Mom's Potato Stir Fry

This is a tasty and excellent side dish for rice/chapathi which is very easy to make. My mom quite often prepares this for chapathi. There is no specific name for this dish, so I decided to name it as "Mom's Potato Stir Fry".

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Potato - 2 medium
2. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
3. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Oil - 1 tablespoon
5. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a large pan and add finely chopped potatoes.

2. Add turmeric powder, red chilli powder and salt to taste.

3. Cook covered on low-medium heat until well done and slightly crispy. Don't add water while cooking. This takes around 15 minutes.

Kadhi with Baked Pakoda

Kadhi Pakoda are usually made using deep fried pakoda. I tried to make a healthier version by baking the pakodas. Thanks Nimmi for giving me the recipe of baked pakodas. 

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

For Pakoda:

1. Onion - 2 medium - thinly sliced

2. Gram flour/Besan - 1/2 cup

3. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon

4. Carom seeds/Ajwain/omam - 1/4 teaspoon

5. Oil - 1 teaspoon

6. Salt to taste

For Kadhi:

1. Curd/Yogurt - 1/2 cup

2. Besan - 2 tablespoon

3. Ginger-garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

4. Onion - 1 small

5. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Fenugreek seeds - 7-10 nos.

7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

8. Green chilli - 1 or as per spice level

9. Water - 1 cup

10. Oil - 1 teaspoon

11. Ghee/Clarified butter - 1/2 teaspoon

12. Coriander leaves/Cilantro - for garnishing

13. Salt to taste

Method:

Pakoda making:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degree F.

2. Mix all the ingredients mentioned for making pakoda including the oil. Add few tablespoon of water and mix well to get a thick battered mix. 

3. Place a parchment paper on baking tray and place a small portions of batter on tray. 

4. Bake for 25-30 minutes until they turn golden brown in color. Make sure to flip the pakodas after half time.

Baked Pakodas

Kadhi Preparation and mixing:

1. In a large saucepan, heat a teaspoon of oil. Add cumin seeds and fenugreek seeds and stir for few seconds.

2. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute.

3. Add finely chopped onion and slit green chilli. Add salt and saute until onions turn translucent.

4. Meanwhile in a mixing bowl, mix 2 tablespoon of besan with little water. Mix well to remove any lumps. Add yogurt, turmeric powder and 1 cup of water to it and mix well. Make sure there are no lumps.

5. Once the onions turn translucent, add yogurt mixture. Check for salt. Stir and cook on medium flame for around 20 minutes. The kadhi tends to thicken while boiling, so you can add more to get the desired consistency.

6. Add 1/2 teaspoon ghee and turn off the heat.

Just before serving, add the pakodas into kadhi and garnish with coriander leaves.

Varutharacha Sambar | Kerala Style Sambar

Serves: 4

Ingredients:

Vegetable list:

1. Carrot - 1 

2. Pumpkin - small piece

3. Lady's finger - 6-7 nos.

4. Potato - 1 medium 

5. Brinjal - 2 small

6. Onion - 1 

7. Tomato - 1 

8. Drumsticks - 1 

9. Coriander leaves/Cilantro - little for garnishing

For grinding:

1. Coconut - 1/2 cup

2. Coriander powder - 1 teaspoon

3.  Sambar powder (any brand) - 1 tablespoon

4. Garlic - 2 cloves

5. Asafoetida/hing - pinch

6. Pepper - 10-15 corns

7. Red chilli powder - 1 teaspoon

8. Cumin seeds/Jeera - 1/2 teaspoon

Seasoning:

1. Oil - 1 tablespoon

2. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

3. Fenugreek seeds - 10 nos.

4. Curry leaves - few

Other items:

1. Toor dal - 1/2 cup

2. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon

3. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece

4. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Pressure cook toor dal for 4-5 whistles by adding enough water and turmeric powder and keep it aside.

2. In a large saucepan, add a teaspoon of oil and fry the vegetables for 5 minutes. Then add cooked dal and salt to taste. Cook the vegetables covered on medium flame. 

3. In a large pan, dry roast the coconut until they turn dark brown. Dry roasting on medium flame with continuous stirring. 

