Friday, August 31, 2012

Avocado Milk Shake



Ingredients
Avocado: 2
Chilled Milk: 1 ltr
Sugar: 1 cup (as per taste)    
Method Of Preparation
Peel and separate  the Avocado pulp and seed.
In a blender add the avocado pulp, sugar and some milk.
Blend well and transfer to a bowl.
Add the balance milk and stir well.
Serve Chilled.

Thursday, August 30, 2012

Spinach-Egg Stir Fry


Ingredients
Spinach green/Red): ½ bunch
Egg: 3
Onion: 1
Green Chilli: 3
Ginger: 1/2 “piece
Turmeric powder: ¼ tsp
Salt: needed
Coconut oil/refined oil: 4tbsp          
Method Of Preparation
Heat oil in a pan add finely chopped ginger pieces, when it turns slight brown add the chopped onion and green chilli.
Stir till it becomes translucent. Add turmeric powder and then add finely chopped spinach.
Add salt, lower the flame and close with a lid for 2-3 minutes.
When spinach is ¾ cooked (it takes only 2-4 minutes to get spinach cooked, don’t over cook. All the leafy vegetable when over cooked becomes slight bitter taste.) Add the egg to it.
Increase the flame a bit and continue stirring till you get the egg done.
Serve hot.


Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Poovada

HAPPY ONAM TO ALL
Ingredients

Rice Flour (Ari Podi/Pathiri Podi): 1 cup
Water: 1 ¼ cups
Grated Coconut: 2 cups ( Approx)
Grated Jaggery: 1 cup (Approx.)
Salt: needed               
Method Of Preparation
In a bowl add water and enough salt and put on flame.
When water boils add rice flour to it and stir well and lower the flame and continue stirring for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
When it is slightly cooled knead well without lumps. Take time and knead it well till you get it very soft.
Take lemon sized balls from it and roll to 1/2 “ thick chappathi (you can use pathiri press to make this)
Take the chappathi and keep on your palm and add little grated coconut and little jaggery to it.
Fold it into a crescent  shape (fold into half) and seal the edges and make impression with fingers at the sealed edges ( you also get poovada maker in the market).
Do the same process with the rest of the dough.
Take the steamer and arrange the prepared poovadas and steam to about 10-15 minutes.
Switch off the flame and open the steamer and take out the poovadas only after it is slightly cooled so that you can get it neatly.
OR you can also deep fry the poovadas in oil.


Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Puli Inji



Ingredients
Tamarind: 1 big lemon sized
Ginger finely chopped: 4tbsp
Green Chilli chopped: 3tbsp (as per your tolerance)
Jaggery powdered: 4-5tbsp
Salt: ½ tsp
Coconut oil/any refined oil: 3-4 tbsp
Mustard seeds: ½ tsp
Curry leaves: 1 string
Method Of Preparation
Soak tamarind in warm water to about 5-10 minutes.
Extract the juice from it. (Should be about 1 ½ -2 ½ cups). Keep this aside.
Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds and add curry leaves.
Add ginger pieces to it and roast until it slightly changes the color and then add the chopped green chillies.
Roast it for about 2minutes. Then add the tamarind juice to it.
Let the tamarind juice boil and become thick.
When it starts to thicken add jaggery and salt to it.
From this stage stir continuously till you get the consistency of puli inji.
Switch off the flame. When cooled store in clean dry and air tight bottle.


Monday, August 27, 2012

Sambharam/Spiced Butter Milk



Ingredients
Yogurt/Curd: 1 cup
Ginger: 1” piece
Lemon Leaf: 3
Curry leaves: 2 strings
Green chilli: 2
Chilled Water: 2 ½ -4cups
Lemon Juice: 3tbsp (optional) (I add when the curd is not too sour, I feel addition of lemon juice gives nice flavor to it)
Salt: needed
Method Of Preparation
In a blender add yogurt, ginger, green chilli, Lemon leaf and curry leaves.
Blend it well.
Strain it into a bowl and add water and salt. Stir it.
Add lemon juice if needed and stir again.
Serve chilled. 

