Potato Murukku~Potato Crunchy Twisters!

I know it has been a while since I blogged, and I have no excuses for yet...except that I have been super lazy :) And yes, I have been pretty busy as well with work, so do excuse me if I felt the need to just crawl into bed and not think of anything else except relax these past couple of days.

And then I realised, the festival of lights is coming up.....Happy Deepawali in advance peeps!! The festival of lights and great clothes and awesome jewelry...not to mention, all that fantastic food! One of the most traditional snacks served during Deepawali is the murukku...Now, just for the benfit of my non Indian friends, I took the liberty of looking up what this meant, and it means "Crispy Twisters". See, the things I do for u guys....lol!!

Murukku is normally made from rice flower and urad dal, but as always, I had to come up with something different from the usual, and that's when I stumbled upon this fantastic recipe from Sharmi's Passions which totally made my day, so a big shout out to Sharmi!! The only thing you need is the "idiyappam achu". But do not worry if you do not have this, I realized that if you have a piping bag that you use to put icing on cakes, you can still make this, so there, it's that simple!

So obviously, the main ingredient in this is potato, but you will not believe how incredibly easy this is, because there's only a few ingredients and the only thing that can seem a bit tricky is to get the concentric circles, but then again, clumsy that I am, I just made them into pretty much any shape that I could manage! So shall we find out how to do this :)

INGREDIENTS (10-12)

• Rice flour- 1 cup
• Potato- 1 medium sized
• Jeera (Cumin Seeds)- 1 tablespoon
• Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon (depending on the spice level required)
• Red chilly powder (1/2 teaspoon- optional)
• Asafoetida (Hing)- A pinch
• Salt to taste
• Boiling water- Approx a cup or as required
• Oil for deep frying. Coconut oil is preferred, any type of refined oil will do.

METHOD

• Boil the potato with the skin using a pressure cooker up to 5 whistles till it gets properly soft and mashable. If using the stove, boil the potato for about 30-40 minutes.
• Once it cools down, cut the potato into smaller pieces and grind it using a grinder till it takes on the consistency of wet dough.
• In a bowl, mix the dough, with rice flour, chilly powder, jeera, hing, salt and pepper. Add boiling water as required till the dough reaches the right consistency.
• Split the dough and add this bit by bit to the "idiyappam achu" or the "icing bag" and squeeze out the dough into a shape of your choice. Concentric circles are what is preferred, but to each his own :)
• Drop this into the hot oil and fry for about a minute till the murukku gets a golden brown color and the right crunchiness.

And voila, yummy murukku is ready!!

Watch this space for more Diwali recipes! May the season of light bring joy, happiness and prosperity to all of you! God bless you all!! Till next time, adios my friends!!

Vendakka Mezhukkuparatti~Ladies finger stir fry!

This recipe is actually long overdue..something my brother was asking for quite some time now. So, this one's for you, R! In fact, I actually made this for Onam. Normally, cabbage stir fry is the general stir fry but variety is the spice of life, don't you  agree?? :)

INGREDIENTS (Serves 2)

• 1/4 kilo ladies finger, cut into quarter inch pieces
• 1 medium sized onion
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 1/2 teaspoons red chilly powder
• 2 teaspoons coriander powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (all spice) powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 tablespoons oil (Any type refined oil or coconut oil)
• Curry leaves to garnish

RECIPE

• Heat oil in a frying pan. To this add the onion along with salt and saute.
• Once onion turns translucent, add the ladies finger and fry for about 5-6 minutes or till the stickiness disappears.
• Now add all the powders except for the garam masala.
• Close the pan for about 5 minutes and stir in between to ensure that the ladies finger dont stick to the bottom.
• Finally add the garam masala and garnish with curry leaves.

Easy right? In fact, you dont even need to add onions if you dont want to. So here's the pic...

Till next time, adios amigos!

Ulli sambar!

