BEST OF 2007

Another year gone by... it was as though just few days back we were in 2007 & celebrated the new year & in a flash i feel a whole year of 365 days has gone past...

Nupur of One hot stove has this event called Best of 2007. Check out more details at :

http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/2007/11/announcing-best-of-2007-event.html

So here i am all set to take part in the event hosted by Nupur! Thanks Nupur for creating & hosting this event. Its a wonderful idea & sure lots of our blogger friends will be taking part in this. Though i am into the world of blogging for just 3 months, i still had so much fun, meeting & making so many new friends & trying out so many recipes! Each one of you has your own special idea, creativity & zillions of recipes & methods. Loved them all & hope to try atleast few recipes from each blog....

So here my Best of 2007 - Top 10 Recipes.

1. Fruit Pizza : This is a very nice dessert & quite easy to make. A crowd pleaser & loved by all. It has a whole bunch of fruits, so a perfect way to get those fruits into our diet.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/10/fruit-pizza.html

2. Pavakkai Theeyal : A very nice dish if you like Karelas! It’s got a perfect blend of spices & flavours & goes well with both rotis & rice.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/10/pavakkai-theeyal.html

3. Seven Cups Burfi : A very easy to make sweet & always loved by all. Its my family favourite dessert & i make it often compared to other sweets!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/seven-cups-burfi.html

4. Sanna Polo : A dish you can call a complete meal in itself. An easy to make & healthy dish. Batter can be stored for 3 days.. my kids love this one.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/sanna-polo-cabbage-onion-dosa.html

5. Chicken Curry : Non-veg anytime is loved here. This dish is easy to prepare & comes out great too.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/chicken-curry.html

6. Black eyed bean curry : This is another tasty & slightly different flavoured dish. Easy & tasty!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/black-eyed-bean-curry.html

7. Mochakottai Kolumbu : Aah!! This is an all time favourite at my place.. my better halfs favourite i must say! This tastes so creamy & soft.. it literally melts in your mouth. A tasty bean & perfect gravy.. cant ask for more!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/mochakottai-curry.html

8. Zucchini & bell pepper sweet & sour curry : A blend of 2 veggies with some onions & peanuts.. you get a smooth texture from zucchini, yet a cruchy peanut inbetween, along with the sweet & sour gravy.. goes very well with rotis.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/zucchini-bell-pepper-sweet-sour-curry.html

9. Shrimp Curry : Loved this one.. it was just great masala & shrimp all cooked together to form a spicy jhatpat masaledar shrimp.. vanished with some malaysian parathas!

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/12/shrimp-curry.html

10. Sweet Appo : Appo is loved by all & there r many versions, i stick to this as it comes out good. Easy & fast sweet dish.

http://myrandap.blogspot.com/2007/11/sweet-appo.html

So here are my top 10 dishes.. hope you all liked them !! Will keep more dishes coming in 2008...
WISHING ALL MY FRIENDS & FAMILY, A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR, FILLED WITH GOOD HEALTH, HAPPINESS & PROSPERITY.

Shrimp Curry

Today was my very first try at this shrimp curry & it came out awesome!! Perfect taste & very yum. I got this recipe from my friend Jaya & here i am rightaway sharing with my blogger friends.

Ingredients:

Shrimp - 30 ( cooked & jumbo ones)

Salt - to taste
Oil - 3 tbspn

Fry in oil & grind to a fine paste:

Onion-1

Tomato-1

G.chillies-1

R. chillies-2

Fennel seeds (sombu) - 1/2 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Curry leaves - 5

Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp

For Marination:

Lemon juice - 1 tbspn

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. Wash the shrimp & drain water well from it. Now marinate it in lemon juice, turmeric powder & pepper powder for 10 minutes.

2. In a cooker add little oil & fry all the ingredients listed & gring them to a fine paste.

3. Now add remaining oil & put in the ground masala & fry for 5 minutes. Then add the marinated shrimp & salt & stir everything well.

4. Close cooker & cook for 1-2 whistles. Do not add water.

Your Shrimp curry is ready !

Kulitha Saaru ( Horsegram Saaru)

This is a typical Mangalorean dish i guess! This is a simple & easy to prepare saaru & good for health too.