4. Reduce the heat to low and add cumin seeds, peppercorns and garlic cloves. Fry for a minute.

5. Add asafoetida, coriander powder, red chilli powder and sambar powder and turn off the heat.

6. Allow the coconut mixture to cool and grind into fine paste by adding little water.

7. Add the coconut paste to boiling vegetables. 

8. Meanwhile extract the tamarind pulp. Add the tamarind pulp to saucepan once the vegetables are well cooked. Boil for 2-3 more minutes and turn off the heat.

9. For tempering, heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a small pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves and add the tempering to sambar.

10. Garnish with coriander leaves. 

Enjoy these Kerala Style Sambar with rice/dosa/idli.

Tip: 

1. If you are short of time, you add the vegetables and coconut paste to toor dal and pressure cook for 1 whistles. 

Mozzarella Sticks

Serving: serves 2

Ingredients: 

1. Mozzarella cheese - cut into 3 inch sticks - 12 nos.

2. All purpose flour - 1/2 cup

3. Bread crumbs - 1 cup

4. Red chilli flakes - 1/2 teaspoon

5. Italian seasoning - 1 teaspoon

6. Egg white - 1

7. Milk - 1/4 cup

8. Salt to taste

9. Oil for deep frying

Method:

1. Heat oil for deep frying on medium heat.

2. In a small bowl, beat an egg white. Add milk and mix well.

3. Place flour, salt, red chilli flakes, Italian seasoning and salt in a plate and mix well.

4. Place bread crumbs in a different plate.

5. Take each of the cheese sticks, dip it in egg white, roll in flour mixture, again dip in egg white and roll  it in bread crumbs. Follow the same process for each of the cheese sticks and place it in a plate.

6. Deep fry on medium heat until golden brown.

Enjoy these delicious cheese sticks.

Lady's Finger Stir Fry

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1. Lady's Finger/Okra - 20-30 nos.

2. Tomato - 1 small

3. Oil - 2 teaspoon

4. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Wash and cut lady's finger into small pieces.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add lady's finger and salt to taste.

3. Cover and cook for 12-15 minutes with occasional stirring.

4. Once lady's finger is cooked, add finely chopped tomatoes.

5. Cook for 2 more minutes and turn off the heat.

Rava ladoo

Serving: Makes 15 ladoos

Ingredients:

1. Rava/Semolina - 1 cup

2. Coconut - 1/2 cup

3. Sugar - 1/3 cup

4. Milk - 1/4 cup

5. Cardamom powder - 1/4 teaspoon

6. Raisins - 1 tablespoon

7. Ghee - 1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Heat a large pan on low-medium heat, add ghee and rava. Roast rava for 10-12 minutes with continuous stirring.

2. Add coconut and sugar. Mix well.

3. Add milk, cardamom powder and raisins, mix well and turn off the heat after 2 min.

4. Allow the mix to cool for 5 min and then shape into small balls.

ANZAC Biscuits

ANZAC Biscuits are sweet and chewy cookies popular in Australia and New Zealand. The coconut in them give a unique taste to these cookies.

For this month's International Food Challenge event, Saraswathi challenged us with 3 Australian dishes namely Lamingtons, ANZAC biscuits and Damper. I decided to try ANZAC biscuits.

The original recipe insist on using golden syrup, since I couldn't find it here, I replaced it with maple syrup.

Recipe Source: allrecipes.com

Serving: Makes 15 cookies

Ingredients:

1. Rolled oats - 1 cup

2. All-purpose flour - 1 cup

3. Shredded coconut - 1 cup

4. Sugar - 1/2 cup

5. Salt - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Golden syrup/maple syrup - 2 tablespoon

7. Butter - 1/2 cup

8. Baking soda - 1 teaspoon

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 325 deg F. 

2. Mix oats, flour, shredded coconut, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.

3. In a saucepan, add butter and golden syrup/maple syrup. Heat on medium heat until butter melts and turn off the heat.

4. In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of hot water with baking soda. Mix well and add it to melted butter.

5. Pour the butter mixture to dry ingredients and mix well. Shape them into small disc and place on greased baking tray.

6. Bake for 25-30 min until cookies turn golden brown in color.

7. Place on cooling rack for 10-15 minutes. 

Enjoy these cookies with a glass of cold milk.

Instant Oats Dosa

Serving: Makes 8 dosa.

Ingredients:

1. Rolled oats - 1 cup

2. Yogurt - 3 tablespoon

3. Semolina/Rava - 1 tablespoon

4. Wheat flour - 1 tablespoon

5. Oil for greasing

6. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Make a fine powder of oats in a blender.

