Stir Fried Vegetables

My apologies for not having replied to your comments (to those of you who dropped in comments) and for not being in touch with anyone.

Yes. I have been disappearing for quite a while :D. Tight schedule at work. My inlaws were here until last month. Couple of months back, I went out with them and accidentally dropped my bag which had Camera and Handycam (both without cover) in it. Both stopped working. I got it working only couple of days back. Which is one of the reason that kept me away from posting recipes.

Though I got lot of recipes from my mother-in-law, I never had a chance to post any of them. Those are Andhra special. I will try to post one by one... By the way this recipe is not hers :)

I managed to find some time today to post my favourite and a quick recipe.

Stir Fried Vegetables - one of the easiest , less time consuming but a very healthy dish. Picking the right vegetables add to the taste. It hardly takes 10 mins (definitely not more than that including cutting vegetables) and it tastes good.

Ingredients:
Broccoli - 1/2 flower
Carrot - 3
Baby button Mushroom - 150 gms
Courgette (Zucchini) - 1 medium size.
Baby corn - 150 gms

Corn flour - 2 Tsps
Vegetable Stock - 1 Cube (I used Knorr)
Vinegar - 1 Tsp
Soy Sauce - 1 Tsp
Red Chilli Sauce - 1 Tsp
Olive oil - 2 Tsps

Method:

1. Cut all the vegetables into medium sized pieces (as shown above)
2. Mix corn flour in 1/4 cup of water.
3. Mix vegetable stock to corn flour paste. Ensure that no lumps are formed.
4. Add vinegar, soy sauce and 1 tsp of olive oil (you could use any other oil as an alternate). Mix well and keep it aside.
5. Heat 1 tsp of olive oil (or any other oil) in a pan.
6. Add the cut vegetables. Fry for 2 mins.
7. Add 1/4 cup of water and keep it covered for 1 min.
8. Remove the lid and add the paste prepared in step 4.
9. Add red chilli paste , fry for 20 seconds and remove from stove.
10. This goes well with rice and Chapati. Cook rice with little salt.

Note:

You could also add Water chestnut and bamboo shoots which will give a complete Chinese touch. Adjust quantity of vegetables and water according to your taste.

Nutritional Value:

• Broccolli - High in Vitamin C , Vitamin K , folate etc
• Carrot - Vitamin A
• Baby corn - Rich in Protein
• Mushroom - Rich in Thiamine, Niacin , Riboflavin, etc
• Courgette/Zucchini - Rich in folate, potassium, Vitamin A

Capsicum Curry

Capsicum curry is my sister's speciality. I learnt it from her and it is very easy to prepare and tasty too.

Few do not like because of its watery nature, but it is worth due its nutritional value.

Capsicum is also called as "Pepper".

Info from Wiki

The misleading name "pepper" (pimiento in Spanish) was given by Christopher Columbus upon bringing the plant back to Europe. At that time peppercorns were a highly prized condiment. Today, the term "bell pepper" or "pepper" or "capsicum" is often used for any of the large bell shaped capsicum fruits, regardless of their color. In British English, the fruit is simply referred to as a "pepper", whereas in many Commonwealth of Nations countries, such as Australia, India, Malaysia and New Zealand, they are called "capsicum".

Ingredients:
Capsicum - 5 or 6
Onions - 2
Curry Leaves - Few
Green Chilli - 3
Oil - 2 Tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 Tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 Tsp
Salt - As required

To Grind:
Red Chilli - 5
Urad Dhal - 1 Tsp
Channa Dhal - 1 Tsp
Coriander Seeds - 2 Tsps
Coconut - 6 Tsps




Method:

1. Cut Capsicum into small pieces.
2. Cut Onion and green chilli into small pieces.
3. Dry fry Red Chilli, Urad Dhal, Channa Dhal, Coriander Seeds and Coconut.
4. Grind the above.
5. Heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds.
6. Fry onion, curry leaves and green chilli.
7. Add cut capsicum pieces and add the ground powder.
8. Add turmeric powder and salt.
9. Fry until capsicum it is cooked and water disappears.
10. Once done serve with hot rice or chapati.

