Are you the person who trash out the melon seeds while cutting ur melons for having as desserts or in salads?? after looking at this spicy powder am damn sure that u wont throw them anymore..Yeah this spice powder is prepared with melon seeds and quinoa along with our usual spices and dals...Simple spice powder which tastes fantastic along with hot steaming rice topped with ghee or along with crispy dosas or hot steaming idlies..Initially i wanted to make out this spice powder with just melon seeds and spices but finally while dry roasting the melon seeds,spices and dals i added quarter cup of red quinoa to make this spice powder more healthier, so guys dont ever trash this tiny melon seeds anymore and u can prepare them as many different spice powder using them, wat all u need is to wash them thoroughly and let them sit for few minutes,finally spread them in a newspaper until they get well dried, conserve them in an air tightened bottle and use them as per ur need..Sending this spicy spice powder to Nithu's Best Out Of Waste...

Ingredients:

• 1/2cup Cantaloupe melon seeds
• 1/4cup Quinoa
• 1cup Roasted channa dal (pottukadalai)
• 1/2cup Channa dal
• 1/4cup Urad dal
• 5nos Red chillies
• 1/4cup Coriander seeds
• 10nos Peppercorns
• 1/2tsp Asafoetida powder
• Salt

Method:
Dry roast the roasted channa dal, channadal, urad dal, red chillies, coriander seeds, peppercorns one by one,keep them aside..now add the melon seeds, quinoa and asafoetida powder,dry roast until they turn slightly brown..Take all the dry roasted ingredients in a mixie, add enough salt and ground them as bit coarse powder..

Conserve them in an air tightened bottle and enjoy with rice or with anything as u desire..

Bellam Pootharekulu.

Bellam poothareku is a variation of Pandara poothareku (made with sugar), which is a famous coastal Andhra sweet made with thin flaky sheets of paper made with rice flour. Here, soft jaggery is either grated or mashed and folded into these rice paper sheets.
Makes: around 5 Pieces of Bellam Pootharekulu.

Ingredients:

• Rice Paper Sheets 15
• Soft Jaggery (Grated) 1/2 Cup
• Cashews 5
• Pure Ghee 5 tbsps

Method of preparation:

Break the cashews into tiny pieces and roast them in a tsp of ghee until golden brown in color.
Melt the ghee and keep it aside.
Finely grate the jaggery onto a bowl and add cashews to it.
If jaggery is too hard, microwave it for around 10 seconds to make it soft.

Damp a kitchen towel with few splash of water.
Take a sheet of rice paper on the damp cloth.
Damp cloth helps to make the rice sheet little pliable.
Alternatively, sprinkle few tiny drops of water onto the sheet to make the folding easier.

Layer around a tbsp of jaggery mixture onto the first rice paper sheet.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over the rice sheet.
Layer another rice paper sheet on the first sheet.
Spread around another tbsp of jaggery mixture onto the second sheet.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over the rice sheet.
Spread around another tbsp of jaggery mixture onto the third sheet.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over this rice sheet.

Fold one longest side onto the center of the sheets.
Fold other longest side to overlap the first folded side.

Spread around another tbsp of jaggery mixture onto the folded strip.
Pour a tsp of ghee all over the rice strip.
Fold the ends of the sheet together once and fold the remaining part into a rectangular strip.
Repeat the same with remaining rice paper sheets.
Store the bellam pootharekulu in a tight jar and serve when necessary.
Notes: Rice paper sheets are prepared like this.

Suggestions: Adjust the jaggery according to taste.
Variations: Pandara Pootharekulu (ones made with sugar), Karam Pootharekulu (made with chili powder).
Other Names: Bellam Pootharekulu, Puthareku.

Cabbage Vepudu.

Peanuts are roasted in oil. Oil is tempered with dals and typical South Indian spices. Cabbage is finely chopped and stir fried in tempered oil till just soft and little crunchy. Serve cabbage stir fry with steamed rice and dollop of ghee or with roti.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Cabbage Stir Fry.