Ingredients:

Horse gram - 3/4 cup
G. Chillies - 4
Garlic - 1 pod
Salt - to taste
Oil - tsp

Method:

1. Wash the horsegram & soak it over night with 5 cups of water.

2. Pressure cook the same for 7-8 whistles.

3. Using a strainer, seperate the cooked horse gram & the water.

4. Now grind the horse gram to a fine paste & add to the water. Add in sliced g.chillies & salt too. Stir it well. Bring this to a boil.

5. Season with just garlic sauted in oil.

This simple & tasty Saaru is ready...

Banana Fry

Banana fry, is a simple & tasty side dish. I learnt this recipe from my friend Sunitha. I tasted it at her place & loved it, simple & a very nice dish, something different from our normal style of cooking.

Ingredients:

Raw Banana – 2
Garlic – 3 pods
Jeera – 3 tsp
Chili Powder – 1 ½ tsp
Salt – to taste
Oil / Pam spray.

Method:

1. Peel the Bananas & cut them into round slices about ¼’thick.

2. Grind together Garlic, Jeera & Chili powder to a fine paste using little water.

3. In a pan add the cut banana, salt & the paste. Mix everything well with hands & add ¼ cup water & cook till the bananas are 90% done.

4. Now in another flat non-stick Pan, spray some pam & layer these Bananas in a single layer & cover & cook. They will get brown & crispy, turn & cook other side. Repeat same process till all bananas are done.

Banana fry is ready!! Serve it with rice & dhal or even as an appetizer.. goes well with drinks!

Zucchini & Bell Pepper Sweet & Sour Curry.

This combination of Zucchini & Bell pepper goes well & this curry has a tangy & sweet taste. Adding peanuts brings in a crunch too. This recipe i learnt from a friend here & loved it! Something different, but really tasty & a good accompaniment for Chapatis.

Ingredients:

Zucchini - 3

Bell Pepper - 2

Onion - 2

Garlic - 1 pod

Tomato - 2

Tamarind - small lime size (soaked in water)

Sambhar Powder - 2 tsp

Brown Sugar - 3 tsp or more

Peanuts - 1/4 cup ( Dry roasted & Unsalted)

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Cut the Zucchini, Bell Pepper & Onions into medium sized cubes.

2. Add oil in a pan, fry in the chopped garlic. Then add the onions & fry till transparent. Add the tomatoes & fry till its completely cooked.

3. Now add the sambhar powder & fry till the raw smell goes off. Then add in the bell pepper & Zucchini & mix all well. Add the tamarind extract & brown sugar, salt & bring to a good boil.

4. Finally add the crushed peanuts (run for couple of seconds in mixer) & just stir it in & your all set.

A yummy curry is ready to be enjoyed!

Mochakottai Curry

Mochakottai - is a flat creamish coloured bean. I love this bean!! This recipe i learnt from our family friend.

I have tried trying to substitute this with Val - that we get here, but it does not taste like the ones we get in India. I am yet to find an exact replacement of Mochai ! If any of you know please let me know. But i have my stock of Mochakottai that i buy on every trip back home..........

Ingredients:

Mochakottai - 2 cups

Tamarind - 1 small lemon size (soaked in water)

Coconut - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Chili powder - 1&1/2 tsp

Garlic - 2 pods

Brinjal - 2 small

Coconut milk - 1/2 can

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak Mochakottai over night & pressure cook till their soft.

2.Grind together - Coconut, Jeera & Chili powder to a fine paste.

3. In a pan add oil, mustard & then add the sliced garlic & fry till slightly brown. Then add the cut brinjal pieces & saute for 2 minutes.

4. Now add the ground masala & fry till its well done. Then add the coconut milk, Tamarind water, mochakottai & add salt. Bring to a good boil & keep on medium heat till u get a nice & thick consistency.

Your Curry is ready. This goes very well with rice or rotis.

Black Eyed Bean Curry

Black eyed bean, also knows as Chowli (North) , Karamani (South) are very high in protein content. There are quite a few dishes one can make from this & here's my first one.

Sending this to Susan, from the " Well seasoned cook" who's hosting the event - MY LEGUME LOVE AFFAIR. Check more details at :

http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-legume-love-affair-event.html

Thanks Susan for hosting a lovely event!

