Gongura Mutton / Sorrel leaves with Lamb or Goat

This post has been sitting in my drafts for a long time...well to say actually lots of recipes are sitting in my drafts for a long time and the corresponding pictures in my pictures folder - resting! They both are not able to get together at all! I am sure the drafts are longing for the pictures and the pictures are longing for their drafts. Hopefully I will be able to bring both of them together soon! :)

Can't believe its 1st of Feb already and maybe that's the reason for all the lovey dovey mushiness going on! Its in the atmosphere, the commercially made atmosphere that is!!!
Well I don't mind it though! Atleast people get one day or one month, which ever the case maybe to declare their undying love or care for their better half or their future better half! I think its a good idea - we may not have time in our every day life and so Valentine's day reminds us to tell that some special person that 'We love them and we care for them'. I hope everyone will 'make use' of this day to it extreme! :) We shall talk about that later!

Gongura being a very popular for us Andhaites and I am sure many of you have heard about the numerous preparations with it. Here is one more popular dish called Gongura mutton. This can be made with lamb or goat, which ever you like or which ever is available at the time! A big bunch of sorrel leaves and some simple spices make this dish very delicious and yummy!
Though it takes a little long time to cook, the meat cooks, becomes tender and delectable! All the spices marinate with the meat and make a good gravy which can be eaten with rice or with rotis.

Ingredients:

1 lb mutton (bite sized pieces)
1 big bunch of gongura leaves (about 1/2 lb of leaves only)

2 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
2 tbsp gasalu kobari paste, poppy seeds (gus gus) and coconut paste ( 1 1/2 tbsp coconut powder and 1/2 tbsp gus gus , made into paste with some water) (This is optional)
2-3 tsp of chilli powder (you may add more if you want it more spicy....I used plenty more)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp garam masala powder
chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste

Method:

Chop the gongura leaves, add them to a empty pot, add about 1/4 cup of water, cover it and put it on medium heat. When they are half way cooked through, add some salt and chilli powder. Let it cook fully through, which means, it becomes completely soft and mushy. Use the back of the spoon or spatula to mash it up even more. If you like it totally smooth, just process it using a hand blender or food processor. When cooked it will be about 1 cup of cooked gongura leaves.

In another pot, add the oil and saute the onions until they are translucent.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for another minute.
Add the chopped mutton and some salt. Let this cook for about 6-7 minutes. Add the tomato and keep cooking for another 5 minutes.
Now add the gasalu kobari paste, turmeric, chilli powder and keep cooking for another 15-20 minutes, until its cooked through. If they isn't enough water in the mutton, add some.
When the mutton is cooked through, add the mushy gongura leaves, some extra water, garam masala and coriander leaves. Let this cook for another 10 minutes, until the curry thickens to required consistency.
Serve it along side hot steamy rice or some hot rotis.
If you like the sour taste of gongura leaves and like a spicy gravy, I am sure you will like this.
Enjoy!!!

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Pan Fried Masala Fried Fish Fillet

Well December is already here, which means few birthdays in our family and holidays for sure! Which also means lots and lots of cooking. I am hoping I can make some new dishes using some real easy ingredients! I will be sharing them with you guys so stay tuned! Dishes which will be easy to put together in time for busy days!
I am hooked on to Pinterest these days. There are some real cool stuff DIY stuff in there. if you haven't checked it out as yet, be sure to do it! Also knitting and crochet, one of passions, I have been looking at stuff and wish I could do all that I see. Which is like impossible but no wrong in wishing so right! :)
I am going to start on another knitting project, this time on the loom, a big project too, so lets see how it goes!

So with the first birthday in our home..here is what I cooked. Simple and easy to put together for sure. Delicious to eat too! Dish of the day was - Pan fried Masala Fried Fish on a bed of Vegetable pulao with a side of Onion Raita. :) wow big name!! :)


Ingredients:

4 Fish fillets (I used Tilapia, can use any white fish fillets)

Masala:

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp gus gus / khus khus / gasagasalu / white poppy seeds
2 tsp dried coconut powder or flakes
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp tumeric powder
1/2 tbsp chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp jeera / cumin powder
salt to taste
1 tbsp of oil for 2 fillets of fish.

Method:

Grind the masala into a smooth paste with very less water.
Rub the masala over the fish fillet, more like patting it on the fillet.
Let it marinate for about 1/2 hour to 2 hours.
Heat oil in a large pan and fry the fillets till they are cooked on both sides by flipping them once or twice, on medium low heat for about 5-7 minutes, till the masala also gets fried to brown in color.
Serve with Rice of your choice.
Enjoy!!!

