Recipe Index

Thakkali Kuzhambu Recipe | Side Dish For Idli Dosa

May 20, 2013 By anusha Leave a Comment

I really dont know if this version of tomato kuzhmabu is authentic chettinad. But what i do know is that, whenever i make this kuzhmabu, Mr.P and i fight for it till the last tiny spoon tooth and nail. In fact, there are times when the kuzhmabu has spilled over midst all the pulling and shoving. And then both of us put up sorry faces and vow never again to fight for the kuzhambu, only to fight for it again the next time, this is made.

a-bowl-of-delicious-kongunadu-style-thakkali-kuzhambu

This is not made in both my marital and maternal households. In fact, i made it a point to share this kuzhambu recipe with both amma and athai once i discovered how enchanting this can be. Sorry, i cant find a more befitting word than enchanting for this kuzhambu. And i m wondering, as i type, as to why i dint bother sharing the recipe with you all. All good things come in time. And this applies to the tomato kuzhambu too.

Recipe For Tomato Kuzhambu
( A tangy stew made with tomatoes and poppy seeds. Tastes best when made with country tomatoes)

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 25 mins
Serves 2
Level: Easy

Ingredients

Country tomatoes 4 to 5 large ripe ones chopped into bite sized pieces
Tamarind pulp from a marble s size soaked in 1/4 water for 10 mins or Tamarind paste 1 tsp
Shallots 5 chopped finely
Oil 2 tbsp divided
Fenugreek seeds 1/2 tsp
Fennel seeds 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves a sprig
Salt to taste

To Be Ground To A Paste:

Shallots 5
Garlic 2 cloves
Freshly grated coconut 3 tbsp
Poppy seeds 1 tsp
Fennel seeds 1/2 tsp
Chili powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Oil 1 tsp to fry shallots and garlic

Coriander leaves for garnish

Directions

In a pan, heat 1 tsp of oil and fry the 5 shallots and garlic till light brown. Let cool completely.
Add this to the grated coconut, poppy seeds, fennel seeds, chili powder and turmeric powder and grind to a smooth paste adding little water. Set aside.
In the same pan, heat oil and fry the tomatoes till mushy.
Let cool and grind again to a smooth paste. Add little water if required.
Now, heat the remaining oil in a pan. Use a fresh pan preferrably.
Pop the mustard seeds and add the fennel, fenugreek and curry leaves next.
Now, add the shallots and fry till light brown.
Add the tomato paste and the tamarind pulp and mix well.
Let it simmer for 3 to 4 mins.
Once it thickens and oil starts to leave its sides, add the ground coconut paste and mix well.
Add salt and 1 cup of water and let it simmer for 5 mins on medium flame.
Once done, garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with idlies or sponge dosa

Bread Kofta Curry Recipe | Easy Curry Recipes | Side Dishes For Rotis

May 18, 2013 By anusha Leave a Comment

There are some days when my pantry has a little of everything and not a lot of something. Say i may have one carrot and 2 to 3 beans sitting idly in the bottom of the veggie drawer. And there are some days when i have a loaf of bread whiling away its time in a mighty jolly way in the pantry. And that s exactly when i make bread kofta curry.

What s brilliant about this kofta recipe is that its not deep fried and it s also very kid friendly. You can even nibble on it as a snack during the evenings. And it can be made a few hours ahead and stored in the fridge. You can just whip up the gravy later and dunk the koftas in! Its a no fail recipe that s never let me down when there s a party to throw. And its a fabulous way to spring clean your vegetable drawers in the fridge. So, shall we chow down?

Recipe For Bread Kofta Curry
( Shallow fried koftas in a rich gravy)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Serves 3 generously
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

For The Kofta:

Bread slices 3 crust and all
Potato 1 small boiled and peeled
Carrots,peas, cabbage, cauliflower and beetroot 1 c boiled till tender yet firm
Garam masala 1 tsp
Red chili powder 1.5 tsp
Roasted cashews 1 tbsp
Cilantro 2 tbsp chopped finely
Corn flour 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil to shallow fry

For The Gravy:

Onion 2 medium chopped finely
Tomato 2 medium chopped finely
Ginger 1/2″ bit
Garlic 3 cloves
Cashews 6
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder 1 tsp

Kitchen king masala 1/4 tsp
Any biriyani masala 1/4 tsp ( optional)
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Milk 1/2 c
Oil 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro for Garnish

Directions

Lets prep the gravy first.
In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of oil.
Saute onions till translucent and tip in the garlic and ginger next.
Now, add all the spice powders and saute for 30 secs.
Next add the tomatoes and cook till mushy.
Throw in the cashews next and cook for a min.
Let cool completely.
Transfer to a blender and grind to a smooth paste without adding any water.
Now, in the same pan where you fried the onions etc, heat the remaining oil and crackle the cumin seeds.
Transfer the ground paste to this and stir well.
Cook on low flame for 2 mins.
Add salt and milk and mix well. You can alternatively use cream too.
Set aside.

Lets get going with the koftas.
I used a abelskeiver pan to shallow fry my koftas. You can use a paniyaram pan too.
In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for the koftas except the oil.
Knead to get a smooth dough like mixture.
Check for seasoning, adjust if required and shape into balls.
Heat the paniyaram pan with about 1 tsp oil in each groove.
Place the koftas gently in the grooves and cook on medium flame until golden brown all over. Keep turning the koftas now and then to ensure even browning.
Remove and drain on kitchen towel.

Dunk the koftas in the gravy only minutes before you serve. Garnish with cilantro and serve alongside phulkas or butter naan. Goes well with vegetable pulao too.

Raw Mango Rice Recipe| Maavinkai Chitranna Recipe

May 14, 2013 By anusha Leave a Comment

Mangoes. They are everywhere and anywhere in the vicinity. Situation at hand.

So, what did the poor food blogger who cant resist anything seasonal( read me) do?

Ahem….. she made the mango salsa Then she made some panna cotta with mango gelee ………..And then she even made mango pickle ( which she never does even if you put her at gunpoint). She even ate some of the mangoes, raw , ripe flesh, stone et al. And then she was still left with one small mango. A raw mango that was so sour that it will make a tamarind tree cringe. What became of that mango? That mango. That lone teeny weeny fella became raw mango rice. And let me tell you, this raw mango rice is nothing but sheer delight.

Raw Mango Rice
( Raw mangoes and coconut stir fried along with cooked rice)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Serves 2 generously
Level: Intermediate Cooks

Ingredients

For The Mango Paste:

Sour raw mango 1 small chopped finely or grated
Fresh grated coconut 1/4 cup
Green chilies 8 to 9 ( i like my raw mango rice really hot. Reduce the number if you cant handle the heat)
Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste

For The Rice:

Cooked rice 2 c ( i used sona masoori)
Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Channa dal 1 tsp
Peanuts 3 tbsp
Curry leaves a sprig
Dry red chilies 2
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Hing a small pinch

Directions

Grind together the ingredients required for the paste along with very little water to a paste. The paste must not be too coarse or too smooth.
Heat a pan with oil and pop the mustard.
Add the urad dal, channa dal, peanuts, dry red chilies, curry leaves and hing next.
Saute till the peanuts turn brown. Add the turmeric next and mix well.
Now,add the ground paste to this, mix vigorously and cook on medium flame until almost dry, stirring in intervals. Takes about 4 mins for the mixture to become dry.
Now, add the cooked rice and salt and mix thoroughly.

Serve hot with fryums or any roasted veggies.

One Bowl Triple Chocolate Coffee Brownie Recipe | Easy Eggless Brownie Recipes

May 13, 2013 By anusha 4 Comments

This space doesnt have the classic brownie recipe. You know, the ones loaded with chocolate and vanilla kicking you in the shins ( ahem.. the tongue i mean.) It has a blondie though. And i thought it was time i did justice to the brownie void on the blog. After all, if one loves baking, then one must also love brownies. That is the unwritten rule here at tomato blues.

So, when i actually raided Foodomania, whose author is Kavi, a vivacious young thing who comes out of everything in flying colors, i was starstruck with this Brownie. I immediately knew this was the one brownie that s going to be akin to my comfort food brownie sorts. You know, those are hard to come by. This will be the brownie that i ll bake when Mr.P gets promoted. Or like i did yesterday for Amma as a mother s day treat. This will be it when i write my cookbook. ( yes, i intend to do that) Its definitely conclusively that brownie recipe that i ll turn to for all good things in my life. And its also that recipe that i ll turn to when i m in need of some chocolate to lift my spirits. Here s to brownies. And here s an even bigger one to brownies with coffee in them. I made some slight changes to the brownie recipe and it was perfect. I mean like the perfect perfect. And its a brownie recipe that you cant mess.

Recipe For Triple Chocolate Coffee Brownies

( Easy eggless brownies with chocolate and coffee goodness)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Level: For Beginner Bakers

Bake Temp: 35 mins

Yields 16 squares

Ingredients

All purpose flour 1 cup

Unsweetened cocoa powder 1/4 cup

Castor sugar 1/3 cup plus 2 tbsp

Baking powder 1 tsp

Baking soda 1/4 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

White chocolate 90 g chopped into pieces

Dark chocolate 90 g chopped into pieces

Instant coffee powder 1 tbsp ( i used sunrise)

Warm Milk 1/3 cup

Curd 1/2 cup whisked finely

Canola oil 1/4 cup

Vanilla essence 1 tsp

Parchment paper to line the tray

8″X 8 ” deep square baking pan

Directions

Preheat oven to 150 C.

Dissolve the instant coffee powder in 1/3 cup of milk. Stir well. Set aside.

In a bowl, combine all the dry ingredients except the chocolate and using a whisk, mix thoroughly to make sure that its well incorporated.

Line your tray with the parchment paper in such a way that the paper s a little extra on two sides so that you easily lift the brownie out. Never never make a brownie in a pan that s not lined. I ve had too many brownie disasters when i did that and disaster wisdom is always wise.

Now, make a well in the center of the dry mixture.

Add the coffee, curd, vanilla and oil.

Using a hand whisk, gently mix the ingredients until well combined. Make sure the wet ingredients are incorporated into the dry ingredients. Dont worry about the denseness of the brownie. A brownie is dense but hey! we like density. ( In physics and in brownies)

Now, pour half of the batter into the lined tray and evenly spread it out using a spatula making sure that it covers the whole pan.

Gently tap the pan onto the counter.

Now, sprinkle the white chocolate bits over the batter evenly. Dont do it like i did. In a fashion that s typical of squirrels eating fruit.

Now, add the dark chocolate bits to the remaining batter and pour over the remaining batter.

Gently even the batter using a spatula.

Now tap the tray on the counter again gently.

Pop the tray into the oven, sit back and relax. I made my dosa maavu while i waited for the brownie to bake and the aroma that filled the house more than took away the stress and strain of the monotonous cleaning process of the wet grinder.

After about 30 mins, insert a toothpick to check if its done. If not bake further for 5 mins.

If the toothpick comes out clean, then the brownie s ready to come out.

Once done, remove from the oven and let cool for an hour before you take it out of the pan.

After it cools down, slice up into squares and start gobbling.

This goes to this month s Baked With Love and my entry for this month s blog hop week with Avant Garde Cookies Radhika, Jayanthi ,Kavi, Priya, Priya Mahadevan and Roshni

Masala Couscous Recipe | Couscous Recipes

May 10, 2013 By anusha 7 Comments

Couscous was something that i learnt about after i began my blog. No. Wait. Not even then. It was only last year that i learnt about its health benefits, of which i m not entirely sure. What i m actually sure of is that i love couscous. Its filling and its easy to make. You can add just about anything to it and it instantly transforms into something delicious. I call that embarrassingly effortless. But, hey! that s ok once in a while. This s my first couscous recipe on the blog. And rest assured, you can look forward to some more!

Recipe For Masala Couscous
( Couscous flavored with garam masala and veggies)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serves 2 generously
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

Couscous 1/2 c
Water 1 c
Onion 1 med chopped finely
Tomato 1 med chopped finely
Capsicum 1 medium chopped finely
Soya chunks 5 to 6 (optional)
Mushrooms 5 to 6 chopped finely
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Red chili powder 1/2 tsp
Cumin coriander powder 1/2 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Cilantro for garnish
Lemon wedges to serve.

Directions

Cook the soya chunks as per package instructions. Squeeze water and set aside.
Bring water to a boil.
Once done, place the couscous in a bowl and pour the boiling water over it and cover. Set aside.
In a pan, heat oil and add the cumin.
Once it crackles, add the onions and saute till light brown.
Add ginger garlic paste next and saute for 30 secs.
Add all the spice powders and the turmeric next. Saute for 30 secs more.
Now, add the capsicum and saute for a min.
Tip in the tomatoes next.
Cook the tomatoes till mushy on a low flame. Add mushrooms next and continue to saute on medium low flame.
While you do this, check on the couscous. The couscous would have absorbed the water and become fluffy and light. Gently fluff with a fork.
Once the tomatoes are done, add the soya chunks if using.
Saute for a min more.
Now, add the couscous and salt and mix well.
Cook on medium flame until the mixture loses some more of its moisture. It shouldnt be too dry nor too wet. Something like poha.
Once done, garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with lemon wedges.

Watermelon Orange Salad Recipe | Easy Summer Salad Recipes

May 9, 2013 By anusha 4 Comments

We are watermelon maniacs in this house. Had i a garden, i m sure i would have grown big gargantuan watermelons all through the year. We never tire of the fruit. Watermelons are rich in iron, high in water content and less in calories. So, come summer, we are either downing tall glasses of watermelon coolers or eating chunks of it as we open the fridge for a drink of water. I also experiment with the watermelon now and then. This watermelon salsa is a fabulous result of some of those experiments.

