Cabbage Carrot Curry

Ingredients:

1. Cabbage - 1 cup ( cubed )
2. Carrot - 1 cup
3. Potatoes - 1 ( optional)
4. Onions - 1 (finely chopped)
5. Tomatoes - 1 
6. Coriander powder - 1.5 spoon
7. Chilli powder - 1 spoon
8. Garam masala - 1/4 spoon
9. Green chillies - 3  
10. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 spoon
11. Cilantro    
12. Curry leaves  
13. Salt as required

How to make it :

1. Take a cooker or kadai and add some oil and add some fennel seeds , cloves and bay leaves and let it splutter. 
2. Add the split green chillies and ginger garlic paste and saute for few mins.
3. Now add the onions and let it saute until its transparent and then add the tomatoes and cook for few mins.
4. Next add the turmeric powder, coriander powder + chilli powder and saute for a min and then add some water and let it cook for few mins.
5. Then add the cubed cabbage and carrots and coconut milk and then cook it until the veggie is soft and not mushy.
6. Let it simmer for few mins until oil separates.
7. Enjoy it with Dosa or white rice.

Sauted Eggs & Veggie

Sauted veggie is soo healthy and soo easy to make.Being spicy tangy in taste it can be served as appetizer or dry curry. Just take all veggie like carrots,cabbage,onions,green pepper etc you need to saute and saute it in a griddle. Just add some olive oil, salt, chilli sauce and some black pepper. Add beaten eggs and saute it. Sprinkle some lemon juice over it to give a fresh flavour. Adding egg is optinal . 

Spicy Grilled Pineapples

This is a one of the wonderful dishes Mr Chaks made it for me :) I just loved it... the tangy pineapple with spicy chillies and buttery taste.. was just awesome. Since this being the pineapple season.. i just wanted him to make it again n again :) Soo mouth watering

1. Cut pine apple little big pieces.
2. Heat the griddle and suate the pineapples with some butter. Then sprinkle some red chilli powder, salt and some black pepper.
3. Let is darken a bit on both sides.
4. Enjoy it hot :). I had it as a side for meen kolambu :) 

Masala Vadai/Paruppu vadai

               One of my all time favs and a wonderful snack for any occasion. Does not take much time to make these except for one this - is has to be deep fried, which makes us think of the calories ;)

Ingredients:

1. Channa Dhal - 2 cups (Soak 2 hours)
2. Onions - 2 (finely chopped)
3. Green chillies - 3 (chopped)
4. Ginger - 2 inch (chopped)
5. Cilantro   Chopped
6. Curry leaves Chopped
7. Salt as required

How to make it :

1. Soak channa dhal for not more than 2 hours.Take 5 spoons of soaked dhal and keep it separately.Then grind the dhal coarsely in a mixer / food processor. 
2. Add salt and all chopped items like onions,chilly,ginger,cilantro and curry leaves to the coarsely ground dhal. Now mix the soaked whole dhal into this. This will make the vada more crisper.
3. Note the more coarser the dhal is ground, more tastier is the vada. Do not add water to the batter .. it will suck more oil.
4. Now heat oil in kadai and once the oil is nice hot add the vada and deep fry the vadai until it turns color. Put the vada on tissue paper for the extra oil to be absorbed.
5. Serve it with Sambhar and chutney of your choice. 

Sambhar

              Any breakfast or tiffin in South India is incomplete without Sambhar :).So will be my blog if i dont add this here. Sooper easy and delicious.

Ingredients:

1. Toor Dhal/Lentil  -1 cup
2. Green chillies - 3 
3. Red Pepper powder - 1 spoon ( optional)
4. Tamarind pulp (Optional if tomatoes are bland)
5. Onion - 1 big
6. Tomatoes - 1 big
7. Garlic - 4 pods (Crushed)
8. Crushed black Pepper - 1/2 spoon
9. Turmeric powder - 1/4 spoon
10. Any vegetable (Drumstick/Radish/brinjal)

How to make it :

1. Pressure Cook Lentils with water for 2 whistles until they are smashy and well cooked.
2. Take a pan, add oil and add curry leaves and mustard and let it splutter.
3. Then add the crushed garlic pods and split green chillies and saute it.
4. Then add the chopped onions and let it saute for few mins. Now add the chopped tomatoes and turmeric powder,chilli powder and pepper powder.
5. Let it cook until the raw masala smell goes off. Now tranfer the cooked dhal into the pan and with vegetable with required salt and let it cook. You can add tamarind pulp if you are a fan of the tangy taste in the sambhar. 
6. Once the sambhar is ready add some cilantro to add flavour to it. Serve it with Idly,dosa , vada or Rice.