** I made a simple rice cooker pulao to go with it. Ground all the dry masala and sauteed with the vegetables of choice, only till they are half cooked. Substituted 1 cup of rice for the rice with coconut milk. Some coriander leaves and mint leaves to go with it. Everything goes into the rice cooker to cook.
Another method: Simple Rice Cooker Pulao

** Onion raita

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Stuffed Okra with Coconut and Spices / Bharwan Bendi

 
Hi everyone! Here I am, back again after a long hiatus!
Had some mishappenings on side, which made it difficult to post. Tho I was missing it very much, I had no choice, but to lay dormant for a while.

First, after my computer crashed and was fixed, it crashed yet again, this time taking all my new pictures along with it. I was very much disappointed and frustrated. I didn't want that to happen again, so I didn't copy anymore pictures onto this computer. I didn't want to loose them again! At least my old pictures are still intact and are not effected! I am hoping to get a new computer within the next couple of weeks, so that I can again start taking new pictures again.

Second, my little one had a fall and hurt behind his head. Due to which we ended up spending 5 days in the ICU. He had to have a head surgery to remove the clots which formed due to his fall. One of the biggest nightmares of my life. He really did give us a scare! Thanks to God's grace, he is doing much better now and back to his normal naughty self! Healing time is long, almost 6-10 months, so we just are careful now that he doesn't fall again. But what can we say to 4 yr olds and who can keep them from running around?

Then I had a writer's block or should I say a blogger's block??!!
I wanted to write but just couldn't bring myself to do it! I don't know if it was the crash of the laptop or my kiddo's fall, but I just didn't feel like doing it!
But I couldn't stay away for long, I had to come back! And I am glad I did!
Thinking about food and clicking pictures always makes me happy and hopefully this will lead to a better way!

I am still using my old laptop, but hopefully move on to a newer desktop soon! Then I will start taking to new food clicks, but for now I am posting a recipe from my drafts. I hope you guys will enjoy it!

Bharwan Bendi

Ingredients:

15-20 Bendi / Bendakaya / Okra, Washed and slitted in the middle

1 cup grated coconut (fresh or dried can be used, I used dried)
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp jeera powder
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp amchoor powder
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp chilli powder
pinch of turmeric
salt to taste

Oil for shallow fry

(You can also add thinly chopped onions if you wish, But I like to omit it)

Method:

Wash and dry the okra with a paper towel. Make a slit from the top to the bottom of the bendi, to make a pocket. You can cut the top off or leave it intact, either way is fine, just don't slit it all the way down.

Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl. Taste to see if the salt and spice is right, if not adjust accordingly.

Stuff this mixture into slits of the bendakaya. Stuff all the bendi in the same way.

Heat a tbsp of oil in a shallow frying pan. Shallow fry the okra, a few at a time to avoid crowding the pan. If you crowd the pan, they will not become crisp and they may become soft.

Sprinkle salt on them, just very little, cause we already added salt the stuffing.

Fry till they are brown, flip them over and fry for another couple of minutes.

Remove onto a plate and sprinkle chopped coriander leaves on the top.

Serve as a side dish with rice or roti. I just love to eat them just like that too. Great for snacking I should say!:)

Enjoy!!!

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Vegetarian Tostada with Papaya Orange Pico de gallo

 Wishing all the women in my life, and all the people I have come across in this blogging journey a very happy "International Women's Day".
And also to my Mom who has been my inspiration who has been supportive in all ways through this Journey.
My MIL, who has given me some good and interesting recipes and is supportive too.
And my Sister, who has been a person who I can lean on to when I need any kind of help and also been supportively useful in all ways! :) Don't we all like to take advantage of little sisters! :)

Today is also Holi - a colorful festival, celebration in India. It falls on the full moon day towards the end of winter season. It celebrates the start of farming season for good harvests and good fertile lands. There is also a religious aspect to it, which is the end of cold and darkness and bringing in the purity in the form of light and brightness.

Holi is the start of spring season which brings in different colors, this shown by playing with colors, colorful water among young and old.
Brings back memories of when we were in India, and used to watch kids play with colors. Yes watch, I never played much Holi, but did enjoy watching kids. But loved to eat all the different sweets made on that day.

So technically, I should be making sweets, but I thought why not combine Women's day and Holi and make something which is colorful and healthy for both occasions.
Isn't celebrating being a woman, mean eat healthy and as a celebration for good harvest and fertile land, also mean lots and lots of vegetables and fruit! :)

 
So for this occasion, I came up with a Vegetarian Tostada with Papaya Orange Pica de Gallo. A very easy dish which tastes just as wonderful. Lots of fruit and veggies on the top making it healthy and guilt free.
So as the story goes, I brought all the ingredients for making this and also brought canned black beans...only didn't see that I picked up the wrong can. It turned out to be refried black beans.

My first idea was to spread fresh salsa on the corn tortillas and then pile it with the pico de gallo, which was going to contain the whole black beans.
But since it was refried, I made it this way - spread the refried on the bottom and piled it with the pico de gallo.
the fun part of this dish is that you can modify it the way you like it. Add as many ingredients as you wish and make it as yummy as you like!! :))

This can be eaten as a appetizer or as a side item on a lunch menu. The crispy corn tortillas and the toppings should be kept separate, so that it allows each person to put what toppings they like.