I know this is going to sound really weird, but this is the sambar that I made for Onam...and it actually turned out good! In fact, this is the very first time I made sambar..ever!!! And I didnt hear too many complaints, in fact I can proudly say that it finished pretty quickly :). The only tough part would be peeling each of the shallots individually, but if they are big enough, it should'nt take too long. I was intending to make the sambar the day before, but mom told me to do it on the day we were serving the sadya because sambar tends to get thick as time flies. So, here we are! This recipe is courtesy Easy Cooking which is now officially one of my all time fave blogs! I have made a few changes though, not too many. Do check out her semiya kheer and pal ada payasam recipes..they are simply the best! For now, please don't ignore poor old me...On to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS (Serves 6-9)

• Shallots/Pearl Onions/Kochu ulli- 1 cup (approximately 25- 30), peeled and slit into 2 or 3 slices through the middle
• Toor dal- 1/2 cup
• Green chillies- 3, slit through the middle
• Tomato- 1 medium sized, chopped roughly into cubes
• Tamarind/Valan puli- 1 lime sized ball soaked in a half cup of hot water for 15 minutes
• Sambar powder- 3 teaspoons
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
• Asafoeteda/Hing//Kayam- A pinch
• Jaggery- 1 teaspoon (optional)- I did not use this
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves- For garnish

For tempering

• 1 tablespoon coconut oil/1 tablespoon ghee
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• A pinch of fenugreek seeds/uluva
• 2 dry red chillies
• Curry leaves- A sprig or 2

METHOD

• Add the toor dal along with the tomato, green chilies, a few curry leaves, a few coriander leaves, turmeric powder, salt to taste and a cup of water to a pressure cooker. Pressure cook this for up to 4 whistles.
• Ina  saucepan, heat 2 teaspoons of coconut oil and a teaspoon of ghee. Alternatively, you can use just the oil.
• Saute the shallots for about 5-7 minutes till they start to change color and the raw smell disappears.
• Add the sambar powder, hing and salt and saute fora  few seconds.
• Add the tamarind water and the cooked dal mixture.
• Bring this to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes or till you reach the consistency of your choice.
• If adding jaggery, add at this stage.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil/ghee, splutter mustard seeds followed by the fenugreek seeds, chillies and curry leaves.
• Pour this over the sambar, garnish with coriander leaves and cover immediately. 

Sambar tends to thicken as time passes. Prior to serving the sambar, in case you feel it's too thick, pour some water from the kettle to loosen it a bit. Remember to use only hot water, else the taste changes.

Delicious onion sambar is ready!! Ready for the pics? Here we go...

And another...

So, what do you think? This is an easy breezy sambar with absolutely no veggies, but that is still scrumptious. So do try it out and let me know it turns out.

Onashamsakal!

Kalan~ Raw banana in a yogurt based gravy!

So, my very first Onam recipe for you guys. Kalan is normally made using raw banana and elephant yam, however, here, I have used only raw banana. You can use also use a medium ripe banana to get a  sweeter taste. Incidentally, I made this the night before and did not even keep it in the fridge, coz mom told me not to, and the curry tasted just as good. Am very happy to say that there were no leftovers :P. Not so bad for a first timer, he he..!! It is Onam, I am allowed to blow my own horn. By the way, this was the first dish I made for Onam.

Enough with the chit chat, on to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS (Serves6-9)

• Raw banana (pachha kaya) or medium ripe banana- 1
• Freshly grated coconut- 6 tablespoons
• Curd- 6 tablespoons
• Green chilies- 3, slit through the middle
• Pepper powder- 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder- 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds- 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Ghee- 1 teaspoon
• Hot water- 1/2 cup

For tempering

• Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
• Dry red chilies- 2
• Curry leaves- 1 or 2 sprigs
• Shallots- 2 (optional)
• Coconut oil- 1 tablespoon

METHOD

• Cut the raw banana through the middle and then chop into cubes. In order to preserve their color, put them in water to which a pinch of turmeric has been added. If you are going to cook this immediately, avoid this step.
• Cook this with water, turmeric powder and pepper powder. Do not add salt else the vegetable will not get cooked. This should take 15-20 minutes on a low flame.
• In the mean time, grind the coconut, green chilies and cumin with the curd. Do not add any water.
• After the banana is cooked, add the salt and ghee. Ensure that all the water is evaporated.
• Now add the coconut-curd mixture. Ensure this does not boil, just heat it through for a couple of minutes, else the curd will curdle. Switch off the flame once done.
• In a separate pan, heat the oil and splutter mustard seeds, followed by the dry red chilies and curry leaves. 
• Pour this over the kalan and cover it instantly so that it does not lose it's smell or flavor.

