Our's today lunch was this Indianized version of pasta dish..I prepared them very much similar like our pulao but instead of rice i used the whole wheat macaroni pastas..When my H called me from his office to know how am doing coz of my allergic problem, he asked me wat i prepared for lunch? thinking that he will order something for me as home delivery, i told that i prepared some pulao with pasta, he started laughing and was almost surprised when i told him how i prepared this pasta pulao..Immediately he started worrying that am spending more time in cooking than taking rest.. Wat can i do, am not a person who sit in idle and i want always to keep me busy and finally my H asked me keep him a plate of this pulao for his dinner,fingers crossed hope he will love this pasta pulao..But we guys enjoyed this pasta pulao for ou lunch when i served them with some baked potato patties crusted with quinoa..Both together turned out lunch super healthy and filling..Sending this pasta pulao to Global Kadai-Pasta guest hosted by Indhu, event started by Cilantro...

Ingredients:

• 250grs Pasta (cooked al dente)
• 1no Onion (chopped)
• 1no Tomato(chopped)
• 10nos Babycorn (sliced as strips)
• 1/2tsp Fennel seeds
• Salt
• Oil

To Grind:

• 1/2cup Mint leaves
• 1no Green chillies
• 2nos Dry red chillies
• 5nos Garlic cloves
• 1inch Ginger pieces (chopped)
• 2tbsp Coconut
• 1/2tsp Garam masala powder
• 5nos Peppercorns

Method:
Grind all the ingredients together as fine paste given in the list 'To grind'..Meanwhile heat enough oil, let crack the fennel seeds, add immediately the chopped onions, chopped tomatoes and saute until the tomatoes turns mushy and the onions turns trasnculent, add the stripped babycorns and saute for few seconds, immediately add the grounded paste and cook everything in simmer until the oil gets separates..

Finally add the already cooked pastas to the cooking masala, toss everything gently and cook for few minutes in simmer..Serve hot garnished with some almond flakes..

My regular readers know that i usually used to prepare my sprouts at home atleast twice or thrice a month..This time i have prepared a dosa batter with sprouted chickpeas and brown rice..Yes am trying to use more brown rice in my dishes and using less the usual white rice..Before few months back, i tried out a batter just with chickpeas, rice and urad dal at home,we liked it, so finally i thought of making the same batter with brown rice and sprouted chickpeas this time and prepared oil-less dosas using non stick pan..This dosas turned out truly fabulous, crispy at the same time,they were super nutritious too..We enjoyed this crispy dosa with spicy coconut chutney, both together turned out our dinner awesome and we loved it..

Ingredients:

• 2cups Sprouted Chickpeas
• 1+1/2cups Brown rice
• 1/2cup Parboiled rice
• 1cup Urad dal
• 1/2tsp Fenugreek seeds
• Salt

Method:
Soak the brown rice and parboiled rice together for 4hours, wash and soak the urad dal and fenugreek seeds alone for 4hours too...Grind the soaked urad dal and fenugreek seeds as a smooth paste, grind again the sprouted chickpeas along with soaked brown rice and par boiled rice with water until bit coarse paste..Mix the smooth urad dal batter along with bit coarse chickpeas-rice batter with enough salt..Let them sit a nite for fermentation..

Heat a non stick pan, pour a ladle of this sprouted chickpeas batter, spread them as dosa..Cook on both sides until they get well cooked..Serve hot with spicy coconut chutney..

Fresh coriander is hard to come by during summer and when available, its exorbitantly priced. My vegetable vendor who supplies fresh vegetables, grown in his small farm, brought 2 bunches of fresh coriander. Delighted, I put my favorite herb to use by way of an easy breezy chutney to go with our morning breakfast, Dosa. Makes for a wonderful side with tiffins like dosas and idlis.

Coriander Roasted Dal Chutney Recipe
Prep & Cooking: 10 mts

Ingredients:

• 1 1/4 cups chopped fresh coriander leaves, packed
• 2 green chillis (slit lengthwise)
• 2 tbsps roasted channa dal/bhuna chana/dalia
• 2 tbsps grated coconut
• salt to taste
• 2 tsps oil

Method:

1 Heat oil in a vessel, add green chillis and saute for a mt. Remove from vessel and keep aside. In the same vessel add the coriander leaves and saute for 3-4 mts. Remove from heat and cool.
2 Grind the roasted chana dal, coriander leaves, green chillis, coconut and salt to a paste, adding little water. Remove onto a serving bowl and serve with tiffins like Dosa or Idli.