Today was one more such experiment. To be rather precise, i wanted a meal. And i wanted a quick one at that. And i wanted to eat fruits. I dint want anything that will put me off to sleep in a flat minute. Oh! and did i mention how horrid the weather is. I fret everytime i go into the kitchen to roll out some phulkas. So even they were a no no. And i opened the fridge to snoop around. I came up with 2 oranges, a big slice of watermelon and some herbs. I set to work immediately. I did what came to my mind. And i must say, it was mighty pleasing.

Recipe For Watermelon Orange Salad
( No cook salad with watermelon and orange chunks)

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Serves 1
Level: easy

Ingredients

Watermelon 1 c cut into bite sized pieces
Orange 2 small ones pith and seeds removed
Basil leaves 5
Mint leaves 5
Freshly squeezed orange juice 3 tbsp
Sugar 1/2 tsp
Honey 1/2 tsp

Directions

In a bowl, combine the orange chunks along with watermelon, sugar and honey.Toss once and set aside.
Now, in a blender, blend orange juice, mint leaves and basil leaves to a puree. The puree need not be smooth. This step is to infuse flavors in to the fruit. So its ok if the leaves arent finely ground.
Now,add this blended puree to the fruit and toss well.
Chill for 10 mins before serving.

Garnish with some mint leaves before serving.

Keerai Poriyal- Amaranth Stir Fry

May 8, 2013 By anusha 4 Comments

Mr.P came up with a new diet regimen a few days back. Yes, he did. Dont raise that eyebrow or give me that “Not again” look. It s only ironic if he doesnt come up with a new diet plan every fortnight. Only this time, it involved eating something regularly and not abstaining from it. He suggested that we eat greens every day along with our regular sides. It seemed a swell idea and also a great way to get the dose of nutrients naturally. So i readily gave in to his request and for a while now, we ve been eating amaranth and spinach as a routine. This stir fry is something that i whipped up during the “greens” regime. And it is simple yet scrumptious.

South Indian style Keerai Poriyal served in a white bowl

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Keerai Poriyal

Keerai Poriyal is a simple dish in which green leafy vegetables like Amaranth are stir fried with onions and coconut. This easy South Indian staple is healthy and budget friendly.

Prep Time30

Cook Time20

Course: Main Course, Vegetables

Cuisine: Indian- South, Tamil

Servings:

Calories: 160kcal

Equipment

1 Frying Pan
1 set of mixing bowls
1 Colander
1 Blender

Ingredients

500 grams Amaranth leaves
10 Shallots peeled and chopped finely
2 tbsp Freshly grated coconut thawed frozen coconut works well
2 Dry red chilies
1 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad dal
2 tsp Oil
Salt to taste

Instructions

Pick the leaves from the stalks and set aside. You can use the tender stalks for this stir fry too for a nice crunch.
Once done, chop the leaves and stalks finely and wash with plenty of water.
Add 1/2 tsp sugar to the leaves, sprinkle 1 tbsp of water and steam the leaves for about 10 mins.
Once done, remove and drain any water.
Heat oil in a pan.
Pop the mustard seeds and add the urad dal next.
Once the urad dal turns a light brown, add the dry red chilies and the shallots.
Fry the shallots till light brown.
Add the cooked amaranth next along with salt.
Mix well.
Let cook for 2 mins to remove any remaining moisture.
Add the grated coconut and mix well.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Nutrition

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Directions

Pick the leaves from the stalks and set aside. You can use the tender stalks for this stir fry too for a nice crunch.
Once done, chop the leaves and stalks finely and wash with plenty of water.
Add 1/2 tsp sugar to the leaves, sprinkle 1 tbsp of water and steam the leaves for about 10 mins.
Once done, remove and drain any water.
Heat oil in a pan.
Pop the mustard seeds and add the urad dal next.
Once the urad dal turns a light brown, add the dry red chilies and the shallots.
Fry the shallots till light brown.
Add the cooked amaranth next along with salt.
Mix well.
Let cook for 2 mins to remove any remaining moisture.
Add the grated coconut and mix well.

Serve hot with sambar and hot steamed rice drizzled with ghee.

Pizza Cup Recipe | After School Snack recipes

May 7, 2013 By anusha 4 Comments

Ok. So, this sunday, i was in a terrible terrible mood. You know one of those days, when you want to bite off every single person s head. One of those days when you aimlessly rumage about in the fridge and you find nothing worthwhile and hence you become mad. I hope i ve driven home my point.
Towards the evening, this sulky phase of mine reached its saturation. And i knew. I just knew i had to turn my oven on or i would scream like an opera singer and possibly break age old glass panes that abound the township. When you face that kind of a risk, you would obviously turn the oven on, right? Right.

But wait. The worst is yet to come. I went about to forage for some butter in the fridge, which i dint have. Enough for some coconut bread that is. And then i looked about for some milk, which was only a few dregs in the bottom. That drove me up the wall even more. And then i made my peace when i saw my loaf of bread. And that instant, i knew, i had to make something with that loaf. Some more foraging in the vegetable drawer produced some bell peppers. And there, i had it. I made these pizza cups then. They were really delish and sorta cute. You can make them as appetisers for a party too. For a kids party, works swell.

Recipe For Bread Pizza Cups
( Pizza flavors in bread cups)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 to 12 mins
Yields 6
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

Sandwich bread slices 6
Bell pepper 1 sliced thinly
Onion 1 chopped finely
Chili garlic sauce 2 tbsp
Tomato ketchup 2 tbsp
Paneer 2 tbsp crumbled
Pizza cheese 3 tbsp grated
Pickled jalapenos 6
Oil 1 tbsp
Muffin pan

Directions

Preheat the oven to 180 C.
In a mixing bowl, combine the onion, bell pepper, paneer and mix well.
Use a big round cookie cutter and press down on the middle of a bread slice. Remove and you will have a round bread disc. Repeat for the other slices.
Grease the muffin cups with oil generously.
Now, place the bread disc in the muffin cup and press down gently.
Fill the bread cups with 1 tbsp of the filling. Add the jalapeno.
Sprinkle grated cheese on the top.
Bake in a preheated oven for 10 mins or until bread has become a golden brown.
Let cool for 10 mins.
Unmould from cups.

Serve with ketchup or even some mint chutney.

Mango Salsa Recipe| Easy Dips Recipes | Mexican Recipes

May 6, 2013 By anusha 5 Comments

When i first began blogging, i was just an unseasoned eager beaver, wanting to tell the world about some good Indian food. Not that i dint enjoy other cuisines. But there s something so ethereal about some curd rice and pickle that i can simply not live on other cuisines. While the curd rice is ubiquitous at all meals, other dishes from around the world sneak into my dinner table every now and then.

The more i read, the more i got hooked onto new cuisines and new ways of eating a fruit or vegetable. As much as i like masaledar curries and piping hot steamed rice, i am also a big sucker for fresh vegetables and fruits in the form of a smoothie or salad. And my new found love, salsa. Not so long ago, salsa was either swaying your hips to a peppy number or some tomatoes and peppers in a tangy dressing. And then salsa too evolved. It evolved so much that it was at once, fashionable to make a stone fruit salsa. I call it the food in vogue syndrome. Well.Gladly, salsa dint consume me even then, Actually, salsa became an obsession only now. Like in the past few weeks. First, i made this watermelon salsa. And now, i found my soul salsa in this mango salsa. And no, i have not made tomato salsa. Not yet. Maybe its too soon for that. (wink wink)

Recipe For Mango Salsa
( easy salsa with fresh ripe mangoes)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Source: My kitchen notes
Serves 2
Level: Easy

Ingredients

Mango 1 large ripe and firm, peeled and cubed
Onion 1 small chopped finely
Green bell pepper 1 small chopped finely
Serrano chili 1 minced
Cilantro 2 tbsp chopped finely
Juice of 1 small lemon ( 2 tsp lemon juice)
Salt to taste

Directions

In a mixing bowl, place all the ingredients and toss well.
Chill for an hour.
Serve along side some tacos or quesadillas.

One such recipe coming soon! In the meanwhile, enjoy making this salsa and lick that bowl clean!

Cardamom Panna Cotta With Peach And Mango Gelee Recipe | Easy No Bake Dessert Recipes

May 3, 2013 By anusha 7 Comments

I ve always fancied dishes with fancy names. And i ve eaten more than one dish that s not as fancy as it sounds. Ever happened to you? Panna cotta however is different. The truth is i dint eat it until i made it. And when i made it, i knew i had found my ultimate soul dessert. I ve fancied making panna cotta. In fact i ve fantasised so much about panna cotta that i have dreamt about it in a zillion flavors. Reminds me of Bertie s every flavor in Harry Potter series. No hold on! i dint dream of ash flavors or bogey flavors. Dreamt of all the nice ones- pears, jasmine, lemons and oranges. I remember only so many.

Coming back to the panna cotta, mine dint set so well the first time i made it. I guess it was gloomy gelatin day or something like that. The thing wouldn’t budge. Oh i m sorry, wouldn’t set. No matter what. And from then on, as much as i ve fancied making my perfectly luscious panna cotta, i ve also dreaded. Dreaded the impending disaster if the gelatin doesnt cheer up that day, that fateful day.
And then the panna cotta happened in our Gourmet Group. We all voted for panna cotta and thats just the kind of inspiration that i needed. I should probably use a stronger word than inspiration. Anyways!! i m proud of myself. I made my panna cotta and got it right too!!! Yipee!! Want to see? Come along.

Recipe For Cardamom Panna Cotta With Peach And Mango Gelee
( An italian no bake dessert with cream and milk.)

Prep Time: 30 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins
Setting Time: 4 hours
Source: Loosely adapted from here
Makes 2 small jars

Ingredients

For The Cardamom Panna Cotta:

Cream 200 ml ( You can use pretty much any cream. I used Amul.)
Full fat milk 200 ml
Sugar 1/3 cup
Vanilla 1/2 tsp
Green cardamom pods 2
Gelatin 2 tsp or Agar Agar powder 2.5 tsp
Cold water 2 tbsp

For The Peach Gelee:

Canned peach halves 2 drained
Gelatin 1/4 tsp
Sugar 1 tbsp

For The Mango Gelee:

Mango puree 1/2 c
Sugar 2 tbsp
Cardamom powder a pinch
Gelatin 1/4 tsp

Directions

Lets make the panna cotta first, shall we? Well, you see you first got to set your panna cotta and then make your gelee and pour for assembly. So, panna cotta, here we come.
In a small bowl, place the gelatin and pour the water over it. Let rest for about 20 mins. The gelatin will turn into jelly like mixture.
Scrape the cardamom pod and powder the caviar ( that s the seeds). Add this to the milk and mix.
In a pan, combine cream and milk and bring to a rolling boil, stirring in between. Do this on a medium flame.
Once it starts boiling over, add the vanilla and sugar and milk again.
Once done, take about 2 tbsp of this mixture and add to the gelatin and mix well. When i say, i mean really well.
Add this immediately to the hot milk mixture and combine well using a balloon whisk.
Let it cool down a bit. In the meanwhile, grease the dishes in which you want to serve the panna cotta with a little oil. I used small glass jars, one for mango gelee and one for the peach, to serve mine and as i dint plan to unmould, i just used them as it is.
Once it cools down bit, pour the mixture into your dishes about 2/3 full.
Let it set in the fridge for about 2 hours.
Towards the end of 2 hours, get started on your gelee. But before you begin, make sure the panna cotta is firm to touch on the surface. Or set a little further.
For the peach gelee, blend the peach halves with sugar to a smooth puree in a blender.
Add the gelatin to this and mix well. Take out your panna cotta dishes from the fridge.
Pour this mixture into one jar until almost full. Make sure you leave some space on the top. Return the jar to the fridge and be happy.
Now, combine the cardamom powder, mango puree and sugar until well incorporated.
Add the gelatin to this and mix well.
Take the other jar out of the fridge and pour in until almost full just like how you did with peach gelee.
Return to the fridge to set for 2 hours more or until you serve.
Top with fresh fruits before you serve.

Serve cold.
Us Gourmets are making panna cotta for the month of May. Check out all our evilly luscious panna cottas below! Interested to join us? Shoot me an email at anusapraj@gmail.com.

Broccoli Kootu Recipe | Lentil Recipes | Dal Recipes

May 2, 2013 By anusha 5 Comments

Some years back, i dint know a broccoli from a zucchini. I had only seen such vegetables. Even though Coimbatore had a generous supply of such veggies because of its proximity to Ooty, these veggies were not very common in my house. I used to remember brussel sprouts being there every now and then on the table and i used to think they are baby cabbages.All this happened when i was 14 or 15. So, excusable right? Right!
Anyway, things changed when i went to college. They changed even more when i got myself a husband. A husband who ate anything given to him without any inhibitions. And that s how i began incorporating these vegetables in our daily meal. One such meal was this delish Broccoli stew. The bowl was licked clean. So it was a super duper success.

Recipe For Broccoli Stew
( Broccoli cooked with lentils)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 30 mins
Source: My kitchen notes
Level: Easy
Serves 2

Ingredients

For Stew:

Broccoli 1 medium head cut and florets separated
Pigeon peas/ toor dal 1/2
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad 1 tsp
Curry leaves a sprig
Dried red chili 1
Oil 1 tbsp
Oil for tempering 1 tsp
Salt to taste

For Paste:

Coconut gratings 1/4 c
Shallots 4 peeled
Green chilies 3 to 4
Cumin seeds 1/ 2 tsp
Pepper corns 2
Coriander seeds 1/2 tsp
Oil 1/2 tsp

Directions:

Pressure cook the toor dal along with the turmeric in 1.5 cups of water till mushy.

