Snaps of my garden

Some snaps of the beautiful flowers from my tiny balcony-cum-garden. These plants have survived 3 shiftings and 20 odd days of living without water when i went on vacation. Of course my trip was meant to be 4 days long :-)

Enjoy !

Baby potatoes stir fry

This is something that i make as a starter for get together. This dish was invented out of sheer
necessity. When i was in the US, among the few veggies that i could eat, potato was one. And, apart from fries, mash, gravy, i learnt this starter which is a two in one. There were days when i made only this with some salad for dinner :) and the next day it became my sandwich filling.

Okay ! That was too much potato i guess. I like to prepare this with baby potatoes as you could pick each and relish. The following is the receipe

Ingredients:

Baby potatoes - 1 Kg
Curry leaves - 10 nos.
Coriander powder - 1.5 Spoons
Cumin - 1.5 Spoons
Red chillies powder - 1 spoon
Salt - As per your requirement
Fresh coriander - one cup finely chopped
Oil - 5 tea spoons
Lemon juice - 1 Spoon (optional)


Method :

Bring water to a boil and add the washed baby potatoes with skin. They should be boiled until soft and not mushy. Drain the water and run cold water over the potatoes immediately to avoid further cooking. Add some oil to the Wok and add the potatoes and fry them until a little brown.
Add the dry ingredients to the potatoes and fry till the raw smell. You should slowly start noticing dark marks on the potatoes and they would become crisper. Add the coriander leaves at this point and turn off the heat. Add lemon juice if you wish to.

Alternately, you could use big potatoes, but ensure that they are cut into cubes and are in even shape. Ginger garlic paste is also optional and could be added just before adding the potatoes to the wok.

Groundnut tomato chutney !

This was taught to me by my peddamma or mom's elder sister. Apparently its famous in Hyderabad and Suryapet (AP, India). She had served it to my mom on one of her trips and my mom knowing my madness for chutneys had made it for me when i was pregnant. When i made it for the first time, my father in law liked it so much that he learnt the recipe and it was made when my BIL visited us from France. I tell you, some simple recipes can be so yummy that you shouldn't wonder if they find a place in guiness book :-)

Ingredients:

Ground nuts - 1 cup
Ripe tomatoes - 3 (sour ones)
Tamarind - one lemon size
Red chillies - 6
Cumin seeds - 1/4 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1/4 spoon
Asafoetida - 1/8 spoon
Oil - for tempering
Salt - As per taste


Method :

Dry roast the ground nuts and remove the husk. Now, add some oil in a wok and add the red chillies. Add finely chopped tomatoes. Once they start getting gooey, switch of the stove. let this cool down completely. Grind the ground nuts first and to this add the tomatoes and tamarind pulp. Grind to a smooth paste. Once done, temper with cumin,mustard and asafoetida. Do remember that asafoetida is the one that adds the zing to the chutney. Serve with anything under the sun.

Nimmakayi annam (Lemon Rice)

There is this commom misconception that Nimmakayi annam or Lemon rice is the most simple things to prepare on earth. Not really ! Unless you get the right amount of lemon juice and red chillies, it would taste as bad as it could be. I always treat Lemon rice as a dish that needs more care than anything else.

Also, i didnt know that many restuarants use left over rice for preparing this :-(...No way that i would prepare it with left over rice. Its meant to be preapred with fresh ingredients and lots of love.

Ingredients :

Cooked Rice - 2 cups
Lemon juice - As per your taste buds :-)
Red chillies - 4 (slit)
Cummin seeds - 1/4 spoon
Mustard - 1/4 spoon
Urad dal - 1/4 spoon
Chana dal - 1/2 spoon
Cashews - 10 (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves -10
Oil - 2 spoons
Salt - for taste

Method :

Heat an wok and add the oil. Once the oil is hot add the mustard, cummin seeds, urad dal, chana dal, curry leaves and Red chillies. Once they are slightly brown add the cashews and turmeric powder. Once the cashews turn golden in color add the lime juice and salt and switch off the stove immediately. Add this to the cooked rice and adjust salt. Serve hot with some crispies.

Vegetable cutlets

How do you make sure your carnivorous husband gets to eat some veggies and you get to eat some fried stuff ????

How do you make sure that you use all those about-to-rot veggies in the Fridge ?

How do you make sure that you prepare something for your guests which has
unanimous acceptance ?