No dish can get more 'quintessential and authentic Andhra' than a gongura preparation. The gongura greens are cherished in Andhra cuisine more than any of its counterparts and is used to prepare delectable pappu, pachadi and other dishes.
There are two varieties of gongura leaves available - the one with the red colored stalks (Erra gongura - the red one) and the other with the regular greenish colored stalk (Tella gongura - the white colored one). They impart their characteristic sourness to a dish and so one need to be careful about adding any other sour agents to gongura preparations.
Today's recipe is gongura pappu, the 'ultimate' dal preparation from Andhra.

Required ingredients:
1 cup toordal
Chopped gongura leaves -3 cups, firmly packed
One onion, finely chopped (optional)
4 medium sized chilies, sliced lengthwise (I used Serrano peppers)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
Salt as needed (about 2&1/2 tsp)
Thick tamarind juice - 3 Tbsp (optional.) **
Chili powder - 1 tsp
For tadka/popu: 1 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp cumin seeds & a few pinches of asafoetida, few curry leaves
**Depending upon the sourness of gongura, tamarind can either be used or omitted. The gongura leaves I got were not that sour and I had to use about 3 Tbsp of the tamarind juice.
*For tamarind juice, soak about a lemon sized tamarind in water or nuke it in a microwave (of course, with half a cup of water added) for about a couple of minutes. Squeeze the tamarind using your fingers or passing through a sieve. Discard the seeds and fibre. Use the thick puree extracted as required and save the rest for later use.
If using the ready-made tamarind paste, the quantity mentioned above varies.

Gongura pappu in the traditional pappu ginne (container used to cook the dal)

Cooking:
Wash the toordal and throw away the cloudy water. Cook toordal along with gongura, onion, chilies and turmeric powder adding about 2 cups water in a pressure cooker.
When the valve pressure is gone, remove the cooked dal. Add salt and chili powder. Stir the contents with a ladle and check the sourness. Add tamarind juice only if required. Stir well once more and turn on the heat. Let it simmer for about five minutes for all the flavors to mingle.
Do the tadka/seasoning in a small sauté pan. Heat oil and add the tadka ingredients. When the mustard seeds start popping and the cumin turns brownish, turn off the heat. Add the tadka to the dal and mix well.
Serve hot with rice and a spoon of ghee for a delicious Andhra style meal.

Appadala Kura.

Papad / pappadam is used to make this quick and spicy curry. This is generally made when one is out of vegetables and dals. Papad is broken is pieces and cooked in tempered oil till soft. This papad curry is generally served with pulka or with steamed rice.
Makes: around 3 Servings Quick Papad Curry.

Ingredients:

• Black Pepper Papad 3
• Coriander Powder 1 tsp
• Cumin Powder 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder a pinch
• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves 8
• Salt to taste
• Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Break dried papad into small pieces.

Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and curry leaves.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add coriander powder, cumin powder, red chili powder and turmeric.
Immediately pour a cup of water, add few pinches of salt.
Bring the water to boil, stir in broken papad pieces.
Cook for around 5 minutes for papad to absorb all the juices and turn soft.
Serve quick papad curry with pulka or with steamed rice.
Notes: Make sure not to overcook the papad.

Suggestions: If papad is not cooked properly, put it back on heat. Add few splashes of water and cook covered till done.
Variations: You can also add chopped vegetables like potato to the tempering. Using various varieties of papad, if not using a spicy papad, make sure to spice up the curry with red chili powder.
Other Names: Quick Papad Curry, Miriyala Appadala Kura.

I love to enjoy soups or salads for our usual dinner, its quite a simple way to enjoy veggies instead of sauting ,frying etc..I usually go for simple soups, sometimes i prepare a bowl of soup specially for me while others at home have enjoy french fries and roasted chickens, i wont say that am dieting but having soup for dinner been almost a routine for me..This celery and quinoa soup was one among those easy breezy soup i prepared yesterday for our dinner, we enjoyed this celery and quinoa soup along with some toasted bread slices, this soup is a complete food which is quite filling, healthy also delicious,the addition of quinoa turned out this soup more healthier and we enjoyed having this fabulous soup for dinner..Sending this soup to MEC-Healthy Foods guest hosted by EC, event by Srivalli...