Fruit Custard

               Custards are one of the most easiest and tastiest Indian desserts. You can add fruits to it and make it a fruit custard.So simple as it sounds. Make sure the fruits you add does not ooze out water and make the custard more watery.When you choose to add bananas , remember .. add them at the last when you are ready to serve.

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 500 ml
2. Custard Powder - 3 spoons
3. Whipped cream
4. Sugar - 2 cups
5. Saffron 
6. Bananas,Strawberries,grapes,kiwi and Apple
7. Any fruit of you choice.

How to make it :

1. Boil milk in a crock pot and sugar and stir it occasionally.
2. Add the custard powder and and the saffron and let it boil.
3. Let it thicken until it becomes half of it. Make sure the milk doesn't get burnt.
4. Allow it to cool and mix the cream and leave refrigerate it so that i settles well.
5. Add the fruits little before you are ready to serve it. Make a wonderful dessert.

Tilapia Fish Curry

          My mom used to make meen kozambhu and  I have always been a big fan of this fish curry and my blog will be incomplete without this as it has lot of memories of the old times :). She usually saves it for the next day, yes it is tastier when it settles for sometime.I tried it out with Tilapia bcos we get those fresh here :).Soo easy to make and very tasty.

Ingredients:

1. Tilapia Fillets 3 (Cubed) 
2. Onion - 1 big
3. Garlic pods - 5-6 (chopped)
4. Ginger - 2 inch (chopped)
5. Green Chillies - 3
6. Tomatoes - 1 big
7. Tamarind 
8. Chilli powder
9. Salt

How to make it :

1. Cube the fishes and mix it with chilli powder, turmeric and some salt and let it marinate for sometime.
2. Take a pan add some oil and saute the fillets gently on medium flame until it turns colors. This is just to make the fish firm so that it does not dissolve in the gravy.
3. Take a kadai and add oil and green chillies and onions and let it saute well.
4. Then add the chopped garlic and ginger. Saute them until you get the aroma.
5. Add the sliced tomatoes and chilli powder and turmeric powder and let it cook until an aroma comes. Add some water and tamarind paste and let it cook.
6. Once the curry is cooked, add the tilapia fish into the curry and literally  do not stir. Let it cook for like 5 mins on medium flame and switch it off.
7. Let it settle for sometime for it to be more tastier. Serve it with hot rice. Enjoy!!

Potato- GreenPeas Curry

Ingredients:

1. Potatoes - 2 (Sliced into cubes)
2. Green Peas
3. Onions - 1 big
4. Tomatoes - 1 big
5. Ginger Garlic paste - 1 spoon
6. Coriander powder  - 2 spoons
7. Red Pepper/Chilli powder - 1 spoon
8. Turmeric powder
9. Grated Coconut - 3 spoons 

How to make it :

1. Take a pressure cooker or a kadai and add oil and add the usual stuff like cloves and some mustrad.
2. Add onions and fry until its transparent and then add the ginger garlic paste.
3. Then add the minced totmatoes and let it cook.
4. Grind the coconut and coriander powder to a paste.
5. Add the paste to the cooker and add the turmeric powder and chilli powder and let it cook, until raw smell goes off and oil seperates.
6. Now add the potatoes and the green peas and add salt and let it cook for 2 whistles.
7. Serve it with roti or white rice. Enjoy!!

