Ragi Sangiti / Ragi Muddhe / Kelveragu Kali / Finger Millet Balls

This is a day to day lunch / dinner in most of the houses in Karnataka. Particularly those who do much of physical work like Construction workers have this as this is economical and it stuffs the stomach and does not make one hungry very soon.
Mostly considered to be the food of poor but very good for health and for those who have diabetes.
Ingredients :
Ragi flour: 1 portion
Oil : 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Water : 2.5 portion

Method of preparation : Pour water in a thick bottomed vessel add salt, water and bring it to boil. As the water boils put the ragi flour into it as a lump and do not stir. Close the lid and cook it for 5 min. Now take a spoon and stir it well such that all the lumps are taken out. Keep it on the flame till you get a thick consistency. Take a round bottomed bowl and coat it with little oil, using the ladle put the cooked ragi into a big bowl and move the bowl such that a round is formed. Transfer to a plate and serve hot.

I use the bowl to make the round as the flour would be quite hot to handle in hand. Learnt from my mom :)
By adding 2.5 portion of water Sangiti would be a little softer and taste good.

PS : Please note for those who have never tasted this earlier. This would be sticky and therefore you have to coat your fingers with the gravy and then take a small round of the ball and swallow. If you bite it then it would be sticky.

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Puli Keerai / Pulupu Kooraku / Tangy Greens

This is a quick greens recipe that goes well with Rice and Ragi Balls.


Ingredients  :
Green Leaves : 2 bunches ( Paalak (spinach) Arai keerai / siri keerai)
Onion : 1 No.
Tomato : 1 No.
Tamarind Extract : 1 table spoon
Garlic : 5 pods
Green / Dry chillies : 3 to 4 Nos.
Salt

For Seasoning : Mustard Seeds, Oil, Urad dhal, Green curry leaves

Put all the above Ingredients along with enough water and cook it for around 15 min, you can even pressure cook it. Once its done smash it coarsely with a hand mixer or Grinding stick. Dnt use Mixer it does not taste good. Now add seasoning to this and mix.

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Vegetable Sagu

Sagu is an accompliment with Set Dosa served in most of the Bangalore restaurants. This is my version of Veg Sagu which goes with Rice also pretty well.

Ingredients :
Grated coconut : 3-4 tbl spn
Fried grams : 2 tbl spn
Fennel Seeds : qtr tea spn
Ginger : half inch & Garlic 4 pods

Onion : 1 No.
Mustard seeds : 1 tea spn
Urad Dhal : 1 tea spn
Peas, Carrot, Beans, Potatoes ( 1 cup together)
Green chillies : 4 Nos.
Curry leaves : 1 string
Coriander leaves
Salt

Method of preparation :
Grind coconut, fried grams, fennel seeds, ginger and garic into a coarse paste.
Head oil in a pan, add Mustard seeds, Urad dhal once the mustard splutters add curry leaves, green chillies and onion. once the onion turn translucent add the vegetables and grount mixture, salt and little water. Close the lid and cook till the veggies are done. You can use a pressure cooker to make things easier. Adjust the taste and add coriender leaves. Serve with Set dosas / Rice

Preparation time is around 15 min.

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Chicken Curry - Simple version

I learnt to make chicken gravy in only one way from my mom. Once i moved to Germany after marriage, I started to browse for recipes as I had to cook a different dish every day. Only when I realized how difficult it is for moms to decide on what to cook on particular day. Earlier when my mom asked what to cook for the day, mostly I would bluntly say anything, but now I know how irritating an answer that is...

This version of chicken curry goes well with rice and any kind of Indian bread. I feel when there are not many of them for the meal then its best to try this version out. Say just for 2 or 4 of them this would be apt.

Ingredients :
Marination :
Chicken : 200 gms
Potatoes : 2 Nos. (Optional)
Ginger Garlic paste : 2 tbl spn
Coriander Powder : 1 tbl spn
Chilly Power : 1 tal spn
Turmeric Powder : 1 tea spn
Curd : 5 to 6 tbl spn
Salt
-------------------
for Gravy :
Garam Masala powder : 1 tea spn
Pepper powder : 1 tea spn
Onions : 4 Nos. Medium sized
Oil : 2 tbl spns
Curry leaves : 1 string
Mint Leaves : 3 stings
Coriander leaves

Method of preparation :
Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients given in marination list and start doing the rest of the chopping tasks which would be enough.
Heat oil in a thick iron / nonstick pan once its hot add curry leaves and then finely chopped onions (chop onion as finely as possible) once the onions turn golden brown add the marinated chicken and fry it for 5 min and then add water, close it with a lid and stir it once in every 3 to 4 min. Add more water if the gravy is getting dried. After 10 min add garam masala powder and mix well and allow the chicken to cook tender. When the chicken is almost done then add Pepper powder, mint leaves, coriander leaves and close the lid for 5 min. If the water is too much in the gravy then cook it without the lid on till you feel its in the right consistency. Serve Hot

The chicken gravy tastes great when you cook for around 30 min in medium flame.

