Nowadays i couldnt stop myself to buy cute baby potatoes from my favourite farmer's market, this time i wanted to make a delicious dish instead of preparing the same potato roast or curry, while going through Aipi's US Masala i got hooked immediately with this Achari Aloo, most of us know that Aipi's blog have many authentic North Indian dishes as well as International dishes, i love her blog, everytime i go there she simply rocks with her beautiful clicks which makes me hungry even after having my lunch or dinner...Coming to this achari aloo, initially i thought this dish will go for many cooking process and for my surprise Aipi's achari aloo's goes truly for a quick preparation and tastes truly marvellous, we enjoyed having this achari aloo as side dish along with rotis...Sending this yummy potato dish to Tried & Tasted guest hosted by Priya,event by Lakshmi..

Ingredients:

• 15nos Baby potatoes (boiled & peeled)
• 1no Onion (chopped)
• 1no Tomato (chopped)
• 1tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 1/2tsp Amchur powder
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• 2tsp Coriander powder
• Oil
• 1tbsp Lemon juice
• Few chopped coriander leaves

For Tempering:

• 1no Dry red chilli
• 1no Bay leaf
• 1/2tsp Fennel seeds
• 1/4tsp Mustard seeds
• 1/4tsp Cumin seeds
• 1/4tsp Ajwain seeds
• 1/4tsp Fenugreek seeds
• 6nos Nigella seeds
• A pinch Asafoetida powder

Method:
Heat enough oil, add all the ingredients given for tempering and fry until everything turns brown, add the chopped onions,chopped tomatoes,sauté for few minutes, add the ginger garlic paste and cook until the raw smells goes on, now add the already cooked baby potatoes,sauté for few seconds, now add all the spice powder, cook it well until the potatoes gets well coated with masala, finally add the lemon juice and chopped coriander leaves put off the stove..

Enjoy with rotis or any sort of rice..

Source: Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

A quick one pot meal get ready in less time in microwave oven with leftover cooked rice..Zucchini and peanut together works out wonder and its quite an easy breezy rice,tastes delicious when served along with any sort of spicy roasts..We enjoyed with potato chips and the addition of peanut in this rice turned out this rice truly delicious and nutty..In case if u dont have leftover rice, u can very well go for freshly cooked rice either by cooking in microwave oven or either in rice cooker...A prefect lunch box menu too..Anyhow the cooking time varies according to ur microwave oven power.....

Ingredients:

• 2cups Cooked rice
• 1/2cup Zucchini (chopped)
• 1/4cup Peanuts
• 1no Onion (chopped)
• 2nos Green chillies (slit opened)
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 1tsp Pav bhaji masala
• Oil
• 1tsp Cumin seeds + Shah jeera
• Few coriander leaves (chopped)

Method:
Heat enough oil in a microwave safe bowl for 40-45 seconds in high power, add the cumin seeds and shah jeera, cook in microwave oven for a minute, add the chopped onions,slit opened green chillies and salt,cook for 5-7minutes until the onions turns transculent..now add the peanuts,cook for 2 minutes..Finally add the chopped zucchini, garam masala powder,pav bhaji powder, cook for 10 minutes until the veggies get well cooked...

Now add the cooked rice,chopped coriander leaves, toss everything gently, cook now for 2-3minutes..Serve hot with potato chips or spicy potato roast..

Source: Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

Delicious sweet mango thokku goes prefect as side dish along with simple rotis or else as a spread over a toasted bread slices...Even now am relishing this yummy sugarfree sweet mango thokku with some toasted bread with a cup of tea for my breakfast, i prepared this delicious,mildly tangy also at the same time sweet thokku by using honey and spiced up with red chilly powder also tempered with mustard seeds..Actually my mom used to make this sweet thokku quite often but with jaggery syrup and red chilly powder, as am trying to make sugar free dishes, i went for honey for making this thokku..If u are craving for something with mangoes, this sweet thokku suits prefectly..