Tada, the kalan is ready!! On to\the pictures...

And another one...

Thank you so much Naveen for the lovely clicks..!! So what do you guys think? Do try it out and let me know how it turns out!

Onashamsakal!

Green gram (Cherupayar) curry!

For some reason, healthy food and me have never gone hand in hand, lolz! Thanks to A, who insists on having at least one veggie daily, I have begun to change from my "spoiled brat" ways, hee hee..However, not all veggies are bad, you know. For instance, this green gram curry is super healthy and super tasty.

Green gram has many benefits. It's perfect for hair loss and attaining beautiful hair. All you need to do is have sprouted green gram daily..which I guess is a bit of a chore, especially for people like me. But green gram is also the perfect food for weight loss and for people with cholesterol issues. So, keeping all that in mind, I decided to make my first ever green gram curry, and it tasted pretty good actually, if I do say so myself. This is something that can be cooked in a jiffy, coz it requires hardly any ingredients, and if you have a pressure cooker, even better! So, on to the recipe..

INGREDIENTS (Serves 4-5)

• 1 cup green gram (soaked overnight or at least 5-6 hours before)
• 1 1/2 cups hot water (I use boiled water from the kettle)
• 1 medium sized onion, sliced thinly
• 1 tomato, chopped into cubes
• 4 green chillies, chopped finely
• 1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon red chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 dried red chillies (optional)
• Curry leaves- plenty!
• Salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon oil (You can use coconut oil for the traditional taste, refined oil or extra virgin oil as a healthier option)

METHOD

• Cook the green gram with the water in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles on a medium heat. If using the normal saucepan, this would take a minimum of 1 hour.
• Once the green gram is cooked, in a separate saucepan, heat the oil and splutter the mustard seeds followed by the dried red chillies and a few curry leaves. Reserve the remaining curry leaves for the end. 
• Now add the onions, green chillies and salt. Salt is added to cook the onions faster. Cook the onions and chillies till they lose the raw smell and turn a slight shade of brown.
• Now add the turmeric and chilly powders and add some of the green gram stock left behind in the pressure cooker. If there is no water left, add a few tablespoons of hot water from the kettle. 
• Add the tomatoes and cook till they get mashed.
• Finally add the green gram along with it's stock. If you want more gravy add an extra 2 cups of hot water.
• Check salt levels and cook for another 5 minutes or till the green gram curry gets it's required consistency.
• Garnish with the remaining curry leaves.

This was how the final product looked like...

And another one..

Do let me know your feedback. so till next time, take care darlins and God bless!

Healthy veg stir fry with cocktail shrimp!

Hello my darlins!!! Did u guys miss me? I hope u did,coz I'm back with another delicious, easy breezy recipe, that you can whip up in a jiffy, especially when you're in no mood to slave in the kitchen...then again, I have always been lazy, which I'm sure my dear husband would vouch for, lolz!

This recipe is actually a personal favorite of A, coz it involves all of his fave vegetables (green beans, ladies finger and spinach), and as an added bonus, I added a few cocktail shrimps. Incidentally, these shrimps are ready to eat once you defrost them, but all my pure veggie friends, fear not, you can completely avoid this step. The beauty of this dish is that you could add any vegetable to this, including corn and bell peppers, which I didn't have in my pantry, but feel free to be creative! So enough with the blabbing, on to the recipe!

