Til Aloo

Ingredients:
Potatoes - ½ Kg (boiled and cut into chunks)
Green chili coarse paste - ¾ tsp.
Sesame seeds (black) - 2 tsp.
Sesame oil - 1 tbsp.
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves (chopped)
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp.

Method:
Heat the sesame oil and add the sesame seeds.
When they are fried, reduce the heat and add the chili paste.
Sauté till the raw smell fades.
Now add the turmeric powder and salt.
Add the potato chunks and combine all the masalas.
Finally add the coriander leaves and lemon juice.
Serve immediately.
S-RC

Sent off to Priya's "CWS" event.

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Sesame Rice

Ingredients:
Sesame seeds - (white) - ¼ cup
Peanuts - ¼ cup
Urad dal - 2 tsp.
Whole dry red chilies - 2
Salt
Cooked rice (as required)

Tempering:
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp.
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp.
Asafetida - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - few
Oil

Method:
Dry roast the peanuts. Let them cool & remove the skin.
Dry roast the white sesame seeds till light golden color.
Dry roast the urad dal till golden color.
Fry red chilies in oil without burning.
Let all of them cool down.
Powder them.
Temper  the given ingredients.
Mix powder, salt and the tempering with required cooked rice.
Sesame seeds rice is ready.

Sent off to Priya's "Cooking With Seeds" event.

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Chicken Stir-fry with Sesame

Ingredients:

Chicken (boneless) - ½ kg
Onion - 2 (sliced thinly)
Ginger - 1 tsp. (minced)
Garlic - 1 tsp. (grated)
Chili powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Green bell peppers - 1 (sliced thinly)
Garam masala - ¼ tsp.
Salt
White sesame seeds - 1 tbsp.
Coriander leaves - ¼ cup (chopped)
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp.
Oil

Method:
Heat the oil and add onions. Sauté till they turn translucent.
Add the ginger and garlic and fry for 2 minutes.
Reduce the heat add the chili & coriander powder and fry.
Add the chicken pieces and stir fry.
Stir fry till chicken pieces are tender.
Add the salt, garam masala & green bell pepper and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat.
Before serving add the lemon juice, sesame seeds and coriander leaves.
Enjoy.
Sent off to Priya's " Cooking with seeds" event.

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Cranberry Orange Muffins

Dry Ingredients:
All Purpose Flour- 2 cups
Dark Brown Sugar - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 2 tsp.
Walnut - 1 cup (chopped)

Wet Ingredients:
Sunflower Oil - 1/3 cup
Orange Juice - 2/3 cup (fresh)
Flax Seed Powder - 2 tsp.
Water - 1/2 cup
Orange Zest - from an orange
Craisins - 1 cup (chopped)

Method:
First, preheat the oven at 190°C or 375°F. Then grease the muffin tray with cooking spray or butter.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl and keep it aside.
After that, blend the flax seed powder with water in a blender when it’s nice and sort of foamy.
Add the orange juice in a cup (which fills 2/3 of the cup), then add water until it’s brimmed to the 1 cup mark.
Also add the flax seed solution, orange zest and stir them well together.
Then add the wet ingredients into the flour mixture and mix them until they get moistened. Fold in the craisins (Caution! Don’t overmix!).
Pour the muffin batter into the tray and bake them for 20 minutes or until a tooth pick inserted in the muffin comes out purely without any single particle.
Remove the tray and let it cool for 5 minutes on a cooling rack. Remove the muffins and let them cool completely on the rack.
Inspired by Madhuram’s Egg-less Cooking.

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Sesame Seeds Chutney

Ingredients:
Sesame seeds - 1/3 cup
Onions - 2 (chopped)
Garlic - 2 cloves
Dry whole red chilies - 4
Grated coconut - ¼ cup
Craisins - ¼ cup
Salt
Oil

Tempering:
Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.

Method:
Dry roast the sesame seeds till light golden color.
Fry the onion, garlic and dry red chili.
Soak the craisin in warm water for 10 minutes.
Add all the ingredients (craisins with soaked water) except oil in a mixer and grind.
Temper the chutney.
Serve with idlis.
Note: Adjust the red chilies according to your taste.

Sent off to Priya's "Cooking with seeds" event.

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Flax & Sesame Seeds Burfi

The original recipe actually goes for a cup of sesame seeds but I substituted half a cup with flax seeds.

