SIMPLE PUMPKIN FRY

Yellow pumpkin is one of my favourite vegetable but after my wedding I was getting this veggie very less to eat because in my in law house no one prefer this veggie. Any way whenever I get chance to eat this I don’t leave it. So recently I was alone at home for a day and so I made this version of pumpkin and which was very tasty.

Simple Pumpkin Fry

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serves-4 persons

Yellow Pumpkin- 4 Cups (Wash and cut in slice)

Onion-2 (Finely Sliced)

Garlic-2 pods (Crushed with its pill)

Oil-1 tabs

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Split black gram dal- ¼ tsp

Curry leaves-Few

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Salt-to taste

Chilli powder-2 tsp (To taste)

Coriander powder-3 tsp (I use more because I like the flavour you can use less)

Garam Masala- ¼ tsp

Method

·         Heat oil in pan.

·         Put mustard seeds. Gram dal and curry leaves.

·         Allow mustard to splutter.

·         Now add onion and garlic and fry them well.

·         Till onion is little golden colour.

·         Now add pumpkin to it and all dry masala along with salt.

·         No need to add water.

·         Cook in low medium heat for 10-15 minutes.

·         Serve hot with anything.

GUGANI (A VERY FAMOUS ROAD SIDE FOOD OF ORISSA)

Every state of India is famous for some particular style of road side food. It might be not so hygienic but still you see a very big crowd surrounding the shop (tella).

I believe that road side food makes good sell than a good restaurant. Today I am going to give you a dish which is very famous street food in Orissa and called as Gugani.The dish is made with dry peas and gives good combo with vada, poha and idli.


Gugani (A very common road side Orissa Dish)

Preparation time: 10-15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serve-4-6 persons

Ingredients

Dry green peas-2 cups (soaked in sufficient water over night or at least for 8 hours)

Oil-2 tabs

Cumin seeds-2 tsp

Onion-3-4 (Finely chopped)

Garlic-6 pods (Crushed)

Ginger-1.5” (crushed)

Tomato-2 (Finely chopped)

Green Chillies-4-5 (crushed)

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Salt-to taste

Chilli powder-1-2 tsp (or as spicy as you need)

Coriander leaves-for garnish

Method

·         Pressure cook soaked dry peas for at least 10-15 minutes by adding salt and water (don’t add too much water because we are going to use the same water for cooking).

·         Now heat oil in a pan.

·         Add cumin seeds and wait till it changes it colour.

·         Now add chopped onion, crushed garlic, crushed ginger and crushed green chillies.

·         Fry till the raw smell goes off and onion becomes golden colour.

·         Put chopped tomatoes, turmeric powder and chilli powder into this.

·         Cook till tomatoes are tender.

·         Once tomatoes are cooked add boiled peas in this along with the water.

·         Let it boil for 5-10 minutes in high medium heat.

·         Switch off flame and garnish with coriander leaves.

·         Serve hot with masala vadai, onion vadai or aloo bonda.

MASHROOM MACARONI (MY OWN STYLE)

One day my H was feeling very hungry and I was tensed that what I could prepare for him immediately. I open my fridge and started searching for something. I saw that there is boiled macaroni lying in my fridge. So this is the one what I cooked for him in hurry.


MASHROOM MACRONI (MY OWN STYLE)

Preparation time: 5 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients

Bambino Macroni-2 cups

Mashroom-1 cup (Sliced)

Onion-3-4 (Finely sliced)

White paper powder-3-4 tsp

Salt- to taste

Milk-2 cup

Unsalted butter-2 tabs

Method

·         Boil macaroni in sufficient water with salt till it is tender.

·         Once macaroni is cooked, drain water and keep aside.

·         Now heat butter in a pan.

·         Fry sliced onion till translucent.

·         Add mushroom and fry in high flame for 2-3 minutes.

·         Now put milk along with salt and paper.

·         Bring it boil.

·         Boil till it is thicken.

·         Now add macaroni and fry for couple of minute.

·         Serve hot.

TAMARIND & TOMATO RASAM

I have written in my many posts that Iyengars are best maker of rasam.I really enjoy rasam rice alot in my daily life. We prepare rasam powder also at home. I will give the recipe of the same very soon but for time being enjoy Iyengar’s rasam

TAMARAIND AND TOMATO RASAM

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15 minutes

Serve-4-6 persons

Ingredients

Tamarind – like a small lemon (soaked in warm water for ½ an hour.)