Ingredients:

Papaya Orange Pico De Gallo:

1/4 piece of Papaya, chopped small
half of an orange, fiber taken out and chopped
1 tomato, chopped
1/4 cup corn, frozen or cooked fresh
1/2 onion, chopped
1-2 green chili or 1 jalapeno, thinly chopped
few cilantro or coriander leaves
1/2 to 1 Tbsp of Lemon juice
Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Mix all the ingredients together. Adjust salt, pepper and lemon juice according to taste.

Ingredients for making the Tostada:

6 corn tortillas, 6 inch
(2 corn tortillas per tostada)
1 avocado, chopped
1/2 cup refried black beans
(you can also use whole cooked / canned black beans instead)
Shredded cabbage
1/4 cup mix of Mexican cheese
(you can use fresh variety of Mexican cheese instead)



Method for assembling the tostada:

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Spray the corn tortillas, on both side of each one, with olive oil.
It take about 10-15 minutes for the tortillas to crisp up, when placed two, one on top of each other. So you have 3 sets. You can also crisp them, placing them individually too.

Remove avocado from its skin. Add some lemon juice, salt and pepper. Keep aside.

You can heat the refried black beans to warm, if you want...or if you like it cold you can use it just like that.

After the tortilla crisp up, spread the refried beans on top of it.
Place some shredded cabbage on it.
On top of that, add the Pico de gallo and avocado.
Sprinkle some cheese on the top.

Serve immediately or the tortillas will start to get wet from the pico de gallo and soften it.
Enjoy!!!


Variations:

Whole beans instead of refried beans.
Lettuce instead of cabbage.
Spread salsa instead of refried beans.
Use chicken to make it more interesting!

There can be more variations, just be creative :).

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Flavorful and Easy Green lentils and rice

There was a time when I didn't know the difference between green lentils and whole masoor dal or red lentils. Since they both looked the same I thought they both are one and the same. Since I didn't use either of the lentils that much, I didn't know the difference in their cooking times either. Now I know the they both are different, other than the looks which is the whole red lentils are kind of smaller than the green lentils and where as the green lentils cook much faster than red lentils, which cook for a way longer time or have to be pressure cooked.

There is a Greek rice dish which is made of these green lentils known as 'Majadra'" which is cooked with lots of caramelized onions and garlic. A very flavorful 'Pilaf' as they call it!
This is a twist on that dish....the twist being making it Indianized with addition of Garam masala and ginger garlic paste. I left out adding green chillies and making it more spicier, but for the adult version, I think you should add few chopped green chillies and add more chilli powder. When I make this for my kids, I can't stop eating it, because I love having whole lentils in rice. It surely gives a whole new texture to the rice.

To make this rice, you will have to be little bit of prepared, as you to boil the lentils for about 10 minutes before making the dish. The lentils should be only cooked so much that they don't loose their wholeness or split open or become mushy. When you check if they are cooked, there should still be a slight bite to it. They will cook completely when you cook them again as a dish.
It makes for a yummy one pot meal, as well as a nutritious lunch box dish for kids or adults.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup green lentils, washed and boiled for 10 min
1 cup cooked rice
1/4 piece onion, cut lengthwise
1/4 piece of tomato, chopped
coriander leaves for garnish

Pinch of shah jeera or kala jeera
pinch of jeera, cumin seeds
1/4 ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp chilli powder
pinch of turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:

Wash and boil the lentils, till they are tender but not split open or mushy. Takes about 10 minutes. Drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the shahi jeera and jeera. Let them splutter.
Now add the drained lentils.
Add the some salt and add the ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
Add the chopped tomato, along with turmeric, chilli powder and garam masala. Cover and cook for 2 minutes, till the tomatoes are soft.
Add the chopped onions and saute for about a minute.
Add the cooked rice and some more salt. Mix well. Cover and cook for another couple of minutes.
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve hot or warm.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

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Instant Egg rice (with Dhaniyalu podi or coriander lentil powder)

If I ask my little one what should I make for lunch, he will reply Peas rice....little does he know that egg also goes into it and its more like an Egg rice instead of a Peas rice.
He doesn't mind eating it everyday, only I do get bored of making it everyday! I guess he just likes the taste of what goes into it!
He will say I don't like onions..don't feed me onions, but then he sees that rice and say..thats fine, just feed me the onions, I like the onions in peas rice.
Well here is his version of 'peas rice' and my version of 'Instant Egg rice' :) Both being same!
All you need to have is the Dhaniyalu podi (which we use as idli or dosa podi too) on hand and if you have some leftover rice, its very quick to make.
Comes in handy when you are pressed for time and want something to do done very quick! For adult version, add some chopped green chilies and spike the chili powder! :)


Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice
1 egg
1/4 cup peas (frozen or fresh)
small piece of onion, chopped

1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
pinch of turmeric
pinch of chilli powder
1-2 tsp dhaniyalu podi / coriander lentil powder
1 tsp of oil
salt to oil
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai.
Add the egg and scramble it well.
Add the onions and saute for a minute.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute it well.
Add the peas and some salt and cook for couple of minutes till they are cooked.
Now add the rice along with all the powders (turmeric, chilli powder, and the dhaniyalu podi). Mix everything up well. Add salt to taste.
GArnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve hot.
Enjoy!!!