Ingredients:

• Cabbage 1 small head
• Raw Peanuts 2 tbsps
• Green Chiles 3
• Tamarind Extract 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder a pinch
• Salt to taste

Talimpu:

• Chana Dal 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp
• Broken Red Chiles 3
• Asafoetida a pinch
• Curry Leaves 4
• Oil 1 tbsp

Method of preparation:

Remove outer layers, wash and finely chop the cabbage (around 2 cups).
Remove stems, wash and slice green chiles.

Heat oil in a pan on medium flame, add raw peanuts.
Fry till peanuts are more than half way fried, then add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When chana dal changes color, add green chiles, cabbage, tamarind extract and turmeric powder.
Cook covered for 5 – 10 minutes stirring occasionally in between till cabbage is little soft.

Stir fry on high flame for a minute or two to give it a little crunch and to evaporate excess water.
Season with sufficient salt and remove the stir fry from heat.
Serve cabbage stir fry with steamed rice or with roti.
Notes: Make sure not to overcook cabbage but leave a light crunch to it.

Suggestions: Adjust the spice with green chiles. If cabbage is not cooked properly, put it back on heat and cook covered on low flame till done.
Variations: Also add chopped potato or chopped onion to the stir fry if you wish.
Other Names: Cabbage Stir Fry, Cabbage Vepudu.

Briyanis are quite famous and most popular dishes in Hyderabad..Personally i felt this chicken briyani is one of the best and most delicious, fantastic dish which is prepared by cooking the meat and rice in an air tightened pot on very low flame so that the rice is cooked along with the spiced marinated meat and the rice gets the aroma of the meat as the meat get cooked directly from the heat of the flame and rice is cooked with steam coz of the dum cooking, its a length process but its really worth to try of out this droolworthy dish..U have many choice to make out this briyani either by cooking marinated meats or with marinated raw meats...This briyani is cooked in layers by alternating the meats and half cooked rice,finally the meat and rice get cooked well in simmer flame..I used chicken for making out this briyani, which i marinated with spices and arranged them in fridge overnite, the next day i cooked the rice until they get half cooked along with spices..Also i prepared by cooking chicken for making briyani by sauting them with onions until the chicken pieces get half cooked..Finally i arranged the cooked rice over the sauteed spiced chicken pieces and cooked until they get completely well cooked by sealing the vessel with wet kitchen towel...Enjoy this delicious briyani with simple raita and boiled eggs..This is our sunday's special briyani, we loved it..Also its one of my father's favourite who introduced us to this famous hyderabadi briyani for the first time at home...Sending this droolworthy dish to Jay's I Love My Dad...

For Marination:

• 1kg Chicken (cut into large pieces)
• 1/2cup Yogurt
• 2tbsp Ginger garlic paste
• 2tsp Chilly powder
• 2tsp Coriander powder
• 5nos Green chillies (slit opened)
• 1cup Mint leaves (chopped)
• 1/2cup Coriander leaves (chopped)
• 1/2tsp Turmeric powder
• 1tbsp Lemon juice
• 2tsp Garam masala powder
• 1tsp Shah jeera
• 1/2tsp Cumin powder
• Salt

Fried Onions:

• 2nos Onions(big & sliced)
• Oil

For Rice:

• 4cups Basmati rice (soaked for 15 minutes)
• 3nos Cardamoms
• 2nos Cloves
• 2nos Bay leaves
• 2nos Cinnamon sticks
• Salt
• 1/2tsp Saffron strands
• 1/2cup Milk
  

For briyani topping:

• Fried onions
• Oil
• Mint leaves (chopped)

Method:
Deep fry the sliced onions until they turns golden brown and keep aside..Clean the chicken pieces, squeeze out the water and add all the ingredients given in the list for marinade along with some fried onions and sit in fridge for overnite..

Bring boil enough water along with all spices given for making out rice, add the rice and continue to cook until the rice get half cooked..drain the water and keep aside the rice..Heat enough oil in a heavy bottomed vessel, add the marinated chicken pieces and cook until the rice get half cooked, meanwhile soak the saffron strands in warm milk...now arrange the already cooked rice over the cooking rice, springle fried onions, saffron soaked milk, mint leaves and springle some oil over the rice..Close the vessel with a lid,seal the lid with wet cloth completely..Cook for 10 minutes in medium high flame and for 15minutes in simmer..Let it sit for few minutes before opening the vessel..

