Mathan Curry | Pumpkin curry

Ingredients:

1. Pumpkin/Mathanga - 1 cup 

2. Green chillies - 1

3. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

3. Red chilli powder -1/2 teaspoon

4. Coconut - 1/2 cup

5. Cumin seeds/jeera - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Shallots/onion finely chopped - 2 tablespoon

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

8. Curry leaves - few

9. Oil - 1 tablespoon

10. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Rinse pumpkin and remove skin and seeds. Cut into medium sized pieces.

2. Boil pumpkin with slit green chillies, turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt with 1/2 cup water until soft. It takes around 10-12 minutes on medium-high heat. 

3. Completely mash the pumpkin with a laddle.

4. Grind coconut and cumin seeds into a fine paste and add to the pumpkin. Add more water to get the desired consistency and cook for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat.

5. In a pan, heat oil and splutter mustard seeds. Add curry leaves and finely chopped shallots and fry until they turn dark brown in colour. Add this to pumpkin curry.

Enjoy this mildly sweet pumpkin curry with rice.

Chana Masala

Ingredients:

1. Chick Peas/ Kabuli Chana - 1 cup

2. Onion - 2 

3. Tomato - 1

4. Green Chillies - 1

5. Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

6. Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon

7. Cumin Seeds/Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon

8. Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

10. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

11. Garam Masala - 1/2 teaspoon

12. Oil - 1 tablespoon

13. Salt to taste 

Method:

1. Soak washed Kabuli Chana in water for 8-10 hours. 

2. Pressure cook the soaked chana with enough water, 1/2 teaspoon salt and  1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder for 15-20 minutes.

3. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Then add finely chopped onions, ginger-garlic paste and slit green chillies and saute till onions start turning brown. 

4. Add  turmeric powder, red chilli powder, garam masala and coriander powder and fry for a minute.

5. Add tomatoes and cover and cook till they are mushy.

6. Take around 1 tablespoon of cooked chana and grind it into a fine paste. This will make the curry thick. Add cooked chana and chana paste to pan and mix well. Cook for around 10-15 minutes on medium flame. 

Serve Chana Masala with a slice of lemon and chopped onions along with chapathi/rice.

Linking this recipe to following event: Healthy Lunch Recipes hosted by Full Scoops and organized by Priya's Versatile Recipes.

Healthy Green Peas Dessert

If you are one of those who like the taste of green peas, then I bet you will surely enjoy this delicious dessert. There is no sugar added, instead the sweetness is from dates. This creamy textured healthy dessert has all the richness from green peas, dates and almonds.

Ingredients:

1. Green Peas - fresh/frozen = 1/2 cup

2. Dates - 7-10 count

3. Almonds/Badam - 10-12 count

4. Greek Yogurt - 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Soak almonds and dates in hot water for around 5 minutes. Peel off the skin of almonds and remove the seeds from dates. Soaking dates in water makes them soft and easy to grind.

2. Cook green peas on stove top for around 10 minutes or microwave for 3 minutes.

3. Keep aside few almonds for garnishing. Blend rest of the almonds, green peas, dates and Greek yogurt into a fine paste.

4. Refrigerate for an hour. Garnish with almonds and serve chill.

I am linking this recipe to CWS event hosted by A Bowl Of Curry, organized by Priya's Versatile Recipes.

Also linking this to Foodalulous Fest, an event hosted at A Bowl Of Curry, organized by Simply Tadka.

Linking this recipe to Dish it out Event - Green Dishes at Cook's Joy - July 2014.

Peas Masala

Ingredients:

1. Green Peas (Fresh/Frozen) - 1 cup

2. Potato - 2 medium sized

3. Onion - 1 

4. Tomato - 1 

5. Green Chillies - 1

6. Ginger crushed - 1 teaspoon

7. Mustard Seeds - 1/4 teaspoon

8. Red Chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

9. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon

10. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

11. Garam Masala - 1/4 teaspoon

12. Oil - 1 tablespoon

13. Salt to taste 

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add sliced onions, ginger and slit green chillies and saute till onions start turning brown.

2. Add  turmeric powder, red chilli powder and coriander powder and fry for a minute.

3. Add tomato, cubed potatoes, green peas, salt and around 1 cup of water. Cook for around 15 minutes on medium flame. Then add garam masala and mash few potatoes to make the gravy thick.

4. Cover and cook for another 7-10 minutes and turn off the flame.

Enjoy this peas masala with chapathi.

I am linking this recipe to Cooking With Seeds event hosted by A Bowl Of Curry, organized by Priya's Versatile Recipes.

