Chepala Pulusu (Fish in Tomato & Tamarind Gravy)

Ingredients:
Rohu fish - 5 pieces
Shallots (chopped) - 1 ½ cup
Tomatoes (big) - 2 (chopped)
Garlic - 4 big cloves (crushed)
Green chilies - 2 (slit)
Red chili powder - 1 ½ tsp.
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp.
Tamarind - (American)`lemon size
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp.
Oil

(A)For marinating fish:
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp.
Chili powder - ½ tsp.
Salt
Lime juice - 1 tsp.

(B)To dry roast and powder:
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp.
Methi seeds - ¼ tsp.
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp.

For tempering:
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp.
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp.

Method:
Soak tamarind in 1 cup of water.
Dry roast the ingredients from the given list( B) and ground them.
Wash the fish with little salt and turmeric powder. Marinate them for 1 hour with the given list (A).
Heat oil and add the mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When mustard seeds crackle, add the onions, curry leaves and sauté till they become soft.
Add the green chilies and crushed garlic. Sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the chopped tomatoes, salt and sauté till they become mushy.
Add the chili powder and fry.
Squeeze out the pulp and add the tamarind extract and add 2 cups of water.
Bring it to a boil and let it boil for 5 minutes.
Meanwhile start to shallow fry fish pieces separately in another burner.
Add the dry ground mixture to the gravy and mix well. Let it boil in medium flame for about 5-7 minutes.
Now add the fried fish pieces and stir gently without breaking the fish.
Bring it to a boil. Remove from heat.
Sprinkle the coriander leaves and have it with white rice.
We had it with rice and king fish fry.

Note: Ground coconut can also be added which I will post later on.
Check for salt as the salt is added for fish marinating also.

Sent off to Shama's "Family Favorite Food Event" & "CWS-Coriander Seeds" hosted by RV (started by Priya).

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Spinach & Scrambled Eggs Stir-fry

Ingredients:

Spinach leaves - 3 cups (after chopping)
Eggs - 3
Shallots - 15 (chopped)
Oil
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Whole red chilies - 1
Peppercorns - 5
Salt (to taste)
Coconut (grated) - ¼ cup
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp. (chopped)
Turmeric powder - 2 pinches

Method:
Heat oil in a kadai.
Add mustard seeds and cumin seeds. When the mustard seeds crackle, add the onions , half cut red chilli and fry till it changes color.
Add the chopped spinach till it wilts and dry.
Add the lightly beaten egg and sauté till it becomes dry.
Add the turmeric powder and crushed pepper.
Next add coconut gratings, salt and coriander leaves. Mix well.
Enjoy as a side dish.

Sent off to "Healing Foods: Spinach" hosted by Divya (started by Siri) and Shama's "Family's Favorite Food Event".

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Our Favorite Meal (Vegetable Biryani, Potato Kurma, Raita & Curd Rice/Bagalabath)

Before blogging I used to make this dish in long weekends or whenever there is a guest in our house. My husband chops vegetables only for biryani and raita. This time, I did all the work to make our favorite meal very meticulously . And during the chopping part, my daughter suggested that instead of dipping the onions in water (to avoid the burning of eyes), she told me to wear sunglasses. I thought she was just joking but she insisted on doing so. To please her, I reluctantly wore my sunglasses, and surprisingly, it worked! It’s weird, huh!




Vegetable biryani

Ingredients:
Basmati rice or (seeraga samba rice) - 2 cups
Onions (medium) - 4 (thinly sliced)
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic (big) - 3 cloves (grated)
Green chilies - 2 (medium-sized)
Tomatoes (medium & ripe) - 4 (chopped finely)
Mint leaves - 1 small bunch (chopped)
Beans - 1 cup (chopped 1 into inch pieces)
Green peas - 1 cup (fresh)
Carrots (medium) - 2 (chopped into 1 inch pieces)
Red chili powder - 1 tsp.
Curd - 2 tbsp.
Ghee
Salt
Cashew nuts - 10
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 3 tbsp.
Oil

Dry spices:
Cinnamon (1 inch) - 2
Cloves - 2
Fennel seeds - ½ tsp.
Bay leaves - 2
Cumin seeds -½ tsp.
Cardamom - 2
Mace - 2 pieces
Kalpasi - 1 piece
Rose petals - 2(dry)

