking time - 20 -25 min

Ingredients:-

Button Mushroom - 200 gm (cleaned and cut in quarters)
Potato - 2 ( Pilled and cut in small cubes)
Onion - 2
Tomato - 1 ( finely chopped)
Ginger- Garlic paste - 1/4 tsp
Salt - to the taste
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala - 1 tsp
Oil - 2 tabs
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Method:-

• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds in that.
• Once cumin seeds change its color put ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
• Add  chopped onion and fry till it is golden brown color.
• Put chopped tomato with all dry masala and salt.
• Cook till this leaves its raw smell.
• Now add potato and cover with lid.
• Cook in medium heat till it is half done.
• Now add mushroom and cook it without putting lid.
• Cook till all the water gets dry up.
• Serve hot with rice, roti and dal.

STIR FRY OF BRUSSEL SPROUTS (Muttakosh Fry)

Cabbage a leafy green vegetable which is a good source of Vitamin C and fiber. Cabbage when contaminated is sometimes a source of food borne illness in humans.Cabbage found in two colors that is green and purple.cabbage use in all over world in different variety of  dishes for example as a main course like curry, we make salad and even in Chinese  food it is used a lot.Recently from market I got small size of cabbage which is called as muttakosh in Tamil and ended up with trying this:



STIR FRY SMALL CABBAGE (Muttakosh Fry)
Preparation time - 10 - 15 min
Cooking time- 20- 25 mins
Ingredient
Small Cabbage - 250 gm
Curd - 1/4 cup
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Chilli powder - 2 tsp
Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seed - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil - 3-4 tspMethod:-

• Clean and wash cabbage in running water.

• In curd mix all dry masalas including salt except cumin seeds.

• Now cut cabbage carefully, slit in the middle of cabbage without separating it from head to tail and in opposite side tail to head.

• Marinate cabbage with  the prepared masala curd about an hour.

• Now heat oil in a pan.

• Add cumin seed once oil is hot.

• Allow it to change its color and then add marinated curd into this.

• Reduce gas flame and allow it to get cook in low flame till cabbages are thunder.

• Serve hot.

KOTHAMALLI TOKKU

I love to add Coriander in all most all the  side dish whether it is curry, dal, samber or rasam. My mother in law makes different type of tokku ( which you can say as thick version of chutneys with little variations). My Mother in law taught me this variation of tokku long time back but today I tried this

Kothamalli Tokku

Preparation  time - 5 min
Making Time - 10 min

Ingredients:-
Coriander - 1 full bunch
Tomato - 2 in medium size
Green Chilli - 3-4 or as spicy you need
salt- to taste
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustered - 1/4 tsp
Split black gram dal- 2 tsp
Asafoetida - 2 pinch

Method

• Clean and wash coriander.
• Heat a pan and add oil in this.
• Add mustered and split black gram dal and allow mustered to crack.
• Now add whole green chilli and fry it.
• Put coriander and  fry it for 2 min.
• Remove it from pan and in the same pan add cut tomato.
• Fry for 5 min.
• Allow it to get cool down.rind it in small jar of grinder adding salt and hing.   
• Serve with hot rice.                                                                                                                    
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HAPPY NEW YEAR - 2013

TOMATO PAPPU

Today I was reading the great chef Mr. Sanjeev Kapoor’s very interesting post MEN AS COOK. It was such a nice article that I could not close my eyes for a minute. It is fact that kitchen is restricted area for men by women and honestly I also do so. It is not like that he cannot cook .He is expert in some items which even I cannot make delicious but I always feel that when I am there then why he needs to cook.

While reading the post, lots of memory was flowing in my mind. I remember when I was pregnant and my husband used to fulfil my all wishes (even now he does).Those days I used to feel hungry in the mid of night but without any hesitation and irritation he used to get up and prepare something for me, even in early morning before I will get up my tea will be ready. Believe me no one can make tea like him. .

After reading the article, I understand one thing that we should allow or request our man to cook sometimes, by doing this they will have change of mind and we will also get some relaxation. I wish that I should post my husband’s recipe very soon Please read the article it is really very interesting (Link in first paragraph).

 Today I end up with making a very simple recipe” Tomato Pappu” always love to have with hot rice.

Tomato Dal (Pappu)

Preparation time: 10 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients

Red Gram Dal-1 ½ cup (Washed and soaked for half an hour)

Water-2 ½ cups

Turmeric Powder-1/4 tsp

Tomatoes-4-5 medium (Cut in cubes)

Green Chillies-3-4 (Sliced)

Curry Leaves5-6

Oil-1 Tabs

Mustard Seeds-1 tsp

Split black gram (Urad) Dal-1 tsp

Asafetida-a pinch

Salt-to taste

Method

• Pressure cooks the soaked dal with 2 ½ cups of water and turmeric powder in medium heat till you get 3 whistles.

• Now heat a pan and put oil in this.

• Once oil is heated up add mustard seeds, split black gram dal, curry leaves,  green chillies and asafoetida.

• Once mustard seeds are cracked the add cut tomatoes with little salt.

• Put lid on pan and cook for couple of minutes.

• Once tomatoes hare ¾ cooked then add cook dal in this along with salt.

• Let the dal boil for sometimes.

• Once dal reaches to you desired thickness (Andhra people eat little thick dal) then remove it from heat.

• Serve with rice and chutney.

VARIATION

• You can make this recipe instantly, add tomatoes and green chillies while pressure cook the dal then season it with above mentioned ingredients.

• Some of people add cubed onion in this, even you can. Add after seasoning is ready and before adding tomatoes, but the taste will be little sweet.

