Kalakand

Ingredients:
Condensed sweetened milk - 1 can (400 gm)
Fresh paneer - 500 gm
Milk powder - 30 gm
Ground cardamom - few pinches
Pistachios (chopped) to garnish

Method:
Mash or grind paneer. Add the paneer, condensed milk and milk powder in a non-stick kadai. Start to stir constantly. After few minutes, when the kalakand starts to leave the sides of pan i.e it forms like a dough oozing out lot of oil, remove and spread the kalakand on the greased plate. Sprinkle ground cardamom and chopped pistachios. Cool and cut into desired shape. Serve immediately or chilled.
Recipe: Nestle

Sent off to Jay's "Let'z Relish Paneer" event.

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Almond Chewy Macaroons

Ingredients:
Ground almonds - 200 gm
Superfine sugar - 200 gm
Egg whites - 2
Ground Cardamom seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Rose water (to moist the hands)
Blanched almonds - 18 to 20

Method:
Preheat the oven at 200°C and line a cookie sheet with parchment paper. In a bowl, add ground almonds, ground cardamom seeds, sugar and egg whites and mix together. Knead with hand or with the mixer till you get a coherent paste. Moist your hands with rose water and form a walnut sized ball out of the paste. Place them on the paper and lightly press them flat. Place the balls each 1 inch apart. When you are finished with the paste, place one blanched almond in the centre of each macaroon. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes (But mine took 15 to 18 minutes) and remove from oven when you see the golden color around the edges. Carefully lift them with a spatula (they're fragile) and place it in another sheet and cool completely.The macaroons at this stage will brown more at the edges.  After cooling, store them in an air tight container. Enjoy the chewy macaroons along with their crispy coats!

Recipe: Nigella Lawson

Sent off to Akila's Dish Name Starts with 'A' event.

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Fried Yam

Today, I cut my finger while opening a can of condensed milk and the scratch was so deep. After a while, I gradually recovered but the horrible pain still refused to vanish. So my husband took in charge of the kitchen and for lunch and one of the goodies he made are these fried yams. Being curious, I asked him what the ingredients and their measurements were. But to my dismay, he only gave the ingredients and said that he didn't measure them. So I renounced pestering him for estimating the measurements (For my blog's sake, I'm always armed with spoons and cups and generally I don't do so for a normal cooking). Here's the recipe though.

Slice the yam in desired shape. Steam and cool them. In a bowl, add gram flour/besan, corn flour, red chilli powder, salt and a dash of baking soda. Make a thick batter out of the ingredients. Dip the yam in the batter and deep fry them. Serve as a snack for tea time.

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Chana Palak

Ingredients:
White Chickpeas/Chana - 1 cup
Spinach/palak - 1 small bunch
Ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp.
Onions - 2 (chopped)
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.
Green chilli - 1 (slit lengthwise)
Chana masala - 1/4 tsp.
Cream (25% Amul) - 1/3 cup
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Oil

Method:
Soak chickpeas in sufficient amount of water for at least 8 hours or overnight. Pressure cook the chickpeas with fresh water and little salt. Cut the spinach roots with kitchen scissors and wash the spinach. Place the spinach in a strainer for a few minutes and then chop them into pieces.
Heat oil in a pan and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds splutter, add ginger-garlic paste and saute till golden color. Add the onions and green chillies, saute till the onions are translucent. Add tomato pieces and salt and saute till mushy. Now add the chopped spinach, coriander leaves and saute till it wilts. Now add the powders and mix well. Add the boiled chickpeas (without the water) and saute. Simmer and add chana masala and cream. Mix and remove from heat. Serve with rotis.

