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Showing posts from January, 2011

MASALA DOSA

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Dosa is  a typical dish in South Indian cuisine, eaten for breakfast or dinner, and is rich in carbohydrates and protein.Here's my mom's awesome masala dosa recipe !! Dosa Batter  Ingredients: 2 cups Rice 3/4 cup Urad Dal 1 fistful Bengal gram 1 fistful seeme akki(sago) 2 tsp Methi /fenugreek Seeds 1 tsp (Ghee+Oil) mixed for each dosa Salt as per taste HOW TO MAKE: Soak Urad dal, rice, methi seeds and sago with enough water  overnight. Grind the soaked ingredients with enough water to a  smooth paste in a grinder;Make sure the batter is not too watery! Allow the batter to ferment in a warm place for about 8-10 hours; Make sure the container has enough room for the batter to rise else the batter will overflow due to fermentation! Add salt to the fermented batter and mix well. Place a non stick Tava on medium heat.Once hot, pour a ladle full of batter at the center; With the back of the ladle, spread the batter thinly; Start fr...

PULIYOGARE GOJJU RICE

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Puliyogare Rice(tamarind rice) Gojju during preparation Puliyogare gojju Puliyogare is a yummy food that we all love to eat and cherish its taste. It is a convenient food where we most often pick a "ready to eat mix" and mix it with rice!But have you realised how easy it is to prepare this delicious mouth watering puliyogare mix at home?!Read on and try making at home! Ingredients: Tamarind (about lemon sized or paste can be used) Jaggery-powdered-2-3tsp Bengal gram Dal – 2 tsp urad dal-2 tsp Coriander seeds – 50 gms mustard  seeds – 1 tsp Pepper corns – 1 tsp Fenugreek seeds – 1 tsp Dry red chillies - 50 gm(according to your hot spice level) Copra(shredded dry coconut)- 6 tsp Black till /sesame seeds - 50-60 gms(white till can be used if black till not available) Oil -5 tsp curry leaves- a bunch groundnuts(optional)- 50 gms turmeric -1/2 tsp salt How to make  Puliyogare gojju: Prepare tamarind juice and keep it aside.Make sure it is not too wate...

HAGALAKAYI (BITTER GOURD/KARELA) FRY

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Ingredients: 1 small bitter gourd Salt 1/2 tsp chilli powder 1 tsp oil lemon juice How to make: Wash the bitter gourd and cut it in to small pieces. wash the pieces and transfer it on to a bowl. Add 1/2 tsp salt and 1/2 tsp chilli powder on to the bowl and mix well with bitter gourd.There is no need to add extra water  as we have washed the pieces just now. Let the mixture stay for 15-20 mins. Now take a frying pan,add little oil and add the cut bitter gourd to the pan and shallow fry till they are crisp. Lemon juice can be sprinkled on the crisp bitter gourd before serving! Preparation time : 30 minutes. Nutritional Benefits(courtesy :http://www.juicing-for-health.com/) Bitter gourds are very low in calories but dense with precious nutrients.  It is an excellent source of vitamins B1, B2, and B3, C, magnesium, folic acid, zinc, phosphorus, manganese, and has high dietary fiber.  It is rich in iron, contains twice the beta-carotene of broccoli, twice th...

EGGLESS BANANA BREAD

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Have Ripe bananas at home?Try this easy recipe then ..go ahead,,treat yourself to a yummy   delicacy right away!  I baked banana bread using pressure cooker as I do not have an oven at home.Feel free to use the same recipe for oven prep! Ingredients: 1 cup whole wheat flour(Atta) ¾ cup sugar ¼ cup  butter 4 ripe bananas(i used small ones )  6-8 almonds, chopped 1 pinch cardamom powder 1 tbsp sesame seeds 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda ¼ cup milk How to make: Sift the flour,baking powder and baking soda well in a dry container. Add sugar,butter,bananas in a blender and blend them into a nice puree. Now pour the above puree into the container containing flour. Add a pinch of cardamom powder and almonds. Mix and beat well . Add milk to get a pouring consistency.Now the batter is ready. Take a flat container if you are using a pressure cooker to bake the cake. Grease the container with little butter and dust it with little flour. Pour the b...

GONGURA CHUTNEY(SORREL LEAVES CHUTNEY)

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Gongura leaves(Sorrel leaves in english) Gongura chutney Ingredients: Gongura leaves - 2 Bunches-make sure you take only the leaves! Methi/Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp Dry Red Chillies - 5-6 Black pepper-1/2 tsp Asafoetida -a pinch mustard seeds-1/4 tsp Dry coconut(shredded) - 1 cup oil salt How to make: Wash the gongura leaves well and strain the extra water. Take a saucepan and add 1 tsp oil and season with asafoetida .Now fry the gongura leaves in that. Keep it aside. Now add 2 tsp oil and add methi seeds,dry chillies .(make sure it does not get burnt) Grind the fried methi ,chillies,fried gongura leaves,1 cup shredded dry copra ,black pepper and salt without adding much water(as the leaves will be already sticky) Add 1 tsp oil and season the gongura chutney with asafoetida ,mustard  seeds . Now the gongura chutney is ready! Tastes best with hot rice ! Nutrition Value: Gongura is a very rich source of  Iron, vitamins , folic acid and anti-oxidan...