Tomatoes-2

Rasam Powder-4 tsp

Cooked toor dal-1 cup

Salt- to taste

Asafoetida powder- 1 tsp (I used the solid one for best result)

Curry leaves-few for seasoning

Cumin seeds-1 tsp

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Ghee-1 tsp

Slit Green Chillies-1

Split black gram dal-1 tsp

Coriander leaves-for garnishing.

Method

·         Put soaked tamarind and one tomato in mixer jar and make fine puree of it.

·         Filter the puree in one cooking pan.

·         Add salt to taste.

·         Chopped the other tomato and put in the puree.

·         Put the pan on gas stove and let it boil in low medium heat till the raw smell of tamarind goes off.

·         Now add rasam powder and bring it to boil for another 2-3 minutes.

·         Meanwhile mash toor dal properly and add 1 ½ cup water.

·         Let it set for a while.

·         Now put this dal water slowly from the little distance in boiling rasam.

·         You will observe that after you add dal water, the top of pan will be full of forth.

·         Allow it boil with few bubbles but remember it should not overflow.

·         Now prepare for seasoning.

·         Take a frying pan and add ghee in this.

·         Wait till it is heated up.

·         Add split broken black gram dal, mustard, cumin seeds, green chilli, curry leaves and asafoetida powder.

·         Once mustard and cumin are cracked then add it to rasam and close with a lid so it should have seasoning smell for long time.

·         Serve with hot rice, samber and poriyal.

MASALA BRINJAL (MASALE WALE BAIGAN)

I love brinjal a lot but a year back I developed some allergy that’s why staying away from this veggie. Anyway I cook for my family. Recently I cooked this version of brinjal which has liked by everyone at my home and I thought when everyone has appreciated it must be very tasty.

Masale Wale Baigan 

Preparation time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4-6 persons

Ingredients

Brinjal-500 grams

Onion-2 (Finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste-2 tsp

Tomatoes-2 (Make puree of it or finely chopped it)

Salt-to taste

Chilli powder-3 tsp (or as spicy as you required)

Turmeric powder- ½ tsp

Coriander powder- 1 tabs

Kasuri Methi-2 tsp

Garam masala-1/2 tsp

Oil-1 tabs

Mustard seed-1 tsp

Amachur (Dry Mango) powder-1 tsp

Coriander leaves-for garnish

Method

·         Cut brinjal in 4 pieces and put it in water.

·         Now heat oil in a pan.

·         Put mustard seeds and allow it to crack.

·         Add onion and fry till it is transparent.

·         Now add ginger garlic paste and fry well till it leaves raw smell.

·         Put tomatoes along with all dry masala and kasuri methi.

·         Fry for 2-3 minutes.

·         Now it is time to add brinjal in this.

·         Put salt as per your taste and cook in low medium heat.

·         Water is not required for this curry.

·         Once brinjal is cooked then put coriander and serve hot.

BREAD DOSA

Now a day’s bread has taken a major role in our kitchen. We buy bread and keep for so many days at our home and guess what? Some time we forget or we use only half of packet and throw rest once it is old but I don’t do that. If bread has become very hard then I do this:-

BREAD DOSA

Preparation time: 5 minutes

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Serves-4 persons

INGREDIENTS

Bread Slice-12

Rava-6 tabs

Rice Flour-6 tabs

Curd-2 cups

Salt- to taste

Asafoetida powder-1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Oil-1 tabs

Dry red Chillies-3-4

Curry leaves-few

Green chillies-3-4 (Finely chopped)

Onion-2 (finely sliced)

Cumin seeds-2 tsp

Sesame oil- for making dosa

Method

·         Soak bread slice for 2 minutes.

·         Squeeze water from bread and put it in bowl.

·         In the same bowl, add rice flour, curd and rava.

·         Mix well.

·         Keep for 5 minutes.

·         Now in a mixer jar, add this mix and salt.

·         Grind to a fine batter like dosa better.

·          Add cumin seeds, onion and green chillies.

·         Now prepare for seasoning.

·         Heat a frying pan and add 1 tabs oil.

