Knock..Knock...May I come In???????

MASHED GREEN MOONG BEAN:

I called it as MASHED GREEN MOONG BEAN.This is my friend's recipe which is very simple to make,tasty and healthy too...

INGREDIENTS:

Green Moong Bean(Whole) - 1cup
Green Chillies - 3
Pepper Corns - 4
Garlic - 2pods
Chopped onion - 1
Chopped tomato - 1(medium)
Turmeric - 1/4tsp
Chilli powder - 1/4tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/4tsp
Hing - 1 pinch
Curry leaves - 1 spring

METHOD:

Soak moong bean in a hot water for 11/2 hour.Heat oil in a pressure cooker add mustrard seeds,urad dhal,hing,peppercorns,garlic and curry leaves.When the mustard seeds start spluttering, add slit green chillies,onion and saute well.Now add the tomatos and fry for 3 mins.Add turmeric and chilli powder and mix well.Add enough salt.Add the soaked moongbean.Pour 2 cups of water and adjust the seasoning.Close the lid and wait for 8 whistles or till the bean cook well(according to ur cooker).Remove from heat and mash well.Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with rice or chapatis.

Blog Breaking,Meme's And An Award

Sorry friends for my uninformed disappearance and poor response in blogsphere for the past 4days.I am very sad to say that I am going to take a long blog breaking for apporoximately one year from now! I stopped cooking for a while.But I'll try to visit ur blogs and comment ur recipes!! Miss you guys so badely..

Last week I was Tagged by Uma...Thank u dear..It was really fun!!!!

1) LAST MOVIE U SAW IN A THEATRE?
Prom Night

2) WHAT BOOK ARE U READING??
Oops!

3) FAVOURITE BOARD GAME?
Chess,Carrom

4) FAVOURITE MAGAZINE?
Womens Era,Aval vikatan

5) FAVOURITE SMELLS?
Paint,Chicken Kurma,Smell before rain,Jasmin Flower(malligai Poo)

6) FAVOURITE SOUNDS?
Good songs,Wave

7) WORST FEELING IN THE WORLD?
Without friends..

8) WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU THINK OF WHEN U WAKE?
Hmm..what to cook special for 'K'!!!!

9) FAVOURITE FASTFOOD PLACE?
Panda express,Taco Bell,Carls Junior

10) FUTURE CHILDS NAME?
Ha…ha…Hasini…(if horoscope matches)

11) FINISH THIS STATEMENT—’IF I HAD A LOT OF MONEY I’D’
Buy sareeeeeeee,No more stay in US,Settle in our native town...

12) DO U DRIVE FAST?
Yep!got speeding ticket once:(((

13) DO U SLEEP WITH A STUFFED ANIMAL?
What!!!!!!

14) STORMS–COOL OR SCARY?
Scary..

15) WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CAR?
Maruti 800

16) FAVOURITE DRINK?
Mango Lassi,Maza

17) FINISH THIS STATEMENT-IF I HAD THE TIME I WOULD…
Watch more movies!!!(I am a movie addict)

18) DO YOU EAT THE STEMS ON BROCCOLI?
Nooooooo

19) IF YOU COULD DYE YOUR HAIR ANY OTHER COLOUR, WHAT WOULD BE YOUR CHOICE?
No…I like my own

20) NAME ALL THE DIFFERENT CITIES/TOWNS U HAVE LIVED IN?
Namakkal,channai,Los angeles

21) FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
Basket ball

22) ONE NICE THING ABOUT THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Good friend who reminds my sister

23) WHATS UNDER YOUR BED?
Playing cards

24) WOULD U LIKE TO BE BORN AS YOURSELF AGAIN??
Yep

25) MORNING PERSON OR NIGHT OWL?
100% Night owl..

26) OVER EASY OR SUNNY SIDE UP?
Easy always

27) FAVOURITE PLACE TO RELAX?
Ofcourse my home in native place

28) FAVOURITE PIE?
Apple

29) FAVOURITE ICECREAM FLAVOUR?
vanilla

30) OF ALL THE PEOPLE U HAVE TAGGED, WHO IS THE MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND FIRST?
No idea..

Turning Older!!!!!!

Yes!It was my birthday on Saturday(26th)!!!Had a thought of baking cake!but hubby dear surprised me with my favorite black forest cake.And he decorated our living room with full of ballons and color papers!Had a great time with my hubby,gone to temple,heavy lunch buffet and the day ended up with a nice movie. Surely I can say this birthday is one of my unforgetable birthday in my life.Here is my birthday cake.

Ahhh forgot to celebrate that My Bittergourd With Eggs has won the best creative recipe award.Thanks so much to each and every one of you who voted for me!I was really flattered.... And I should tell Thank u to pooja for hosting such a nice event.

Happy Cooking and Blogging.Miss uuuuu allllllllllllllllll.Hope to ciao soon....

Award and Cabbage Kofta Gravy

Wow! “Yummy Blog” award for my blog!!!!! My dear friend, Roopa has sent me this beautiful award. This came as a real but very pleasant surprise to me. I am truly overwhelmed on getting another award!Thank you so much Roopa.You made me feel so special.

"Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos”

As per the rules I should also quote my favorite yummy-licious dessert(s) that I have ever prepared/eaten.Here we go with my favorite yummy-licious dessert(s):

Bhadusha-My all time favorite
Cheesecake
Krispy Kreme Doughnuts(Original Glazed)

I would actually like to pass this on to every single blogger who regularly visit my blog and patiently comment on almost every post of mine. But I was restricted to choose only four blogs.OMG it’s so hard for me to pick and pass the award to few yummy blogs when you have lot here.

I am choosing a four here and I let them to give this award to our remaining friends.

Cham of Spice-club
Uma of Essence Of Andhra
Pooja of My Creative Ideas
Kalai of Samaithu Parakalam

Congrats girls on your well deserved awards :-)

Rules for the ‘Yummy Blog’ award Reciver:

· The person who receives the award should display the "Yummy Blog !" logo on their blog and also the meaning of the award which is "Yummy blog award is the award given to the blog with most yummy recipes/photos".

· The receiver should also quote their favorite yummy-licious :) dessert(s) that they have ever prepared/eaten. Don’t restrict yourself to any dessert, chocolate bars also welcome.

· Also the receiver should pass on the award to four other bloggers whose blog they find "yummy" and let them know about the rules.

Cabbage Kofta Gravy:

INGREDIENTS:

(For Koftas)

Finely chopped cabbage - 3/4cup
Boiled channa dal - 1/4cup
Chopped green chili - 2
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Besan flour - 2tsp
Salt

(For Gravy)

Finely chopped onion - 1
Ginger,garlic paste - 1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1tsp
Chili,cumin,corrainder powder - 1tsp(each)
Yogurt - 1/2cup
Cashew nuts - 5Corriander leaves(for garnishing)

METHOD:

Boil the cabbage till it became soft.Add boiled channa dal and just cook for 5 mins.Remove from the flame and drain water in a muslin cloth.After drained add cumin seeds,chili,salt,besan flour and mix well.Form a wet dough and make small balls.Heat oil in the pan,fry the koftas and drain them.

For gravy heat little bit of oil in the pan add cumin seeds,onions and fry till onions turn into brown.Now add turmeric powder and ginger,garlic paste and mix well.Pour some drained water form cabbage,channa dal mix.Now add all the masala and cook for 5 more mins.Let it cook till the oil comes out , add curd and cook for 2-5 mins.

Fry the cashew in a separate pan and grind into a fine powder.Now add this powder to the gravy for thickening it.Once it starts thick add the fried koftas and garnish with corriander.Serve hot with rice/roti...Enjoy.

Dinner Rolls

I love soft, squishy, slightly sweet dinner rolls.These beautiful homemade dinner rolls are perfect for both first-time bakers and well seasoned cooks.The rolls go with anything and at any meal, be it breakfast or dinner.I love to have them at my mornings.Making your own dinner rolls is surprisingly easy, and when you taste these buttery, pillow-light rolls, you'll agree they are superior to any store-bought variety.

INGREDIENTS:

Active Dry Yeast - 1pocket
All Purpose flour (sifted) - 3cup
Sugar - 1/4tsp(as per ur taste)
Milk - 1/2cup
Egg - 1
Butter - 3tsp
Salt - 3tsp(as per ur taste)

METHOD:

Dissolve I pocket of dry yeast in a warm water. The water should be warm enough otherwise it will kill the yeast. After it dissolved add one beaten egg, sugar and salt into the yeast and mix well. Now add 1 cup of flour into the mixture and beat well. In the mean time add the butter in the milk and microwave for 3 mins just to warm the milk. Pour the melted butter and milk and mix well. Add the remaining flour and form very sticky wet dough. Place this on a floured cutting board and start the kneading process. Sprinkle some flour and knead for about 8-9 minutes. You have to knead this until it has a very nice, elastic consistency. If necessary sprinkle some flour and knead well.

Now place the dough in a mixing bowl and coat well with 2 tsp of vegetable oil. Cover the bowl using the towel and let it double in size for 1-11/2 hours. After raised, place the dough again on the cutting board and sprinkle some flour for not sticking. Form the dough in a square shape with hands and cut it in to the 8 equal pieces. Now take one of the pieces and place it in palm and form a nice round shape. Do the same for other pieces.For shaping the dinner rolls see here.

Place the balls into the greased pan with an inch or inch and half distance. Let the balls to rise for 30-40 minutes or let it raise them until they touch each other and give a dinner rolls look. Bake it for 350f for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Done.

Palak Rice For MBP

When I was searching one-pot dishes for this month's MBP,I came across this delicious and healthy spinach/palak rice on Archy of 'Archi's Recipe Book'.Spinach is a nutrition superstar, even a fairly good source of iron. It's loaded with vitamins and minerals, some of which are hard to find in other foods.We all know that Popeye made himself super strong by eating spinach, but you may be surprised to learn that he may also have been protecting himself against heart disease, colon cancer, arthritis, and other diseases at the same time.

You can find the recipe here.

I am sure all spinach lover's will love this...Haven't made any changes to the recipe except that I added some cashews for my hubby who is a cashew lover. I served the palak rice with curd as archy mentioned.He liked it a lot and it was gone in no time.....