INGREDIENTS (For 2-3)

• Green Beans- 1/4 kilo (a handful)
• Ladies finger- 1/4 kilo  (a handful)
• Green Spinach- A bunch
• Onion- 1 medium, sliced
• 2 cloves garlic- Roughly chopped
• Red Chilly powder (optional)- 1 teaspoon
• Black pepper- 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Olive oil- 1 tablespoon (I used extra virgin. In case you don't have olive oil, use the normal refined oil)
• Ready to eat cocktail shrimp (Optional)- 5 pieces. (You can replace this with cocktail sausages)

METHOD

• In a pan, heat oil and add garlic cloves followed by onion. Saute till they turn transparent and the raw smell disappears.
• Add the chopped beans and stir for a  few seconds. Close the lid for about 3-4 minutes on a low flame.
• Add the chopped ladies finger and stir again for a few seconds. Close this for about 5 minutes on a low flame. Ensure the flame is low so as to not stick to the bottom of the pan. 
• Now add the chilly powder, pepper and salt and stir for a few seconds. To this, add the cocktail shrimp followed by the spinach. Let the flame continue to be on low.
• Switch off the flame after 2 minutes and serve hot.

Now wasn't that easy breezy? These veggies have very minimum cooking time, so all their nutrients are intact when served. Using olive oil is a healthy option, and the extra virgin version contains zero cholesterol, so all you calorie conscious people, ensure you buy a bottle asap! On to the pictures..

 And another one!

So there we are. Do try this and let me know how it turns out. Till next time, take care and God bless!

Vegetarian stuffed bell peppers!

So, let me guess what must be going through your mind....Bell peppers...and that too stuffed? I was a bit skeptical myself when I first saw the recipe. Off late though, A wants to go on a veggie diet, and I thought of jazzing things up a bit lolz! After all, variety is the spice of life, na? I was getting fed up of making the same old beans and ladies fingers, so, for a change, so  as soon as I saw this on you tube, I had to go for it. The original recipe is from Hema Kundargi who has a lovely channel on you tube titled the Indian Vegetarian. Thanks once again Hema aunty!

Bell peppers are a beautiful vegetable, coz they look so vibrant and full of life. When cutting a bell pepper, always cut through the middle in order to retain the stem. I actually trimmed the stems to make it look better. I have made a few variations to the original recipe I saw, but then again, no one can go wrong with this one. So, let's see how easy breezy it is to make this wonderful, healthy and colorful dish!

INGREDIENTS

• Six bell peppers, cut through the middle. You can scoop out the membrane inside to give more room for the stuffing.
• 1 medium sized can chickpeas or garbanzo beans. I used the brand "California Garden". 
• 6-7 baby potatoes. You can also use the medium sized potatoes, in which case, you will require 3.
• Yogurt- 4-5 teaspoons
• 1 garlic pod, roughly chopped
• Bunch of coriander leaves (you can also replace with mint or pudina leaves).
• Bunch of chives (optional).
• 1 teaspoon cumin seeds.
• 1/2 - 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
• Garam masala (All spice powder)- A pinch (optional)
• Red chilly powder- 1/4 teaspoon (optional)
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (I use extra virgin)
• Salt to taste

METHOD

• Drain out all the water from the canned chickpeas. Wash them under tap water at least thrice to get rid of the sodium content. Place these into a large bowl.
• Boil baby potatoes along with a pinch of turmeric powder and some salt for 10-15 minutes till they become soft. Mash the chick peas and potatoes together. You can mash potatoes with their skin.
• To this, add yogurt, coriander leaves( you can replace with mint or pudina), chives (optional), the powders and salt.
• In a pan, heat oil and saute garlic followed by cumin seeds till they give out a nice aroma.
• Add this to the chickpea potato mixture and blend thoroughly.
• Scoop enough into each of the pepper halves. Refrigerate the ones that you will not be using.
• Set aside the ones to be used for at least 15 minutes.
• Brush some olive oil at the base of the oven dish. Place the stuffed peppers facing upwards, so that the mixture is on top.
• Bake for 15 minutes at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If using a gas oven, bake it gas mark 5 for about 10 minutes. I baked both sides for 10 minutes each, so a total of 20 minutes.

Serve immediately. Garnish with chickpeas or coriander leaves (optional).

And voila! Colorful, tasty stuffed bell peppers are ready!! So, here's the final product.

And another one..

