Punjabi Kadi with Brown Channa

I first tasted this from an Punjabi Friend who was an amazing & fast cook. Traditionally pakoda's are made with besan and added to kadi. Being a mum, I wanted to try this with brown channa instead of Pakodas. Eventhough my Friend gave me her own recipe to follow, I found sharmi from Neivedyam's recipe pretty much close to her recipe. Here is the link(http://neivedyam.blogspot.com/2007/04/punjabi-kadi.html) for sharmi's Punjabi Kadi recipe,if you would like to try Pakoda's based Kadi.

Ingredients:
2-cup yogurt
1cup water
2 tbsps besan/ gram flour

1tsp chilli powder

1tsp turmeric powder

Salt as required

1tbsp dry methi leaves

1cup Brown channa dal(instead of pakoda's) soaked overnight and boiled

For Tadka:

2tbsp oil

½ tsp cumin seeds/jeera

½ tsp mustard seeds

½ tsp fenugreek/methi seeds

Pinch of Asafoetida

Dry chillies -3

Few curry leaves

Method:

1. In a heavy bottomed thick kadai,heat a tbsp of oil,add jeera,mustard, methi seeds,dry methi, haldi, red chilies and curry leaves

2. In another bowl mix yogurt, besan and chili powder with water to make it a consistency of thick buttermilk.

3. Add the above mixture to kadia, add salt and mix well

4. Allow to boil till 5 to 10 minutes or until kadi starts to bubble. Make sure you do not curdle youghurt by constantly mixing every few minutes.Finally add boiled brown channa(you can replace pakoda's here) and let it simmer for couple more minutes.

5. Serve hot with rice or with roti's.

Cabbage Pachhadi

This receipe is from a friend from Andhra. As all of us know, Andhra is famous for pachhadi's, I was thrilled to try this one out when she mentioned something different from cabbage against all time cabbage curry. Keeping this as basic formula for pachhadi, you can try with different variety of vegetables like carrot, capsicum, brinjal etc.,

½ cabbage- chop it roughly.
2 Red coloured green chillies(if you cant find red chilli you can use normal green chillies)
1tsp tamarind paste
2 garlic pods

tempering:
1tsp mustard
few curry leaves
1 tsp channa dhal
1tsp urad dhal
a pinch of hing
a pinch of turmeric powder(optional)

In a Pan, add 1tbsp oil, add chillies and garlic, fry for couple of minutes covering with lid( be careful chillies might split and pop). Add chopped cabbage and start frying on mild flame until cabbage loses its raw smell( 10 or 15 mins). Turn stove off and let this all cool.

Now grind the above cabbage along with tamarind paste and salt to a fine or coarse paste. Scoop into a fresh clean bowl and temper with the mustard, curryleaves etc.,

Very tasty with hot rice with a little bit ghee & And cucumber salad or as a spread on toasted bread as a quick snack, with some chopped tomatoes.

Healthy Snack - Cornflakes & Nuts Mixture

This receipe is a perfect healthy snack with our traditional mixture/chivda style. I first come to know this from Latha's Masala Magic for snacks. Here is the link http://masalamagic.blogspot.com/search/label/Snacks. I have followed the exact recipe from Latha's. Thank you once again Latha, for sharing this recipe. Here in Australia, we can find these multigrain cereal and puffed rice etc ., in woollies.

You need:

2 cups plain/original Corn Flakes

2 cups Rice original rice pops(from organic health food section)

2 cups Whoel Grain from kellogs

3 tsp Red Chilli Powder

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

1 cup Peanuts

1 cup Cashews

1 cup Channa Dal (the one we use for coconut chutney & mixture etc)

1cup curry leaves

2 tbsp Oil

Method:In a pan, heat the oil. Add the Peanuts , channa dal and cashews and roast until golden brown. Dry out any excess oil, by spreading on a paper towel. In the same pan, fry curryleaves until crispy. Mix chillipowder, turmeric powder, cereal, salt, toasted nuts, curryleaves and mix well until the entire mixture gets coated and turns into a golden yellow colour in a large mixing bowl. Let it Cool and store in an air-tight jar. Goes well with hot cup of tea or coffee or as an after school snack with milk or juice for kids.