Parippu Curry | Kerala Style Dal Curry

Ingredients:
1. Toor Dal - 1/2 cup
2. Onion - 1 small sized
3. Green chillies - 1-2
4. Coconut - 3-4 tablespoon grated
5. Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Garlic - 3 cloves
7. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Dried red chillies - 2
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Curry leaves - few
11. Oil - 2 teaspoon
12. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash and pressure cook dal along with thinly sliced onion until soft and mushy.

2. Grind coconut, garlic and cumin seeds to a fine paste.

3. Transfer the cooked dal into a saucepan. Add water to desired consistency and bring it to boil. Add slit green chillies, turmeric powder, salt and ground coconut paste. Cover and cook for 10 minutes on medium flame.

4. For seasoning, heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, dried red chillies and curry leaves. Add this to dal curry and turn off the heat.

Serve with rice.

Kappa Puzhukku | Kerala Style Tapioca Recipe

Ingredients:

1. Kappa/ Tapioca  - 1/2 kg

2. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

3. Curry leaves - few

4. Green chillies - 1

5. Dried red chillies - 2-3

6. Garlic - 2 cloves

7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

7. Coconut oil - 1 tablespoon

8. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Remove the skin of tapioca, cut into small cubes and wash thoroughly.

2. Completely immerse the tapioca in water, add salt, green chillies and turmeric powder. Pressure cook for 1 whistle.

3. After it cools down, drain off the water completely and mash the tapioca.

4. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds. After it splutters, add curry leaves, dried red chillies and crushed garlic. Fry for a minute and add this to tapioca. Mix thoroughly and serve with your favorite curry preferably fish curry.

Linking this to Foodalulous Fest, an event hosted at A Bowl Of Curry, organized by Simply Tadka.

Kaipakka Thoran | Bitter Gourd Stir Fry

Ingredients:
1. Bitter Gourd - 2
2. Onion - 1 medium sized
3. Coconut - 3 tablespoon grated
4. Green chillies - 1-2
5. Curry leaves - few

6. Oil - 1 tablespoon
7. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Finely chop bitter gourd and marinate with chopped onion, grated coconut, slit green chillies and salt for atleast 1/2 an hour.

2. Heat oil in a pan, add curry leaves and marinated bitter gourd. Cook covered on low- medium flame for around 15-20 minutes until bitter gourd is soft. Stir occasionaly.

Serve as a side dish for rice.

Choco Chip Muffins

Ingredients:

Dry Ingredients:
1. All-purpose flour/Maida - 2 cups
2.White Sugar - 1 cup
3. Baking powder - 2 teaspoon
4.Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
5. Semi Sweet Mini Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup

Wet Ingredients:
1. Milk - 3/4 cup
2. Vegetable Oil - 1/3 cup
3. Eggs - 2
4. Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon

Method:
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F. Place the paper linings in muffin tray.

2. Mix all the dry ingredients together in a bowl.

3. In a different bowl, mix all the wet ingredients.

4. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix gently. Use a wooden spatula to mix rather than a electric mixer.

5. Fill the muffin tray with this mixture and bake for 15-17 minutes.

Linking this recipe to Bake Fest hosted by Sumee.

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Coconut Chutney with Red Chillies

Ingredients:
1. Grated Coconut - 1 cup
2. Dried Red Chillies - 2-3 or add as per your spice level
3. Ginger -1 inch piece
4. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Curry leaves - few
6. Oil - 1 teaspoon
7. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Dry roast dried red chillies in a hot pan for a minute.

2. Grind coconut, red chillies and ginger to a fine paste by adding little water.

3. Add water according to your desired consistency. Add salt to taste.

4. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds and after it crackles, add curry leaves. Add this to the chutney.

This chutney goes well with idli and dosa.

Soft Idlis

Ingredients:
1. Idli Rice/Sona Masoori Rice - 1 cup
2. Urad Dal - 1/4 cup
3. Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Chana Dal / Kadala Parippu - 1 tablespoon
5. Cooked Rice/Flattened Rice/Poha - 1 tablespoon
6. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Wash rice, urad dal, fenugreek seeds and chana dal. Soak them in water for 6-7 hours. Soak rice in a separate bowl and rest of the ingredients together.

2. Grind urad dal mix to a fine paste. Grind rice with cooked rice. Mix them together. Add salt to taste.

3. Keep it in a warm place for 10-12 hours.

4. Steam idlies in idli plate.

 The batter should rise considerably, otherwise the idlis might not be soft.

Serve with coconut chutney/sambar. 