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Gujarati Daal

Ingredients:
Arhar dal/toor dal - 1 cup
Ginger - 1 inch (finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 (diced)
Jaggery - 1 tbsp. (grated)
Kokum - 3 to 4 (soaked)
Peanuts - 2 tbsp.
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil + Ghee
Coriander leaves - few (chopped)


Tadka/Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Curry leaves - few
Whole dry red chillies - 2

Method:
Dry roast the peanuts. Cool and blow off the skin. Pressure cook the dal, tomatoes, peanuts with sufficient water.
Mash the dal (if required, add some water). Heat ghee + oil in a deep saucepan and do the tadka with given ingredients. Now add the powders, mashed dal, ginger, kokum, jaggery and salt. Simmer for 10 minutes or till it reaches required consistency (i.e., dal should not be thick nor thin). Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with bhakri or with rice and ghee.

Sent off to "Flavours of Gujarat" event hosted by simply.food.

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Bitter gourd Fry

Ingredients:
Bitter gourd - 4
Onions - 3 (chopped)
Garlic - 10 (crushed)
Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Fennel seeds (saunf) - 1 1/2 tsp.
Coconut flakes - 2 tbsp.
Tamarind/Imli - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Besan/Gram flour - 1 tbsp.
Oil

Early Preparation:
Slice the bitter gourd and remove the seeds. Coarsely ground the fennel seeds and keep aside. Grind coconut flakes and tamarind together without adding water.

Method:
Heat a generous amount of oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds.When the seeds splutter, add the crushed garlic and saute till golden color. Add onion and saute till translucent. Now add the bitter gourd slices and curry leaves and saute for 2 minutes. Now cover the pan with a lid and saute every 2 minutes. Continue this process for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, add red chilli powder, salt, turmeric powder, coarse fennel powder and saute in low flame for 2 minutes. Continue cooking till the bitter gourds are tender. After that, add the coconut and tamarind paste, gram flour and saute for 5 minutes or till it becomes crisp. Serve as a side dish for rice.

Sent off to Priya's "CWS-Fennel Seeds" event

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Eggless Condensed Milk Cake (T&T-My Diverse Kitchen)

I have three reasons to love this cake. One, all the ingredients were easily available in the local market. Second, there are no complicated steps and lastly, the cake was fluffy and soft and tasted divine like those goodies in bakeries. Thanks Aparna!
Here is the original recipe.
Ingredients:
All purpose flour - 2 1/2 cups
Condensed milk - 1 can (400gm)
Orange juice - 1 cup
Baking powder - 2 tsp.
Baking soda - 1 tsp.
Vanilla extract - 2 tsp.
Melted butter - 3/4 cup


Method:
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda in a large bowl. In another bowl, mix all the wet ingredients. Make a well  in the centre of flour and pour the blended wet ingredients and mix. Grease and flour the 9" cake pan or bundt pan (I used bundt cake pan). Pour the batter into the pan.
Bake in a preheated oven  at 190°C for 30 to 40 minutes or until the tester comes out clean. Remove from oven and cool the cake in the pan for 15 minutes. Remove the cake from the pan and cool on a rack. Enjoy the sliced cakes.
Note: If you are using unsalted butter, add 1/4 tsp of salt to the melted butter.
Sent off to Zlamushka's "T&T-My Diverse Kitchen" hosted by Srivalli and run by Lakshmi.

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Baigan Mirchi Ka Salan

Ingredients:
Baby eggplants - 250 gm
Capsicum - 200 gm
Whole long green chillies - 50 gm (or according to taste)
Onions - 3
Oil (for frying)
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
All spice powder - 1/2 tsp.
Ginger - 2 tsp. (chopped)
Garlic - 2 tsp. (chopped)
Tamarind - key lime size
Curd - 1/2 cup
Whole red chillies - 2
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)

To grind into paste (A):
Dessicated coconut - 3 tbsp.
Sesame seeds - 1 1/2 tbsp.
Cashew nut - 15
Peanuts - 1 1/2 tbsp.
Whole pepper corn - 1/2 tsp.

Early Preparation:
Cut the capsicum into juliennes. Shallow fry and keep it aside.
Cut eggplant at base as +. Drop them in salted water. Shallow fry the eggplants for few minutes. Keep aside.
Slit the green chillies with the stems intact and remove the seeds. Shallow fry the chillies and keep aside.
Roast the peanuts, sesame seeds, cashew nuts and whole peppercorn in little oil. Make them into paste with coconut.
Slice the onions and shallow fry them till brown color. Cool and make a paste by adding little water.
Make ginger and garlic paste.
Soak the tamarind with 1/3 cup of water and strain. Reserve the tamarind water.