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Roti - Mechanised

Found this pics interesting sent by a friend. Mechanised roti making.

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Modakas / Kollukattai / Kadubu (Spiced)

One of the offerings for Lord Ganesha on the day of the Ganesha Chaturthi is Kadubu. This is done in quite a lot of varieties and here we look at the Spiced Version or the Khara Kadubu in Kannada. This is how my mom prepares Kadubus at home. Few do it with the Rice flour but this is the recipe that I got from my mom and it came out perfect at my first trial.

I made this with a variation. I added Peas to it so that its colourful and as i made this for dinner, didnt want this plain. In Karnataka as a variation they add avarekalu.

Ingredients :
Rice : 1 cup (Idli Rice / Parboiled rice)
Oil : 1 tbl spoon
Mustard seeds : 1 tea spn
Urad Dhal : 1 tea spn
Curry Leves : 2 stings
Green / Red chilles : As per taste
Peas /Avarekalu : Optional
Salt

Method of preparation :
Soak Rice for about 4 to 5 hours and grind it into a smooth batter, add sufficient salt while grinding. You can chose to have it coarse also. Add a table spoon of oil in non stick deep pan, once its hot add mustard seeds followed by Urad dhal, Curry leaves and finely chopped chillies. Add cooked peas now if u wish. When you add peas you gotta add some salt to it and mix well, reduce the flame and pour in the ground batter into it and mix it continiously such that it becomes a thick dough. Remove from flame and rest it till you feel you can handle the dough with your hands.

Now take small portions of the dough and mold it to the shape you wish, normally its done in the shape shown in the pic and is called as pidi kollukattai. Keep these in the idli cooker and steam cook it for about 7 to 10 min. I have microwaved it for 6 min.

WISH ALL MY VISITORY A VERY HAPPY GANESHA CHATHURTHI

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Neer Dosa

Long Long ago when one of my colleague used to get this white coloured dosa and thats how first and last I tasted Neer Dosa.

Recently found the receipe for this and tried out and it amazingly came out very well.



Ingredients (Makes around 10-12 dosas)
Rice : 2 cups ( 250 gms) Basmati or any rice used to make plain boiled rice
Cocount : 1 cup
Salt
Oil

Method of preparation : Wash the rice well and soak it for about 3 to 4 hours. Add grated coconut and grind it to a smooth batter. Add salt and rest it for an hour. Later make the batter to a thick buttermilk consistency. Pour a ladle full of batter on the hot tava and spread the batter by lifting the tava. When the batter is of right consistancy the pores form immediately on the dosa. Close it with a lid and cook till done. This is normally cooked single side.
Serve with Chicken curry or any spicy chuttney.

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Tomato Sambar for Idli

This is one of the common combination thats made by my mom for Idli. It goes well with Rice also.

I have never tasted similar sambar else where like in hotel or at any friends place. Probably this is alterd and changed to suite the taste of my family by mom. :)


Ingredients :
Tomato : 2 Nos.
Onions : 1 Nos.
Curry Leaves : 1 string
Coriander leaves : for garnishing
Mustard seeds : 1 tea spn
Urad dhal : 1 tea spn
Chilli powder : 1 tbl spoons
Oil : 2 tbl spn
Salt to taste

For grinding :
Tomato : 1 No.
Grated coconut : 6 tbl spns
Fried grams : 4 tbl spns
Fennel seeds : half tea spn

Finely grind the ingredients and keep it aside. Add oil in a pan, add mustard seeds once it splutters add urad dhal and curry leaves. Now add onions and once it turn translucent add tomato and fry it till the raw smell goes away completely. Now add the ground mixture along with enough water, chillipowder and salt. Boil this for around 10 minutes. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

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Idly - The comfort food

Its like every time I try to make Idlies I just keep wishing that it has to come out well. However for long it did not turn out well while I used the same proportion of ingredients that was being used at my home in India. Well for this European weather it does not really work. Well it did not work for me.

I started searching through many of the blogs and most of them out of India used a different proportion of rice and urad dhal.

I mix and matched and took this proportion and to my surprise it came out perfectly fine. I almost had tears in my eyes.
Blogs that I referred Priyas and many others.

Idli Rice : 2 portions
Urad Dhal : 1 portion
Aval : 3 table spoons
Salt : 1 table spoon
Baking powder : 2 pinch

Soak Rice and Urad dhal separately for about 6 hours and grind Urad dhal finely for a longer time in the mixer or grinder. Remove this into bowl. Now grind the rice coarsely (not too fine). Mix this with Urad dhal batter along with salt. Mix it in your hand so that the heat helps fermentation. Close it and keep it in a owen overnight for fermentation. Add baking powder mix well and make idlis the next day. It has to come out soft and fine hopefully ;) Serve with chuttney or any kind of sambar. We had it with tomato sambar the other day.