This is my entry to this month's MBP.Monthly Blog Patrol is started by Coffee of The Spice Cafe and now being hosted by Pavani Of Cook's Hideout With the theme of "One Pot Wonders".It was really fun touring and patrolling around all the blogs.Thanks Pavani for choosing a wonderful theme.

My Cute Rossy And Lassi

Cute Rossy From My Balcony

This Picture is my entry for the photo event Au Naturel hosted by Bee and Jai of Jugalbandi .

Rose Used In Cooking:

1. Dried rose petals(Roja mokku) are used in Indian biryani/pulav.

2. Rose is chiefly known as a decorative and fragrant ornamental, but it also has culinary importance.


3. Rose water is used to flavour marzipan and is occasionally found in drinks.


4. An Indian drink popular with Western tourists is lassi. In its simplest case, lassi is just a mixture of water, yogurt and sugar drunk cold, preferably iced. A common type of this drink, gulabi lassi, is flavoured by the addition of some rose water.


5. Rose and rose oil are important flavourings in Western and Central Asia, where they are used in many sweets. Turks dissolve locoum, a very sweet confectionery with strong rose fragrance, in their coffee. In Iran, honey and jams are made more fragrant with rose flowers and rose ice cream is known in many Middle Eastern countries.(4&5 courtesy from here)

Banana Apple Lassi

I've been searching some cool and refreshing drink for EC-Sun&Fun Event.Finally hubby dear gave me the idea of making apple lassi.Once we had a apple lassi in the restaurant and we liked very much.I mixed apple,banana and used greek yogurt for this recipe. Greek yogurt gives a creamy texture to the lassi. Although you could use home made yogurt or store bought yogurt as well, you will need to add less milk to get a creamy texture.Recipe is quite simple yet so delicious!

INGREDIENTS:

Banana - 1
Apple - 1
Sugar - 2tsp
Greek Yogurt - 1/2cup
Crushed ice - 1/2cup
Rose water - 1/2tsp(optional)
Cardamom Powder - 1pinch
Mint spring (for garnishing)
Salt - 1pinch(salt brings out the taste)

Method:

Blend apple,banana,yogurt, cardamom powder, salt, Ice cube & water in a blender till smooth. Give it a taste and adjust sugar if you prefer.

Pour into glasses. Garnish with mint and serve.

Sending this gorgeous dessert to EC's Fun n Sun Event.

Strawberry Jam

Rosie from "Rosie Bakes 'A Peace Of Cake'" is hosting a preserves blogging event called "Putting Up" originated by Pixie at You Say Tomahto, I Say Tomayto. I decided to make small batch of strawberry jam because they are in peek of season right now,I bought 5lbs of fresh berries on Sunday for just 3$.After searched long and hard I found this recipe for making jam without using a pectin. I’ve never made jam before and it turned out pretty good. Very simple to make with few ingredients yet so wonderful.

INGREDIENTS:

Fresh Sliced strawberry - 3cups
Sugar - 1cup
Lemon juice - 1/4cup
Butter - 2tsp

METHOD:

In a medium bowl add the strawberries, sprinkle over all of the sugar and place it in the fridge overnight. Remove from the fridge, bring this mixture to boil in thick pan and allow the sugar to dissolve. Turn down the heat to keep the mixture boiling but watch it carefully as it will bubble up and, if the heat is too high, boil over. If that happens it will become sticky consistency.

Cook for 8-10 mins.Now add the butter,lemon juice and the mixture needs to be cooked till it reaches the jam consistency.

Testing for 'jam consistency' is very important in jam making process. Keep a metal tablespoon sitting in a glass of ice water, then take a half spoonful of the mix and let it cool to room temperature on the spoon. If it starts flowing then the jam is not ready yet. If it doesn’t move, then it is ready, remove from heat immediately.

Now pour the jam into the airtight jar (I bought from IKEA) and close tightly. Another important step is 'process the jars in the boiling water bath'. Putting the jars in the boiling water bath REALLY helps to reduce spoilage. Keep the jars covered with at least 1 inch of water and boil them for 10 mins.

Lift the jars out of the water and let them cool without touching or bumping them in a dry place.Once cooled, they're ready to store. Will store in a cool dry place for almost a year.

For video: see here.

Microwave Ginger Carrot Cake

Ginger carrot cake is a sweet spice cake with grated carrot and ginger mixed into the batter. The carrot softens in the cooking process, and the cake usually has a soft, dense texture. The carrots themselves enhance the flavor, texture and appearance of the cake. The combination of ginger and carrot provides a light, moist and flavorful cake. I tried out this delicious cake in microwave and it turned out so soft and fluffy which is quite a pleasant surprise to me.When I make a cake in the microwave I use Tupperware's Heat N Serve containers.There are other microwave containers out there, but I have only tried Tupperware's. But I do know that microwave cakes tend to come out hard when cooked in glass or corningware.