Kadai Chicken

Ingredients:

1. Chicken - 1lb/0.45kg

2. Capsicum / Bell Peppers - 1/2 cup diced

3. Onion - 1 large

4. Ginger paste - 1 teaspoon

5. Garlic paste - 1 tablespoon

6. Green chillies - 1-2 no.

7. Tomato - 1 medium sized

8. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

9. Coriander powder - 2 teaspoon

9. Garam masala - 1 teaspoon

10. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

11. Coriander leaves - little for garnishing

12. Oil - 3 tablespoon

13. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Grind tomatoes and keep it aside.

2. Wash and cut chicken into small pieces.

3. Add a tablespoon of oil in hot pan and fry diced capsicum for 3-5 minutes. Keep them aside.

4. In the same pan, heat 2 tablespoon of oil. Add finely chopped onions and fry until they start to turn brown. Then add ginger-garlic paste and fry for couple of minutes. Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and cook until oil separates.

5. Add chicken, 1 cup of water and garam masala. Cover and cook until chicken becomes soft and tender. It takes around 20-25 minutes on medium flame.

6. Add fried capsicum and turn off the flame. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve with chapathi. 

Tofu Bhurji | Scrambled Tofu

Ingredients:

1. Extra Firm Tofu - 1 cup crumbled

2. Onion - 1 medium sized

3. Garlic - 1 tablespoon finely chopped

4. Green chillies - 1 

5. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

6. Cilantro/Coriander leaves - little for garnishing

7. Oil - 2 teaspoon

8. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Heat oil in a pan, add finely chopped onion and fry till they turn translucent.

2. Add garlic, slit green chillies, turmeric powder and salt to taste and fry for a minute.

3. Add crumbled tofu and cook for around 5 minutes on medium heat with occasional stirring.

4. Increase the heat to high and fry for 2-3 minutes with continuous stirring to get a brown texture.

5. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve with chapathi.

Linking this to Foodalulous Fest, an event hosted at A Bowl Of Curry, organized by Simply Tadka.

Neer Dosa

Ingredients:

1. Sona Masoori Rice/ Idli Rice - 1 cup

2. Coconut grated - 3 tablespoon

3. Salt to taste

4. Oil - 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Wash rice and soak in water for around 5 hours.

2. Grind soaked rice, coconut into fine paste. Add salt and around 2 cups of water. The batter should be much more watery than the regular dosa batter.

3. Make dosa on a non stick pan. Never use a ladle to spread the dosa batter on pan instead tilt the pan in a circular motion. 

Linking this recipe to Come, join us for breakfast event. 

Sharjah Shake

Ingredients:

1. Milk - 1 cup frozen

2. Banana - 1 

3. Sugar - 3 teaspoon

4. Boost/Bournvita/Horlicks - 2 teaspoon

Method: 

Mix all the ingredients in a blender. Enjoy this refreshing Sharjah Shake on a hot summer day.

Homemade Yogurt | Curd

Ingredients:
1. Milk - 3 cups

2. Starter Yogurt with active cultures- 1 tablespoon
If you are using store bought yogurt as starter, check the ingredients for active cultures.

Method:

1. Heat milk on stove top until boiling.

2. Turn off the heat and let it cool for around 8-10 minutes. When it is still warm(not hot), we need to add the starter yogurt.

3. Thoroughly mix yogurt in milk. Cover and let it rest undisturbed in warm place for 6-7 hours. I usually keep it in a microwave oven. If you need more sour curd, rest for longer time. Refrigerate once the yogurt is ready.

Tofu Chapathi

Tofu is rich in protein and calcium. It is made of soybean milk. Adding tofu while making chapathi does not significantly alter the taste of chapathi. This is one of the easiest way to include protein in our diet.

Ingredients:

1. Whole wheat flour/Atta - 1 cup

2. Silken tofu/soft tofu - 1/2 cup crumbled

3. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Add crumbled tofu and salt to atta and make a soft dough. There is no need to add any water while kneading since tofu has enough moisture in it.

2. Make chapathis after resting the dough for 10 minutes.

Linking this recipe to following event: Healthy Lunch Recipes hosted by Full Scoops and organized by Priya's Versatile Recipes.

Kadai Mushroom

Ingredients:

1. Mushroom - 1 cup

2. Capsicum / Bell Peppers - 1/2 cup diced

3. Cumin seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

4. Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

5. Green chillies - 1-2 no.

6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

7. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

8. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

9. Tomato - 1 medium sized

10. Cashew nuts - 10-12 nos.

11. Coriander leaves - little for garnishing

12. Oil - 3 teaspoon

13. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Soak cashew nuts in hot water for 10 minutes and make a fine paste. Grind tomatoes and green chilies together and keep them aside.