Nutritional Value:

• Rich in Protein, Vitamin A,C
• Helps to reduce blood pressure, cholestrol
• Good for treating colds and fevers
• Good for diabetics

Baby Button Mushroom Fry

Hello everyone. Hope all is well. Its been six months since I made an entry here. Ususal excuses.. busy ,lazy blah.. blah...blah.

We had been to India for Christmas holidays. Had a great time.

Fine. Coming to the recipe. Baby Button Mushroom Fry or call it however you want.

Mushroom is one of my favourite but most disliked by my family members. I was trying to make a dish with it to satisfy their taste. We had been to a Tandoori Restaurant and I ordered Mushroom Bhaji. It was the first time I had mushroom outside.I generally don't prefer to take Cauliflower, Mushroom, Brinjal and few other dishes outside as they need more careful cleaning. I really liked the taste of Mushroom Bhaji they served. I just got hold of the ingredients in it (whatever I could visually see). I tried it at home by adjusting the ingredients to my taste and it turned out to be really good.

Ingredients:

Baby Button Mushroom - 750 gms
Carrot - 1 cup - cut 2" lengthwise (approx 3 carrots)
Capsicum - 1 cup - cut into medium squares
Onions - 1 cup - cut into medium squares (approx. 2 onions)
Soy Sauce - 5 Tsp
Chilli Sauce - 2 Tsp
Green Chilli - 4 - cut into small pieces.
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 Tsp
Corn flour - 1 Tsp
Salt - As Required
Oil - 4 Tsp

To Grind:
Garlic - 3 pods
Ginger - 1"
or
alternatively 1 Tsp Ginger garlic paste

I know the pictures are not good. Poor lighting. I was cooking in the night and apparently had to use Flash.

Method:

1. Cut mushroom into 3 portions (3 pieces as in the picture).
2. Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan
3. Add the cut mushrooms and fry for sometime.
4. Do not add water. Mushroom by itself will leave out water.
5. Fry until the water evaporates and mushroom is cooked.
6. Remove the mushrooms from the pan.
7. Heat 2 tsps of oil in a pan.
8. Add the cut carrots, capsicum, onions and green chilli.Fry for sometime.
9. Grind ginger and garlic and add to the vegetables.
10. Continue frying until the raw smell disappears.
11. Add 1/2 cup of water and let the vegetables cook. (adjust water accordingly)
12. Once cooked, add the mushrooms.
13. Mix the corn flour in a tsp of water.
14. Add chilli sauce, corn paste, soy sauce, red chilli powder and salt.
15. Stir well and keep in stove for 5 mins and remove.

You can have it with rice or Chapati. Add more water if you want it to be gravy.

Note:
Source Wiki: Mushroom
There are a number of species of mushroom that are poisonous, and although some resemble certain edible species, eating them could be fatal. Eating mushrooms gathered in the wild is risky and should not be undertaken by individuals not knowledgeable in mushroom identification, unless the individuals limit themselves to a relatively small number of good edible species that are visually distinctive. More generally, and particularly with gilled mushrooms, separating edible from poisonous species requires meticulous attention to detail; there is no single trait by which all toxic mushrooms can be identified, nor one by which all edible mushrooms can be identified.

Nutritional Facts:

• Mushrooms are a source of some minerals, including iron, selenium, potassium and phosphorus.
• Rich in vitamins such as thiamine, riboflavin, niacin, biotin, cobalamins, ascorbic acid.
  

Sathu maavu / Nutritious powder

Wish you all a Happy Diwali

Am here after a month...really bogged down with work and other stuff. I wouldn't say I never got my time, but I had other priority tasks to do.I know if I sit down...I would definitely need a minimum of 4-5 hours to drop a few lines in my blog, check out my fellow bloggers etc. So I kept myself away to indulge in other activities.

Let me come to the recipe.