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

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Easy Okra Rice / Lady's finger Rice / Bendi Rice

Bendakaya is the most popular vegetable in my house. Every week we have to have Bendi fry or any dish which has Bendi in it. I use it in rasams, sambars and pulusus too! My kids, along with me love it a lot and so no one had any complaints when I make any dish with okra. I just wish I had a constant supply of okra all the time! :) well my grocer is not too bad in carrying fresh ones most of the time.

So having this is in lunch box it surely a hit. In lunch box I mean as lunch as my kids rarely take rice to school!
I sometimes even add a few pieces of cashew nuts to this rice and it tastes yummy! This is surely for the kids who love bendi and cashews!

This dish is pretty easy to make, all you need is a few bendi on hand along with cooked rice. Bendi doesn't take much time to cook and cutting like about 10 bendi in the morning isn't much of a hassle. You can always cut them the day before and have them ready for you to use.

Ingredients:

10 Okra, cut into small pieces
1 cup cooked rice
1 small piece of onion, chopped

pinch of urad dal
pinch of mustard seeds
pinch of jeera or cumin seeds
1 dry red chili, broken
few curry leaves
salt to taste
pinch of chili powder (optional)(as per taste)
pinch of turmeric
1 tsp of oil
garnish with chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add urad dal, mustard seeds and cumin.
After the brown and splutter, add the red chili, curry leaves and onions.
Saute till translucent.
Add the cut bendi and salt, cover and cook for about 5-10 minutes, until the bendi is cooked through.
Add the chili powder, turmeric and saute well.
Add the cooked rice and mix it up well with the cooked bendi.
(If you want to add cashews, add them just before you add onions and them brown a little)
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve warm or hot. Pack in a hot box for lunch. I don't mind eating it cold either :).
Enjoy!!!


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Easy Channa or Chick pea rice

Having Canned or frozen channa / Chick peas on hand is quite useful for those rushed mornings.
When using canned chick peas, you don't even have to cook for long. I usually soak channa overnight and then freeze them, so that I have them ready whenever needed. Any kind of chick peas is fine. While you find of white or kabuli channa for the canned ones, we can always get black and the littler ones at the Indian grocery always (along with the big white ones too).
To make a rice using chick peas doesn't take much time at all. I like to to add a little bit of ginger garlic paste along with tomato and some garam masala to make it flavorful and yummy to eat for the kids. I don't use much chili powder of green chilies but to make an adult version, go ahead and increase the amount of chili powder and add some chopped green chilies to spike up the spice intensity.

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked rice
1/3 cup frozen of canned chick peas or channa
1/4 piece of onion, chopped
1 tomato, chopped

Salt to taste
1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp chili powder
pinch of turmeric
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp oil
chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai. Add onions and saute till translucent.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 30 sec before adding the tomatoes.
Add the chick peas and some salt. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes till the chick peas are cooked.
Add the turmeric, chili powder and garam masala and saute for another couple of minutes.
Add in the cooked rice and mix it up well the cooked chick peas.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve warm or pack it in a hot box.
Enjoy!!!

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Quick and easy Carrot rice

Here is another simple and easy dish which I am sure your kids will enjoy! My kids do and I love to eat it with them. Its pretty quick and very easy to make when you have cooked rice ready. If you are going to make this the kid's lunch box, you can always grate or shred the carrot the night before and keep it ready. Shredding one carrot doesn't take much time and therefore this rice get ready very quickly!

I don't use ginger garlic paste in this preparation but if you want to use it, don't hesitate. I just keep it simple and easy with just a some tempering.
Remember not to cook the carrot too much or over cook it, as it could get mushy. Even if there is a slight crunch in the carrot, it won't be that noticeable and I am sure the kids will enjoy it.

For an adult version of this similar rice, add some chopped green chilies and step up the spice level by adding  some chili powder to it!

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice
1 medium sized carrot, grated or shredded
1 small piece of onion, chopped

pinch of mustard seeds
pinch of cumin / jeera seeds
pinch of urad dal
pinch of turmeric powder
1 red chili, broken
few curry leaves
chopped coriander leaves for garnish
salt to taste
1 tsp of oil


Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai and add the urad dal, mustard and jeera.
After they start spluttering, the red chili and curry leaves.
Add the carrot and saute for a minute. Since its shredded or grated, it doesn't take much time to cook.
Add the cooked rice along with salt and turmeric. Mix it up well.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves if you wish.
Serve it warm or hot.
Enjoy!!!