2. Clean and cut mushrooms to desired size.

3. Add a teaspoon of oil in hot pan and fry diced capsicum for 3-5 minutes. Keep them aside.

4. In the same pan, heat 2 teaspoon of oil. Add jeera and fry for a minute. Then add ginger-garlic paste and fry till slightly brown. Add tomato-green chilly paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt and cook until oil separates.

5. Add cashew nut paste, mushrooms and 1/4 cup water. Cover and cook until mushrooms are well done. It takes around 10 minutes on medium flame.

6. Just before turning off the flame, add fried capsicum and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with chapathi.

Vanilla Kesari Bhath

Ingredients:

1. Rava/Sooji - 1 cup

2. Sugar - little less than 1/2 cup

3. Ghee - 1 tablespoon

4. Oil - 1 tablespoon

5. Vanilla essence - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Saffron /Kesari - 3-5 strands (Since I didn't have kesari with me, I added turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon)

7. Salt - 1 pinch

8. Hot Water - 4 cups

9. Raisins and cashew for garnishing

Method:

1. Heat a non-stick pan. Dry roast rava for around 10 minutes on medium flame with continuous stirring.

2. Add oil, sugar, salt and mix well. 

3. Add 4 cups of hot water little by little, stir well and make sure there are no lumps. If you are adding saffron, mix it with 1 tablespoon hot milk and add to rava mix. Otherwise you can add turmeric powder. Cook for 7-10 more minutes until the rava becomes soft.

4. Finally add ghee and vanilla essence and turn off the heat.

5. Garnish with raisins/cashew.

Heerekai Chutney | Ridge Gourd Chutney

This is a no-coconut chutney and tastes real good. It may be little sweet because of ridge gourd, so adjust the red chilly count according to your spice level.

Ingredients:
1. Ridge Gourd/Heerekai - 1 medium sized
2. Red chillies - 2-3 no.
3. Onion - 1 small sized
4. Tomato - 1 small sized
5. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Tamarind pulp - 1 teaspoon
7. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
8. Curry leaves - few
9. Oil - 3 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Roughly chop ridge gourd, onion and tomato.

2. Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. After a minute add red chillies, ridge gourd, tomato and onion. Fry for around 10 minutes on medium flame until the ridge gourd looks tender. Turn off the heat and let it cool.

3. Grind them along with tamarind pulp and salt to a fine paste. There is no need to add any water while grinding.

4. Season the chutney with mustard seeds and curry leaves.

Serve with dosa/idli.

Linking this recipe to Dish it out Event - Green Dishes at Cook's Joy - July 2014.

Homemade Ginger and Garlic Paste

Ingredients:
1. Ginger - 1 cup chopped
2. Garlic - 3 pods
3. Oil - 2 table spoon
4. Salt - 1 teaspoon

Method:
1. Remove the skin of garlic and ginger. Wash and pat dry using a kitchen towel.

2. Grind them separately with 1 tablespoon oil and 1/2 teaspoon salt each without adding water.

3. Refrigerate in separate air tight glass containers.

Note: Garlic paste tends to turn green after few days which is harmless and completely safe to eat.

Omapodi | Ompodi | Sev

Ingredients:

1. Gram flour/ Besan/ Kadala podi - 1 cup

2. Rice flour fine - 1/4 cup

3. Omam/Ajwain/Carom seeds - 1 teaspoon

4. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

5. Hot oil - 3 teaspoon

6. Salt to taste

7. Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Dry roast ajwain in a pan for 2-3 minutes. Make a coarse powder of the seeds after cooling. Add 1/2 cup hot water in this coarse powder and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.

2. Meanwhile thoroughly mix gram flour, rice flour, turmeric powder and salt. Add 3 teaspoon hot oil to this dry ingredients.

3. Strain the water from ajwain and use this water to make the dough. Slowly add little by little of this liquid to the dry ingredients and make a soft dough.

4. Heat oil for deep frying on medium heat. Put a handful of dough in a murukku press with fine holed plate. Press it directly into hot oil. Fry on one side for a minute or so until bubbling of oil stops, then flip it and do the same.

5. Remove from oil and drain the excess oil on a kitchen tissue. Store in a air tight container after cooling.

Enjoy these crispy omapodi with hot cup of tea.

Potato Dry Roast

Ingredients:

1. Potato - 2-3 medium sized

2. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

3. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

4. Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon

5. Oil - 2 teaspoon

6. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut potatoes in small cube sized pieces.

2. Pressure cook them for 5 minutes on medium flame until soft.

3. Heat oil in a pan on low flame and add turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt. It is important to keep the flame low otherwise the powder will get burnt! Fry the masala powders for a minute and then add boiled potatoes. Stir thoroughly and fry for 5 minutes on low flame.