Revani

The term "semolina" is derived from the Italian word "semola" which is from the ancient Latin word "simila", meaning flour, itself a borrowing from Greek σεμῖδαλις "groats". Semolina, made from durum wheat, is known in North India as Sooji; in South India, Ravey in Kannada, Rava / Ravam / Ravai (ரவை) in Telugu/Tamil, in Tamilnadu, semolina is also made of rice. In Turkey, semolina is known as irmik.

I had this delicious dessert at Greek festival, from then this has become one of my favorite desserts. It is easy to make and delicious to eat. I will share the recipe for an egg-less sibling of Revani soon.

Ingredients:

Semolina - 1 cup
All-purpose flour - 10 Tbsp
Sugar - 1 cup
Butter - One stick+2Tbsp (10 Tbsp)
Egg - 6
Backing powder - 2 tsp
Salt a pinch
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
Almond - ¼ cup, blanched and chopped

For Sugar syrup:

Sugar - 1 ½ cup
Water - 3 cups
Cinnamon - ½" stick
Cloves - 4
Lemon juice - few drops




Directions:

In a medium pan boil water and add the (1½ cups) sugar for the syrup, cinnamon, cloves and lemon juice, boil until the sugar dissolves in high heat and then for 15 minutes in low heat. Strain the cinnamon and cloves and cool down the syrup.

Pre-heat the oven for 350˚F. Grease the 9 X 12 baking tray, in a separate bowl mix semolina, all-purpose flour, chopped almond and baking powder , set aside. In another (large mixing) bowl add the softened butter and vanilla extract then add the sugar slowly a little at a time and beat well. Add the eggs one by one and beat well, then slowly add the semolina mixture and beat continuously. Pour the mixture into the baking tray and bake for 30 minutes or until it turns golden brown. Remove from the oven and make few pokes about 2mm using the knife-edge then pour the sugar syrup all over the cake. Cut into squares and garnish with almonds.

Poppy Seeds Halva

Hello friends, I'm back........I know it was a long break. I was occupied by some other thing so I wasn’t able to concentrate on my blog. I missed the enjoyment of reading the comments and lot of new and mouth watering recipes from my fellow bloggers. I tried to post few times, but was not able to. I was a bit lazy too. Finally I decided to post a recipe today. I came back with a dessert. I hope not many of you know about Kasakasa(Poppy seeds) halva, this is one of my and my hubby’s favorite desserts. Lets start ….

Ingredients:

Poppy Seeds – 3/4 cup
Sugar - 10 Tbsp
Water - ½ cup
Milk – 3/4 cup
Butter - 1/3 cup
Cashew nuts - *
Raisins - *

Directions:

Soak the poppy seeds for 15 hours. Drain the water and grind the poppy seeds with milk to a paste (not so smooth), set aside the paste. Boil water and add the sugar to make syrup. Once the syrup is ready, add the poppy seeds paste, butter and stir continuously so that it does not get burnt and until it does not smell raw. When the oil shows up on sides of the pan and it turns into halva consistency then it is time to remove it from heat and garnish it with the fried cashews and raisins. This can be stored on fridge for a good 2 weeks and you can serve cold or warm.

Roti Jala

Roti Jala (Lacy pancake / Net bread)- The name is derived from the Malay word 'roti' (bread) and 'jala' (net). A special ladle with a five-hole perforation is normally used, to make the bread looks like a fish net . I don't have this mold , but i wanted to try this recipe. So my hubby made me a mold using a styrofoam cup. Yeah....he made 4 holes at the bottom and my roti jala mold was ready.



Ingredients:

All purpose-flour – 1 cup
Egg – 1, medium
Coconut milk or milk – 1 cup
Water -½ cup
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt - *

Directions:

In a big bowl, whisk the egg and add all other ingredients except oil and mix well. Heat a pan over medium heat and grease with the oil. Pour the batter into roti jala mold and transfer the mold to the pan in circular motion around the pan, it will look like a net. Once the top is cooked, fold into a triangle shape and transfer into the plate. Traditionally this will be served with spicy chicken curry or Serawa. Serawa is made from a mixture of boiled coconut milk, brown sugar and pandan leaf, I tried it with a spicy curry and I will post the recipe later.




One of the picture goes to Click event by Jugalbandi.

Spicy Corn bread

I always love the spicy breads. I tried from "the bread book" by Sara Lewis. I made this bread on a rainy weekend, it just came out perfect. We enjoyed this bread with soybean soup and a cup of hot tea. I added few ingredients to the original recipe to make it a bit spicier.