Method:
Heat oil in a deep sauce pan and add the fenugreek seeds. When the seeds splutter, add the ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2 minutes and add the onion paste and saute till it releases oil. Now simmer and add the cumin powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, curd and cook well. Add paste (A) to the above (mentioned) masala and saute properly. Add 2 cups of water and bring it to boil. Add the fried eggplant, green chillies, tamarind water, all spices powder and salt to the above (mentioned gravy). Cover and cook by stirring constantly (without breaking the eggplants) in medium-low flame. When the gravy thickens and oil releases, add the capsicum and cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat.
Heat 1 tsp. of oil in a small pan and add the mustard seeds and whole red chillies. When the seeds splutter, add it to the prepared dish. Serve hot with biryani, pulav, roti and white rice.
Adapted from a magazine.


Note:
1. Remove the seeds from the green chillies in order to reduce the amount of hotness.
2. If you feel it is too hot, reduce the amount of green chillies or don't add them at all, add only capsicum and eggplant.
3. People with ulcer and heart burn, don't even take a peek of this post please (!).

Sent off to Divya's "Show Me Your Curry", Jay's "Jay Ho Brinjal" and Kitchen Flavours's "Joy of Fasting to Feasting" events.

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Pachcha Mathan Erisseri/Yellow Pumpkin Erisseri (T&T-My Diverse Kitchen)

Well, everyone here knows there's a T&T event going on. "My Diverse Kitchen" is one of my favourite websites to surf in and I've tried one of the recipes before this month's event. Check out my walnut and date cake. And I'll transport you here for the original recipe of the erisseri.

Ingredients:
Yellow Pumpkin - 1/4 kg (chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Grated coconut - 1/4 cup

For seasoning:
Coconut oil - 1 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Urad dal - 1 tsp.

Method:
Add chopped yellow pumpkins (I didn't peel them), salt, required water and turmeric powder in a pan. Bring it to a boil and reduce the flame and cook till the pumpkin is tender.
Grind 1/2 cup of grated coconut, cumin seeds and red chillies by adding enough water into paste. Add this paste to the cooked pumpkin (there should be little water with the pumpkin). Bring it to a boil, simmer and cook for 2 to 3 minutes. Remove and keep aside.
Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds and urad dal. Allow the mustard seeds to splutter and add the curry leaves. Keep aside.
In a dry pan, toast the 1/4 cup of grated coconut till brown color. Add this to the erisseri and also add the tempering and mix gently. Serve as side dish for rice.

Sent off to Zlamushka's "T&T-My Diverse Kitchen" hosted by Srivalli and run by Lakshmi.

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Pineapple Pachadi

Ingredients:
Ripe pineapple - 2 cups (chopped)
Green chillies - 2 (slit)
Salt (to taste)
Coconut - 1/2 cup (grated)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp. (crushed)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Yogurt - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

For seasoning:
Oil
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Whole red chillies - 3
Curry leaves - few

Method:
Add pineapple pieces (I used the canned ones), salt, green chillies and required water in pan. Cook till pineapple becomes tender.
Meanwhile in another pan, heat the oil and add the mustard seeds. When the mustard seeds splutter, add red chillies and curry leaves. Keep aside.
Grind coconut and cumin seeds into a paste by adding little water. Add this paste, turmeric powder and crushed mustard seeds to the tender pineapple (At this stage, the pineapple should not be totally dry and it should have at least a little water such as 2 tbsp. in the pan). Simmer and bring it to a boil. Stir gently in between. Remove from heat. Pour yogurt and the seasoning over the pineapple and mix well. Serve as a side dish for rice.

Sent off to Yasmeen's "Health Nut Challenge 7: Tropical Temptations" event.