In the meanwhile, microwave the broccoli on high for 5 to 6 mins.

Once the dal is done, drain excess water and set aside. Dont mash the dal.

In a pan, all 1./2 tsp oil and saute green chilies until lightly white.

Add the coriander seeds, cumin seeds and pepper corns and saute for 30 secs.

Once done, transfer to a blender, let cool.

Add coconut and shallots to the mixture and grind to a smooth paste without adding any water. In case the paste doesnt blend, add about 1/2 tsp of water.

Once done, heat the same pan with the remaining oil.

Add the broccoli and saute for about 2 mins.

Add the ground paste next and saute till the raw smell leaves. May be for about 2 mins again on medium flame. Take care not to cook this on high flame as the mixture burns quickly.

Now, add the cooked dal to the mixture along with the salt.

Mix well.

Simmer for about 3 mins. In case the mixture is too thick, add about 1/4 c of water and mix well.

Heat a pan with 1 tsp of oil.

Pop the mustard seeds.

Add the urad dal, dry red chili and curry leaves next. Wait for the urad dal to turn brown.

Add asafoetida in the end.

Now, pour this mixture in the stew.

Mix well.

Serve hot with rice, poppadoms and rasam. Yumm. Tongue tickling is all i can say!

Pudina Parata Recipe| Flatbread Recipes | Easy Lunchbox Recipes

May 1, 2013 By anusha 8 Comments

We have affairs with food in my house. Yes. You heard me right. We have vicious cravings for delish food. We have a deep innate desire to eat some things repeatedly just like how lovers long to meet each other. And one of our constant affair is with the parathas. Both Mr.P and I enjoy eating parathas tremendously.

You give Mr.P aloo parathas slathered in ghee and you wont find a happier soul in the whole wide world.As for me, you give me any paratha and I ll be as content as a dog who has just found his favorite bone. Getting the idea? While I do make parathas repeatedly at home ( after all, we have affairs with them. So, how can I not??) I don’t find much time to click a picture and share a recipe. But this time, I did manage to click some decent pictures and I thought, why not, tell the whole world about my love affair with the parathas?

Recipe For Mint Parathas

( Flatbreads flavored with mint and cilantro)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Resting Time: 45 mins to 1 hour.

Cook Time: 2 mins for a paratha

Level: Intermediate

Source: My notes

Ingredients

Whole wheat flour 2 cups

Fresh mint leaves 1/2 c tightly packed

Coriander leaves 1/4 c chopped finely

Green chilies 4

Ghee 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Wheat flour for dusting.

Oil to cook the parathas on a gridle

Directions

Combine the mint leaves, coriander and green chilies in a blender and grind to a fine paste adding about 1 tbsp of water. I used my coffee grinder for this.

In a mixing bowl, place the wheat flour, salt and the ground mint paste and mix until just combined. Your dough should look crumbly after mixing.

Now, add about 3/4 c of water and start kneading. Knead for about 3 to 4 mins.

You may need less or more water depending on your flour and the weather but you must have a smooth non sticky dough at the end of kneading.

Once done, add the ghee and knead once again to make sure that it has been absorbed into the dough.

Transfer to a bowl, cover and let rest for about 1 hour. If you are pressed for time, rest it for 30 mins or so.

Once done, divide the dough into 10 equal parts, shape each into a ball.

Now, gently flatten a ball into a round disc, dust with flour and roll into 5 mm thick rounds with the help of a rolling pin. Dust with more flour if required.

Once done, heat a gridle.

Place the paratha and cook till brown spots appear on one side.

Once done, flip and cook the other side too until brown spots appear.

Smear with oil and flip over.
Cook for 30 secs.

Smear oil over the top and flip again and cook for 30 secs more.

Repeat for the remaining dough.

Serve hot with Boondi Raita and pickles.

Muskmelon Juice

April 28, 2013 By anusha 6 Comments

Now, what can I say about this wonderfully flavorsome fruit, Muskmelon, that s literally tasteless. Believe me, the taste is a total disappointment after that enticing fragrance that one gets to enjoy in a musk melon. May be that s why its called musk melon. And that s why not many people enjoy it too. But that is no reason to not love muskmelon juice.

Atleast, I was not introduced to Musk melon until I reached college. Bengaluru, being a paradise, is host to so many fruits around the year and one such fruit was Musk Melon. I remember relishing huge chunks of this fruit with an equally huge bowl of vanilla ice cream. And then there was musk melon juice.

Bengaluru is very popular for its juice centers that swarm the city. Reasonably priced, these juices comes as a relief to hostellers like me and for people who also like drinking healthy fruit juices instead of some carbonated fizz. And my favorite pick in any juice stall would be Musk melon juice or butter fruit shake. Butter fruit is nothing but avocado. And both of them took both the tasteless fruits to another level.

As for musk melon juice, its not even a recipe. Heck! Its just a way of using musk melon deliciously. And I feel all delicious ways must be ventured with a lot of people.

Recipe For Muskmelon Juice

( Muskmelon juiced with sugar)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: Nil

Makes 2 tall glasses

Level: easy

Source: Inspired by Juice Stalls across Bengaluru

Ingredients

Muskmelon 2 cups cubed

Cold water ½ cup

Sugar 1/3 cup

Ice cubes to serve

Mint leaves to garnish

Directions

In a blender, place the melon, sugar and water and blend to a smooth puree

Top with ice cubes, add a mint leaf and serve cold.

Grape And Orange Juice Recipe | Easy Drink Recipes

April 25, 2013 By anusha 10 Comments

Its summer here and it wont be long before we start sweating like a stream of water. The temperature is mercurial and there s no respite at all during the days inspite of the AC. The best way to beat the heat is to replenish the body with as much as fluids as one can. And to make the best of the fruits available during the season.

Well, its almost the end of the grapes and the orange season here in Baroda. And I wanted to get my dose of Citrus while I could. I did make some popsicles the last week. With all that tangy refreshing orange juice. And then I had a few more oranges left that I combined with grapes to make a mocktail sort of thing to relish in the afternoons after our lunch. It was well received or I should say, well gulped by Mr.P. So, I thought, why not share my tall glass with you all.

Recipe For Grape Orange Juice

( freshly squeezed oranges and juiced grapes)

Prep Time: 20 mins

Cook Time: Nil

Makes 2 largish glasses

Level: Easy

Ingredients

Black grapes 1 cup seedless variety. ( the oblong ones work wonders)

Oranges 3

Mint leaves 4 to 5

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Cold Water ½ cup

Salt a pinch

Sugar 3 tbsp

Ice cubes to serve

Directions

Peel the oranges and discard the pith and seeds from the segments.

In a blender, add the grapes and the sugar first and blend to a smooth puree.

Strain the grape juice and add the water to this.

Now, add the orange segments and mint leaves along with the salt to the blender and blend.

Strain into the grape juice.

Mix well.

Serve chilled with ice cubes.

Torcettini Di St. Vincent Recipe | Easy Cookie Recipes | Yeast Cookie Recipes | We Knead To Bake 4

April 24, 2013 By anusha 9 Comments

I have a thing for things that are twisted or convoluted. And i also have a thing for citrus. We waited united as eager beavers the beginning of this month for Aparna to reveal the bread for this month. And she took us all by surprise by setting us to work on Torcettini Di St. Vincent. Before you all think my brains are addled, let me tell you that torcettini are cookies made with yeast dough. They are twisted into little twists and look as cute as a braid s bun. But the best thing about torcettini is that you wont believe it s actually a cookie!!
While i do make things ahead and schedule all my posts, somehow, the torcettini never happened beforehand this month. Lets hold a bunch of teenagers who come to study English with me guilty. They ve put me through such hair raising moments that i couldnt even contemplate baking, let lone torcettini. I also happen to be someone who likes meeting deadlines on time. I dont like procrastination and i hate people who are not on time. So, i worked up the energy to make the dough for these twisted beauties last night.
Needless to say, i was rewarded with crunchy chewy caramelly ( i m not sure if such a word exists, but hey! you get my feeling right?) torcettinis.

Recipe For Torcettini Di St.Vincent

Prep Time: 10 mins for the dough
1 hour for the first rise
Overnight rest in the fridge
30 mins for the second rise
Bake Time: 25 mins
Bake Temp: 160 C
Source: Aparna s Torcettini Di St. Vincent Recipe adapted from A Baker s Tour
Yields 24 cookies

Ingredients

All purpose flour 162 g
Cold Unsalted Butter 40 g cut into pieces
Instant yeast 1 tsp
Cocoa powder 30 g
Salt 1/4 tsp
Orange zest 1 tsp
Warm water 1/2 c
Granulated sugar 1/2 c for rolling the cookies

Directions

Dissolve yeast in 1/2 c of warm water and set aside.
In a bowl, place the flour, orange zest, salt and cocoa powder and whisk well.
Now, add the pieces of butte to this and rub it into the flour until you get a crumbly mixture that resembles bread crumbs.
Now, add the yeast water mixture to the flour mixture and mix until everything comes together into a ball. Dont over knead or over mix. Just mix until you can form a ball.
Transfer to a well oiled bowl, cover with cling wrap and let rise for an hour.
This dough will not double. It will only puff slightly. The dough is ready if you can make out a honey comb like texture when you pinch into it.
After an hour, punch down the dough and cover with cling wrap.
Let it rest in the fridge overnight.
In the morning, line a baking tray with parchment paper.
Remove the dough and turn onto a clean work surface.

Roll the dough out into a 6″ long rectangle.
Now, using a pizza cutter, cut the dough along its width into 4 equal parts. The measurements really dont matter but you will have cute cookies if you do them neatly. I cut mine into 5, i think.
Now, cut the dough into 6 equal strips along the length,
Once done, take each piece and roll into a 5″ long strip that s as thick as a pencil.
Roll this in the sugar and make sure the dough is coated well with sugar.
Make a small loop by placing one end of the rope over the other.
Repeat for all the pieces.
Let rise on the lined baking sheet until slightly puffy. Takes about 30 mins.
Towards the end of 30 mins, preheat your oven to 160 C.
Bake the cookies for 25 mins.
Once done, remove immediately and let cool on a wire rack.

Start munching away, for they are irresistible.

Tomato Cheese Pasta Recipe | Easy Pasta Recipes

April 23, 2013 By anusha 10 Comments

I dont make much pasta at home. Because whenever i do, it becomes a meal for one. Mr.P loathes pasta and i dont make it often because of this. I prefer sharing my meal with everyone around. You must have figured out that much cos of this blog and all, ya know.

On Thursdays, Mr.P fasts and on those days, if i have a lot of time on my hands, i do make an effort in cooking up a meal that only i enjoy. While most of the Thursdays are spent eating just rice and some curry, when i m really in a mood, i do make a pasta or some egg fried rice to please my tummy. This pasta happened like that. I followed no particular recipe. Just went with whatever i felt like and it tasted like so many good things at once- cheese, tomatoes, basil and finally, pasta!

Recipe For Cheesy Tomato Pasta
( Penne pasta in sauce and cheese)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 40 mins
Serves 3
Level: Easy

Ingredients

Penne pasta 1 c
Homemade Pasta Sauce 1 recipe
Olive oil 2 tsp
Onion 1 large chopped finely
Cheddar cheese 1/4 c grated
Mozarella cheese 1/4 c grated
Salt to taste

Directions

Cook pasta in plenty of water until soft. I prefer mine cooked completely. But you can cook it al dente too.
Once the pasta is done, drain water and rinse under cold water.
Add a tsp of oil and mix well. Set aside.
Heat a pan with oil.
Saute the chopped onions till golden brown.
Now,add the sauce and cook for about 3 mins.
Add the cooked pasta and salt next and mix gently.
Once done, preheat the oven to 180 C.
Transfer the pasta to a oven proof bowl.
Top with grated cheese.
Bake for 10 mins or until cheese is fully melted.

Serve hot.

Potato Stew Recipe | Easy Side Dish Recipes

April 22, 2013 By anusha 7 Comments

I dont cook potatoes very often. Honestly, i dont like those gargantuan burly potatoes. I prefer the baby bite sized potatoes. Occasionally, when i do buy a few potatoes, our meals see this delicious creamy stew and we gorge on this alongside lacy aapams. They make a hearty breakfast that s very amiable with the tummy. I m not going to talk much today. Oh! i m just a lil tongue tied after a hectic Sunday. So this post is just going to be some stew, aapam and me.

Recipe For Potato Stew

( Easy stew made with potatoes and coconut milk)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 40 mins

Level: Easy

Serves 3 generously

Ingredients

Potatoes 3 medium

Onion 2 medium chopped finely

Green chilies 3 slit lengthwise

Cinnamon 1″ piece

Clove 1

Bay leaf 1

Ginger 1 tsp grated

Thick fresh coconut milk 1 c

Sugar 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves a sprig

Salt to taste

Oil 1 tbsp

Directions

Pressure cook the potatoes until tender. Let cool, peel and mash. Set aside.

In a small pressure cooker, heat oil.

Add the cinnamon, cloves, bay leaf ,curry leaves and green chili and saute till aromatic. Takes about 1 min.

Add the onions and ginger next and fry till golden brown.

Now, add the mashed potatoes, salt and a cup of water and mix well.

Add the coconut milk and mix.