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Quick Egg and Green onion Rice

Eggs are very common in my house. I use them almost everyday. There might be a day or two when I may not use them but my fridge is always stocked with eggs. Though we don't eat more than 1 per person per day, I think having one per/day is good for your health.
Egg burji and hard boiled egg dishes are a favorite of my old son and my husband. My younger one prefers them little lesser than the older one. For this reason, for him its mostly burji or mixed up in rice type of dishes, where he won't know its presence in a dish.

Here is a dish where the protein 'egg' is mixed with rice and green onion otherwise known as the greens of the scallions. This dish doesn't have any masalas in it. You are welcome to add some and make it how your prefer it. Rice is sauteed with ginger garlic paste, salt and bit of pepper for taste.
This rice is better when eaten warm or hot, so remember to pack it as a hot pack lunch.

Ingredients:

1 cup of cooked rice
1 egg
few chopped green scallion leaves
1/4 onion, chopped

1 tsp of oil
1/4 tsp ginger garlic paste
salt to taste
pepper to taste


Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add the egg. Scramble it on medium heat till its cooked.
Add the onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute.
Add the rice along with some salt and pepper. Toss them all together.
Cover and cook for another couple of minutes before adding the green onions.
Serve hot or warm.
Enjoy!!!


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Easy Paneer and Peas rice - BM # 13

HI Guys...I am back again with Blogging Marathon # 13....the only reason why my blog gets some blogs posted by me! The only way I get up and do something for the blog, otherwise my busy life just takes over and I don't find enough time to blog hop or even write up posts!

I always promise myself to write and be regular but that doesn't seem to happen very often! Something or the other has to happen...this time around its the crashing of the laptop! I thought I won't be able to participate this time around, but thankfully my hubby fixed a working station..a combo of a old laptop and an old computer screen, which seems to be working when it has a mood to work!! I just hope it will cooperate with me and not stop for the next 7 days!

So for this Marathon, I decided to go with the Easy Lunch Box Recipes for kids made of rice. We should really Thank Srivalli for having so much patience and thought in bringing all this together with amazing themes every month.

Coming to the theme, my kids don't take rice to school, at least my older one does not and will not take rice to school...how much ever I plead with him. My younger one will, as long as it is something which he likes. I surely wish whatever they take, may the lunch box come back home empty...that will not happen either.

But make the same dish at home, they will complete it without asking any questions. So there is a gain and hope that someday that will happen in school too! So my recipes for this theme are all home tested and are eaten at home for lunch or rarely for dinner.

I prefer making easy lunches either for me or for them and not a routine dal and veggie curry which they have for dinner. This way it gives a variety and allows them to think they are having something different. 

As this is not going to have any other extra protein source, I rather mix it up with rice.

To make any of my instant rice versions, all you need to have in hand are onions, sometimes tomatoes, any protein source, ginger garlic paste, garam masala or any other podis or powders and some veggies if you wish.

Here is the recipe for an easy Paneer and Peas Rice. Here I mix up Paneer with some peas into some freshly prepared rice. Leftover rice also can be used. Adding some ginger garlic paste and garam masala makes the rice flavorful and yummy enough to eat!

Ingredients:

1 cup cooked rice

1/4 cup Paneer pieces cut into small pieces

1/4 cup frozen peas

1/2 piece of onion, cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste

pinch of turmeric

Chili powder (optional - I do not use it for kids)

1/2 tsp Garam Masala (more or less)

1 tsp oil

salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in a kadai and add in the paneer pieces.

When the paneer starts to brown, add the onion and frozen peas, along with some salt.

Once the peas are thawed, add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute or two.

Add the rice, turmeric, garam masala and some more salt. Mix to combine well. 

Garnish with chopped cilantro leaves.

Enjoy!!!

If packing for school, make sure you pack it in a hot box, so that it will stay warm till lunch time.

To make an adult version - add more veggies and some chili powder.

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 13

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Indianized Vegetable Soup with Lentils

Another hearty soup I love and eat like a whole meal is lentil soup. This is also a wintry soup which is full of good stuff, like protein and nutritious veggies.
With the winter slowly coming upon us, its always good to have such soups for a light dinner at nights. this soup also freezes well, so you can make a big batch of it and freeze it for a quick meal during weekdays.
Have it with a piece of warm baguette or french bread, for a full meal.
I like it spicy so, added few red pepper flakes and also added in some coriander powder and cumin powder for the Indianized feel. you can surely skip all that and make it the way you like it!
For the 5th day of the blogging marathon....

Makes 4 servings

Note: These are not the whole Masoor dal lentils, tho they look like them. These are the green lentils or french lentil found in your regular grocery store.

