CousCous Casablanca

Hi everybody, I know I might more than one post today, I made some recipes past week for participating in the events and I am going to do it in the last minute as always!!, I really was googling a lot to do something to bake but that was not going to happen and this one was my daughter's love to this grain!!, She loves couscous so much, she wanted me try this out when she came back from school. So here is the recipe which I took from All Recipes that's a wonderful website with a large collection of recipes, I hope this is a typical African meal, As I was googling I came to know that Couscous is like a staple food of the Africans and they love it veggies and meats, and reading more about it I came to know that their are different kind of Couscous found and there is an art to cook this grain too.., that was quite interesting. Well I really do not know any art in cooking this but I used to cook it according to the packet instructions but these I have become an expert :),  I just pour water without any measurments and it cooks very well, just like I cook Rice.  Coming back to the recipe this is how it goes...

COUSCOUS CASABLANCA

INGREDIENTS:
1 Cup Couscous
A fist full of Raisins
4 to 5 sprigs of fresh coriander leaves
1 tbsp Lime Juice
chilli sauce to taste
pinch of ground cinnamon
1 tbsp of Orange flower water (which I did not have!!)

VEGETABLE STEW
3 tbsp of extra virgin olive oil
2 Onions
4 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp cumin seeds
3 cloves
1'' Grated ginger
1/4 tsp of Turmeric powder
3/4th cup cubed Pumpkin
1/2 cup sweet potato
1 celery stick
1 Medium sized carrot
1/2 cup french beans
1 courgette medium
3/4th cup chick peas (soaked)
1/2 cup Tomato pureed
2 cups of Vegetable stock

HARISSA PASTE:
1 tbsp Coriander seeds
1 tbsp cayenne pepper
2 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp paprika
1 tbsp Caraway seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
3-4 tbsp of Extra virgin olive oil

METHOD

To make vegetable stew:
Take a wok heat oil, add the cloves, cumin seeds, ginger, chopped onions and garlic and saute for few minutes, then add the Tomato puree and then add all the veggies and cook till they are soft then add the vegetable stock and bring it to boil,
Meanwhile, In a wok add a tsp of oil and fry all the ingredients in the Harissa paste ingredients and saute for few minutes and when it is cool make it into a paste using the remaining oil.
Add this paste to the cooking vegetables and cook for further few minutes add salt to taste and put of the stove and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and keep it aside
Meanwhile when the vegetables are cooking start cooking couscous

To make couscous
Boil hot water  around 2-2 1/2 cups . Take couscous and raisins in a bowl pour the hot water into it and close the lid and allow it to cook or you can just add required quantity of water to couscous and raisins and put it on a stove and allow it to boil. within few minutes it get ready quickly.

In a large plate spread couscous sprinkle cinnamon powder and orange flower water and pour some of the vegetable stew over it and keep the rest aside and serve it with chilli sauce on the side.

PS: As I was making this for the kids I just tweaked it a little bit which you will notice when you read the all recipes!!, I thought the chillies, chilli sauce and again Harrisa sauce is going to make the dish too hot for the curds to eat, what I made itself was quite spicy so said my kids so I had to provide one of them with cucumbers and the other with yogurt!!, but then they liked it said it was different and enjoyed and finished it!! Thank God!!, I was really keeping fingers crossed that it would be not too hot!!.

Now why did I make this!! I made this for AWED African this month hosted by Padmaja of Seduce your taste buds which was started by DK of chef in you, both have a wonderful blog you need to check them out!!, with lovely photographs to seduce your taste buds and bring out the chef in you into action!!!

Here is one last peak at my couscous casablanca!!!

Dug in!! and hope you enjoy!! c u soon!!.....

Beerakaya Paalu Posina Kura, Nimmakaya pappu, Beerakaya Thokku Pachadi, Kakarkaya Karam

Hi friends, Hope you are all doing well, I have missed lot of recipes, hope soon I will sit and check them out!!, I have made new friends, which is of course a very happy thing, Blogging has given me new friends , new interests, and a lot of different out look towards life!!.
As I have always written, everyday I sit to post and my eyes gets locked with something, new, innovative, lovely photography and an interesting write-up!!, and I end up seeing them!! and forget what I sat for..
Coming back to the recipe!!, Andhra vantalu ante ma ayniki chaana ishtamandi!!, My friend U was asking over the phone, Jayasri yemi chestha unnavu ?, Andhra vantaalu chestha unnanu, Inti ki raa thinesi yetalu undi anni chepu, anta chepinnanu, Aaa Ammayento srivaari ki pani late ayindi anta next day vacchindi!!, Anni dishes taste chesi, bhagaane chesinaavu Jayasri anta remarks Icchindi!! hahaha.., If only my friends read this they will laugh out loud, hope I wrote telagu properly!!, she keeps teasing when I insert lot of Tamil or kannada words when I speak telagu, but always encourages me and talks to me most of the time only in telagu, because I have told her strictly I want to learn to speak telagu properly, and she should talk to me in the same!!, howzit ?
Let me come back again to the recipe...
So I prepared all these and we had a Andhra cuisine ....

