Egg Chronicles February 29, 2008

Eggs are a rich source of protein and vitamins and are generally healthy to eat, unless you have a high cholesterol level. You can eat eggs raw (I never tried it though), boiled or cooked in a pan as scrambled eggs or an omelet. Generally it is advised not to eat the egg yolk as it is high in cholestrol.The egg white is the commong name for the clear liquid surrounding the egg yolk. It is highly rich in proteins and is of high nutritional value. I once tried to boil in a microwave and the poor microwave gave up on the egg haha..it blacked out! my conclusion..never try to boil an egg in mircowave!!!!

Here is one the funniest mail I got from one my friends..have fun!

Why did the chicken cross the road? 

(Hypothetical answers from various famous people).
(author unknown)

Ralph Nader
“Chickens are misled into believing there is a road by the evil tire makers. chickens aren’t ignorant, but our society pays tire makers to create the need for these roads and then lures chickens into believing there is an advantage to crossing them. Down with the roads, up with chickens.”

Pat Buchanan
“To steal a job from a decent, hardworking American.”

Dr. Seuss
“Did the chicken cross the road?
Did he cross it with a toad?
Yes! the chicken crossed the road,
but why it crossed, I’ve not been told!”

Bill Gates
“I have just released eChicken 2000, which will not only cross roads, but will lay eggs, file your important documents, and balance your checkbook — and Internet Explorer is an inextricable part of eChicken.”

Ernest Hemingway
“To die. In the rain.”

Aristotle
“It is the nature of chickens to cross the road.”

Karl Marx
“It was a historical inevitability.”

Grandpa
“In my day, we didn’t ask why the chicken crossed the road. Someone told us that the chicken crossed the road, and that was good enough for us.”

Saddam Hussein
“This was an unprovoked act of rebellion and we were quite justified in dropping 50 tons of nerve gas on it.”

Ronald Regan
“What chicken?”

Captain James T. Kirk
“To boldly go where no chicken has gone before.”

Fox Mulder
“You saw it cross the road with your own eyes. How many more chickens have to cross before you believe it?”

Sigmund Freud
“The fact that you are at all concerned that the chicken crossed the road reveals your underlying se***l insecurity.”

Senator Lieberman
“I believe that every chicken has the right to worship his or her God in his or her own way. Crossing the road is a spiritual journey and no chicken should be denied the right to cross the road in his or her own way.”

Jerry Falwell
“Because the chicken was gay! Isn’t it obvious? Can’t you people see the plain truth in front of your face?
The chicken was going to the ‘other side.’ That’s what ‘they’ call it — the ‘other side.’
Yes, my friends, that chicken is gay. And, if you eat that chicken, you will become gay too.
I say we boycott all chickens until we sort out this abomination that the liberal media whitewashes with seemingly harmless phrases like ‘the other side.’
That chicken should not be free to cross the road. It’s plain and simple as that.”

Einstein
“Did the chicken really cross the road or did the road move beneath the chicken?”

Bill Clinton
“I did not cross the road with THAT chicken.
What do you mean by ‘chicken?’
Could you define “chicken” please.”

Louis Farrakhan
“The road, you will see, represents the black man. The chicken crossed the ‘black man’ in order to trample him and keep him down.”

The Bible
And God came down from the heavens, and He said unto the chicken, “Thou shalt cross the road.” And the chickens crossed the road, and there was much rejoicing.
 

Bachhali pulusu February 28, 2008

This is another authentic andhra dish..bacchali aaku is high in proteins and minerals. There are different english names for bacchali aaku..like chinese spinach, oriental spinach, ceylon spinach..malabar spinach but its botanical name is Basella alba. Typical of leaf vegetables, it is high in vitamin A, vitamin C, iron and calcium. It is low in calories by volume, and high in protein per calorie. It is a rich source of fiber, thought to remove toxins from the body.

Bachhali Pulusu

1 Bunch fresh bachhali leaves
1 medium size chopped onion
2 green chillis
1 tbls tamarind patse
12tbls besan(senaga pindi)
A pinch of hing
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp jeera
1 dry red chilli
1 clove garlic
4-5 curry leaves
1 tbls oil
salt for taste

• Clean bachhali leaves and chop them finely. Chop onions and green chillies.
• Take a deep skillet and add oil. Add mustard seeds, jeera, red chilli and stir.
• When they start to splutter, add garlic and curry leaves. Add onions and green chillies. Fry them till they turn translucent. Add a pinch of turmeric.
• Add bacchali leaves and little salt. Cover it with a lid and let it cook for 10 min. Add 1 cup of water, tamarind paste, salt and let it simmer for 10 min.
• Mix a tsp of besan in a bowl and add some water. Mix it well withough any lumps.
• Let it boil for 10 min more and bachali pulusu is ready. Serve hot with rice.

Points to Ponder… February 27, 2008

WORDS OF WISDOM

1. Do not walk behind me, for I may not lead. Do not walk ahead of me, for I may not follow. Do not walk beside me, either. Just leave me the hell alone.