Ingredients:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped tiny
2 bay leaves
2 tbsp grated ginger
1 carrot, chopped
1 celery, chopped
1/2 cup chopped cabbage
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes, or canned diced tomatoes
1 cup vegetable broth (can be substituted with water)
1 cup water
1 cup lentil, washed
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp chopped corianderr leaves


Method:

Heat oil in a big pot.
Add the onion, garlic, ginger, carrot, celery and cook for 2-3 minutes until the onion is tender.
Add the cabbage and cook for another 2 minutes.
Add the tomatoes, cumin, coriander and red pepper flakes along with red pepper flakes.
Add Salt and pepper to taste.
Pour in the broth and water, bring it to a boil.
Add in the washed lentils and then simmer for 25 minutes to 30 minutes.
When the lentils are cooked, puree a cup of it in a food processor or with a hand blender.
Keep cooking for another 15 minutes. If needed add some more water or broth.
Add lemon juice to taste.
Garnish with chopper coriander leaves before serving.
Serve warm and enjoy!!!

Jump on here to see whats cooking in my fellow blogger's kitchens.

Sending this to Srivalli's Soups and Salad's mela.

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Vegetable and Corn Chowder

Here is another hearty soup with lots of veggies....very comforting and heart warming soup.
To say...I might be little partial to chowder, a creamy and cheesy base....I think I love a lot. Chowders usually have potato in it and added flour thickness. But you can get a variety of chowders like clam chowder, corn chowder, meat ball chowder etc.,.
But here is a very yummy vegetarian chowder with lots of veggies.
I think I can really live on this during winter....its truly yummy!...and home made is very very tasty!
So for the 3rd day of the Blogging Marathon, here is Vegetable and Corn Chowder.
Jump on here to see what the rest of the Marathoners are cooking up!

Please be sure to check the Note below for additional comments about this soup.

Makes 2 servings

Ingredients:

1 tbsp vegetable oil or olive oil
1/2 red onion, chopped small
1/2 red bell pepper, chopped small
2 garlic cloves, chopped tiny
1 small potato, chopped into small bite sized pieces
1 tbsp All purpose flour or maida
1/2 cup milk
1- 1/2 cup water or vegetable stock (add as required to bring it to required consistency)
1/2 cup broccoli florets, broken in small bites
1/2 can creamed corn or regular canned corn, or fresh corn or frozen corn (see note)
3 tbsp cheddar cheese (you can use white or yellow, depending on the color changes, I used yellow)
salt and pepper to taste***(see note)
some grated cheddar cheese for garnish

Method:

Heat oil in large pan or pot.
Add the chopped onion, garlic, bell pepper and potato. Add a bit of salt and pepper. Cook for about 2-3 minutes.
Whisk in the flour and cook for another 30 sec.
Stir in the milk or water or vegetable stock. Cook stirring continuously for another 30 sec to a minute.
Add the broccoli and corn.
Bring the soup to a boil stirring constantly and then reduce heat to a simmer to about 15-20 minutes, until the veggies get tender.
Stir in the cheese until it melts.
Check seasoning and more salt and pepper if required.
Serve hot with more grated cheese on the top and tiny broccoli florets.
You can also garnish with chopped coriander leaves or parsley leaves.
Enjoy!!!

Note: Creamed corn makes the soup thick, since it already has added thickening agent.
If using non-creamed corn, like canned or fresh or frozen, you may have to add more all purpose flour to make the soup thicker as you wish.
Chowder is a thick soup and the consistency comes from the added all purpose flour and cheese.
I added water (or vegetable stock) as the soup got thickened to bring it to the right consistency.
***Adding salt: take care while adding salt since, cos cheese is slightly salty and this can make the salt very salty....you can add required salt while eating the soup....


Sending this to Srivalli's Soups and Salad Mela.

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Semi-Homemade ~ Quick Panini - A visual treat! :)

I am a totally sandwich girl...I can eat it for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Just gather a few things and whip up a sandwich and I am done...Oh how much I would love if whole of my family also would eat it so :)....but thats Ok...I try to make one for myself almost for every lunch....either a sandwich, soup or salad...I don't mind eating it over and over again.

I used to love Chicken Frontega sandwich from Panera bread. I used to make sure I ate that at least once in a while. Now that there is no Panera close by, I tried to make it on my own, and this came out perfect, with out much effort.

No effort cos, I used pre-cooked chicken wings from Costco to use make this. Just peeled off all the meaty part to put in my sandwich.
You can surely make a vegetarian version of it, like I sometimes do, with veggies like zucchini, tomato etc.,. I am sure you will like it for.

The main thing, I check to be sure of having is panini bread or any crusty bread, fresh tomatoes, fresh basil and mozzarella cheese. Combine all these and you have your sandwich ready in a jiffy! Fresh Basil surely gives it a divine smell!!