Ingredients:

• 2cups Celery stem
• 2nos Potatoes (chopped)
• 1no Onion(chopped)
• 1tbsp Olive oil
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/4cup Red Quinoa

Method:
Cook quinoa with a half cup of water and salt in a microwave safe bowl for 10minutes high in microwave oven..In a another bowl, add the olive oil and chopped onions cook everything for 5 minutes until the onion turns transculent (stir in between)..Add the celery pieces and chopped potatoes to the onions, cook for 5 minutes finally add enough water, salt and pepper powder cook in high for 15minutes (stir in between)..Take the bowl out, blend as soup with a hand blender..Reheat the soup along with already cooked quinoa for 3minutes in high..

Serve warm along with toasted breads or any grilled meat..

Apples, its has been a long i had fresh apple chunks, coz of my allergic problem i couldnt eat them directly, i have to cook them either as tarts or as applesauce or in cakes..Its really a big problem for me to go through farmer's markets during spring, i have to ask the vendor to choose the fruits or veggies coz of my allergic problem, yea wat to do its gonna be almost three years am suffering from this allergic problems, anyhow once the spring go away, i can enjoy very much the summer..Last week my H got a bag of red apples, after preparing some applesauce there were still some cute red apples laying in my fruits basket, my babies enjoyed them as salads somehow still two apples were sitting sadly..Finally i ended them as muffins using olive oil instead of butter along with whole wheat pastry flour and hazelnut powder as i got a pack of hazelnut powder which was sitting in my pantry since a long too..This is how i prepared this apple muffins with hazelnut powder to give them a fabulous flavour and nutty aspect to this usual apple muffins..Tasty apple muffins goes directly to CFK-WWF guest hosted by Priya, event started by Sharmi & Champa's Bake Off ..

Ingredients:

• 2cups Whole wheat pastry flour
• 1/2cup All purpose flour
• 1/2cup Hazelnut powder
• 1/2cup Sugar
• 1/2tsp Cinnamon powder
• 1cup Apples (grated)
• 1tsp Flax seed powder
• 1tsp Baking powder
• 1/2cup Olive oil
• 1/2cup Hot water

Method:
Mix the whole wheat pastry flour,hazel nut powder,all purpose flour with cinnamon powder and baking powder in a large bowl.. Preheat the oven to 350F...Now mix the olive oil, flax seed powder,grated apples and sugar, whisk everything well until the sugar gets well dissolved finally add the hot water and give a stir...fold the wet ingredients to dry ingredients using a spatula or a wooden spoon, dont over mix..Fill the greased muffin pan with the muffin batter and bake the muffins for 20-25minutes in middle rack..

Enjoy warm!!

Paniyaram.

Paniyaram / gunta ponganalu is a south Indian breakfast dish made with rice. Here, sago is used as a main ingredient. Sago is soaked along with rice and other ingredients for few hours and ground into somewhat thick batter. The batter is them tempered and poured into small moulds and cooked till crisp.
Makes: around 30 Paniyaram.

Ingredients:

• Sago 1/2 Cup
• Rice 3/4 Cup
• Urad Dal 1/4 Cup
• Fenugreek Seeds a pinch
• Yogurt 3 tbsps
• Chana Dal 1 tbsp
• Green Chiles 2
• Ginger 1 inch Piece
• Cilantro few Sprigs
• Salt to taste
• Oil to grease the moulds

Talimpu:

• Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves 4
• Oil 1 tsp

Method of preparation:

Remove stems, wash and finely chop green chiles.
Peel, wash and mince the ginger.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.
Soak chana dal for 4 – 5 hours in enough water.

Soak sago, rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds in enough water for 4 – 5 hours.
Strain the water and grind all of them together into paste adding yogurt and sufficient salt.
Add water if necessary while grinding.
Remove the ground paniyaram batter into a vessel and let if ferment for good 6 – 8 hours.
Then, stir in soaked chana dal and cilantro to the fermented batter.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order along with ginger and green chiles.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, remove from heat and add to the paniyaram batter.