Give a stir before serving and serve the briyani hot with raita or boiled eggs..

Jantikalu.

Jantikalu is famous among savory snacks in Andhra. Jantikalu are made by a special instrument called jantikalu maker with a circular plate. Jantikalu recipes vary in the different type of flours or spices being used. Here, rice flour and urad dal flour is mixed with hot oil and water into a soft dough along with spices. This dough is extracted through the jantikalu press and deep fried till they turn light golden in color.
Makes: around 15 Jantikalu

Ingredients:

Rice Flour 2 Cups
Urad Dal 1/2 Cup
Sesame Seeds 1/2 tsp
Ajwain 1/4 tsp
Extremely Hot Red Chili Powder 1/8 tsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Method of preparation:

Heat 2 tbsps of oil to smoking point and remove from heat.
Roast and grind the urad dal into fine powder.
In a mixing bowl, sift rice flour, urad dal and salt.
Add the sesame seeds, ajwain and mix well.
Slowly pour the hot oil into the mixing bowl and knead the mixture.
Add enough water to the mixture and knead till it forms into a bit loose dough.

Insert a handful of dough into murukulu maker / muruku press.
Choose the disc with cirular perforations in it.

Spread a plastic wrap or a tissue on a table.
Slowly press and move the muruku maker in circular motion to let the strings drop onto the plastic wrap.
Form a small 3 – 4 inch disks with the dough.

Heat oil in a deep frying pan on medium – low heat.
Slowly drop the prepared jantikalu into hot oil.
Deep fry the jantikalu until light golden color on both sides and remove onto a absorbent paper.
Make sure the jantikalu are light and crisp, else deep fry again till crisp.
Serve jantikalu as a tea time snack.
Notes: Make sure not to over fry the jantikalu. Adjust the flame occasionally to let the oil have a constant temperature.

Suggestions: If the dough is too tight and doesn’t come through the murukulu press, mix in a few tbsps of hot water into the dough and try again. Add a tbsp of melted butter to the dough if murukulu comes out hard to bite after deep frying.
Variations: Sometimes ground roasted gram powder or roasted chand dal powder is added to the rice flour.
Other Names: Jantikalu, Biyyam Pindi Jantikalu, Madugulu.

Gazpacho is a cold Spanish tomato-based raw vegetable soup, originating in the southern region of Andalusia. Gazpacho is widely consumed throughout Spain, neighboring Portugal where it is known as gaspacho and parts of Latin America. Gazpacho is mostly consumed during the summer months, due to its refreshing qualities.Gazpacho can be eaten from a soup bowl, or can be drunk from a glass.Its a tasty, satisfying and very healthy soup, since its made from nothing but fresh vegetables and a bit of oil and vinegar.As its quite hot here, i wanted to make this beautiful as well as refreshing soup for our dinner,also this soup goes for tomatoes, cucumber, bellpeppers, onions,bread slices and garlic spiced with cumin seeds, pepper powder and salt along with olive oil and vinegar...Quite an easy breezy soup get ready within few minutes and usually served chilled...We enjoyed having this cold soup for our dinner along with some toasted bread slices...Sending this cold tomato soup to AWED-Spain guest hosted by Priya of Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes, event by DK..

Ingredients:

• 4nos Tomatoes (ripen & chopped)
• 2nos Cucumber (chopped))
• 1no Small onion (chopped)
• 2nos Bread slices
• 3nos Garlic cloves
• 1no Green bell pepper (chopped)
• 1no Red bellpepper (chopped)
• 3tbsp Olive oil
• 2tbsp Vinegar
• Salt
• Pepper powder & cumin powder as per need

Method:
Soak the bread in water, squeeze out the excess of the water from the bread..Take the chopped tomatoes, bread, chopped cucumber, chopped onions, garlic cloves, chopped bellpeppers with pepper powder, cumin powder, salt and blend everything as smooth paste, finally add the olive oil, mix well and refrigerate for atleast 2-3hours...garnish with cucumber chunks or croutons..