RASAM POWDER

Preparation of Rasam is compulsory in the regular routine of food at my home. From the younger one to eldest one, every one's requirement is rasam  (Sarrumadhu in Iyengar language) at my home. We make variety of rasam and even the powder we use for this is made at home. One of the common rasam is podi rasam. I am posting the method of preparing this rasam powder today.

RASAM POWDER

Preparation time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Ingredients

Coriander Seeds – 1 cup

Dry Red Chilli – ¾ cup

Bengal gram Dal & Toor Dal  – ½ cup

Pepper corn – ¼ cup

Cumin seeds – 1/8 cup

Curry leaf – ¼ cup

Turmeric stick – 2

Solid Asefotida – 2” piece

Method:-

·         Heat a pan.

·         Dry roast all the ingredients except turmeric.

·         Roast till you get very nice aroma of it.

·         Allow it to get cool down.

·         Break down turmeric stick in small pieces.

·         Grind it to a coarse powder.

·         Store in air tight container.

BRINJAL & BLACK GRAM CURRY

Most of the people do not like brianjal but I love this at any time. I always experiment new to come out with this veggie. Today’s this dish I learnt from my sis who often make this with roti.

BRINJAL & BLACK GRAM CURRY

Preparation time: 10 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4-6 persons

Ingredients

Brinjal – 200 gm (Washed and cut in cubes)

Black gram Dal – 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Oil – 2 tsp

Bay leaf-1

Cumin Seeds - ½ tsp

Salt: as per taste

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Chilli powder – 1 ½ tsp

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Coriander Powder – 2 tsp

Onion – 2 (finely Chopped)

Tomato- 2 finely chopped

Coriander leaves - 2 tsp (Finely Chopped)

Method:

·         Cook Bengal gram Dal with enough salt and water till it is ¾ cooked.

·         Now heat a pan.

·         Add bay leaf and cumin seeds in this and fry till cumin seeds changes its colour.

·         Put ginger garlic paste into this and fry for 3-4 min

·         Add chopped onion and fry till onion is translucent.

·         Now add cut brinjal and tomato with all dry masals including salt and mix well.

·         Once brinjal is ¾ th cooked add cooked Bengal gram Dal.

·         Allow it to get cook and come to semi solid consistency.

·         Put coriander leaves and serve hot with roti or rice.

CUCUMBER MORE KUZHAMBU

I use cucumber in my daily food the reason that it is a vegetable which keeps me away from any urine issue. Since water content in this is 80 % it satisfies the thrust and also able to manage our weight.

Cucumber More Kuzhambu, was very different experience for me because, once this vegetable gets cook gives very different aroma. I learnt this in one of cookery show of Jaya TV. Came out very well.

Cucumber More Kuzhambu

Preparation time: 5 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4persons

Ingredients

Curd-1 ½ cups

Grated Coconut-6-8 tabs

Green chillies-6-10 (as per your taste)

Bengal gram Dal-2 tabs

Raw rice- 1 tsp

Coriander seeds-1 ½ tsp

Whole Black gram – 2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds- ½  tsp

Coconut Oil-2 tsp     

Split black gram dal- 1 tsp

Mustard seeds- 1 tsp

Dry red chillies-2

Curry leaves- few

Solid asafoetida- small piece

Cucumber- 1 large (cut in round slice)

Salt-as per taste

Turmeric Powder – ¼ tsp

Method

·         Wash and soak Bengal gram dal and rice before half an hour.

·         Heat a kadai and dry roast black gram and coriander seeds, till you get nice aroma of it.

·         Remove it from kadai and keep aside.

·        Heat oil in kadai and put rai dana, asafoetida, dry red chillies, split black gram dal, fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.

·         Once mustard seeds cracked then add cucumber with salt and turmeric powder.

·         Cover it with a lid and cook till cucumber is ¾th tender.

·      Meanwhile grind green chillies, coriander seeds, black gram, soaked Bengal gram dal, rice and coconut.

·         Make a course paste.

·         Now add curd to paste and grind it again.

·         Filter this in strainer so you get good creamy consistency of it.

·         Once vegetables are cooked then add this to cooked cucumber

·         Keep stirring it.

·         Add required more salt.

·         Give one to two boil and remove it from flame.

·         Serve with hot rice.

SPICY SPINACH DAL

Bunch of Iron “Palak”, one of my all time favorite and I love to eat with anything I get spinach very rarely in Chennai and whenever I get I try to make something new out of it. This time I try this:-

SPICY SPINACH (PALAK )DAL

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serving: 4-6 persons  

Ingredients

Palak (Spinach) – 1 bunch

Toor Dal – ½ cup

Channa Dal – 1/8 cup

Refined Oil – 2 tabs

Cardamom – 1

Cinnamon – 1”

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Chopped Onion – 2

Tomato – 2 ( peeled and finely chopped)

Tomato puree – 2 tabs

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Red chilli powder – 1 tsp ( or as per taste)

Salt – as per taste

Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp

Garam Masala – 1 tsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Method :-

·         Boil toor dal and channa dal in a pressure cooker with salt and turmeric powder till it is thunder.

·         Clean, wash and chopped spinach.

·         Now heat a pan with oil and add cumin seed, cardamom and cinnamon.

·         When you get good aroma of all these above mentioned.

·         Add ginger garlic paste and fry well for 5 min

·         Put chopped onion in this and fry till it turns to golden brown colour.

·         Once onion is done and adds chopped tomato with tomato puree.

·         Add all dry masala including salt.

·         Fry all these for 5 minutes.

·         Add chopped spinach and cook till it is thunder by coving pan lid.

·         Put cooked Dal in this and mix it properly.

·         Cook till one or two boil comes.

·         Serve hot with anything you want.