2. Mix oats powder with yogurt, semolina, wheat flour and 1 cup water. Mix well to remove all the lumps.

3. Add salt to taste and keep for resting for atleast 10 mins.

4. Make dosa on medium heat. Apply little oil and cook on both sides.

Enjoy these healthy oats dosa with any of your favorite chutney.

Raw Banana Stir Fry | Pacha Khaya Mezhukkupuratty

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Raw Banana - 1 large
2. Garlic - 2-3 cloves
3. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Grated coconut - 3-4 tablespoon
5. Coconut oil - 1 teaspoon
6. Salt to taste

Method:
1, Wash and cut the raw banana into small pieces.

2. Boil the banana with 1 cup of water.

3. Add salt and red chilli powder. Cook until bananas are soft.

4. Finally add grated coconut, coconut oil and crushed garlic and turn off the flame.

Black Chana Sundal

Serves : 4

Ingredients:

1. Black chana/kadala - 1 cup

2. Onion - 1 small

3. Green chilli - 1

4. Coconut grated - 3-4 tablespoon

5. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon

6. Coriander leaves/Cilantro chopped - 2 tablespoon

7. Oil - 1 teaspoon

8. Salt to taste

Method: 

1. Soak black chana in water for 8-10 hours.

2. Pressure cook for 5 whistles by adding enough water and few pinches of salt.

3. Once cooked drain the water and keep the chana aside.

4. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

5. Add finely chopped onions and chopped green chilli. Saute until onions turn soft.

6. Add cooked chana and salt to taste. 

7. Add finely chopped cilantro and grated coconut. Mix well and serve.

This can be eaten as a side dish for rice or served as a evening snack.

Potato Cauliflower Stir Fry

A very simple and easy to make side dish for chapathi and rice.

Serves:2

Ingredients:
1. Potato diced - 1 cup
2. Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
3. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
4. Red chilli powder - 1/2 teaspoon
5. Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
6. Coriander powder - 1/2 teaspoon
7. Cumin powder - 1/4 teaspoon
8. Oil - 2 teaspoon
9. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds.

2. Add diced potatoes, cauliflower florets, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and salt. Mix well.

3. Add around 1/2 cup of water and cook covered on medium flame until vegetables are well cooked. 

Salmon Curry

Serves: 2

Ingredients:
1. Salmon - 4-5 pieces
2. Onion - 1 medium
3. Tomato - 1 medium
4. Garlic - 3-4 cloves
5. Red chilli powder - 1-2 teaspoon
6. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
7. Fenugreek powder - 2 pinches
8. Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized piece
9. Coconut oil - 3 teaspoon
10. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak tamarind in 1 cup water and extract pulp and keep it aside.

2. Clean and wash the salmon pieces.

3. Heat 2 teaspoon of oil in a pan and fry finely chopped onion until soft and translucent.

4. Add finely chopped tomatoes and fry until soft and mushy.

5. Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, fenugreek powder and salt.

6. Add tamarind pulp and fish pieces. Cook for around 15 minutes until fish is well cooked.

7. Finally add crushed garlic and 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and turn off the heat.

Brown Rice Puliyogare

Brown Rice Puliyogare - does it sound very healthy? Yes of-course but believe me this tastes real good as well. You can use the refrigerated puliyogare mix or make the mix instantly. In this recipe, I have used the instant version. If you wish to make the mix in bulk and store it, I have the recipe here.

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1. Brown sona masoori rice - 1 cup

2. Tamarind pulp thick - 2 tablespoon

3. Mustard seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Asafoetida/hing - a pinch
5. Green Chilli - 1 (optional)
6. Dried red chilli - 1-2
7. Curry leaves - few
8. Peanuts - a handful
9. Urad dal split - 1/2 teaspoon(optional)
10. Chana dal - 1/2 teaspoon(optional)
11. Turmeric powder - 1/8 teaspoon
12. Rasam powder - 1 teaspoon
13. Jaggery grated - 1 teaspoon
14. Oil - 2 teaspoon

15. Salt to taste

Method:

1. Cook brown rice as per the instructions given here and keep it aside.

2. Next we need to make the instant puliyogare mix. For this, heat oil in a pan on medium heat and splutter mustard seeds.