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Coriander Chutney

Ingredients:
Coriander leaves (with tender stalks) - 2 cups
Curry leaves (fresh and tender) - 1/2 cup
Coconut flakes - 1/2 cup
Tamarind - 1 tsp. (optional)
Chana dal - 2 tbsp.
Whole dry red chillies - 3
Garlic - 5 cloves
Salt (to taste)

For Tadka (Tempering):
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Urad dal (whole) - 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves - few
Oil

Method:
Fry chana dal and garlic (till golden color) each separately. Fry red chilli and tamarind (optional) also. Grind coriander, curry leaves, coconut flakes, chana dal, garlic, red chillies, tamarind and salt in a blender. Add little water if required. Do the tadka and pour it on the top of chutney and mix well. Serve with idly or dosa.

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Instant Semolina Dhokla

Ingredients:
Semolina/Rava - 1 cup
Sour yogurt - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Carrot - 1 (grated)
Capsicum (small) - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chillies - 1 (seeded and finely chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Eno fruit salt - 1 tsp.
Lime juice - 1 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Oil - 1 tbsp.

Tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Green chillies - 4 (slit)
Asafoetida - 2 pinches
Sesame seeds
Oil

To garnish:

Grated Coconut
Coriander leaves

Method:
Add water to the yogurt and whisk into buttermilk. In a bowl, add rava, pour buttermilk and salt and mix well. Now add carrot, capsicum pieces, turmeric powder , oil and green chilli pieces and give a mix. Keep aside for 10 to 15 minutes. Grease the vessel with oil to steam the batter. Place the steamer on a stove top and allow the water to boil. At this stage add lime juice and eno fruit salt to the batter and whisk vigorously. Pour this batter in the greased vessel and place it in the steamer. Cover and steam for 10 to 15 minutes or until the dhokla is cooked well. After 5 to 10 minutes, cut the dhokla into square or whatever shape. Garnish with coconut and coriander leaves. Do the tempering and sprinkle on the top of dhokla and serve immediately.

Sent off to "Flavours of Gujarat" event hosted by simply.food.

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Okra Curry

Ingredients:
Okra - 2 cups (1 inch lengthwise)
Onions - 2 (sliced)
Ginger - 1 tsp. (julienned)
Green chillies - 2 to 4 (slit into halves)
Curry leaves - few
Thin coconut milk -  1 1/2 cup
Salt (to taste)
Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup
Oil

To grind into paste: Add little water :)
Chilli powder - 1/2 to 3/4 tsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Pepper powder - a pinch
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Green cardamom - 2
Cloves - 3

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and saute the sliced okra. Keep aside. In a pan, heat oil and add onions. Saute till translucent.
Add curry leaves, ginger and green chillies and saute. Now add the ground paste (if required pour little water to avoid burning) and saute for a while till the oil separates. Pour the thin coconut milk and bring it to a boil. Add the sauteed okra, salt and simmer till the gravy thickens. Remove from heat and add the thick coconut milk. Mix well. Serve with white rice.
Source: RB

Note:
Adjust the spices and chillies according to your taste.

Sent off to Divya's "Show Me Your Curry" event.

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Turiya Mag Ni Dal

Ingredients:
Ridge gourd - 3 cups (peeled and diced)
Moong dal - 1/3 cup
Ginger-green chilli paste - 1 1/2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches
Lime juice - few drops
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Sugar - 1/4 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp.
Oil

To temper:
Mustard seeds - 3/4 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:
Soak moong dal in warm water for 30 minutes to 1 hour. After 1 hour, drain the water and keep the dal aside. Heat oil in a pan and add the tempering ingredients. When the mustards splutter, add moong dal and 1/4 of water or required water. Cook the dal without any mushiness. Now add the diced ridge gourd, ginger- green chilli paste, turmeric powder, salt and sugar. Cover and cook for a few minutes. When the ridge gourd releases water (at this stage, the veggies get tender) remove the lid and continue cooking till the water dries up. Stir gently or else the ridge gourd would get mushy. When the water dries up, add the grated coconut and coriander leaves.
Add lime juice and serve immediately. Serve with roti or rasam rice.
Adapted from Tarla Dalal

Sent off to "Flavours of Gujarat" event hosted by simply.food.