2. The journey of a thousand miles begins with a broken fan belt and a leaky tire.

3. It’s always darkest before dawn, so if you’re going to steal your neighbor’s newspaper, that’s the time to do it.

4. Don’t be irreplaceable. If you can’t be replaced, you can’t be promoted.

5. No one is listening until you fart.

6. Always remember you’re unique. Just like everyone else.

7. Never test the depth of the water with both feet.

8. It may be that your sole purpose in life is simply to serve as a bad example.

9. It is far more impressive when others discover your good qualities without your help.

10. If you think nobody cares if you’re alive, try missing a couple of car payments.

11. Before you criticize someone, you should walk a mile in their shoes. That way, when you criticize them, you’re a mile away and you have their shoes.

12. If at first you don’t succeed, skydiving is not for you.

13. Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach him how to fish and he will sit in a boat & drink beer all day.

14. If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again, it was probably worth it.

15. Don’t squat with your spurs on.

16. If you tell the truth, you don’t have to remember anything.

17. Some days you are the bug, some days you are the windshield.

18. Don’t worry, it only seems kinky the first time.

19. Good judgment comes from bad experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgment.

20. The quickest way to double your money is to fold it in half and put it in your pocket.

21. Timing has an awful lot to do with the outcome of a rain dance.

22. A closed mouth gathers no foot.

23. Duct tape is like the Force. It has a light side & a dark side, and it holds the universe together.

24. There are two theories to arguing with women. Neither one works.

25. Generally speaking, you aren’t learning much when your mouth is moving.

26. Experience is something you don’t get until just after you need it.

27. Never miss a good chance to shut up.

28. We are born naked, wet, and hungry. Then things get worse.

Gobhi Manchurian February 26, 2008

Ingredients

2 Cups of cauliflower florets
1 cup spring onions
4 green chillies slit vertically
1 cup onion sliced
Salt to taste
1 tbs red chilli powder
Hot chilli sauce
Soya sauce
Green chilli sauce

Ingredients for the batter

1 cup maida or all purpose flour
3 tbs corn flour
1 tbs red chili powder
salt to taste
A pinch of turmeric
A pinch of Baking soda
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
A pinch of red food color
Method

• Boil the cauliflower florets in water with little salt. Drain them and keep it aside.
• Mix the ingredients for the batter in a bowl and keep it aside for 10 min.
• Take a deep pan and add 1 cup of vegetable oil. Dip each floret in the batter and deep fry till golden brown. Put these fried florets on a tissue paper so that excess oil is absorbed.
• Take another pan and fry spring onions and green chillies. Add the sauces and fry for a while. Add the florets and mix well so that the sauce is evenly coated. Add salt and red chilli powder.
• Sprinkle coriandar leaves and spring onions on top and serve hot!

Mirchi Bajji February 26, 2008

Recipe for spicy mirchi bajji…this is one of the eternal snack! This is a common method of making these bajjis. This coconut stuffed bajjis are quite famous in Hyderabad. There is another version of stuffing where you just add vamu and jeera paste. Its very hot and spicy stuffing so I always prefer this mild version.

Ingredients for stuffing

3 tbs coconut powder
1 tbs dhaniya powder
1 tbs sesame seeds or nuvvulu

Roast all of them and grind them adding little salt. Add two tbs of tamarind extract and mix well.

Ingredients for batter

1 cup besan
salt to taste
1 tsp Red chilli powder
A pinch of turmeric
1 tsp vamu
A pinch of baking soda

Sieve the besan into a bowl.Now prepare the batter by adding water and mix it well so that it is without any lumps. Keep it aside for 10 min. Clean each green chilli and make a slit and remove all the seeds with a back of a spoon (believe me..its easy this way). To avoid that burning sensation, you can apply some oil on your hands and then remove the seeds. This way, there will be no burning sensation (old granma thing ). After removing the seeds, add the stuffing in the slit and keep it aside.

Now take another pan and add oil for deep frying. Take each stuffed chilli and dip in the batter so that its evenly coated with the batter and dip it in the hot oil. Fry till golden brown.  Serve hot!

Serving tips – Stuff chopped onions in the slit and sprinkle lemon juice on it and gobble it up!!

Ragada Pattis February 21, 2008

Ragda pattis covered with fresh beaten curd..smeared wtih tamarind chutney and loaded with yummy chick peas!! Perfect Combo!

Ingredients

1 cup chick peas
half cup chopped onion
Coriander leaves for garnishing
Tamarind paste – 1 cup
Curd
Roasted cumin powder
Boiled and mashed potato – 2 cups
Corn flour – 3 tbs
Crushed pepper
Red chilli powder
Garam masala 1/4th tsp
salt to taste
Oil

Method

• Soak chick peas for 2 hrs and boil them.
• Soak tamarind in water or microwave it for 30 sec and squeeze the juice out of it and keep it aside.
• Beat the curd and add salt, cumin powder and mix well. Keep it in fridge.
• Now take the mashed potato and add salt, red chilli powder, cumin powder, garam masala powder and mix well. Add corn flour and make patties and rosat them with little oil on a pan. Transfer them on an absorbant paper.
• Take a big pan, and add tamarind paste and 1/2 cup water. Add salt, red chilli powder, pepper,cumin powder and mix well. Add boiled chick peas and boil it for 10 minutes.