Color rice (optional):
Basmati rice - ¼ cup
Saffron color - a few pinches

Method:
Soak the rice for 20 minutes.
Pound the spices coarsely except bay leaves in mortar with pestle.
Grind the ginger and green chilies without any water.
Heat oil in a thick, deep non-stick pan which has a lid.
Add the coarse spices along with bay leaves.
Add the onions and sauté till light brown color.
Add the garlic, ginger, chili and sauté till the raw smell fades away.
Now add the chopped mint leaves and sauté till it wilts.
Add the tomatoes and sauté till it turns mushy by adding a little salt.
Now add the carrots, beans and peas and fry for a minute.
Add the red chili powder and mix well.
Add the yogurt.
Add the soaked rice by draining the water.
Add a few drops of ghee and gently mix.
Add 3 ¼ cup of water and add required salt.
Cover it with a lid and let it cook.
After 5 minutes, remove the lid and cover it with a double-folded thick aluminum foil and place the lid on the top of it.
Cook for 15 minutes in simmer mode.
Switch off the stove. Let it sit for 5 minutes.
Fry the cashew nuts till they turn golden color in ghee.
Now spread the biryani on a huuuuuuge, big plate
(Color rice (optional):
Cook the rice separately by adding food color and 2 drops of oil.)
Sprinkle a few drops of ghee, cashew nuts, color rice and coriander leaves.
Gently mix them without breaking the rice.
Enjoy with raita and kurma.

Preparation time: 45 minutes
Total cooking time: 30 minutes
Sautéing: 10 minutes
Normal cooking: 5 minutes
Dhumming: 15 minutes

Note:
Adjust the spices and chilies according to taste.
Adding few drops of lemon juice and color rice is optional.
Remove bay leaves before serving.
I never add fried onions for this biryani.

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Potato Kurma (v2.0)

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 2
Onions - 2 (chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 2 cloves
Tomatoes - 2 (chopped)
Melon seeds - ¼ cup
Grated coconut - ¼ cup
Green chilies - 2 (slit)
Red chili powder - ¾ tsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - 1 pinch
Fennel seeds - ½ tsp.
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp.
Bay leaves - 1
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Salt
Oil
Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp. (chopped)

Method:
Cut the potatoes into halves and steam-cook them. Peel the skin and chop them.
Soak the melon seeds in warm water for 15-20 minutes.
Pound the fennel seeds, cloves, cinnamon, cumin, ginger and garlic in mortar with pestle.
Heat oil, add the spices and fry.
Add onions, green chilies & tomatoes one by one and fry.
Reduce the heat and add the chilies, coriander & turmeric powder.
Grind the melon seeds without discarding water.
Add the ground melon seeds and sauté for 2 minutes.
Add the potatoes and mix gently.
Add required water and bring it to a boil.
Grind the coconut gratings with water and add them to this mixture.
Let it cook for 4 minutes.
Remove from heat and add the coriander leaves.
Serve with biryani or parathas.

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Onion and Tomato Raita

Add thinly sliced onions, chopped & deseeded tomatoes, chopped coriander leaves, deseeded green chilies and salt to the beaten curd.
Mix well & enjoy with biryani.

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Curd Rice or Bagalabath

Cook the raw rice into a mushy state.
Add milk, yogurt, grated ginger, grated mango, chopped coriander leaves and salt to the rice.
Temper in oil with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafetida, bengal gram, urad dal, broken dry red chiliesand curry leaves.
Add to the rice and mix well.


Sent off to Shama's "Family's Favorite Food Event 2010" and potato kurma to SriLekha's "EFM-Parathas & Gravies/Curries" event.

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Pepper Rasam

My mom makes this rasam very thick by adding coarsely ground garlic, pepper and cumin seeds. It’s a good medicinal drink for cold and sore throat. It’s better to keep a hand kerchief nearby due to certain circumstances :) while drinking rasam. For those who have stomach ulcer, please don’t drink the rasam.