Ingredients:
Sesame seeds (white) - ½ cup
Flax seeds - ½ cup
Jaggery (gud) - 1 cup (powdered)
Sweetened condensed milk - 1 can (400gm)
Milk powder - ½ cup
Butter (to grease the plate)

Method:
Dry roast the flax seeds and sesame seeds separately. Powder them coarsely.
Melt the jaggery by adding 2 tbsp. of water on the stove.
Now mix every ingredients except butter in a microwave safe dish.
Microwave for 3 minutes.
Remove and mix well.
Again microwave for 3 minutes.
Remove when it starts to bubble.
Stir fry till it becomes thick.
Spread the mixture on the greased plate.
Cut into desired shape when warm.
Remove from plate when the burfi is completely cool.
Enjoy the chewy burfi.


Sent off to Priya's "Cooking With Seeds" event.

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Stuffed Brinjal Fry

Ingredients:
Brinjals - 6
Small onions - ½ cup
Garlic - 2 cloves
Ginger - 1 inch
Tomatoes - 1 (big)
Fennel seeds - ¼ tsp.
Cardamom - 1
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cloves - 2
Sesame seeds - 2 tsp.
Salt
Oil
Chili powder - 2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - few

Method:
Dry roast the sesame seeds and keep aside.
In a blender or food processor add the small onion, garlic, ginger, quartered tomatoes, fennel seeds, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, salt, roasted sesame seeds and blend them into a paste (without water).
Make four incisions perpendicular (X) from the base of each brinjal and the stem end should be intact.
Stuff each brinjal with required ground paste without breaking the brinjal.
Heat the oil in a non-stick kadai and add the brinjals one by one.
Stir for 2 minutes gently.
Now add the remaining ground paste and start to fry in low medium flame.
Cover with a lid and stir intermittently.
When the brinjals are cooked add the curry leaves and mix.
Remove from heat and serve with rice.
Variation:  First saute the ground paste till the raw smell fades. Then stuff them in the brinjal and add the remaining  at the final stage. Make sure there is no raw smell.

Sent off to Priya's "Cooking with Sesame Seeds" event.

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Thai Vegetable Red Curry

Thai Red Curry

Ingredients:
Baby corns - 3 (pieces)
Small brinjals - 2 (diced)
Broccoli florets - From a medium bunch
Mushrooms - 10 (sliced)
Bamboo shoots - ¼ cup (optional)
Red curry paste - 5 tbsp.
Coconut milk - 2 cup
Soya sauce - ½ tsp.
Basil leaves - 10 (chopped)
Oil
Salt (to taste)
Brown sugar - 1/2 tsp.
Corn flour - 1 tbsp.

Method:
Obviously I didn’t add brinjal and bamboo shoots.
Heat oil and add the red curry paste and fry for 5 minutes in low flame or till oil separates.
Add ¼ cup of coconut milk and vegetables. Cooks for 2 minutes.
Add the remaining coconut milk, soy sauce & chopped basil leaves.
Cover and cook the vegetables in low flame until they become tender.
Add salt & sugar to taste.
Mix corn flour with water and add it.
Mix well. Let it boil for 2 minutes.
Serve hot with steamed rice.
Adapted from Nita Mehta’s Book.
Note: Adjust( reduce) the red curry paste according to your taste.

Red Curry Paste
Got it from here.

Ingredients:
Onion - ¼ cup (chopped)
Lemon grass - 1 stalk (minced)
Kashmiri red chilies - 1 (BIG-chopped)
Garlic - 4 cloves
Galangal - 1 (thumb-size)
Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp.
Cumin powder - ½ tbsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
White pepper powder - ¼ tsp
Fish sauce -3 tbsp. (or) Soy sauce - 4 tbsp. (I added soy sauce)
Shrimp paste -1 tsp. (didn’t add)
Sugar - 1 tsp.
Regular chili powder - 2 tbsp. (I added 1 tbsp. chili powder + 1 tbsp. kashmiri red chili)
Coconut milk - ¼ cup
Lime juice - 1 tbsp.
Kaffir lime leaves - 1

Method:
Blend all the ingredients into a paste.
Place it in a container in the refrigerator up to a week and freeze thereafter.

Note:
I used Kashmiri red chilies. Thai red chilies are extremely small and cute. You can use them if you want to.