Cook covered for 3 to 4 mins.

Once done, sprinkle sugar and mix lightly.

Serve hot with aapams. We enjoy this with dosa too.

Raw Mango Coconut Chutney Recipe| Easy Chutney Recipes

April 21, 2013 By anusha 4 Comments

I am a terrific fan of Andhra cuisine. I love the flavors and the heat that comes along as a freebie. Its an exhilarating thing for me to eat hot spicy food and have tears trickle down my eyes. I love heat in my food. Ok. I agree. All my aforementioned statements almost mean the same thing. But sometimes, i just like being verbose.

Anyway, coming back to Andhra cuisine, i ve always been blessed with friends who hail from Andhra and who are also very magnanimous when it comes to food. We usually play cards with a few friends over the weekends. So, one such weekend was our friends turn. And my friends wife who is also a soon to be mommy, put together this amazingly delicious meal within minutes of our arrival. I mean, i ll keep tipping my hat off every single minute of my life to such people. I consider such souls as magicians. And one dish that she served in that lip smacking dinner of hers was this mango chutney. I made some variations to her recipe to suit our palate. And i must say, this is a recipe that i shall be making every time the mango season hits the markets.

Recipe For Raw Mango Chutney

( Called as Mamidikai Kobbari Chutney in Telugu. A spicy spread made with raw mangoes and coconut)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 5 mins

Serves 2

Source: My friend S

Level: Easy

Ingredients

Raw mango 1 peeled and cubed

Freshly grated coconut 1/2 c

Green chilies 4 slit lengthwise

Sugar 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 1 tsp

Tempering

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Urad dal 1 tsp

Curry leaves a sprig

Oil 1 tsp

Directions

Saute the green chilies in oil for 30 secs. Let cool.

In a blender, blend together chopped mango, coconut, green chilies, sugar and salt to a coarse paste adding about 1 tbsp of water.

Transfer to a bowl.

In a pan, heat oil and pop the mustard.

Add the urad dal and let it turn a light brown.

Add the curry leaves next and immediately pour onto the chutney.

Serve with hot rice and ghee.

This is my entry for this week s Andhra cuisine for Avant Garde Cookies group. Check out Radhika, Jayanthi ,Kavi, Priya, Priya Mahadevan, Roshni for more spicy recipes.

Boondi Raita Recipe

April 20, 2013 By anusha 5 Comments

Boondi Raita is a creamy concoction of yogurt, fried gram flour balls and spices if I have to put it simply. It was immediate love when I ate this the first time at a friend’s house. I vividly remember that meal of Rajma chawal, Boondi Raita, and strawberry lassi.

If I have to describe this in Hindi, I will call it ” Chatpata”. Now, that means tangy, spicy and yummy all at once. It s like a burst of flavors in your mouth. And I bet this was one of those recipes that came about when someone had to whip up Raita but they did not have onions, cukes or tomatoes on hand.

Boondi Raita, cucumber raita, and onion tomato raita are three of the most liked Raitas across Indian houses. While cucumber raita and onion tomato raita are most often paired with Pulao and Biryani, this Boondi raita is a fabulous accompaniment for Rajma Chawal or Chole Chawal.

The recipe for Boondi ka raita varies from house to house. Some add roasted cumin powder and some, chaat masala. My version is something I learned from my friend K when I used to live in Baroda.

What is Boondi?

Boondi is a popular snack in India. This is a fried snack and uses gram flour or chickpea flour as the primary ingredient. You can also find different flavors of Boondi in Indian stores. Mint, Spicy and Plain salted are the most common flavors.

Ingredients

Boondi-

For this Boondi Raita, I prefer and recommend the plain salted Boondi. This is because we will be adding our own spices and flavors. Try to choose Boondi that is not too oily.

Yogurt

I love adding freshly set thick yogurt to any Raita. You can also use greek yogurt in this recipe.

Spice powders

Now, here is where we can bring about variations. The most common spice blends used in this recipe are red chili powder and roasted cumin powder. You can also add Chaat masala or regular cumin powder.

Herbs

Mint leaves and finely chopped coriander leaves are the best bets. They give a nice earthy flavor to our Raita. You can choose to add both or just add any one of them.

Recipe Notes

There are two things that can make or break this Boondi Raita. One of them is the way we process the Boondi. Please do not let the Boondi sit in the water for long time. It should be in the water for just 1 min. Then quickly strain it. For this reason, I recommend keeping the other ingredients prepped before we prep the Boondi.
Do not add Boondi to very hot water. You need just warm water. When we add the Boondi to hot water, the Boondi also tends to become hot. Hot Boondi, when added to chilled yogurt is a terrible idea. The yogurt will become watery and even curdle at times.
Keep this Raita chilled. That works best. In fact, keep any Raita chilled till ready to serve. This helps the yogurt stay fresh. When we leave Raita out at room temperature, the yogurt tends to become sour. So I recommend serving Boondi raita chilled.
Boondi Raita does not taste good after a day. The Boondi become too mushy. So I recommend eating them as soon as it is made. And make just the right amount to avoid leftovers and wastage.

Method

Prepping yogurt mixture

In a mixing bowl, add the yogurt, spices and salt. Whisk well using a balloon whisk. Refrigerate.

Prepping the Boondi

We are adding the Boondi to the warm water to remove the excess oil. When there is oil in the Boondi, it does not soak up the yogurt well. And there tends to be a slight bitter aftertaste too. So this step is very important.

Add 3 to 4 cups warm water to a bowl. To this, add the Boondi and mix well. Let it sit for a min. Immediately, drain the Boondi using a colander. Now, add the drained Boondi to the yogurt. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves. Stir well to combine.

Our Boondi Raita is now ready.

Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for regular cooking updates and short videos. Find us on Pinterest for delicious content. Join our facebook group for millet recipes. Tried mango coconut vegan overnight oats? We value your thoughts and comments! Leave a comment and tell us how it worked for you. Email us your questions to anusapraj@gmail.com if you need any guidance in making this.

Boondi raita served in a wooden bowl alongside rajma masala

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Boondi Raita

Boondi Raita is a light yogurt dip made with Boondi, an Indian chickpea flour snack.

Prep Time5

Chilling Time1

Course: Accompaniment

Cuisine: Indian, North Indian

Servings:

Equipment

Mixing bowl
Whisk

Ingredients

1 c Plain salted boondi
2 c hot water
1.5 c whisked fresh yogurt

Spices

1 tsp Red paprika ( Red chili powder)
1 tsp Cumin powder You can also use roasted cumin powder instead of this.
1 tsp Salt or to taste

Garnish

4 fresh mint leaves
1 tbsp very finely chopped coriander leaves

Instructions

Whisk together the yogurt, salt and spices in a mixing bowl.
Add the salted boondi to the warm water and let it stand for 1 min.
After a min, drain the Boondi in a colander.
Add this Boondi and finely chopped coriander leaves and mint leaves to the yogurt and mix well.
Chill for 1 hour.
Garnish with mint leaves before serving.

Notes

There are two things that can make or break this Boondi Raita. One of them is the way we process the Boondi. Please do not let the Boondi sit in the water for long time. It should be in the water for just 1 min. Then quickly strain it. For this reason, I recommend keeping the other ingredients prepped before we prep the Boondi.
Do not add Boondi to very hot water. You need just warm water. When we add the Boondi to hot water, the Boondi also tends to become hot. Hot Boondi, when added to chilled yogurt is a terrible idea. The yogurt will become watery and even curdle at times.
Keep this Raita chilled. That works best. In fact, keep any Raita chilled till ready to serve. This helps the yogurt stay fresh. When we leave Raita out at room temperature, the yogurt tends to become sour.
Boondi Raita does not taste good after a day. The Boondi become too mushy. So I recommend eating them as soon as it is made. And make just the right amount to avoid leftovers and wastage.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

More Raita Recipes

Corn Flakes Mixture Recipe | Easy Snacks Recipes

April 19, 2013 By anusha 8 Comments

HOW TO MAKE CORN FLAKES MIXTURE?

Corn Flakes Mixture- A super addictive vegan and gluten free snack ideal for Diwali Namkeen.

cornflakes mixture served in a black bowl against a pale blue background

Corn Flakes Mixture- Corn flakes Chivda

This is also called as Corn flakes chivda in many houses. This is a crunchy tea time snack. You can make this under 1 hour and this also keeps well for a week.

You can think of this as an indulgent granola or trail mix.

I have used a combination of cashews, peanuts and raisins in this recipe but you can also use slivered almonds.

At the Praveen household, we are conscious and constant calorie counters. We dont indulge in deep fried foods and ghee laden desserts very often. With the exception of those instances where Mr.P will declare his abstinence from all divine food ( read deep fried and sweet) and go and gorge on samosas in office.

Lets leave that man in peace, shall we? Its best if we remain oblivious to such things.

But very rarely, i mean really rarely, i do fry a thing or two. Ok. My monthly kowtowing to poori is excusable. Usually this frying exercise happens in a scheduled way. Yes! dont pop your eyes. That s how it happens at my place. And that s how i like to keep it.

This month, when the time for frying came, i decided to make something that i can store in a tin and munch away the weekend. And i dint have the patience to make murukkus. Nah. They are too demanding. So, i made this mixture. With all the crunchiness of corn flakes and roasted nuts, they are a perfect accompaniment to TV nights.

If you are looking for more cornflakes based snack, check out our

Cornflakes cookies recipe

Recipe For Cornflakes Mixture

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Corn Flakes Mixture- Corn Flakes Chivda

Corn Flakes mixture, also called as corn flakes Chivda. This is an easy vegan and gluten free Diwali Namkeen that can be made quickly.

Prep Time10

Cook Time30

Course: Snack

Cuisine: Indian

Ingredients

250 g Cornflakes
1/2 c Aval or parched rice or poha
1/4 c Peanuts
1/4 c Roasted gram dal
1/4 c Cashews
1.5 tbsp Red chili powder
2 tbsp Powdered sugar
1 sprig Curry leaves a sprig
2 tsp Salt or to taste
400 ml Oil to deep fry

Instructions

Heat a deep frying pan with about 400 ml of oil.
Once the oil is really hot, deep fry the corn flakes for about 5 secs.Do this in batches. The flakes will fluff and float up immediately. Dont fry them for longer or they will burn. Drain on a kitchen towel.
In another big frying pan, heat about 2 tbsp of oil.
Add the nuts and fry them till golden brown.
Drain and add to the fried cornflakes.
Now, add the curry leaves, chili powder, sugar and salt to the heated oil.
Switch off the flame.
Add the fried cornflakes and roasted nuts to this oil spice mixture and mix gently.
Transfer to another large mixing bowl and toss the mixture really well.
Store in an airtight container.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Upside Down Apple Cake Recipe | Easy Cake Recipes

April 18, 2013 By anusha 9 Comments

When i began this blog, ( no when i began cooking, that s more like it), i never envisioned so much of passion in me for the ladles and the apron. I always thought i would be that passable cook who will put together a meal or two and then let the world be. But of course, like you all know, that dint happen. What i did not foresee myself enjoying so much was all the baking. I mean, i do enjoy cooking. But i dint know that i would enjoy baking so much until i started.

A chocolate cake is what i baked the first time. A hard, chewy chocolate cake. And i dint know a thing about texture or folding. The cake was, well, just another cake and there have been many cakes since. A few did win my heart and a few actually made me think, ” did i really make this?” But i ve learnt my textures, my folding and my sieving. And there has been no looking back since then. I always almost get requests from friends and family alike for a particular cake recipe or bake a cake for them. I ve come a loooooong way down the cake road, i must say. And while i m on that road, i happened to say hi to this upside down apple cake.

Now, its always been a thing between me and upside down cakes. Some sizzling electric love affair i have with these cakes. Ask why? because A) i m a fruit person and B) because i m still a fruit person. Lol. I love fruit in anything. Anything except my biriyani and pulao. How can this cake not be a thing with me??

Recipe For Upside Down Apple Cake
( Cake with apples and caramel)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: 40 to 45 mins
Bake Temp: 165 C
Source: Adapted from here
Makes a 6″ cake

Ingredients

For The Fruit Layer
Apple 1 large peeled, cored and sliced thinly
Brown sugar 1/2 c
Butter 3 tbsp plus 2 tsp softened and unsalted
Cinnamon 1 tsp
Nutmeg 1/4 tsp
Cloves 1/4 tsp

For The Cake
All purpose flour 3/4 c
Butter 1/2 c softened and unsalted
Egg 1 large at room temperature
Brown sugar 1/2 c plus 1 tbsp powdered
Baking powder 1/2 tsp
Milk 2 tbsp at room temperature
Cinnamon 1/2 tsp
Vanilla 1 tsp
Salt a pinch

Directions

We ll do the sauce first. But before we begin, make sure you have you apples sliced thinly.
Grease a 6″ round cake tin generously with butter. Line the apples at the bottom of the cake tin making sure they dont overlap each other. If you have apples left, no sweat. Save it for after the sauce.
Now, heat a thick bottomed sauce pan with the ingredients for the fruit layer except the apples.
Once the butter starts melting, keep stirring the mixture until it starts bubbling. Be warned. Getting a splash of that bubbly mixture is not very nice to your skin.