Ingredients:

Black eyed bean - 2 cups

Onion - 3 no

Tomato - 2 no

Ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Channa Masala - 1 tsp

Cilantro - finely chopped

Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Soak the bean overnight & pressure cook. Be careful not to over cook these.

2. In a pan add oil & finely chopped 2 onions. Grind the other onion into a fine paste.

3. Once slightly done, add Ginger-garlic paste & saute few minutes. Now add the onion paste & fry till the raw smell goes off.

4. Then add chili powder, Channa masala & tomato finely chopped or as puree. Mix all well & bring to a boil.

5. Then add the cooked bean & salt & add little water & bring to a good boil. Add little garam masala & cilantro.

Your curry is ready & this goes well with rotis. Serve a raita as an accompaniment & your all set!

Spinach Parathas

Spinach is a good green for all of us. To sneak it into kids diet, can be a tough job & we as mom's need to try hard to make them eat this. I am sure most of us as kids hated greens & thought it to be yucky, soggy & stinky!! Well, my kids are not any better than i was :-( So i have to get them to eat this in a hidden form & hence we named this Green Parathas... & they love it!

Ingredients:

Wheat flour - 2 cups.

Spinach - 4 hand fulls

Green Chillies - 3

Ginger - 1" piece

Salt - to taste

Oil - little

Method:

1. Wash the spinach & put in a vessel along with green chillies & ginger & pressure cook them for couple of whistles.

2. Once it cooled down run it through a blender.

3. Now add this to the wheat flour & add salt & mix like chappathi batter.

4. Roll out like regular chapathis, add little oil & fry both sides.

Serve these just like that or with curry or raita. Real good!!

Pondu Kolumbu (Garlic Curry)

Garlic is good for health & if you like the taste & flavour of garlic, you will like this dish. This recipe i learnt from my friend Meena. It tastes great & a favourite at our place!

Ingredients:

Garlic - 3 full pods

Oil - 3 tbspns

Mustard - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp

Onion - 2 (Finely chopped)

Tomatoes - 2

Salt - to taste

Tamarind - 1 lemon size ball(soaked in water)

Fry in oil & gring to a fine paste:

Red Chillies- 8

Dhania - 4tsp

Pepper - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Channa Dhal - 3 tsps

Onion - 1

Coconut - 1 tbspn

Curry Leaves - few

Method:

1. In a pan add oil, mustard, fenugreek & once it splutters add onions & fry till golden brown, then add the garlic & fry till slightly brown.

2. Add the chopped tomatoes & stir till its well cooked. Now add the ground paste & fry for 5 minutes.

3. Then add the tamarind Water & salt & bring to a good boil.

Your Pondu Kolumbu is ready! Goes well as a side dish with rice & dhal.

Sweet Appo

"Sweet Appo" is also know as Kuli Paniyaram in tamil. You need a special vessel to make this sweet. A very tasty sweet & very easy to make.

Ingredients:

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Jaggery - 1& 1/4 cup

Coconut pieces - 3 tbspns (if dersired)

Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp

Cahews & raisins - little

Ghee - as required

Method:

1. Soak rice for an hour. Grind to a coarse paste with as less water as possible.

2. Now to this add jaggery & Elaichi (I keep the jaggery in the microwave for a minute to soften it).

3. Once everything blends well, trasfer to a vessel & add the coconut pieces, cashews & raisins.

4. Keep the Appo vessel on gas & add ghee into each hole. Then once its hot pour in this mixture & cover & cook. Once the first sides done, turn & cook other side.. takes about 5 minutes to completly be done. Keep reating the process til your batters done!

Your Appo are ready to be served.... hot or cold its yummy always!

Rajma Masala

North India is famous for its Rajma / Channa masalas. Heres my version of the same dish.. sure my fellow blogger friends have their versions too.

Sending ths to Susan of the Well Seasoned Cook - who's hosting My Legume Love Affair. Check out more details at :

http://thewellseasonedcook.blogspot.com/2008/01/my-legume-love-affair-event.html

Thanks susan for hosting a great event!

Ingredients:

Rajma - 1 cup

Onion - 2 no

Tomatoes - 2 no

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Jeera-Dhania Powder - 1&1/2 tsp

Chillie powder - 1 tsp

Salt - Acc to taste

Garam masala - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Soak Rajma overnight & pressure cook for 2 whistles & set aside.