Ingredients:

• 1cup Mango (grated)
• 3/4cup Honey
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• 1tsp Mustard seeds
• Oil
• 1/4tsp Salt

Method:
Heat enough oil,let splutters the mustard seeds, add immediately grated mango, sauté for few minutes, add immediately the red chilly powder, salt, cook everything for few seconds, add half a cup of water and cook until the mango gets half cooked, finally add the honey and cook until the thokku turns thick..

Once this thokku gets cooled,transfer the thokku to a bottle and conserve in room temperature,this thokku stays prefect for 2-3days, can stay longer if conserved them in fridge...

Source: Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

The barley-lentil stew

When trying out new grains and that too when I am not sure how well our palettes are going to receive the new textures, I prefer to go back to my own cuisine to borrow ideas. The south Indian cooking - the familiar zone seems so comforting and forgiving like a Mother. When I have to deal with the unfamilar grains for the first time, I prefer to combine the typical ingredients used in my (south Indian) kitchen and add spices for more layers of flavor. This barley dish is a proof of it.
Though barley is available in India, it was never used in our kitchens (my mother's or MIL's or any of the relatives'.) The first time I used barley was when I bought some to prepare this bread for Kiran's event. The barley I have been left with has gone in to the preparation of typical Indian style dishes.
Barley cooked till tender has a chewy texture that I am not very fond of. I have therefore allowed the barley to cook until it reached a fall apart stage, where you don't feel its texture at all. As I mentioned above, this dish relies on South Indian style cooking and is somewhat a cross between Karnataka's Bisibelebhath and Tamilnadu's Kadamba Saadam. I simply called it a stew since I didn't want to wreck my brains in search of a perfect name for this dish.
A wholesome healthy dish that was liked by everyone at our home.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 1/2 cup barley
• 1/2 cup toordal
• 1 cup chopped mixed veggies (I used carrots, green beans, potatoes, peas)
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• 2 - 3 Tbsp thick tamarind juice (extracted by soaking about lemon sized tamarind in water)
• For tadka: 2 tsp ghee / oil, 1 tsp mustard seeds, few curry leaves
• For spice powder, dry toast and powder: 2 Tbsp chanadal, 1 Tbsp uraddal, 1 Tbsp coriander seeds, 1/4 tsp methi seeds, 8 - 10 red chillies, 2 Tbsp coconut flakes, a few dagad phool / rathi puvvu

Method:
Soak barley for at least an hour and this step is optional if you are using a pressure cooker.
Add barley, toordal, vegetables, turmeric powder and about 2 cups of water to a pressure cooker and cook till it is done. If you cook rice for 3 whistles, then let this go for 12 - 15 whistles.
When the valve pressure is gone, remove the container. Check the barley and if you wish to cook it further, add the mixture and extra water needed to a pan and cook further till the desired consistency is reached. Also if you prefer your veggies crunchier, you can cook them separately instead of adding them to the pressure cooker.
Then add salt, tamarind puree and the spice powder to the barley mixture and simmer for a couple of minutes more.
Heat the ghee / oil in a pan. Toast the mustard seeds and curry leaves and add to the barley mixture.

This goes to Nivedita's "Only" - Original recipes, an event created by Pari.

Source: Veggie Platter

( click image for enlarged view )

Since last week the temperatures has been rising in chennai and my younger sister who came to visit me had requested me to prepare a regular malai kulfi as she had seen on my blog earlier but I thought I could prepare a interesting variation . It came out pretty well and she was so delighted to have three flavors in one kulfi. So here is the recipe

Ingredients

• 8 cups organic whole fat milk
• 3/4 cup sugar
• 1 bread slice
• 1 tbsp corn flour
• pinch of saffron (kesar)
• 1/4 cup pista
• 1/4 tsp crushed cardamom
• 1 /4 chocolate chips
• drop of saffron color ( yellow )
• drop of green color

( click image for enlarged view )

Cooking Procedure

In a non stick pan boil the 8 cups milk, once it starts boiling reduce it to mediumflame n stir occasionally until the milk reduces to half quantity.

In the meantime finely chop the pista n keep aside. Take the bread slice n remove the sides n cut it into small pieces,soak it in the 1/3 cup milk, add the corn flour n blend it nicely to a smooth paste n keep aside.