So, what do you think? Easy breezy right? Doesn't it look nice and toasty?This can be served as the starter at a meal, or it can be a meal in itself. If you want, you can drizzle some ketchup or hot sauce on top, though I don't think there's a need to. It contains potatoes which give you your daily dose of carbs, yogurt for calcium, leaves for your general health...So, do try this out and let me know how it turns out! Until next time, take care and God bless darlins!

Pineapple pachadi!

Hello all! All my UAE friends, hope u guys had a great weekend..and are all set to start afresh. I guess the rest of the world is gearing up for their weekend..and what better way to start the weekend than with a new recipe on the menu, huh!!
Pineapple pachadi was something that I was planning on cooking for a very long time, but for some reason, never got along to do it. The normal pachadis that I cook are beetroot and cucumber (vellarika), but this was something that I was planning on trying for quite a while. So, much to my surprise on Thursday, I realized I had all the ingredients I was looking for..which is a bonus as far as I'm concerned, lolz! I looked around quite a bit for what I thought was the perfect recipe and came across one from the Yummy Team, which I thought was just perfect. There's just one difference though, they've used jaggery in their dish, while I've avoided it. So, for a more detailed step by step procedure, check out Yummy O Yummy, but for the moment, check out my recipe minus the jaggery!

INGREDIENTS

• 500 gm can of pineapple chunks
• Yogurt- 1 cup
• Shredded coconut- 6 tablespoons
• Chilly powder- 1 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
• Cumin seeds- 1/4 teaspoon
• Salt to taste
• Dry red chillies- tempering
• Oil- 1-2 tablespoons
• Curry leaves- Garnish

METHOD

• Cook pineapple slices with the turmeric and chilly powders and some salt for about 15 minutes on a medium flame, till they become soft and mushy.
• While this is cooking, grind together coconut, yogurt, a pinch of mustard seeds and the cumin seeds to  a smooth paste.
• Once the pineapple slices are cooked, let them cool down and grind them completely to a smooth paste.
• In a pan, combine the coconut and pineapple pastes and cook on a low flame for about 5 minutes. Do not allow the mixture to boil, else it may curdle.
• In a frying pan, heat oil and fry the curry leaves and dry red chillies. Pour this over the pachadi.

Tada, yummy pineapple pachadi is ready! You could also use fresh pineapple. Since I had a tin at home, I thought I'd try it with that. 

This was how the final result looked...

There you are, doesent that look good? This is typically a sadya item, but since it's so easy to make, am sure you can adapt it for normal lunches too. So, chk out the recipe and let me know your thoughts. Till next time, take care and God bless!

Kerala style Potato Curry!

I'm feeling a little guilty...only because I posted a non vegetarian recipe earlier. I felt that I was being a bit inconsiderate to my veggie pals..he he! This recipe suddenly took me back to my college days for some reason, only coz I thought of one of my dear friends, Namitha. She's a pure vegetarian. The other day, she mailed me saying that she wanted to jump on a plane and come and see me, just to talk to me. That really teared me up. College days, no one can ever take that from you, I guess...So this one's for you Nami.. I hope you like it.

INGREDIENTS

• Potatoes- 2 medium sized
• Onion - 1 medium sized
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon (If using fresh ginger and garlic, 2 garlic pods crushed and a small piece of ginger crushed)
• Green chilies - 4-5 slit through the middle
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Coriander powder - 1 tablespoon
• Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
• Water - 2 cups
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves - garnish

METHOD

• Boil potatoes with their skins for 20 minutes on a low flame. Once boiled, allow them to cool and peel of their skin. Cut them into cubes.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.
• To this, add the ginger garlic paste and green chilies.
• Now add onions and salt and wait for the onions to turn slightly brown.
• Add the turmeric and coriander powders. Fry for 30 seconds.
• Add the potatoes to this along with the water. Wait for it to boil properly and the gravy to thicken. This could take almost 10 minutes.
• Finally add the coconut milk and wait for it to boil for another 2 minutes.
• Check salt levels. Switch off the flame and garnish with curry leaves.

Hot and creamy potato curry is ready. A couple of pics for your viewing pleasure.

Doesn't this curry remind you of sunshine? For some reason, I just feel so nice looking at it..he he! Looks like I'm completely losing it...so before I drive you even more crazy, am signing off! Take care darlins!