BEERAKAYA PAALU POSINA KURA

INGREDIENTS:

2 Medium sized Beerakaya/Ridge Gourd

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

5-6 Garlic pods

a sprig curry leaves

1 large onion

2-3 green chillies

1 tsp red chilli powder

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp coriander powder

salt to taste

2 cups water

3/4 th cup milk

coriander to Garnish

METHOD

Heat tbsp of oil, once it is hot add mustard seeds after they splutter then finely chop or crush the garlic and add finely chopped onion, Green chillies and curry leaves and saute them for a while until onion turns transparent, then add peeled (do not throw the peel keep it away) and chop and cube the Ridge gourd.

Once it is done add the Beerakaya pieces close the lid and cook them well together. Add the spices mix well and allow it cook for further 5-10 minutes, Once it is done add 2 cups of water and allow it to boil, and boil it until it is almost evaporated.

Then start addin paalu (milk) slowly and stir continously other wise milk might curdle!!, if it doesn't thicken mix rice flour (1 tbsp) with water and pour it into the pulusu

Once it gets thickened add chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with Rice. 

NIMMAKAYA PAPPU, BEERAKAYA THOKKU PACHADI AND KAKARAKAYA KARAM

I Keep making these all the time, but with a little difference, like pappu (dal) which we always make for festivals, but I had not used Nimmakaya in it!!, and of course the Bittergourd stir-fry I have used everything in it most of the time, but the little powder mixture in it!! :)), and of course Beerakaya thokku pachadi is what I make it as chutney, which I have already posted earlier (my version), this is a little bit different . So here is how sailu makes it...

NIMMAKAYA PAPPU

INGREDIENTS:

1 Cup Tuvar dal

2 to 3 green chillies

2 to 3 sprigs of coriander

salt to taste

juice of small lime

1/4 tsp Turmeric

SEASONINGS:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1-2 tsp oil

1 sprig curry leaves

1 dry chilly

3 cups of water

METHOD:

In a pressure cooker cook dal with 2 1/2 cups of water with turmeric, until soft, Take it out and mash the dal add another 1/2 cup water, and allow it to boil in a low flame, add required quantity of salt, then put of the stove and squeeze lime juice mix well and keep aside.

In a wok heat oil, add mustard seeds once it starts spluttering add cumin seeds, put of the stove and add curry leaves and chopped coriander to it and put the tadka to the dal, put of the stove then serve it with hot rice with a dollop of ghee.

BEERAKAYA THOKKU PACHADI

INGREDIENTS:

2 Peels of Ridge Gourd (skin of ridge gourd)

2-3 green chillies

1 small (flake) Tamarind

1-2 dried chillies

2 tbsp Minapappu/urad dal

1 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp oil

SEASONINGS:

1/2 TSP Mustard seeds

1 tsp oil

1-2 red chillies dry

curry leaves

a pinch of asafoetida

METHOD:

Heat a tsp of oil in a wok fry dal, cumin seeds and red chillies and keep it aside.

In the same wok heat a tsp of oil, chop the skin or peel of the Ridge Gourd and green chillies and fry them for a 5 to 6 minutes then add the tamarind flake and fry it too until they are quite soft, keep them aside.

Grind all the above ingredients when they are cool into a coarse paste.

In a wok heat oil and add the seasonings fry for 2 minutes and add it to the coarse paste. Now it is ready to devour with hot rice, chapati, dosa etc.,,

KAKARKAYA KARAM

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 Kg Kakarkaya/Bitter Gourd

1 1/2 tbsp Oil

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1 Onion

Salt to taste

1 tbsp of Jaggery (optional)

SEASONINGS:

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp Chenna Dal

1 tsp Urad Dal

1/2 tsp Mustard seeds

1 sprig curry leaves

MAKE A COARSE POWDER

4 Garlic cloves

4 Red chillies

METHOD

Slice Bitter Gourd into thin circles add turmeric powder and a little bit salt and keep it aside for 1/2 an hour.

Slice the Onions

Grind Garlic and red chillies into a coarse powder and keep aside

Take a wok heat oil add mustard seeds when they pop add the dals and fry for few minutes until they change colour add sliced onions and saute for 5 minutes until it is transparent then add curry leaves and the  Bitter slices which was kept aside and saute for few minutes may be 20-25 minutes, until it is cooked well.

Once it is well cooked add the coarse powder mixture and required amount of salt.

Mix everything well together and allow it fry for few more minutes and serve it with hot rice.

PS: Actually sailus says that when the Bitter Gourd is sliced and left to marinate for few minutes, She squeezes the juice out of them and adds it to the wok, But I have already told you in many of my Bitter gourd recipes, I do not throw away the water as the juice is very nutritious, and which really helps in reducing the sugar level, that is why people who have Diabetics drink these juice!!.

BUT LAST LAST BUT LEAST IF OU DO NOT THROW AWAY THE JUICE IT IS GOING TO VERY BITTER!!, But My family (except my twins who hate them but I wouldn't leave them until they eat at least 2 spoons!!, and they call me Bad mother!!) H, A and me love to eat it just the way it is !!.

I am sending this recipe to Lakshmi Venktesh of  Kitchen Chronicles, who is hosting this month's Tried and Tested Recipes from Sailus Kitchen, Tand T was first started by  Zlamushka of Spicy kitchen.