Rava Laddu

Ingredients:

1.      Fine Rava/Soojii   - 2 cups

2.      Sugar  - 2 cups

3.      Ghee – 30 gms

4.      Milk – 30 ml (As required)

5.      Cardamom powder – pinch

6.      Raisins  - 20

7.      Cashews - 20

How to make it :

1. Take a pan and add 2 spoons of ghee and roast the cashews until light brown and also roast the raisins until they puff up and keep them aside
2. Now add the remaining ghee and roast the rava/soojii until a nice aroma comes. Make sure you do not burn the rava.
3. Transfer this into a big bowl and add the cardamom and the nuts and sugar and mix well.
4. Then add milk as required so that it is in a consistency to make perfect balls. Don’t add too much or too little.
5. You can also transfer the above mix to the kadai and cook it for 2 mins in low flame, but I didn’t do that as my consistency was good for making  the ladoo.
6. Make the laddoo  and let them dry for some time and then store it in a container and put it in the refrigerator

Murukku (Diwali Special)



Ingredients:

1.       Rice flour – 3 cups

2.      Bengal Gram (Pottu kadalai)/ roasted gram flour – 1 cup

3.      Chilli powder – 2 spoons (as required)

4.      Roasted urad flour – 3 to 4 spoons

5.      Salt as per taste

6.      Ajwain seeds – 1 spoon

7.      Sesame seeds – 1 spoon

8.      Butter – ½ to  ¾ stick

How to make it :

1. Soak rice for   2 – 3  hours and grind it with little water as possible or use rice flour from Indian stores. I did it the traditional way.
2. Grind and sieve Bengal gram or use roasted gram power.
3. Ghee roast the urad dhal flour until aroma comes and let is cool and grind it to fine powder and seive it.
4. Take a big bowl and mix all the above with salt and chilli powder and the ajwain/sesame seeds and mix it well.
5. Take the mix in the murrukku machine and squeeze it into desired shapes and designs with various plates.
6. Heat oil in a kadai and deep fry the murukku until its cooked. Let it cool for some time and store it in a air tight container.
7. Enjoy diwali with tasty murukku. Happy Diwali



Bean Coconut Curry

Ingredients :

1.      Vegetable oil                         - 2 tablespoons

2.      Cumin seeds                         - 1 tablespoon

3.      Black mustard seeds            - 1 teaspoon

4.      Cloves                                   - 5 whole

5.      Grated fresh ginger              - 2 tablespoon

6.      Grated fresh garlic (3-4 large cloves) - 1 tablespoon

7.      Onion sliced thin                    - 1 large

8.      Salt                                         -   (As required)

9.      Sugar                                     - 2 teaspoons

10.     ground cumin                         - 1 teaspoon

11.     turmeric                                 – 1/4 teaspoon

12.     Chilli powder                         -  1/2 teaspoon (or to taste)-

13.     Shredded coconut - 1/4 cup

14.     Tomato                                - 1 chopped

15.     1/2 red bell pepper sliced

16.     1 pound fresh green beans trimmed and cut into 1″ pieces

17.     1/3 cup vegetable stock (or water)

18.     1/4 cup plain yogurt

19.     minced cilantro for garnish

How to make it :

1.  Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add the cumin seeds, black mustard seeds, and cloves. Stir around until the spices start to make a crackling noise. Add the garlic and ginger and give it a coupe stirs. Add the onion, salt and sugar, turn down the heat to medium low and fry stirring periodically until the onions are soft and starting to brown.

2.  Add the cumin, turmeric, cayenne pepper, coconut, tomato, bell pepper green beans and stock and stir to combine. Partially cover with a lid and cook until the green beans are tender (about 15-20 minutes). You want them cooked longer than if you were just blanching them so they absorb the flavor of the curry, but they shouldn’t be mushy either.

3.  When the green beans are done, taste for salt and spice and adjust as needed. When the flavor is to your liking, turn off the heat and stir in the yogurt. Top the green bean curry with minced cilantro and serve immediately with some basmati rice or roti/naan.



Kolukatti - Vinayagar Chadhurthi

Collard Green Kolambu(Keerai kolambu)

Collard greens is a rich source of iron content which is a substitute to the murangakai keerai we get back in India. Yes it also tastes the same. Drumstick used to be one of my favorite back in india… every Saturday we used to have this keerai . Was missing it a lot only then my sis introduced this greens to me. I had made stir in these greens many times but this curry has become one my hubby’s favorite  and mine too :).. Just love to have this with rice and some appalam or vadagam

1.      Collard Greens     – 1 bunch

2.      Onions                 –  1 chopped

3.      Green chili            - 3

4.      Chilly powder       - 1 spoon

5.      Grated Coconut           - 1 cup

6.      Salt as per taste

How to make it :

1.       Wash,cut the collard greens with onions, slit green chillies, chilli powder , turmeric and salt with some water.