Ingredients:

Yellow Corn meal - 2.5 oz
All purpose flour -4 0z
Baking soda -1/2 tsp
Baking powder - 1.5 tsp
Parmesan cheese - 1 oz
Black pepper- * 1/2 tsp
Eggs - 1, beaten
Milk - 3/4 cups
Yogurt - 1/4 cup
Butter - 1 oz, softened
Salt -1/2 tsp
Sugar -1/2 Tbsp
Spring onion - 1 cup, chopped
Cilantro - 1/2 cup, Chopped
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Dry red chili flakes - * 1 tsp
Garlic - 1 tsp
Black sesame seeds -1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp

Directions:

Heat 1 tsp of oil in small skillet, shallow-fry the garlic, cumin and sesame seeds one by one, keep aside.
Grease a 7"X3" loaf pan and keep aside. In a large mixing bowl, add all the dry ingredients with butter, cheese, chilies, onion, fried cumin , garlic and sesame seeds. Whisk the eggs, milk and yogurt together in another bowl, add to the dry ingredients and mix well. Spoon the mixture in to the cake tin and bake in a preheated oven, 325 F for 45-55 minutes or until risen and turned golden on top. Check the bread by poking with a skewer, if it is comes out clean then the bread is ready. Transfer to a wire rack and let it cool.

Blueberry Lemonade

Lemons are said to have been first found in North India, China and Burma, and was introduced in Persia, Arab countries, Iraq and Egypt in around 700 AD. Lemon trees were grown as ornamental trees in Mediterranean gardens. The drink we now recognize as lemonade may have origins in a mix of lemon juice and honey wine popular in Egypt some 1500 years ago.

Lemonade is the French word for their original unsweetened version combined with either still or carbonated water.Click here to know more about lemonade.


Ingredients :

For Simple Syrup :

Sugar - 1 cup
Water - 1 cup

For Blueberry lemonade :

Simple syrup - 1 cup
Lemon Juice - 1 cup
Blue berry - 1/2 cup frozen/fresh
Water - 3-4 * cups
Mint strings- 10

Directions:

Simple Syrup :

In a small saucepan, bring sugar and water to a boil under medium heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove from heat and let it cool completely.

Blueberry Lemonade :

In a big container, add simple syrup, lemon juice and water to make lemonade. Squeeze a few blueberries in ¼ cup of water to get the flavor and color. Filter the big chunks and pour the blue berry flavored water along with the rest of the blueberries into the lemonade mix. Stir well and garnish with mint strings. Add water and Ice per your taste.

Curry Leaf Rice

The Curry Tree or Karivepallai or Kadipatta (Tamil: கறிவேப்பிலை) (Murraya koenigii; syn. Bergera koenigii, Chalcas koenigii) is a tropical to sub-tropical tree in the family Rutaceae, which is native to India. It produces the leaves known as Curry leaves or Sweet Neem leaves.

The curry leaf tree is native to India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh and the Andaman Islands. Later spread by Indian migrants, they now grow in other areas of the world where Indian immigrants settled. Widely cultivated, the leaves are particularly associated with South Indian cuisines. The use of curry leaves as a flavouring for vegetables is described in early Tamil literature dating back to the 1st to 4th centuries AD. Its use is also mentioned a few centuries later in Kannada literature. Curry leaves are still closely associated with South India where the word 'curry' originates from the Tamil 'kari' for spiced sauces.Click here to know more about the history of curry leaves.

Curry leaves are beneficial in constipation, stomach problems, kidney disorders, vomiting, nausea, burns and bruises, insect bites, spots and rashes, premature graying of hair. Click here to know more about the benefits of curry leaf.

Ingredients:

Curry leaves - 1 cup
Tamarind - 1 tsp, concentrated
Red chili - 2 *
Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
Garlic cloves - 1
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Rice - 2 cups, cooked
Oil - 2 Tbsp
Salt *

Directions:

Grind all the ingredients except oil, add 1-2 Tbsp of water if you need. In a heavy bottom pan, add 2 Tbsp of oil. Add the ground curry leaves paste and stir until all the water evaporates from the paste. Add this paste to the rice and mix well. Add more paste or salt per your taste. Can store this paste in refrigerator for 1-2 weeks.

