Egg Puffs!!!

Hi guys!!!

With the easy availability of the ready-made pastry sheets here, I tend to prepare puffs frequently. No one can deny the fact that puffs are amazing with the evening tea. I have tried the usual versions of the puffs - the veg, egg and chicken. I have been wanting to try a jam and sweetened coconut filled version for a long time. Something close to the Danish pastries. Will try that soon and post it too :-)

Egg puffs has always been my favorite. Everytime I went out with my mom shopping we make sure that we get something to munch on around the tea time. It is either samosas or puffs. And when it is puffs I always settle for egg puffs. With the pastry sheet available ready the effort required to prepare puffs is minimal.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:
Makes 6 puffs

Pastry sheet - 1 rolled out
Eggs - 3 boiled
Onion - 1 big
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a small bunch
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Chaat masala - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

Ingredients:

1. Boil the eggs and slice them in halves once ready. Roll out the pastry sheet and cut them in 6 portions.
2. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds when hot. When they splutter add the chopped onion and curry leaves. Saute till the onions turn soft.
3. Add all the masala powders and salt and mix well till the raw smell leaves.
4. Finally add the halved boiled eggs and mix well to incorporate the masala.
5. Preheat the oven to 200C. Line a baking sheet with foil. Place the filling with the eggs placed on top of the onion mixture. Close the ends and seal well.
6. Bake for about 20-25 minutes in the preheated oven until the top turns golden brown.

Serve hot with tea/coffee!!!!

Sweet Chilli Vegetable Sauce!!!

Hi guys!!!

I always have stock of Chinese sweet chilli dip cum sauce. I like to use the sauce in my Indo-Chinese dishes or just as a dip when munching on crisps. When preparing Chinese curries it is mostly "The Manchurian". I was preparing Fried rice the other day and wanted to prepare a curry that was not a manchurian. I kept thinking for a while and finally decided to add a twist to the simple stir-fry veggies. I just added some sweet chilli sauce to the veggie stir-fry and an amazing combination for the Egg Fried Rice was ready.

The recipe is quite easy and you can add whatever veggies you are comfortable with. I just used beans, carrots and cauliflower. Baby corn and broccoli would be a great addition too. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Assorted veggies - 2 cups
(use veggies generally you use in stir-fry)
Onion - 1
Bell peppers - 1
Garlic - 3 cloves
Soy sauce - 1 tsp
Sweet chilli dip - 2 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Sesame oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Heat the oil in a wok and add the chopped garlic and onion. Saute till the onion is half cooked and then add the bell peppers.
2. Next add the chopped veggies and mix well. Add some water and close the lid and cook till the veggies are almost done.
3. Add the soy sauce, sugar, salt and finally the sweet chilli dip and stir well. Simmer for about 10 minutes and turn off heat.

Serve hot with Chinese fried rice or noodles!!!

Keerai Poriyal / Spinach Stir-fry!!!

Hi guys!!!

I am trying to use spinach atleast once a week. The problem with cooking spinach for my husband is that he can only have it in the completely smashed form. That leaves me with just very few options. I, personally love the stir-fry version and just 'coz I am too lazy to go through the trouble of preparing a dish just for me, this dish has always been less frequented.

The spinach stir-fry can be prepared in 2 ways. One, using grated coconut and the other using moong dal and no coconut. I love the coconut method. Most of the Indian spinach varieties are great for this dish. I have also tried the Baby Spinach I see here in the supermarkets and they turned out good too.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Spinach(Any variety) - a bunch
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 1
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Wash and dry the spinach leaves. Chop them roughly and keep it ready.
2. Heat the oil in a deep wide vessel. When the oil turns hot add the chopped onions and chillies. Saute till the onion turns soft.
3. Now add the chopped spinach leaves and saute till the leaves start to wilt. Close the lid and cook for another 5 minutes till all moisture is shed by the leaves.
4. Add the masala powders and salt and mix well. Finally add the grated coconut and mix well. Switch off heat when the raw smell of the masala powders leave.

Serve with rice and dal / sambar!!!

Pepper Rasam!!!

Hi guys!!!!

I prepare Rasam once a week. Mostly, it is Tomato Rasam coz my hubby loves it. I was down with a flu recently and my tongue just did not respond to any taste in my food. I had to prepare this fiery Pepper rasam to relieve myself from all the nasal congestion. It was an instant relief and made a good lunch too!!!

I generally do not grind the rasam powder and store it for ages. I like to grind it fresh everytime I prepare rasam. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

For Rasam powder:
Pepper - 2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp
Corriander seeds - 1 tsp
Toor dal - 1 tsp
Garlic cloves - 3 or 4
Curry leaves - a small bunch

Other ingredients:
Tamarind juice - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Corriander leaves - a bunch
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Grind all the ingredients under "for rasam powder" into a coarse powder.
2. Heat oil in a kadai and add the powder to it and give it a little stir.
3. Now add the tamarind juice followed by about a cup of water.
4. When the rasam is just about to boil add the chopped corriander leaves and salt. Do not let it boil too much. When it just starts to have white bubbles all over turn off heat.