2. Grind together- onion, ginger-garlic paste, tomatoes to a fine paste.

3. In a pan add oil & fry this paste till slightly brown & raw smell of onion goes off. Then add chillie powder & jeera-dhania powder & fry well. Add little water if necessary.

4. Then add the cooked Rajma & salt & bring to a good boil. Add Garam masala & cilantro & serve hot.

You can add in a boiled potato to the gravy.. goes well & gives quantity too.

Chicken Curry

There are different ways to make a gravy, for the chicken dish & this one, i learnt from my friend Jaya. It comes out great & i've made it for 2 parties & it was a great hit!

Ingredients:

Chicken - 1 whole (cut into medium size pieces)

Lime Juice- 2 tsps
Cinnamon, Cloves, Bayleaf - Few
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 5 tbspns

Pepper powder - 1tsp

Onion - 1 (chopped finely)

Tomato - 2

Grind these to a fine paste:

Red Chillies - 6

Coriander Seeds - 1tbspn

Jeera - 1 tsp

Ginger-garlic paste - 2tsp

Onion - 3no

Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Marinate the chicken with turmeric,pepper, half of the ground masala & lime juice for atleast an hour.

2. In a cooker, add oil, Cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf & onions. Fry till the onions are almost brown.

3. Now add the other half of the ground masala, tomatoes & fry till its well done. Takes about 10 mts.

4. Then put in the marinated chicken pieces & fry them all well for 5-7 mts.

5. Add water - 1 cup, curry leaves & salt, stir in well & close & cook for just one whistle.

Your Chicken curry is ready to be served.. goes with rice or rotis!

Mutter Panner

Mutter Panner,a all time favourite with most of us for sure. Its a great dish & perfect for rotis or nans... I am sure there are many versions of this dish & here my version.

Ingredients:

Onions- 3
Tomatoes - 2
GingerGarlic paste- 1 tsp
Panner - 1 pac (I used Nanak Brand)
Peas- 2 cups
Yoghurt- 1 tbspn
Oil- 1tbsp
Jeera Dhania powder- 3 tsps
Chillie powder- 1&1/2 tsp
Salt - To taste
Cilantro - finely chopped
Garam Masala - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. In a pan add little oil & saute onions till transparent.Then add the chopped tomatoes & Gingergarlic paste & saute till tomatoes are cooked. Grind it to a fine paste.

2. Now add oil & fry this masala for sometime, Add jeera-dhanai powder, chillie powder & mix it well. Then add the yoghurt.

3. Now add in peas & required water & salt & bring to a boil.Then add panner & let simmer for few minutes.

4. Add garam masala & cilantro & serve hot!

Sanna Polo (Cabbage-Onion Dosa)

"Sanna Polo", a traditional Konkani dish, is loved by one & all. Its a healthy & complete meal in itself. It easy to prepare & the batter can be stored for 2-3 days. Its tasty & nutritious as well.

This is my entry to JFI - Toor Dhal hosted by Linda.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cups
Toor dhal - 3/4 cup
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - A pinch
Hing - 1/4 tsp
Dry red chillies - 4 no.
Onion - 2
Cabbage - a big piece.
Oil - for frying dosa
Salt - acc to taste

Method:

1. Soak rice & dhal together for an hour.

2. Fry red chillies in a pinch of oil, till slightly brown.

3. Grind rice, dhal, red chillies, coconut, tamarind, salt & hing to a slightly coarse paste. Use as little was as possible. It must be a thick mixture.

4. Transfer to a vessel & add to it finely chopped onions & cabbage. Mix all well.

5. Heat a dosa pan & take a hand full of the batter in your hand and spread on dosa pan with hands. It must be 1/4 inch thick. Put oil & coverwith a lid to cook. Takes about 3-4 minutes.

6. Then turn & cook other side too till golden brown.

Serve hot or cold.. yummy always! Goes well with rice & dhal, or just eat it as such. You can use the same batter & fry like vadas. They are called Cabbage Ambodos. Another way is steam the same batter like idlis & its called Sanno Khotto... so its a 3 in 1 dish!!