When the mixture starts bubbling, remove from fire and let it cool down a bit. Dont let it cool completely or it will become hard and we wont be able to spread the mixture.
Once cool, pour the mixture evenly onto the apple layer.
In case you had some apples left out, line them up now over the sauce. Set aside.
Lets get the batter started now.
Preheat the oven to 165 C.
In a mixing bowl, sieve together the flour, salt, cinnamon powder and baking powder thoroughly.
In another bowl, cream butter and sugar until fluffy and light.
Now, add the egg and vanilla and whisk until light and well incorporated.
Now, add the sieved flour mixture to the egg mixture and gently fold in using a spatula until well incorporated.
Pour the mixture onto the apple layer in the tin.
Gently drop the tin on the counter once to even out the batter and to get rid of the air bubbles.
Now place the tin on a baking sheet and bake for 40 to 45 mins or until a tooth pick inserted comes clean.
My cake baked in 42 mins precisely. So i would say, watch out after 40 mins.
Once done, let cool completely on a wire rack.
Invert and voila! you have all that beautiful caramel and apple layer!

Slice up and tuck in.

Orange Strawberry Popsicles Recipe | Easy Dessert Recipes

April 17, 2013 By anusha 7 Comments

I am back. To bore you all mercilessly with my very garrulous talk on the weather. The mercury just reached 40. Ok. 40 is not my kind of temp. Look, seriously, i m that 25 26 weather types. I grew up in cool places and it was never this scorching hot wherever i grew up. That is. So, my only respite is the AC. With constant worries of my inner Goddess about how the skin will look all pale, wrinkly and wizened by sitting in the AC for what seems like forever.

Heck! before you all think, i ve buried my head in the sand or something, let me assure you all, i do cook. I also paint. And oh! the children have not spared me either. They come. They scream. And my house is as cacophonic as ever. By the way, is cacophonic a word? I m not sure. ( Its all that talk about those brats that s making me think like this) But what would i do without them? My world would look colorless and noiseless. Nah… i cant stand that kind of tranquil. Nope! Anyway, coming back to the weather. Last week, when Mr.P actually said he doesnt want lunch in the beginning and then came back on the third day saying he wants lunch ( ahem….. let a girl brag peacefully, will ya?), i went shopping. Shopping for what? you ask. Of course, fruits- strawberries ( yes, we have them here still), oranges and watermelon. I spent a fortune on butter too. ( Lets forget that, shall we?). Soon after that amma sent along some mixture,cheedai and murukku. And forgotten were the oranges and strawberries.

While i peeked into my fridge last evening, i could see in a far corner, a box of those berries and some half a dozen oranges sitting sadly. And i thought a salad first. And then, Mr.P made this very obnoxious statement- ” you seem to be making too many salads” No…… Dang! he said it and i changed my mind. And i made popsicles. Popsicles that are as easy as pie to make and divine to devour in the evenings!

Recipe For Orange Strawberry Popsicle
( Heck! its not even a recipe. So i m gonna leave this blank. Well, literally not blank. Just saying. )

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Freeze Time: 2 hours
Makes 5
Level: Super easy ( I just invented that level)

Ingredients

Oranges 6 medium juicy ones
Strawberries 100 g hulled
Sugar 1/4 cup

Directions

Squeeze the oranges and extract the juice.
Add 1/8 cup of sugar, mix well.
Pour these into your popsicle moulds until half full and let set for an hour in the deep freezer.
Before the end of an hour, puree the strawberries along with the remaining sugar and strain. you may need extra sugar if your berries are tart. So adjust accordingly.
Now, take the mould out and fill them.
Close and let set in the freezer for another hour or so.
Once done, remove, run the moulds under tap water.
Unmould.

Start licking away!

Semiya Payasam Recipe| Easy Dessert Recipes

April 16, 2013 By anusha 7 Comments

Should i even launch myself into an introduction for this ubiquitous yet tongue tickling dessert? Its omnipresent as far as the south of India goes and its that dessert which is fail safe and life saver at the most unexpected of times. So, why am i sharing the recipe? Because, while some of us have already made our marks in cooking food, there are newer brides and little girls stepping into colleges with their own kitchens to rustle up a meal or two.

Recipe For Semiya Payasam
( Dessert made with vermicelli, milk and clarified butter)

Prep Time: 5 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Level: Easy
Serves 3

Ingredients

Vermicelli 1/2 cup ( unroasted)
Full fat milk 1.5 cups
Sugar 1 cup
Ghee 2 tbsp divided
Green cardamom 1
Cashews 2 tbsp broken
Raisins 2 tbsp

Directions

In a pan, heat 1 tbsp of ghee.
Add the cardamom and the vermicelli and saute till the vermicelli turns a light golden brown.
At this stage, add 1 cup of milk and mix well.
Bring down the flame to the a medium low and let the vermicelli cook until all the milk has been absorbed.
Now, add the sugar and mix well. The mixture will turn a bit liquid at this stage.
Add the remaining milk and give it a nice stir.
Simmer for about 3 to 4 mins more.
Switch off flame.
In another pan, heat 1 tbsp of ghee and add the cashews and roast till golden brown.
With the help of a spoon, remove the cashews from the ghee and add to the payasam.
Now, add the raisins to the ghee and saute till they fluff up.
Once fluffed, add the raisins and the ghee to the payasam.
Mix well.
Serve warm or serve chilled.
To make the dessert exotic, add a scoop of ice cream before you serve in case you are serving it cold.

Mango and vanilla work best. Chocolate, i wont recommend but then try and dare if you must and do let me know!

Aapam Without Yeast Recipe | Easy Breakfast Recipes| Vegan& Gluten Free

April 14, 2013 By anusha 7 Comments

South Indian cuisine has its own charm. I havent made the aforementioned statement just because i am a South Indian. When one gives a little thought to the ways of eating in South India, the realisation that the need to cook vegan or gluten free meals come to an end very quickly. And that too in a delicious way. Because a majority of the south Indian cuisine is predominantly vegan and gluten free.

While we are people who cant imagine a life worthwhile without our daily doses of clarified butter and yogurt, our meals do not feature either as an ingredient by itself. Both are only additions to our meal. So, if a person really opts to be a vegan, then the south Indian cuisine is the ticket to all that deliciousness and yet living without butter and yogurt.
Because, we are kindred spirits who cant live without rice, we make it a point to have rice in one of its various facets in almost all our meals. So, even breakfast is a panoply of dishes that have rice in them. One such mouthwatering dish is this lacy pancake that s called aapam. That the folks from Kerala are really good at making. As light as air and totally delectable, these pancakes are also congenial to the tummy. They are usually relished with coconut milk and a potato stew that s every bit hearty as the pancakes themselves are. Today s recipe is all about these lacy pancakes. I hope you all enjoy eating them.

Recipe For Aapam
( Lacy pancakes made with rice and coconut milk.)

Prep Time: 6 hours to soak the rice and dal
20 mins for the rest
12 hours to ferment
Cook Time: About 3 mins for an aapam
Source: Malliga Badrinath
Level: Intermediate
Makes about 20 aapams.

Ingredients

Raw rice 1.5 cups
Urad dal 1/4 cup
Fenugreek 1 tsp
Thick Fresh Coconut milk from 1/2 a coconut ( About 1 cup here)
Sugar 2 tbsp
Salt as needed
Baking soda 1/4 tsp

Second pressed coconut milk and sugar for serving.

Directions

Soak rice, dal and fenugreek together in about 4 cups of water for 6 hours or overnight. I used Ponni rice for this.
Next day, drain the water, wash and grind to a smooth batter. Grinding the batter in a wet grinder gives best results.
Once done, add salt and mix well.
Let it ferment for about 10 to 12 hours. In case the weather is hot, your batter will not take long to ferment. The batter rises up just like bread dough once it ferments.
Once it ferments, mix well.
Mix the coconut milk with 1/2 cup water.
Just before making the aapams, add the coconut milk, sugar on the top of the batter.
Let rest for 5 mins.
Now, add the baking soda and mix well.
Making aapams requires a special deep pan. I ve a non stick pan for this and here s picture tutorial on making aapams.
Heat the aapam pan.
The batter must be runny. Not as thick as the regular dosa batter.
Pour a ladle of the batter onto the center of the pan.
Now, with the help of the handles of the pan, lift it off the flame and gently swirl so that the batter evenly coats the inner circumference of the pan..

Once done, turn the flame to medium low and cook covered until you can see holes on the surface of the aapam.
If you dont see holes, add a pinch more of baking soda in the batter.
Cook the aapam on only one side.
You will know its done if you can easily lift it off the pan.

Once done, remove and serve hot with coconut milk and sugar. We enjoyed this with potato stew. Recipe coming soon. Stay tuned!

Chettinad Peas Kurma Recipe | Easy Side Dish Recipes

April 13, 2013 By anusha 8 Comments

We, cookies, have been blog hopping into each other s space the past few weeks. The last time, i cooked off from Jay. I made these amazing Microwave milk peda from her space. Its a month gone by now and its time for one more cook off from Roshni s space.

Roshni s space is a treasure trove of recipes from across the globe. But then, living in UK, has made her a global desi and she s got an array of traditional Indian recipes in her repertoire. I found each of her traditional take on food delightful and made quiet a few dishes from her blog. While the No oil Naga chutney tickled our tongues, her broccoli poha gave a much needed respite from the ho hum poha that s usually made. But what left us licking our fingers copiously was this chettinad style green peas masala. Full of flavors and mildly spicy, it was such a treat to tuck into.

Recipe For Chettinad Peas Kurma

( Dried peas cooked in indian spices- vegan and gluten free)

Prep Time: Overnight to soak the peas

10 mins for the rest

Cook Time: 30 mins to cook the peas.

15 mins to do the rest

Source: Roshni s Version

Level: Intermediate

Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients

Dried peas 1 cup

Onion 2 medium chopped finely

Tomatoes 2 medium chopped finely

Garlic 4 cloves minced

Ginger 1″ piece grated

Green chili 1 minced

Curry leaves a sprig

Oil 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Cumin seeds 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Spice Powders

Coriander powder 2 tsp

Cumin powder 1.5 tsp

Chili powder 1 tsp

Turmeric powder 1 tsp

Pepper powder 1 tsp

Directions

Soak the peas overnight with 5 cups of water.

The next day, drain the water and pressure cook the peas with 3 cups of water and salt until fork tender or slightly mushy

Once done, drain the water and reserve.

Heat oil in a pan.

Pop the mustard and cumin seeds and add the chopped onions, green chili, ginger, garlic and curry leaves,

Saute till the onions turn a golden brown.

Now, add all the spice powders except the pepper powder.

Mix well and cook for a min.

Add the chopped tomatoes next and mix well.

Cook till oil separates from the mixture.

Add the pressure cooked peas and mix well.

Add about 1/2 cup of the reserved water and salt and mix.

Simmer for 5 mins.

Add the pepper powder, mix and simmer again for 3 mins.

Serve hot with rice or rotis or even puris.

So, where are the other cookies cooking from?? To know that, check out Radhika, Jayanthi ,Kavi, Priya, Priya Mahadevan, Roshni s cook off frenzy

Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe | Eggless Cookie Recipes

April 12, 2013 By anusha 7 Comments

My house ( read Mr.P) is not the one which likes to wake up to a breakfast of cookies or pancakes or a thick slice of bread. We like our breakfasts to be full blast Indian and more often than not, we eat a huge breakfast. So all this baking shaking comes to play only during those evenings when both of us need a bite or two. That s probably why you wont find cookie and quick bread recipes crawling all over my blog.

But as is the case with any one, the other side of the pasture is always greener with me too. While i really like eating a huge Indian breakfast, i do yearn for a simple breakfast every now and then. I wouldnt mind a cookie or a slice of that banana bread. So while i let Mr.P indulge in his Indian breakfast ritual, i do skip town and stuff myself with a few cookies or a slice of bread.

When i had a similar craving last week, ( Of course, not in the early morning), i decided to make chocolate chip cookies. But i wanted my cookies to be a little offbeat and did not want to bake those prescriptive flour, sugar and chip cookie. Plus, i wanted the cookies to be eggless. I turned to my almost apodictic friend- Google and found this cookie recipe. And i must say, what a break they were from the ho hum chocolate chip cookies.Slightly chewy and milky, the cookies were absolutely ineffable!

Recipe For Eggless Chocolate Chip Cookies

( Cookies with condensed milk and chocolate chips)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 15 mins

Level: Intermediate

Source: Adapted from here

Yields about 15 to 20 cookies

Ingredients

Flour 96 g

Unsalted softened butter 90 g

Granulated sugar 30 g powdered

Condensed milk 1/4 cup

Baking powder 1 tsp

Salt a pinch

White chocolate chips 1/4 cup

Dark chocolate chips 1/4 cup

Directions

In a mixing bowl, sieve together the salt, flour and baking powder thoroughly.

In another bowl, cream together butter and sugar until fluffy.

Add condensed milk next and whisk until well incorporated.

Now, add the flour mixture and chocolate chips and gently combine the mixture with a spatula.

Refrigerate the mixture for about 2 hours. The original recipe doesnt call for this step. I did it because i dint want my cookies spreading too much. You can skip the step and instead bake the cookies immediately by dropping the batter with a spoon on a lined baking sheet. The dough is a little watery when compared to normal cookie dough but dont you panic! Its completely normal.

At the end of 2 hours, preheat oven to 180 C.

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Using a spoon or a melon baller, make small balls out of the dough and drop on the baking sheet leaving atleast 2″ gap between each cookie.

Slightly flatten the cookie ball with the back of a spoon.

Bake for 15 mins or until tops are golden. Repeat with the remaining dough.

Once done, let cool completely.

Now, enjoy with a glass of milk and store away in an air tight container for a greater meal in front of the TV.

The cookies keep well for 3 days.