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Sweet & Sour Vegetables

Ingredients:

Onions - 1 (diced)
Ginger - 1 tsp. (grated)
Tomatoes - 2 (scoop out the seeds)
Carrots - 1 (medium)
Capsicum - 1
Baby corns - 3
Broccoli florets - from a small bunch
Green chilies - 2 (slit half)
Sesame seeds - 1 to 1 ½ tsp.
Chinese sweet and sour mix - 1/3 cup
Oil

Method:
Cut baby corn, carrot and capsicum into bite sizes.
Dry roast the sesame seeds lightly and keep aside.
Add water to the Chinese sweet and sour mix (without any lumps) and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat.
(Sorry, I forgot the measurement of water)
Heat oil and add carrot, broccoli florets and baby corn.
Fry in high heat for 3 minutes by stirring and tossing.
Reduce the heat, cook the veggies till tender by covering with a lid.
Remove from heat and keep the veggies on a plate.
Again heat oil and add onion, ginger.
Fry till the onions are translucent.
Add the capsicum, tomato, green chilies and fry for a minute.
Add the sweet and sour water.
Add the veggies and bring it a boil.
Finally add the sesame seeds and serve hot.

Note:
The sweet and sour mix has enough salt. If you want, you can add more salt to the dish.
Source: Magazine

Sent off to Priya's "Cooking with Seeds" event.

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Karamani Vada(i) & Dosa

Karamani Vada

Ingredients:
Karamani (red)/Thattai payir/cow peas - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1 cup
Rice - 1 tbsp.
Onion - 2 (chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chilies - 4
Coriander leaves - 4 tbsp. (chopped)
Salt
Curry leaves - few
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Dry roast the black-eyed peas for 4 minutes.
Soak them for 4 hours along with urad dal and rice.
Grind them into a thick batter.
In a blender pulse the ginger pieces, green chilies, curry leaves coarsely.
Add this coarse mixture, coriander leaves, onion pieces & salt to the batter.
Mix the batter.
Oil the plastic sheets and keep aside.
Form a ball from the batter and flatten on the plastic sheet with wet fingers. Make a hole in center.
Continue with the remaining batter.
Heat the oil in a kadai.
Slowly slip the vadas and deep fry them till they turn golden brown.
Serve with coconut chutney.

Karamani Dosa

Ingredients:
Left over vadai batter - 2 ½ cups
Left over dosai batter - 2 cups

Method:
Mix both the batters by adding little water.
Prepare yummy dosas from this batter.
Enjoy with your fav. side dish.

Sent off to 'MLLA-19' event hosted by EC and originally started by Susan.

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Moong Dal Halwa-Indian Cooking Challenge (ICC)

Indian Cooking Challenge

Ingredients:

Moong dal -1 cup
Sugar - ¾ cup
Ghee - ½ cup
Milk - ½ cup
Cashews and raisins

Method:
Soak the moong dal overnight.
Next day grind them into paste with a little water.
Roast the cashews and raisins in 1 tsp. of ghee.
Heat a thick non-stick kadai and heat ¼ cup of ghee.
Add the ground paste and start to fry without any lumps.
Add another ¼ cup of ghee intermittently.
This is a long process, so we need a lot of patience and energy.
Meanwhile mix sugar to the milk and bring it to a boil. Keep aside.
Keep the flame in low while frying the dal (don’t sneak out of the kitchen meanwhile).
Once the ghee starts to ooze out (at this stage you can enjoy the nice aroma of fried dal with ghee) and add the milk to the dal slowly.
Mix without any lumps.
Once the halwa leaves the side of the pan, remove from heat and add the cashews and raisins.
Serve warm.

Note:
Halwa tends to thicken when it cools down.
Next day the halwa gets very dry, so increase the amount of ghee.
It is good to add ghee from ¾ cup to 1 cup for 1 cup of moong dal.
I didn’t add any food color.
You can also soak a few saffron strands in the milk.

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Sakkara/Sweet Pongal (Version 2.0)

HAPPY PONGAL!!!!!!!!!!

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup
Moong dal - ½ cup
Jaggery - 2 cups (powdered)
Milk - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tbsp.
Cardamom powder - ¼ tsp.
Cashew nuts - 12
Raisin (golden) - 12
Saffron strands - 1 pinch
Warm milk - 1 tbsp. (to soak saffron)
Cooking camphor - 1 pinch
Coconut pieces - 1 tbsp.
Ghee (for frying nuts and raisins)

Method:
Dry roast the moong dal till the aroma rises without burning. Remove from heat.
Now wash both rice and moong dal.
Add 3 cups of water and pressure cook.
Fry the cashews till they turn golden color and raisins till puffed up.
Fry the coconut pieces for 3 minutes. Keep it aside.
Soak the saffron strands in the warm milk.
In a pan add the powdered jaggery and ½ cup of water.
Dissolve the jaggery and run through the strainer to remove the dirt.
Keep it in heat and bring it to a boil. Simmer it for 5 minutes. Keep the jaggery syrup aside.
Now in a thick sauce pan add the boiled rice, dal and milk.
Stir it.
Add the jaggery syrup and mix well.
Add cashews, raisins, cardamom powder, coconut pieces and stir to mix well.
Sprinkle the cooking camphor, saffron milk and ghee. Again mix well.
Let the pongal cook in medium-low flame for 5 minutes (without burning).
To avoid burning, mix in between.
Remove from heat.
Enjoy!