Tulip Flower Show & Dates Burfi

Here is couple of photos from our long weekend trip to Canberra Floriade Tulip Flower Show. Have you ever seen a Black Tulip(check in the second photo).

Check this sweet as well.....

A friend at work gave me this recipe( Sree this is your recipe and thank you), At that time, I did'nt think that this will be a hit at my home, but after preparing, within minutes all of them disappeared and I had to fight my own temptation to finish the rest before getting a picture done. So here it goes, a very very simple and fast sweet i have ever come across plus lot goodness.

1 cup seedless dates

Fist full of roasted and peeled ground nuts

Microwavable bowl.

Ghee 1 tsp

Spread a small plate with 1/2 tsp of ghee. Mix rest of 1/2 tsp ghee and dates in a microwavable bowl and heat on high for only one minute. while its still warm quickly mash the entire mixture with a fork or back of spoon until you get a mixture like ball. Spread this mixture in the above plate and spread flat. Arrange roasted Peanuts pressing on the mixture.

Cut into equal square or triangle pieces. Separate them and Store it in air tight container if they can last that long. Enjoy a quick and healthy snack in minutes.

Chineese Veg SpringRolls

Veg springrolls are a delicious snack and all time favourite among many kids. My method of preparing these springrolls may not be traditional. I will have a pack of springroll sheets in my freezer all year. Whenever there is leftover potaot sabji, which I usually prepare for dosa or chaptahi or sometimes I have used pavbhaji too as filling for springrolls. This one particularly made out of pavbhaji. I am still not ready to try this on my guests, but they all disappear within minutes after preparing, between my kids with tomato sauce or soy sauce.

Murukku

A delicious south indian snack, goes well with afternoon tea, as well as after school snack. Famous and a regular snack in many tamilians family. This one particularly, I am still following the same recipe my Amma told me. But honestly, never tasted like my Amma's. Amma you are the best ever!
Ingredients:
2 cups fine rice flour
1tbsp fine roasted urad dal flour
1tsp chillipowder
1tsp salt
1tsp hing
1tbsp melted ghee or butter
1tsp cumin seeds
Water
Method:
In a big basin or vessel mix all the above items. Add little water at a time and slowly make a dough which is thick and stuffy consistancy. Make small balls with hand and stuff this mixture into Murukku Mold(you can buy in many indian shops) and directly squeeze into hot oil. Deep fry slowly on simmer flame until the Murukku turns into golden brown. Remove from the oil and leave Murukku on a paper towel until the towel absorbs most of oil. That's it, Murukku Ready, We can keep this fresh in an air tight container for nearly a month, if your family can resist that long. Check another beautiful and best recipe of Murukku from Asha's here
http://foodieshope.blogspot.com/search?q=murukku.

Vegetarian Noodle Box with Tofu

Asian Vegetarian Noodle box is one of my favourite lunch, I would like to order whenever I think of take out for lunch. After trying out few times, I want to introduce this to my family and see how they going to like it. Even though I started as an experiment this turned out to be one of our family favourite. This is one recipe which takes very less cooking time but lot of time for preparation. For this recipe I have used the following vegetables. But depends on what you have in the fridge sometimes you can omit or add one or two vegetables.

I used the following vegies today..

1 carrot diced
1 capsicum diced

2 or 3 buches bokchoy- roughly cut

Fried Tofu cubes - 1 pack

bean sprouts - 1 cup

sprouted alphalpha- 1/2 cup

Spring onions - 1 cup

Tomato sauce or chilli sauce, soy sauce(as per taste)

1tsp honey
Sesame seeds - 1 tbsp(roasted will give nice aroma)

1sp garlic crushed

Boiled instant rice or Hokien noodles - 500gms.