3.  Add peanuts and stir them till they start to brown.

4. Add asafoetida, turmeric powder, dried red chillies, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and slit green chilli. Fry until chana dal turns light brown in color.

5. Add the tamarind pulp, jaggery and salt and allow it to simmer for couple of minutes.

6. Add rasam powder and stir thoroughly. Puliyogare mix is ready.

7. Mix rice with puliyogare.

Serve with yogurt.

Whole Wheat Oats Banana Muffins

Serving: Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Set 1:

1. Whole wheat flour - 1 cup

2. Old fashioned oats - coarsely ground - 1/2 cup

3. Baking powder - 1 teaspoon

4. Baking soda - 1/4 teaspoon

5. Salt - 1/8 teaspoon

Set 2:

1. Over ripe bananas - 2

2. Sugar - 1/3 cup

3. Egg - 1

4. Oil - 1/4 cup

Method:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 deg F. Lightly grease the muffin tray with oil or place the paper liners.

2. In a large mixing bowl mix the ingredients in set 1.

3.  Lightly beat the egg and combine all the ingredients in set 2 in a separate bowl.

4. Add the wet ingredients to dry ingredients and fold gently using a wooden spoon. Over-mixing will make the muffins dense.

5. Pour the batter equally in 12 muffin cups. Sprinkle little oats on each of the cups.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until it is golden brown.

Apple Cinnamon Oatmeal

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Old fashioned oats/rolled oats - 1 cup
2. Apple - 1 large
3. Cinnamon powder - 1/4 teaspoon
4. Milk - 1 cup
6. Water - 1/2 cup
7. Sugar/ honey -  1 tablespoon

Method:

1. Make a coarse powder of rolled oats in a blender.

2. Heat a pan and add finely chopped apples and sugar/honey.

3. Cook until apples turn soft and mushy. 

4. Then add water followed by milk and let it boil.

5. Add powdered oats and boil until oats is well cooked. It takes around 5-7 minutes.

6. Finally add cinnamon powder and turn off the heat.

Homemade doughnuts

Nothing beats the taste of hot and crispy homemade doughnuts. These are deep fried and rolled in sugar. I followed the recipe as in Joy of Baking.

These doughnuts are raised ones which means I have used yeast to leaven the dough. Playing with yeast isn't a easy job. It involves a lot of time and effort, but I would say it is worth the effort spent.

Always make sure the yeast you use is of good quality and not the old one and this guarantees that there is no way you can go wrong with the recipe.

Whole Wheat Veg Pizza

Whole wheat pizza is a guilt-free version of Veg Pizza I made before. My DH could not differentiate between the whole wheat one versus the all-purpose flour. Both had the same texture and taste, so why not opt for a healthier version?

Serving: 2 medium sized pizza

Ingredients:

For dough:

1. Whole wheat flour - 1 3/4 - 2 1/4 cups

2. Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast - 1 envelope(7g/ 1/4 oz)

3. Sugar - 1 1/2 teaspoon

4. Salt - 3/4 teaspoon

5. Very warm water - 2/3 cup

6. Oil - 3 tablespoon

For pizza sauce:

1. Tomato - 2 medium sized

2. Onion - 1 small sized

3. Garlic - 2-3 cloves

4. Green chilli - 1 small (optional)

5. Italian seasoning(includes thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano) - 1 tablespoon

6. Olive oil - 1 teaspoon

7. Salt to taste

Toppings(include as per your choice)

1. Mozzarella cheese - generous amount

2. Onion

3. Capsicum - red and green

4. Mushrooms

5. Tomatoes

Method:

Making of dough:

1. Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add warm water and oil. Mix well for a minute.

3. Add rest of the flour little by little until you get a soft dough. Dough will be sticky.

4. Flour the work surface and knead the dough for around 4 minutes until it turns smooth and elastic.

Making of pizza sauce:

1. Blend tomato, onion, green chilli and garlic into a smooth paste and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add Italian seasoning spice mix and fry for few seconds.

3. Add the ground paste and salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Allow it to cool and the pizza sauce is now ready.

Assembling and baking:

1. Preheat oven to 425 deg F.

2. Grease the pizza pan and placed the rolled dough in it.

3. Spread the pizza sauce and top it with diced veggies and cheese.

4. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the crust and cheese turns slightly brown.