I feel for getting soft idlies we gotta be lucky. Once it might be fine, but with the same proportion things might not work on another other day.

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Help Abhishek

Why is  medical treatment so expensive. Abhishek who is now 30yrs is one of my ex-colleagues and is diagnosed of Bi-phenothypic Acute Leukemia (BAL) a type of Blood Cancer. He requires a Matched Unrelated Doner Bone Marrow Transplantation (MUD) which costs Rs.1 Crore
(US D 200000).

How life changes just in one day. Its tough to imagine a colleague with whom I worked for many years and now is in this state. 

Please visit this link and help if you can... no amount is too small !!

Please post the link (http://www.helpabhishek.com) at your site. Lets pray for Abhishek's speedy recovery, and wish his family all the strength that they need now.

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Dalcha

An accompliment with Biryani. Chicken biryani or Mutton biryani this dish goes well. When the biryani is not made much spicy then this is the right choise that works out great.

Ingredients :
Toordhal : 200 gms
Gram dhal : 200 gms
Cinnamones : 4 sticks
Cloves : 4 Nos.
Star anis : 6 Nos.
Fennel seeds : 1 tea spn
Turmeric : qtr tea spn
Chilli powder : 2 tea spn
Green chillies : 4 nos.
Garam Masala : 2 tbl spn
Onions : 4 Nos.
Tomatoes : 4 Nos.
Brinjal :50 gms
Plantain : 50 gms
Potatoes : 50 gms
Drum stick : 50 gms
Raw mango : 1 small
Coriander leaves : 1 bunch
Curry leaves : 4 strings
Coconut paste : 1 cup
Oil & Ghee

Method of preparation : Boil Toor dhal and Gram dhal along with a little turmeric, water till it cooks well. Now add chopped Mango, Potatoes, Brinjal, Plantain and Drumstick and add some more salt and garam masala. Boil this till the veggies are well cooked. Now add chilli powder and remove from flame.
In another vessel add ghee and oil once its hot add the whole garam masala. Once its fried add chopped onions and as its frying add green chillies and then chopped tomato once its fried add a little dhal veggi mixture, coriander and curry leaves and ground coconut paste to it and fry for sometime. Add the remaining Dhal veggi mixture boil well for 2 or 3 min and serve with Biryani.

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Beetroot Raitha

Pachidi with Beetroot in it, a healthy side dish that goes with Parata, chappatis and rice

Ingredients :
Beetroot : 1 No.
Curd : 1 Cup
Coriander leaves : 2 tbl spoons
Curry leaves : 2 strings
Green Chillies : 1 No.
Red chillies :1 No.
Red Chilly powder : half tea spn
Mustard seeds : 1 tea spn
Urad Dhal : 1 tea spn
Gram dhal : half tea spn
Asafotida : 1 pinch
Salt, Sugar

Method of preparation : Heat a table spoon of oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, 1 red chilly, urad dhal, gram dhal once its fried add a little asafotida once they are fried add green chillies, grated beetroot. Fry till the raw smell goes away, add coriander seeds, curry leaves and red chilly powder and salt and a pinch of sugar. Get this to room temperature and then add curd mix and serve.

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Fish Rounds

A recipe that I saw in one of the Cookery show. It happened to be a prize winning recipe. Interestingly different one made out of Salmon Fish / Vanjara Meen

Ingredients :
Salmon Fish : 2 pieces
Potato : 1 No.
Onion : 1 No.
Tomato : 1 No Small
Chilli Powder : half tea spn
Garam Masala : 1 tea spn
Coriander powder : half tea spn
Coriander leaves : 3 table spn
Egg : 1 No.
Turmeric : half tea spn
Cashunut : 10 Nos. (Coarsely powdered)
Salt & Oil

Method of preparation : 

• Cook the potato till its soft and smash it. 
• Cook the Salmon fish without skin with a pinch of salt and turmeric in the water till its soft.
• In a pan add 2 table spoon of oil and fry finely chopped onions till golden brown then add finley chopped tomato. Now add Coriander powder, Chilli powder, salt, Coriander leaves and stir it. At last add garam masala to it. 
• Once the above masala mixture comes to the temperature that you can handle in your hand, add potato and baked fish and mix well. (check taste and add salt if required)
  
• Make the above mixture into small rounds, dip it in egg white and then coat a layer of cashew nut powder and deep fry it. 
• There you go Crispy Fish rounds are ready.
  