Pad Thai

Ingredients:

Bok choy - 2 heads, chopped
Bean sprouts – 1 cup,trimmed
Garlic – 1 tsp, chopped
Rice Sticks – 5 oz
Sesame oil - 2 -3 Tbsp
Shallots - 3 Tbsp, chopped
Spring Onions - 1/4 cup, chopped
Soy sauce - 2 tsp
Tofu (soft/ firm / extra firm) – ½ cup, 1/2” cubes

Pad Thai sauce:

Brown sugar- 1 tbsp
Red Chili powder – 1 tsp
Sriracha sauce - 1 tsp
Tamarind juice – 1 ¼ tsp, concentrated
Vinegar - 1/4 tsp
Salt – a pinch

For garnish:

Peanuts – * 2-3 Tbsp, crushed dry-roasted
Lime wedges – 2
Cilantro *




I have submitted this picture to click event by Jugalbandi.

Directions:

Sauce:

Heat oil in a medium skillet in medium heat; add garlic and all other sauce ingredients one by one. Add some water and bring it to boil. Try the taste and add the ingredients as per your need. Let it boil for 4-5 minutes.

Pad Thai:

Soak the Rice sticks in warm water until soften but don’t let it soak until it becomes soft enough to eat. (Then it will be mushy when you cook). Drain and rinse with cold water and keep aside.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the Bok Choy and stir well for 1-2 minutes or until Bok Choy is cooked. Add the soft tofu and stir constantly for a minute so it looks like scrambled eggs (if it is firm /extra firm tofu pan fry and add it at the end, also you can add fried shrimp if you like).

Heat the remaining oil in a pan over medium heat. Add garlic and shallots, sauté until shallots become translucent. Add the Rice sticks and cook until it becomes soft, if it sticks in the pan add a tsp of oil and cook. Stir swiftly and continuously.

Add the tofu mixture and sauce. Check for taste, add the green onions,soy sauce and bean sprouts toss well until it becomes wilt .Remove from the heat and garnish with crushed peanuts, lime and cilantro.

Mango and Peas Rice

Ingredients

Rice - 3 cups, cooked
Green mango - 1/2 cup, shredded
Oil- 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
Green chili - 2 , chopped
Garlic cloves- 2 , chopped
Green peas - 1/4 cup, cooked
Curry leaves - 4
Salt *
Mint for garnish (optional)

Directions

Heat the oil in medium pan. Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds, after it starts to splutter add the garlic and green chilies. Sauté until the garlic turns golden brown. Add the shredded green mango, salt and green peas, stir well for 3 to 4 minutes in medium heat. Once the mango is cooked or soft enough, add the rice and stir well to mix. Optionally garnish with mint and serve.

Tip : For it to be more tangy you may add more mango.

Ragi fritters ( Finger millet fritters)

Finger millet (Eleusine coracana) is originally native to the Ethiopian Highlands and was introduced into India approximately 4000 years ago. It is very adaptable to higher elevations and is grown in the Himalaya up to 2,300 meters in elevation. Finger millet is especially valuable as it contains the amino acid methionine, which is lacking in the diets of hundreds of millions of the poor who live on starchy staples such as cassava, plantain, polished rice, or maize meal. Click here to know more about Finger millet.

Ingredients:

Finger millet or Ragi flour - 3/4 cup
Onion - 3 cups , sliced
Dry red chili - * 2 chopped
Cilantro - 3 Tbsp , chopped
Curry leaves - 2 Tbsp , chopped
Ginger -1/4 tsp minced/paste
Butter - 1 tbsp
Oil for deep fry
Salt *

Directions:

In a big bowl add Onion, Red chili, Cilantro, Curry leaves, Butter - mix them well and then add the Finger Millet / Ragi flour and mix well. In a medium pan heat the oil for deep fry. Divide the mixture into two parts and add salt to one part. This will avoid the Onion shedding more water; which would make the mixture watery. If the flour is too dry you may add 1 or 2 tbsp of water to make the flour just enough to hold the mixture together. Fry the first batch little by little then add salt to the second batch and follow the same for send batch. Garnish with Cilantro and serve with Tomato or your desired hot sauce.

Tip: For those who don't like too much Onion, use less Onion and more flour. Also that allows you to have it for a couple of days.

I'm so delighted for this award and thanks (Sowmya, Shubha, Preethi) a lot for your appreciation, that's what keeps us going.

I would like to pass this lovely award to Ramya , Renuka , Jyoti , Rush , Bergamot , Aruna , Veena , Rekhas kitchen , Priti , Sowmya .