Serve hot with rice and any poriyal!!!

Spinach Dal / Keerai Paruppu Kootu!!!

Hi guys!!!

The weather has been moody on and off right from the beginning of this week and that has just made me absolutely lazy. I just try to cook dishes that require minimum effort. This keerai paruppu kootu is one such dish. It can be prepared in a very short period and tasted great with rice and rotis. Also, it turns out to be a good alternative to the regular masiyal or poriyal form of the spinach we usually prepare.

This dish is generally prepared with Methi leaves. But any other keerai variety can be used too. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Spinach - a bunch
Garlic - 3 cloves
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 1 tbsp

For tadka:
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Curry leaves - a small bunch

Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the dal along with turmeric powder and salt. Use about 1 1/2 cups of water and cook for about 15 minutes under pressure and mash it well and keep it ready.
2. Wash and chop the spinach leaves. Heat oil in a vessel and add chopped onions, garlic and green chillies and saute till they are cooked.
3. Now add the tomato and keep mixing till it combines with onion and forms a pulp.
4. Next add the chopped spinach and saute till the leaves wilt. Finally add the mashed dal and a little water and adjust salt if needed.
5. Heat oil in a separate kadai and add all the ingredients required for tadka and add it into the prepared kootu and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rice and papad or rotis!!!

Fish Moilee / Kerala Style Fish Stew!!!

Hi guys!!!

Fish Moilee is an awesome coconut milk based curry that is generally prepared in households in Kerala. It is generally prepared in combo with Aapam. I have prepared this curry a few times actually and found it great with rice. Using a firm white fleshed fish seems to work right. Do try to play around with fish types. I have used Seabass and King fish quite a few times for this curry. This time though I used Hake. It is a firm white fleshed fish found in European waters. I was skeptical about using it for the curry but it turned out well. The base of the curry is coconut milk. You can use store bought ones, but trust me, the freshly prepared coconut milk does enhance the taste.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

To marinate:
Fish(Any variety) - 250 gms
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

For the stew:
Onion - 1 big
Tomato - 1
Green chillies - 1 or 2
Ginger - 1/2"
Garlic - 3 cloves
Curry leaves - a buunch
Thin coconut milk - 1 cup
Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (adjust to taste)
Cinnamon - 1"
Cloves - 4 or 5
Cardamom - 2 pods
Oil - 2 tbsp + for shallow frying the fish
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Marinate the fish in the ingredients mentioned and refrigerate it for 30 mins. Then shallow fry the fish pieces for a couple of minutes. This is only to ensure that the fish does not break off when you drop it in the curry.
2. Heat the rest of the oil in a wide vessel and add the whole spices and let them sizzle. Crush the ginger, garlic and green chillies together and keep it ready.
3. When the spices release their aroma add the chopped onions and saute till they turn soft. Next add the crushed paste and saute.
4. Now add the masala powders, salt and thin coconut milk. When the mixture starts to boil add the chopped tomatoes and curry leaves.
5. Let the curry boil for 5-10 minutes. Then add the shallow fried fish pieces and let it cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Finally add the thick coconut milk and simmer for 5 minutes and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rice or aapam!!!

Malai Chicken Tikka!!!

Hi guys!!!

Malai Chicken Tikka was a dish I prepared way before I went on my vacation. Back then I was in a "Tandoori-spree". Yes, I had to prepare something tandoori-like atleast once a week. This tikka is prepared just like tandoori chicken the only difference being that we do not use any of the usual masala powders we use to prepare tandoori chicken. As the name suggests, the basic ingredient is cream. Please do not conclude that this tikka is a bland and dull-tasting one. On the contrary, it is prepared with green chillies for the the spicy-kick. This is the type of dish that you will try endless times after having tried it once. You can take my word for that!!!

I have used chicken leg quarters 'coz I had them at home. Boneless chicken chunks can also be used. Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Chicken Leg Quarters - 2 / Boneless chicken - 200 gms
Yogurt - 2 tbsp
Thick cream - 1/4 cup
Grated cheese - 2 tbsp
Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tsp
Minced green chillies - 2
Ground cardamom - 1 tsp
Ground nutmeg - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp (optional)
Ground cumin - 1/4 tsp
Ground pepper - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Olive oil - 1 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Prepare a marinade with yogurt, cream, cheese, ginger garlic & chillies paste, all the ground powders, salt and lemon juice.
2. Make a few incisions on the chicken pieces and rub the pieces in the marinade and leave it in the refrigerator for 4-6 hours.
3. When ready to cook, take the chicken and leave it on the counter for half an hour to ensure even cooking. Preheat the oven to 200C.
4. Line a roasting pan with aluminium foil and place the chicken pieces on them. Toss the pan in when the oven is ready.
5. Cook for 25-30 minutes till the top browns a little and turn off oven.

Serve hot with mint chutney, ketchup and a salad!!!

Peerkangai Thayir Pachadi / Ridge Gourd in an Yogurt Sauce!!!!

Hi guys!!!