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Arti Indisk Restaurant Review - Bergen Norway

Name : Arti Indisk Restaurant
Country : Norway
City : Bergen
Website : http://www.arti-indisk-restaurant.no/
Rating : 4 / 5

The Indian Restaurant in Bergen Norway. Indisk means Indian in Norwegien. We googled and found this place and looking at the website thought that it was a house where they might be having a restaurant. Reached there without much expectation. To our surprise the ambiance was pretty good. Its a restaurant run by an Indian who hails from Delhi is what we got to know.
We ordered for Fish Pakoda, King Prawn Curry and Spinach Lamb Curry. After the order we were served masala papad with mint chuttney and a green chilli chuttney. Thinking that it would be usual long wait we started having the papad.
The serving was fast and we got the Fish pakoda and it looked perfect and tasted great. I am not a great fan of fish though, I liked it a lot. Then came the other two dishes and just by look we could feel that it would taste good and we were right. The taste was good. A nice bend of curry with rice was worth the long travel we did to reach the place. Rice came as complimentary with the dish.
To end with we had Gulab jamoon with icecream and signed the check... Its not so heavy on the pocket for an occasional visit.

Oh ya here in Norway Still Water is not charged. I feel all hotels all through should be courtious to serve tap water.

We are here in Norway for one month and have visited the restaurant thrice in last 2 weeks.
The second and third time we tried Chicken Korma, Chicken Delicious and the taste was as expected.

I noticed that most of the Norwaygians and people from other countries enjoy the Indian food and quite a lot of foreign crowd could be seen in almost all the Indian Restaurants in Europe.

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Pongal (Kara pongal)

My love for pongal started during my oracle days. The cater managed to serve the best tasteless food, we used to wonder how he manged to do it. The two dishes that we could eat is Bisibele bath with Raitha and Pongal with Raitha. Till then I never used to like pongal not even in my bad dreams I would like to have this dish. Mom tho had stopped preparing this dish at home just because I did not prefer it.

I learnt to prepare this once I moved to Germany and these days this is one of the quick bfast or brunch that I can prepare.

Ingredients :
Rice : 1 cup
Moong Dhal : Half cup
Green chillies : 2 -3 Nos.
Pepper : 1 tea spn half crushed
Ginger : half inch finely chopped
Curry Leaves : 2 strings
Cashewnuts : 7 - 8 Nos
Cumin seeds - 1 tea spn<
Oil and Salt
Use pressure cooker / electric rice cooker or any vessel
Wash Moong Dhal and Rice and add water (Triple the qty of water that you would normally add to Rice. Now you have moong dhal also so add more accordingly) put some salt and slit green chillies into. Cook it till the water is almost absorbed and becomes a thick gravy consistancy. Pongal tastes good when its little watery than dry.Check if salt is fine else add more.
Seasoning : Take little ghee or oil in a pan once its hot add cumin seeds, cashewnuts, curry leaves, ginger, pepper and once it fried add it to the cooked pongal. There you go pongal is ready. Serve with chuttney or cucumber raitha.
*while preparing in a vessel other than cooker or electric rice cooker, stir it occasionally to ensure that it does not stick to the bottom of the vessel.
*while the pongal is cold and while reheating sprinkle some water on it and heat it so that it tastes just like the freshly made one.
* the proportion of Moong dhal can be increased from 1 rice : 1 moon dhal. I love the taste when its 1 rice : 0.5 moong

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Mango Lassi - During the New year Dinner

After a great meal one glass of Mango Lassi happened to be great during the New Year Dinner. On 2nd January we had invited an Indian couple friends for Dinner. That happened to be like a perfect dinner to begin the year. 
Drink : Black Berry Juice / Wine
Starter : Chicken & Potato 65
Main Course : Chicken Biryani
Side Dish : Cucumber Raitha
Dessert : Gulab Jamoon & Mango Lassi
Movie : Madagaskar and Wild Hogs (Comedy)
We had planned the menu and made everything well in time and also fast before the guest arrived. The satisfaction when everything turned out well was incredible. 
I do not have the pics of rest of the items that we made so I am posting just the Mango Lassi recipe : 
Ingredients :  (for 3 glasses of lassi)
Mango Pulp : 1 glass
Yogurt / Curd : half glass
Water : 1.5 glass (or use ice cubes)
Sugar : 6 - 8 table spoons
Blend all the ingredients in a blender / juicer for 3-4 min and serve. It tastes good and looks great when served immediately after preparation. However you can store it in the refrigerator as well.

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Diabetes-Why and What ?

Our Body’s Main source of Energy is Glucose, passed via the bloodstream, is the Major source of energy for the body's cells in our Body.

Normally, in our Blood, blood glucose levels stay within a set - narrow limit throughout the day:
Accepted Levels and Range : 4 to 8 mmol/l (70 to 150 mg/dl).

Normally Levels rise after meals and are usually lowest in the morning, before the Breakfast of the day. Diabetes mellitus is the most feared disease related to failure of blood sugar regulation and control .