Chocolate,Orange and Dates pudding for Daring Baker's challenge-April 2010

Hi friends, I know I am a few minutes late for my Daring Baker's challenge posting !! :), that's me always late for everything, But, But, just a second I posted in the forum right on time!! exactly 2 minutes before midnight!!.
This month April 2010 Daring Baker's Challenge was hosted by Esther of  The Lilac Kitchen, she challenged everyone to make a traditional British pudding using if possible a very British ingredients Suet!!!.

Well, well, well this was a difficult situation I was in and few more like me who are vegetarians and vegans, as Suet is made from meat!!, Even though here they sell a vegetable suet by Atora, I had never tried it and really did not know how it works, May be someday I might give it a try!!, But then Esther, was a wonderful host who wanted all of us to participate and was she flexible, yes!!, she was very !!!, she wrote that she wanted all of us to bake I mean Steam away or Bake or however you know how to make a pudding!!, and yes here we go we all had free reins so we could just make whatever we wanted!!
If you are interested on how the suet is made check out in Esther's blog or visit the main Kitchen where loads of our Daring bakers have contributed to stuning puddings to feast your eyes!!
I just wanted it to be atleast in something realtively near so I really wanted to Steam and see how the pudding tastes and looks!!, I was so surprised that it turned out very well..., Here is my pudding recipe...
This recipe after searching so many books I found this one, which attracted me for two reasons one by the look of it and the other was it had dates in it!! The most loved dry fruit by me....!!!,This book is a collection of Desserts and doesn't have an author.., whoever found this one won my heart and of course my family and friends who enjoyed it, especially my H who said, it was simply Gorgeous and had a generous second helping !!! as it was quite sweet...
Sorry once again I have to apologise the not-too-tempting-clicks!!, But they were really too yummy!!, you all must give it a try.

CHOCOLATE, ORANGE AND DATES PUDDING

 INGREDIENTS:
100 gms Golden Caster Sugar
2-3 Seedless Oranges
200gms Unsalted butter, softened
200 gms Dark Muscovado sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 unwaxed Oranges ( I used 2 tbsp)
3 tbsp of fine-cut Orange Marmalade ( I used home-made Marmalade from my previous recipe)
3 Eggs beaten
1 tbsp Orange-Flower water (Optional)
150 gms Plain Flour (I used 100 gms Plain flour + 50 gms Quinoa Flour)
50 gms Unsweetened Cocoa powder
2 tsp of Baking Powder
150 gms ready-to-eat dates, chopped

Served 7 !!

METHOD:

First make a sugar syrup, pour 150 ml water into a small sauce pan and add the caster sugar. Cook over gentle heat until dissolved.

Slice each Orange thinly into about 6 neat slices. Submerge them in the sugar syrup. set a disc of  non-stick grease proof paper on top and simmer gently for 30-40 minutes. Lift the Oranges out with a slotted spoon and drain on a wire rack. Boil the syrup until reduced by half.

Line the base of the pudding basin with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper. Place the best Orange slice on top of the disc, and use the rest of the slices to line the sides of the basin.

In a large bowl, cream the butter, muscovado sugar and orange zest using an elctric whisk, until light and fluffy.

Beat in the marmalade, then gradually beat in the eggs and orange-flower water, if using, mixing well between each addition. Sift the floour, cocoa and baking powder into the egg mixture and fold in.  Finally fold in the dates.

Spoon the mixture into the basin, It should come about three-quarters of the way up the sides.  Smoot the surface and cover with a disc of non-stick greaseproof paper.  Take a large sheet of aluminium foil and fold it in half.  Make a pleat in the centre.  Press the foil over the side of the basin with the pleat in the centre. Press the foil over the side of the basin, tie around the top with string and trim away any excess foil.

The pleat will open out and allow the pudding to expand during cooking.

Stand the basin on a trivet in a large, deep pan and add enoough water to come at least 5 cm up the sides. Cover with a lid and simmer gently for 2 hours, topping up the water level from time to time.

Remove the foil and disc and insert a skewer into the centre of the pudding.  If it doesn't come out clean, re-cover and steam for a little longer.  Run a knife around the sides, turn out onto a dish and brush with syrup. Serve with what ever you enjoy!!!!.

VERDICT: I just loved Steaming this pudding as I had never done this before, Every one loved it!!, I used my pressure cooker to steam this pudding, I did not have a pudding bowl, so I steamed it in a pyrex bowl!!

I served with my Home made Mascarpone cheese, which I had learnt it in previous Tiramisu (which I did not make !!, just made the cheese) Daring Baker's challenge.

Home Made Mascarpone cheese cre'me:

50 gms Mascarpone cheese

150 ml Double cream

50 gms Icing sugar

I softened the cheese, mixed it with Icing sugar and added the creame and thoroughly beat into a soft sweet cream.

Here are some more clicks of my lovely chocolatey, orangy dates pudding....

Digging into my lovely pudding and served with the cre'me, rather poured it on it!!, which was just out of the steamer and was quite warm... Mmm.....

This was one nice click ( :)))) so I say!!, this was really how it looked like... Absolutely Gorgeous and yummy....