Vengaya Kara Kuzhambu!

The recipe that I am going to post today makes me a little nostalgic..takes me back to my college years in fact. So, if you feel that I am being a bit too sentimental, please do forgive. Life has a funny way of teaching us things. When we are in school, we want to break free from rules and enjoy in college. In college, we desperately want to get a job and earn fast cash. When we have a job and realize the pressures involved in getting a promotion, we just want to start all over again. At least, that's the case for me.

I had 3 best friends in college..Renuka, Bhuvana and Namitha. We all studied together in Chennai. This particular recipe takes me to the college canteen where we used to sit and laugh and share those good old days. Everyone's married and settled now but am sure that the good old memories will never be forgotten. This recipe is a dedication to my 3 friends and also Nags, from whose blog, Edible Garden, this recipe was borrowed. The original recipe is Vengaya Kara Kuzhambu (with Coconut Milk) Recipe, but my version is below, without the sambar powder. Enjoi!

INGREDIENTS

• 15 shallots, peeled and cleaned. Do not chop them.
• 1 tomato, finely cubed
• Juice from one lemon sized ball of tamarind (Soak tamarind in 1/4 cup of water for 10 minutes)
• 2 teaspoons red chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1 teaspoon garam masala (all spice) powder
• Salt to taste
• Pinch of fenugreek seeds
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 cup thick coconut milk

METHOD

• Heat oil and splutter fenugreek seeds.
• Once fenugreek seeds turn brown, add the whole shallots and chopped tomato and saute for a few minutes till the raw smell disappears.
• Add the tamarind paste, all the spice powders and salt.
• After one boil, simmer the gravy for about 12 minutes till the shallots have become soft.
• Now add the coconut milk and wait for it to boil once before switching off the flame.

As simple as that! You can have this with just about anything, but rice is the best combination. Here are the pics..

On the stove!

A portion of my dinner!

As you can see, the gravy is extremely light coloured because of the coconut milk. You can increase the quantity of spices if you wish, but I feel this was perfect. Till next time, take care and God bless!

Beans Beetrot stir fry!

Hello everybody!!! I am finally back after a long break...well actually, I'm still on vacation, woohoo!! The long disappearance was just coz I reached Dubai on Thursday and then in the excitment of seeing A, I temporarily forgot about u guys..sorry!! But nevertheless, I'm here finally with yet anther tasty treat. So, did u miss me? I hope u did..:P. This particular dish is one of A's favorites and something I sort of came up with on my own. The reason I say "sort of" is because I saw the original recipe on another website and then adapted it to the ingredients I had at home. The result is a simple, tasty and healthy dish that you can have with rice or chapathys. So, on to the recipe...

INGREDIENTS

• 1/2 kilo beans, chopped into small pieces
• 1 medium sized beetroot, chopped finely
• 2 green chillies, finely chopped
• 1 medium sized onion, finely sliced
• 1/4" piece ginger, ground coarsely
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 2 teaspoons red chilly powder
• 1 teaspoon coriander powder
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons coconut, grated
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves, garnish

METHOD

• Boil beans in water for about 15 minutes with turmeric powder and salt. After this, let them cool under running water.
• While the beans cool, let the beetroot boil for 10 minutes till soft and the red colour almost goes.
• In a saucepan, heat a tablespoon and a half of oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add the ginger, curry leaves, green chillies and onions and saute till the raw smell goes. Add a little salt to cook the onions faster.
• Add the turmeric, coriander and chilly powder and sautee for a minute. Reduce the flame at this stage.
• Add beans at this stage, mix once and then close on a low flame for 5 minutes.
• Now add the beetroot, mix and close for another 5 minutes.
• Check salt levels at this stage.
• Add the coconut at this stage and close for another 5-7 minutes on a very low flame.
• Garnish with curry leaves.

Tada, beans beetroot stir fry is ready! Now, wasn't that simple? Even those who don't like veggies will surely love this one. Time for some pics....

So, what do u think? Not bad, right..try it out and let me know how it turns out. Till next time, God bless!

Potato - Carrot Stir fry [Potato Carrot Mezhukkaparatti]!