Blood sugar problems and its Health effects:

If blood sugar levels drop too low, a potentially fatal condition called hypoglycemia develops.
1. Symptoms of Low Blood Sugar:
2. Symptoms may include lethargy (Inactivity; showing an unusual lack of energy)
3. impaired mental functioning
4. irritability and
5. loss of consciousness.

Hyper Glycemia: If levels remain too high, appetite is suppressed over the short term.
Long-term hyperglycemia causes many of the long-term health problems associated with diabetes including eye, kidney and nerve damage.

Diabetics should sensibly ADJUST FOOD, EXERCISE, oral Medications or insulin.

DIABETES is surely controllable through PLANNED DIET AND NUTRITION . Diabetic patients can easily lead NORMAL LIFE with the above control.

Source : Various

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Akki Rotti (Rice Roti)

My first recipe post in this new year. Akki Rotti is one of the common dish in Karnataka. Mostly in the Dharwad side. It tastes great when its made as thin as possible. Even when we box it to office it tastes good. Does not really require a side dish also.

Mom used to make this at times and man I used to love it and so did my friends at office.

Ingredients :
Rice flour : 250 gms
Onions : 2 big
Dill leaves : 1 bunch
Spring onions : 1 cup
Green Chillies : 4
Curry leaves : 2 strings
Salt

Method of Preparation : In a bowl, add rice flour and rest of the ingredients very finley chopped, add little watter and make it a dough which is a little softer than the chappati dough (This wd be sticky unlike the chappati dough). Now make small rounds a little bigger than the table tennis ball size.
Put this on a non stick tava (need not be heated first) and spread it all across the tava with your hand. Grease your hand with oil or water for easy spread. Make it as big and thin as possible. Now put it on the stove and fry both the sides till they turn a little golden brown adding little oil. There you go, the roti is ready.

Serve with chutney of your choice or pickle. Tastes great without a side dish also.

If you have two tavas, you can use them alternatively. Else once the first one is done, just coolen the tava by putting the wrong side of the tava under the tap and then spread the next roti.

*When you are spreading the dough if there are holes inbetween just dont mind. It turns out crisp.
*You can add grated coconut and grated carrorts if you wish

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Welcome 2009 - Roochis wishes all its readers a great new year

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Celery lemon soup

This soup helps to increase the alertness or alert our sensory organs. Adding this in our diet regularly increases the concentration power.


Ingredients :
Celery : 1 root
Corn flour : 1 tbl spn
Onions : 1 No.
Butter : 1 tbl spn
White pepper powder & Salt
Lemon : 1 small
Method of preparation : Heat butter and add onions chopped length wise and fry till it gets translucent, now add the Celery finely chopped (Take only the stem till the root, include a little of the root removing the strings)fry for abt 2 min now add Corn flour and fry for a min. Add a little more than half a liter of water and let it boil for 2-3 min. Keep stirring. Now add pepper, salt & grate the lemon into the soup. Remove from flame and serve.

If you do not have lemon use preserved lemon juice.

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Roochis Video show

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Food Blogipedia

Recipes tried at home and posted with more and more real time experience helps us experiment a little lesser than trying out on our own reading the recipes from books. Each and every one who has their Food Blog has a story to tell about their interesting kitchen.
This is an attempt to put together the food blogs which would be as a Food Blogs Library.

To get listed here write to roochi.blog(at)gmail.com with your name and url or leave the details in the comment box.

• A Foodie N Her Cooking Hat
• Aapplemint
• Adhi Potoba
• Adding spice to life - Roochis
• 
  
  Adlak's Tiny World
• ... And A Little Bit More
• Ahaar
• All Thingz Yummy !!!
• Amma's Special
• Andhra Spicy
• Annarasa
• Any One Can Cook
• Ambrosia
• Appetizing Recipes
• Art Of Cooking Indian Food
• Asan Khana
• As Dear As Salt
• A Southern Grace
• AZCookbook
• Baking-Haven
• Beyond The Usual
• Bombay Foodie
• Brindavan-Pure Veg Karnataka Recipes
• Bunny's Warm Oven
• Canela Kitchen's Recipes
• Chandrabhaga
• Cheers To Easy Cooking
• Chef Kiwi Berry
• Chitra Amma's Kitchen
• Choos & Chews
• Cinnamon Trail
• Closet Cooking
• Clumbsy Cookie
• Cook Spot
• Cookery Corner
• Cooking Adventures
• Cooking And The City
• Cooking 4 All Seasons
• Cooking Up Something Nice
• Cook's Hideout
• Creative Saga
• Culinary Adventures Of A New Wife
• Culinarty
• Curry In Kadai
• Curry World
• Daily Meals
• Delectable Vegetarian Recipes
• Delectably Yours
• Dhanggits kitchen
• DK's Culinary Bazaaar
• Easy Cooking
• Edible Garden
• Eggless Cooking
• Enlighted Cooking
• Essence Of Andhra
• Events N RoundUps
• Everyday Cooking!!
• Experiments, Emotions, Experiences with food
• Experiments In Kailas Kitchen
• Faery's Kitchen
• Few Minute Wonders
• Foodiee
• Foodie By Nature
• Food Is Love
• Food For Laughter
• For Spicy Lovers
• For The Love Of Food
• Fun And Food
• Fusion
• Giddy Gastronome
• Gita's Kitchen
• Health Nut
• Heart And Hearth
• Home Cook's Recipe's
• HomeMadeS
• Holy Cow!
• Hot N' Sweet Bowl
• Hungry And Frozen
• I Can Do That!
• Indian Cooking
• Indian Khana
• Indian Spices
• Indian Vegetarian Kitchen
• Inspired Kitchen
• Is She Cooking, Or What?
• Iyengar's Kitchen
  
