Carrot Halwa ~~ sweet as home March 30, 2008

Halwa ~~ A dessert made from various kinds of fruits, vegetables, grains and lentils. The ingredients in Halwa are grated finely and fried in ghee and sugar. Nuts and milk may also be added. Halwas have the consistency of a very thick pudding.

This is the technical definition of halwa but the whole experience of eating this dish away from homeland is totally different. Although I ate this halwa in quite a number of restaurants but somehow I felt that they did not get the taste right. Frankly speaking, I did not know that by adding condensed milk, the taste will come out this amazing!!! I thought the ingredients would be only milk sugar and carrots..thats it. With condensed milk..the taste comes out real good.

Try this recipe and let me know how was it!!

Ingredients

4 cups grated carrot
1 cup condensed milk
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp cardamom powder
1/2 cup cashewnuts
1/4 cup badam
2 cloves
2 tbs ghee

Method

• Wash and peel carrots and then grate them finely.

• Take a deep skillet and add two tbs ghee. Add cloves,cashewnuts and badam. Add grated carrot. Keep stirring till it cooked properly. It will take at least 15 minutes to do this on medium heat. Do not cover the skillet with any lid.

• Add condensed milk and mix it well. Add the cardamom powder. Keep stirring for five minutes more.

• Add sugar slowly and keep mixing for 10 more minutes.Halwa is ready to eat. You can top it with dry coconut powder.

 

Chocolate walnut loaf March 22, 2008

A man found a bottle washed upon the shore. When he opened it a genie popped out who gave him three wishes. He wished for a million dollars and poof… there was a million dollars. Then he wished for a convertible and poof… there was a convertible. Lastly, he wished he could be irresistible to all women and poof… he turned into a box of chocolates.  

I think scientists are puzzled and still trying to find out why women drool over the good old chocolate! Here is one tongue twister..

A cheeky chimp chucked cheap chocolate chips in the cheap chocolate chip shop 

i tried to master it but after some time i gave up and ate this loaf..i think chocolate is a mood lifter too! This recipe is quite simple to follow. In case you dont have the sour cream..you can add 1/2 cup thick buttermilk. I added walnuts..because walnuts are my favourite dry fruits..but you can add dry cherries too..

Ingredients

1/3  cup cocoa powder
1/3  plus 3/4 cup sugar
2-1/4  cups all-purpose flour
1  teaspoon baking powder
1/2  teaspoon baking soda
1/4  teaspoon salt
2  eggs
1/3  cup oil
1/2  teaspoon vanilla extract
1  cup sour cream
1/2  cup walnuts, chopped
3  tablespoons mini chocolate chips

 

Method

• Heat oven to 350 degree F. Coat 3, 5-3/4 x 3 x 2-1/8-inch loaf pans with nonstick cooking spray.
• In small bowl, whisk cocoa powder, 1/3 cup of the sugar and 1/3 cup water until smooth. Set aside.
• In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In a medium-size bowl, whisk together remaining 3/4 cup sugar, the eggs, oil and vanilla extract. Whisk in sour cream.
• Stir sour cream mixture into flour mixture until blended. Stir 1-1/2 cups of the batter into the cocoa mixture, along with the chopped walnuts,until no white streaks remain. Dollop alternating spoonfuls of batter into prepared pans. Swirl batters together with a butter knife until marbled in appearance. Top each loaf with 1 tablespoon mini chips.
• Bake at 350 degree F for 35 minutes, until toothpick inserted in center of loaves comes out clean. Cool loaves in pans on wire rack for 10 minutes, then remove directly to rack to cool completely.

Lastly…

C is for “Chocolate, oh so divine.”
H is for “Heavenly with wine.”
O is for “Out of this world treat.”
C is for “Confections so sweet.”
O is for “Oh what a taste!”
L is for “Losing my waist.”
A is for “Addiction I adore.”
T is for “Thin no more.”
E is for “Eat all I please.” “Chocolate”… If only it had no calories!