Enjoy the chilled gazpacho!!

Whenever my sweet tooth wanted to have some sweets, i immediately get ready to prepare either carrot halwa or bread halwa, both these halwas doesnt need loads of time to get prepared also i always have bread slices in my pantry and carrots in my fridge..So i can prepare anytime as anything with them, this time my choice for making halwa went to bread and rolled oats, this halwa will get ready in less time, easy breezy halwa to enjoy..Even if u have some sudden guests if u dont have anything specfic to serve them as sweets, u can prepare this delicious halwa since they go for less than half an hour...A prefect sweet to serve for desserts after a lunch or either as snacks with a cup of tea, this halwa doesnt need much ghee usually any halwas goes for..Sending this droolworthy halwa to Nivi's Celebrate Sweets-Halwa..

Ingredients:

• 6nos Bread slices
• 1cup Rolled oats
• 1cup Sugar
• 2cups Milk
• Orange food colour (per need)
• 2tbsp Ghee
• 1tsp Cardamom powder
• Few almond flakes

Method:
Grind coarsely the rolled oats and bread slices together,dry roast this coarse powder for few minutes in a nonstick pan and keep aside.. heat the milk with sugar and orange food colour, bring everything to boil, gradually add the coarse powder of bread-oats and stir continously, add the ghee little by little to the cooking bread-oats mixture,once the mixture gets off from the bottom of vessel,immediately add the cardamom powder, almond flakes..Stir everything well and put off the stove..

Enjoy warm!

One Day night, hubby complained, not to bore him with usual idli, dosa or kanji's for break-fast. so i planned this Pasta Breakfast for him, the next day. soaked some chickpeas, before going to bed. next day, it was breeze to prepare this breakfast. If you are wondering about the pasta's in the pic, those are the one's that i bought at Spencer's store for rs.12.

First Boil the 1/4 cup of Pasta in a cup of water for 5 to 7 mins. and drain them. wash them with clean water and drain them again.
Cook the soaked chickpeas in pressure cooker with little salt.
Chop 3 broccoli florets ann keep aside.
Chop a Tomato.
Heat a Pan, add a tbsp of oil.
Drop the chopped tomatoes to the Pan and saute it well. add salt and Pepper powder to taste.
Add Broccoli and Cooked Chickpeas and saute along with the Tomatoes in the pan.
Add Cooked Pasta to the Pan and mix well.
Break a egg on heated Tava, sprinkle little salt and pepper powder over the egg and leave it for half a minute and transfer to the Pasta Bowl.

Serve Hot!!

If you want to know, If i tried different breakfast's then, No it was usual Cornflakes, Koozh and ofcourse easy idli's.

I find very difficult to find time, even to check mails, in such case, blogging has become a dream to me. As hubby dear had gone to Paris, Managing home alone is a tough task. Time goes so slowly, and now i realise, how helpful was my hubby, all these days. A Person's absence brings the Person so close is absolutely True. I experience it right now!

Last week, Chennai got rains, and we enjoyed the climate very much. as a part of it, i loved to spend time in kitchen making these Spicy Stuffed Bread. This was prepared after getting inspired from Ari's Baking and Book's Hot Pockets.I customised the Filling / Stuffing the Indian Way and its the best way to impress an Indian Tummy, I bet!

Ingredients: (Makes 8 thin rolls)

Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Maida / All Purpose Flour - 2 and 1/2 Cup's (Divided)
Active Dry Yeast - 2 tsp
Sugar - 2 tsp
Warm Milk - 1/3 cup
Warm Water - 1/3 cup
Salt - 2 tsp
Egg -1
Sunflower Oil - 1/3 cup

For the Stuffing:

Indian Tomato Pickle / Thokku
Mozarella Cheese
Paneer / Cottage Cheese
Egg - 1 (for egg wash)
Sesame Seeds

Method:

Warm the water and Milk and mix together. Add Dry Yeast and Sugar to it and mix well, till the yeast gets mixed. let them rest for 10 minutes, till the yeast mix, turns frothy.