• Jersey Girl Cooks
• Chef Jeenas Food Recipes
• Kalyn's Kitchen
• Kedia Hamburg
• Khazana Of My Favourite Recipes..
• Kichu Khon
• Kitchen Delights
• Kitchen Flavors
• Kopiaste...
• Living In The Kitchen With Puppies
• Love 4 Cooking
• Mahanandi
• Mahek's Kitchen
• MamaFami's Spice n Splendour
• Mammu's Kitchen
• Me And My Kitchen
• Mistress Of Spices
• Mochachocolata-Rita
• Mom's Cooking
• Mom's Recipies
• Moonsoon Spice
• More Than Burnt Toast
• My Cakes And Cookies
• My Cooking Experiments
• My Creative Ideas
• My Diverse Kitchen
• My Experiments With Food
• My Household Capers!
• My Kitchen
• My Kitchen Stories
• My Kitchen Treasures
• My Life Is Yummy
• My Little Kitchen
• My Passion For Cooking
• My Recipes - Iyer cooks
• Nandus Corner
• Niya's World
• NY's Delight
• One Bite At A Time
• One Hot Stove
• Orangette
• Organica
• OK's Culinary Bazaaar
• One Bite At A Time
• One Hot Stove
• Orangette
• Organica
• Queen Of My Kitchen
• Rak's Kitchen
• Ramya's kitchen corner
  
• Random Thoughts And Vegetarian Recipes
• Recipe Center
• Roochis-Adding spice to life
• Rosa's Yummy Yums
• Rosie Bakes A 'Peace' Of Cake
• Ruchi
• Rumah Manis
• Ruth's Kitchen Experiments
• Sailus kitchen
• Salt & Turmeric
• Sena's Rasoi
• Simple And Yummy Recipes
• Simple Indian Food
• Siri's Corner
• Sizzling Bites
• Smell & Taste Are My Memory
• SnackORama
• Soul Food
• Spice-Club
• Spicy Chilly
• Spicy & Tasty Indian Recipes
• Spice Your Life
• Srikar's Kitchen
• Sticky Date
• Sukanya's Musings
• Suma's Cuisine
• Sunita's World
• Swati's SugarCraft
• Sweet And Simple
• Taste Buds
• Tastes Of Home
• Tasty Treats
• Tasty Trends
• The Big Bite
• The Footloose Chef
• The Fragrant Kitchen
• The Life And Loves Of Grumpy's Honeybunch
• The Singing Chef
• The Sugar Crafter
• Three Mangoes
• Tongue Ticklers
• Tried And True Eats
• Umelbanat
• Veg Inspirations
• Vegetable Platter
• Vegetarian Medley
• Veggie Foodist
• Viji's Veg Corner
• VoizOut
• Wake Up And Smell The Masala
• Welcome To Cooking Station
• Welcome To Raaji's Kitchen
• Welcome To Yum World!!
• What's for, lunch, Honey?
• What Smells So Good?
• When My Soup Came Alive
• Winosandfoodies
• Ya Salam Cooking
• Yummy!!
• Yummy Food
  
  
  

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Jalebi - Celebrating one month of my Blog Launch

Hurrey my blog is one month old today  ! !

I launched my blog on the last day of October 2008 and its a Month now happy blogging.
On this special occasion I have a sweet post.
Jalebis are my big time favorite sweet. During my childhood I used to get confused between Jalebi and Jangir. When in India anytime we feel like eating these sweets, we could go to the shop and grab. Being in Deutschland that is just impossible. I got to cook if I have to eat even the basic Indian food. I tried Jalebi and it came out well.

