Tasty Masala Macaroni November 30, 2007

Ingredients

Shell macaroni – 200 gms
Ripe tomato – 1 no (Big)
Onion – 1  (medium)
Green chillies – 2
Garlic ginger paste – half tsp
Red chilli pdr – 1 tsp
Garam Masala – half tsp
Dhaniya powder – half tsp
Oregano – half tsp
Tomato ketchup – 1 tbsp
Oil & Salt – to taste
Chopped coriander & spring onions – For garnishing
 
Method

• Boil 4 cups of water. Add macaroni,salt & a tsp of oil. Cook till macaroni is done. Drain & keep aside.
• Chop ginger,garlic,onions,tomato & green chillies finely.
• To oil,add onions & sauté till they turn pink. Add green chillies,chopped ginger & garlic . Fry till nice aroma comes.
• Add tomatoes, salt,chilli powder & sauce seasoning and cook till tomatoes become soft.
• Add tomato ketchup , salt and little water. Cook for few minutes.
• Add boiled macaroni and sauté till the masala gets mixed well with the macaroni.
• Add coriander & spring onions .
• Remove from fire & serve hot.

Note : I forgot to mention the most important ingredient which i totally love…thats shredded swiss cheese. Sprinkle a bit when the pasta is hot and it tastes yummy!!!
 

Rajma or Kidney beans curry November 30, 2007

Ingredients

1 cup kidney beans
2 ripe tomatoes
1 medium size chopped onions
5-8 green chillies, chopped
1 inch ginger
1.5 clove garlic
chopped coriander
salt
chilli powder

spices:

3-4 bay leaves
4 pepper corns
1 clove
1/2 inch stick cinnamon
pinch of asefotida
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 big whole cardamom
4-5 small green cardamoms
3-4 dried red chillies
2 tbsp oil

Method

• Soak 1 cup kidney beans in water overnight. One good sign that beans are ready is that they will swell to 2-3 times their size. do not leave them soaking for  too long.
• Grind all the spices to a smooth/granular powder. if you dont have time to grind you can put all of them in one ziplock bag and hammer on top for
  3-4 times, this gets the spices to mix and gives smooth aroma.
• In a cooker, add 1.5 to 2 tbsp of oil. you can reduce the amount of oil if you are on diet control or controlled diet.
• Add the powdered spices. when they are just turning brown, add chopped ginger and garlic. [if you dont have time to chop ginger garlic then you can use ready made giner garlic paste]
• When ginger and garlic are turning light brown, add onions and chillies and red chillies. fry till onions start to turn brown/soften add chopped tomatoes and add salt and some chilli powder. cover with a lid and let tomatoes cook, till they are tender.
• While tomatoes are cooking, drain the water from kidney beans, and add them to tomatoes that are already cooking. add more salt to taste and chilli powder if more spice is needed. Add 2-3 cups of water and check for salt again.
• If all seems fine, then close the lid and let it pressure cook till 4-5 whistels. [or depending on your pressure cooker. you just need to know approximately  when kidney beans might be done]
• after all steam has condensed back, open pressure cooker and check for salt and spice. add coriander leaves and serve hot with rice.  Garnish with slit green chillies and  lemon wedge or onion rings.

Taste is heavenly.
Happy eating!!!
 

Spinach curry or Palakura pesarapappu kura November 29, 2007

Ingredients

Shredded spinach – 3 cups
Soaked yellow moong dal – 1/2 cup
1 cup diced onion
2 finely cut green chillies
curry leaves – a bunch
turmeric
salt to taste

Method

Take a pan and add half tsp of oil and add mustard and jeera. Add chopped onion green chilies and curry leaves and saute them. After onions turn pink, add spinach and cook on high for 5 minutes. Add salt and mix it well. When spinach gets reduced and add the soaked yellow moong dal and mix it well. Switch off the stove and serve hot with chapatis.

Note : Yellow moong dal is highly nutritious and gives a crunchy taste to this curry.

Bonda November 29, 2007

Ingredients

1 cup All purpose flour
2 Green chilies (finely chopped)
1 small onion ( finely chopped)
1 big spoon full of rice flour
Sour curd ( to make the batter)
Salt to taste
A pinch of baking soda
Chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Method

Mix all the above ingredients using the curd to a bajji dough consistency. Keep this aside for 3 hrs.
Heat some oil in a frying pan. When the oil is hot enough, drop the batter in oil and deep fry them till golden brown.
Serve hot with green chutney or ketchup.
Make sure the curd is sour enough. These bondas are very crispy and tasty too.

Cabbage curry November 28, 2007

Ingredients

1 whole Shredded cabbage
1 onion
3 green chillies
1 cup shredded coconut
half cup soaked chana dal
curry leaves
Turmeric
half tsp ginger garlic paste
Salt to taste

For tempering

Mustard seeds
Jeera
Red chillies

Method

Soak chana dal for at least 30 minutes. Take a deep pan and add 1 tbs oil and add the tempering. Add turmeric,curry leaves, onions, green chillies and stir well. Now add ginger garlic paste. Add shredded cabbage, salt and mix it well.cover it with a lid. By doing this, cabbage cooks well with the steam. 

Cabbage takes some time to cook so keep mixing it so that it doesnt get burnt. It will take at least 15-20 minutes to cook. Add the soaked chana dal and coconut and mix it well. Cook for 10 more minutes. You can garnish with coriandar leaves. This curry goes well with rice or chapatis.