Kuska Recipe | Easy Rice Recipes And Winner Of Your Kitchen In Spring Event

April 10, 2013 By anusha 10 Comments

For a couple that eats pulao every other day, this blog stands unjustified. I make so many types of pulao but i really have no clue as to why i ve not bothered clicking a picture and sharing that bowl of awesomeness with you all. I mean, how dumb can i get?

Looks like i can get dumber. Because, if you really take a look at my alphabetical recipe index, you will find that, while there are more than ten recipes of lunchbox rices, there are not even 4 or 5 pulao or biriyani recipes. You see, the excitement that comes along with a biriyani or a pulao is so immense that i find it very hard to not dig in as soon as it s cooked. The ditto applies to Mr.P too. Anyway, i made this really easy flavorsome Kuska last week. And needless to say, it was gobbled down to its last grain. It was a filling meal by itself which tasted divine with a bowl of mixed raita. And i did have the brains to click a few pictures. So, here s bringing to you all, the easy, the divine and the finally photographed Kuska recipe!

Recipe For Kuska
( Basmati rice flavored with indian spices)

Prep Time: 1 hour to soak the rice
15 mins for the rest
Cook Time: 20 mins
Source: A monthly tamil magazine
Level: Intermediate
Serves 2 generously

Ingredients

Basmati rice 1 cup
Water 1 cup
Tomatoes 2 medium chopped finely
Onion 1 large chopped finely
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Green chilies 3 to 4
Mint leaves 10 to 12
Cilantro 1 small bunch
Coconut milk ( not too thin and not too thick) 1 cup
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1″ piece
Green cardamom 1
Bay leaf 1
Oil 1 tbsp
Ghee 1 tbsp
Salt to taste

Directions

Soak the basmati rice in 2 cups of water for an hour.
Towards the end of an hour, prep all your veggies.
Heat a pan with oil and add green chilies and saute till puffed up and white.
Now, add the onions and saute till light brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste next and saute for 30 secs.
Now, add the mint leaves, cilantro and chopped tomatoes and cook till tomatoes turn completely mushy and oil starts separating.
Once done, add salt, mix well and let cool completely.
When cooled, grind to a smooth paste in a blender.
Heat ghee in a pan.
Add the bay leaf, cardamom, cloves and cinnamon.
Let them brown a bit.
Now,add the ground paste and cook on medium flame for about 2 to 3 mins.
Drain the water from the rice and add to the paste.
Add 1 cup of coconut milk and 1 cup of water. Mix gently. I used 1/2 c of canned coconut milk and diluted it with 1/2 cup of water.
Cook until the rice is fluffy and tender. Alternatively, you may transfer this to a heavy bottomed pressure cooker and cook for 1 whistle or cook the rice in an electric rice cooker. An electric rice cooker works best for me!
Once the rice is done,fluff gently with a fork.

Serve hot accompanied with a curry of your choice or some raita.
Among other things, Your Kitchen In Spring Event giveaway has been won by Roshni Chandrasekar who blogs at Arusuvai Kurippu. Congrats Roshni!!

Carrot Almond Salad Recipe | Easy Salad Recipes

April 9, 2013 By anusha 9 Comments

The diet regimen struck my kitchen just like it does every year. I knew that it shall perish as soon as it began. Or atleast, i expected that it will. But then, things took a different course this time. The regimen is still in action and its proving to be challenging to whip up something that s yummy and yet at the same time,low on calories. Not to mention, Mr.P s eddying desires to eat everything sugarless and uncooked.

Keeping in tune with Mr.P s sudden deep penchant to healthy eating, i ve been making salads every week. Sometimes, i m inspired to put together a really mean salad with a bean or two dressed up with mayo. But otherwise, when i feel subdued after all that calorie counting, i put together a simple salad that s scrumptious with some nuts. That s just what i did yesterday. Made this lovely salad that can keep your 4 o clock hunger pangs at bay. I ate it for lunch, though and thoroughly enjoyed it too!

Recipe for Carrot Almond Salad
( Vegan salad with carrots and assorted nuts)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Level: Easy
Serves 2 minimally

Ingredients

Carrots 2 large peeled and shaved into ribbons
Almonds 1/8 cup toasted and slivered
Sunflower seeds 1 tbsp toasted
Sesame seeds 1 tbsp toasted
Cilantro 1 tbsp chopped finely

Dressing

Olive oil 1 tbsp
Lemon juice 1 tbsp
Honey 1 tbsp
Sugar 1 tsp
White pepper 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Directions

Use a peeler and make ribbons out of the carrots.
In a mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients for dressing and mix well. I mean really well.
Now, place the carrot ribbons, nuts and cilantro in the bowl along with the dressing and toss well.
Serve garnished with a drizzle of honey and a few leaves of cilantro. You must note that i totally forgot this step!

Enjoy your salad as a whole meal by itself or as a 4 o clock snack

Egg Fried Rice Recipe | Easy Chinese Recipes

April 8, 2013 By anusha 6 Comments

There was a time in my life when lunch meant only egg fried rice. Those were the times in my life when travel included two hours of bus journey, dried rice strongly infused with the rancidness of soda bicarb and a very affectionate roomie who took as good care of me as a gardener would of his tulips and sweet peas. With literally a lioness’ appetite and aching bones, i would come back to my hostel to only find that rancid rice in the dining hall waiting to be gulped down without a second thought with an equally tart dal or sambar. I would take one look at the containers lined up messily on the table and my appetite would die a thousand deaths.

But, as soon as i enter my room, a brown paper bag would greet me heartily. A paper bag that had delicious food. Haa… i must define that paper bag as manna from heaven. A bag that held a large box of take away chinese- egg fried rice to be precise. I dont know how many of my lunches were egg fried rice. I ve sort of lost count. But then, that fried rice kept me going for more than a year of my college days and for that i m thankful to my roomie immeasurably and for that great soul who actually had the brains to make egg fried rice. So, its only natural that i share my recipe of egg fried rice with ya all.

Recipe For Egg Fried Rice
( Leftover rice cooked along with scrambled eggs and veggies)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 20 mins
Level: easy
Serves 2 generously

Ingredients

Leftover cooked rice 2 cups
Carrot 1 peeled and chopped very finely
Green bell pepper 1 chopped very finely
Onion 1 large chopped finely
Garlic 4 cloves chopped very finely
Spring onion whites 4 tbsp chopped finely
Spring onion greens 1 tbsp chopped finely
Soy sauce 2 tbsp
Tomato sauce 1 tbsp
Green chili sauce 1/2 tbsp
White pepper 1 tsp
Eggs 2
Oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Directions

We ll begin by scrambling the eggs first. In a bowl, break the eggs and whisk along with a little salt.
Heat a pan with oil. Once heated, add the beaten eggs and stir vigorously.
Once the eggs turn yellow, break down the eggs into pieces with the help of a ladle and set aside.
Now, heat a pan with oil.
Add the onions and garlic and saute till light brown.
Add the bell pepper next and saute for a min and follow with the spring onion whites.
Next add the carrots and saute till they become fork tender. Takes about 3 to 4 mins.
Now,add all the sauces and cook for about 1 min.
Add the white pepper and salt next. Keep an eye on the salt as the eggs and the sauces already have salt in them.
Now, add the cooked rice and the scrambled eggs and mix well.

Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot with some ketchup and veggie manchurian. And believe me, that platter will be sheer bliss.

Homemade Pasta Sauce Recipe | Easy Pasta Recipes

April 6, 2013 By anusha 5 Comments

While Mr.P is not very fond of the pennes and bowties, I have a fetish for pasta and the tongue twisting names that come along with them. It also happens that not only do I like the names but I enjoy eating pasta immensely. Because, its always a one woman meal affair when it comes to pasta, I hardly make it at home. In fact, it s been aeons since we even ordered pasta outside. But then, when I decided at the beginning of this year that I shall expand my culinary horizons to every bit possible, I sure did add cooking pasta to that list.

I ve seen many a pasta sauce in the aisles of supermarkets here. But I ve never fancied buying one of those tall jars for two reasons. One, I don’t believe in buying hideously expensive jars that I ll probably open only once and then, frantically search for a space in my pantry to shove that jar in. And then there remains the fact that I enjoy cooking from scratch so much. In fact, I m so fond of making things myself that , I even bake bread every week. We stopped buying bread ages ago. Pasta sauce was no exception. And this time, I didn’t even research for a recipe. Having eaten pasta in a few restaurants that serve authentic Italian, I remember the taste so vividly that I tried and recreated the same in my sauce. I followed no particular recipe at all and I cooked by my instincts. And I must say, I was more than happy with the results. The correct word would be euphoric. Yeah. That s how I felt when I popped a spoon of this sauce into my mouth. Euphoric.

Recipe For Homemade Pasta Sauce

( Sauce with tomatoes and herbs for pasta recipes)

Prep Time: 10 mins

Cook Time: 20 mins

Yields 1.5 cups

Level: Easy

Ingredients

Tomatoes 5 large ripe ones chopped finely

Onion 1 large chopped very finely

Garlic 5 cloves minced

Fresh basil leaves 2 tbsp chopped finely

Balsamic vinegar 2 to 3 tbsp

Sugar 1/2 tsp

Red paprika 2 tsp or chili flakes 1 tbsp

Oregano 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Olive oil 2 tbsp

Directions

Heat the olive oil in a pan.

Add the garlic and saute till it turns golden brown.

Next add the onions and fry till golden.

Now, add the basil leaves and fry for about 30 secs. Turn down the flame to the lowest.

Add the balsamic vinegar and sugar. Add the paprika or chili flakes next and saute for anouth 30 secs.

Follow with the chopped tomatoes next and add oregano. Add salt.

Now, cook the tomatoes until completely mushy and oil just appears on the surface.

At this stage, switch off the stove and let cool completely.

Once cooled, place the mixture in a blender and blend to a smooth puree. Blend a little less if you want a chunky sauce. But i like mine as a smooth puree. So i blended it completely.

Transfer to an airtight container and keep refrigerated until use.

This sauce keeps well for 2 to 3 days in the fridge.

Now, how can you possibly use this divine sauce? Stay tuned for those ideas!

Oats Upma Recipe | Easy Breakfast Recipes

April 4, 2013 By anusha 8 Comments

We are not oats lovers in the Praveen household. Its not like there are fifty people saying ayes and nayes here. It s just two of us in the household but we are not oats fans. Mr. P detests oats so much that he wont even take a look at it. As for me, i ve eaten a bit of oaty grub now and then but not a maniac either.
That s the reason why the blog never features oats recipes. But on those rare days, when i run out of breakfast ideas, i make this oats upma. And that s only been 4 times so far in all of my two and half years of blissful marriage. So, you can pretty much figure out how much oats we eat ! But then, every time i make this, its a hit and i almost always end up eating it for dinner too. Otherwise, the morning breakfast is dutifully shared with the house help. So, it is only fair that i share my upma recipe here, right? Right.

Recipe for Oats Upma
( Quick cooking oats with a medley of veggies)

Prep Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 to 15 mins
Level: Easy
Serves 2

Ingredients

Quick cooking oats 1 cup ( cos that s the only oats we get here, i wouldnt know if this works with other types of oats too)
Onion 1 large chopped finely
Carrot 1 medium chopped finely ( I used 2 baby carrots)
Peas a handful
Grated ginger 1 tsp
Green chilies 7 slit lengthwise
Curry leaves a sprig ( which i dint have this time but highly recommended)
Oil 2 tbsp
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Water 1 cup
Salt to taste

Directions

Bring the water to a boil.
Heat a pan with oil and pop the mustard.
Add the urad dal next and wait till it turns a light brown.
Now, add the grated ginger, curry leaves and green chilies and saute till chilies turn a light brown.
Add onions next and saute till light brown.
Add carrots and peas next and saute till they turn fork tender. Takes about 5 mins on medium flame.
Add the boiled water to this with salt and wait for the water to start bubbling.
Once it does, add the oats and mix well. The oats will absorb all the water immediately.
Cook covered for 5 to 6 mins on medium flame.

Serve hot with curd and pickle.

Chocolate And Coconut Bar Recipe | Easy Energy Bar Recipes

April 3, 2013 By anusha 16 Comments

Being a south Indian, no one can ever drive home the concept of eating an energy bar when hungry, to me. Especially being hungry in the evenings. No. For me, being hungry augurs platefuls of idlies or vadas or sometimes, a bonda or two.

I can never, ever satiate my hungry tummy by nibbling on a piddling sweet bar. Well. That would have been the case a few years ago. You know how the story is, dont ya? You grow up. You start to act responsibly. And so you start eating responsibly too. That s what happened to me too. Only i realised that eating responsibly doesn’t necessarily mean eating tasteless food and that i can always satiate my tummy with an energy bar. I dont make such stuff very often. But when i do make it, i walk an extra mile to make sure that the bars are made yummy in every which way possible. This month, The Groovy Gourmets went public. 21 of us gourmets are cooking along and we are all being inspired by all the vegan deliciousness on Roxana s Home Baking. Considering that Roxana s actually an avid baker, i must have baked these Pani Popo, a hawaiian bread recipe. But then, i had had too much bread the last week and i really wanted a no cook recipe. So i picked these chewy chocolate coconut bars, which is probably the easiest recipe on her space and the yummiest no cook recipe i ve come across. So, i have to say, all in all, a win win situation. As for the bars, they are all gone.