In a mixing bowl, mix the Oil and one Egg. beat it well. Add the Yeast mix to the bowl.

Add Wheat Flour to the bowl and mix. Now add all purpose flour - 1 cup and mix well. add another one cup of all purpose flour and mix, combine all the flour together and make it as dough ball.

Knead the Dough ball, with the help of the 1/2 a cup of all purpose flour, for atleast 10 minutes.

Grease a Glass bowl, with little oil and put the kneaded dough into the bowl. wrap the bowl with a cling sheet and let the dough raise for about 1 and 1/2 an hour.

After the Dough has raised, pinch a lemon sized dough and roll it, by dusting some flour for help.

Get Ready with the stuffing ingredients. also mix an egg with a tbsp of water and beat well with a fork, for egg wash.

Roll the dough very thin.

Spread a tsp of Indian Tomato Pickle / Thokku in the centre of the rolled dough.

Grate some Mozarella chesse over the Tomato Pickle.

Grate Some Paneer over the cheese.

Get ready with Egg wash by breaking a egg into a small bowl. mix a tbsp of water to the egg and beat with a fork. and get some dried parsely, to sprinkle over the paneer stuffing.

Start Rolling the Dough slowly.

Rolling in Progress...

Roll them fully and close the sides of the roll. (those are the mustard's from the pickle popping out..)

Make some incisions over the roll and give a egg wash and sprinkle some sesame seeds over the top of the roll.

Pre-Heat the oven at 375F / 180C. and Bake the roll for 45 mins. and let it cool for 30 minutes before serving.

The Spicy Paneer Stuffed Bread is Ready!! It tasted so Good. Yes the spicy of tomato pickle, cheese were the enjoyable part of the roll. I felt some more veggies could also be added, as the stuffing was not bulk.

Do try it out, if you like spicy breads!

This is the first time, iam trying step by step pictures sort of post.Hope you all like it!

Keerai is my favourite. During my school days, My Lunch Box will be packed up with some Green Dish and Curd Rice. I just love to eat Keerai. My mom Prepares different dishes with Greens / Keerai.

Kadaintha Keerai,
Paal Keerai,
Paruppu Keerai,
Keerai Kuzhambu,
Keerai Sambhar,
Keerai Adai,
Keerai Vadai,
Keerai Poriyal.

The above are all the one's that i remember here to mention. Of all these, My vote is for Keerai Pappu or. Paruppu Keerai and Keerai Sambhar. But the one that iam sharing today, Kadanja Keerai is also my favourite, only when my mom prepares it. yes, spicyness and tanginess should be in correct proportion for this dish. My mom makes it so Good.

Ingredients:

Arai Keerai - 1 bunch
Small Onions - 10 / Big Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green Chilli - 2
Garlic - 2 cloves
Tamarind - a small piece
Oil - 1 tsp

Thalippu / for Tadka:

Oil - 1/2 tsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Dry Red Chilli - 2
Split Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida Powder - a pinch

Method:

Remove the Greens from their stems and Wash Araikeerai(Greens), three times atleast and keep aside.

In a Skillet, Heat a tsp of Oil, add Garlic, Green Chilli's and fry them. Now add Small Onions and Saute them. When the onions turn translucent, add chopped tomato and saute it along.

Add Washed Araikeerai to the Skillet and saute it along with onion and tomatoes for about 3-4 minutes.

Add tamarind and salt to taste to the Skillet and mix well with the other ingredients. Remove the Skillet from the flame and let it cool down for few minutes.

You can either Mash the Greens in the traditional way with a pot and mathu or you can also grind them in your mixer with the pulse button.

Heat Oil in a skillet and add mustard - let it pop and add urad dal and Dry Red chilli's and asafoetida powder.
Now add the Mashed Greens / Kadanja Keerai and let it boil for a minute or till it thickens like thokku.

Serve with Hot Rice. Iam sure this one dish will make your meal a Hearty Meal!!