'Sathu maavu' literally means 'Nutritious Flour'. It is mainly used to make Kanji (Gruel). It is prepared using variety of grains and nuts. We are used having it right from our childhood. It is very filling and nutritious too. It is a very good alternative to the usual breakfast.

This is one of my mom's recipe which we like very much. My mom used to send us a pack everytime. I have never prepared this on my own, reason being- lack of facility to do the procedure. Ofcourse the process can be altered, but then we just love the way my mom does.

Though this is my mom's version, this particular post has got something to do with my dad !!! .Wondering how? I called up my mom to get this recipe and told her that I intend to post this sometime. When she started listing the grains I thought I could not do this with pictures. I was not sure if I could get all those grains here. She was actually preparing it there (in India)...right time I asked her. My dad said he would take the pictures of what my mom is preparing and send it to me.

I was really happy and stunned to see the pictures sent by my dad. Nothing extra ordinary, but the way he has tried to get the picture is really touchy. The first two pictures below were sent by my dad. He has taken extra care to spread it on a plate with a background cloth. So nice of him.

OK, here goes the recipe. I am listing down the English and Tamil names.

Ingredients:

Set 1: 250 gms each

Millet - Kambu
Finger Millet -Kelvaragu
Green Gram - Payaru
Horse Gram - Kollu
Black-eyed pea - Karamani
Chickpea - Kondakadalai
Urad - Ulundu

Set 2: 250 gms each
Corn Kernels - Cholam
Peanut - Kadalai
Wheat - Kodhumai
Roasted split Chickpeas - Pottukadalai

Set 3:
Poppy seeds - Kasakasa -100 gms
Cardamom - Elakkai - Few
Almond - Badam (Optional) - 10
Cashew - Mundhiri - 10

[Above two pictures were taken by my dad] Method:

Powder:

1. Soak Set 1 in water,drain the water and leave it aside for 2 nights (until it sprouts).
2. Wash Set 2 and drain the water.
3. Dry Set 1 and Set 2.
4. Fry Set 1, Set 2 and Set 3.
5. Grind everything to nice powder (You can get it done in Mill)
6. Store it in an airtight container.

Gruel:

1. Boil 2 cups of water (adjust water based on your taste. Add more water if you want the gruel to be watery).
2. Take 1 Tsp of Nutritious powder and mix with little amount of water and then add it to the boiling water.
3. Keep mixing (see to that lumps are not formed). .
4. The powder will boil and thicken. Switch off the stove.
5. Add milk and sugar (as per your taste). You could alternatively add Buttermilk and salt. Enjoy the gruel :)

I know, the process is little far from doing if you are outside India. But then it is really worth giving it a try. If you are in India, I would definitely recommend :)

Pongal

Pongal is one of the easiest tiffin item prepared in Tamilnadu. Almost all the restaurants in Tamilnadu will have this listed (Ofcourse next to Idli and Dosa).

Pongal-vada is the most common combo.

Pongal in tamil means 'Boiling and rising'. Venn Pongal refers to Kara pongal and so called Venn pongal due to its color (Venn - White).

I always have the habit of keeping the pepper aside from pongal. So my mom used to grind it and mix with it. But then adding whole pepper renders a different taste compared to pepper powder.

It is best done using pressure cooker (easy and less time consuming), but be careful while using pressure cooker. I had a bad experience with it...I have a very small cooker which I use only for cooking dhal. I cook dhal directly without using any vessel. Once I added more dhal and water (forgot to add oil), the dhal got stuck in the steam nozzle and the boiled dhal started pouring out through the valve (just like a fountain). I turned off the stove and just ran out of the kitchen.

It was pouring out for 5 mins (spoiled my cooker hood) and then stopped. Luckily nothing serious. Cleaning the kitchen took whole of my time and we opted for 'Take away' that day.

And I happened to read safety tips about using pressure cooker in Asha's Foodies Hope on the same day. What a coincidence !

Do read the Safety tips posted by Jyothsna's Curry bazaar when you get time.