Jeev Batana Bhuthi (Green Peas Curry)

Jeev Batana Bhuthi - Literal translation is fresh peas curry, is a dish that goes well with Rice or chappathi. Its my all time favourite !!

Ingredients:

Green Peas - 2 cups

Coconut - 3/4th cup

Red Chillies - 4

Corriander seeds - 2tsps

Tamarind - a pinch

Onions - 3

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 2tbspns

Method:

1. Roast red chillies in a little oil. Then grind together coconut, tamarind, Red chillies, corriander seeds to a fine paste.

2. In a pan add oil & add mustard seeds, when it splutters, ass the finely chopped onions & fry till transparent.

3. Then add the ground masala & saute for few minutes. Now add the peas, add little water & salt & let it simmer for 10 minutes till you get desired consistency.

Serve hot!! You can make this same curry with just onions or even tindora. Comes out great.

FANTASTIC FOUR MEME

Dear friends,

Yahoo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My first Meme, in this world of blogging. I am s.........o very excited!! Bhawna of http://www.frommypalate.blogspot.com has tagged me for this & i am all ready, to play along.....with all my other friends.

Thanks Bhawna for tagging me - my very FIRST tag :-)

FANTASTIC FOUR MEME:

Four Places i've lived....
1. Trichy
2. Libya
3. Chennai
4. St.Louis

Four Jobs i've had...
1. A loving daughter to my parents.
2. A good friend, philosopher & guide to the many friends i made along so far.
3. A sweet wife (Do i hear a grumble!!???)
4. A loving mom to my girls.

Four Favourite places i've holidayed...
1. Kodaikanal
2. Hawaii
3. Florida
4. Yosemite National park

Four Favourite foods...
1. Baby corn manchurian
2. Any chaat item
3. Stuffed Parathas.. any kind.
4. Tandoori Chicken

Four Places i'd rather be...
1. Chennai.
2. Hawaii ( Love this place)
3. Relaxing anywhere with my family
4. Any place where i can get pampered 24/7!! :-)

So that my Meme.. Hope u all came to know a little more about ME!! Now, its my turn to Tag four of my friends, hmm......... lets see, I'd like to tag.....

1. Ramya - Mane Adige
2. Sagari - Indian home cooking
3. TBC - The Budding Cook
4. Kribha - Veetu Samayal

My dear friends, please play along............ its fun & we your blogger friends, would like to get to know you a little more better!!

SHUBH DEEPAVALI

WISHING YOU ALL A VERY HAPPY DIWALI

May God, shower his blessings on each of us, for a life filled with Peace, Prosperity & Happiness.

Gova Kichidi (Wheat Kichidi)

"Gova Kichidi" is again a Manglorean sweet. Not many of you, would have heard / tasted it. Its made from Broken wheat (Samba Godumai - Tamil). Some of us use broken wheat to make upma.. but you must be wondering sweet... is that right?? Yes, its a sweet & tastes yummy!!

Ingredients:

Broken wheat - 1 cup

Channa dhal - 1/4 cup

Grated Coconut - 1 cup

Sugar - 1&1/2 cups

Ghee - 4-5 tbspns

Elaichi powder - 1/2 tsp

Cashews - few

Raisins - few

Method:

1. Take broken wheat & channa dhal in a vessel. Wash once. Add required water & pressure cook for 2 whistles. (Channa dhal must not get mashed up!!)

2. Now put this in a pan along with, coconut, sugar, ghee & on a medium high heat, keep stirring.

3. It will seem liquidy, but as you cook, it will thicken & come together.

4. Then add elaichi powder & stir in well.

5. In another pan add little ghee & add cashews & raisins - fry them a little & add to the kichidi.

Your Gova kichidi is ready... serve slightly warm.

Cornflakes Mixture

Mixture - This is a snack we all love, munch it anytime & we sometimes even forget how much of this goes in, specially when your watching a movie. A hot cup of tea & mixture is perfect for evening time...

Ingredients:

Cornflakes - 1 bag

Wheat barn Cereal - 2 cups

Peanuts - 2 cups

Split peas dhal - 1 cup

Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup

Potato fingers - 1/2 packet

Boondi

Sev

Salt - acc to taste

Chillie powder - acc to taste

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Make Boondi & sev & set aside.