Method: Wash all vegetables and bokchoy. To a smoking hot wok add bit of peanut oil, and immediately add garlic and all other vegetables except sauces, honey and sesame seeds.

Stirfry for couple of minutes and then add tofu, sauces & honey. Stirfry for couple more minutes on high flame, now add noodles and keep stirring for few more minutes. Finally add roasted sesame seeds and sccop into a bowl or plate. Serve hot with favourite drink or sometimes mango or plain lassi goes very well with this dish, and complete meal for whole family.

Pumpkin and Moongdaal subji

This dish is pretty simple and you can mix and match with many other vegetable like potato carrot, beans etc.,

We need..
1 cup moongdall soaked overnight and boiled for 10 mintues

2 cups pumpkin or any other choice of your vegetables finely cut into small pieces.

For tempering

1tsp mustard

1tsp cumin

1tsp red chillies

1tsp oil

few curry leaves

1tsp urad daal

1 tsp channa daal

To prepare...

In a vessel add oil and start frying from mustard to channadaal by adding one by one. Add pumpin and let it simmer for few minutes stirring occasionally until pumpkin pieces are half tender. Add soaked and boiled moong, cover and let it simmer for few more minutes. After 5 minutes remove lid, add salt and cover it and leave for 3 minutes on simmer. Turn off after 3 minutes. This subji can be used as a side dish for rice or with roti's. One of my work mate tried this dish with potato, it turned out great and tasted wonderful. Thank you "S" for trying and sharing.

Simple Chapathi and Daal with Salad

There is quite number of dishes that goes well with chapathi. When it comes to Daal and chapathi the simplicity of this dish gives as much satisfaction as with other dishes.



I am sure there is no need for me to write a recipe for this one, but i do want to mention that the when it comes to daal recipes, there is no other place than Sailu's JFI Event roundup http://www.sailusfood.com/2006/07/10/round-up-of-jihva-for-ingredients-dal/, where you can find more than 45 recipes using daal. This event which ofcourse is brain child of http://nandyala.org/mahanandi/. Have fun!!!

Beetroot Pulav

This dish has been in my mind for a while, which I wanted to try after tasting it in one of the picnic parties I attended. The recipe is just similar to ghee rice recipe except instead of onions we use beetroot here.
We need....
1 cup finely grated beetroot
3 green chillies+ 3 pods garlic+a big piece of ginger- grind to a fine paste
Spices - cloves, bay leaves, cardamom - according to your taste.
1 sp ghee
3 cups rice - washed and drained- Basmati Rice tastes divine.

Method:
In a nonstick pan add ghee when its melted add all the spices. Saute few seconds, add chilli and garlic paste. Few minutes later add grated beetroot. Keep mixing it for couple more minutes until the raw smell goes. Add rice and mix well. Transfer this mixture to rice cooker add 3 cups of water and cook it. Goes well with onion raita or cucumber raita with some papadams.
This is my entry to JFI-Rice hosted by Sharmi of Neivedyam.

Here is a plate for you....Enjoy!!

After school snack-Simple Tomato Pasta with Milk

This quick after school snack is sure to win many kids. A quick pasta with a glass of milk.
You need...
Pasta -250gms
Tomato sauce- 1tbspoon
Tomato-2 grind to fine paste or you can use tomato paste
pinch of salt and pepper
Grated cheese for garnishing
Cook pasta according to instructions on the packet until soft. Drain and while its warm mix with tomato puree and tomato sauce. Scoop into a serving plate and garnish with salt and pepper and finally with grated cheese. Sure to win a hungry tummy with a glass of milk.
Another look ...

Sprouted Moongdal & Rainbow Salad

I started preparing salad using cucumber, tomato and onion for pulav etc., Eventually I started experimenting by adding one by one other fresh veggies like corn, carrot etc., Finally this particular salad become one of my hits amongst family and friends, plus in my dinner parties. Corn is missing in my salad today, since i run out of corn cobs.
We need...