INGREDIENTS:

Sugar - 1 cup
Brown sugar- 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/4cup
Eggs - 2
Salt - 1/2tsp
All purpose flour - 2cups
Baking soda - 2tsp
Vanilla extract - 1tsp
Ground cinnamon - 1/2tsp
Raw finely grated carrots - 1cup
Crushed ginger - 1tsp
Walnuts pieces- 1/4cup

(For butter cream frosting)

Pure cane powdered sugar - 1/2cup
Milk - 1/4cup
Vanilla extract - 1tsp
Sliced Butter (softened) - 1stick

METHOD:

Lightly grease the tupperware with butter. In a mixing bowl, mix sugar, butter, and eggs. In another bowl, sift together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. Mix dry ingredients into wet mixture and blend well. Finally add walnuts, carrot and ginger into the batter. Pour in the greased tupperware and place it on a trivet in microwave oven. Cook for 10 minutes, giving the dish a quarter turn every 3 minutes. Keep rotating the pan 1/4 turn three times until a skewer inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes in pan. Invert on rack and let cool.

For butter cream frosting beat butter, vanilla and sugar together. For thinner consistency add milk a little at a time. Pour over cake.

Sending these yummy microwave cake to Srivalli who is hosting MEC-Cakes.

Check dear Meera's blog for a different version of Microwave cake.

Lemon Clove Cookies

I came across this cookie recipe in Nick Malgieri’s “Cookies Unlimited” book which I found in public library. Last weekend I was at the library looking for some new DVD’s to entertain me during my lazy afternoons, as usual hubby dear was searching some IT books for him. So l happened to go through the nonfiction section and look for books about cooking.OMG it is the motherland of cookbooks! There was a whole aisle full of them. It took me 1 hour to select out 3 books (Cookies Unlimited, 150 Cake Recipes and Sweet Indulgences) from their excellent collections.I’ve always loved going to the library and now that I've discovered their cookbooks, I have no doubt that I will love it even more.Hurry!!!!!go and check it out immediately.

Ok coming to cloves they are actually the dried buds of the clove tree. Used in China for more than 2000 years, cloves are believed to be an aphrodisiac. We do know that clove oil is a time-honored remedy for toothache, and that clove oil is highly antiseptic. The cloves are also used to stop vomiting. My hubby likes clove tea and frequently asks me to prepare for him.These cookies are another way to use the clove in our kitchen.

INGREDIENTS:

All purpose flour – 2cups
Sugar – 1cup
Egg – 1
Ground cloves –1tsp
Lemon extract – 1/2tsp
Butter (melted) – 1/4cup
Baking Soda - 1tsp
Salt

(For Lemon Glaze)

Confectioner’s sugar – 1/2cup
Lemon extract – 1tsp
Water – 3tsp

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a mixing bowl mix flour, ground cloves and salt together. Beat butter and granulated sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and lemon extract; beat until well blended. Gradually add the flour, baking soda and beat until well mixed. Divide the dough in half. Roll each half into about 2 inches wide and 7 inches long. Wrap in wax paper. Refrigerate 1 hour or until firm. Unwrap the cookie dough and cut into desired sizes about 1/4-inch thick using cookie cutter. Sprinkle slices lightly with remaining sugar and place on a baking sheet. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 12 minutes. Transfer them to a wire rack to cool completely.

For the Lemon Glaze, mix confectioners' sugar, water and lemon extract in small bowl until well blended. Drizzle over cooled cookies (I used a knife). Let stand until glaze is set.

This is my entry for Think Spice : Think Cloves Event hosted by Gretchen and LiveSTRONG Day 2008 event hosted by Barbara.

Thattai(Rice Fritters)

As its name says this snack is flat and looks round in shape.I don’t know what they call in other parts of India.This is my hubby's favourite dish and a very popular snack in tamilnadu.Enjoy this with a cup of tea or coffee , great evening snack or we can store it for a week..Here is a simple method to make crispy thattai.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice flour -2 cups
Channa dal (Kadalai paruppu) - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds- 2 tsps
Green chili - 3
Urad dhal flour - 1/2cup
White sesame seeds - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves- few
Soda salt - 1pinch(optional)
Melted butter - 2 tsps
Salt

METHOD:

Soak channa dal for atleast 1 hour/10 mins in hot water.Drain the water and keep aside.Grind urad dhal in a blender, sieve it to get the finest powder.Blend green chili and curry leaves into fine paste.Mix rice flour, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves and green chilli paste and salt. Add the soaked channa dal to the mixture .

Add water little by little and make the dough as murukku dough.Make small lime size balls and when pressed the edges should crack.That's the consistency for crispy thattai.Cut two opposite closed edges of Ziploc bag and place the dough on one side and cover it with other side and roll it into a thin layer or press each balls as thin as possible with your hands.Apply little oil so that it won’t stick.

Fry the thattais on medium heat, turning them over occasionally, until they are golden brown. Remove with a slotted spoon on to absorbent paper.Serve as a snack with tea or coffee. Store in an airtight tin.

Let's Celebrate Our Friend's Birthday With American Cheesecake

UPDATE:

Today Divya Vikram of Dilse is celebrating her " " birthday(he he he secret,,)....So let's celebarate her birthday with this cheesecake.Dedicating this one to birthday baby!!!!!!!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIVYA,,,,ENJOY UR SPECIAL DAY....

RECIPE:

Cheesecake is my favorite dessert. When Priya of 365 vegetarian posted her instant strawberry cheesecake recipe, I was pretty much tempted to try it out. I tried out this American Cheesecake recipe with my own modifications. Since I don’t have the spring form pan I used the normal baking pan and I covered the entire pan with foil. And also left some extra outside so that I can lift the cake with the foil once it chills.