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Sprouted Horse Gram Curry

Ingredients:
Sprouted horse gram - 1 cup (cooked)
Onions (small) - 2 (chopped)

Ginger - 1 tsp. (chopped)
Garlic - 1 tsp. (chopped)
Tomato (big) - 1 (chopped)
Green chilli - 1 (slit)
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1 tsp.
Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp.
Garam masala -1/4 tsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 3/4 to 1 tsp.
Coriander powder - 3 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Cream (Amul 25%) - 1/4 cup
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)

Method:
 Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. when cumin seeds splutter add onion and saute till translucent. Add Ginger, garlic pieces and green chilli. saute for few seconds. Add tomato , salt and saute till mushy. Now add all the powders and mix. Add the horse gram and half cup of water. Bring it to boil. Now add the cream , garam masala and coriander leaves. Serve with roti and rice.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event and Divya's "Show Me Your Curry" event.

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Carrot Poriyal

Ingredients:
Carrots (big) - 3 (chopped)
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Grated Coconut - 1 1/2 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Kashmiri Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp.
Oil

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and add the seeds and dal. When mustard seeds splutter add the carrot, salt, red chilli powder and saute for a few minutes. Add required quantity of water. When the carrots are tender and dry, add grated coconut and curry leaves. Saute well. Serve with rasam rice, curd rice and roti.

Sent off to Priya's "CWS-Fennel Seeds" event.

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Sprouted Horse Gram/Kollu Rasam

Ingredients:
Sprouted horse gram - 1 cup
Tamarind water - 1/2 cup
Green chilli (small) - 4 (slit)
Garlic - 3 cloves (peeled and crushed)
Tomato - 1 (chopped)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Coriander seeds - 2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Peppercorn - 1 tsp.
Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Asafoetida powder - 2 pinches
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Oil

Method:

Pressure cook horse gram with required water. Strain the horse gram. I prepared curry with horse gram. I got 2 cups of horse gram water. Keep aside. Dry roast coriander seeds and fenugreek seeds. Powder them with cumin seeds and peppercorn. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds, asafoetida, garlic and green chillies. Saute garlic till it changes to golden color. Now add the tomato pieces and salt and saute. Add the rasam powder and pour the tamarind water. Add turmeric powder and curry leaves. Boil the water till the raw smell fades. Now add the horse gram water and bring it to a boil. Remove from heat and add the coriander leaves. Serve with rice or drink.

Sent off to Priya's "Let Sprout" event.

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Chicken Curry (Version 2)

Ingredients:
Chicken pieces- 750 gm
Onions - 3 (grated)
Tomatoes - 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp.
Black cardamom - 1
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon - 2
Bay leaves -2
Kashmiri red Chilli powder - 1 + 1/2 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Coriander powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Kasoori methi - 1 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.
Cream - 2 tbsp
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp.
Oil


Method:
Marinate chicken with 1 tsp. of ginger-garlic paste, 1/2 tsp. of chilli powder and salt. Cover and keep aside.
Heat oil and add bay leaves, powder of cloves, cinnamon and black cardamom. Add onion pieces and saute till translucent. Add ginger-garlic paste, tomato pieces, salt and saute till tomato becomes mushy. Add the powders, kasuri methi and mix well. Now add the chicken pieces and saute for a few minutes. Add  half cup of water. Cover and cook till chicken becomes tender. Finally, add the cream and coriander leaves. Serve with roti and rice.

Sent off to Lubna's "Joy of Fasting to Feasting" event.

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Sprouted Horse Gram Dosai

Ingredients:
Idli rice - 3 cups
Raw rice - 1 cup
Sprouted horse gram - 1 cup
Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil

Method:
Soak rice with fenugreek seeds for 6 to 8 hours. Grind rice, fenugreek seeds and sprouted horse gram into smooth dosa batter. Add salt and mix well. Ferment for 6 to 8 hours or overnight (If it is hot weather, add salt before preparing dosa, i.e, next day). Heat the tawa and spread a ladleful of batter and sprinkle oil. Cook on both sides. Continue with the remaining batter and serve hot with chutney or sambar.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event.