I pick up a ridge gourd from the Indian grocery store every other week and end up making sambar with it. I never really took the effort of trying something else with it. Last week, when again I took the ridge gourd out of my refrigerator thinking about the usual sambar, I suddenly realized that I had no shallots in hand. I hate the idea of using the big onions in sambar. So, I had to prepare something else. The first thing that struck me was the "kootu" but then I remembered this pachadi. I have had this pachadi in a restaurant and thought I'd give a try in re-creating it.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Peerkangai / Ridge Gourd - 1 big
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 1 or 2
Ginger - 1/2"
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - for seasoning
Corriander leaves - a small bunch
Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Procedure:

1. Peel the ridge gourd and slice them into tiny cubes. Grind the coconut, green chillies, ginger, curd and half of the cumin seeds together into a paste.
2. Now heat the oil in a kadai and add the mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Next add the chopped onion and cubed ridge gourd followed by turmeric powder and salt. Close  the lid and cook for about 5-10 minutes on medium flame.
3. When the vegetable is almost cooked add the ground paste and mix well. Check the salt and simmer for another 5 minutes.
4. Chop some corriander leaves into the pachadi and switch off heat.

Serve with rice and kara kuzhambu!!!

Kadai Paneer Masala!!!

Hi guys!!!

Paneer is an all-time favorite to both me and my husband and I tend to prepare some dish or the other with it every week. Kadai Paneer is a really quick dish and can make a great meal. It is a wonderful combination for rotis and pulao. The ingredients are not that many and the curry is prepared in no time. I have not fried the paneer cubes before using them in the curry. But if you are used to adding fried paneer cubes in the curries feel free to do so.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

Paneer - 250 gms
Bell peppers - 2 medium sized or 1 big
Onions - 1 big
Tomato - 1 big
Ginger - 1"
Garlic - 3 or 4 cloves
Green chillies - 1 or 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp (Mine is uber spicy. Adjust according to ur taste)
Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure:

1. Grind the onion, tomato, green chillies, ginger and garlic into a coarse paste. Fry the paneer cubes in a tbsp of oil if going to fry it.
2. Heat the oil in a kadai and add the ground paste and saute till the mixture starts to ooze oil from the sides.
3. Now add all the masala powders and salt. Next toss in the chopped bell peppers and cover and cook for about 5 miinutes till the peppers are half cooked.
4. Now add the paneer cubes and mix well. Simmer the curry for about 10 minutes and switch off heat.

Serve hot with rotis or pulao.

Vegetable Dum Biryani - An Ultimate Weekend Indulgence!!!

Hi guys!!!

What a month I had!!!! It was a great feeling to spend time with family after one long year. But the whole month flew away in no time. Although I returned last week, I came with a flu and found it really hard to get back to my normal routine. Stepping into the kitchen after this break made me feel like I was going to kindergarten all over again!!! Anyway, I had great native dishes without having to move a thing for the last one month. All-in-all it was a wonderful vacation and I can't help but already think about the next one...

Having had endless feast-like meals mostly comprising of non-vegetarian dishes during the vacation, we decided to have only vegetarian dishes ever since we returned. We succeeded in doing that for a week too!! I am making it sound like an achievement 'coz I am hardcore non-vegetarian :-) Anyway, my husband wanted me to prepare vegetable dum biryani on Sunday. I usually prepare vegetable biryani as an one-pot meal but preparing it in the dum method is every minute worth the effort.

Now lets see the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the rice:
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Bay leaves - 2
Cinnamon - 1" stick
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 3
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Water - 3 cups

For the gravy:
Onion - 1 big
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - 1"
Garlic - 3 big cloves
Corriander & Mint leaves - a bunch
Chopped veggies - 1 cup
(I used beans, carrots, potatoes, cauliflower)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Corriander powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Fennel powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala / Biryani masala - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/4 cup
Salt - as per taste
Oil - 2 tbsp

Food colour - a pinch dissolved in warm water (optional)

Procedure:

1. Heat the ghee in a pressure cooker or in a vessel and add the whole spices listed under "For the rice" and saute till they sizzle.
2. Now add the rice and saute till you get a nice aroma. Now add the salt and 3 cups of water and cook under pressure for exactly 10 minutes. If you can successfully drain the rice from the starch you can cook it in a vessel instead of cooker too. The motive is to have rice that is 3/4th cooked.
3. Now to start preparing the gravy, first grind the ginger, garlic, green chillies and just a portion of the corriander and mint leaves together into a coarse paste.
4. Now heat the oil in a wide kadai and add the chopped onion and saute till it turns pink and soft. Now add the ground paste and saute till the raw smell leaves.
5. Now add all the masala powders, salt and curd. Mix well and add the chopped vegetables. Add some water and close the lid and cook till the vegetables turn soft. Turn off heat when the vegetables are cooked.
6. Preheat the oven to 200C. Assemble the gravy and rice alternatively in an oven safe dish. The rice has to be the top-most layer. Finally sprinkle the water with the food colour if using and place the dish tightly covered with foil in the oven.
7. Cook for 20-25 minutes and turn off heat. Leave the dish in the oven for 5 minutes after switching off heat and then serve.

Serve hot with raita and papad or an omelette is good too!!!!