INGREDIENTS:

Butter - 1cup
Butter biscuits(crushed) - 11/4 cup
Sugar - 11/4cup
Cream cheese, softened-1/2cup
Heavy whipping cream - 1/2cup
Sweetened Condensed Milk -1cup
Eggs-3
Lemon juice1-2tsp
Sour cream - 1cup
Knox unflavored gelatin - 2tsp
White Jello - 1packet

METHOD:

To prepare the biscuit base mix butter and crushed biscuits (I crushed it in food processor) thoroughly. Place the mix into the pan and press it all down evenly using hands. Place it in a fridge for 15 mins to stiffen.

To make the cheese mixer, in a mixing bowl beat cream cheese until fluffy. Gradually beat in sweetened condensed milk, sour cream and whipping cream until smooth. Dissolve gelatin in a 1/4 cup of boiling water stir it well allow it to cool slightly then add to the mixture. Add eggs then lemon juice and mix well. At last add sugar and beat it.

Now pour the cheese mixture into the pan slowly and evenly.Place it into the lower part of the oven and bake them for 45 mins. When the cheesecake is ready it should be cooked but have wobble consistency.Let it cool down and place it in fridge to set for minimum of 4hours.

For the top prepare the white jello according to the package instructions and pour it slowly on to the cheesecake. Refrigerate until the jelly is set.

Garnish with strawberry.

P.S:I missed the step of adding vanilla essence.And I tried little decorations using whipped cream....Didn't come out well,so removed those:(((((

Garlic Tamarind Gravy(Poondu Kara-Kuzhambu)

Kara-kuzhambu roughly translates into sour and spicy gravy, and a famous dish in Karaikudi, a village that belongs to Chettinad region in Tamilnadu.The three elements that describes Tamil cuisine are uppu (salt), puli (tamarind) and milagai (chilli) and kara kuzhambu is the best example that brings out all the 3 individual flavours.Coming to garlic , it has lot of medicinal values.It helps lower cholesterol too.See here for herbal remedies of garlic.

INGREDIENTS:

Garlic large(peeled) - 4 whole heads
Tamarind Juice – 1/2cup
Chopped red onion – 1cup
Garlic cloves(grated) - 6
Chopped tomato - 1
Jaggery or brown sugar -1tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Chili powder - 1tsp
Sesame oil -1 cup
Mustard seeds –1tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Dry red chilies 3-5
Curry leaves – 1spring
Hing

To grind:

Red chili – 2
Grated Coconut – 2tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/2tsp
Pepper corns – 1tsp
Dhania seeds – 1/2tsp

METHOD:

In a pan heat oil and fry the garlic (whole cloves) for few minutes till oil coats on them and keep aside. In a deep pan, heat few spoons of oil. Add garlic (grated), fry till its raw smell goes off. Add onions and fry till they turn to golden brown color. Now add tomatoes, fry them till they loose their water content.

Now add turmeric, chili powder, sugar and saute well.Grind all the ingredients above into fine paste. Mix the paste and chili powder with tamarind juice. Add salt and adjust for your taste.Add the tamarind juice and 2 cups of water into the pan. Cover and cook over medium flame.

Once the gravy started boiling add the fried garlic cloves.Allow it to boil till the gravy consolidated.In a separate pan, heat oil. Add mustard, cumin,hing, fenugreek, channa dal, urad dal, dry red chilies and curry leaves. Let them pop and splutter well. Pour this seasoning over the gravy.Serve this along with plain steamed rice and pappad.

This spicy gravy goes to this month's JFI hosted by Mathy with the theme of garlic.

Bitter Gourd With Egg

This is one kind of bitter gourd dishes made by my mom. This dish is for bitter gourd lovers and those who doesn't like this vegetable can also try this recipe to start liking it. We(me and my sister) eat this atleast for the egg bits.Bitter gourd also tastes good stir fried with turmeric. Normally, I like to add an egg or two to the vegetable because the eggs counter the tartness of the bitter gourd. Though its extremely bitter, it has tons of nutritional values to it. It stimulates digestion and is also very good for diabetes people.Easy to make yet so delicious,can be had as it is or goes well with sambhar and rasam rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Egg (beaten) – 3
Pavakkai (bitter melon or bitter gourd) – 2
Green Chilli - 2(optional)
Scallion – 1bunch
Medium-sized onions - 1
Minced garlic – 4 cloves
Chopped tomatoes – 2

METHOD:

Trim away the two pointed ends of the pavakkai and cut them in half lengthwise. Remove the pale, seeded section with a spoon and discard it. Cut the darker green outer shells into wide strips.

Prepare a solution of 2 cups water and 1 tbsp salt in a bowl. Put the pavakkai strips into this bowl and set aside for 10 mins.Drain the pavakkai and rinse the strips under running water. Drain again and pat dry. Cut the scallion,onions and green chilli.

Heat the oil in a pan over a medium flame. When hot, put in the garlic and fry until garlic is light brown. Add the green chilli,onions and fry for 2 minutes. Then add tomatoes and fry 2 minutes. Now add pavakkai and turn down the heat. Stir occasionally and fry around 10 minutes or until it is tender. Add beaten eggs and the salt.