Indian Style of Hakka Noodles, is my proud attempt. By the Look, also by Taste, it tastes like Szechuan Noodles. You can never find out, Why I call it as Indian Style, till you read the Recipe Ingredients.
So far, I prepared it atleast thrice in the past one month. It comes out instantly and I just love the blend of Indian flavours with the Noodles. So after finding out the Surprise Indian Touch, I have given to the Noodles, Think of giving it a try...You will never Regret I bet!

Ingredients:

Veg. Hakka Noodles - 1/2 Packet
Vegetables - [1 cup] of finely sliced Carrot, Beans, Cabbage, Capsicum(in different colours).
Chilli Sauce - 1/4 tsp
Soy Sauce - 1/4 tsp
Vinegar - 1/4 tsp
Tomato Sauce - 1 tsp

Aji-no-moto - a small pinch
Spring Onions - 3 (finely cutted with scissors)
Oil - 2 tbsp
Tomato Thokku / Tomato Pickle - 1 tbsp (this is the surprise ingredient)

Method:

Boil the Half pack of Hakka Noodles in 2 cups of water for about 3-4 mins. Drain the noodles and pour some water over the noodles and drain again.

Heat 1/2 tbsp oil in a Pan and fry the finely sliced vegetables for just 1- 2 mins. add a slight pinch of aji-no-moto and mix. set this aside.


Heat Oil in a Iron Skillet. Add Tomato Pickle / Thokku to the oil and Stir well.
Add all the Sauces to the Skillet and give a Stir.
Add the Fried Vegetables to the Skillet and give a Stir.

Now add boiled and drained Noodles to the skillet and mix well with sauces - pickle and vegetable mix with Chopsticks or just Toss the Noodles.


Switch off the flame and add chopped Spring Onions to the Noodles.

Note: No need to add salt, as the Tomato Pickle / Thokku will have enough salt.

One of our friend Chithra suggested me to try a Gujarati-Rajasthani Restaurant called Mathsuk's at T.Nagar. The day after she suggested i went there, as i love Rajasthani - Gujarati Food's. The Restaurant offered lots of sweets and snacks, of the Rajasthani and Gujarati state. Needless to say, the stuffed parathas, Kadhi's were so Good and the price was also reasonable. and there i tasted this Bhindi Kadhi, it tastes like our Vendakaai Morkuzhambu.I liked it so much and wanted to try at home, and its here now.

Recipe Source: Sanjeev Kapoor's Dal and Kadhi Book.

Recipe For 3- 4 adults

Bhindi - 10 (trim the head and tail and cut them into 1/2 inch pieces)
Oil - 2 tbsp (to fry the Bhindi pieces)

Heat a skillet and add Oil. Add Chopped Bhindi pieces, when the Oil gets heated. fry the bhindi pieces in medium flame for about 4-5 minutes, till they are cooked. add very little salt, while frying. (Need not Deep Fry the Bhindi's)


Whisk or Mix the Following


- 4 tbsp's of Besan Flour
- 2 Cup's of Curd (3 days old Curd)
- a pinch of Turmeric Powder
- 1 tsp Chilli Powder
- a pinch asafoetida powder
- 3 Cup's of water
- and little salt to taste

Mix all the above Ingredients together and keep aside.

Get Ready with


* Green Chilli - 2 finely chopped
* Garlic - 5 cloves (finely sliced)
* Ginger - 1 inch size finely sliced

* Oil - 1 tbsp
* Mustard - 1 tsp
* Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
* Chopped Corriander Leaves

Heat a tbsp of Oil in a Skillet, add mustard and let it pop. then add fenugreek seeds and let it fry. Now add the chopped Green chilli's, Garlic and Ginger and Fry them, till they change into Golden Colour.

Now add the Whisked / Mixed Curd-Besan Flour mixture to the skillet and slow the flame. let the mixture come to boil in slow flame. it will take some 5-7 minutes.

Now add the fried Bhindi's and let the Kadhi sit on slow flame for another 2-3 minutes.


Remove the Kadhi from flame and add chopped corriander leaves as garnish and serve hot with Rice or Roti's /Chapathi's.

Do try this Kadhi and enjoy as we did.