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Mexican Salsa Burger

Ingredients:
Kidney beans/Rajma - 1 cup
Onions - 1 (chopped)
Capsicum - 1 (chopped)
Carrot - ¼ cup (grated)
Home-made salsa - ½ cup
Fresh bread crumbs - 1 ½ cup
Whole wheat flour - ½ cup
Cubes of veggie seasoning - 2 (powdered)

Ingredients for-
Coating:
Oats - ¾ cup to 1 cup

Burger:
Cheese slices - 6
Home-made salsa - 6 tbsp.
Burger buns - 6
Lettuce leaves

Method:
For patty:
Soak the beans overnight.
Pressure cook the beans with required salt & water.
Drain. Cool.
Churn boiled beans in a blender to get a rough mixture.
Mix all the ingredients for the patty with the beans.
Divide the mixture into 6 balls. Press them into patties.
Coat them with oats. Keep in fridge for 30 minutes.
Heat oven at 200°C. Bake for 20 minutes or till they turn golden color.
On each piece of bottom half of bun, place lettuce leaves, one cheese slice and the patty. Top with 1 tbsp. of salsa.
Cover with top half of the bun. Serve hot.

Roasted Tomato Salsa

Ingredients:
Tomatoes - 5
Oil - 1 tbsp.
Onions - 1 (chopped finely)
Green chilies - 2 (chopped)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Vinegar - 1 tsp.
Pepper - ¼ tsp.
Salt - ½ tsp.
Sugar to taste or ½ tsp.
Tomato ketchup - 1 tbsp.

Method:
Pierce the tomato with a fork.
Hold it over the gas flame till the skin turns blackish and charred.
Roast all the tomatoes like this.
Cool and peel.
Do not wash after peeling.
Chop 2 tomatoes.
Puree the other 3 tomatoes.
Heat oil and add the onions and green chilies.
Cook till onion turn soft.
Add all other ingredients one by one and cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat. Salsa is ready.
RB

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Ellu Podi/Sesame Seeds Powder

Ingredients:

Sesame seeds (white) - 1 cup
Urad dal - ¾ cup
Chana dal - ¼ cup
Dry whole red chilies - 14
Curry leaves - 6 sprigs
Asafetida - ¼ tsp.
Salt
Oil

Method:
First, dry-roast the sesame seeds until they make noises.
Immediately remove and spread them on a plate to cool.
Dry roast the dals separately till they turn golden color. Cool.
Wash curry leaves and wipe. Fry till crispy without oil.
Heat oil, then add the whole red chili and fry.
Powder the sesame seeds coarsely.
Then powder the dals, red chilies and curry leaves.
Cool all of them.
In a dry-storage jar, add all the powders, salt and asafetida.
Close the lid and shake well (and dance while shaking!).
Ellu podi is ready.
Enjoy with ghee mixed in hot rice or as a side dish for hot steaming idlis!

Note: Add ½ tsp of jaggery powder and mix. This is optional.

Sent off to Priya's "Cooking with seeds: Sesame seeds".

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Easy Veggie Poriyal

Ingredients:

Beans - 1 ¼ cups (chopped)
Broccoli - 1 cup (grated)
Carrot - ¾ cup (chopped)
Green peas - ½ cup (fresh)
Coconut- ¼ cup (chopped)
Onion - 1 (small-chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Green chilies - 3 (cut into halves)
Curry leaves - 10
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp.
Oil
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp. (chopped)

Method:
Heat oil and add the mustard seeds.
When mustard seeds crackle add beans, carrot, green peas and salt.
Fry for 2 minutes.
Now pour in required water.
Meanwhile grind coconut, onions, cumin seeds, curry leaves and green chilies coarsely.
When the veggies are cooked, add the grated broccolis and fry.
Add the coarse paste and fry till dry.
Finally add the coriander leaves and remove from heat.
Enjoy with rasam rice.

Easy veggie poriyal with dal:

Ingredients:
Same as above +
Moong dal - ½ cup
Chana dal - ¼ cup

Method:
Let both the dals drown in a bowl of water for half an hour separately.
Cook them separately. The dals shouldn’t be mushy.
Along with coriander leaves, mix the dals to the veggies.

This dish goes to Easy Veggie Dish Event by Oraphan.

