SIMPLE TOMATO DISH

Tomatoes are sweet and juicy with high anti oxidant properties.They are high sources of  vitamin A and vitamin C, they clear urinary tract infections .They can be used in gravy or eaten as salad or used in sandwich.

I am giving below is a very easy recipe .This side dish goes well with Dosa /Idli /roti etc.

INGREDIENTS

Tomato 3 no.s
Onion 1 no.
Green chillies 2
Refined oil 2 tsp
Coriander leaves
Ginger 1 inch piece
Salt to taste

METHOD

Heat the oil in a kadai /pan and add finely cut onion and ginger. When the onion becomes slightly brown add the tomatoes. Cover it and cook on low heat till the tomatoes becomes soft and gravy becomes thick.

Add salt and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve it hot.

KERALA STYLE MORU CURRY/ MORU KUZHUMBU

 Mor/yoghurt curry is a very light and easy to make dish. As a child I was not that fond of this dish but that changed after marriage. My hubby is very fond of this dish. If I am in a hurry I make this dish. The seasoning adds great flovours to the dish.

INGREDIENTS
Ashghourd 1 cup (diced in small cubes)
Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste

FOR GRINDING
Coconut 1/2 cup
Cumin/jeera 1/2 tsp
Peppercorns 1 tsp
Sour thick curd/yoghurt 1 Cup
Green chilly 2 no.s

FOR SEASONING
Mustard seeds 1 tsp
Fenugreek 1 tsp
Asafoetida 1/2 tsp
Red chilly broken 2
Coconut oil 2 tsp
Curry leaves 1 sprig

METHOD

Grind green chilly, peppercorns,jeera ,coconut in a smooth paste.Do not add the curd into it  but beat it separately and keep it aside.

Take a deep pan add the ashgourd (peel the skin off and cut in small cubes) , turmeric and  salt cook on low flame till ashgourd is done (do not over cook, ashgourd cooks very fast).

Add the ground paste and cook for 5 minutes then add the beaten curd and turn off the heat. Do not boil after adding curd or it will split.

For seasoning heat coconut oil , add mustard seeds, red chilly and fenugreek, once the mustard seeds starts spluttering add the asafoetida powder and curry leaves. Turn off the heat.

Add the seasoning to the curry and cover it immediately. Serve hot with rice, roti.

EGG MASALA CURRY( South Indian )

Eggs are consumed all over the world and it is a rich source of protein. Hard boiled eggs are good for bones and eyes. Eggs can be prepared in many ways.

I like my egg curry with appams, they are great combination. The recipe given below is hard boiled eggs are cooked in Indian spices with grated coconut. The shallots in the seasoning gives a distinct flavour to the egg curry.


INGREDIENTS

Hard Boiled eggs 2 no.s
Turmeric 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste



FOR WET GRIND 

Onion 1 medium
Garlic 4-5 no.
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Cinnamon 1 small piece
Cardamom 2 no.
Cloves 2 no.
Coconut grated 1/4 cup
Oil 2 tsp


FOR SEASONING
Mustard 1/4 tsp
Shallots 4 - 5 finely diced
Curry leaves 1 sprig
Broken red chilly 1
Coconut oil 1 tsp

METHOD

Heat oil in a pan / kadai add onions and garlic and fry  till they  turn slightly brown . On low heat add coriander powder and saute till the raw smell disappears (for few seconds). Add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and saute for few seconds on low heat.

Add coconut and on low heat saute till they turn slightly brown. Keep it aside to cool, after it cools down grind by adding little water into a smooth paste.













Take another pan and on low heat add the ground paste , add 1 cup water (as required consistency) , add turmeric and salt and simmer for 2 minutes. Add the boiled eggs ( after peeling them cut in half) to the gravy and simmer for 5 minutes. Switch off the stove.

Take another pan heat oil , add mustard, red chilly, when it splutters add shallots and curry leaves fry till onions are slightly brown. Add the seasoning to the egg curry.

Serve with appams / roti/ flat breads / rice

TANGY MANGO CHUTNEY

Mangoes are called the King of fruits. They are very delicious, juicy and are available in summers. They are packed with vitamins, minerals and antioxidants.

There are lot of dishes you can prepare from mangoes. Here I am using raw mango to make a tangy chutney. It is sweet ,tangy and the flavour from roasted jeera makes it a unique chutney.