Spaghetti with Peppers

There are many different theories on where and when spaghetti was invented. Popular history says that it was invented in China, and that Marco Polo brought the knowledge of this food to Venice. The spaghetti, Polo encountered (and presumably tasted) in the far east was made from either rice flour or hard wheat flour (long noodles made from both grains exist in eastern cookery). It is generally accepted that the variety of durum wheat known in Sicily during the Middle Ages was, like lemons and oranges, introduced by the Arabs. And that brings us to the pivotal part of the story.

Early in 1154, shortly before the death of Sicily's monarch, King Roger II, and about a century before the birth of Marco Polo, a court chronicler and geographer named Abu Abdullah Mohammed al Edrisi (or Idrisi) completed a detailed geographical survey of Sicily. The content of the resulting opus, known to us as The Book of Roger, encompassed not only Sicily but other regions as well. A casual observation in the Book of Roger mentions that in the Sicilian town of Trabia the inhabitants made a form of pasta from hard wheat, and that this product, shaped into long strands, was manufactured in large quantity for export to other regions. click here to know more about spaghetti.

Ingredients:

Spaghetti - 8 ounces, cooked in salt water and drained
Garlic - 2 tbsp minced
Olive or vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
Green pepper - 1/2 medium, thin strips
Yellow pepper - 1/2 medium, thin strips
Red pepper - 1/2 medium, thin strips
Spinach - 1 cup
Black pepper * - 1/4 tsp
Parsley - 1/2 Tbsp chopped
Salt *

Directions:

In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add garlic, cook and stir for 30 seconds. Add green, yellow, red peppers, black pepper and pinch of salt. Cook by stirring frequently until the vegetables are tender. Add pasta and parsley stir gently to combine all the ingredients. If you need more black pepper add it and toss well and cook for a minute in a low heat.

Sending this to Presto Pasta Nights,this week hosted by Daphne.

Chayote (chow chow)Fry

The chayote (Sechium edule), also known as Sayote, Tayota, Choko, Chocho, chow-chow, Christophene, Mirliton and vegetable pear is an edible plant that belongs to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae along with melons, cucumbers and squash. It's also an excellent source of Dietary Fiber, Vitamin C, Vitamin K, Folate, Zinc, Copper and Manganese. Costa Rica is a major exporter of Chayotes worldwide. Click here to know more about chayote squash.

Ingredients :

Chayote squash – 1 medium, 1" cubes
Oil – 1 Tbsp
Onion – 1 cup, chopped
Salt *
Mustard seeds – 1/8 tsp

For paste :

Make a Coarse paste
Curry leaves – 3 strings
Coconut scraped fresh/frozen/dried – 4 tbsp
Green Chili – 2 *

Directions:

Pressure cook the Chayote for 1 whistle. Heat the oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, let it splutter then add onions and salt. Sauté the onions until they become translucent. Then add the paste and sauté until you feel the aroma of coconut and curry leaves paste. Add the pressure cooked Chayote and pan fry until it become tender.

I would like to add a special thanks to Padma and Shubha for passing the "I love your blog" award.

Beetroot Burfi

Ingredients:

Beet Root - 2 1/2 cups, shredded
Sugar - 1/2 cup
Butter - 5 Tbsp
Milk -1/2 cup
Cardamom - 1/8 tsp, powdered
Cashew nuts - 8
Coconut dried - 2 Tbsp
Pinch of salt

Directions:

Heat 4 Tbsp of butter in a large, heavy-bottom skillet. Add the shredded beets with a pinch of salt (as a sweet enhancer) and cook for 10-12 minutes, stirring, until soft, and add milk and sugar and stir for another 8-10 minutes, until the milk is mixed well with the beets like the milk has evaporated. Meanwhile In a small skillet dry-fry 2 Tbsp of coconut and sugar, until coconut turns golden brown, also fry the cashew nuts using the remaining butter. Add the cardamom powder to the beets and stir well before switching off the stove. Make small disks of the cooked beet. Garnish with coconut and cashew nuts.

Green Mango Atjar (Green mango in spiced oil)

This is an African method of preserving the green mango. It is almost like an Indian pickle. I got a lot of green mangoes from my friend. So I made few recipes with that. One of them for your taste buds. This is less spicier than the Indian pickle. I found this recipe here. But I made my own curry powder for this recipe.