My kids were saying it just tasted like the Orange chocolates sold exclusive only in UK, which is just like the orange segments, as if you are peeling an  Orange, So if you ever come to UK, do not forget to buy these Orangy chocolates.., as I heard from lot of people that you can get it nowhere!!
Enjoy!!!

My Grandmother!!

Hi friends this is no food post!!, I just wanted to dedicate this post to My Grandmother (Mom's mom), who passed away yesterday half past after midnight, she was 105!!, believe it or not, she was a woman of strong qualities!!, very stubborn to her thoughts!!, she was perfect with her vision, hearing and a very good memory power and would remember everything that crossed her mind, because of the age and her very limited food intake she became quite fragile.
May the God give her peace and happiness at his feet!! with lots of love and tears this is my humble tribute to her.
I would also like to thank my aunt and her daughter who took so much care and attention until she died as she has been living with them from around 35 years now!!, My Aunt had a very hard time to look after her mom as she herself was not keeping very well.
My Grandmother as I remember wouldn't eat some vegetables and would call them english vegetables!!, I think it must have come during the period when British rules India!!, it is so funny when I think of those days!!, she was very strict with her diet, she always stayed slim and smart!!, This was the photo I took in my mobile when I visited her last time, she had fallen and had hurt herself, and was recovering.

I just don't seem to think straight now, and I couldn't write any more!!

Love you Grandma!!, for the love you showered upon us, and all the care you took to help our parents to bring us up, We sure going to miss you, but I know that you are very happy up there in his abode than here.

My tearful tribute to you!!, and when I think about this!! I know I am sure going to miss seeing in my next visit!!, when I writing this, I now feel that reality !!....

Love you, Love you, I am gonna miss you.......

Cabbage and chick peas dry curry

This is a very simple cabbage and chick peas stir fry! but just awesome!, with rice, rasam and sambhar it is absolutely finger-licking!!, I love eating Rasam and Rice with just a simple dry curry and ache for it sometimes!!, This simple dry curry is even served in Marriages, isn't it amazing?.  My friends a couple who visited me sometime back,  that day I had prepared this with a simple rasam, He kept saying the whole time he just loved it, and was asking his wife to note down in her recipe list!!. I also find it quite delicious with chapatis or pulkas which really goes well.

I love to send this simple Dry curry to Ruchika cooks, who is hosting the Legume love affair #22 edition, which I always miss, even though I cook a lot of legumes!!, This event is Susan's  brain child!! .

CABBAGE AND CHICK PEAS DRY CURRY

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 Kg White Cabbage

3/4 th cup of Chick Peas

3 Red chillies

1 Sprig of curry leaves

A pinch of Asafoetida

1 tbsp of Oil

1 tsp of Mustard seeds

1 tsp of Chenna dal

1 tsp of Urad dal

A pinch of turmeric powder

METHOD:

First of all soak chick peas day before or around 6 to 7 hours prior to cooking with a pinch Baking Soda, Once they soak well they get swollen drain and wash with water and cook them soft in a pressure cooker with a little bit of salt and water enough to soak them.

Next take a wok add oil, once it is hot add mustard seeds (splutter), followed by the dals, Red chillies,turmeric and washed and drained cabbage and a sprig of curry leaves, Mix well and leave it to cook.

Do not add water when you are making cabbage curry as the cabbage starts giving out its own juices and if you add more water it becomes too watery!!, cook in a low flame, tossing and turning now and then.

Once it is well cooked add the cooked and drained chick peas with a pinch of asafoetida and required amount of salt and mix well (Remember that you have already added a little bit of salt when cooking chick peas!!). when they are mixed well and completely cooked and completely dry,

Finely add freshly grated coconut and mix well together, you can even add 2 to 3 sprigs of fresh, washed and finely chopped coriander leaves. mix well and leave it for few more minutes, see to it there is no water in the Wok and the curry is completley dry.

Serve it with Hot Rice and Rasam or sambhar, chappatis or pulkas!!

Enjoy!! c u soon!!

Vegan Eggless mango cake

Hi, I know I have been baking too many cakes these days, I fell in love with this recipe when I first saw it in Madhuram's blog, she said she got this from Vaishali of Holy cow's blog, she had given the link and here I was, what a beautiful she has got!!, and here I am with my Vegan Eggless Mango cake, I didn't do any frosting, we just had the cake. I should say even though I eat very little when I bake !!, I ate a good lot of this one!!

VEGAN EGGLESS MANGO CAKE

INGREDIENTS:

1 and 1/2 cups All purpose Flour

2 tsp Baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp Cardamom powder

1 and 1/2 cups Mango puree

1/3 cup canola oil

2/3 cup Granulated sugar

1 tsp vanilla essence

METHOD:

First of all take the first 4 ingredients in a bowl and sift them together and keep aside.

In an other bowl, mix all the other ingredients and beat together until well mixed.

Again mix both these well, do not over mix or over beat ( did as she had said!!), when well incorporated, pour it into Muffin cases for small cup cakes as Vaishali has done or as I did I poured all the batter into a fluted tin made it into one big cake!!