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Barley Soup

Ingredients:
Barley - 1 cup
Onion (small-sized) - 2 (sliced)
Garlic - 3 cloves (peeled & chopped)
Tomato (big) - 1 (diced)
Beans - 15 (chopped)
Carrot (big) - 1 (chopped)
Cabbage - 1/4 from one head (shredded)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste


Method:
Cook barley with required water and cover and keep aside.
Heat oil in a deep pan and add garlic and onion. Saute for a few minutes.
Pour water and add carrot, beans and tomato pieces. When the veggies become tender, add the shredded cabbage. Let it cook for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and cool.
Grind and run through the strainer. Add this water to the barley and bring it to a boil.
Add salt and pepper powder to taste. Serve warm.

Note:
Here is another option. Instead of grinding the veggies, add them with barley and consume it.

Sent off to "CWF-Whole Grains: Barley" event.

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Sprouted Horse Gram/Kollu Adai

Ingredients:
Raw rice - 1/2 cup
Idli rice - 1/2 cup
Sprouted horse gram/kollu - 1 cup
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Whole dry red chillies - 2
Ginger- 1/2 inch (finely chopped)
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs (finely chopped)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (finely chopped)
Salt (to taste)
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Oil

Method:
Soak raw and idli rice in water for 3 hours. Grind them with sprouted horse gram and red chilli into a batter. Add onion pieces, curry leaves, coriander leaves, ginger, salt and asafoetida and mix well.

Heat the tawa and spread the batter (a ladleful). Sprinkle oil on the sides of adai. Cook thoroughly on both sides. Continue with the remaining batter. Serve hot with any chutney.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event.

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Onion Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:
Onion -3 (Sliced)
Garlic - 6 cloves
Tomatoes - 3 (chopped)
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Whole dry red chillies - 3
Salt (to taste)
Oil

To Temper:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:
Heat oil and add fennel seeds and saute garlic (till golden color), onions (till translucent), red chillies (till crisp), tomatoes (till half mushy) and salt by adding one by one. Cool and grind them. Temper with given ingredients. Serve with dosa and idly.

Sent off to Priya's "CWS-Fennel Seeds" event.

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Sheer Khurma (My 401st Post)

No, please don't ask me why it's 401 instead of 400. No reason. Anyways, this sheer kurma is popular in Arabic countries (which are in turn popular for dates), Hyderabad, some parts in TN and Pakistan. Sheer means milk and khurma means dates. Sheer Khurma is prepared on Id. So yeah, sweet lovers can relish this for a sweet breakfast. And lastly, thanks to those who visit my blog.

Ingredients:
Sevvai/Vermicelli - 100 gm
Milk - 1/2 litre
Ghee
Chironjee nuts - 2 tbsp.
Dates - 10 (pitted)
Almonds - 1 tbsp.
Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp.
Pistachios - 1 tbsp.
Raisins - 1 tsp.
Saffron strands - a pinch + 2 tbsp. warm milk
Sugar - 150 gm or as per taste
Green cardamom powder - a pinch

Method:
Blanch pistachios and almonds and slice them. Soak chironjee nuts for 30 minutes and peel the skin. Chop the dates. Soak the saffron in warm milk and keep aside. Heat ghee and roast the vermicelli till golden brown. Remove the vermicelli and keep aside. In the same pan, fry the cashew nuts, chironjee nuts, dates, pistachios and almonds till golden brown color. Finally, add the raisins and fry till it puffs up and keep aside.

Place the sevvai/semiya in a deep thick pan and pour the milk. Bring it to a boil by stirring constantly. After few minutes(after semiya becomes tender), add sugar and stir for sometime. Add the fried nuts, soaked saffron and cardamom powder and mix well. Garnish with dates or with nuts. Serve hot or cold.

Sent off to Umm Mymoonah's "Iftar Moments: Hijri 1431" event.