Ingredients:
Tamarind - lime size
Pepper - 2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp.
Garlic - 2 cloves (big)
Dry whole red chili - 1
Tomatoes - 1
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Asafetida - ¼ pinch
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp. (chopped)
Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp.
Oil

Method:
Soak the tamarind in one cup of warm water.
Crush or powder the pepper and cumin seeds.
In a bowl add the tamarind extract and crush the tomatoes.
Add 2 cups of water , turmeric powder, curry leaves, salt, pepper and cumin powder & asafetida.
Heat oil and the mustard seeds.
Allow to crackle and add the garlic and sauté till light golden color.
Add the broken dry chilies. And add the rasam water.
Bring it to a rolling boil. Let it boil for 2-4 minutes.
Add the coriander leaves.
You can drink it like a soup or have it with white rice.

Sent off to "Home Remedies-Part 2" hosted by Ruchikacooks and started by A2Z Vegetarian Cuisine.

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Egg Masala with Fenugreek leaves

Ingredients:
Boiled eggs - 4
Fenugreek leaves - 1 cup
Onion - 3 (chopped)
Garlic - 2 big cloves (crushed)
Ginger - 1 inch (crushed)
Tomato puree - ½ cup
Green chilies - 2 (slit)
Red chili powder - ¾ tsp.
Coriander powder - 2 tsp.
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Fennel seeds - ½ tsp.
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cumin seeds - ¼ tsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp. (chopped)

Method:
Heat oil and add the crushed fennel seeds, cumin seeds, cloves and cinnamon.
Add the onion and sauté till tender.
Add the ginger, garlic & green chili and sauté.
Add the fenugreek leaves and sauté for a minute.
Combine the tomato puree.
Let them cook in a medium flame for 5 minutes or till the leaves become tender.
Stir in between.
Add the red chili powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt.
Add one cup of water and bring it to a boil.
Remove the shell and make a slit marks on the eggs.
Add the eggs to the gravy and stir the mixture.
Add the coriander leaves.
Enjoy with roti or chapathi.

This entry is my participation in Yasmeen's "Bitter Better Health-Methi" and Srilekha's "EFM-Parathas and Curries/Gravies".

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Aloo Muttar Paratha/Potato Green Peas Stuffed Flatbread

Ingredients:
For dough:
Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt
Water (for kneading)

For filling:
Potatoes - 4 (medium)
Green peas - ¾ cup
Onions - 1 (finely chopped)
Green chilies - 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger - 1 inch (grated)
Ajwain - 2 pinches
Cumin powder - 2 pinches
Garam masala - a pinch
Salt (to taste)
Coriander leaves (without stalk)- 2 tbsp. (chopped)
Oil

Method:In a mixing bowl add flour and salt. Mix well.
By adding water, knead into a smooth dough.
Cover and keep aside.

For filling:
(I) Steam cook(ed) potatoes by cutting into halves in the microwave.
Peel the skin and grate the potatoes. Keep aside.
(Then I) Steam cook(ed) the peas also in the microwave.
Grind them into a paste.
Heat the oil and add the onions. Fry till tender.
Now add the peas paste and sauté till dry. Cool.
In a bowl add the grated potatoes, green peas, ginger, ajwain, garam masala, green chilies, cumin powder, salt, coriander leaves and mix well.
You will get a smooth potato dough ball.
Divide them into equal sized balls.
Again knead the wheat dough and divide it into equal sized balls.
Flatten the ball (dust them with plain flour) into a palm size disc with a rolling pin.
Place the filling and cover them with disc. Seal it.
Flatten them gently with the rolling pin rolling on the seal.
Heat the tawa and place the paratha.
Cook on both sides by brushing with oil.
Continue with the remaining balls.
Enjoy with salt or sugar mixed yogurt
We had the parathas with salt mixed beaten yogurt sprinkled with red chili powder and mango pickle.

Note:
Make sure no lumps in the potatoes and green peas.
I flattened the stuffed ball on the side of the sealing.
Green chilies can be replaced with red chili powder.
Adjust the spices according to your taste.
I got 13 parathas from this measurements.

Sent off to MLLA-21 (hosted by Superchef and started by Susan), Pari's Combo event & Srilekha's EFM-Parathas & Gravies/Curries.

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