1 carrot

1 cucumber

1 tomato

1/2 cup sprouted moongdal

1 green granny smith apple

1/2 cup corn kernels

Pinch of salt and pepper.

1tsp lemon juice

1tbsp finely chopped walnuts.

Method:

Dice carrot, cucumber, tomato and granny smith apple. Mix with corn kernels and sprouted moongdal. Add a pinch of salt and pepper. Add lemon juice and mix well. Just before serving add finely chopped walnuts. Serve as side dish with lemon rice, pulikaachhal sadam, Ghee rice, saffron rice, veg pulav etc.,

Breakfast-American waffles

This is another breakfast which my kids enjoy. There is nothing complicated about this one. But the mix and match is what they like in this. Sometimes I present this as it is, some times i cut slices of banana and decorate on waffles. Either way this is another hit in my house, so i am sticking to it.

On the plate ........

Hardboiled egg - boiled for 15 mintues

Cornflakes and oats with dried fruits with milk ofcourse.

American waffles toasted with little butter.

Semiyaa Upma & Groundnut chutney

This dish was my first trial dish when I suddenly decided to learn cooking when I was 16 years old. I asked for recipe from my mum and she gave it to me without realising that someday I am going to spoil her kitchen and her cooking pan. Luckily I got the opportunity during my summer school holidays when my mum went to see her sister that afternoon for a chat. I ran to grab my best friend and schoolmate(she lives only couple of streets from where i live) and started my experiment. Not to mention that i burnt the Vessel so much so that my mum could never use that again. But the tricky part which shocked both of us was, after tadka, when we added water in the oil for boiling. we were shocked to see mild flame just above the vessel. Later my sister told me that, I must reduce the flame either to lowest or turn the stove off before pouring water in tadka. The recipe goes like this...
2 cups Semiyaa(Thin noodles)- You can buy this in any indian shop.

1 cup rava(semolina)

1tbsp ghee

1spoon mustard seeds

1red chilli, 1 green chilli

few curry leaves

1sppon Channadal

1spoon udid dal

Hing, salt.

4 cups water

1 cup mixed vegetables(carrot, peas, potato, corn)-optional- Microwave or boil for couple of mintues.

Method:

First fry semiyaa and rava with ghee until the raw smell goes.

In a pan add bit of oil and add mustard seeds, red chilli, green chilli, curryleaves, channadal, udiddal, and hing. Keep strring until the mustard seeds starts splutter and other ingredients turns to golden brown. At this stage you need to pour water slowly either by turning the burner off or in low flame. Add veggies and salt. Cover and let it boil in high flame until you see the bubbles start coming. Turn flame to low again, and slowly pour roasted semiyaa and rava. Start mixing without forming any lumps. Let it cook covered for another 5 minutes before turning off. That's it Upma ready. This is an excellent combination when you are in a hurry and healthy too.

Groundnut chutney:

1 cup roasted groundnuts

4 or 5 red chillies

1 garlic

salt

Mix and grind together the above ingredients to a fine paste. Temper with mustard seeds, curryleaves and finely chopped and fried onion(optional).

Kathrikkai Thair Pachhadi(Eggplant with Yoghurt)

When I saw Sangeetha's choice for this month's JFI-Event as "Eggplant", I went vow.. i must participate. But lazy me.. eventhough I get to make many dishes with Eggplant during the past month never had time to take a picture. So Yesterday as part of our sunday special lunch I decieded to include "Kathrikkai Thair Pachhadi" to participate in JFI event. Right... as far as recipe goes this is one of my mum's recipies. My mum serves Kathrikkai Thair Pachhadi along with lemon rice.
What you need:

2 eggplants - roasted on direct flame. Peel and mash with fork.

1 cup fresh natural yoghurt

4 or 5 Sundried pickled green chilli(MoRu Milaghai)-My mums usually prepares this in summer by soaking in Youghurt and drying in sun for 10 to 15 days. You can buy in most indian shops aswell. I will post recipe for this soon.