Stir and cook until eggs have reached a consistency you like. Remove from heat, add scallion strips and serve.

Sending this to pooja who is hosting Vegetable Of the Week - "Bitter Gourd".

Palmiers(Little Heart Biscuits)

Palmiers are a traditional French pastry made from rich, buttery, and flaky dough, but not too sweet and crunchy without being too hard.It looks alike Britannia little hearts biscuit which we used to buy in India. Palmier (pal-mee-ay) is the French word for a palm tree and these cookies are said to resemble palm leaf. I adopted the recipe from Ina Graten's"barefootcontessa".I personally don’t like cinnamon flavor to dominant my cookies and so I replaced the cinnamon with powdered nuts (Almonds, cashews). Here we go with the recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Puff pastry sheet – 1
Sugar – 1/2cup(or per taste)
Powdered nuts – 1/2cup

METHOD:

Thaw the puff pastry. In a bowl combine the almond and cashews powder, and sugar. Unfold 1 sheet of the pastry and sprinkle the powdered nut sugar over the top. Then gently spread it with hands and roll the rolling pin over the surface to press the sugar in completely. Repeat the same for the other side too.

Fold the longest side of the pastry inwards by about 2cm and flatten with the rolling pin. Fold both sides over one more, sprinkle again and roll. Lastly fold it completely and roll the rolling pin over for the last time. See here for the step-by-step method. Trim the ends with a knife.

Now cut the folded pastry into thin strips. Then turn them onto one side and chill in for 15 mins. Bake them for 7-8 minutes (time varies depending upon the oven) so it’s better to check them in between, as they tend to be brown very fast due to the sugar. Remove from the oven and turn the pastries over. Bake for 5-7 minutes more or until golden.Let it cool completely. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Mushroom Dosa

There are so many varieties of dosa that we wouldn't know when to stop our counting.Most breakfasts in TamilNadu are made using the same idli/ dosa batter. Large quantities of batter are ground and stored in a refrigerator for about a week and make something new out of it everyday.This is another variety of dosa which i used to make once a week and my all time favorite too.Goes well with all type of chutneys especially coriander and mint chutney.

INGREDIENTS:

Dosa batter

(For filling)
Chopped mushroom - 1cup
Cumin seeds - 1/2tsp
Green chili - 2
Chopped onion - 1/2cup
Chopped tomato - 1/2cup
Chili and coriander powder - 2tsp
Garam masala - 1tsp
Coriander leaves

METHOD:

Heat oil in pan add cumin seeds and allow to sputter.Than add chopped green chillies,onion and fry till onion get cooked.Now add the tomatos and saute it for a while.Add the chopped mushroom and close the lid.Let it cook for 5mins.After 5 mins add all the masalas and if necessary add some water and cook until the raw smell gone.Finally add some coriander leaves and remove from the fire.

Pour a ladle of batter on the Dosa tawa, spread it and add oil on the sides. After a few minutes turn it on to the other side. When done , Turn again and spread mushroom masala on one side. Bring the other side of dosa up and close the stuffing. Cook for another minute and serve with chutney.

I am sending this dosa as my entry to Srivalli's Dosa mela.

Cinnamon Oatmeal Raisin Pancakes

We love pancakes and waffles and I always prepare one or the other for breakfast once a week. I had some buttermilk in the fridge, so I decided to make some special Cinnamon Oatmeal Pancakes(courtesy of Food network.com) for Mansi’s balanced breakfast event. I served the pancake with butter, maple syrup, and macerated strawberries.

INGREDIENTS:

White oats – 1cup
All-purpose flour – 1cup
Raisin – 1/4cup

Brown sugar – 1/4cup

Baking powder – 1tsp

Baking soda – 1/4tsp

Cinnamon – 1/2 tsp

Buttermilk – 1/4cup
Milk – 1/2cup

Egg - 2

Unsalted butter, melted – 3tsp

Pure vanilla extract – 1tsp
Maple syrup – 1/4cup

Method:

In a medium bowl, whisk together brown sugar, vanilla and butter. Then add the raisins, oatmeal and buttermilk and milk. Mix everything together and set aside.

In a separate bowl add the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder,Cinnamon and the salt) and mix together. Pour the liquid ingredients over the dry ingredients and mix with the whisk until just combined. Don't worry if the batter is a bit lumpy.

If necessary, lightly butter, oil, or spray your griddle. Preheat over medium heat.Be sure the pan is hot enough before starting to cook the pancakes. Spoon 1/3 cup of batter onto griddle for each pancake, allowing space for spreading, and use a back of your spoon to lightly press the batter into rounds.

When the underside of the pancake is golden and the tops are speckled with bubbles that pop and stay open, flip over and cook on the other side until light brown. This may take up to 5 mins depending on the size.

Serve immediately or place in oven while you make the rest of the batch.

Macerated Strawberries:

INGREDIENTS:

Strawberries, hulled and sliced - 5

Orange blossom honey – 3tsp

Finely chopped lemon zest – 1tsp

Ground black pepper – 1tsp

Sugar – 1/4cup

In a bowl combine all ingredients. Let stand in refrigerator for 2 hours. Serve butter, maple syrup with hot pancakes.