It's time for my "once in a blue moon" vegetarian recipe..he he! I have always been very poor with veggies, as I have mentioned in the past. A's just the opposite..always needs atleast one veggie side dish. This is yet another dish I adapted from sarah's blog, vazhayilla.com. So, I'm dedicating this dish to both Sarah and A. This is a really simple, no nonsense dish where you cannot go wrong. I have made a few minor changes, but the recipe is still the same. Here we go...

INGREDIENTS

• 4 potatoes, chopped into cubes
• 1 large carrot or 2 small carrots, grated finely
• 1 medium sized onion or 2 small onions, finely sliced
• Garlic- 3 small cloves, chopped
• 2 green chillies, chopped finely
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon chilly powder
• 1/2 teaspoon garam masala (All spice powder)
• 3 tablespoons water
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves, garnish
• 2 tablespoons oil

METHOD

• Heat the oil and splutter mustard seeds.
• Add the garlic, green chillies and curry leaves and fry for a minute.
• Add the onions and sautee till tehy turn semi transparent and the raw smell goes. Add a little salt at this stage.
• Now add the turmeric, chilly and garam masala powders. Fry for a few seonds.
• Add some water at this stage.
• Now add the grated carrot and toss for a few swconds.
• Add the potatoes and more salt.
• Cover for about 10 minutes on a low flame.
• Check for salt levels.
• Garnish with curry leaves and a teaspoon of oil.

Tada, potato carrot stir fry is ready! Here are the pics.

So, what do you think? Try it out and let me know, okay?? Take care and God bless!

Green Chilly Rasam!

Of late I believe there has been a fish overdose in my blog. In fact, I believe there has been a non veg overdose in my blog..he he! So in the interest of my herbivores friends, and to prove to everyone that I am not a cannibal and that I can be an animal lover when I want to, I decided to make a very popular south Indian spicy soup.

There are so many different varieties of rasam- lemon rasam, garlic rasam, tomato rasam, pepper rasam...the list is endless. I saw this particular recipe on a popular Malayalam channel, "Asianet Plus" and thought it was something different because I have not heard of this particular variety before. I'm glad I tried it out, coz the result was something spicy and tangy and just purrrfect! Rice, rasam and pickle....aah, another combination that comes under the "comfort food" category. So, before I bore you any more, here's the recipe...

INGREDIENTS

• 4 green chillies- cut into small round pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, chopped finely
• 1/4 inch piece of ginger, chopped finely
• A small piece of tamarind, the size of a small lemon, immersed in half a cup of hot water. If using tamarind paste, 1 tablespoon.
• 1 cup hot water
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper powder
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida powder (optional- I did not use this)
• 1 tablespoon oil
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves- loads!

METHOD

• Heat a tablespoon of oil. To this add green chillies, followed by garlic and ginger. Saute this until the raw smell disappears.
• Add a few curry leaves and some salt at this stage.
• Now add the tamarind water to this and continue stirring till it starts boiling profusely.
• Add the water and check salt levels.
• Leave this for 2 minutes, allowing the tamarind pulp and salt to be absorbed in this mixture.
• At this stage, add the pepper powder and the asafoetida and stir.
• After about 2 minutes, switch of the stove and garnish with curry leaves.

Tada, rasam is ready! Normally coriander leaves are used to give that extra smell to the rasam. I have omitted that though and used curry leaves instead. Do try this out and let me know your thoughts! oh, almost forgot..the pics!

God bless!

Vegetable Stew [Kerala Style] !

Boy oh boy!! Canada is truly a funny place, I tell you. I don't know whether I told you this but I am currently in Canada at a place called Halifax. Heard of it? It houses the world's second largest harbour, and when the Titanic sank, many of the people were buried here. Hmmm..all that is good..but this weather is not. It's supposed to be spring here, but i see no signs of flowers blooming or birds chirping...:(. The sad part of it all is that I come from Dubai, where it's hot most of the year and where I'm used to the scorching heat. But anyways, let's look at the positive side of things. At least I have all my senses in tact to feel the wind through my hair or feel the snow at my fingertips. I guess I'm in the mood to contemplate today.. he he! But before you guys run away, here's my latest recipe. It has been a while since I posted anything vegetarian, and my cousin brother had very kindly requested for a veg recipe. So I decided to give him a medley of veggies in the form of a nice mild flavoured stew. This recipe has been adapted from Rak's kitchen, www.rakskitchen.net, but with a few changes of my own.  Raks, thank you! And Rajesh cheta, this one's for you.