Heat aebleskiver pan or ponganalu pan on medium heat.
Grease the moulds with few drop of oil and let the pan heat a bit.
Fill each mould of the aebleskiver pan with a tbsp or more of the paniyaram batter.
Once edges start to change color, carefully turn paniyaram on other side and let it cook for a another minute. Carefully remove paniyaram from the pan onto a plate.
Repeat the same with remaining ponganalu batter.
Serve paniyaram with coconut chutney or with any other chutney and sambar.
Notes: Make sure to cook the paniyaram on medium heat for insides to cook.

Suggestions: If the ponganalu is not cooked properly inside, put them back on the pan and cook on low heat till done.
Variations: You can also use the leftover dosa batter and mix in soaked sago along with other ingredients for a quick fix.
Other Names: Paniyaram, Guntha Ponganalu, Gunta Pongadalu, Appe,

Cracked wheat is a wheat product made from whole raw wheat kernels which are crushed or cut into smaller pieces.Because cracked wheat is made from whole wheat berries, it carries a great deal of nutrition and fiber since it includes the fiber and nutrient rich outer bran and germ of the wheat. For this reason, it is often added to healthy diets, especially those eaten by people who are concerned about heart health...Many people use it as a base, like couscous, serving vegetables or meats alongside it. It can also be used in grain pilafs in which many recipes for multi-grain pilaf call for cracked wheat, since it is fluffy and flavorful. Many people also include cracked wheat in multi-grain bread, pancakes, and other grain dishes. My usual purchasing in Indian groceries goes automatically for whole wheat flour, cracked wheat, barley meal etc...I fond always for the jackfruits, but its really hard to find them fresh, so i'll go for canned one..I prepared this simple but healthy cracked wheat and jackfruit kheer sterday, coz its quite a special day for me and my H..This flavourful kheer tastes excellent at the same time, its very quick to prepare, sending this fabulous kheer to CFK-WWF guest hosted by Priya, event by Sharmi..

Ingredients:

• 1/4cup Cracked wheat
• 2cups Milk
• 1/4cup Sweetened condensed milk
• 1/2cup Jackfruit (chopped)
• 10nos Saffron strands
• 1tsp Cardamom powder
• Few almond flakes & Pistachios

Method:
Heat the milk,saffron strands and sweetened condensed milk together, meanwhile wash the cracked wheat, drain the excess of water using a strainer, add this washed cracked wheat to the boiling milk,put immediately the flame in simmer, cook until the cracked wheat get cooked..add immediately the chopped jackfruits, cardamom powder, cook everything for few minutes..Put off the stove..

Serve warm, garnished with almond flakes and pistachios..

Capsicum Paneer Sabzi

A jhatpat sabzi with nutritious ingredients, capsicum and paneer. Appealing to the eye and the palate, this super quick, utterly simple stir fry is lightly spiced and makes a good side with phulkas or a filling for a wrap/roll. You can even add a few tablespoons of thick coconut milk towards the end of the cooking process to give it a rich flavor. Whatever you do, use kasuri methi aka dried fenugreek leaves which gives oodles of flavor to the paneer.

Jhat Phat Capsicum Paneer Recipe
Preparation: 20-25 mts
Serves 3-4 persons

Ingredients:

• 1 cup paneer, cubed
• 1 tsp ginger-garlic-green chilli paste
• pinch of turmeric pwd
• 1/2 tsp red chilli pwd
• 1 tsp coriander pwd
• 1 tomato, de-seeded and quartered
• 2 capsicums, cut into long pieces
• 1/2 tsp kasuri methi
• pinch of garam masala pwd
• salt to taste
• 1/2 tbsp ghee
• chopped fresh coriander for garnish

Method:

1 Heat ghee in a vessel, add cubed paneer and saute for 2 mts. Remove from vessel and place in warm water for 3 mts, drain and keep aside.
2In the same vessel, add the ginger-garlic-green chilli paste and saute for 2 mts. Add turmeric pwd, coriander pwd, red chilli pwd and combine. Add the chopped capsicum and cook till they turn slightly soft, approx 5-7 mts.
3 Add tomatoes and stir well to combine and cook for 7 mts, with lid. Add the paneer cubes and toss the contents well and cook for 5 mts. Add garam masala pwd and kasuri methi and combine.
4 Finally, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis or bread.