Ingredients

Green mango - 1 cup, 1" cubed
Olive oil - 1/4 cup
Garlic cloves - 2, chopped
Green chili - 1, minced
White Vinegar - 1 tsp
Salt - 5 Tbsp

For curry powder

Curry leaves - 3, dry roasted
Chili powder - 1 tsp *
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/8 tsp
Black pepper - 1/8 tsp, dry roasted
Fenugreek - 1/8 tsp, dry roasted
Turmeric powder - 1/12 tsp

Directions

Mix salt with water in a ceramic or glass container; stir until salt dissolves to make the brine. Add the cubed mangoes into the brine. Let it be alone for a day in room temperature. Drain well and transfer into an other jar.Boil the vinegar and pour it on the mango and mix well.
Make the curry powder by blending the all the ingredients (for the curry powder). Heat 2 tbsp of oil; add green chili and garlic, sauté till you smell the garlic flavor. Add the blended curry powder and turn off the stove and add the remaining oil, stir for a few seconds. Pour the hot oil mixture on the mango, mix well and store it in refrigerator for atleast for 3 days but 5 days would be great before serving.

Avocado and Pasta soup

The avocado is very popular in vegetarian cuisine, making an excellent substitute for meats in sandwiches and salads because of its high fat content. The fruit is not sweet, but fatty, distinctly yet subtly flavored, and of smooth, almost creamy texture. About 75% of an avocado's calories come from fat, most of which is monounsaturated fat. Avocados also have 60% more potassium than bananas. They are rich in B vitamins, as well as vitamin E and vitamin K. They have the highest fiber content of any fruit - including 75% insoluble and 25% soluble fiber. If you like to Know more about avocado click here.

Ingredients

Avocado - 1 ,peeled,seeded
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Red onion - 1/2 cup,sliced
Soy bean - 1/4 cup,cooked with salt
Pasta(messe penne) - 3/4 cup,cooked with salt
Tomato - 1/4 cup,chopped
Black Pepper - 1 tsp,powder
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt *

Directions

Heat the oil in skillet, add onion and saute until it turns translucent. Add the tomatoes and saute until it becomes tender.Add the pasta,soy bean and pepper and let it cook for 5 - 8 minutes in medium flame. Mash the avocado with lemon juice and mix with the cooked pasta and soy bean mixture, bring to boil and remove from heat. If you like the creamy(thick) soup add 2 tsp of corn flour before adding avocado.

Pumpkin and Spring Onion soup

Pumpkin is a kind of sweeter in taste but they are very low in fat and low calorie vegetable, also they are a rich source of potassium. And they are good anti-oxidants with beta-carotene in them. Pumpkin was sitting in my fridge for more than a week. Before expire, I decided to make a soup with spring onion. Let’s start the recipe.

Spring Onion
This is my first entry for Click event by Jugalbandi.
Ingredients:

Pumpkin - 2 cups, cubed
Spring Onion - 1 cup, chopped
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper powder - 1 tsp *
Ginger- 1/2 tsp, minced
Coconut milk-2 Tbsp
Salt *

Directions:

Heat the pan mildly and cook the pumpkins until tender (with the lid on). Mash the pumpkins and set aside, heat the oil in a large pan, add cumin seeds when it starts to sizzle add ginger and spring onion. Stir for 3 - 4 minutes, add water (depending on required consistency) and all other ingredients and bring it to boil. Optionally garnish with spring onion, mint and add a dash of ground black pepper.

Thai Green mango salad

Generally we don't have lot of recipes for green mango. This salad is mixture of different flavors. Green mango lovers will eat it in any form but will love this salad. It tastes very good. I found this recipe from here. I made slight variations in the original recipe. The wild mango originated in the foothills of the Himalayas of India and Burma. Mangoes contain enzyme similar to papain in papayas, a soothing digestive aid. It has lot of enzymes which helps to stimulating metabolism and cleansing the intestinal tract. This is low in protein and high in fiber. If you would like to know more about mango click here.This is my entry for IAVW-Thai event hosted by Priya and Vaishali.

Ingredients:

Green Mango - 1 cup, grated
Spring onion - 1/2cup, chopped
Bean sprouts - 1 cup
Cilantro - 4 tbsp, chopped
Grated coconut- 4 tbsp, dry fried
Pea nuts/Cashew nuts - 4 tbsp/per taste

For Dressing:

Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
Fresh lemon juice - 1 tbsp
Brown sugar - 2 tbsp *
Chili flakes - 1/2 tbsp *

Directions:

In a large bowl place the grated green mango and add all the ingredients except 2 tbsp of coconut powder and 2 tbsp of the nut of your choice. Toss well and garnish with remaining coconut powder and the nuts. If you like the crunchy nuts in the salad, add them before serving.