For serving, take two patties on a plate, top it with hot tamarind/chick peas and cold beaten curd. Sprinkle chopped onions and coriandar leaves and Enjoy!!!!!

Paneer methi curry February 21, 2008

Ingredients

Low fat paneer, cut into tiny pieces – 1 cup
Fenugreek leaves (methi leaves), chopped – 2 cup
Onion, chopped finely – ½ cup
Oil - 2 tsp
Garlic and ginger paste- 2 tsp, minced
Chilli powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Garam masala powder – 1 tsp
Tomatoes – ½ cup
salt to taste

Method
 

• Heat the oil in a non stick kadai. Add onion, garlic and ginger and fry till onion turns brown.
• Add fenugreek leaves. Sprinkle with little salt and keep covered on low heat till it is cooked.
• Mix all the powders with little water to a paste and add. Keep stirring for a couple of minutes.
• Add tomato puree, paneer and salt.
• Add 1/3 cup of water and simmer for 2-3 minutes.
• Serve hot with rotis. 

Red potato fry February 12, 2008

Here is one dish you would like to eat on any snowy day At least thats what I like to eat! Of course I like the spicy version..just bake them..sprinkle spices thats it..its done and ready to eat!

                                      

Ingredients

5 red potatos
1 tsp vegetable oil
half tsp jeera
Salt to taste
Turmeric
Red chilli powder
Italian seasoning
Seasoned salt

Method

Add a tsp of oil in a pan and add jeera, turmeric and red chilli powder. Now add the washed and cut potatoes (with the skin) into it and mix well so that the oil is evenly coated. Add salt and again mix well. Cover it with lid and let it cook. It will take about 15 min to cook properly on medium heat. Sprinkle italian seasoning and seasoned salt and serve it HOT!!

Vankai Chutney February 10, 2008

Today’s special recipe is brinjal or vankai pacchadi. I remember whenever my mom used to make this chutney in the kitchen..i could recognize the smell from the distance..and i used to just pick a plate..put some rice and thats it..wait wait till the chutney is complete. :) Best thing about this chutney is the lemon flavour and that tantilising taste of roasted brinjal. Well…here is the recipe and try it out for yourself.

Ingredients:

Big oval shaped brinjal [2 small ones or 1 medium to big size]
3 green chillies
3 dry red chillies
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp jeera or fennel seeds
2-3 methi seeds or fenugreek seeds
3 pinches of inguva (hing)
A Pinch of turmeric
Juice of 1 full lemon

Equipments needed for this recipe

1. Small pan

2. Grinder

Preparation time: 30 mins

Cook time: 5 mins

Method :

Roasted brinjal

The chutnery..is ready!!

 

Brinjal Chutney

1. Apply 2 drops of oil and spread it evenly on the entire surface of vankai. It should be shiny once you are done  applying the oil.

2. Place the brinjal on the smallest burner / ring on your stove top, keep the heat level to medium. This is the roasting process . Although one can roast the brinjal in oven too..but this seems more simple and easy. If the brinjal is tender then it should take about 20 mins to roast. You might want to turn the brinjal to different sides [like we do when we grill] so all the skin is roasted. You can tell that brinjal is roasted when you can see the skin falling off and the brinjal is reduced to 1/3 of its size.

3. Shut the stove and put the brinjals on a plate so they can cool. Once they cool, remove the skin and separate out the flesh of brinjal. This is what will be used in chutney.  While the brinjals are roasting, you can do the popu/tadka part.

4. In a pan , take about 1.5 tbsp of vegetable oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal, jeera, 2-3 menthulu, 3 dried red chillies, 3 green chillies , 3 pinches of inguva , curry leaves. Once they start spluttering and seeds are turning brown, remove from heat and add a pinch of turmeric. Let it cool,

5. The final step is to mix the roasted flesh of brinjal to the popu , squeeze juice of one lemon on it and give a rough grind so you can still see the popu seeds and thats it..vankai pacchadi is done!!!

Note : You can also roast brinjal in a preheated oven (350 degrees). for 1 hour. 

This is a great recipe , goes well with rice, parathas, chapattis, fulkas or even bread.

Tomato carrot soup February 6, 2008

Tomato carrot soup

This is a delicious and spicy soup and very easy to make. It has all the right elements to fight off cold or cough. Here are the main ingredients

Ingredients

1 blanched tomato
1 diced carrot
1 diced onion
1 clove of garlic
1 tsp corn flour
Salt to taste
Pepper and sugar (1/4th tsp)

 

Method

Boil carrot,onion and garlic. After the mix is cooled down, blend it in mixie along with tomato adding little water. Strain the whole mixture using a strainer.Now pour the mixture into a deep pan and let it boil for awhile. Add salt, pepper and sugar. Mix corn flour with litter water and add it. Boil it for 5 min more. Serve hot with bread sticks.