Thanks Asha and Jyothsna.

Always use a vessel with a lid while using Pressure cooker.

I was not comfortable to touch my cooker for next two days, that is the reason for not having used cooker while preparing Pongal (in this post).

I used Basmati rice instead of the usual raw rice just to check how it tastes. It did taste well.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 1 cup
Moong Dhal - 1 cup
Water 6 - Cups
Ginger - 1 Inch
Black pepper - 2 Tsps
Cashew nuts 10 - 15
Curry leaves - Few
Cumin Seeds - 1 Tsp
Ghee - 4 Tsps
Salt - As required

Method:

1. Wash rice and moong dhal.Drain the water.
2. Heat 2 Tsps of Ghee in a pan.Fry the rice and moong dhal .
3. Add water and salt. Allow it to cook. You can check the consistency inbetween. (You could alternatively use cooker to cook - leave 4 whistles)
4. Chop ginger into small pieces.
5. Once the rice and dhal gets cooked, heat 2 Tsps of Ghee, fry peppers, chopped ginger, cumin seeds and curry leaves.
6. Add this to the cooked rice and dhal and mix well.
7. Pongal is ready. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

This is my entry for RCI-Tamil hosted by Viji

I am sending this a week after the deadline...hope she accepts it..

Amla Pickle

Thanks to all of you who dropped in your concerns. I was really overwhelmed with happiness when I read the comments expressing your concerns. It really makes a lot of difference when you know there is someone to check on you especially when you are ill. Thank you so much.

My apologies for the late (I know it is very late) reply. I am having a tough time balancing things. I couldn't do any better. Hope you all understand.

Lets go to the Recipe.

Amla Pickle or in other terms Indian Gooseberry pickle.
In tamil we call it Nellikkaai.

Amla is very rich in Vitamin C and it is considered to have more vitamin content when compared to Apple (1 Amla = 2 Apples)

Amla always reminds me of my grandma's home. There used to be a Amla tree behind my grandma's home and Yes.. fresh fruits to us !!!.
My mom's amla pickle is a simple but a tasty one.

I always prefer to prepare pickle in small quantity for two reasons.
1)Need not have to add more preservatives (or more oil) if consumed within short period.
2. Gives me a chance to make another variety of pickle.

Ingredients:
Amla - 15
Mustard Seeds - 2 Tsps
Fenugreek - 1/4 Tsp
Curry Leaves - Few
Red chilli powder - 2 Tsps
Salt - As Required
Oil - 1 Small cup
Turmeric - 1/4 Tsp

Method:

1. Wash amla and wipe with a paper towel.
2. Cut into small pieces along the mark.
3. Dry fry Mustard seeds, Curry leaves and Fenugreek. Grind them into coarse powder.
4. Heat oil in a pan (I generally add less oil. If you look at the picture you could see oil until just half the portion. I give it a shake once in two days so that the oil spreads evenly).
5. Add turmeric powder. Add the cut amla pieces.
6. Allow it to cook in the oil.
7. Once it is cooked (should not take more than 5 mins if the oil is hot), add chilli powder, salt and the coarse powder. Mix well.
8. Switch of the stove. Allow it to cool. Transfer it to an air-tight container (do not pack it tightly).
9. Hot pickle is ready!

Nutritional Facts:

[Source Wiki]

• Amla fruit is a rasayana tonic that promotes longevity, and is especially good for the heart.
• It strengthen the lungs, helping to fight chronic lung problems as well as upper respiratory infections.
• Good source of Vitamin C
• Apart from this it also contains tannins; a reason why even dried form retains most of the vitamin content.

I am sending this to WTSIM... savoury preserve hosted by The Passionate Cook.Thanks to Suganya for the suggestion.

Sorry Prema, I could not make it for the Think Spice ..Think Mustard. (crossed the deadline) event.

Bisibelabath

I am back after a long break...yeah I had to.