Hyderabadiiiii Bagara Baingan March 20, 2008

This is another typical hyderabadi dish which goes quite well with biryani. With a rich gravy made of peanuts, coconut powder and sesame seeds, it gets tastier the day after it is made same like biryani.. I tried different versions of this dish but this is the one i liked the best so far. Its quite important that the stuffed brinjals are fried well and there is no rawness left in the brinjals and taste of the stuffing goes right into the heart of the brinjal!!  Well..here goes the recipe..

Ingredients

2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
3/4 tsp chilli powder
1/2 cup thick tamarind pulp
1 large onion
4 green chillies

For stuffing
1/2 cup coconut
1/4 cup peanuts
1 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp cummin seeds
Salt to taste

Method

• Wash and clean each brinjal. Make two slits(plus sign) in each brinjal from base towards stalk end without separating quarters. Don’t remove the stalk.  Soak the brinjals in salted water for 10 minutes.
• In the meantime, roast coconut, peanuts,sesame seeds, coriandar seeds and cumin seeds. Cool and grind it into a coarse powder. Add little salt and mix well.
• Now take each brinjal and stuff the powder into the slits and keep them aside.
• Grind chopped onion and green chili into a smooth paste.
• Heat oil, drop the stuffed brinjals into hot oil, shake the pan from time to time and lift out brinjals when they change colour. This process will take at least 15-20 minutes on medium high heat. Make sure that brinjal pieces are not torn off. Better use a tong to rotate the brinjals.
• Take another pan and add oil and cumin and curry leaves. Once they splutter, add ginger garlic paste and fry.
• Add  ground onion and green chilli paste and fry till oil seperates and the paste becomes light brown in color.
• Add the remaining stuffing and mix it well.  After few minutes, slowly add the brinjals, then add salt, tamarind pulp and sufficient water to cook the brinjals till tender but firm.  It will take at least 15 minutes on medium high.

Serve hot with mutter pulav or plain rice!

Oats/wheat pongal March 19, 2008

This is one of the dishes which will be quite tasty for people having diabetes.  

Ingredients

Oats/Wheat rava 1 cup
Yellow moong dal 1/2 cup
Black pepper powder 1 sp
Cumin seeds 1 sp
Curry leaves
Ginger grated 1/2 sp
Asafetida powder 1/4 sp
Ghee 2 sp
Salt

Method

• In a cooker vessel put oats or wheat rava, yellow moong dal together. Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook as usual.
• Take a pan and add ghee. Add the seasoning ingredients and fry well. Mix it well with cooked wheat rava/oats and yellow moong dal. Serve hot!

Chamagadda vepudu or Colocasia curry March 15, 2008

Its comes on top in my favourite curries. Its quite different and interesting to cook. If the root is steamed properly, the curry comes out amazing. Here is the simple recipe.

Ingredients

Colaccsaia/chamagadda/arbi/Taro root – 1/2 kg
salt – to taste
hing – to taste
chilli powder – to taste
turmeric powder – 1 tsp
besan – 2 tbsps
oil

For tempering

1 tsp urad dal
1 tsp gram dal
1 tsp jeera
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 red chillies
10 curry leaves

Method

• Wash properly and steam the colaccasia in a presure cooker till it is cooked. Once cooked, run them under cold water and then peel the skin carefully.
• Alternatively you can peel the skin and also steam it but you will lose all the nutrition in it.
• Cool it for some time and then cut into cubes.
• In a plate, take salt, hing, chilli powder, turmeric powder and besan and mix the powders well.
• Sprinkle this on top of the vegetable and leave aside for 10 minutes. You can retain little of this powder to add later on.
• In a non stick pan take oil, add tempering and let it splutter.
• Add the pieces one by one and keep on low gas and almost fry it stirring in between.
• Lastly you can add the leftover powder (optional) and stir for 5 mins more.
• Initially, the pieces will be slippery but if roasted well, the vegetable will become crispy and tasty.