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Masala Beans with Fenugreek leaves

Ingredients:
Onions - 1 (medium)
Beans - 1 ½ cup (cut into 1”or 1.5“)
Fenugreek leaves - from a medium bunch
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Sesame seeds- 1 tsp.
Chili powder - 1 tsp.
Garlic - 2 cloves
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp.
Tomatoes - 1 (quartered)
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Coriander leaves - 4 tbsp. (chopped)
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp.

Method:
Chop the onion.
Place the onions, garlic, sesame seeds, all powders, salt in a blender and make a paste.
Heat the oil in a sauce pan and add the spice mixture.
Stir for 5 minutes.
Add the beans and fry.
Add required water and cook.
When beans are cooked ¾, at this stage, add the fenugreek and coriander leaves.
Stir for a minute.
Add the tomatoes and stir fry till leaves are cooked (medium lower flame).
Remove from fire and sprinkle lemon juice.
Eat immediately with any food!
RB


Sent off to Monthly Mingle: Winter Fruits & Vegetables. Origins by Meeta K.

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Walnut & Date Cake (A loaf actually...)

I tried this cake today morning when I saw this cake made by the Aparna of ’My Diverse Kitchen‘. Although, she posted on New Year’s day, I checked out this Monday. In my kitchen pantry, the dates and walnuts were waiting to be cooked . My family loved it very much.

Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Dates - 1 cup (pitted & chopped)
Walnut - ½ cup (chopped)
Egg - 1 (lightly beaten)
Boiling hot water - 1 cup
Baking soda - 1 tsp.
Baking powder - 1 ½ tsp.
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp.
Butter - 1 tbsp. (melted)
Sugar (granulated) - 1 cup (firmly packed)

Method:
In a big mixing bowl add the chopped dates. Sprinkle the baking soda over the dates and add the boiling water.
Keep it aside for 30 minutes or till the water cools down. This process is to soften the dates.
Stir in the egg, butter, sugar and vanilla extract.
Sift all purpose flour and baking powder.
Combine this to the date mixture along with walnuts.
Mix gently till all are combined.
Grease and flour the 7“ round cake pan or loaf pan (I used the loaf pan).
Spoon the batter in the pan.
Bake in a preheated oven at 170°C for 50 minutes or till a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean.
Cool in a wire rack.
Slice and enjoy.


Sent off to Divya's "Show Me Your Cake" event and Saraswathi's "Cakes & Cookies" event.

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Vegetables with Almonds

Ingredients:

Zucchini - 2 cups (quartered)
Mushroom - 2 cups (sliced)
Beans - ½ cup (cut into 1" to 1.5" pieces)
Onions - 2 (thinly sliced)
Ginger - 2 inches (shredded)
Mint leaves - 1tbsp. (chopped)
Pepper - 1 tsp. (crushed)
Garam masala - ½ tsp.
Salt
Yogurt - 2 tbsp.
Almonds - ¼ cup (blanched)
Oil
Bay leaves - 2
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - ¼ tsp.

Method:
In a frying pan, heat the oil and fry the sliced onions with shredded ginger, crushed pepper and bay leaves.
Lower the heat and add turmeric and coriander powder, salt and garam masala. Stir.
Now add mushroom, zucchini, beans, and mint.
Pour in required water and cook till the veggies are done.
Beat the yogurt and add to the veggies. Let it simmer for 2 minutes.
Finally add the blanched and halved almonds to the veggies.
Serve warm.
RSRB

Sent off to Monthly Mingle: Winter Fruits & Vegetables hosted by Sudeshna Banerjee. Originally started by Meeta K.

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Orange biscuit

Here it’s extremely cold, foggy, cloudy, rainy, windy, etc. Brrrrrr……. Although, visibility is quite…uh…visible but not even a single ray of sunlight passed through the mist.

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The biscuits tasted  good........
 
Ingredients:

APF - 1 cup
Butter - 75 gm
Granulated sugar - ¼ cup
Orange essence - 1 tsp.
Baking powder - ¼ tsp.
Orange juice - ¼ cup

Method:
Sift flour and baking powder.
Cream together sugar and butter till smooth.
Now combine the flour and mix well.
Now add orange juice little by little and form a dough.
Add the orange essence and mix well.
Flatten the dough with a rolling pin.
With a cookie cutter, cut the dough in desired shapes.
Brush with butter.
Bake it in a preheated oven at 180°C for 12 to 16 minutes or until golden color.
Cool them completely on a wire rack and store them in an air-tight container.
~From Recipe Collection

Sent off to Monthly Mingle: Winter Fruits & Vegetables hosted by Sudeshna Banerjee and originally started by Meeta K.

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