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/350 degrees, and bake for 30-35 minutes, depending on your oven, it is always best to check by inserting a tooth pick and see if it comes out clean, that's it, the cake is done, cool on a wire rack and then serve it as you wish.

Check out her blog for a vegan Mango butter frosting!!

An other click of my Mango cake.

I like to send this to Priya's cooking-with-seeds ,Cardamom event. Hope she like it!!

Eggless Avocado-quinoa Small cakes

Hi, everybody, Its been such a tiring day, the sun was in his peak, I did not want to go out anywhere!!, I think sometimes I fell I prefer winter!!, But, when I think of my plants, cleaning, and Laundry I might as well have sunshine!!, well, we never get satisfied with anything, that's the truth!!, A hard core truth.
 My kids were in London past one week, with my friends (howz that ?), H also went with them, so I was alone, they are coming back today and I wanted to bake something !!, My hands have been itching from one week, didn't know what to cook ? what to eat ?, Life was so boring, then I thought of Asha of foodies hope, long back  had written that as she would be cooking only for two, she wouldn't be very regular in posting recipes !! someday, I am going to be like that !!, what am I going to do, as whatever I cook or bake, my first critics are my kids !!, they tell if it was good or bad and I never eat what I bake just a bit sometimes !!.  Because of this my eldest gets into an argument with me, she says she hates me because I do not eat what I bake, I keep telling her that they are either too sweet for me, or has butter or oil in it !!, This keeps on everytime I bake something !!, The only way I could stop her is I just keep my mouth shut, she can only max screem at me, and walks of !! :), she is so sweet she is my best critic and loves to try anything and everything, bless her!!.



I bought 2 avocados, thinking I will make Glucomole, As my daughter was pestring me to do so.., and cut it in half, but, it was too hard still, she just got upset and left it their, and then my hubby suddenly planned to take the kids to London, The one which was cut got ripened the next day, which I made into Avocado pulkas, the other one was also ripe and I was wondering what I am going to do with it!!, Flash !! came an Idea of baking a muffin, then I remembered Madhu's Quinoa event and Lo!!, here I made them into small cakes with my new tins!!, My friends who visited during the day, had a cake each and said it was absolutely gorgeous!!.
The best thing was even though the cake was heavy when I cut opened it, it was so tender, soft and beautifully textured, I was so amazed (only thing I did not like was the smell of Avocado baking!!!). I sure want to tell you guys you must try it definitely.
UPDATED : I had a friend telling she tried these but they were sticking on to the tin, so I tried them again, and I have updated the recipe... with more pictures hope it is helpful, I inserted the cherries inside the cakes to show that I have tried them again and has turned out perfectly well, This time I had no Quinoa flour so I slightly toasted the Quinoa in a pan and powdered it in my Indian Mixie and made a fine powder/flour out of it and that is what I have used it.

EGGLESS AVOCADO-QUINOA CAKES

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium sized Avocado (125 gms without peel)

1/2 cup Quinoa flour ( 90 grams)

1 Cup APF /Maida/ Plain flour

50 gms Butter  (melted)

1/2 cup Plain yogurt (home-made curds)

1/2 Cup Milk

1  cup Caster sugar

1/4 cup Dessicated coconut

1 tsp Vanilla essence

1/2 tsp Baking Soda

1 tsp Baking powder

1 tbsp Flax seed powder (organic soaked in 3 tbsp of hot water)

1 tbsp Custard powder

METHOD

Preheat the oven to Gas Mark 4/ 180 degrees.

Mash the avocado with a spoon nicely into a pulp and keep aside.

(Or otherwise chop the Avocado blend it in a mixie (food processor) to his add, Yogurt, Flax seed mixture and blend them again).

In a clean bowl sieve in All purpose flour, quinoa flour, Baking soda, and Baking powder until they combine well together

To the above  mix add Custard powder and dessicated coconut  mix well and keep aside.

In an other clean bowl, take the well mashed pulp of Avocado, melted butter, vanilla essence and plain yogurt and beat it well, it looks quite frothy.

(or as I said earlier use the blended Avacado mixture and add melted butter, vanilla essence and mix well together until they are well combined)

Then to this liquid batter slowly fold in the flour mixture little by little until it is completely used up or completely incorporated into the liquid ingredients, if it is little bit hard to handle like little bit stiff add a tbsp of milk and make it into a semi-solid state.

Grease the tins and pour the batter and bake the cakes for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Remove from the oven and then allow it cool before removing from the pan, as you can see it comes out clean, and I just topped it with cherries.

Take another look at my lovely Gorgeous cakes...

I am sending this to Madhuram's Whole grain Baking event- Quinoa, at last I think I made into her event. I would also like to send this to Champa's Bake-of-event, and would also like to send this to show me your whole grains from Divya of Dil se

Stir-fried Veggies with Avocado pulkas

Hi, I am eating pulkas from past two days, I ate chapatis and Bendakaayi gojju, next was with beans poriyal, and then I saw these Avocado lying staring at me!!, you use me or I will bin myself kind of look!!, I was appalled, I dreaded the look of my hubby too!!, He is always on to me, asking why do buy so many fruits if you just want to bin them, leave them alone in the market !!, well, this time I decided I will not bin them and remembered Usha of Veginspirations, who had made this Avocado chappatis, yup!!, that's what I am going to do, only I tweaked it a little bit, I used tomatoes with Avocados and made pulkhas and not chappatis!!, and inspired by Raji of Rak's Kitchen for these stir fried veggies!!, I have never used Indian masala spice, that is south Indian like what raji had done with her stir-fried Broccoli using sambhar powder, well I took that as hint but used my Masala vegetable rice powder somewhere near to vaangi bhath powder, and then I made caramalised onions like parita of parita's world !! and I immensly enjoyed the whole thing just meself!!