Sunday, August 26, 2012

Garlic-Bird's Eye Chilli Pickle


You can check the health benefits of Bird’s Eye Chilli here
Ingredients
Indian Garlic whole peeled: 4 cups
Bird’s Eye Chilli/Kanthari Mulak (whole): 2 cups
Kashmiri Chilli Powder: 4-5 tbsp. (as per tolerance)
Asafetida: 1 ½ tbsp
Mustard Powder: 1tbsp (dry roast mustard seeds and powder it)
Fenugreek seeds: ¼ tsp
Mustard Seeds: few
Curry leaves: few
Coconut/refined oil: ¼ cup
Vinegar: 2 cups
Salt: required
Method Of Preparation
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and fenu greek seeds. Then add curry leaves to it.
Put the flame in very low and add chilli powder, asafetida powder and mustard powder to it. Stir well and switch off the flame.
Let it cool a bit and add garlic and bird’s eye chilli to it. Add salt and stir well.
Then add vinegar to it. (You can adjust the quantity of pickle according to your desired consistency of the pickle.)
Stir well and when cooled well store in an air tight bottle.


Saturday, August 25, 2012

Spring Onion Thoran



Ingredients
Spring Onion: 1 bunch
Shallots: 3
Mustard Seeds: ½ tsp
Salt: needed
Turmeric Powder: ¼ tsp
Coconut grated: ¼ cup
Green Chilli: 3 (as per your taste)
Coconut Oil: 3tbsp
Method Of Preparation
In a blender add grated coconut and green chilli and blend coarsely. Keep this aside.
Wash and chop spring onion. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds and add chopped shallots to it.
When shallots turns translucent, add turmeric powder and stir.
Then add chopped spring onions and salt stir and close with a lid for 3 minutes. (Don’t overcook)
After 3 minutes open the lid and stir frequently till you get it done.
When it is done add the blended coconut, stir well and switch off the flame.


Friday, August 24, 2012

Mint Lemonade


Ingredients
Lemon: 6
Mint leaves: 6-8 leaves
Cardamom pods: 3
Ginger: ½ “piece
Sugar: 2 ¼ cups Approx. (as per taste)
Chilled Water: 1.5 ltr
Method Of Preparation
In a blender add mint leaves, cardamom pods, ginger and sugar. Add some water and blend it for 2-3 minutes.
Strain it and squeeze the lemon juice to it.
Add the balance water and stir.
Serve chilled. Can add fresh mint leaves to it while serving.


Thursday, August 23, 2012

Veg.Salad With Tahini Dressing


Ingredients
Onion: 1
Carrot: 1
Cucumber: 1
Tomato: 1
Capsicum: 1
Tahini sauce: 1 cup (or as per taste)
Black Olives whole: 10-15
Salt: needed
Olive Oil: 2tbsp
Lemon juice: 2tbsp (optional)
Method Of Preparation
Heat oil in a pan and add capsicum and roast it for few minutes without losing its crunchiness.
Chop carrot, onion, cucumber and tomato.
In a bowl take all the vegetables, black olives and add tahini sauce and salt if needed.
Mix well with spoon.
Add lemon juice (this step is optional, if you like it a bit tangy you can add lemon juice otherwise avoid the step.)
Refrigerate it for one hour and serve chilled.



Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Cherupayar Parippu Payassam



Ingredients
Cherupayar Parippu/ Splitted moong dhal: 250gms
Jaggery: 650gms
Coconut Milk Powder: 150 gms (can use 1 cup 1st thick fresh coconut milk+ 3cups 2nd coconut milk)
Salt: a pinch
Coconut pieces/Thenga Koth: ½ cup
Raisins and cashews: few
Cardamom powder: 1tsp
Dry ginger powder: ½ tsp
Water: as required
Ghee: 2tbsp
Method Of Preparation
Heat a non stick pan and dry roast the cherupayar parippu to about 3-4 minutes without much changing its color
When it is cooled wash and pressure cook by adding needed water. Switch off the flame after 3 whistles and Open the cooker only after the pressure releases.
In another pan, melt jaggery by adding 1 cup water. Strain and keep aside. Dilute the coconut milk powder in 1 cup water and keep aside.
Open the pressure cooker and switch on the flame.
Stir well and add melted jaggery to it.
When boils lower the flame and stir continuously (if using fresh coconut milk add the 2nd coconut milk at this stage and let it boil well and become thick)
When it becomes thick add the diluted coconut milk powder to it. Switch off the flame when you get the consistency of payassam.(if using fresh coconut milk add the thick fresh coconut milk at this stage and don’t allow it to boil.)
Heat ghee in a pan and roast the coconut pieces, cashews and raisins. Add this to the prepared payassam. Add cardamom and dry ginger powder. Add this all as soon as you switch off the flame and close with a lid for 5 minutes.
Serve hot or cold.