When the milk which was kept for boiling has reduced to half, add the above bread mixture to it n stir for 2 min until it begins to thicken then divide to three portions.

Melt the chocolate chips in microwave and blend it nicely with the first portion and fill this mixture to 1/3 level into the molds and freeze it for 1 hour

To the remaining 2 portions add the sugar and cardamom powder and stir still sugar melts and let it cool.

Then to one portion add the chopped pistachio, cardamom powder and green food color and fill the mold to to 2/3 level and freeze for 1 hour

To the third and final portion add a pinch of kesar and yellow color and fill the mold completely and freeze for 3 hours

Before serving take the mould from freezer n keep it under running water for a min and slowly remove the kulfi.

Enjoy your tri-flavor kulfi

Source : Super Yummy Recipes

Helping Hands Are Greater Than Praying Lips

Save the child

A girl aged 5 yrs who is living in Sulurupet is suffering with a heart hole.

Her parents are soo poor they
cannot afford to give her proper treatment.

Doctors have told them that it would cost about 8 lakhs for
her operation.So any kind donors please help this child.

Please Send Donations By Paypal And Bank Transfer

Paypal : nagababu.gade@yahoo.co.in

Bank Wire Transfer :

State Bank Of India
G.Nagababu

A/c Number : 30243979095

Bhasakarao Peta Branch

Vijayawada

Bangaladumpa Idlilu.

For potato stuffed idli, potato is boiled, peeled and mashed. Mashed potato is then seasoned with spices and herbs. The potato mixture is then made into discs and stuffed in idli batter. Idli is steamed and potato stuffed idli is served with sambar or with any chutney of your choice.
Makes: 4 Potato Stuffed Idli.

Ingredients:

• Idli Batter 3/4 Cup
• Potato 1 Large
• Green Chiles 1
• Turmeric Powder a big Pinch
• Cilantro few Sprigs
• Salt to taste

Talimpu:

• Mustard Seeds 1/8 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/8 tsp
• Coriander Seeds a Big Pinch
• Oil 2 tsps

Method of preparation:

Remove stem, wash and finely chop the green chile.
Lightly crush the coriander seeds.
Wash and finely chop the cilantro.

Wash and halve the potatoes.
Boil few cups of water in a sauce pot.
Add salt and potatoes.
Boil till potatoes are soft.
Cool the potatoes to room temperature and peel them.
Mash the potatoes with salt and keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add mashed potatoes, turmeric powder and cilantro.
Stir well and remove from heat.
Once the potato stuffing is warm enough to handle.
Take a big spoonful of mixture and form into thick disc.
Repeat the same with remaining portions.

Grease idli moulds with few drops of ghee.
Spread a tbsp of batter in each idli mould.
Layer each mould with potato disc.
Layer few more tablespoons of idli batter on the potato disc to cover it.
Place the idli stand in steamer.
Steam the idli for around 8 minutes.
Leave the idli outside for a minute or two to cool down.
Carefully remove the idli from idli mould with help of a spoon.
Serve potato stuffed idli with sambar or with coconut chutney.
Notes: Make sure idli is steamed well before removing from heat.

Source: Talimpu

Cauliflower Dal.

Cauliflower is broken into small florets. Cauliflower is fried in oil flavored with whole spices. It is then cooked along with cooked toor dal along with tomato. Serve cauliflower dal with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Cauliflower Dal.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal 1 Cup
• Cauliflower 2 Cups Packed
• Tomato 1 Large
• Green Chiles 2
• Turmeric Powder 1/4 tsp
• Red Chile Powder 1/2 tsp
• Cilantro few Sprigs
• Salt to taste

Talimpu:

• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves 5
• Oil 2 Tsps

Method of preparation:

Wash and break cauliflower into small florets.
Slice the cauliflower florets vertically.
Wash and finely chop the tomato.
Wash, remove stems and slice the green chiles.

Wash toor dal under water and pressure cook the dal in 2 cups of water for 3 whistles.
Remove the cooked dal in a sauce pot.