1/2 tsp salt

1tbsp oil

Mustard seeds, curryleaves for Tadka.

Method:

Mix roasted and mashed eggplant and youghurt in a bowl along with salt and keep aside for few minutes. In a pan pour 1 tbsp oil, when hot add mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add curry leaves and Sundried pickled green chillies. Keep tadka in low flame until the sundried pickled green chillies turn its colour from light brown to dark brown or black. Remove from the flame and add it to the above eggplant and youghurt mix. Add salt, mix well and serve with Lemon rice or you can use this as 'dip' for pakodas, bhajias etc.,

Pesarattu(Green Moongdal dosai)

When I was working in Andhra, I had to travel to work for nearly an hour and half to reach workplace. So I leave home at around 6:30am after drinking my mum's fresh filtered coffee to catch bus. We have canteen run in our office premises. In that canteen they prepare this "Pesarattu" which is usually served with coconut chutney and sambhar. But somedays they make it with tomato chutney. Whenever they announce "pesarattu" day in their menu, I make sure I reserve a table for me and grab few of my colleagues and spend our morning tea break enjoying this special "pesarattu" with another cup of coffee. Oh!! those days!!! I requested my colleague to find out recipe from the canteen cook and this is what he gave me, which i still follow.
3cups green moongdal
1cup raw rice
1tbsp corn flour
2 green chillies salt
For filling
1cup grated carrot
1cup finely cut red onion
2green chillies fine sliced
Method: Soak green moongdal and rice overnight and grind them finely along with green chilli to dosai consistency. Add salt, let it ferment for overnight. Just before preparing "pesarattu" mix with cornflour and prepare "pesarattu" using hot nonstick pan. Serve with Tomato chutney

Our Sunday Special lunch#2

Our sunday special lunch for this week is mix and match from few fellow bloggers recipes and my friend's Special sago and beetroot payasam. List goes....
Maanga Saadam(Mango Rice),
Podalangaai Koottu(SnakeGourd Koottu),
Cucumber thair Pachhadi(Cucumber Raita),
Onion Vadagam,
Sago and beetroot payasam.Maanga Saadam:
2 cups Rice,
2 Green Mangoes,
1/2 cup fresh grated coconut,
1/2 cup curryleaves,
2green chillies,
4 red chillies,
coriander powder-1tbs,
Hing, Turmeric, salt-as required
Mustard seeds for tadka

Method:

Cook Rice, spread in a wide basin mix with 1 tbsp olive oil plus turmeric. keep aside.

Roast some peanuts and remove its skin and keep aside.

In a pan dry fry all the above ingredients except green mango and coconut. Grind them to a fine paste, add mango and coconut grind again. In a separate pan add a little bit of peanut oil, add mustard seeds and the above mango mix, turnoff the stove and let it cook in that heat for couple of minutes. Evenly mix this paste with the above cooked rice add some salt and roasted peanuts in between mixing. Maanga sadam is ready.

SnakeGourd Koottu

2 cups finely cut snakegourd

1 cup toordal boiled

Grind 1/2 cup coconut, few green chillis, 1tbsp jeera, 1tbsp dry roasted urad dal into fine paste adding a bit of water. keep it aside. In a vessel add cut snakegourd pieces cook with little bit of salt and turmeric until they are tender. Add cooked toordal and ground paste at the same time and cook for another few minutes until the koottu thickens. Finally temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Beetroot and Sago Payasam

Beetroot 1/2 cup -boiled

Sago 1 cup - soaked 2 hours and boiled with little water until tender.

1tbsp coconut

1tbsp ghee

1 cup brown sugar

Milk 2 cups

Cardamom, cashew nuts as required

Grind coconut and beetroot together with little water.

In a Vessel melt brown sugar and ghee, when melted, add ground coconut and beetroot. After couple of minutes add boiled sago and milk. Let it boil for few minutes until sago becomes like pearl. Add cardamom powder and turn heat off. Add fried cashews. Pour this into serving dishes and keep it in the fridge to become firm. Just before serving either add a scoop of vanilla ice cream in summer or finely cut fruit salad during winter.

