Capsicum Babycorn masala

Easy to make delicious capsicum baby corn in a tomato,onion gravy base !. An excellent side dish for rotti.

Preparation Time : Under 15 minutes

Cooking Time : Under 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:

Capsicum - 3 no.s chopped

Baby corn - 10-15 no.s chopped

Tomato - 2 large no.s chopped

Onion - 1 cup chopped

Ginger - 1 inch sized

Garlic - 3 to 4 pods

Cashews - 5 to 6 no.s

Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

Cumin powder - 1/2 teaspoon

Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

Dry fenugreek leaves- 2 teaspoon

Milk -1/4 cup

Salt - as required

Butter - 2 tablespoon

Oil - 2 teaspoon

METHOD:

1. In a 2 liter pressure cooker, add 2 tablespoon of water and 2 teaspoon of oil. Then add a layer of onions,and above that add ginger and garlic.

2. Above onions, add a layer of tomatoes. Above tomatoes, add cashews,coriander,cumin,red chilli powder and salt.

3. Cover the lid and cook in high for 2 whistles and switch off the stove and let the pressure settle. 

4. Blend them in to a smooth puree.

5. In a pan, add some butter and saute capsicum and baby corn. Add turmeric and salt and mix well. Saute them, till they turn little soft. 

6. Now add the tomato puree which you prepared in step 4. Add some water to your desired consistency.Also add garam masala. Allow the contents to boil well for 5 to 6 minutes. Then add dry fenugreek leaves and milk. Mix well and switch off the flame.

7. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotti or rice .

NOTES:

1. The same gravy base can be used with any other vegetables of your choice. 

2. SEE ALSO : Capsicum chutney, Capsicum rice, Tomato kurma

Chettinad Spicy Chutney

Try this tasty and spicy Chettinad style Spicy Chutney ! 

Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 10 minutes


INGREDIENTS:
Big Ripened tomatoes - 3 no.s
Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
Dry red chilli - 4 no.s
Tamarind - 1 goose berry sized
Jaggery - 1 teaspoon
Salt - As required
Sesame oil - 3 tablespoon
Water - 4 tablespoon

METHOD:

1. Cut tomatoes in to halves and deseed it. No need to chop it finely. In a 2 liter pressure cooker. Add water and sesame oil. Add onions on one side and tomatoes on the other side. Above that, add jaggery,tamarind,salt ,dry red chilli.

2. Close the lid and cook in high flame for 5 whistles(approx 5 min).

3. Release pressure manually. Open the lid and mash the items with back of your spoon. Allow the contents to cool down.

After opening the lid !

4. Blend them all to a smooth paste . Serve with any dosa or idly !!

NOTES:

1. For pearl millet dosa, I just mixed store bought pearl millet flour with regular dosa batter and made dosas . It tasted really nice with tomato chutney !.

2. SEE ALSO: Combo Chutney, Radish Chutney, Capsicum Chutney 

Radish Paratha

A very healthy and tasty radish/mooli/mullangi paratha. Kid's favourite recipe too !.

Preparation Time : Under 20 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 20 minutes
Yields - 5 no.s of parathas

INGREDIENTS:

Wheat flour - 3/4 cup
Grated radish - 3/4 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder -1/2 teaspoon
Red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Oil - as required

METHOD:

1. Mix grated radish,ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,red chilli powder ,wheat flour and some oil in to a dough. For this dough, you no need to add any water. You might be tempted to add water. But it is not required, as the radish would let out ample of water that is required to make the dough.

2. Now in a flat plate, spread any plastic paper . Smear some oil and grease it. Take a lemon size dough , and pat it gently to make circular shaped rottis. Alternatively, if the dough is not too soft, you can use roller pin and make as like regular chappathi.

3. Put the paratha on the pan,add some oil and cook on both sides until u see black spots over it.

4. Serve with plain yogurt or raita. As this paratha itself has essential spices, it doesn't require any special side dish. This is a great item for kids lunch box !.

NOTE:

SEE ALSO : Bhindi Kadhi, Morkuzhambu 

Barnyard millet khichdi

Millets have plenty of health benefits. It is considered as smart carb with lots of fiber and low sugar. Hence it has a relatively low glycemic index and good for weight reduction. There are many types of millets available in market. Today, I have made khichdi from easy to cook barnyard millet / jhangora in hindi/kuthirai vali in tamil .

Preparation Time: Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Barnyard millet - 1/2 cup
Water - 1.5 cups
Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
Roasted peanuts - 2 tablespoon
Ginger - 1 inch sized
Green chilli - 1 or 2 chopped
salt - as required
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Oil-1 tablespoon

METHOD:

1. Wash and drain barnyard millet two to three times. No need to soak this millet. You can cook as such. Cut onions ,chillis finely. Dry roast peanuts and set aside. In a pan , add some ghee and oil and fry onions and chilli till they change color.