Recipe For Chocolate And Coconut Bars
( No cook raw energy bars made with vegan ingredients)

Prep Time: 20 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Level: Easy
Source:Adapted from here
Makes about ten to fifteen 4″ bars

Ingredients

Freshly grated coconut 1/2 cup
Pitted dates 3/4 cup chopped finely
Almonds 1/2 cup
Walnuts 1/2 cup
Raisins a handful
Cocoa powder 2 tbsp
Coconut oil 2 tbsp

Directions

Toast your nuts. I did this on the microwave and totally, totally enjoyed the aroma of the nuts toasting. So, please do yourself a favor and toast your nuts on high for about 2 mins in the microwave. And let them cool completely. Make sure you toast a few extra for you will munch on them too. And please feel free to pick your nuts but i wouldnt recommend cashews.
Once cool, place them in a blender along with coconut and grind coarsely.
Remove and set aside.
Now, add the pitted dates, raisins and cocoa and grind till the mixture comes into a ball.
Once done, add the coarsely ground nut mixture and coconut oil to this and blend again till the mixture comes into a ball.
Will take a few mins, this grinding to a ball thing, but rest your blender in between, scrape and blend for 4 to 5 mins and you must be done.
Once done, line small baking tray or a deep dinner plate with parchment paper.
Spread the mixture on to the tray evenly.
With the help of a flat bottomed plate or a bowl, gently press down the mixture to even it out.
Refrigerate for about 6 hours to set.
After 6 hours, remove from tray, cut into squares.

What are you looking at? Start digging in!
Here s the link up of all the gourmet posts that we did this month.

Dal Makhani Recipe | Easy Dal Recipes

April 2, 2013 By anusha 12 Comments

Dal Makhani; Creamy buttery black gram lentils slow cooked in an onion tomato curry base. Finished off with cream, this is a rich gluten-free dish that goes well with Kulcha or rice.

I have a thing for Punjabi style delicacies. I go bananas over their aloo parathas and rajma chawal. While i make both of them regularly, I have never been able to click them. My family is also a huge fan of the Dal Makhani that the Punjabis make with ease.

I love that creamy texture in the dal and the ural dal kidney beans combination lends a flavor thats very unique. I ve been making this dal for a long time now. But lets just say i found the time to click a few pictures only now.

Directions

Pressure cook the dals and beans together with salt and cinnamon in 2 cups of water until overcooked and mushy. Took 10 whistles for me. May take longer if your beans are old.
Once done, drain the water and set aside.
Heat a pan with the butter and crackle the cumin.
Add the clove and cardamom with green chilies next.
Saute for 30 secs and add green chilies, onions and ginger garlic paste next.
Saute till onions turn a light golden brown.
Now, add the chili powder and turmeric powder and saute for 30 secs.
Add the tomato puree and cook the mixture till oil separates.
Now, add the cooked dal and salt to taste.
Mix well.
Cook on medium flame for about 2 mins.
Add 1/2 cup of the reserved water and mix well. Simmer.
Now add the cream and mix well.
Simmer for a minute more.
Once done, garnish with a dollop of cream on top and cilantro leaves.

Follow me on Instagram or Facebook for regular cooking updates and short videos. Find us on Pinterest for delicious content. Tried our Dal Makhani? We value your thoughts and comments! Leave a comment and tell us how it worked for you. Email us your questions to anusha24writes@gmail.com if you need any guidance in making this.

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Dal Makhani

Creamy buttery black urad dal cooked in an onion tomato curry base.

Prep Time4

Cook Time45

Course: Main Course, Mains

Cuisine: North Indian, Punjabi

Servings:

Equipment

Pressure cooker

Ingredients

3/4 c Black Urad dal
3 tbsp Kidney beans
1/4 c Fresh cream
1 c finely chopped Onion
1/2 c Tomato puree
2 tsp Ginger garlic paste
3 minced Green chilies
2 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tspTurmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
1 inch Cinnamon
1 Clove
1 Green cardamom
2 tbsp Unsalted butter
1.5 tsp Salt or to taste

Instructions

Pressure cook the dals and beans together for 8 to 10 whistles with salt and cinnamon in 2 cups of water until overcooked and mushy.
Once done, drain the water and set aside.
Heat a pan with the butter and crackle the cumin.
Add the clove and cardamom with green chilies next.
Saute for 30 secs and add green chilies, onions and ginger garlic paste next.
Saute till onions turn a light golden brown.
Now, add the chili powder and turmeric powder and saute for 30 secs.
Add the tomato puree and cook the mixture till oil separates.
Now, add the cooked dal and salt to taste.
Mix well.
Cook on medium flame for about 2 mins.
Add 1/2 cup of the reserved water and mix well. Simmer.
Now add the cream and mix well.
Simmer for a minute more.
Once done, garnish with a dollop of cream on top and cilantro leaves.

For Instant Pot & Air Fryer Recipes

Instant Pot timings may vary based on your geographic location. Air fryer settings and timings may vary based on the capacity and the model of the Air fryer.

Disclaimer

Nutrition values are provided here as a courtesy and are only a rough guide. Please consult a health care provider if you have any concerns.

Tried this recipe?Mention @tomatoblues or tag #tomatoblues!

Coconut Rolls Recipe | Yeast Bread Recipes

April 1, 2013 By anusha 8 Comments

As a kid, i ve never liked bread. Coimbatore has this famous bakery called Iyer and Co. which probably sells the best vegetable puffs in the entire universe. Back in the 90s, it costed 5 bucks a puff and if Daddy was home on a weekday, when i came back from school, then i knew i was in for a puff treat that day. I used to heartily tuck in to that buttery puff and then wash it down with a tall glass of bournvita.
On days, when daddy couldnt make it to the bakery on time to grab a piece, ( mind ya, the puffs disappeared as quickly as they arrived), he would bring home something called thengai bun. That was another favorite of mine. Soft fluffy buns stuffed with sweetened grated coconut and raisins.

Then i grew up, went to college. Got married. Got myself a husband and then an oven. And then i began baking my own breads, i suddenly realised how much i miss those thengai buns and the vegetable puffs. While vegetable puffs is quite a strenuous process which is evidently kept aside for a day when i have nothing but time on hands, i made these coconut buns yesterday into some pull apart buns. And oh my, how nostalgic it felt to make them and eat them. Mr.P was over the moon when he ate it and i was over two moons! So, here s the recipe.

Recipe For Coconut Rolls
( Pull apart rolls stuffed with coconut and raisins)

Prep Time: 10 mins to make the dough
1 hour for the first rise.
10 mins to make the filling
Bake Time: 15 to 20 mins
Bake Temp: 200 C
Makes 7 rolls
Source: My kitchen notes and adapted loosely from here

Ingredients

All purpose flour 2 cups
Instant yeast 2tsp
Sugar 6 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp
Warm milk 1/2 cup
Coconut oil 4 tbsp
Coconut oil for greasing

Stuffing

Coconut 3/4 cup freshly grated
Cardamom 1 pod
Raisins a handful
Tutti fruity a handful
Sugar 2 tbsp

Milk for brushing
Coconut oil for brushing

Directions

In a bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar and yeast well.
Add the warm milk and knead into a smooth pliable dough. Takes about 3 to 4 mins.You may have to add about 1 to 2 tbsp of more milk if the dough is too dry or 1 or 2 tbsp flour if the dough is sticky.
Once done, cover with a clean damp kitchen towel and let rise until double in volume. Takes anywhere between 1 to 2 hours depending on the weather. It took 45 mins here.
While the dough is rising, prep the filling.
In a blender, place the cardamom pod and grated coconut and blend to a coarse paste without adding any water.
Transfer to a bowl, add tutti fruity and raisins and mix well using your fingers. Set aside.
Once done, grease a 6″ cake tin generously with coconut oil.

Punch the dough down.
Divide the dough into 7 equal parts.
Shape each part into a ball.
Gently stretch the ball into a circle of 3″ diameter using a rolling pin.
Place about 1 tbsp of the filling in the middle of the circle and pinch the sides together.
Now, place the ball into the greased pan pinched side downwards.
Repeat for the rest of the dough, placing the rolls into the cake tin and making sure you dont overcrowd them.
Let rise for about 10 mins. The dough wont double. But doesnt matter as we are using instant yeast here.
During this time, preheat the oven to 200 C.
As soon as the oven gets preheated, brush the rolls with milk and oil generously.
Bake for 15 to 20 mins or until the rolls get browned on the top.
Once done, let cool completely on a cooling rack.
When cooled, invert.

Start pulling out the loaves and tuck in!
This goes to Roxana s Bake Your Own Bread

Schezwan Baby Corn Recipe | Easy Appetizer Recipes

March 29, 2013 By anusha 3 Comments

I have a gargantuan addiction of chinese food. Either ways that is. Indo chinese or the authentic Chinese food. You say it and i ll follow you like a Hutch Pug throughout. The brownie point is that i love cooking chinese too. Unlike other oriental cuisines that pretty much call for ingredient lists that are as long as the Great Wall, Chinese food has considerably fewer ingredients, more veggies and terrific flavor. What takes the cake is the fact that it s a crowd pleaser.

But what i m not sure of is whether Schezwan is chinese. But i m taking the liberty to call Schezwan, Chinese because i was recently served this at a Chinese place and it tasted out of the world. Well, curiosity did kill the cat and i asked the hotel people how did they make it and they did give me a long and winding procedure. I picked what i wanted to use in the recipe and discarded the rest. I have modified the original recipe given by those folks here and the result was simply brilliant. And we went truly Indo Chinese by eating this with rotis. So, it s a win win situation anyway. Roti. Rice. Either ways, its drool worthy.

Recipe For Schezwan Baby Corn
( Baby corns marinated, fried and dunked in spicy sauce)

Prep Time: 30 mins for the marination
10 mins for the rest
Cook Time: 30 mins
Level: Intermediate
Source: Hearsay
Serves 3

Ingredients

Baby corn 10 to 15
Onion 1 large chopped finely
Spring onions 2 stalks chopped finely
Green chilies 2 chopped finely
Garlic 10 pods chopped finely
Ajinomoto 1/2 tsp
Corn flour 2 tbsp
Oil for shallow frying
Salt to taste

Marinade

Vinegar 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Salt 1/2 tsp

Sauce

Tomato sauce 2 tbsp
Red chili sauce 3 tbsp
Soy sauce 1 tbsp
Corn flour 1 tbsp
Water 1/2 cup

Directions

In a mixing bowl, place all the ingredients for marinade. Combine well.
Clean the corn thoroughly, place in boiling water for 2 mins, drain and then add to the marinade. In case you are using tinned corn, you need not place the corn in boiling water.
Toss well and set aside for 30 mins.
After 30 mins, coat the baby corn with corn flour generously.
Heat oil in a pan.
Shallow fry the baby corn until golden brown.
Drain on a kitchen towel.
Now, lets make the sauce.
In the same pan that you used shallow fried the corn, add the garlic and green chilies and fry till light brown.
Now, add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown.
In the meanwhile, combine 1 tbsp corn flour with 1/2 cup water and set aside.
Next add the spring onions and fry just until wilted. Takes about a min.
Now, add the sauces and combine well.
Cook the sauces on high flame for 30 to 40 secs.
Now, add the corn flour water mixture and stir well.
Cook on medium flame until the mixture turns almost dry.
Once done, transfer to a bowl.
Garnish with chopped spring onions.

Serve hot with vegetable fried rice or rotis.

Eggless Carrot Cake Recipe | Easy Eggless Cake Recipes

March 27, 2013 By anusha 11 Comments

Its been a while since i stepped up into the Daring Baker apron. I ve been wanting to make so many recipes but simply dont find the time. This month s challenge was one that had me jumping because, not only was it creative but also a wee bit easy. Ruth from Makey-Cakey was our March 2013 Daring Bakers’ challenge host. She encouraged us all to get experimental in the kitchen and sneak some hidden veggies into our baking, with surprising and delicious results!

When i first heard of carrot cake on a TV show, i thought to myself, ” carrot cake? seriously? carrot in a cake?” And so my hunt for a carrot cake recipe began until it eventually became an obsession. The first time i made carrot cake, it was disastrous. The cake was mushy and the texture resembled something close to that of kiddo cereal. And that sort of put me off carrot cake for a long time. But when Ruth challenged us all to sneak veggies into our sweet bakes, i was more than delighted. I challenged myself to make that carrot cake again and this time, i researched over 25 recipes before i came to this version. And my hard work did pay off. I made a bundt cake with the batter and the cake was relished to the last crumb. Thank you Ruth! for setting us up with such a creative challenge!

Recipe For Eggless Carrot Cake

( Cake with grated carrots and cinnamon)

Prep Time: 15 mins

Cook Time: 35 mins

Serves 4

Bake Temp: 180 C

Source: Adapted from here

Ingredients

All purpose flour 100g

Granulated sugar 120 g powdered

Carrots grated 1 cup

Unsalted Butter 100 g softened

Thick fresh curd 3/4 cup or 90g whisked well

Baking powder 1/2 tsp

Baking soda 1/4 tsp

Cinnamon powder 1/2 tsp

All spice powder 1/2 tsp

Salt 1/4 tsp

Vanilla 1 tsp

Butter for greasing

Directions

Preheat oven to 180 C.

Grease a 21 cm bundt pan with butter and set aside.

In a mixing bowl, place flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon powder and all spice powder.

Combine well.

In another mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until fluffy. Takes about 3 mins on high speed in an electric whisk.

Now, add the curd and beat again on high speed for about 30 secs.

Add the vanilla next and whisk again for 30 secs.

Get rid of the whisk and arm yourself with a spatula now.

Add the grated carrots into the butter sugar mixture and combine well with the spatula.

Now, add the dry flour mixture and gently folding in to the wet ingredients.