Breakfast Blast-Quick and easy

My son who loves fresh hot breakfast every morning. I belive in " healthy start of a day leads to healthy life all along". So I make sure I prepare a good breakfast for my kids every morning. Trupti from The Spice Who Loved me... also a part of reason for this posting. This dish is my entry for Trupti's web event WBB12.

On the plate, there is Slice Chilli Pineapple, Fresh squeezed Orange Juice, Fresh veges on garlic Bread.

Sliced chilli Pineapple:

3 slices of canned slice pineapple

A pinch of salt and pinch of chillipowder

Mehtod: Arrange pineaplle in a plate and using the salt and chilli shaker shake a little on the pineapple pieces.

Veges on garlic Bread

1 tomato Diced.

1/2 cup corn

1/2 avacado diced

1/2 carrot grated or diced

Method:First grill or toast garlic bread under grill for couple of minutes. Take it out from the grill and spread the veges evenly and pop back under grill for another two minutes. If you are making this for after school snack or for lunch try adding some grated cheese on it. It really is yummy! and kids eat this like pizza. Keep an eye so not to burn the veges. Of course while this is happening you can squeeze couple of fresh oranges. Breakfast is ready!!

Thakkaali Oorugaai -Tomato Pickle

Karthi from kitchenmate, and Saffron from Saffron Hut inspired me to do this beautiful Thakkaali Oorugaai/Tomato pickle. My husband bought a bag of tomatoes in the market on saturday and I was wondering what am I going to do with these tomatoes. Then I realised looking at this beautiful pickle in one of the blogs I visited a while ago. I followed their Ingredients and method and just added little bit of my magic to create this one. Here you go..

1kg Tomato

4tbs Raw chilli powder

1tsp sugar

salt, Hing and oil

Method: In a big vessel add oil and when hot add some mustard seeds and curry leaves and add bit of hing. After few seconds add Pureed tomato( I peeled Tomatoes by immersing them in hot water and then in cold water for few minutes and pureed tomatoes in food processer), salt and let it simmer for nearly an hour mixing now and then. At the end add chillipowder and let it simmer for another 10 minutes or until the mixture starts to leave the pan. Let it cool and store it in jar or bottle. You can keep this in fridge for couple of weeks.

Tip: when serving always use a dry spoon.

Our Sunday Special lunch

Every Sunday i try to prepare something special for my family as i feel after a long working week we all deserve tobe treated ourselves with a special food. After lunch we normally take a small stroll either to shopping or sometimes to swimming pool or if it is bright sunny afternoon to a nearby park and let kids play and we sit down and watch them while chitchatting. Last week i have prepared Methi Pulav with Carrot Thair Pachhadi and Tindora Fry with some Rice Pappadams. Of course, i did'nt ignore our sweet tooth and prepared some Carrot Halwa.
Recipes for CarrotHalwa and Tindora Fry will follow soon... for now here is my recipe for Methi Pulav and Carrot Thair Pachhadi. This is very very simple and quick meal.

Methi Pulav
1 cup Methi leaves
2 cups rice( I use andhra Sona Masuri rice)

1 green chilli

1/2 cup Green Peas Frozen can be used

1 pod garlic(optional)

Method: In a Pan add 1 tb spoon ghee when its hot add chopped green chillis and garlic pod, fry for a few seconds, add Methi leaves fry for another minute or so, and then add washed rice to this mixture add some salt and mix well for couple of minutes until the rice is well coated with methi and green chilli masala. Transfer this to rice cooker add enough water and cook it.

While this pulav is cooking prepare for Carrot Thair Pachhadi. You need a cup of grated carrot and a cup of Yoghurt, one chopped green chilli. Mix all these three together add bit of salt and tamper with mustard and curry leaves. That's it Methi Pulav and Carrot Thair Pachhadi ready.