Guacamole

Ingredients

Avocado -2 ripe, seeded and peeled
Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
Cilantro - 2 Tbsp, chopped
Tomato - 1/4 cup, seeded and chopped
Lemon / lime juice - 1 tbsp
Garlic cloves - 1, chopped
Cayenne or Serrano chilies/- 1, minced
Kosher salt *

Directions:

Guacamole is one of the most easiest and healthiest dips. Just in a medium bowl mash the avocado with 1 tsp of lemon juice (do not make it like a paste). Add all the remaining ingredients and mix well. Let at sit for an hour in room temperature and its ready to serve.

Chickpea and Greenpea soup

The name “chickpea” is derived from the Latin cicer. The botanical name of the chickpea plant is Cicer Arietinum. Garbanzo, the name more commonly used in Spanish-speaking countries, is thought to come from the Greek chickpeas are good source of folate and protein. It is high in dietary fiber and low in fat. Chickpeas are rich in magnesium, iron and phosphorous.

The chickpea was cultivated on the lands bordering Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean. From there it spread to India and some parts of East Asia. In 2008 India is the most chickpea cultivating country. If you like to know more about chickpea click here.

This is my entry to My Legume Love Affair monthly event hosted by Glamah and Susan.

Ingredients:

Chickpea - 1 cup cooked
Green pea - 1/2 cup, cooked
Garlic cloves - 2, crushed
Coriander powder - 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1 tbsp (make a paste using water or milk)
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
Green chili - 2 ,crushed
Salt *
Oil - 1 tsp
Cilantro or basil for garnish

Directions:

Pressure cook the chickpeas and green peas with 1/4 tsp of salt. Heat oil in a skillet; add cumin seeds and garlic and sauté till the garlic turns golden brown. Add the green chilies and coriander powder, stir for few seconds then add the cooked chickpeas, green peas, milk and flour paste. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes and add the Parmesan cheese, check the salt. Cook until for the soup to get the desired consistency. Stir in between to prevent burning, garnish with cilantro or basil. We are ready to serve.

Beet Root Gravy / Kulambu

In all fairness I like the sweet root vegetables (Carrot, Beet root) but I don't like to use in kulambu or chutney, at least have not found out a way until now. But I tried to make a spicy kulambu using beet root with a slight variation of Thakaalai (Tomato) kulambu. Some goodness of beetroot is that it contains very less fat, low in calories and is a great source of fiber, vitamin c, magnesium and iron. Beet root contains the natural red (disliked by most) coloring agent BETAINE. It is used for cancer treatments. Let's hit the recipe.

Ingredients:

For seasoning :
Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cilantro or mint

For Paste:

Beet root - 1 cup, peeled and cubed
Split Bengal Gram - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cinnamon stick - 1/4'
Cloves - 2
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp
Grated coconut - 2 Tbsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Red chili - 2 *
Tamarind Paste - 1 tsp
Salt *

Directions:

Cook the beets on stove top until it becomes soft. Heat a tsp of oil and roast all the ingredients except beets. Let it cool and blend all the ingredients along with the beets, add water to get the desired consistency. In a small pan heat the remaining oil and add mustard and fennel seeds. When starts to sizzle add the paste and let it boil for a minute. Serve with idly, dosa or with rice.

Tip : To cook the beets, microwave for 2 minutes without adding water

Kale Poriyal

Ingredients:

Kale - 1 bunch, chopped
Moong dal - 1 cup, sprout/soaked over night
Onion - 1/4 cup, chopped
Green chili - 2 *
Grated coconut - 2 Tbsp
Oil -1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Split Bengal gram - 1/2 tsp
Salt *
Lemon - 1/2 tsp

Directions:

Cook the kale on stove top on medium heat covered with lid. Cook till the kale become soft. Stir it
every few minutes, so that to prevent from it burning and for evenness. In the mean time cook the moong dal in stove top or microwave. Once the kale is done transfer it to a bowl.

In the same pan add the remaining oil, once the oil is hot enough add the mustard seeds, Urad dal, split Bengal gram. Add the onion and green chili when the dals turn light golden brown. Sauté until the onions become translucent, add the grated coconut and moong dal and sauté till the coconut turns light golden brown.To this add the kale and stir well for 2 minutes. Switch off the stove and optionally add the lemon juice and mix well.