2. Deep fry - cashew nuts, peanuts, curry leaves.

3. Add all ingredents now to a big vessel, add salt & chillie powder & give it all a nice shake couple of times.

Your mixture is ready!! Its a simple & easy mixture.. faster & more healthy version as very few things are deep friend. Munch as much as u want & dont have to worry on the calorie part :-)

Chur Mundo ( Besan & Wheat Flour Laddo)

"Chur Mundo" is a Manglorean sweet, & is very tasty & yummy to eat. My family loves this one & so do my friends.

Ingredients:

Besan - 1 cup

Wheat flour - 1 cup

Sugar - 1 & 3/4 cup

Elaichi Powder- to taste

Ghee - as required

Method:

1. In a pan fry the besan with 2 tsps of ghee till golden brown.

2. To the same add the wheat flour & fry till the raw smell goess off. Takes about 15 mts.Then let it cool for few minutes.

3. Now add the powdered sugar to this mixture, along with Elaichi powder.

4. Mix everything well. Add required ghee & mix the flour till its easy enough for you to make laddos.

5. Make small laddos & serve.

Chur Mundo is all done for your guests!!

Thatai (Nippat)

Thatai - is a nice crunchy, munchy snack that all love. Its easy to make & has a long shelf life too... if it last that long!!

I got this recipe from my friend Gayathri, a few years ago & have made many times. Its comes out great everytime!! Thanks Gayathri, for a great recipe :-)

Ingredients:

Rice Flour - 1 cup

Udad Flour - 1 tbspn

Channa Dhal - 1/2 cup

Hing - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1 tsp

Chillie powder - 3/4 tsp

Butter - 1 tbspn

Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Soak Channa dhal in water for an hour. Drain & set aside.

2. Measure all other ingredients & add the channa dhal & mix well, till butter mixes well with all the flour.

3. Then add required water & make dough like chappathi batter.

4. Make small balls & set aside.

5. If u have a "Roti Maker" U can press the small ball on that. This helps in faster making process & gets a almost perfect round shape. Else use 2 ziplocs greased with some oil & pat this ball in between them with your fingers to get a even layered round shape.

6. Deep fry in oil, till slightly golden brown.

Your Thatai is ready!!

Seven Cups Burfi

"Diwali" - The festival of lights, is a festival, celebrated throughout India. Its a festival of lights, fire works, sweets & savouries. Sure all are getting geared up, to celebrate this festival & are making some amazing sweets & snacks in their kitchen !!

Well, here's my first post for this occasion...This recipe is my mom's & i learnt it from her.

Ingredients:

Badam - 1 cup

Besan - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Sugar - 3 cups

Method:

1. Soak badam in water for couple of hours. Then peel the skin off & grind badam along with milk to a fine paste.

2. Now pour this ground paste in a pan, along with all other ingredients & stir on a medium high flame continuously.

3. After about 20 minutes, you'll see it thickens & bubbling up.

4. Wait for another few minutes & you'll see it bubble up more & leave sides of vessel.Usually time taken to get right consistency is anywhere from 25 - 30 minutes.

5. Then transfer to a greased plate. Wait till slightly cool to cut into pieces.

Your burfi is all ready to be served!!

Green vegetable pulav

Vegetable Pulav is every one's favourite dish. My kids love it! Its a best way to get them to eat few veggis if they are fussy eaters. Its easy to make & tasty too....

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2cups
Corriander Leaves - 1 bunch
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 6no
Coconut - 2 tbspns
Onion - 2
Oil - 2 tbspns
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1" piece
Cloves - 4
Bayleaf - 1
Elaichi - 1
Green Beans, Carrot, Potato, Cauliflower, Peas - all together - 2 cups.

Method:

1. Chop all vegetables into 1" long pieces. Slice the onions & set aside.

2. Wash basmati rice & keep ready.

3. Grind together - Corriander leaves, green chillies & coconut to a fine paste.

4. In a pan add oil & ghee, then add the whole spices - Cinnamon, cloves, bayleaf & elaichi.

5. Add the sliced onions & ginger-garlic paste, & saute for 2-3 minutes. Then add the vegetables & fry all for 5 minutes.