So then what did I do !!??, not really much, as I said earlier I used Tomatoes with Avocado for my pulkhas (as I thought those 2 tomatoes will go a waste!!), Used Masala vegetable rice powder for the stir-fry, and caramalised onions like parita did to her stir-fry.

STIR-FRIED VEGETABLES WITH AVOCADO PULKAS

INGREDIENTS:

FOR AVOCADO PULKAS:

1 Avocado medium sized

2 tomatoes

1/4 cup water

1 tsp salt

2 to 2 and 1/2 cups of Atta flour (depending of how much you need to make it into dough consistency).

METHOD:

Cut the Avocado into two halves remove the seed and scoop out the fruity portion into a bowl, then finely chop the tomatoes and mash them well in a mixer. you can mash the Avocado into a fine mash just with the back of your spoon easily, I used the mixie because of the tomatoes.

Add this to the bowl containing water, salt, and mix atta flour to it gradually and form it into a soft dough that is just like a chapati dough.

Taking a small round ball from the dough flatten them into a circle with the help of rolling pin and roast them on both the sides, only just about to form little bubbles, then with the help of a clean kitchen cloth you can keep turning them and make them blow up like a poori, without pressing them too hard, just keep pressing them noticing where it puffs up, you can put it on the stove top and flip it now and then and cook it. I will post this on how to make pulkas in my next post, or if you want you can make chapatis with a three fold and cook it with the help of ghee or oil as you like. 

VARIATIONS : You can add a tsp of cumin, coriander and chilli powder and Thyme seeds, I did not add anything as my curry was quite spicy!!

STIR-FRIED VEGGIES

INGREDIENTS:

1/4 kg green beans

1 cup Cauliflower florets

1 cup Broccoli florets

1 carrot

1 Big Red onion

2 garlic pods

1 sprig curry leaves

2 sprigs of fresh coriander leaves

2 tbsp of Masala powder

salt as required

2 tbsp sugar

3 tbsp grated fresh coconut

2 tbsp oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

FOR THE MASALA POWDER

2 tbsp Channa dal

1 tbsp Urad dal

2 tbsp Coriander seeds

2-2 Guntur-Badgi Dried Red chillies

1 small piece of Tamarind

1'' cinnamon stick

1 clove

1 Marti Moggu

a pinch of Asafoetida

TO MAKE THE MASALA POWDER with a tsp of oil fry all the above ingredients one by one until they change colour and a nice aroma fills the air, cool it and grind it to a fine coarse powder. Use this powder as much spiciness as you require to your curry, and increase or decrease the amount of chillies as per your liking.

METHOD

Cook broccoli and cauliflower florets in a separate water for few minutes with little salt and turmeric, once cooked drain out and discard the water. (other wise you can cook broccoli in the wok with other vegetables in a low flame, by sprinkling water, but do not keep on stirring them too much as it tends to become mushy)

In a wok add 2 tbsp of oil and heat once it is warm add a tsp of mustard seeds and cumin seeds once they start spluttering, add the washed and cut vegetables (carrot and beans) and cook them in a low flame, Once they are well cooked add the florets mix well add salt and the Masala powder as required then the fresh coconut and mix them well.

top it with caramalised onions.

TO CARAMALISE THE ONIONS : Chop the onion finely (cut into half and chop them length wise, just that it looks good :) ),  in a tsp of oil fry them until they are soft then add a  2 tbp of sugar and keep frying them for another 2 minutes, until they change colour to a golden brown, Lo!, your caramalised onions are ready!!

I am sending this of to Nupur of one hot stove's, copy cat edition, last time I missed sending my entry, I cook a lot from other blogs!!

Sago Murukku for Indian cooking Challenge

When srivalli announced to make these murukkus for Indian cooking challenge , something in my mind came flooding into my memory lane, even though this murukkus were made for the Indian cooking challenge, Sorry valli, do not mistake me, I want to dedicate these to those two innocent souls, whom never thought something might happen like this someday in their lives.

SAGO MURUKKU (SABAKKI SEVAI)

It is long back, I was just then married, My Dad and BNK uncle have been  friends from when they were small kids, Such a lovely family they are, none of them knew about what high decibles are except for their TV in the house which of course can be controlled by the remote, such soft spoken and  lovely people they are, uncle and aunty and their two children. Their son who is an opthomologist is a brilliant doctor and well known, I will not go into details, Few days after my marriage, I went to see them, I had not attended their marrige and I had not seen their pretty 1 + year old grand daughter.  DIL  was perfectly blending with the family, very talented girl she was, she had done so many creative things, very artistic she was, when we visited them, she served us with some sweets which I do not remember, tea and Sabakki sevai (Sago Murukku)!!!, surprise, surprise!!, right...., It was so tasty she told me she made it, the proud MIL was showing of her DIL's talents, I still remember those scenes.  Absolutely perfect and was so tasty, as always my passion for cookong is always on alert, immediately I asked for the recipe, she gave it to me and I came home and promtly wrote it in my most treasured book-2, you can see the picture of it here.....