CHATPATA SALAD

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So you are low on time?? ...Also you wanna have a healthy snack cum starter...??Diet conscious??Answer is CHATPATA SALAD :-)Anytime,anywhere..just a few veggies needed!Had prepared this when we went on a trip with my sister's family. Ingredients: Cucumber -1 Onion -1 Tomato-2 Chillies -1 or 2 Lemon-1 Carrot -1 Salt Pepper coriander leaves - 1-2 strands Garam masala(optional)-1/4 tsp Chilly powder(optional)-1/4 tsp   How to make: Slice Cucumber,Onion and Tomato and arrange it in a plate as shown in the picture above. Add shredded carrot on top of other veggies. Cut chillies and coriander and garnish on to it. Add salt/pepper/Garam masala/chilly powder to taste. Sprinkle lemon juice on to it .(Plus 1-2 lemon pieces can be added as decoration) Makes a yummy healthy eat!  Preparation time :10-15 minutes

PONGAL

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(Both Sweet and Khara(spicy) Pongal Recipes) First of all wish you all a very Happy Sankranthi!So thought of sharing the traditional Pongal recipe today:) INGREDIENTS  For Sweet Pongal Rice - 1 cup Moong Dal - 1/2 cup Milk - 1 cup Jaggery - About 200 grams. Cashewnuts - About 10-12 Ghee - 5-6 Tsp. Raisins- 10-12 nos Few strands of saffron 2.5 to 3 cups of water How to Make Take a saucepan and dry roast the moong dal in it.   Cook the rice and moong dal with 2 1/2 cups of water and 1 cup of milk in the saucepan.  Take another saucepan and dissolve the jaggery in 3/4 cup water and cook on a low heat till the jaggery melts. (Note: Strain the jaggery to remove the dirt)  Heat the jaggery syrup again and stir till it becomes slightly sticky.  Add the cooked rice and dal. Mix well. Seasoning:  Cashews,Raisins in  ghee and add to the Pongal . Mix well and serve hot. INGREDIENTS  For Avarekai Khara(Spicy) Pongal 1 cup Rice ...

SOFT FLUFFY IDLIS

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Soft fluffy idlis!!Who doesn't wanna eat?!Learnt this from my MIL.She makes awesome soft idlies:).For some variation,Coriander leaves and green chilles can be added to batter and the same process as below be followed for Masala Idlis. Ingredients: 1 measure Urad dal 2.5 measure Idli Rava(Idli Tari in kannada) or 2 cups Rice can be used salt to taste Little oil for greasing How to make : Wash and Soak Urad dal and Idli Tari (Rava) separately for 8 hours. Wash and drain the Urad dal and Idli rava.  Grind them separately in a grinder.(make sure not to add too much water). Mix the ground Idli rava  and urad dal together into a thick batter. Mix salt and set aside in a warm place for 8-9 hours for fermentation.(Make sure you use a big container as the Idli batter might spill after fermentation) Idlis are ready to be cooked when the batter is well fermented. Grease the Idli moulds with very little oil . Fill each of the moulds with 3/4th full of batter. ...

BADNEKAYI ENNEGAYI(STUFFED EGGPLANT)

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B asically a North Karnataka delicacy,Badnekayi(Eggplant) Ennegayi goes well with Chapathis and rice.Its a high calorie dish as more oil is used for frying!But makes a Yummy eat occassionally! Ingredients: 8 small purple coloured eggplants 1.5 tbsp Oil 1 tsp Mustard seeds A strand of curry leaves A generous pinch of Asafoetida 1 onion cut finely Salt as per taste For the Masala: 3/4 cup Grated coconut 3  tsp Coriander seeds 2 tsp Jeera 3-4 Cloves little cinnamon powder/stick 8-10  Dry Red Chilies, low/medium spiced 2 tsp Sesame seeds/Til,  white 10-12  Peanuts 1 tsp tamarind water(instead even 1 tomato can be used) 1 medium sized Onion cut How to make the Masala : Dry roast the coriander seeds, jeera, red chilies, cloves, cinnamon, til and peanuts until the peanuts start popping a little(make sure none of the spices are over roasted) Grind the roasted spices with coconut, onion, tamarind, and  salt; Add just enough w...