Ingredients:

Panini bread or any crusty bread

Pre-cooked chicken pieces (or get fresh and cook it :))
(use zucchini, or cucumber, asparagus or just tomatoes for a veggie delight!)

Few slices of tomato
Shredded mozzarella or sliced
few pieces sliced red onions or yellow onions
fresh basil leaves

Method:

Arrange all the ingredients on the bread and toast it on a panini grill till the cheese melts.
If you don't have a grill, toast it on a pan, on both sides, by placing a heavy pan on top of it.
Add a bit of seasoning like Italian or just oregano for a extra punch in flavor.
Serve warm....Enjoy!!!

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Red Bell pepper, Tomato and mint chutney

Its been a long time I posted a chutney....not that I don't make them often...but just that they are eaten without being photographed for my blog!
Fresh ground chutneys are quite popular in my house....they are done in couple of sittings of lunch or dinner. They are also not served in small dollops but in very large tablespoons...:) that's how much we like chutneys! :)

This is kind of a 'call for help chutney'..that is when there aren't enough ingredients at home for any one chutney, mix all the halves and make one full chutney! clever huh! :)
Well that's what I do when we need chuntey and when I don't have enough ingredients :) This chutney has the flavors of mint, a tangyness of a tomato and sweetness of red bell pepper....

Well I guess that best anyone can do...right....and when it comes of tasting yum....what else do you need!!....
This chutney tastes just as good and goes well with rice, idlis or dosas....

Ingredients:

1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 tomato, chopped
bunch of mint / pudina leaves
5-6 green chillies
5 garlic cloves
Salt to taste

1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp jeera or cumin seeds
3-4 dry red chillies
1/2 tbsp channa dal
1/2 tbsp urad dal
1 marble sized ball of tamarind
1 tbsp of oil
few curry leaves

Method:

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Add the garlic cloves and saute till they turn color.

Add the channa dal, urad dal and red chillies. Saute for a few seconds.

Add the chopped bell pepper, tomato, mint, tamarind and green chillies. Add salt and let it cook until soft.

Remove into a blender and grind when cooled.

In the same Kadai, add few more drops of oil and saute the mustard seeds, jeera and curry leaves. You can turn off the heat

Add the ground chutney to this tempering and mix well.

Serve as a side dish with idlis or dosas or even upma. Goes well with plain white rice with some ghee...

Enjoy!!!

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Vankaya Endu royalu Koora / Eggplant with dried shrimp

People think making non-veg dishes is a big deal and require lots of effort and not to mention lots of ingredients too.

Well I agree, at times I do become one of them, when I don't feel like cooking...:)

But seriously if we want to make any non-veg dishes our way, I mean Indian way, then we do require lots of ingredients, which in turn becomes our masala and so on...

Well I assure that, tho there are dishes which require lots of ingredients, there are a few dishes which we can make using the minimal amount of ingredients, one of which is when we make use of dried fish or dried shrimp.

The dried shrimp or fish imparts a lot of flavor to the dish, that very little of any other ingredients have to be added into it. A little addition of dried fish or shrimp goes a long way.

I am a big fan of dried shrimp and fish. I may not like or eat all kinds but, there are some which I absolutely like.

The dried shrimp I used here are a little bigger variety which can be found in any of the Asian stores in USA.

Another misconception is that there is lots of smell when we cook this, but I don't think so. The ones we get in India do give lots of smell, but the ones we get here, don't smell too much.

Ingredients:

1/3 cup dried shrimp, soaked in water for 1/2 hour

about 10 baby eggplants, chopped ( you can use any variety)

1 tbsp ginger garlic paste

1 small onion, chopped

Seasoning:

salt as required (remember to add less, as the dried shrimp or fish is already salty)

1/2 tbsp oil

pinch of turmeric

1 1/2 to 1 tbsp of chilli powder

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Soak the dried shrimp for about 1/2 hour.

Heat oil in a pan.

Add the chopped onion and saute for about a minute.

Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute.

Add the dried shrimp and saute for 2 minutes.

Add the chopped eggplant and mix well.

Cover and let cook until soft.

Season with salt, turmeric and chili powder as per your requirement.

At the end, garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with Rice or chapathi.

Enjoy!!!

Check out the rest of the bloggers here!

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Jeera Gobi / Cauliflower with cumin

There is always jeera aloo to fall back to whenever you need a curry in hurry right?!

Well here I just substituted the aloo or potato with cauliflower and made it in my style of jeera aloo! :)

I love cauliflower and its when I make dishes like these, I cannot stop munching continuously! Tho its a curry and I love eating it with rice, I can just wipe out a whole bowl of it in few minutes and if no one is watching maybe the whole curry! :)

Its a very easy dish to make and I hadn't realized that it would also come under the 'cooking with 5 ingredients or less' theme when you consider the basic tempering ingredients, oil and salt as one ingredient!

