Saturday, December 29, 2012

BISCUIT PIZZA


BISCUIT PIZZA                    
                                                PREPARATION TIME: 15 MINUTES                                  
                                                                                    COOKING TIME: 30 MINUTES
                                          
(SNACK / ORIENTAL CUISINE / VEG – FAVOURITE – RECOMMENDED)

Generally people make resolutions around this time of the year hoping to bring about changes in the new  year ahead. We made our resolution a bit earlier and we have been keeping it until now. We are confident that we will keep up this new year resolution of ours for many more years with the love, affection and support bestowed on us. Yes our new year resolution is, starting and substantially contributing by innovations through this blog. We hope to live up to our expectations with your support and guidance. We wish you all a very happy and prosperous new year.
                                                  
 Let’s welcome this new  year with this delicious snack. I got this recipe from a TV show. This recipe made me famous and earned me recognition as a cook among my relatives. When we meet on family functions they all ask for the recipe or will compliment that it was a delicious. This snack is a huge hit!!! Especially my partners kids. The first thing they ask when I enter their home is “chithi will you make biscuit pizzas for us?”.  It’s a very rich dish with cheese , butter and vegetables…. What’s new year without good food so forget the extra calories and just dig in… Bon Appetite.

INGREDIENTS:

FOR WHITE SAUCE:

Butter
1 tbsp
Maida
2 tbsp
Milk
½ cup

FOR MACRONI:

Macroni (coarsely ground)
½ cup
Water
1 cup
Oil
1 tsp
Butter
1 tbsp
Salt
A pinch
Pepper
½ tsp

FOR VEGETABLE MIX:

Mixed vegetables (carrot, capsicum, sweet corn)
2 cups (finely chopped)
Butter
2 tbsp
Onion (finely chopped)
2 (large)
Ginger-garlic-green chili paste
1 tbsp
Tomato (finely chopped)
2 (large)
Salt
To taste
Pepper powder
1 tsp
Grated cheese / cheesy spread
¼ cup
Coriander leaves
To garnish

FOR LAYERING:

Salt biscuit
1 packet
Tomato ketchup
To garnish
Grated cheese
¼ cup

METHOD:

MACRONI: 

  • Cook macroni (coarsely ground) in boiling water with salt and oil for 5 minutes. Drain it in a colander and wash twice in running water (prevents macroni from sticking to one another).
  • Heat butter in a wok and sauté macroni for 2 minutes. Add salt and pepper and keep aside.

WHITE SAUCE:
  • Melt butter in a wok. Add Maida little by little and stir continuously for 2 minutes. Fry until the raw smell goes.
  • Now add milk and mix well without any lumps. Leave it for one boil . Add salt and pepper for taste.keep aside.

VEGETABLE MIX:
  • Heat butter in a wok and sauté onions until translucent.
  • Add ginger-garlic-green chili paste and stir briefly.
  • Then add the chopped vegetables and stir fry for 3-4 minutes.
  • Now add the tomatoes and salt. Mix well. Cover wok with a lid and let it cook for 10 mi in slow flame (stir occasionally).
  • Add salt and pepper for taste.
  • Add grated cheese and mix well. Once the cheese melts remove from flame and keep aside.
LAYERING:
  • Apply white sauce on salt biscuit and layer with macroni and vegetable mix.
  • Garnish with grated cheese and tomato ketchup.
  • Heat a dosa tawa and grease with little butter.
  • Arrange the biscuits in the tawa and keep in low flame. Close with a lid and cook until the cheese melts.
Your petite delicious yummy biscuit pizzas are ready. It will vanish in no time. Once again wish u all a happy new year.

Monday, December 24, 2012

WHITE PUMPKIN DHAL

WHITE PUMPKIN DHAL


In the course of our blog discussion I told my partners (Easu and Nagu) that I had white pumpkin (ASH GOURD) and had no idea what to do with it. They suggested that i either use it for Sambar, Kootu, Morkuzhambu or Halwa. We all felt that those were usual dishes. Knowing its health benefits, yet not being used in regular diet, we wanted to try something different with it. Finally, Easu came up with white pumpkin dhal, which i tried the very next day and served it as a side dish for chapati. Everyone liked it and no one could find out that it contained white pumpkin in it (except for my Mother-in-law who finds every secret ingredient that i try in any dish). This innovative dish made us realise that our discussions were indeed fruitful and not just merry chit-chats.
                              I would like to take this opportunity to appreciate my family's support and thank them for the same. I would like to specially thank Arun, for editing the articles with patience and care before publishing it in our blog irrespective of the fact that he comes home after 10 in the night. More importantly, I should thank my Father-in-law who always welcomes every disaster I make with a smile. He is my inspiration. Thank you so much mama for your love and support.