Pan fried Bitter Gourd and Moong Dal

I like the deep fried bitter gourd, but in an attempt to try and avoid oil, I pan fried the bitter gourd this time. Generally most vegetables do not go well with bitter gourd, so I tried moong dal with it, which tasted real good. MH tried with his eyes closed and could not realize what it was. So those who are scared of bitter taste can try this one.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd (. 2 cm thick) - 1 cup,Sliced
Moong dal sprout / soaked - 1/2 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp
Tamarind pulp (concentrated) - 1/4 tsp (Extract - 2 tbsp)
Salt *

Directions:

Add 1/2 tsp of salt to the sliced and washed bitter gourd. Mix well and let it soak for 30 min (wash twice after the soaking). In the meantime heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan. Once the oil is hot add the moong dal, pinch of salt and pan-fry until (becomes soft) cooked and transfer it to a bowl. Then heat the remaining oil in the pan and add the twice washed bitter gourd, pan-fry till the sides turn golden brown (by turning it upside down in between), add cooked moong dal and all other remaining ingredients, check salt. Meanwhile, mix the tamarind pulp into two tbsp of water set aside. At the end add it to the bitter gourd and pan-fry till all the tamarind water is dried.

Mangai Pachadi / Green Mango Instant Pickle

Most of us like to eat the raw green mango with chili powder and salt. My mom used to make mango pickle at home. She would make them when I’m not at home because I would eat like food even before done. Mangai pachadi is easy to make except shredding part. We can eat alone or with rice or as an instant pickle. This is one of the easiest dishes to make, so let’s start it.

Ingredients:

Green mango - 1 cup,shredded
Oil - 1 Tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/8 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Split Bengal gram - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - 10
Cilantro
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp *
Turmeric powder - 1/10 tsp
Salt *

Directions:

After shredding, squeeze the excess water from the mango as much as you can and pat dry with kitchen towel for 15 min to remove the excess water. In the meantime heat the oil in a small pan. Then add the mustard seeds and once the mustard seeds start to splatter switch off the stove and then add all the ingredients except turmeric powder, chili powder and salt. Transfer the mango into a bowl. After the Urad and Bengal gram turns golden brown then add the chili powder, turmeric powder and salt. Pour this to the bowl and mix well.

Paavakka Puli Kulambu(Bitter Gourd Tamarind Curry)

I love bitter gourd and sundaikai (turkey berry) kulambu. This is my mom’s recipe. This is one of my favorite recipes. Bitter gourd has excellent medicinal values. It is very low in calorie and more in nutrients. It is specifically used for diabetes to lower the blood sugar level. Bitter gourd leaves juice used for piles treatment. Good source of calcium, magnesium, iron and potassium. Hence I make sure I use this great vegetable at least twice in a month.

Other names: Karela (Hindi), kaakarakaaya (Telugu)



Ingredients:

Bitter gourd sliced – 2 medium
Coconut oil/Butter – 1 Tbsp
Turmeric powder – 1/8 tsp
Tamarind pulp (concentrated) – ½ tbsp
Sugar – 1½ tsp
Salt *

For Paste:

Rice – 1 ½ Tbsp
Coriander seeds – 2 tbsp
Black Pepper corns- ½ tsp
Dried Red chili – 2 *
Garlic – 4
Curry leaves – 2 strings
Grated Coconut fresh/frozen – 4 Tbsp

Directions:

Heat the coconut oil/butter in heavy bottom pan. Pan fry the sliced bitter gourd by flipping the sides until both sides turn golden brown. Mean while make the tamarind water by adding 1 ½ cup water into the tamarind pulp. Once the bitter gourd is done add the tamarind water, salt, turmeric powder and sugar. Cover the pan and let it cook until the bitter gourd is 90% cooked (not mushy but soft enough so that you can cut the slice with your finger). Mean while roast ingredients (mentioned as “for paste”) and blend it to make a fine paste with water as less as possible so not making it into a syrup.

Once the bitter gourd is cooked completely add the paste and let it cook for 2 min in high heat. If the kulambu is too thick add some water and let it boil for a minute. It can be served with rice or idly.