Heat oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add cauliflower florets and fry till they turn golden brown around the edges.
Then add turmeric powder, red chile powder and salt.
Add the cauliflower mixture, chopped tomato, green chiles into sauce pot along with dal.
Boil the dal for 5 – 10 minutes or until tomato turns soft.
Stir in cilantro and serve cauliflower dal with steamed rice and dollop of ghee.
Notes: Make sure cauliflower is cooked well before removing from heat.

Source: Talimpu

Our sunday lunch was this delicious prawn tomato pulao which i served along with fried chicken wings, this pulao tastes absolutely wonderful also its goes for an easy breezy preparation...Cooked basmati rice mixed with a delicious prawn masala prepared with tomato-coconut based gravy along with usual spice powders....A real feast for sea food lovers and very delicious sunday special lunch, definitely a wonderful one pot meal which suits prefectly even for a potluck party..

Ingredients:

• 2cups Cooked basmati rice
• 1cup Prawns (washed)
• 1no Onion (big & chopped)
• 4nos Tomatoes (juicy and chopped)
• 1tsp Ginger garlic paste
• 3nos Green chillies (slit opened)
• 1/4cup Coconut milk
• 1tsp Garam masala powder
• 1/2tsp Cumin seed powder
• 1/2tsp Fennel seed powder
• 1/2tsp Red chilly powder
• 1tsp Coriander powder
• 2nos Whole spices (bay leaves, cloves, cinnamon & cardamom)
• Few mint leaves (chopped)
• Salt
• Oil

Method:
Heat enough oil, fry the whole spices until they turns brown, add the chopped onions,chopped tomatoes,sauté with salt until the veggies turns mushy, add the ginger garlic paste, slit opened green chillies, cook everything until the raw smell disappears...Add the cleaned prawns, cook until they get partially cooked, add the garam masala powder, red chilly powder,cumin seed powder,fennel seed powder, coriander powder..Cook everything in high flame..

Now add the coconut milk, chopped mint leaves and cook until the oil gets separates,add the cooked basmati rice to the prawn masala,toss everything gently and put off the stove..

Serve hot with raitas..

Source: Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes

From microwave to the table

Today happens to be the final day of this week long blogging marathon number 3. So far, my culinary journey has taken me to
1. Maharashtra - Kothimbir Vadi
2. Sindh - Tosha
3. Uttar Pradesh - Nimona
4. Gujarat - Sev Tameta Nu Shaak
5. Bengal - KamlaLebur Kheer
6. Andhra - Mamidi Allam Pachadi

Check out the other bloggers doing this Blogging Marathon.
30 minute meals: Priya Mahadevan, Pavani
Salad: Ila, Divya Vikram
Entries for the ongoing events: Priya Suresh, Harini & me
Kid friendly dishes: Vatsala, Jay, Kamalika
Rice dishes: Veena KrishnaKumar, Padma Rekha, Priya Srinivasan

I had recently borrowed a cookbook titled "Indian Essence" by Mr. Atul Kochhar from my local library. A few recipes in there caught my attention and the first dish I tried was this "Arroz Com Coco" that is supposedly a Goan specialty. The name sounded so fancy though I knew what arroz meant. This dish is supposedly to be made with the local red rice and goes well with most of the curries of West Indian origin. Arroz com coco literally means coconut rice in Portuguese. Goa was under Portuguese power for centuries and so it seemed logical to have a local dish with a Portuguese name. So far so good.
Then I googled to see if I can find anything else about this mild, yummy rice. The search took me almost every time to a sweeter version from Columbia "Arroz Con Coco". M even enquired his Goan colleague only to find out that he had never even heard the name. LOL. :) And I began to wonder whether there was a printing mistake in the book until I found a similar recipe over the web with the same title labeled under Goan dishes.
After trying this dish, I thought what's in a name and when particularly it comes to cooking, what ultimately matters is how delectable or flavorful the dish is. The fragrant basmati rice cooked in rich coconut milk with mild spices is surely a treat. This "Arroz Com Coco" aka Coconut rice happens to be a tasty, mild base for any spicy curry and can be served to even little ones because it is not hot.