Pulka with Shimla Mirch Paneer Subji, Salad and Mango Juice

In the earlier post i have told that my DH surprised me sterday with a glass of healthy, delicious and refreshing smoothie for my breakfast, here is that gorgeous smoothie which he prepared for me and he took the pic since am pestering him to make out something specially for me for Priti's event..I have bought a bag of frozen raspberries long back and i told my hubby that am gonna make some shake with oats for a sunday breakfast quite a long back, seems he got hooked with my idea of making of smoothies with raspberries and oats and finally he prepared sterday for our breakfast which he served me specially..Am so proud of him and wanted to send this beautiful smoothie to Priti's His Cooking Event..This smoothie is an excellent breakfast smoothie, definitely a best and better booster to start a day also suits prefectly to beat the heat..Also sending to Divya's Show Me Your Smoothie..

Ingredients:

• 1cup Raspberries (frozen)
• 2tbsp Quick Cooking Oats
• 1cup Yogurt
• 1/2cup Milk
• Honey or Maple syrup as per need

Method:
Blend together the frozen raspberries, oats, yogurt, milk and honey or maple syrup per need as thick smoothie, serve immediately with ice cubes or chilled..

My H topped the smoothie with oats and garnished with a strawberry..So cute na!!

Badam Halwa is my favourite Sweet and my ammamma, prepares it excellently. She always prepares it for my Birthdays. and as a follower of her, i made Kaju Sweets for my Son's Birthday Party. It turned out with Great Taste, and my guests enjoyed the Kaju Sweet very much.

Coming to the Recipe..

Ingredients:

(Yields 30 very small pieces / 18 medium sized pieces)

1. Cashews - 2 cup (300 gms)
2. Sugar - 1 cup
3. Water - just to the level of sugar immerses (1/4 cup water)
4. Ghee - to Grease your Palms.
5. I used 3 Colours,

(i) Kesari Colour (ii) Lemon Yellow Colour (iii) Orange Red Colour


6. Few Cashew's and Almonds to decorate.

- Wash and dry your mixer, without any wet.
- Grind the Cashew to the powder form.

The Ratio between Cashew Powder and Sugar is 2 : 1.

How to Make Sugar Syrup for Kaju Sweets?

Take One cup of sugar in a thick bottomed pan, and pour water till it get immersed (say 1/4 cup of water).

Keep checking every half minute..

1. Soon after the sugar water starts to boil, have a little in a spoon and touch it with your fingers. it will be very sticky to your fingers.( pisukku patham)

2. Second stage is, just drop a drop of sugar syrup on a plate, and tilt the plate, sugar syrup will start flowing.

3. Third and required stage for Kaju Sweet is

Drop a drop of sugar syrup, on a plate, it should get set and not move, when the plate is tilted.

When the syrup attains the third stage, put the cashew powder to the syrup and keep stirring it to avoid lumps. even break the lumps if any formed.

Keep the flame Low and keep stirring for at least 3-4 minutes.

(For Good Quality Cashews, it takes less time like 4 minutes., but for ordinary Cashews, it takes atleast 10-15 minutes of stirring)

When you see bubbles coming and blowing off from the cashew dough and when you take it with a slotted spoon ( Jalli Karandi ), and tilt the spoon, The cashew burfi should start sliding vertically like paper and flat. switch off the flame and remove from the stove.

Let it cool for about 10 to 15 minutes and till your palms could bear the heat for kneading.

Grease some ghee on your palms and knead the cashew dough for about a minute or 2, till they all come out to a big ball shape. (Kaju Dough is ready) - Refer here to make Kaju Roll.

Divide the Cashew dough into 3 parts and add 3 different colours to each part of the cashew dough. mix the colours well with the dough. and roll into small balls with your ghee greased palm's. (just as we make balls from chapathi dough).

Cut the Almonds and Cashews into small pieces and insert into the centre of the Kaju Sweet Balls so that they get flattened a little.