INGREDIENTS :


Toor dhal (துவரம்பருப்பு )
1 cup
White pumpkin
2 cup (1 inch cubes)
Garlic cloves
6 – 8
Turmeric powder
A pinch
Castor oil (விளகெண்ணை )
1 tsp
Coconut oil
2 tsp
Mustard seeds
1 tsp
Cumin seeds
1 tsp
Curry leaf
10
Green chili
12 – 15
Salt                                                                            To taste

TO TEMPER :

Ghee
1 tsp
Mustard seeds
1 tsp
Asafoetida (பெருங்காயம் )
A pinch
Cumin seeds
1 tsp
Red chili
2
Curry leaf
10


METHOD :

  • Pressure cook dhal and pumpkin together with turmeric powder, garlic and castor oil in 3 cups of water for 2 whistles.
  • Heat 2 tbsp coconut oil in a pan and temper with 1 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds,  10 curry leaves and green chilies.
  • Add the chopped onions and saute for 2 minutes. Add salt as required.
  • Pour the dhal mix. Leave i for 1 boil in medium flame.
  • Heat  1 tbsp of ghee  and temper the items given under "to temper" in another pan.
  • Pour it over the dhal. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.


NOTE : 

Adding castor oil has two fold benefits  Firstly it helps the dhal being cooked sooner. Secondly, it helps making the soup water thicker.  

Thursday, December 20, 2012

ROTTI LADDU

ROTTI  LADDU                                                       MAKES   :10 LADDUS  
                                                                                                      COOKING TIME:20MIN
(SWEETS/TAMIL NADU CUISINE/VEG-EASY-HEALTHY-RECOMMENDED)

I have always wondered what to do with the left over chapatis .I usually make mixed vegetables parathas with them. Why not try a sweet recipe? To my surprise it came out very well. Everyone who tasted them loved it. Nobody believed it was made with chapatis. Do try this and you too would be showered with compliments.

INGREDINETS:
  1. Chapatis-4
  2. Jaggery (வெல்லம் )-100g - 150g
  3. Cashew nuts-10 - 20 nos
  4. Raisins-10 - 15
  5. Cloves-2
  6. Cardamom-3
  7. Ghee-1tbsp
  8. Water-1/2 cup
METHOD:
  • Prepare chapatis.
  • Heat a heavy bottom pan. Add Jaggery and 1/2 cup water to it. Mix well until the Jaggery completely dissolves.
  • Remove it from fire. Filter it and keep aside.
  • Powder the chapati with cardamom and cloves in mixer.
  • Fry Cashew nuts and Raisins separately in Ghee and keep it aside.
  • In the same pan mix powdered chapatis, Jaggery syrup and the fried nuts. Mix them well and make small balls of them.
NOTE:
  • Make sure Jaggery syrup is warm ,while making them into laddus.
  • Jaggery is a very good source of Iron and is always better then sugar in all means. It can also be done with sugar syrup. 
  • You can dust them in desiccated coconut or fry fresh grated coconut in Ghee and add it to the mix and then make laddus from them. But it tastes yummy as it is and your hands will go for the 2nd one.

Saturday, December 15, 2012

WHITE VEGETABLE KORMA

                             
GRAVY/TAMIL NADU CUISINE/VEG-EASY-FAVOURITE-RECOMMENDED



SERVES:3-4                                                                                                          
COOKING TIME : 15-20 MINUTES

This mouthwatering dish has always been a huge hit with my family. Never gone wrong and tastes heavenly. This dish is made of mixture of vegetables in coconut gravy. You can have it with idiyappam, appam, chapathi or poori.  A lot of variations can be done in this dish. The one I have given here is very simple and doesn’t have any masala or spice powder. The taste of the coconut dominates and surely will stick to your taste buds wanting you to eat more.This recipe was originally conceived by my mother and rightfully passed on to me. So all credits goes to her J

INGREDIENTS :

Onion
1 (large) chopped
Ginger-garlic paste
2 tsp
Cauliflower
5-6 florets
Carrot
1 (medium) chopped
Potato
1 (medium) chopped
Garam masala
1 tsp

GRIND TO PASTE :

Coconut (grated)
2 cups
Green chilli
8
Roasted gram (pottu\udacha kadalai)
4 tbsp