Rava Upma November 28, 2007

Its one of the good old breakfast!! Here is the simple recipe.. 

 

Ingredients:

1 Cup Upma Rava
4 Green chilies
1 medium Onion
1/2 ” Piece Ginger
10 cashew nuts
Peanuts as required
Salt to taste
4 tbsp Oil or Ghee
Curry leaves
1tsp urad dal
1 tsp chana dal
2 red chilis Broken halved
1 tsp mustard seeds
2 1/2 cups water
 

Method

Take a pan and add half tsp ghee and fry rava till it becomes light brown in color. Keep it aside. Now chop onion into thin long pieces.Chop green chilis and ginger finely. Heat 2tsp oil in a pan,add chanadal,red chili,Urad dal muster seeds and fry till the dals turn into brown color. Add chopped oinon and ginger green chilis fry 2-3 mins,and Put curry leaves ,cashews and peanuts to it. Add wateand salt and stir it well.. Cover with a lid so that it comes to a boil.Allow it boil for 7-8 mins.
When the water comes to boil add 1 tsp ghee. Add the roasted rava slowly and keep stirring until it becomes thick. Put a lid on it and let it cook for at least 5 minutes.  Serve hot with the pickle or allam chutney.
 

Anapakaya/Bottlegourd Pulusu November 21, 2007

 I know quite a number of people who just dont like to eat bottle gourd..so the best way to make them eat is to make this pulusu. This method works because thats what my mom did with me..haha so here it goes..

 

Ingredients

1 cup cut anapakaya pieces
3 slit green chillies
1 cup onion
2 tsp rasam powder
Inguva
2 tsp Tamarind paste

1/4 cup Besan/gram flour
A pinch of Turmeric
1/2 tsp red chili powder
Coriandar leaves for garnishing

Method

• Boil anapakaya pieces along with onion, curry leaves,green chillies. Sprinkle turmeric powder before boiling in a pressure cooker. Add 2 cups water.
• Now take a deep pan and transfer the boiled mixture. Add 1/2 cup more water and boil. Add inguva, rasam powder, tamarind paste, red chilli powder,salt and keep boiling.
• Mix 1 tbs besan in 1/4 cup of water and pour it in the boiling pulusu. It thickens and gives a gravy like consistency.
• Once the aroma comes, switch off the gas and garnish with coriandar leaves.

This pulusu is great for health and goes well with rice.

Allam chutney November 19, 2007

Ingredients

1 cup ginger pieces
5 slit green chillies
small lemon size ball or 2 tbs- tamarind
1/4th cup jaggery or 2 blocks of jaggery

Popu or tadka

3 tbs urad dal
3 tbs gram dal
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
5 red chillies
4 fenugreek seeds
4 pinches asafoetida
Salt to taste.

Method

Add a tsp oil and add urad dal, gram dal, jeera, mustard seeds, red chillies, fenugreek and asafoetida and fry till golden brown. Add green chillies and ginger pieces. Add salt and let it cook.
After it is properly cooked, add tamarind and jaggery and mix it well. If you add jaggery well before, then ginger pieces will not cook properly.
Now grind the mixture into smooth paste once it is completely cooled off. Enjoy your chutney with hot idlis, dosas or bondas!

kadai paneer November 19, 2007

Ingredients

Paneer – 200gms
Tomato – 1
Red,green and yellow bell pepper – 1 cup
Onion – 1 cup
Green chillies – 2 or 3
Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp
turmeric powder – a pinch
coriander powder – 1/2 tsp
red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp
salt to taste

Method

 

Pre-Preparation:
Cut paneer into deisred shape(or in long rectangle shaped).
Chop ½ onion finely and remaining half chop into long thin strands.
Repeat the step2 for tomato also.
Cut green & red capsicum into long thin strands.

Heat oil in heavy pan. Add cumin seeds, asfoetida. Stir it.
Add finely chopped onion and stir it until it becomes light brown in color.
Add finely chopped tomato. Mix turmeric powder,coriender powder,salt,red chilli powder. Fry it for 3-4 mins.
Add half green & red capsicum .
Cover it and half cook it.
Now add long thin strands of onion,tomato,red &green capsicum and paneer cubes.
Cover it and cook it for 6-7 mins at medium heat.
Garnish it with chopped green coriender leaves before serving.
 

Tomato Rasam with spring onions November 15, 2007

Ingredients

Ripe tomatoes – 2
Spring onions -  1 cup
Pepper powder – 1/4 tsp
Tamarind pulp – 3 tsp
Curry leaves – 10-12
Jaggery /sugar – 2 teaspoons
Rasam Powder – 1 1/2 tsp
garlic – 1 pod nicely cut
Jeera – 1/3 tsp
Menthulu – 2 seeds only
Salt – To taste
Method

Blanch the tomatoes in hot water.
Take a pan and add 1 tsp oil add red chillies,pepper powder, tamarind pulp, curry leaves and spring onions and stir well.Add the blanched tomatoes and mix well.

Add enough water to get the same to rasam consistency. Add rasam powder, salt and jaggery.Bring it to boil.

Once the aroma of the rasam spreads switch of gas.
 
Heat oil in a pan, add mustard,jeera and asefotida. Garnish the rasam with tadka and coriander  Your rasam is ready to drink as soup or to be served with rice and pappads!