Cashew nut and Yu Choy stalk Moor Kulambu

This recipe is small variation of normal moor kulambu. I just added cashew nuts instead of rice/rice flour / toor and split Bengal gram/ split roasted gram (pottu kadalai/Daliya). Cashew nut gives you rich and a bit creamy texture to moor kulambu.
Traditionally soaked toor dal and split Bengal grams are used to make moor kulambu. For instant recipe we can use rice flour or split roasted gram. We can use okra, winter squash, and ash gourd, Ivy gourd (Kovakaai).
Let start the recipe….

Ingredients:

Cooked Yu Choy stalk (1.5”) – 2 cups (Cook with a pinch of salt on stove top till tender)
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Cumin seeds – 1/8 tsp
Curry leaves – 6
Yogurt - 4 tbsp
Coriander leaves for garnish
Turmeric powder – 1/10 tsp
Salt *

For Paste:

Cashew nuts - 5
Grated Coconut – 3 tbsp
Cumin seeds – ½ tsp
Coriander seeds – 1/8 tsp
Ginger – ¼ tsp
Green chili – 2 *

Directions:

Soak the cashew nuts for 15 to 30 min in hot water. Mix turmeric and yogurt and set aside. Blend the above ingredients mentioned “for paste” into a fine paste. Temper mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves then add the Yu Choy stalks and sauté for a min then add the ground paste, let it cook for 4 min in a medium heat, check the salt. Turn the stove, add the yogurt/butter milk and mix well. Let it be there on stove for a minute then transfer it in to a bowl.

Tip: If you have left over coconut chutney you can make instant moor kulambu with it. Just add a ½ tsp of cumin powder ginger paste. Make the paste and follow the above direction.

Yu Choy and Potato Stir fry

Ingredients:

Yu Choy leaves (chopped) -1 bunch (Cut the stalks and set them aside for another recipe)
Potato - medium size 1,Sliced
Oil – 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Split Bengal gram - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds-1/2tsp
Garlic minced-1 tbsp
Red chili powder-1/2 tsp *
Salt *

Directions:

Heat the oil in a medium pan. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seed, let the mustard seeds splutter and add Urad dal, split Bengal gram and the minced garlic. Add the sliced potatoes, salt, chili powder after Urad dal and Bengal gram turns golden brown. Cover the pan and let it cook for 5 min in medium heat, by stirring the potatoes a couple of times in between.

In the meantime heat 1 tsp of oil in another medium pan then add chopped Yu Choy leaves, salt and cook till it becomes tender without adding water to it. Cook it in medium heat else the water in the greens will dry out soon. When it becomes soft (cooked enough) remove from the stove top and squeeze the water and add (you can leave the water but the curry will be a little mushy) it to the potatoes after checking the potatoes are cooked if not let the potatoes cook for couple of minutes, mix them well and let it be on stove for few more minutes.

Beet Green Poriyal

Ingredients:

Beet leaves-25 count,Chopped
Oil-1 tbsp
Mustard seeds-¼ tsp
Onion chopped-¼ cup
Green chili-2 *
Curry leaves-12 (Optional)
Cilantro-2 tbsp,Chopped
Salt *
Grated Coconut - 2 Tbsp
(Fresh or Dried)

Direction:

Heat oil in a medium pan. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and urad dal. After the mustard seeds splutter add chopped onion and green chili. Once the onions starts soften add the shredded coconut and sauté for a min. Then add beet greens, salt and cook till it becomes tender. Cook it in medium heat else the water in the greens will dry out soon. When beet green is fully cooked (soft enough) remove from the stove top and add cilantro. Serve with rice.

Glossary of terms

I have always wondered to put the glossary of the terms and symbols used. As a first step, the asterisks have been explained below. Happy eating!!!!

Glossary of terms I used

* - per your taste (every ones taste bud likes different level of taste, so be the boss of your taste buds).
tsp - Teaspoon
Tbsp - Tablespoon
cnt - Count

Cooking Measurements

1 tablespoon (Tbsp) - 3 teaspoons (tsp)
1/2 cup - 8 tablespoons
1 cup - 16 tablespoons
1 pint (pt) - 2 cups
1 quart (qt) - 2 pints
4 cups -1 quart
1 gallon (gal) - 4 quarts
16 ounces (oz) -1 pound (lb)

1 gram - .035 ounce
100 grams - 3.5 ounces
1 milliliter - 1/5 teaspoon
500 grams - 1.10 pounds
2.205 pounds - 35 ounces

5 ml - 1 teaspoon
15 ml - 1 tablespoon
100 ml - 3.4 fluid oz - 1 kilogram
240 ml - 1 cup
1 liter - 34 fluid oz - 4.2 cups