Ingredients (Serves 3 - 4) :

• 1 & 1/2 cups Basmati rice
• 2 onions / About 1 cup sliced onions
• 1.5 cups each - coconut milk & water (I used 1 coconut milk can + 1.5 cups water.)
• 3 tsp oil
• 2 one inch pieces of cinnamon / cassia bark + 8 - 10 pepper corns, 3 - 4 cardamoms + 2 cloves
• 1/4 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp ginger - garlic paste (I used 1 tsp grated ginger)
• Salt to taste (or about 2 & 1/4 tsp)

Method:
I prepared this dish in the microwave but it is generally done on stovetop.
1. Wash the rice in several changes of water and then soak in cold water for about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
2. Heat the oil in a microwave safe bowl and sauté the whole spices.
Then add the ginger garlic paste and sauté for a couple of minutes more. I actually added the ginger and spices together and sautéed them.
3. Next add the onions and cook until golden brown, stirring in between. It would take around 3 -4 minutes.
4. Add the rice and sauté for a minute.
5. Stir in the coconut milk, salt, turmeric and water. Cook uncovered, until rice is done. It took me around 22 minutes to cook in the microwave.

This goes to MEC - Rice event, guest hosted by Priya Mitharwal, an event originally created by Srivalli.

Source: Veggie Platter

Bendakaya Ullipaya Masala.

Fresh wet masala is made with roasted spices and onion. Fresh lady’s finger is added to the flavored oil along with masala paste. It is then cooked till bhendi turns soft and onion loses its raw flavor. Serve lady’s finger onion masala with steamed rice or with dal rice and papad.
Makes: around 4 Servings of Lady’s Finger Onion Masala.

Ingredients:

• Lady’s Finger 15 – 20 app.
• Onion 1 Large
• Tamarind 3 inch Piece
• Red Chile Powder 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder a Pinch
• Curry Leaves 5
• Salt to taste

Masala:

• Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1 tsp
• Urad Dal 1 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds a Pinch
• Coriander Seeds 1 Tbsp
• Oil 1 tsp

Talimpu:

• Mustard Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves 5
• Oil 1 Tbsp

Method of preparation:

Wash the lady’s finger and pat them dry.
Make a slit in each lady’s finger making sure the ends are intact.
Peel and dice the onion.
Soak tamarind in few tablespoons of water for sometime.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add all masala ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering or the spices are aromatic, remove from heat.
Cool the mixture to room temperature and grind it into fine powder using a good grinder.
Add the diced onion, sufficient water and salt to the grinder and grind again into paste.

Heat a tsp of oil in a pan, add all talimpu ingredients in order.
When mustard seeds start spluttering, add lady’s finger and fry briefly.
Stir in ground masala paste and curry leaves.
Fry for couple of minutes, add tamarind extract and half a cup water.
Cook covered on low flame for about 10 or until lady’s finger are soft.
Stir in red chile powder, turmeric powder and season with salt if necessary.
Remove from heat and serve lady’s finger onion masala with steamed rice and dal.
Notes: Make sure lady’s finger is cooked well before removing the pot from heat.

Source: Talimpu

I become crazy, when it comes to sea food dishes becoz i just love to have it at any time. Anything simple to cook with little spices will always turn out extremely delicious and this vanjaram (Seer fish) fish fry is ideal. Be generous in adding oil which enhance the taste & flavour. Perfect with rice / appetizer.

Ingredients :

1. Fish slices - 6 nos
2. Salt to taste
3. Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
4. Chilly powder to spice
5. Tamarind pulp - 1/4 tsp
6. Oil for frying
7. Finely chopped corriander leaves - 2 tbsp
8. Fish fry masala, optional ( I used Aachi fish fry masala) - 1 tsp
9. Lemon juice while serving

Method :

1. Combine turmeric powder, chilly powder, tamarind pulp, finely chopped corriander leves, fish masala & salt to taste in a flat dish.

2. Apply this marination to the fish pieces & keep aside for atleast one hour.

3. Heat oil in the frying pan, roast the marinated fish slices till golden brown in either sides.

4. Before serving, drizzle some lemon juice for little tangy taste.

Serve warm.

Source: Cooking With Swapna