How do you make sure that the bread crumbs lying around for exactly 5.5 months are used ? (Please note that bread crumbs are good for 6 months)

The answer to all the above questions is "Prepare vegetable cutlets" :-)

Ingredients :

Potato - 3 large ones
Onion - 1 medium sized one
Beetroot - 1 large one
Carrot - 2 large ones
French beans - 10 nos.
Fresh green peas - handful :-)
Coriander - small bunch
Garam masala - 2 spoons
Chilli powder - 1 spoon
Bread crumbs - as per requirement
Oil - for shallow frying

Method :

Par boil all these vegetables except for the onions. Do add some salt while you are cooking them.
Chop the onions into fine pieces and mix with the chopped coriander, garam masala, chilli powder and the vegetables and mash well. Adjust salt as per your taste. Shape them into what you desire, cover them with bread crumbs and shallow fry on medium flame in some oil. All you health concsious people, unlike me, could bake them. Serve hot with mint chutney. Acua

Payasam

If someone asks me which is the quickest dish that one could make, the prompt reply would be payasam. I do pooja once a week on Thursdays and make sure that both me and the almighty get to eat something sweet. Payasam is the one that comes to my rescue as i would have to rush to office after finishing up pooja. My son and husband aren't complaining since i share it with them too. If i am really really busy, this is what they get to eat for breakfast. Thank god they don't have any aversion to nuts, ghee or milk ;-)..else am in a fix.

Most of the smaller kind of festivals get to see only Payasam. Okay, festivals except for Sankranti, vinayaka chavithi, Varalakshmi vratam, Deepavali and After i got married to C, Christmas are considered small.. at least in my family.

Ingredients :

Vermicelli - 1 cup
Sugar - 3/4 cup
Milk - 3 cups
Ghee - 3 spoons
Cashew nuts - 10 nos. (Roasted in ghee)
Raisins - 10 nos. (Roasted in ghee)
Cardamom - 2 nos.

Method :

Roast the vermicelli in a spoon of ghee. Nowadays you get toasted vermicelli in the store, if you have this, then you could avoid roasting. Else, roast till the vermicelli turns golden brown. Meanwhile, in an other vessels, bring milk to boil. Once the milk comes to boil, add the roasted vermicelli and the roasted nuts and raisins. Let the vermicelli get cooked for 5 mins. Overcooking will result in gooey mass rather than payasam ;-) ... At this stage add powdered cardamom and turn off the heat. Add sugar at the end. Note that some times due to the chemicals added to sugar to remove the impurities, the milk could curdle. Hence, add it at the end. Serve Hot/Cold.

Tomato pachadi

My love for certain things is never ending. My ammumma is an expert in making chutneys. She could turn the most boring stuff into the most sought after stuff with her magical chutneys and pachadis. I know many of you would hate idlies, but with a person like my ammumma around, you never get to crib. First because she wouldnt care if you didn't eat something because you feel its boring. Second, she makes these yummy chutneys, that you hardly think about cribbing. I am not a very good cook as of now, but when i become one, i want to be like my ammumma.

This chutney is like the saviour when everything else fails you. I love tangy stuff, be it tamarind or tomatoes. So, this is THE combo that would suite my jihva ;-)

Ingredients :

Tomatoes - 6 ripe ones
Tamarind - Gooseberry sized
Chilli powder - 2 spoons
Salt - to taste
Mustard - 1/2 spoon
Asafoetida - 1/4 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
Oil - for seasoning

Method :

Cut the tomoatoes into tiny pieces. Add some oil in a wok. When the oil is hot, add the tomatoes, tamarind and the turmeric powder. Cover and cook until half done. At this stage add the salt and let it cook till the juices start evaporating. When the tomoatoes start getting really gooy, mash them with a spoon nicely. Turn off the heat and then add the chilli powder. Season with some oil, mustard seeds and asafoetida. Your chutney is ready to be served with rice, roti and even toast.

Aratikaya vepudu (Raw Banana stir fry)

Raw Banana stir fry is a very simple and wholesome dish and can be prepared in less than 15 mins. I love it with Sambar, Dal, Curd and just as it as a starter :-)

Ingredients :

Raw Banana - 3 No.s
Chilli powder - 2 spoons
Cummin powder - 1 spoon
Salt - To taste
Oil - for shallow frying

Method :

Peel the raw banana's and cut them into cubes. Usually they change to black color after sometime. You could put them in water mixed with some curds (very little amount). This would stop these cubes from changing color. Heat the wok and pour 2 spoons of oil. When the oil is really hot, drop in one cube and make sure that its instantly starts getting fried. This is the indication that it is ready. Add the rest of the cubes and gently toss to cover all the cubes with the oil. Cover it and cook till half done. Now, add the cummin powder and fry till the raw smell of the cummin powder vanishes. At this stage add the chilli powder and salt. Fry till golden brown. Serve hot with Rice.

Masala vada

Okay ! I dont know why we call it as Masala Vada in my place and city... But, the rest of the world seem to be calling this 'Paruppu Vada' .... Whats in the name ? As long as it is crunchy, spicy and deep fried am happy ;-)

Ingredients :

Gram Dal - 3 cups
Onion - 2 large ones
Chillies - 10 nos.
Cilantro - small bunch
Curry leaves - a few
Garlic pods - 5
Oil - For deep frying
Salt - To taste

Method :

Soak the Gram dal Over night. Set aside a small portion of the soaked dal and grind the rest of it
along with green chillies and Garlic pods. hop the onions into the tiniest bits possible. Chop the cilantro and curry leaves into tiny bits. Mix all the chopped stuff into the ground batter along with the soaked dal kept aside (i like mine with a few whole dals). Shape them into disc's and deep fry until golden brown.