2.      Then grind coconut with little water and add this to the greens once it is cooked well.

3.      Then take a kadai and add the tempering to the greens as per ur taste.

4.      Enjoy this with hot rice and appalam.



Chicken Cutlet

Tofu Curry

 I really wanted to post this Tofu gravy the first time i made it, but was too lasy to take potos ;).. Its time now for this mouth watering dish to get into my blog :). Tofu is a very good substitute for vegetarians :), highly nutritious. 

Ingredients:

1. Extra firm Tofu - 10-15 pieces (cubed)
2. Onions - 1 large
3. Tomatoes - 2 medium
4. Bell pepper - 1 (It adds lots of flavour)
5. Coriander Power - 11/2 spoon
6. Garam masala - 1/2 spoon
7. Coconut milk - 1 or 2 spoons (optional )
8. Chilly powder - 1 spoon
9. Ginger Garlic paste  - 1 spoon
10. Cilantro 
11. Salt 
12. Seasoning  - Cloves,Bay leaf,Cinnamon 
13. Soy sauce - 1 spoon

How to make it:

1. Take the pan and add oil to it. Add the seasoning stuff and sauté it. Then add thinly sliced onions. Let it fry for a minute then ginger garlic paste and add the cubed Tofu in the pan. Let the tofu get fried till it becomes golden brown on all sides. 
2. Now add the bell pepper and let it fry for sometimes. Make sure its crunchy!!
3. Now add all the masalas into it - coriander powder,chilly powder,garam masala,turmeric powder,salt and let it fry for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Now add the tomatoes and little soy sauce and water as necessary and let it cook until the raw smell goes off. make sure you don't break the tofu pieces.
5. Now garnish with Cilantro and serve hot with Chappathis or Tortillas. Enjoy!!

Aviyal

       I had a variety of veggie but all in small quantity which forced me make this aviyal.This is a very special dish to me. When i was in college, this was one of my favorites in hostel.. Those days of boarding :).. Really miss those times !!Sooper duper easy recipe which takes not more than 15 minutes  to make it.

Ingredients:

1. Veggies - Beans,drumstick,Carrots,Snake gourd/Yam (Anything which is left over )
2. Butter milk / Churned Yogurt  - 1 cup.
3. Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
4. Grated coconut - 3 spoons
5. Ginger - 1 inch
6. Green chillies  - 4 (as per spice level)
7. Curry leaves 
8. Salt
9. Curry leaves 
10. Coconut oil

How to make it:

1. Steam cook the veggies and keep it aside with little salt.
2. Grind grated coconut, cumins seeds, ginger , curry leaves and green chillies. You can add 1 or 2 cashews in this to add more taste to it ;). I'm lill calorie conscious, so i did not!!
3. Now take a kadai and add Coconut oil, and add cumin seeds, mustard and curry leaves and allow it to splutter. 
4. Now add the grind paste and the veggie and allow it to cook. Add required salt and let it cook in medium flame. You can feel the aroma coconut oil all over your kitchen :)
5. Once the raw smell goes off, switch off the flame and now add the butter milk and let it stay on the stove for 2 -3 mins. You can keep the stove in "low" if you feel its little raw.
6. Garnish with Cilantro and server hot with rice and Vadagam / brinjal fry :). Enjoy!!!

Mushroom Yellow Curry

      This week has been a week with recipes more of Bell pepper :) ..Guess what... my colleague gave me lots of peppers from her garden and some how i had to use them in all i cook. Have to agree with this ... It adds very good fresh flavor to all dishes and goes well with coconut milk. A must try recipe :) 

Ingredients:

1. Mushrooms 
2. Yellow bell peppers ( i chose yellow because of the name ;))
3. Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
4. Onions - 2 
5. Tomato - 2
6. Coriander powder - 1 1/2 spoon
7. Garam masala - 1/2 spoons
8. Coconut milk - 2 spoons
9. Cilantro 
10. Butter - 2 spoons
11. Turmeric powder , Salt

How to make it :

1. Cut the mushrooms and clean them.Cube the pepper and set aside.
2. Now add oil/butter to the hot pan and add the usual seasoning stuff and then add the onions and allow them to turn light brown then add the ginger garlic paste and let the raw smell go off.
3. Now add tomatoes to them and sauté well. Add the mushrooms and  then add all the masala, turmeric powder and salt and let it cook for sometime. 
4. Once the mushroom is cooked add the pepper and let it cook for a minute and then add coconut milk and let it cook for some more time. Let it cook be in medium flame until the oil separates.
5. Garnish with Cilantro and enjoy with Paratha / Chappathi. Enjoy!!!