 TO TEMPER:

Coconut oil
3 tbsp
Cinnamon (1” stick)
2 nos
Aniseed
1 tsp
Curry leaf
8-10

METHOD :
  • Grind the ingredients mentioned under “to grind” to a fine paste.
  • Temper the given ingredients in coconut oil.
  • To it add the chopped onions and fry until translucent.
  • Add ginger-garlic paste. Saute for one minute. Now add the vegetables and sprinkle some water and close the pan with a lid for the vegetables to cook in medium flame for 8-10 minutes.
  • Once the vegetables are done pour the ground paste and saute until the raw smell subsides.
  • Add  salt and a tsp of garam masala.
  • Pour required amount of water as per  your  gravy consistency (I usually make a little thick as prefered by my family).
  • Simmer and let the gravy boil for 10 more minutes in low flame.
  • Your creamy and yummy vegetable korma is ready to serve. Garnish with coriander leaves.

NOTE  :
  • Adding roasted gram gives thickness to the gravy.
  • Soak cauliflower florets in hot water with some salt and keep it covered for 5 minutes. This will kill any bacteria or worms that might be present in it (we usually add a pinch of turmeric powder too. Since I want my gravy to be white, I don’t add it but I rinse them well before use. You might add if u wish).
  • You can microwave the vegetables for 10 minutes while the onions get cooked. This will save some time(this extra time helps me to pack lunch for my husband on busy  weekdays in time. He leaves by 9.00am so, the lunch should be ready by 8.30). Yes I multitask J
  • I generally use these three veggies. The choice is purely yours. You can add green peas too. Any one of them will also do.


AVIYAL

GRAVY/KERALA CUISINE/VEG-EASY-FAVOURITE-RECOMMENDED


I have tasted aviyal only in marriages. I guess it is a custom to serve aviyal with traditional south indian  meals. I have always wanted to try it at home. I got the recipe from a book but don't remember the name. It came out very well in my first try itself and my hubby loved it. Since then it has become a weekly menu. It is a simple yet yummy dish and is healthy too, as it is done with a mixture of vegetables. The combination is never ending....

INGREDIENTS :


Potato
1(medium)
Beans                  
5 nos
Cluster beans (கொத்தவரங்காய் )  
5 nos
Brinjal        
2 (small)
Carrot          
1 (small)
Drumstick  
1
Curd            
¼ cup
Salt              
To taste
Water          
3 cups
Turmeric powder
A pinch
Coconut oil
2 tbsp
Curry leaves
8-10

TO GRIND :


Green Chilli        
5 nos
Coconut                 
¼ cup
Bengal gram (கடலைபருப்பு ) 
1 tbsp
Cumin seeds           
1 tsp

METHOD :
  • Pour 1 tsp coconut oil and fry the ingredients given under "to grind" for 3 minutes or more and then grind them to a fine paste.
  • Wash and cut all the vegetables and half cook them with 3 cups of water or as required with a pinch of turmeric and salt.
  • Now add the ground paste to the boiling vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes in medium flame. 
  • Turn off the gas and add curd. Mix them well.
  •  Temper curry leaves in coconut oil and add it to the curry. Aviyal is ready to serve.
NOTE :

This curry is a perfect combination for Adai (will upload the recipe in few days) and also goes with meals, Roti's and Poori's.

Friday, December 07, 2012

TOFU CILANTRO DIP

TOFU CILANTRO DIP

Short Eats - International - Veg - Easy - Recommended
Ingredients:
  1. Tofu Paneer - 200 gms 
  2. Cilantro (கொத்தமல்லி) - 1/2 cup
  3. Garlic - 6 pods
  4. Green Chili - 3 nos
  5. Thick Fresh Curd - 1/4 cup
  6. Lemon - 1 nos (as juice)
  7. Sugar - 1/2 tsp
  8. Salt - 1 pinch
Method:

Grind all the above ingredients to a fine paste and voila... Tofu Cilantro Dip is ready. :-) This dip is a healthy dish as no oil is used. For those of you who are wondering whether the tofu should be added raw, the answer is yes.. no heating, frying or tempering...just add them all and grind them to a fine paste...

Recommended style of serving:

Buy some salt biscuits or crackers and apply a generous amount of the Tofu Cilantro Dip on the salt biscuit / cracker and garnish with small cubes of tomato or olives or nuts as per your preference. It tastes good and can be made in a jiffy!!! 

Bon Appetit!!!