Ingredients :
Maida / All purpose flour : 1 cup (250gms)
Rice flour : 1 tea spn
Yeast : half tea spn
Sugar : 1 tea spn
Oil : 1 tbl spn
Warm water
Method of preparing Jalebi : Take a tbl spn of warm water and mix the yeast once it dissolves add rest of the ingredients and mix well. Make it into a semi thick batter. Leave this to ferment for about an hour in a warm place.
As an alternate to Yeast you can use Curd. When using curd you have to leave it for about 5 hours for fermentation.
Frying the Jalebi : Make a small hole in the bottom middle of the ziplock cover using a heated nail. Pour the batter into it and tie a rubberband. OR use sauce bottle to squeez. (I used a coke instead) Heat oil in a wide pan and squeeze the batter in circular motion on the oil. Make as may as you can at a time. Once they turn golden brown put them on tissue paper. Then put them into the hot sugar syrup(procedure given below), soak for 2-3 min and remove it and serve.
*Do not add more Rice flour as it makes the Jalebi too crispy.
*Do not make too big hole in the cover.

Ingredients for sugar syrup : 1 cup sugar, qtr tea spn cardamom powder, saffron and water.
Making Sugar syrup : Add water and sugar into a vessel and keep stirring. To check if its done take a drop of syrup between ur thumb and forefinger, if it comes like a thread then its done. Else let it boil for some more time till you get the thread like consistancy. Allas add saffron and cardamom powder stir and remove from flame.
*I used 'bake aroma' orange flavour and it turned out well.

I love this commercial that used to be featured in the television years ago


Today is the grand finale of the recipe marathon and we all decided to make sweets : 

Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners who have made for the finale.

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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Aloo Badami Gravy

One more rich gravy that can be made during special occasions or when you have some guests at home. Its not so spicy and has a great taste.

Ingredients :
To grind : Almonds (Badam): 10 Nos. + Grated coconut : 2 tbl spns
Whole Masala : (1 bay leaf, 2 cloves, 2 Elachis, little cinnamon & qtr tea spn fennel seeds)
Onion : 1 No.
Green Chillies : 4 Nos.
Coriander powder : 1 tea spn
Crushed pepper : half tbl spn
Mint leaves : 4 strings
Yogurt : half cup
Potatoes : 2 Nos.
Peas : 3 tbl spns
Oil & Salt
Method of preparation : Grind Almonds and Coconut into fine paste. Heat oil in a nonstick pan add whole garam masala in a min add finely chopped onions, chopped green chillies, mint leaves and fry a minute now add the ground masala and coriander powder and crushed pepper fry for a minute and add some more water, cubed potatoes, peas and salt. Once the potatoes are almost getting baked add curd. Once the potatoes are done serve with Jeera rice or Rice of your choice
 
 Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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Jeera Rice

A variety rice that goes well with most of the gravies and real quick one. Almost as fast as plain rice. When you get bored of the usual rice then go ahead with this. You will like it. 

 Ingredients :
Jeera : 1 tbl spn
Rice : 1 cup (250gms)
Green Chillies : 3 Nos.
Mint Leaves : 5 strings
Salt & Oil
Potatoes : 1 No (Optional)
Method of preparation : Wash rice and soak. Heat a table spoon of oil in a vessel add Jeera once it splutters add chopped chillies, mint leaves mix for few seconds now add potatoes & water (2 cups) and salt. Once the water comes to boil add soaked rice and cook it in medium flame till the water is complete absorbed by when the rice would be cooked. Jeera Rice is ready... serve with Chicken Gravy / AlooAlmond Gravy which I tried out or any other of your choice.

Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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Ulavalu Pulusu (Horse gram Sambar)

I could get the same taste as my mom makes this and one of my favorite. Horse gram is a very healthy bean, sprouting or soaking it increases the protein in it. I took this recipe from my mom as I did not want to mess up but wanted the best. It came out very well... This is also called as Kollu Kozhambu in Tamil.

Ingredients :
Horse gram : 50gms (Soaked overnight or Sprouted)
Chilli powder : 1 tbl spn
Tamarind pulp : 3/4 tea spn
Brinjal : 3 small or half aubergine
Tomato : 1 No.
Onion : 1 No.
Turmeric : half tea spn
For Grinding : Grated coconut : 5 tbl spns + Coriander powder : 2 tbl spns
For seasoning : Oil + (Mustard seeds, Hing, Urad Dhal, Curry Leaves) or Vadagham
Method of preparation : Pressure cook the Soaked Horse gram with 2 cups of water till its 3/4th cooked. In the mean time, grind coconut and coriander powder coarsely.
Once the pressure is released, add turmeric, salt, chilli powder, chopped onion, chopped tomato, cubed brinjal, ground mixture and cook till the brinjal is done. Add the tamarind extract. Do not add all at a time, check the taste and add more.Get it to boil and remove from flame. Heat a table spoon of oil in a pan add the ingredients of seasoning and mix this with the sambar. Alternatively Vadagam seasoning would give a great taste & aroma infact as always. Serve with Rice.