I am sending this delicious and healthy oatmeal pancakes to WBB#20-Balanced breakfast hosted by Mansi and started by Nadita of safforan trial.

See cham's vegetable pancake version.

Marinated Egg Biryani With Gobi Manchurian

I can guess,by seeing this post you all may wonder“What egg biryani with Gobi Manchurian!!!!!!!!!! Does this combination work?” Even I wondered the same when ‘K’ asked me to prepare biryani with Gobi for our Sunday lunch! But the result was so good than I expected. Had no idea of blogging this, but after tasted I wanted to blog it.For egg biryani, instead of adding boiled eggs to the rice I marinate and sauté the eggs for a while and mixed it with rice. It will give nice flavor and texture to the egg biryani.

INGREDIENTS:

Boiled egg – 4
Basmati rice – 21/2 cups
Tomatoes - 3 big

Onions - 1/2 cup peeled

Ginger,Garlic paste – 2tsp

Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch

Mint – 1/2bunch

Green chilies - 4

Shan biryani masala – 2tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashews - 8

Cinnamon - 1 inch piece

Cardamoms - 2 to 3

Cloves - few

Bay leaf - 1

Ghee - 2 tsp
Orange food color (mixed in water) – 1tsp

For marinating eggs:

Egg – 1
Chili powder – 1tsp
Rice flour – 2tsp
Gram flour – 2tsp
Ginger, garlic paste- 1tsp
Coriander powder – 2tsp
Salt

METHOD:

Soak rice for 10 minutes. Heat oil and ghee in a heavy vessel and fry cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Add ginger, garlic paste and fry till brown and then add slit green chilies and onions. Fry for a minute and add cashews. Fry till good smell comes in medium flame. Add tomato paste, shan biryani (I love to use shan products) and chili powder and boil for few minutes. Now add chopped coriander and mint leaves. When it starts boiling add rice, mix well, close the lid and reduce flame. Cook exactly for 10 minutes.After all the water evaporates put in a small flame as much as possible. Cook for another 10 mins.. If you want keep a dosa pan underneath for even heating. For marinating the eggs mix all the ingredients together. Dip the boiled eggs in the mixture and sauté it in 2tsp of oil for 5mins in medium flame. Now add the eggs into the rice and mix it carefully. At the end pour the food color on the top of the rice and remove from heat.Garnish with coriander leaves and cashews.

GOBI MANCHURIAN:

I made a spicy version of Gobi Manchurian, which goes well with rice.

INGREDIENTS:

Cauliflower florets – 3cups
Corn flour – 1cup
Besan flour – 2tsp(optional)
Rice flour – 1tsp(optional)
Maida – 1/2cup
Chopped onion – 1cup
Finely chopped green chili – 4
Chopped spring onions – 1/2cup
Ginger, garlic paste – 1tsp
Soy sauce – 1/2tsp
Chilli sauce and ketchup – 3tsp
Salt
Oil for frying

METHOD:

Boil the water with salt add cauliflower florets and cook for 10mins.Drain the water and keep aside. In bowl mix the salt,cornflour,maida,besan and rice flour together, add water and make a thick batter. (I like to add rice and basan flour for crispness). Dip the florets into the mixture and fry until crisp. Drain the oil. Heat oil in a medium pan adds ginger, garlic paste, onion and fry for 5mins.Now add green chili and spring onions and sauté it for a while. Add all the sauces one by one and sauté it for 5 mins.Add fried florets into the sauce and mix well. Garnish with fresh coriander and spring onions. Serve hot with rice.

Carrot-Almond Cooler For MBP

I had a bag of baby carrots sitting in the fridge for ages! I knew that I cannot finish it before the used by date,so had a thought of making some refreshing drink for MBP…When I saw this carrot-almond cooler on lavanya’s blog i was totally impressed and wanted to try it out immediately. It tasted awesome and quite simple to make. Just pressure-cook the carrots, almond with milk. Blend everything with milk and sugar until smooth. Serve chill.

You can find the recipe here.

I don’t usually drink mixed drinks but Sig's event made me an opportunity to try.I really enjoyed making and drinking this lovely drink. As I don’t have raw almond, I replaced it with the roasted ones.

This awesome drink goes to Sig who is hosting the March edition of Monthly Blog Patrol.

Peerkangai Thovayal(RidgeGourd Thogayal)

This is yet another great thovayal from my mom.Thovayal/Thogayal are like a thicker version of chutey.Whenever I feel difficult to cook for the afternoon, I will go for this one.It goes well with plain rice,curd rice and chapati.Ridge gourd is like little spongy and sweet in flavour,so have to make spicy by adding some green chilies.The recipe is quite simple and saves lot of your time. Here goes the recipe!!!

INGREDIENTS:

Ridge gourd - 1(medium size)
Cumin seeds - 1tsp
Chopped onion - 1/2cup
Sliced garlic cloves - 4
Tamarind - lemon size
Chopped green chili - 4
Channa dal - 4tsp
Cashews - 4
Coriander leaves

For seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1tsp
Urad dal - 1tsp
Hing - 1/1tsp
Red chilies - 3
Curry leaves - 1spring

METHOD:

Cut the ridge gourd into small cubes.Heat oil in the pan fry tamarind,garlic,green chilies,cashews and Channa dal one by one.Drain them and keep aside.