INGREDIENTS

Raw Mango grated 1 no

Jaggery 1 cup

Water 1 cup

Jeera/cumin 3/4 tsp

Turmeric a pinch

Salt to taste

METHOD

Grate the mango and keep it aside

Heat 1 1/2 cup water add 1 cup jaggery and dissolve it, strain and keep the syrup aside.

Take a deep pan add the grated mangoes, jaggery syrup, turmeric, salt and cook on medium heat for 10 to 12 minutes till it becomes thick and changes colour. Stir continuously.

After it reaches a thick consistency switch off the gas and add roasted jeera/ cumin into it and stir nicely. Tangy mango chutney is ready.

Serve as a spread on roti/ bread

Note: To made roasted jeera , heat a pan add jeera and roast on low flame for 10 to 15 minutes. Turn off the gas, let it cool down then dry grind it.

RAAGI DOSA

Raagi or finger millet is especially valuable as it contains amino acid methioanine.From raagi flatbeads, dosa, puttu , laddu, idly etc, are made. I am making raagi dosa with little dosa batter added to it as it will give some softeness to the raagi dosa.

INGREDIENTS

Raagi batter 2 cups
salt,
dosa batter 1 cup

METHOD

for making raagi batter
Soak the raagi in water for 4 hrs or overnight and grind it.Ferment for 4 hrs.

Add the dosa batter in raagi batter and add salt as required.

Take a nonstick dosa pan and with a large tablespoon put the batter in the pan and spread it like a pancake.Add 1 tsp oil and when it is done turn to the other side then fold and serve.

This raagi dosa can be

BANANA WALNUT MUFFIN

Muffins are quick and very easy to make and adding bananas make them healthy too. The advantage of adding bananas is that it contains moisture and sweetness so less oil/butter and sugar is added than normal.

INGREDIENTS

• Maida. 1 tea cup
• Walnut chopped and roasted 1/2 cup
• Banana (small variety)ripe 3
• Refined oil 2 tbsp
• Ghee(clarified butter)1 tbsp
• Sugar  1/2 tea cup
• Egg 1
• Salt a pinch
• Baking soda 1/4 tsp
• Baking powder 1/4 tsp
• Vanilla essence 1/4 tsp

METHOD

Preheat oven to 190 degree C.

In a large bowl beat egg. Blend the sugar in a blender into fine powder,  add this powdered sugar and beat well ( add little less than 1/2 teacup sugar). Add ghee and oil and beat and mix well.

Add the mashed bananas and mix it well and beat it.

Mix the salt, baking soda and baking powder in the maida/flour.

Add little by little maida/flour in the mixture, mix it well with a plastic/ wooden spatula until it is incorporated.

Add the vanilla essence. Fold in the chopped roasted walnuts into the mixture.  Reserve some for sprinkling on the top.

Line the muffin tray with liners and spoon the batter up to 3/4 th of it. It will rise so make sure to leave some room for it.

Sprinkle some walnut on top of it.

Bake for 25 minutes or until the toothpick inserted comes out clean. Let it cool down.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

DATES CAKE

Dates are a good source of various vitamins and minerals. Its a good source of energy, sugar and fiber. Dates reduces blood pressure, heart stroke, relieves constipation and is anti inflammatory.

Essential minerals such as calcium, iron, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, magnesium and zinc are found indates. It also contains vitamins such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, folate, vitamin A and vitamin K.

INGREDIENTS

• Wheat flour 1 1/2  tea cup
• Sugar  1/2 tea cup
• Butter 100 gm
• Egg 2
• Cinamom powder 1 tsp
• Cardamom 3
• Salt a pinch
• Dates chopped.  1 tea cup
• Milk 1/4 teacup
• Baking powder 1 tsp
• Baking soda 1/2 tsp

METHOD

Preheat oven to 180 degrees for 10 minutes.

Soak the dates in water for 3-4 hours, drain the water  and chop into very fine pieces.

Separate the egg whites and egg yellow and beat it nicely.

Add cardamom and cinnamon powder in the sugar  and blend it in a blender to a fine powder.

Sieve baking soda, baking powder, a pinch of salt and wheat flour three times, this is done to incorporate everything well.

Separate the egg yolks from whites and keep the yolks and whites in separate bowls. Beat the egg  whites till they are stiff, beat the yolks also.

Add the dates and milk and mix well in the mixture.