After few months my Dad one day called me and said both Mother and the cute little darling who was just 2+  had passed away!!, I was so shocked, If you have ever been to Bangalore, and been to 9th Block Jayanagar, where the Anjaneya temple is.. that main road, The three were travelling in their bike, a lorry had come behind and hit the vehicle, he was thrown on to the foot path, but monther and child fell on the road,  and the lorry just went on them and they died on spot. That was the most tragic thing that I had ever heard, when I went to console them, I had no words, nothing came out of my mouth, I was dumb, I just did not have the strength to say anything to them.., I cried with them silently, it took him a long time to come back out of it, just 7 years back he got married and now has a lovely kid, he never wanted to marry at all, he kept saying you get married I will take care of your kids, It took him almost 10 to 12 years to come out of that shock, and start his normal life again..., The sago murukku what she called it as sabakki sevai, after so many years is atlast was made, These murukku are in loving memory of her, they were quite nice, but the first is always the best, those sevai were the tastiest !!
Here is the recipe for these murukkus....

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups - Rice flour
1/2 cup - Besan flour
1/2 cup Sago
1/2 cup Fried Gram flour
salt to taste
50 gms (half of half cup) - Curds
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 ladle hot oil (I used 1/4 cup Dalda)

METHOD:
First of all you have to soak the sago either the night before or at least 3 to 4 hours in the curds, so they become quite soft and can be mashed up nicely.
Next mix all the other ingredients together with either the hot oil or Dalda (as I did, nicely rub the Dalda in a plate until it froths up with a little salt)  and then add the soaked sago mix well  everything together, with little by little water make it into a dough and with the help of a murukku maker which has only one star, make murukkus in the hot oil fry them until they are golden in colour.

Now you must be wondering my murukku are like muchorais, well, I have two murukku makers both of them are wronglythread and I had nobody to help me open it!! one was stuck with Thenzgol maker and the other with muchorai maker, so I thought this was better and Thenzgol and I made small muchorai shaped murukkus, they were quite soft and nice.

I took the method of Lata , as I was short of time, I powdered the Sago coarsely in a mixe and soaked them in the curds for 3 hours and followed the same method.
It is important to soak the sagos well, otherwise they might start to splutter and would be a disaster.
I had no problem it came out well..
I would like to thank srivalli for giving me an opportunity to do this without her knowledge.

Paneer balls with Ramiro sweet red peppers

When I was in school and college days, I used to write lot of poems!!,  I think that was what I could call them, sometimes I used to write like small clippings.., I had a friend working in the Radio station in Mysore, I think he still works there, I had given him my book of poems, he was quite impressed and said I should really take interest and write more, well, God knows where, why and when I stopped writing, was it good or bad !? I really do not know, One such clipping reminded me today when I was writing this post...
                      ''Expressions are difficult
                          Impressions are thoughts
                          which cannot be changed
                           become a good impression
                            which becomes you !!
                             and let others learn & live like you!!....''

When I think of  my blog's presentation and photographic skills !!, I feel that my expressions in writing may not be to my expectaions, and Of course the photos are my Impressions which are also not impressive to stay tuned in anybody's thoughts, either way I don't seem I am upto the mark, but only one thing  which keeps me going is my another clip here which says..
                            ''We have never met
                                we have never parted
                                 we are never broken hearted''
As we all know somebody is there to encourage us, by leaving such beautiful, encouraging, much appreciated and appropriate comments, which makes us so light hearted and keeps us going, so is the blogging, bringing new friends, new contributions and the aspect of love with each other, deligted we are, excited we feel every day with a new recipe as we unfold as the spring beholds the loveliness of the nature.

Coming back to the recipe..
As always I couldn't take a good photo, may be once the summer sets in I will have more light !! and i might have good pictures, But, Only the picture does not look too good to eat, but the object was really yummy!!, It was more like manchurian and the spiciness gave a great kick to the dish!!
PANEER  WITH RAMIRO SWEET RED PEPPERS

INGREDIENTS:
250gms Paneer (I used shop bought one)
1/4 cup of finely broken Cashewnuts (are crushed finely)
1 Medium sized onion
3 to 4 pods of Garlic
2 Ramiro Red peppers (deseeded)
3 spring onions
4 to 5 sprigs of coriander leaves
3 to 4 Green chillies
1/4 tsp Red chilli powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder
1'' grated Ginger (1 tbsp)
3 tbsp of Corn flour
3 tbsp of Maida/plain flour
water as required
salt as required
METHOD:
Take a vessel, grate paneer, green chillies, crushed Cashewnuts, A little bit of salt mix everthing well, make into small balls out of it and keep aside.
Meanwhile using corn flour and Plain flour with a little bit of salt (check this out as you have already added salt to the balls) , so remember to balance the requirement of salt, using water make it into a bajji or Idli consistency.
Dip each ball in this plain and corn flour batter and deep fry them and keep them aside until all of them are fried
Now take a big work, heat a 3 to 4 tbsp of oil, once it is hot add grated ginger, finely chopped onion and garlic, fry them well, then once the onions are transperent, add the peppers and fry well.
To the same wok when they frying, add a 1/4 tsp of chilli powder, garam masala powder, chopped spring onions, and fry few more minutes, add salt at this stage if necessary.
Now add the paneer balls in it and fry for few ore minutes then serve it with any kind of sauce, ketchup, chutney as you wish.
Variation: If you have any chat masala you can use that too