·         Once oil is heated up then add mustard seeds, curry leaves, dry red chillies and asafoetida powder.

·         Mustard cracked then add this seasoning to batter.

·         Heat dosa pan and grease it with little oil.

·         Spread a little batter and make thin circle on pan with the help of ladle.

·         Cook from both side and serve with chutney, samber and podi.

CORN PULAO

This Corn pulao I made when my in laws were not in Chennai and I was having liberty to use garlic. I can prepare so many dishes with corn but my family does not take much interest in corn. So I prepare very rarely corn item in day to day life.  I could not post this recipe because of my busy schedule. Enjoy this:-

Corn Pulao

Preparation time: 10 minutes

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes

Serving: 4 persons  

Ingredients

Basmathi Rice-2 cups (I used Raj bhog rice)

Sweet Corn-1 cup

Cooking Butter-6 tabs

Clove-4

Green Cardamom-4

Black Cardamom-2

Cinnemon-2”

Bay leaf-2

Anise-2

Shahi Jeera-1 tsp

Onion-2 (Finely Chopped)

Ginger Garlic Paste-1 tsp

Salt- to taste

Method

·         Wash and soak rice before 30 minutes of cooking.

·         Now heat butter in low medium heat in wide mouth pan.

·         Once butter is melted then add shahi jeera and all garam masala.

·         Fry in low flame till you get nice aroma of garam masala.

·         Now put chopped onion and fry till it is transparent.

·         Add ginger garlic paste and fry in low heat till raw smell goes off.

·         Drain the water of soaked rice and add to fried masala along with sweet corn.

·         Fry rice along with corn till rice leaves its raw smell.

·         Now add 4 cups of hot water along with salt.

·         Cook in low medium heat till rice is done.(I used pressure cooker for this)

·         Serve with any good gravy dish and riatha.

METHI PARATHAS IN RAGI FLOOR

I love fenugreek leaves in any form but most lovable dish is methi parathas and I prepare this whenever I get chance. Since I stay in Chennai now where getting methi leaves are very rare. This time I prepared parathas with the little variation of original method. I used ragi flour for preparing methi paratha.Just have a look:-

Methi (Fenugreek leaves) partha in Ragi Flour

Preparation time: 15 minutes

Cooking time: 20 minutes

Serving: 6 persons  

Ingredients

Ragi Flour-2 cups

Whole Wheat Flour-1 cups

Fenugreek (Methi) leaves-1 ½ cups

Onion-1 medium (Finely chopped)

Ginger garlic paste-1 tsp (Optional)

Oil-1 tabs

Salt-to taste

Cumin Seeds-1 tsp

Turmeric Powder-1/2 tsp

Chili Powder-2 tsp

Dry Mango (Ammachur) powder-1 tsp or to taste

Oil or ghee- as required making parathas

Method

·         Clean and chop the fenugreek leaves.

·         Wash the leaves properly and keep aside.

·         Now heat 3 tsp oil in a pan.

·         Add cumin seeds into it.

·         Once cumin seeds change its color then add onion.

·         Fry onion till it becomes transparent.

·         Add ginger garlic paste (I have used only grated ginger here).

·         Fry it till it leaves its raw smell.

·         Then add all powder masala along with fenugreek leaves.

·         Cook till leaves become tender and cooked well.

·         Allow it to get cool down.

·         Now take ragi and wheat flour in a big bowl.

·         Add the cooked fenugreek leaves in this along with sufficient water to make soft dough.

·         Keep it closed for 10-20 minutes.

·         Knead the dough again.

·         Make equal size of ball from the dough.

·         Roll the balls, in the shape of circle, by dusting some flour on top, with the help of chapatti roller.

·         Place them one by one on hot pan.

·         Cook both side and add little oil to make soft parathas.

·         Serve hot with raitha and any side dish you wish.

TIPS

·         Always cut the fenugreek leaves before wash then it will be not bitter in taste.

·         Ginger garlic paste is option in this and if you want you can add only crushed garlic or grated ginger.

·         If you want to make spicy parathas then add little green chutney in this.

You can also use kasuri methi if you don’t have fresh methi leaves. Just soak kasuri methi in warm water for 15 minutes. Use in the same way like fresh leaves