Note :

In case you have added more water and you are unable to shape them into disc's, you could add some besan (gram flour) to it.

Kobbari senagapappu pachadi

Kobbari senagapappu pachadi or Coconut with bengal gram chutney is a family favourite. It goes well with both rice and tiffin varieties. When we are out of jam, we even use it as our sandwich spread. Yup ! Thats me obsessed with pachadis. The quantity of chutney i eat with dosa or idly is more than the actual weight of the idli or dosa :-).... I just love chutneys. I can eat my l with just rice, pachadi and a papad. It used to be always like that before wedding. But, dear husband is not every fond of pachadi's except for the ones with coconut. So, i tend to get creative and experiement with combinations of coconut and lentils.

Ingredients :

Coconut - 1 cup
Bengal gram Dal - 1/2 cup
Red chillies - 10 nos
Cummin - 1 spoon
Mustard - 1 spoon
Split black gram dal - 1 spoon
Bengal dram
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - 5-6

For tempering

Oil - 1 spoon
Cummin - 1/2 spoon
Mustard - 1/2 spoon
Split black gram dal - 1/2 spoon

Method :

Fry the gram dal, coconut, cummin, split black gram and mustard is a spoon of oil in a wok. It would look
something like this.


Let it cool to room temperature. Make sure you always grind stuff only once it is cool. Saves both the mixer and the ground stuff. Chutney/pachadi ground when the ingredinets are hot, tends to get spoilt much quicker. Temper with cummin, mustard,black gram and curry leaves. Serve hot with Rice and ghee. You could add some water while grinding. Depending on what you want to serve this pachadi with, add water. i.e. add more water if you want to serve with dosa/idli/upma.

Simple Aloo and Tomato subji

I usually prefer something tangy with my puri. Not that i dont like chana masala and all that, but, if i prepare something as heavy as chana masala for breakfast, lunch goes for a toss and we end up eating very less for lunch. Hence, i try to keep it simple :-)

Ingredients :

Potato - 1/4 Kg
Tomato - 3 large ones (i use the tangy ones)
Green chillies - 3 nos.
Onion - 1 large one
Coriander leaves - a small bunch
Curry leaves - a few
Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
Turmeric - 2 pinches
Coriander pwdr - 1 spoon
Cummin powder - 1 spoon
Salt - to taste

For tampering:

Cummin seeds - 1/2 spoon
Mustarf - 1/2 spoon
Oil - 1 Spoon
Method :

Heat the pressure cooker. Add the oil and once it is hot, add cummin, mustard and the curry leaves. Let the mustard splutter. Once done, add the onions and fry till golden brown. At this stage add the turmeric, cummin and coriander powder. Once these start giving out a nice aroma, add the ginger garlic paste. Fry for a few seconds. Add the tomatoes and a little bit of salt. The reason for the salt is that, it would let the tomatoes get mushy faster. Once the tomatoes start giving out the juices, add the potatoes. Add some water (make sure you add only as much as required) and adjust salt to suit your taste. Pressure cook this for 3 whistles. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with Roti/Puri/Rice.

This would get done in a jiffy. You could use it as a sandwich filling also, provided you have not added too much water. Even if you had, just refrigerate and voila ! you have a sandwich filling ready.

Sattu maavu Dosa

Making a toddler eat something like 'porridge' is real nightmare. My son takes immense pleasure in spitting it our whenever i try to feed him some. So, i came up with this idea of 'Sattu maavu Dosa'.
'Sattu maavu' is nothing but a powder made up of different pulses and grains that can be given to toddlers. I made dosa's with this as he loves to eat Dosa. Not just Dosa, but anything off our plate would be his favourite ;-)

Ingredients :

Sattu Maavu - 1 Cup
Sugar - 2 tablespoons
Ghee - 1 tablespoon
Water - Just enough to prepare the batter

Method :

Mix the Sattu maavu, Sugar and Water. Let it have a little watery consistency than the usual dosa batter. Pour on very hot pan and sprinkle a few drops of ghee. Dont let it overcook as it tends to become hard. Apply some more ghee on the Dosa and Serve hot.

Verdict :

He just loved it. Even took tiny pieces of the dosa with his cute little hands and fed himself.
I am happy that in some form or the other i will be able to give him this. If you dont like to add Sugar, you could make plain dosa and serve it with little honey.

Note : This is my first post on the receipe, hence no photos as of now.

Stepping into the world of Food Blogging

Hello everyone. This is going to be my first step into this colourful and innovative world of food blogging. I know am late, better late than never isnt it ? Actually i have been reading so many food blogs and receipes that i am feeling a little (not just little, a lot actually :-) ) nervous. I feel like am entering a class where all the classmates have been together for years and i know none of them. Anyway... i know you all would make me part of your wonderful gang.