6. Now add the ground green masala & fry till the raw smell goes off.

7. Now add the washed rice & mix all together for about 5-7n minutes, till its all blended well. Add required salt.

8. Add 4 & 1/4 cups of water in a rice cooker & then trasfer these ingredients from the pan into it. Mix all well & turn on the rice cooker, till done.

Very soon your home will be filled with the aroma of pulav & you'll be ready to serve a mouthwatering dish..... Serve hot !!

Cranberry Thokku (Pickle)

Cranberries - Why only use it in desserts.. use it to make a pickle too! When, my friend Deepa said this, i said, pickles from Cranberries? Interesting right??? Well, finally i did muster courage to try.. & result was great recipe. Thanks Deepa!!

Ingredients:

Cranberries - 1 pack (I used 12 oz pack)

Oil - 4 tbspns

Mustard seeds - 1 + 1 tsp

Methi Seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Chili Powder - 2 tsps

Turmeic powder- 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash cranberries in a collander & set aside to dry off.

2. In a pan, dry fry 1 tsp of mustard & methi seeds & powder coarsely.

3. Add oil to pan & 1 tsp Mustard seeds & hing. Let it splutter, then add the washed cranberries & stir well.

4. It will mash up & come together in few minutes.. Then add the chili, turmeric & salt & mix well.

5. It will be all mashed & come well together, now add the coarsely powder mustard & methi mixture & stir in well for 2-3 minutes. Your Cranberry Thokku is ready!!

Its a little bit on the sour side...so increase the spice level accordingly. But tastes good, something different !! Your Cranberry Thokku is ready.

Beans & Potato Udad Methi Curry

This is a new recipe that i just learnt this past weekend from my friend's mom. It tastes great & goes well with chappathis. My very first try & it was a great hit at my place !

Ingredients:

Beans - 1/4 pound

Potato - 2 no

Coconut - 6 tbspns

Red Chillies - 4

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Tamarind - A small piece

Udad Dhal - 1 tbspn

Methi Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tsps

Mustard - 1/4 tsp

Curry Leaves - Few

Salt

Method:

1. Cut the beans into 1" long pieces & potato into medium size cubes. Put the veggies in a pan. Add little salt & water. Cover & cook till 90% done.

2. Fry the red chillies in a drop of oil. Grind them with coconut, tamarind & turmeric powder to a fine paste.

3. Roast udad dhal & methi in a pan without oil. Just till udad dhal turns slightly reddish in colour.Now add this to the ground coconut mixture & grind again till all mixes well.

4. Add the ground masala to the cooked veggies, add more salt as required & bring to a boil.

5. Season with mustard seeds & curry leaves.

Serve hot. Goes well with chappathis.

Channa Sundal

Garbanzo Beans ( English),Kabuli Channa (Hindi), Konda Kadalai (Tamil) is a great bean & very nutritious. You can make quite a few things out of this & heres my first recipe....

Ingredients:

Garbanzo Beans - 1 cup

Oil - 2tsp

Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp

Jeera seeds - 1/4 tsp

G. Chillies - 3no

Curry Leaves - few

Coconut - 2 tbspns

Hing - little

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Soak the bean over night. Pressure cook for 1-2 whistles with just enough water for it to cook in.

2. In a pan add oil, mustard, jeera & when it splutters, add the hing, G.chillies & curry leaves.

3. Then add the cooked bean, salt & mix all well.

4. Stir for few minutes. Add little water so that all the flavours get into the bean. Cook for few minutes, till water evaporates.

5. Then add grated coconut & stir.

Your Channa Sundal is all ready!! Enjoy the sundal....

Tomato Pickle

Tomato Pickle is really easy to make & comes in handy on those days your lazy too cook.. goes well as an accompianment with dosas, Idlis or even Rice & Dhal!

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 10 no (I used Roma Tomatoes)

Canola Oil - 2 tbspns

Gingelly Oil - 2 tbspns

Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp

Meethi Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Chili Powder - 1 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Hing - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Method:

1. Wash tomatoes & cut them into medium pieces.

2. In a pan, add both oil (if you dont have Gingelly oil,use only Canola oil - increase amount)& once hot add mustard seeds, methi seeds & let it splutter.