I had a guest at home. My most hated guest, who kept me away from cooking. Wondering who? Fever :( I was sick for few days and had to balance with my work and home as well. Now back to normal routine life. I really need sometime to visit all my fellow bloggers. I did miss the great time.

Now a recipe...my favourite one.

Bisibelabath is a famous dish in Karnataka. I am a bisibelabath freak. I am sure anyone who had tried it would definitely love to have it. While in India, whenever I go to a restaurant this is the default rice dish I order.

My sister had been to Bangalore for her project work few years ago. She stayed as a paying guest in a house. The aunty who stayed in there used to make this delicious dish. Here is her recipe slightly tweaked to my taste.

Ingredients:
Rice - 3 Cups
Toor Dhal - 2 cups ( I sometime use Masoor Dhal too)
Small Onion - 1 Cup
Potato - 1 Cup (cut into small pieces)
Peas - 1 Cup
Beans (Cut into 2") - 1 Cup
Carrot (Cut into 2") - 1 Cup
Tomatoes(Large) - 2 Nos
Tamarind Juice - 1/4 Cup (or tamarind paste 1 Tsp as per your taste)
Red chilli powder - 3 Tsp
Salt As Required
Ghee - 3 Tbsp
Oil- 4 Tbsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 Tsp

For Masala:
Coriander seeds - 4 tsp
Fenugreek - 1/4 tsp
Cinnamon - 1"
Cloves - 3 nos
Cardamom 1 no
Dry red chilli - 6
Pepper - 10 corns
Gram dhal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
Grated coconut 6 Tsp ( I prefer dry coconut)



Method:

1. Dry roast the masala ingredients and grind it to coarse powder.
2. Cook toor dhal with turmeric powder and keep it aside.
3. Cook rice.
4. Heat oil in a pan. Add 1 tsp of masala powder, onion, beans, carrot and potato, tomato and fry for sometime (until the vegetables are cooked).
5. Add cooked dhal, tamarind juice, masala powder, salt and red chilli powder.
6. Add some water and allow it to boil for sometime.
7. Keep it aside. (I generally refrigerate it and take it just before serving)
8. Just before serving, add the cooked rice to the above gravy and allow it to cook for 5 mins (so that the gravy mixes well with the rice).
9. Garnish with Coriander leaves, ghee and coconut before serving.
10. Enjoy the delicious dish. Goes well with papadam.

This is my entry to RCI-Karnataka hosted by Asha

Thanks to all those who pointed out this.

Award(s):

I have been given Rockin' Girl Blogger award by
Roopa of Recipe of Choice

and Zlamushka of Spicy Kitchen

and Power of Schmooze award by Srivalli of

Cooking 4 all seasons.

Thanks Girls !!! I am really privileged. It is really motivating when you receive such awards.

I would like to pass it on to all my fellow bloggers. I am sure most of you would have already received it. But to my satisfaction...

I pass on Rockin' Girl Blogger award to

Sharmi's Neivedyam
Shilpa's Aayis Recipes
The Yum Blog
Raaga's The Singing Chef
Sia's Spice Corner
Prema's Cookbook
Richa's As Dear As Salt
Roopa's Recipe of Choice
Saju's Chachi's Kitchen
Seema's Recipe Junction
Jeena's Kitchen
Mala's Nalapaka
Kajal's Kajaldreams
Srivalli's Cooking 4 all seasons
Suma Gandlur's Veggie platter
Swapna Susaralas Kitchen
Taste of Mysore
Zlamushka's Spicy Kitchen

And Power of Schmooze award to

Asha's Foodies Hope
Archana's Luv 2 eat hate 2 cook
Coffee's The Spice Cafe
Dee's Ammalu's Kitchen
Jyothi's Andhraspicy
Jyothna's Curry bazaar
Lia's Spices Corner
Laavanya's Cookery Corner
Suganya's Tasty Palettes
TBC's The Budding Cook
Tee's Bhaatukli
Usha's Samayal Ulagam
Viji's Vcuisine

I really didn't want to miss anyone here. Each one have their unique way of presenting recipes. You ALL Deserve it.