This can be done really very fast. Approximately 15mix for all the process except for the soaking time. Delicious and healthy.

Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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Potato wedges

A quick snack. I live in a country where a bag full of potatoes are cheaper than a kilo brinjals or bananas. Pommes Fritz or the so called french fries is taken as lunch here. So being here wont few varieties of Potatoes be great here. Lets see how to make this quick snack :

Ingredients :
Potatoes : 4 - 5 Nos.
Oil - 1 tea spn
White Pepper powder - half tea spn
Salt - half tea spn
Chilli powder - half tea spn
Method of preparation : Wash the potatoes and cut them into wedges (you can skinout the potatoes if you want). In a bowl put all the ingredients and mix it well such that the spicy coating is all over the potatoes. Arrange them on the aluminum foil and bake it in the owen till they are golden brown (approx 15min).
Serve hot with Sauce. It goes well even with many of the Indian dishes like the Curd Rice or Rasam Rice.

Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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Butter Chicken Masala

I got the best ever comment from my hubby when he tasted this. 


Ingredients :

Step : 1
Chicken boneless : half kg (cut into stips)
Ginger garlic paste : 2 tbl spn
Chilli pwdr : 1 tbl spn
Coriander pwdr : 1 tbl spn
Salt
Oil for frying
Mix all the above ingredients except oil. Put 3 tbl spns of oil in a pan and fry the marinated chicken for 6 min. Remove only the chicken on to a plate.

Step : 2
Cumin seeds : half tea spn
Onion : 1 No.
Ginger garlic paste : 1 tbl spn
Coriander pwdr : 2 tbl spn
Cashewnuts : 10 Nos.
Chilli pwdr : 1 tbl spn
Green chillies : 2 Nos. (optional)
Tomatoes : 2 Nos.
Butter : 2 tbl spn
Colour : Safforn 3 drops (optional)
Sugar : 1 tbl spn
Cream : half cup
Garam masala : 1 tea spn
Use the same pan which has the oil and the masala stuck to it. Add cumin seeds, chopped onion, ginger garlic paste, 1 cup water. Stir well such that the masala stuck to the pan would mix with water.
Add Coriander pwdr, Cashewnuts, Chilli pwdr, Green Chillies, Tomatoes. Cover this with a lid and cook it in medium flame till the tomatoes are cooked well. Remove from flame.
Once this comes to room temp, grind it well.
Take a pan and add butter add the ground masala. Add little extra water, safforn, sugar, cream, garam masala and fried chicken. Boil this till the sause turns a little thick.

Serve with Roti, Chappati, Naan, Parota you might try this with Rice as well. 

 Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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Nippattu / Rice Crackels / Chekkalu

We have always bought this from the store when in India. I did never ever think that I would be making these at home. When our home is far away from home land, this is what happens. Its great learning however.

Ingredients :
Rice flour : 1 cup
Cumin Seeds : 1 tea spn
Channa dal : 2 tbl spns
Curry leaves : 2 strings (finely chopped)
Green Chilly : 1 No. (finely chopped)
Butter : 1 tbl spn
Ginger : 1 tea spn paste
Salt & Oil for frying
Method of preparation : Soak channa dhal for about an hour. Mix all the above ingredients except the Oil. Add water and knead this to a thick dough. It should not be watery or sticky. Make this into balls of table tennis ball size. Press them flat on a greased plastic sheet or cover. Deep fry them in medium flame till they the turn golden brown. Nippatts are ready.

A good time pass snack. You can store them in an airtight container even for a month.

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Am sending this entry for Rice Mela ~ Celebrating Rice in different forms ! hosted by Srivalli of cooking4allseasons

 Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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Aloo Peas Palyam (Fry / Sabzi)

My mom's version of making Aloo Peas Sabzi which goes well with Dhal Rice, Rasam Rice and very well with Chappatis. I normally like such dry sabzi than gravy unlike others at my home.

Ingredients :
Potatoes : 4 - 5 Nos.
Peas : 1 cup
Onions : 2 Nos
Mustard Seeds : 1 tea spn
Urad Dhal : Half tea spn
Green Chillies : 3 Nos. 
Curry leaves : 1 string
Turmeric powder : half tea spn
Salt & Oil
Method of Preparation : Skin out potatoes, wash and cut them into halfs, add them in a pressure cooker along with Peas with enough water and cook it till they are soft. Mash one the potatoes and keep both it aside. In the meantime, heat 2 tbl spns of oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, urad dhal, onions, finely chopped green chillies, curry leaves and fry. 
Now add onions and fry them once they are translucent add turmeric powder, salt and mix. Now add the mashed potatoes+peas and mix well. You can garnish with coriander leaves (optional)

Recipe Marathon # 2 - check out my co-marathon runners

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Karuna, Siri,Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

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