Medhu Vada (Blackgram Vada)

Green Peas Pulav

Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice – 1 cup

2. Green Peas - 1 cup (Frozen/Fresh)

3. Onion – 2 (Thinly sliced)

4. Ginger Garlic paste – 1 spoon

5. Green chilli – 3

6. Garam masala – 1 ½ spoon

7. Mint – ½ bunch

8. Cashews – 5

9. Ghee – 2 spoons

10. Coconut milk – ½ cup

11. Bay leaf,Cloves,Cinamon

12. Salt and oil.

Recipe:

1. Soak basmati rice for 10 mins and then fry it in ghee with the Bay leaf,Cloves,Cinamon. This helps the rice to be fresh and separate.

2. Take a pan , add ghee and little oil to it. Then add the spices Bay leaf,Cloves,Cinamon and let it to splutter.

3. Then add ginger garlic paste and let it cook. Now add green chillies and let it cook.

4. Next add the onions and cook until it is transparent. Now add the mint leaves and after 2 mins add the green peas with salt, garam masala and salt. Let it cook until the raw smell goes off.

5. Now transfer the contents to rice cooker and put the rice to it. Now add 1 cup of water and ½ cup coconut milk (if u like it). Add little pepper to the mixture if u like nice spicy pulav.

6. Enjoy it with chicken kurma or Cucumber raitha.

Spicy Brussel Sprouts

Ingredients:

Brussels Sprouts - 10-12 buds

Onion - 1, finely chopped

Corriander seeds - 2 tbsp

Channa Dal - 1 tbsp

Urad Dal - 1 tbsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Dried Red chillies - 3 big

Asafoetida Powder - 1/2 tsp

Coconut - 1 tsp, shredded

Tamarind - a small ball size

Salt - as required

How to make it:

1.Wash Brussels sprouts and slit open on the bulb end like 'X'. Steam cook until half done, for about 5 minutes. 

2.Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, roast red chillies, corriander seeds, channa dal, uraddal and fenugreek seeds until golden brown. Let it cool. Add coconut, asafoetida powder, tamarind and salt and grind into a thick paste. 

3.Take a spoon of the paste and stuff inside the slit brussels sprouts.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry until golden brown. Add the stuffed brussels sprouts and the remaining paste. 

5.Cook covered on a low flame turning to the other side at regular intervals to get them evenly roasted. Cook until done. 

Serve hot! I made this as a side dish for mor kuzhambhu and the combination was perfect.

Aaloo Capsicum Gravy

Kaara Chutney

Kadalai Curry

Soya Chunks Gravy

Ingredients:

1. Soya chunks – 1 ½ Cup
2. Tomatoes – 3
3. Onions – 2
4. Green Chilli – 3
5. Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
6. Turmeric powder – ¼ spoom
7. Chilli powder – ½ spoon
8. Corainde Powder - 1 spoon
9. Garam masala – ½ spoon
10. Coconut milk - 2 spoons (If needed )

Recipe:

1. Soak soya chunks in hot water for about 10 mins and then wash it and soak it in cold water.
2. Take a pan and add oil and add your usual spices stuff like cloves. Bay leaves etc and allow it to splutter. Then add the ginger garlic paste and allow it to cook.
3. Now add green chilli and curry leaves to it. Let it cook and then add thinly sliced onions. Cook till they become golden. Add some salt to cook the onions faster.
4. Add the tomatoes and sauté them until its cooked well. And then add turmeric, chilli,coriander and garam masala. Add salt as required. Cook until raw smell goes off and oil separates from gravy.
5. After that, add soya and add little water if necessary and let it cook with lid.
6. After the soya is like 90 % cooked u can add coconut milk if u like. This will thicken the gravy and also give a creamy taste to it.
7. Simmer the stove for like 5 mins and garnish it with Cilantro.
8. Enjoy this with dosa/Rice/chappathi.