Veg Pizza

I felt so good when I made my first pizza. It had the richness of lot of veggies, yumminess of cheese and to top it all it was "HOMEMADE".

I used Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast for the dough. This yeast is fast and easy with no resting time. I followed the instructions mentioned in sachet, made pizza sauce, assembled and baked. Sounds very simple isn't it? Yes, it is as simple as I have mentioned and believe me anyone can bake a pizza.

Serving: 2 medium sized pizza

Ingredients:

For dough:

1. All purpose flour - 2- 2 1/4 cups

2. Fleischmann's Pizza Crust Yeast - 1 envelope(7g/ 1/4 oz)

3. Sugar - 1 1/2 teaspoon

4. Salt - 3/4 teaspoon

5. Very warm water - 2/3 cup

6. Oil - 3 tablespoon

For pizza sauce:

1. Tomato - 2 medium sized

2. Onion - 1 small sized

3. Garlic - 2-3 cloves

4. Green chilli - 1 small (optional)

5. Italian seasoning(includes thyme, basil, rosemary, oregano) - 1 tablespoon

6. Olive oil - 1 teaspoon

7. Salt to taste

Toppings(include as per your choice)

1. Mozzarella cheese - generous amount

2. Onion

3. Capsicum - red and green

4. Mushrooms

5. Tomatoes

Method:

Making of dough:

1. Combine 1 cup flour, yeast, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl.

2. Add warm water and oil. Mix well for a minute.

3. Add rest of the flour little by little until you get a soft dough. Dough will be sticky.

4. Flour the work surface and knead the dough for around 4 minutes until it turns smooth and elastic.

Making of pizza sauce:

1. Blend tomato, onion, green chilli and garlic into a smooth paste and keep it aside.

2. Heat oil in a pan on medium heat. Add Italian seasoning spice mix and fry for few seconds.

3. Add the ground paste and salt. Cook for 5-7 minutes. Allow it to cool and the pizza sauce is now ready.

Assembling and baking:

1. Preheat oven to 425 deg F.

2. Grease the pizza pan and placed the rolled dough in it.

3. Spread the pizza sauce and top it with diced veggies and cheese.

4. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the crust and cheese turns slightly brown.

Dal with Swiss Chard

Dal with Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard

Serves: 2

Ingredients: 

1. Toor dal - 1 cup

2. Swiss Chard - washed and finely chopped - 2 cups

3. Tomato - 1 large

4. Onion - 1 medium
5. Garlic - 2-3 cloves
6. Green chilli - 1 or as per spice level
7. Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
8. Red chilli powder  - 1/2 teaspoon
9. Mustard seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
10. Oil - 2 teaspoon
11. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Heat oil in a pressure cooker and splutter mustard seeds.

2. Add sliced onion and fry for 2-3 minutes.

3. Add chopped tomatoes, slit green chilli and crushed garlic.

4. Add washed toor dal, turmeric powder and red chilli powder.

5. Add enough water to cook the toor dal(around 1 and half cup).

6.Finally add chopped swiss chard and salt to taste.

7. Pressure cook for 4-5 whistles until toor dal is well cooked.

Serve with rice. 

Soybean and Potato Stuffed Paratha

Serving: Makes 5 parathas

Ingredients:
1. Soybean - dried soybeans - 1/2 cup
2. Potato - boiled and mashed - 1/2 cup
3. Green chilli - 1
4. Onion - 1
5. Wheat flour - 1 cup
6. Oil for greasing
7. Salt to taste

Method:
1. Soak soybean for 8 hours and pressure cook for 3-5 whistles. Drain the water and use just the beans. Either discard this water or use it while making curries/rasam.

2. Mash the well cooked soybeans with a wooden ladle.

3. Add boiled and mashed potatoes, finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped onion and salt to soybeans and mix well. Stuffing is now ready.

4. Make a soft dough with wheat flour and allow the dough to rest for atleast 15 minutes.

5. Divide the dough into 5 equal parts. Take each of the part and roll into small discs. Place a small portion of soybean-potato stuffing in the center and seal it to form a ball. Gently press this and carefully roll into a disc.

6. Heat a griddle on medium heat. Cook the parathas by applying little oil.

Serve with pickle and yogurt.  

Submitting this recipe to "Shh Cooking Secretly Challenge" with secret ingredients namely soybean and potatoes given by Srividhya.