INGREDIENTS

• 2 potatoes, chopped into cubes
• 2 carrots, chopped into small pieces
• 1/2 kilo beans - chopped into quarter size pieces
• 1 onion- finely sliced
• 1/4" piece ginger, finely chopped
• 2 green chillies- slit through the centre
• 1 cup thin coconut milk
• 1/2 cup thick coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon oil (refined oil or coconut oil. I used refined Sunflower oil)
• Salt to taste

METHOD

• In a saucepan, heat a tablespoon of oil and add ginger and green chilies.
• After a few seconds, add the finely sliced onion and saute till the raw smell goes and it becomes semi transparent. You can add a little salt at this stage to speed up the onion cooking process.
• Add the green beans, potatoes and carrots along with the thin coconut milk and some more salt.
• Cover and cook on a medium flam for about 10 minutes.
• Now add the thick coconut milk and lower the flame. Cook for another 5 minutes.
• Check salt levels.
• Switch off the flame and garnish with curry leaves and a teaspoon of oil.

Tada, vegetable ishtu (that's how we call it in Kerala) is ready!!! This curry is relatively simple, right? Anyone can do it. And the best part is, you will love it even if you are not a veggie lover. I can't stand veggies, but i can take this stew any day. You could have this with bread, chapathys or appams. So, don't you want to see the final product?

And another one..

So, what do you think? Do let me know your thoughts. The perfect recipe for a rainy day, according to me...

Palm Sunday and the quickie potato masala!

Yesterday was Palm Sunday...and the first Holy week without A in the 3 years of our marriage :(. For the non catholics out there, Holy Week is perhaps the most important week for us Christians, and the week before our biggest feast ever, Easter. Now some may argue with me saying that Christmas is even bigger, but that's for another time and another place...now's the time for  my 7 minute aloo masala :) For non Indians, Aloo is Hindi for potato. This was just a random recipe from you tube. Unfortunately, she didn't mention her name, neither did she show herself, so I can just thank the Tamilian sister from whom I borrowed this brilliant recipe. This is the first time any potato dish of mine has come out so well, and I do hope you guys enjoy making it as much as I did. Here goes...

INGREDIENTS

• 4 baby potatoes 
• 2 cloves garlic, lightly mashed
• 1 medium sized onion finely sliced
• 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds (perinjeerakam)
• 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 2-3 teaspoons water
• salt to taste
• coriander leaves to garnish

METHOD

• Boil baby potatoes with salt for about 10 minutes till they are super soft. Once done, run the potatoes under water to cool them and mash them with your fingers.
• Heat a tablespoon of oil. Once sufficiently hot, splutter the mustard seeds followed by the cumin seeds.
• Add the lightly mashed garlic, followed by the onions. In order for the onions to cook faster, add some salt. This also makes the onions taste better.
• Add the turmeric powder and continue to saute.
• Add the red chilly powder.
• Finally add the mashed potatoes and mix thoroughly.
• Spray 2-3 teaspoons of water with your fingers to ensure that the potatoes don't stick to your pan.
• Finally add a tablespoon of oil and saute.
• Close the pan for approx 5 minutes or till the oil starts separating from the potatoes.
• Garnish generously with coriander leaves.

Tada, the dish is ready! Now, I did mention that it is a 7 minute dish, but that's after boiling your potatoes first. But trust me, this is a dish that will be perfect for one of those lazy days when you don't feel like entering the kitchen, but you don't have a choice. Combine this with rice and rasam, and you will feel like a million dollars!




The final product!

 I hope u guys try this out and love it as much as i did. You could combine this with chapatis or rice, trust me, they would both be divine. Happy holy week to all my christian friends, and for the rest of the world, God bless!