Banana Nut Bread

Here is all that you need

1 stick butter
3 ripe bananas
1 tsp good vanilla extract
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup sugar
A pinch of salt
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
A loaf pan

Method

1. Mash the 3 bananas and add the puree into a mixing bowl.
2. Add melted butter, vanilla extract, sugar, a pinch of salt, baking soda next and mix using a spatula. (You can add one egg if you wish)
3. Add the flour and mix again until lump free.
4. Pour the mixture into a buttered loaf pan and bake for 1 hour @ 350 degrees.
5. Once out of the oven, allow to cool for a while.

Slice them the way you like and enjoy! Ideal for breakfast with orange juice and some blueberries!

Chicken Sukka Gravy

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1/2 lb (Cubes)
2. Yogurt - 2 Spoons
3. Coriander Powder - 2 spoons
4. Chilli Powder - 1 spoon
5. Pepper Powder - 1 spoo
6. Turmeric Powder - 1/4 spoon
7. Garam Masala - 1/2 spoon
8. Ginger Garlic Paster - 1 1/2 spoon
9. Onion - 1 1/2 (Thinly sliced)
10. Green Capsicum - 1 (cubes)
11. Onion - 1/2 cubes
12. Lemon - 1
13. Salt

Recipe:

1. Marinate chicken in yogurt,chilli powder, pepper powder,turmeric powder,Garam masala, coriander powder,lemon juice and little salt. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Take a pan, saute thinly onions with ginger garlic paste. Then add the marination and cook it for 10 minutes in high flame. Add water little if necessary.
3. Then open the lid and add the cubed capsicum and onions and fry the chicken for another 10 mins on medium flame. If u want the chicken very dry, fry it accordingly.
4. Garnish with cilantro and server hot with Naan or Rice. Enjoy!!

Kale Aaloo

Ingredients:

1. Kale - 1 bunch (Chopped cube size)
2. Aaloo - 2
3. Roasted Bengal Gram - 2 spoon
4. Coconut Powder - 1/4 cup
5. Red Chilli - 2-3
6. Garlic - 2 pods
7. Ginger - 1 inch peeled
8. Urad Dal - 1 spoon
9. Turmeric powder
10. Salt as required.

Recipe:

1. Powder roasted bengal gram,coconut powder,garlic and ginger.
2. Cook potatoes and keep aside.
3. Temper the urad dal, mustrad, red chilli and then add Kale and allow it to cook 3/4th.Add salt as required.
4. Add Potatoes and the grinded powder and add some water and cook it soft.
5. Serve hot with chappati or Rice.Enjoy!!

Ennai kathirikai Kolambu

Ingredients:

1. Brinjal (small size) - 10 nos
2. Onion big size - 1
3. Tomato - 1
4. Garlic - 10 pods
5. Turmeric - 1/4 spoon
6. Chilli Powder - 1 spoon
7. Coriander Powder - 1 - 1 1/2 spoon
8. Tamarind - lemon size
9. Oil

Stuffing Powder:

1. Coriander - 1 spoon
2. Channa Dal - 1 spoon
3. Poppy seeds - 1/2 spoon ( Optional)
4. Red Chilli - 2 -3
5. Curry Leaves
6. Coconut grated - 1/4 cup

Take a pan and fry all the above items and powder it dry. This is used for stuffing the brinjals. If remaining, can be used in the curry.

Recipe:

1. Cut the brinjals length wise with the base intact. Put them in water. Then fill the brinjals with the powder. Then fry it in a pan with enough oil until the brinjal turns color.
2. Take a kadai to add oil, mustards allow it to splutter. Then add onions and garlic and fry it well until translucent. Then add tomatoes and add coriander powder, chilli powder and turmeric powder and fry it.
3. Add tamarind water and allow it to boil after adding salt.
4. Then Add the sauted brinjal and simmer the heat.
5. Allow it to cook well until the oil seperates.
6. Enjoy it with rice,chappathi or parota.