Heat oil in another pan add mustard seeds,cumin seeds and allow them to sputter.Now add onions and let the onion cook till slight brown color.Add ridge gourd and cook for some more minutes.If necessary add some water, close the lid and cook for another 5 mins.

Let it cool and grind with the fried ones.Add very little water and grind into smooth mixture.Transfer into bowl and add salt for your taste.

For seasoning when the oil is hot add red chilies,mustard seeds,urad dal,hing and curry leaves.Garnish the coriander leaves on the top of the chutney and pour the seasoning.

Serve hot with rice or chapathi.

Seembaal/Junnu

Seembaal/junnu is a tamil/telugu word for a sweet, which is prepared from first day milk of cattle usually cow or buffalo.This is my favourite sweet which i think I am missing here in US.But it was a few days back and when I was blogging saw this delicious recipe for seembal.I loved the idea of using condensed milk and I was so happy to learn we can make it even without lactating milk.Finally I tried this yesterday in home and the taste and texture looks exactly the same as seembal that it almost satisfies our craving. Thought to share with you girls(Guess some of u knew this already). Thanks ramya for the woderful recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Egg – 2
Whole milk – 11/2 cup
Sweetened condensed milk – 1cup
Black pepper – 1 tsp
Cardamom Powder – 1tsp

METHOD:

Beat the eggs thoroughly. Take a bowl and add egg mixture,condensed milk,whole milk and mix well.Now transfer this mixture into a bowl which fits in your pressure cooker.Sprinkle pepper powder and cardamom powder. Place this bowl in the pressure cooker with little water and cook on low flame for 30-40 minutes without whistle.A knife inserted should come out clean. Cool for few hours in the refrigerator and serve.

For all of us that love real seembaal milk..... it’s now possible to buy it in USA.Milk is called colostrum and sold in most states, where raw milk is sold.It’s a little pricey but it’s worth every penny.They (the one in Fresno, CA ) usually Ups it the same day and it’s at our door by next day(heard from friend).

visit here

Select your state

Search for the word colostrum

Ramya has posted her vegetarian version too..but i tried egg version only..will let u know once i try that..

PEAR CHOCOLET PIE

I rarely eat dessert but last night at restaurant I had a little apple pie and it was served with lemony ice cream. It was super delicious. So I want to bake a pie in home and as well as for AFAM.After goggling for longtime I decided to bake a pear chocolate pie and it was my first time to cook this recipe and surprisingly it turned out good. Hubby was the first one to eat a slice of it then I sliced one for myself. Hmmm...It was so good!!! Hubby requested another slice and also I got another one for myself. The mellow flavor of pears makes this a great Pie!

INGREDIENTS:

Dough:
All purpose flour – 2cups(sifted)
Unsalted butter – 1/4cup
Ice water – 6tsp
Sugar – 2tsp
Salt – 1pinch

Filling:
Bittersweet chocolate chips- 15
Pears(peeled, thinly sliced) – 3
Corn starch – 3tsp
Lemon juice – 2tsp
Sugar – 1/2cup
Cinnamon – 1tsp
Vanilla extract – 1tsp
Salt – 1/4tsp

On top:
Egg yolk - 1
Water – 3tsp
Cream – 2tsp(optional)
Milk –2tsp
Sugar - 2tsp

Pie plate, oiled

METHOD:

Take a large bowl and add salt, sugar to the sifted flour. Add butter to the flour and mix by using fingers. Mix together into coarse crumbs. Drizzle the ice water and make the dough into a smooth ball and make it into a disk. Wrap it in a plastic wrap and place in fridge for 30 minutes. See here in detail.

Remove the pie dough and divide into 2 parts for the upper and lower crust. Sprinkle flour on the surface and roll the dough into a circle of 1/8-inch thickness. Spread the dough in an oiled pie plate with your palm equally. Also spread the dough on top of the edges. Pierce the dough all over with a fork and cover with plastic wrap and keep in fridge. Roll the rest of the dough into another 1/8-inch thick circle for upper crust.

To make a Lattice: Cut the rolled dough into strips with pizza cutter and weave the strips by placing alternately. See here for how to weave lattice top.

Melt the chocolate chips in double boiler or micro oven and spread evenly on cooled crust. Mix sliced pears along with lemon juice. Take Sugar into a bowl and add ground cinnamon, salt, cornstarch, and mix well. Add sliced pears to this.Now place mix over chocolate and fill the pie pan by layering evenly.

Place the lattice top carefully and crimp the edges. Mix all the ingredients for topping. Brush the lattice top lightly with the mix. Cover the rim with aluminum foil to prevent the edges of pie from browning. Preheat the oven to 400 F.
Place the pie pan on a flat big baking sheet and bake at 400F for about 20 minutes and then at 350F, for about 30 minutes, until the top turns to golden brown and fruit inside becomes soft and juicy. Do not under bake.Remove and cool. Slice and serve with a scoop of icecream.

A Piece for u with pumpkin ice cream

Sending this delicious pie to AFAM-Pears hosted by The Singing Chef:Raaga and MM-Spring Fruit Sensations by Abby.