2. Add roasted peanuts and mix well and fry for a minute.

3. Now add washed barnyard millet and mix well.

4. Now add 1.5 cups of water and required salt. Allow the contents to boil.

5. Then keep the flame in medium and cover with lid. Let the millet get cooked . Cook until all the water is completely absorbed by the millet.It may take around 7 to 8 minutes. Sprinkle some asafoetida powder and garnish with coriander leaves.

6. Serve with sambhar or chutney of your choice.

NOTES:

SEE ALSO : Rava khichdi, Ragi(finger millet) adai

Masala Bread

Easy and fast to make masala bread recipe with minimal ingredients ! Great food for evening snacks or tiffin.

Preparation Time : Under 15 minutes
Cooking Time : Under 15 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Whole wheat bread - 5-6 slices
Onion - 1 cup finely chopped
Tomato - 1/2 cup finely chopped
Green chilli - 1 no. finely chopped
Tomato ketchup - 2 tablespoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
Salt - as required
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Butter - 2 tablespoon

METHOD:

1. Toast the bread in toaster or tawa to golden brown. Cut them in to square pieces. Prepare all the ingredients and set ready.

2. In a tawa , add butter . Add onion and green chilli and fry till they get translucent .

2. Now add tomato and salt and fry till they turn mushy.

3. Now keep the gas in low flame and add garam masala and mix well.

4. Now add tomato ketchup and mix well .Also add red chilli powder.

5. Now add the bread pieces and mix gently.

6. Garnish with corriander leaves and serve !

NOTES:

1. SEE ALSO : 10 min pav bhaji
2. You can also replace garam masala with pav bhaji masala.
3. For more healthier recipe, you can add finely grated carrot, chopped capsicum.

Home Made Ghee

Ghee is a class of clarified butter originated in ancient India . It is commonly used in cooking sweets or any other dishes  . It can be used instead of oil. Ghee is usually prepared at home or can also be bought in stores. Ghee is made using any unsalted butter. Here I have given step by step pictures of how to make ghee at home.

INGREDIENTS:

Unsalted butter - 900 gm
Fenugreek seeds - 4 to 5 no.s


METHOD:

1. In a nonstick pan, add the butter and allow it to melt.

2. Once it melts completely, it starts to boil.

3. Initially it is in pure white with foamy texture. Once it starts boiling, it gets transparent.

4. When it boils well, you would hear a "shhh" sound. Keep stirring occasionally.

5. After sometime the "shh" sounds stops and you get white foams and it comes up as in picture below.

6. Immediately add the fenugreek seeds and switch off the gas stove. After 5 minutes, all the residue settles bottom and you can see a clear golden ghee above. Fenugreek seeds helps in separating the clear ghee and the residue.

(If you are unable to watch the video, click here - >https://goo.gl/photos/JkfFic5dkxZWkiEEA)

7. Allow it cool down completely and transfer the clear ghee to any glass vessel. you can take the residue at the bottom, and keep it separately. It is completely edible. It will be little dark in color, but is consumable. We usually mix it with rice and pepper and eat it or apply it on rotti after cooking.

Ghee residue

8. You can refrigerate it and use it for all your cooking later on.

Ghee after it solidifies.

  

Rice Upma

Rice Upma- A quick and easy tiffin made with rice grits(Broken Rice) . It taste well with idly/dosai podi .

Seves - 2 -3 people
Preparation Time: Under 10 minutes
Cooking Time - Under 20 minutes

INGREDIENTS:
Rice Grits - 1 cup( If you dont have rice grits, take raw rice and grind in mixie for just one round .You get broken rice. You can also use basmati rice . If using basmati rice, for 1 cup of rice grits , use 1.75 cup of water )
Water - 2 3/4 cup(2.75 cup)
Mustard - 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Channa dal - 1 tablespoon
Dry red chilli - 2 no.s
Green chilli - 1 no. chopped finely
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Sesame oil - 1 teaspoon
Plain yogurt or curd - 1 tablespoon

METHOD:

1. In a pan, dry heat rice grits just for 2 minutes. Don't do it for long. The rice grits just need to be heated.

2. Now transfer the rice grits to a bowl. Add some gingelly/sesame oil and mix well.

3. In a pan, add oil. Add mustard and cumin seeds.

4. Add channa dal,dry red chilli and pepper and fry for a minute , till they change the color.

5. Now add green chilli.

6. Add 2.75 cups of water . Also add a table spoon of curd and required salt. Allow the contents to come to boil.

7. Now  turn the stove to full sim. Add the rice grits and mix well and keep it covered. After 15 minutes, open the lid and mix well and cover again. Always keep the stove in simmer mode, so that it doesn't get burnt at the bottom. After another 5 minutes , taste and see the upma . It should be soft and not crunchy. Switch off the stove. Sprinkle asafoetida powder and mix well.

8. Rice upma is ready !. Serve with Idly/dosai podi and oil.

ALSO SEE:  Rava Kichadi , Ven pongal