3. Then add chopped tomatoes & cook it. It will leave a lot of water, but will thicken as u cook.

4. Once tomatoes are mashed & half cooked, add chili powder, turmeric powder,Hing, Salt & keep on cooking till it becomes thick & oil starts to come to the sides of the pan.

Your pickles ready to serve. Can be stored for a few days.

For variation, i add chopped garlic or ginger in sometimes, while cooking.

Methi Parathas

Methi leaves are good for health & we can russel up some quick dishes with these if on hand. Tonight's dinner at my place is Hot Hot Methi Parathas with pickle & curds.

Ingredients:

Wheat Flour - 2 cups

Methi Leaves - A Bunch (Washed & Chopped)

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients except oil & mix the flour like for normal Chapati.

2. Apply some oil on the outside of batter & leave it for some time.

3. Roll out to make chapatis & fry on a hot pan with oil. (You can use butter too - It tastes really good - That's how traditionally it is done in Northern part of India)

4. Serve hot with some pickle & Curd.

Enjoy your Parathas!

Fruit Pizza

This pizza is just simply superb & a great hit with people who dont like fruits too!! Its simple & very easy to make. I tried this recipe from Allrecipes & it was awesome.

Ingredients:

1 (18 ounce) package refrigerated sugar cookie dough
1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
1 (8 ounce) container frozen whipped topping, thawed
2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup white sugar
1 pinch salt
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 cup orange juice
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/4 cup water
Other fruits of your choice to decorate your pizza.

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Slice cookie dough and arrange on greased pizza pan, overlapping edges. Press dough flat into pan. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Allow to cool.

2. In a large bowl, soften cream cheese, then fold in the whipped topping. Spread over cooled crust. You can chill for a while at this point, or continue by arranging the fruit.

3. Begin with strawberries, sliced in half. Arrange in a circle around the outside edge. Continue with fruit of your choice, working towards the middle. If bananas are used, dip them in lemon juice so they don't darken. Then make a sauce to spoon over fruit.

4. In a saucepan, combine sugar, salt, corn starch, orange juice, lemon juice and water. Cook and stir over medium heat. Bring to a boil, and cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until thickened. Remove from heat, and add grated orange rind. Allow to cool, but not set up. Spoon over fruit. Chill for two hours, then cut into wedges and serve.

Your Fruit Pizza is ready to serve!!

Pavakkai Theeyal

Pavakkai (in Tamil) or Karela (in Hindi) or Karathe (in Konkani) is one of my favourite vegetables!! I know lot of you will be thinking such a bitter vegetable, but i guess its an acquired taste & once you like it you'll really like it!! I make quite a few dishes from this vegetable & this recipe is from my cousins wife.

Ingredients:

Pavakkai - 2
Onion - 2
Tamarind - 1 small lemon size (soak in water)
Coconut - 5 tbspns
Corriander seeds - 2 tsps
Meethi seeds - 1/2 tsp
Red Chillies - 4 or acc to taste
Oil
Salt
Sugar - 1 tsp

Method :

1. Cut the Pavakkai into thin round slices. Apply salt & set aside for 10 mts.

2. In a pan add just the coconut & fry till its brown in color. Then fry the dhania, red chillies & meethi with a drop of oil. Grind all these 4 to a fine paste along with tamarind.

3. Now add oil in a pan & add finely sliced onions & saute till golden brown.

4. Deep fry the salted Pavakkai & set aside. Fry till its crispy & well done.

5. Add the ground masala to the sauted onions & add the fried pavakkai too. Add salt, sugar & very little water & bring to a good boil.

Serve this hot. Its yummy & goes well with rice & dhal!

Poha Polo (Poha Dosa)

Poha or Avul (in Tamil) is used in this dosa preparation. It's a very fluffy, soft dosa & very different from the usual ones we normally make.

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Udad Dhal - 3 tbspns
Poha - 1 cup
Salt

Method:

1. Soak rice & udad dhal for 2-3 hours & grind to a fine paste.

2. Then wash Poha in little water & drain & set aside. It will get fluffy in 5 minutes.

3. Add this to ground batter & grind again till well done. Add salt.

4. Theres no need to ferment this batter, you can make dosas instantly.

5. Serve it with any chutney of your choice.

This dosa you cover & cook only on one side.. no need to flip & cook other side. You will see lots of tiny holes on dosa when its cooked .