Serve hot with rice with a dash of lemon juice!

Puranpoli March 13, 2008

Ingredients

300gms. channa (yellowgram) dal
300 gms. jaggery (molasses)
1 tsp. cardamom powder
150 gms. plain flour
1 tbsp. ghee
warm water to knead dough
ghee to serve

Method

• Boil dal in plenty of water till soft but not broken.
• Drain in a colander for and keep it aside for 10-15 minutes.
• Grind using a grinder till all dal is grated.
• Mash jaggery till lumps break. Mix well into dal. Put mixture in a heavy saucepan and cook till a soft lump is formed
  Take care to stir continuously, so as not to charr. Keep aside.
• Mix ghee, flour, add enough water to make a soft pliable dough.
• Take a morsel sized ball of dough, roll into a 4″ round.  Place same sized ball of filling in centre, life all round and seal. Reroll carefully to a 6″ diameter round. Roast on warm griddle till golden brown.
• Repeat other side. Take on serving plate. Apply a tsp. of ghee all over top and serve hot.

Riddles March 10, 2008

Question: You throw away the outside and cook the inside. Then you eat the outside and throw away the inside. What did you eat?

Answer: Corn on the cob: You throw away the skin or sheaf, then cook it, eat the corn, then throw away the cob.
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Question: What do you get if you divide the circumference of a pumpkin by its diameter?

Answer: Pumpkin pi.
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Question: What did the grape say when he was sat on?
Answer: Nothing, he just let out a little whine.
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Question: What do you call a stolen yam?
Answer: A hot potato.
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Question: What was green and a great trick shooter?

Answer: Annie Okra
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Question: What did the carrot say to the wheat?

Answer: Lettuce rest, I’m feeling beet.
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Question: What what can you make from baked beans and onions?

Answer: Tear gas.
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Question: What is a Honeymoon Salad?

Answer: Lettuce alone, with no dressing.
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Question: What lives in winter, dies in summer, and grows with its root upward?

Answer: An icicle.
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Question: An old Arab riddle goes like this:
Our servant is green.
Her children are born white and then grow black.
Who is she?

Answer: An olive tree.
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Question: What is green and goes to a summer camp?

Answer: A Brussels’ scout.

Good old idli.. March 5, 2008

From wikipedia..

The idli (IPA:?dl?i), also romanized “idly” or “iddly”, is a savory cake popular throughout South India. The cakes are usually two to three inches in diameter and are made by steaming a batter consisting of fermented black lentils and rice.

Most often eaten at breakfast or as a snack, idli are usually served in pairs with chutney, sambar, or other accompaniments. Mixtures of crushed dry spices such as milagai podi are the preferred condiment for idlis eaten on the go.

Making idli batter and fermenting it is not at all rocket science!! The batter will ferment perfectly if the temperature is between 65-70F. The chutneys and sambhar varieties are so many that its difficult to keep count. I sometimes eat it with chintapandu tokku..which my mil had sent all the way from Hyderabad. It has the tangy tamarind taste with hot spice of red chillies. One lick and it blows your mind!!!

This is my official entry to Jugalbandi monthly click event 

For making perfect Idli batter the ingredients are -

1 cup minapappu or urad dal or black lentil
2 cups ground rice or cream of rice
A pinch of baking soda
1 tsp salt

• Wash the dal completely and soak it for 4 hrs.
• Again wash it and grind it thick. While grinding ural dal, wash and soak 2 cups of cream of rice in water.
• Once you  are done with grinding, transfer it into a big bowl. Now remove the water from the soaked cream of rice by pressing it hard inbetween your palms. This is a tedious process but its worth it.
• Now mix the batter well with (your hands of course) and add salt and baking soda and let it ferment.
• The batter size increases when it ferments nicely and emits a strange odour.
• Now comes the fun part, apply some oil on the idli plates and add 1 tbs of idli batter in each and let it steam cook for exactly 18 min. Serve hot with sambhar or coconut chutney. It tastes heavenly!!