This probably is not the regular way of making jeera gobi or jeera aloo for that matter but we do love it this way and since the main ingredients in this dish are jeera and gobi, I called it jeera gobi! :)

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, broken into small florets, washed (frozen cauliflower florets can also be used instead)

1 small onion chopped or 1/2 of big onion

1/2 tbsp ginger garlic paste

Tempering:

1 tsp jeera or cumin seeds

1/2 tbsp oil

pinch of turmeric

1/2 to 1 tsp chili powder

Salt to taste

Chopped coriander leaves for garnish

Method:

Wash the cauliflower florets and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan.

Add the cumin seeds and let them splutter.

Saute onions till translucent and add ginger garlic paste.

Add the florets and saute them well with the cumin seeds mixture. Add salt.

When the florets are half cooked, add the turmeric, chili powder and mix well.

Cover and let cook until done. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with rice or rotis.

Enjoy!!!

Check out the rest of the guys who are doing this marathon with me here!!

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Homey comforting Dal - Spinach with split green lentils or Mung lentils / Spinach Pesarapappu kootu

I know, I know!! I disappeared from the blogging world all of a sudden. I totally dropped out of this scene altogether....right!!!...yeah yeah....sorry guys!!....I totally miss you too and miss blogging!! but some really bigger things are keeping me away and I hope to be back to regular blogging in a couple of months hopefully. Till them I won't disappoint you all and whenever I have time and am not tired to fall asleep right away, will make time to post something.

But till then I think, I wont be able to take part in any of the fun stuff happening here in the blogging world. I wish I can, but right now it won't be possible until next couple of months. But Soon I will be back onto a full swing surely!!!!!!

So as promised, whenever I get time to write something up, I will surely do!
For that sake, here is a comforting and homey Spinach pesarapappu kootu. Easy and quick to make and if you love the taste of moong daal more than toor daal (like me!)...you are sure to love this.

Tho usualy, dal or pappu means making it out of toor daal or kandi pappu. But pesarappu or moong daal has a very yum taste, which I totally adore. So which ever daal I make out of toor dal, I make it with Pesarapappu too. But since, when we make it with pesarapappu, it is kept whole and not completely mushy and is called kootu instead of pappu!! And is made the following way ---- :))


Ingredients:

A big bunch of fresh spinach or 1 cup frozen spinach can be used
1 cup of pesara pappu, moong daal, split mung bean

1 small onion, chopped
4-5 green chillies slit

3 garlic chopped
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tbsp chana dal
1/2 tsp urad dal
1/4 mustard seeds
1/4 jeera, cumin seeds
pinch of hing, inguva, asfoetida
few curry leaves
2-3 dry red chillies, broken
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish.

Method:

Wash spinach and chop roughly.

Dry roast the pesara pappu to light brown color, wash and cook in water covering the lentils till they are cooked, but not mushy totally. Add more water in intervals if required.
Add the chopped spinach and cook until spinach is cooked, which shouldn't take more than 5 minutes.
Add the onions, green chillies and cook for another 5 minutes. Add salt and turmeric.
By now the daal will be totally cooked, almost to get mushy.
Now you can prepare the tempering with the rest of the ingredients.
Heat Oil in a small pan.
Add the channa daal and urad daal along with garlic. Let them brown.
Add the mustard and jeera and let them splutter.
Add the curry leaves, dry red chillies and hing to the tempering oil.
After few seconds, add this to the cooked pesarapappu and spinach.
Add chopped coriander leaves for garnish.
Serve hot with roti, chapathi or with hot steaming rice, along with a drop of ghee or two, with a side of papad or vadiyalu.
Enjoy!!!

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Spicy Fingerlings / Baby potatoes

These days whenever I cook, I am trying out dishes which are done in a jiffy and everyone is happy about it! :) When in need what's better than potatoes. They are very comforting and easy to make! Don't you all agree??
I try to pick up small fingerlings whenever I get a chance, cos I love cooking with them!
You can try peeling them, but if you think its a pain to peel, then like me, you can just leave the skin on and cook them like that!
This is a quick and easy side dish to make, goes good with daal or with sambar.
This dish can also be made with regular potatoes, cut into bite size pieces.
I boil my fingerlings for couple of minutes in the microwave before roasting them in the pan. Always remember to add salt while boiling, this will let the salt penetrate the potato.

Ingredients:

15-20 fingerlings or baby potatoes
Water with salt for boiling the potatoes

1/2 tsp ginger powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp amchoor powder (more or less)
1 tsp chilli powder
salt taste
pinch of turmeric powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1-2 tsp oil
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish


Method:

Wash and boil the potatoes for 3-4 minutes in Microwave or stove top. They shouldn't get mushy.
Heat the oil in an open pan.
Add the boiled potatoes and toss them around.
Add all the powders and give them a good toss to coat all of them.

Cook only for about 5-6 minutes, till they are fully cooked thru.
Add the chopped coriander leaves and toss them again.
Serve hot as a side dish.
Enjoy!!!

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