Apple-cucumber Gojju

Hi everybody,
Hope the sun is shining in other parts of the world !!, My sun still hasn't completely into us still !!, still the cold air lingers around, just to keep telling that I am still their, Almost a month back, I planted some seeds and all of them have come up, and I want to put them in the garden, well I can't plant them in my garden as the soil is clay !!, So I have to keep them in pots, hoping them will survive there!!, The sun seems to play tricks all the time still, Once the summer is in full fledge I can bring all my pots out, they are all still in my conservatory!!. Coming back to the recipe, This gojju I prepared with my Museli-branflakes Dosa, I thought the combination went quite well, I think it might go well as a side dish than eating with rice as other gojju's I make.

 APPLE-CUCUMBER GOJJU

 

INGREDIENTS:

FOR THE GOJJU:

1 Cucumber

3 Apples (I used Granny smith)

4 sprigs of Coriander leaves

1 sprig of curry leaves

salt as required

2 tbsp oil for tempering

a pinch of turmeric

a pinch of Asafoetida/hing

Gooseberry sized Tamarind

FOR THE GRINDING:

2 tsp Channa Dal

2 tsp Urad dal

3 tsp Black sesame seeds

2 tsp Methi Seeds

3 tsp Dry Copra/dessicated coconut

4-2 Red chillies (Badgi-Guntur)

FOR SEASONING:

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp channa dal

1 tsp urad dal

1 Red chilli broken

METHOD

Wash and cut the cucumber and apples with their skin (or without their skin if you wish), Take a wok, heat 2 tbsp of oil add mustard seeds once it starts spluttering, add the ingredients in the seasoning section and saute them a minute when they start changing colour add the vegetables with a cup of water and curry leaves. If the water evaporates before the vegetables are cooked, keep adding water.

Meanwhile soak tamarind in water and extract the juice out of it.

Then take an other wok and a tsp of oil and roast all the Ingredients in the Grinding and fry them one by one starting from Methi seeds, Once the Methi seeds change colour and the dhals and chillies, do not fry the coconut, fry sesame seeds saperately until it starts making a spluttering sound, then keep the roasted ingredients aside to cool before grinding them a smooth paste. 

Once the vegetables are nearly done add the tamarind extract and allow it to boil for few minutes so the raw smell disappears, Add another 2 cups of water.

Then add the Ground paste and required quantity of salt mix well and allow it to boil and get thickened for further 5 to 10 minutes in a low flame.

Add water as needed so the Gojju should be in the consistency of vegetable Gravies you prepare, Once the paste is added the Gojju might become too thick add little more water so it has the consistency of a Gravy

Add washed and finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish and serve it with hot pooris, chappatis, dosas or Idlis.

Sweet Potato/ Sihi Genasu/ Sakarai velli kazhangu Pacchadi

This is a sweet potato pacchadi which I learnt from my friend, actually she gave me the idea that she makes pacchadi out of this, I tweeked it a little bit, because I wasn't very sure if I my family would like it!!, so here is the sweet potato pacchadi

SWEET POTATO PACCHADI

INGREDIENTS:

1 Medium sized Sweet potato/ Genasu

2 cups of plain Yoghurt/curds

3 to 4 sprigs of coriander leaves

TO GRIND

1 Medium sized Onion chopped

2 to 3 tbsp of fresh grated coconut

1 tsp of Black Pepper

1 tbsp of Cumin seeds

1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

TO SEASON

1 tsp oil

1/2 tsp of Mustard seeds

1/4 tsp of Fenugreek seeds

2 to 3 split Red chillies

1 sprig of curry leaves

METHOD:

Clean the sweet potato peel the skin off and cut them into chunks, boil them in salted water, until they become quite soft.

Meanwhile Grind all the ingredients in the to grind category into a fine paste drain and use the water from the cooked sweet potato

Using the same water put the ground paste into it mix well and allow it to boil so the raw smell of the onions disappears, do not use too much water while cooking so adjust the quatity of water, other wise the pacchadi will become too watery.

Now mash the potatoes, mix this with the boiled gravy, add yogurt and adjust salt allow it to boil for a minute or two, you must keep an eye on them like the Moru Kozhambu, if not careful they split, water and curds!!, keep stirring for a minute and put off the stove.

Then heat oil, add mustard seeds, fenugreek seeds, let the Mustard seeds splutter and the fenugreek seeds change to a golden brownish colour then add the chillies and curry leaves, with these season Sweet potato pacchadi !!.

Serve it rice, chapati or with anything of your choice.

Hope you enjoy this !!!