Tuesday, August 21, 2012

Fish Fry With Bird's Eye Chilli


You can check the health benefits of Bird’s Eye Chilli here

Ingredients
Fish: 500gms
Shallots: 10-15
Ginger: 1 small piece
Garlic Cloves: 5
Birds Eye Chilli/Kanthaari Mulak: 15-20 (as per your tolerance)
Curry leaves: 3 strings
Salt: needed
Coconut Oil: 5-6tbsp
Method Of Preparation
Clean, Wash and make slits on fish and keep aside.
In a blender add shallots, ginger, garlic, curry leaves, Birds Eye Chilli and salt. Blend to a smooth paste.
In a bowl take the shallot paste, add 1tbsp coconut oil to it and add fish to it and mix well with hand.
Marinate to about 1 hour.
Heat a wide non-stick pan and add coconut oil and shallow fry the fish in low flame till both sides get cooked.
Serve hot with rice.






Monday, August 20, 2012

Soya Chunks Pulav



Ingredients
Basmathi Rice: 2 ½ cups
Water: 4 cups
Soya chunks: ½ cup
Onion: 1
Mixed vegetables with corn: 1 cup (I used carrot, beans, green peas and corn)
Ginger-Garlic Paste: 1tbsp
Lemon Juice: of 1 lemon
Bay leaves: 2
Cloves: 5
Cardamom: 4
Aniseed: 2
Cinnamon Stick: 2
Salt: needed
Butter/Ghee/Refined Oil: 4-6tbsp (you can use more ghee if needed)
Coriander leaves: few (optional)
Method Of Preparation
Wash and soak rice for about 1 hour. (Drain it after 1 hour)
Soak soya chunks in hot water to about 15-20 minutes. Then squeeze and wash well and keep aside. (Squeeze and wash well so as to remove the raw smell of soya chunks)
Heat butter/ghee in a pan add thinly sliced onion and take out when it turns golden brown and keep aside.
To the same ghee add the mixed vegetables, sauté for 3-4 minutes and take out from ghee and keep aside.
Then add the soya chunks to it and roast it for 4-5 minutes and take out from ghee.
Then add bay leaves, cinnamon, cardamom, cloves and aniseed to it and stir for a minute and add ginger garlic paste and stir for a minute. Then add water to it. When water boils add drained rice, roasted vegetables and soya chunks to it.
Add salt and lemon juice too. Close with a lid.
When boils lower the flame and stir occasionally till you get it done.
Switch off the flame and add fried onions and coriander leaves.
Serve hot with any kind of raita or any side dish as per your desire.



Sunday, August 19, 2012

Olive-Zatar Focaccia


EID MUBARAK 
Ingredients
Wheat Flour: 4cups
Yeast: 2tsp
Sugar: 1 ½ tsp
Salt: needed
Olive oil: 2tbsp
Warm water: 1 ¼ cups (or as needed)
For Topping
Black Olives: needed
Zatar: 4-5tbsp (you can add more if needed)
Olive Oil: 3-4 tbsp
Egg white/milk: for brushing


Method Of Preparation
In a bowl add sugar, yeast and ¼ cup luke warm water. Wait for 5-8 minutes till it gets fermented.
In another bowl take wheat flour and salt.
Then add the fermented yeast, olive oil and warm water and knead to form soft dough (the dough should not be too sticky or too hard, consistency is somewhat sticky dough)
Wait for 45 minutes-1 hour or till the dough double its size.
Take the dough and roll on a floured or oily surface.
Roll flat to a 1 ½ ” thick dough. Brush the top with egg white.
Mix olive oil and zatar together and brush on top of the dough well. Press with fingers on top or prick with a fork. Spread the chopped olives on top of the dough.
Cover with a damp cloth and wait for another 15-20 minutes.
Meanwhile preheat the oven.
Bake at 1800C to about 45-50 minutes or till done.
Cool on a wire rack
Slice and serve.

Note: While you use wheat flour, knead the dough with warm water so as to get good outcome.