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Chickpeas Fry

Ingredients:
White chickpeas - 1 cup
Onions - 2 (chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 5 cloves
Green chillies - 3 (slit)
Red chillies powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander powder - 1 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp.
Cumin powder - 1/4 tsp.
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Salt (to taste)
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp.
Fennel seeds - 1 tsp.
Oil
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.

Method:
Soak the chickpeas overnight and boil them in fresh water with little salt. Strain the chickpeas and keep aside. Mince ginger and garlic. Grind the grated coconut and fennel seeds without adding water. Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add the onions and fry till translucent. Add minced ginger-garlic, green chillies and curry leaves. Saute for a few seconds and add the powders, salt and fry. Add the chickpeas and saute till the masalas blend well. Now add the mixture of coconut and fennel seeds. Saute for 2 minutes. Serve with puri or chapathi.

Sent off to Priya's "CWS-Fennel seeds" event.

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Sprouted Green Gram Dosai

Ingredients:
Sprouted green gram - 2 cups
Raw rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Green chillies (long) - 2
Ginger - 1 inch
Salt (to taste)
Oil

Method:
Soak rice for 3 hours. Grind all the ingredients except oil into a dosa batter. In a tawa, spread the batter (a ladleful) and cook thoroughly on both sides by sprinkling little oil. Serve with hot chutney.

Sent off to Umm Mymoonah's "Iftar Moments: Hijri 1431" and Priya's "Let's Sprout" event.

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Curry Leaves Rice

Ingredients:
Curry leaves - 1.25 cups
Urad dal - 1 tbsp.
Bengal gram/chana dal - 1 tbsp.
Whole dry red chillies - 3
Tamarind - 1.5 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Fried garlic - 1 bulb (peeled)
Cooked rice - as required
Oil

Method:
Dry roast the curry leaves till they turn crispy. Fry the urad and chana dal till golden color in 1 tsp. of oil. Fry tamarind and dry red chilli. Grind the dals, tamarind, red chillies, curry leaves, salt and asafoetida. Mix this powder, garlic with rice. Very perfect in a lunch box.
Note: Use fresh and tender leaves

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Sprouted Green Gram Murukku

Ingredients:
Sprouted green gram - 1 3/4 cups
Rice flour - 2 cups
Urad dal - 50 gm
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander leaves paste - 2 tbsp.
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Sesame seeds (white) - 1 tsp. (heaped)
Ghee - 2 tsp.
Asafoetida powder - a pinch
Oil (for deep frying)

Method:
Dry roast the urad dal till golden brown color. Cool and powder them.
Grind the sprouted green gram by adding little water.
In a bowl add rice flour, powdered urad dal, asafoetida, salt, red chilli powder, sesame seeds and mix well.
Add ground green garm, coriander leaves paste and ghee and mix. Add little water and knead into a soft dough.
Take a small dough (ball) and add it in the murukku presser. Meanwhile heat the oil in a kadai to deep fry.
When the oil is hot, press the dough directly to the oil in spiral shapes.
Fry the murukkus in medium-low flame till they turn golden brown color on both sides.
Continue with the remaining dough.
Cool the murukkus and store them in air-tight container.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event.

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Sprouted Green Gram Salad

My children are quite fond of Kurkure, so do many of their friends. To make them eat some healthy stuff, I mixed them with few vegetables. Of course, they enjoyed the salad.

Ingredients:
Sprouted green grams - 3 cups
Kurkure - 1 packet
Red capsicum - 1/2 (chopped)
Yellow capsicum - 1/2 (chopped)
Ginger (minced) - 1/2 tsp.
Corn - 1/2 cup
Coconut (grated) - 3 tbsp.
Cumin (crushed) - 1/2 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Lime juice - a few drops
Salt to taste (optional)
Pepper powder to taste (optional)
Cucumber - 1 (peeled and chopped)

Method:
Combine all the ingredients in a mixing bowl. Serve immediately in separate bowls. I didn't add corn and coriander leaves.

Sent off to Priya's "Let's Sprout" event.

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