Dont try to mix or whisk vigorously. This cake is as such a dense cake. The more you mix, the denser the cake.

Fold in the dry ingredients just until well combined. The batter is not free flowing unlike other cake batters. It is thick but dont be alarmed. You will have a beautiful fluffy cake!

Now, pour the batter into the greased pan and spread evenly.

Drop the pan gently on the counter twice or thrice.

Place the pan in an oven and bake for 30 to 35 mins or until a toothpick inserted comes clean. I suggest you take a peek after 30 mins.

Once done, cool for 10 mins before inverting the cake.

Cool completely before serving.

Make this a super dessert by topping with chocolate ganache or a scoop of vanilla ice cream!

The cake keeps well in a fridge for 2 to 3 days. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Filipino Fruit Salad Recipe | Easy Dessert Recipes

March 25, 2013 By anusha 13 Comments

I love fruits. And i m crazy about fruit salad. I mean, its such a simpleton of a recipe but still tastes as though you ve slogged for hours in the kitchen when you serve it up cutely in a dessert glass. I knew how to make the regular fruit salad, which was probably the only dessert apart from ice creams, that i ate, about 10 years ago. I knew that other desserts such as tarts and gelatos existed, thanks to Enid Blyton. But then the only ones that i got to devour with fervor was fruit salad and an occasional falooda or a huge ice cream. Daddy always made sure he got a family pack of ice cream. Even though i was the only kid at home. Pampered brat i was.
You need not even doubt if i shared it. No, i dint.

Eventually, as i grew up, i did get to taste a tart here and a sorbet there. But fruit salad remained close to my heart forever and it still is my favorite dessert. When i decided it was time to write about the humble and beloved fruit salad, i knew i dint want a regular version. I wanted to add some zing to the regular fruit salad and thus began my hunt. I came across various recipes and almost decided to make this salad. But somehow it dint fancy me much. So, some more searching later, i was convinced that i had to make a filipino salad. After going through almost 20 recipes for making a filipino salad, i zeroed in on this recipe and added my own touch to it. And it was sensational. So, the next time, you all think of making a fruit salad, try this one!

Recipe For Filipino Fruit Salad
( Assorted fruits in dressing served cold)

Prep Time: 20 to 30 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Chilling Time: 1 hour
Source: Adapted from here
Level: Beginnner
Yields 2 to 3 cups

Ingredients

Apple 1 small cored and cubed
Pear 1 small cored and cubed
Black grapes 20
Papaya 1/2 cup chopped finely
Chikoo 1 chopped finely
Orange 1 segmented and chopped
Banana 1 sliced ( a fruit sa
Pomegranate seeds 1/2 cup
Tender coconut pieces 2/3 cup
Condensed milk 2/3 cup
Thick coconut milk 1/2 cup

Directions

Place all the ingredients in a mixing bowl.
Mix gently with a spatula.
Chill in the fridge for an hour.

Burp!
This is off to Priya s Healthy Me & Healthy Us.

Hokkaido Milk Bread Recipe | Yeast Bread Recipes

March 24, 2013 By anusha 16 Comments

Three cheers to my bread baking group, We Knead To Bake. If not for the group, i wouldnt have dared to make classic croissants and i wouldnt have known that some thing called Hokkaido bread even remotely existed. Thanks to Aparna who has been patient enough to make us all feel that there cant anything easier than making a tangzhong bread.

Now, if you all are wondering what tangzhong is, its actually a flour water milk roux that is used in making this hokkaido milk bread, a famous delicacy in most South Asian bakeries.The loaf is sweet usually filled with some kind of filling. The bread is usually made in a food processor but since i dint have one, i dared to make it with my hand, all the while, keeping my fingers crossed that i dont over knead the dough and make it dense as opposed to it phenomenal pillow soft texture.

And i succeeded. I did manage to click step by step pictures of shaping the dough and making the tangzhong but as luck would have it, the pictures got deleted by mistake. But no worries. You can all refer to Aparna s elaborate photo tutorial and the original recipe.
This bread is usually made into cute shapes or made into rolls. I chose to make them into rolls and stuffed them with chocolate chips. I went a lil overboard and made six rolls into one loaf with stuffing and all, while the traditional way of making it is only with three rolls. I m looking forward to making the hokkaido again with some savory filling. And i shall share that too when i make it soon. But for now, here s how i made it.

Recipe For Hokkaido Milk Bread
( Bread loaf using flour water roux method)

Prep Time: Tangzhong- 10 mins for mixing.
2 hours to cool
Cook Time: 7 mins for the tangzhong
Bake Time: 20 mins for the loaf
Bake Temperature: 170 C
Level: Intermediate

Ingredients

Tangzhong
Flour 1/3 cup
Milk 1/2 cup
Water 1/2 cup

For The Dough

Tangzhong 1/2 cup of the tangzhong that you made
Flour 2.5 cups
Instant dried yeast 2 tsp
Sugar 2 tbsp
Salt 1 tsp ( increase to 1.5 tsp in case you want a savory filling in the bread)
Milk powder 2 tbsp
Milk 1/2 cup
Cream 2 tbsp
Unsalted butter 25 g or 1 tbsp plus 2 tsp softened and at room temperature

For The Filling

Milk chocolate chips 3/4 cup

Milk for brushing

Directions

Tangzhong

In a pan, combine the flour with water and milk and mix thoroughly until no lumps are seen. Use a balloon whisk for this and rest assured, you will be successful!
Now, place the pan on the stove and cook stirring continuously until you see lines appearing on the surface of the mixture. The lines must not disintegrate immediately. Or if you have a thermometer, wait till the mixture reaches 65 F.
Now,allow the mixture to cool completely and this takes 2 hours minimum.

The Dough:

Now, lets make the dough.
Once the tangzhong has cooled down, take 1/2 cup of the tangzhong and set aside.
In a mixing bowl, mix cream, tangzhong and milk until smooth. Balloon whisk to the rescue here too!
Now, in another bowl, combine the flour, salt, sugar, milk powder and yeast and combine well.
Add the flour mixture to the tangzhong mixture and combine well until everything just comes together.
Now, add the butter and start kneading the mixture until smooth and a little less than sticky. Do not be tempted to add more flour to the mixture than called for. Believe me, patience does pay for, so keep kneading. I kneaded for about 10 mins to achieve this but i did this on phone calls in between so i rested my hands here and there.
You will know that the dough is ready when it doesnt break immediately when you stretch. Also, the dough must form a circle when you stretch. And that s when you know its ready.
Now, oil a bowl generously and place this dough into the bowl.
Let it rise until it almost doubles in volume. Took 45 mins for me as the weather here is mercurial. May take longer for you if you live in a cold place.

Shaping the dough

Once the dough has risen, its time to shape the dough.
The dough makes for one 6″ by 4″ loaf and six stuffed rolls on a muffin tin. But i dint bake these small stuffed rolls in muffin tins. I baked them in a regular loaf tin into one big loaf that was as big as 8″ by 5″
Lets shape the dough, shall we?
Grease a 6″ by 4″ bread tin with butter generously. Set aside.
Once the dough is done, gently deflate it.
You wont need any extra flour for shaping this.
Divide the dough into 2 and place one on the counter.
Now, divide this into 3 equal parts and make small balls.
Take one ball and stretch it into an oval that s 1/8 ” thick.
Now, fold the ends of the oval to the middle of the oval, making sure one end lies over the other.
Turn the oval to its other side.
Now, roll the oval into a rectangle that s approximately 4″wide.
Now, roll the rectangle beginning from one end and then pinch the sides together.
Place the roll along the wider side of the tin.
Repeat the same process with the other two remaining pieces and place them, sealed edges down in the loaf tin, adjacent to the first roll.
Cover with a damp kitchen towel and set aside to rise for about 45 mins.
Lets work with the remaining half of the dough.
Grease a 8″ by 5″ loaf tin.
Divide the dough into six equal parts.
Repeat the process of rolling into an oval, then making a rectangle for each piece.
Now, place about 2 tbsp of chocolate chips in the beginning of the rectangle and roll.

Place the roll in the loaf tin.
Repeat the process for the rest of the rolls.
And place them sealed edges down in the loaf tin.
Cover and set aside to rise for about 45 mins.
At the end of the 45 mins preheat the oven to 170 C.
Brush the dough tops with milk.

Bake for 20 mins or until tops turn golden brown.
This is our bread for this month s We Knead To Bake and am taking this along to Zorra s Blogwarming Party and Bake Your Own Bread at Roxanna s Space
This bread is also being yeast spotted!

Vegetable Pulao Recipe | Easy Rice Recipes

March 20, 2013 By anusha 8 Comments

I am like this. I have a predetermined menu that i always turn to when i feel that its time i impressed my man. And my man is not easy to please, mind ya! The perfectionist that he is, it s not a wonder that it took me 2 years to master his method of dosa making. He likes his dosas round and not so soft yet not so crispy. That alone took me 2 years. And then the taste et al is totally another story.

The same stands true for his pulao expectations. Having graduated from Warangal, the land of the biriyani ( according to Mr.P) he does not accept a mixture of cooked rice and veggies as pulao. Well, he knows that the likelihood of eating a pulao that s made like in Warangal is almost zero for i would never be able to make biriyani like the Warangal inhabitants but he expects some kind of consolation which is a big deal for me, considering the 2 years dosa experience. The pulao took lesser time surprisingly and this recipe is my man s favorite among the other pulaos that i make. I decided to win him over today.You see, this always almost means that i have a shopping list as long as the Nile. Anyway, the pulao is a winner. And is my go to recipe at all times. Wonder why i haven’t shared it with y’all so far. But better late than never, right?

Recipe For Vegetable Pulao
( Cooked rice and vegetables mildly flavored with spices)

Prep Time: 1 hour to soak the rice
20 mins for the rest
Cook Time: 20 mins
Serves 2
Source: My kitchen notes

Ingredients

Basmati rice 1 cup soaked
Carrot 1 peeled and diced
Green peas 1/2 cup
Sweet corn kernels 1/4 cup
Green beans 10 chopped finely
Onion 1 large thinly sliced
Green chilies 2 slit lengthwise
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Mint leaves 10
Bay leaf 1
Green Cardamom 1
Cinnamon 1 ” piece
Cloves 2
Cumin seeds 1 tsp
Oil 1 tbsp
Ghee 1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Water 2 cups
Screw pine water 2 drops

Directions

Soaking the rice is mandatory when it comes to Basmati rice. So make sure you have soaked the rice for atleast an hour. I generally soak it for 2 hours. Call it the soaking obsession!
Wash the rice well and soak it with 2 cups of water.
In a pressure cooker, heat the oil and ghee.
Once hot, add the cumin seeds and once they crackle, add the bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves and cardamom.
Once the spices turn a light brown, add the green chilies and the onions and cook till light brown.
Next, add the ginger garlic paste.
Cook for about 30 secs, stirring continuously.
Now, add the chopped veggies and cook for 2 mins.You can pretty much add any vegetables that you want. Like cauliflower or capsicum. But i prefer my pulao with just this combination. In fact, i tend to even avoid adding green beans.
Next, add the mint leaves and cook for 30 secs.
Now, add the rice along with the water and salt to taste.
Add the screw pine water next and mix gently.
Close and pressure cook for 1 whistle. You may have to cook for 1 whistle more if you have soaked the rice for only an hour. But not more than 2 whistles in all.
After 1 whistle bring the flame to the lowest and continue to cook for 2 mins.
Once done, switch off the flame and wait for the pressure to drop completely.Fluff the rice with a fork gently.
Alternatively, you may do the sauteeing part in a frying pan and transfer the contents to an electric rice cooker to make your pulao.
Open the cooker and transfer the rice to a bowl to avoid the rice becoming mushy.

Serve hot with raitha or any curry of your choice.

P.S The amount of water mentioned here is for Kohinoor Basmathi rice. The quantity may vary depending on the quality of the rice and the age of the rice.

Watermelon Salsa Recipe | Easy Dip Recipes

March 19, 2013 By anusha 8 Comments

Summer has kicked in. On a loud note. Its sweltering hot as soon as the clock strikes eleven in the morning. And the AC has to chill away at 18 C in the night and only then we manage to grab a wink. Such is the state of affairs here. Sordid. Isn’t it?

The heat only makes cringe at the sight of hot food. We ve bid our adieus to soups and deep fried snacks. Even moong dal ladoos. We are befriending summer elements here. And the first one to shake hands with was the rotund watermelons sitting almost at every nook and cranny in the city. Actually we dint make great friends in the beginning. The watermelons were not as sweet as they looked to be. But by the time we reached our third jolly fella, we had struck pink gold. Sweet, juicy and luscious pink gold. After we got bored enough of all that watermelon cooler, i decided it was time to try something new with the pink gold. And the rest is history exemplified with this salsa.

Recipe For Watermelon Salsa
( Chunks of watermelon combined with other veggies to dip in your pita chips)

Prep Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: Nil
Serves 2 generously
Source: Adapted from here

Ingredients

Watermelon 1 cup chopped finely and deseeded
Persian cucumber 1 chopped finely with the skin
Red jalapeno 1 seeds removed and chopped finely
Onion 1 medium chopped very finely
Lemon juice 2 tbsp
Mint leaves 10 to 12 chopped finely
Coriander leaves 3 tbsp chopped finely
Salt to taste
Black salt to taste

Ingredients

In a bowl, place all the ingredients and toss well.
Refrigerate for an hour before you serve.
Serve alongside pita chips or nachos.

That s about it! Easy breezy, right?