Add little wheat flour at a time and fold gently using a wooden ladle.

Pour it in a greased tray, add little( 1/4 tsp) flour and spread it all over the tray. Tap the greased tray and bake in a  preheated oven at 180 degrees for 35-40 minutes in the oven.

Check with a tooth pick or knife, if it comes out clean the cake is done otherwise bake for some more time.

Take it out from the oven and cool it in a wire rack.

Note:

• Beat  Butter and sugar for at least 5 - 10 minutes. Starting on low speed then gradually increasing speed.
• Sieve baking powder and wheat flour three times.
• Large metal spoons are used to fold eggs into batter so that eggs do not deflate.
• Preheat 10 minutes before you place the batter.
• To test whether the cake has cooked or not just insert a knife, if it comes out clean that means cake is cooked.
• While folding the flour work quickly but gently.

PASTA IN TOMATO SAUCE

Pasta is a very simple Italian dish which comes in different shapes and sizes. Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine. I am preparing a simple pasta dish in tomato sauce in Indianised way without cheese.

INGREDIENTS

Pasta 1cup boiled with salt
Tomato pureed 4
tomato ketchup 1 tbsp
Garlic 6 cloves
salt
Onion 1 medium
Peas 1/4 cup
Olive oil 1tbsp
oregano 2 pinch

 METHOD

Take a pan on medium heat put 1 tbsp olive oil ,add garlic and saute for a minute and then add the onions saute till it turns transparent. Add the peas.

Add the tomatoes and stir it till the raw smell of the tomatoes disappear. Add 1 tbsp tomato ketchup , salt ( as salt is already added in boiled pasta )and oregano.
.
Add the Pasta and stir everything together till the sauce and the pasta blends together.

MUSHROOM SOUP....

Mushrooms are consumed for their nutritional and medicinal value. They are easily found in markets.Button
mushroom is the most common variety of mushroom consumed all over the world.The white button mushroom is sold as fresh mushroom or is canned and used for soups, sauces and other food products.

I am using fresh button mushroom for my soup, Its very tasty and easily can be made at home.

Ingredients
200 gm fresh button mushroom finely chopped
25 gm butter
one small onion finely chopped
one small potato chopped
parsley
2 cup milk
pepper
4 pod of garlic
2 tsp cornflour

Method

1. Melt half the butter in a pan and add half of the onions, garlic, 1/4 mushrooms, potato and gently fry until soft but not coloured. Keep it aside ,after it cools down grind it into a paste.

2. Again take the remaining butter in a pan, melt it. Add the remaining onions and mushrooms and fry until soft.

3.Add the ground paste and milk into the pan. stir it and add salt to taste.

4.Mix the corn flour in 1cup water. Add this to the pan.If soup is thick u can add little water or milk.

5. Cook till it comes to a boil. Add the pepper.

6. Garnish with parsley if desired.

Yummy delicious soup is ready.

TASTY IDLI

Idli is an ideal south indian breakfast and is famous all over India. It is light and nutritious and can be eaten by people of any age. Even doctors recommend this when one is sick as it is easily digested. Making Idlis is not at all difficult but preparing the batter takes a lot of time as it has to be fermented. Rice and urad dal are the main ingredients which goes into preparing idlis. 

INGREDIENTS

Ponni boiled rice 2 cups

Black gram(urad dal) 1 cup

fenugreek 2 tsp

salt

METHOD

Rice and urad dal(black gram) and fenugreek are separately soaked in water for atleast  6 hours, then it is separately  ground and then they are mixed together  ,salt is added to the batter. First batter for urad dal has to be ground with fenugreek, it should be in thick consistency, as it grinds the urad dal rises, take it out and put in a vessel..Add the rice in the grinder and it should be aslo ground in thick consistency, it should not be ground fine, take it out and put with urad dal batter. Then it is fermented for atleast 7 to 8 hrs. 

Then the batter is poured into special idli vessels after greasing them with oil and are steamed for 10 minutes in rice cooker. Butter knife is used to remove the idlis. This can be served with sambar, chutney and in chutney there are lot of varieties.

I love idilis and like to eat when ever I am hungry . Long time back people used to use mortar and pestle to grind idilis ,it was a tough job. After the invention of grinders it is very easy to make idli batter. As this recipe was limited to south india , after the grinders it has become one of the most popular recipe in whole of India.