Ridge Gourd/ Peerkangai Chutney

Ingredients:
Ridge gourd - 3 (medium & tender)
Green peppercorn/Pacha kurumulaku - 1 medium spike
Coconut flakes - 1/3 cup
Coriander leaves - 1 small bunch
Tamarind - gooseberry size
Garlic - 8 cloves (small)
Bengal gram - 2 tbsp.
Salt (to taste)
Oil

For Tempering:
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Vadagam - 1 1/2 tsp.
Oil


Method:
Peel and discard the sharp edges of ridge gourd skin. Cut the ridge into pieces.
Soak the tamarind in required water.
Heat oil in a kadai and sauté the ridge gourd till it becomes tender. Remove from kadai and keep aside.
In the same kadai add 1/2 tsp. of oil and fry the bengal gram till it turns golden color. Remove and cool.
In a blender add ridge gourd, green peppercorn, coconut flakes, tamarind with water, garlic, bengal gram, chopped coriander leaves, salt and grind them. Add water if required.
Temper the chutney with vadagam and curry leaves.

Enjoy with idlies or dosai.
Note: Use red chilli or green chilli instead of green peppercorn.


Green peppercorn/Pacha Kurumulaku:

I already uploaded another photo like this in Chicken with green peppercorn fry, but I'm showing this up for vegetarians.

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Banana Bundt Cake

Happy Mother's Day!

Here is the original recipe.
Ingredients:
AP Flour - 3 cups
Unsalted butter - 2 sticks (8 ounces at room temperature)
Eggs (large) - 2 (I used 3 Indian eggs)
Sugar - 2 cups
Baking soda - 2 tsp.
Sour cream/plain yogurt - 1 cup (I used plain yogurt)
Bananas (very very ripe) - 4 (mashed)
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp.
Salt - 1/2 tsp.

Method:
Pre-heat the oven at 350°F and butter the 9 to 10 inch bundt pan.
Whisk flour, baking soda and salt.
Beat the butter till creamy.
Add the sugar and beat till fluffy and pale.
Add the vanilla essence and the eggs (one at a time and beating the batter for a minute after each egg).
Then add the bananas and beat at a lower speed.
Mix in the half-dry ingredients. Then add the plain yogurt and add the remaining dry ingredients.
Pour in the batter in the bundt pan and smooth at the top.
Bake for 55-75 minutes or until the tester comes out clean (mine took 55 minutes).
Transfer the cake to a rack and let it rest for 10-20 minutes.
Unmold onto the rack and let it cool at room temperature.


Note:
If the cake browns too quickly, cover it loosely with a foil like a tent.
If you want icing to sweeten up your bites you can sprinkle icing sugar.


Sent off to Jo's "Mother's Day Event".

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Sprouted Green Gram Paniyaram

Ingredients:
Sprouted Green Gram - 1 cup
Wet aval/poha/beaten rice - 1 cup
Sweet corn - 1 cup
Carrot - 1 (grated)
Capsicum - 1 (finely-chopped)
Onion - 1 (finely-chopped)
Ginger - 1 tsp. (chopped)
Garlic - 1 tsp. (chopped)
Ground cumin - 1 tsp.
Ground coriander - 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp. (chopped)
Salt
Baking soda - 1 pinch

Method:
Grind green gram, aval, carrot and sweet corn.
Add capsicum, onion, ginger, garlic, ground cumin and coriander, coriander leaves, salt and a pinch of soda.
Mix well. Heat paniyaram griddle and add few drops of oil to each hole of the paniyaram griddle.
Pour the mixture with a spoon. Cover and cook for 5-6 minutes. Reverse the paniyaram and continue again for 5-6 minutes or until cooked.
When both the sides are crispy remove from vessel and enjoy with green chutney.
Source: Newspaper

Sent off to Susan's "MLLA-23" event.

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Rava Kesari

Ingredients:
Fine rava/sooji/semolina - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cups
Hot water - 2 1/2 cups
Ghee - 2 1/2 tbsp. + 1 1/2 tsp.
Warm milk - 1/4 cup
Saffron strands - a few strands
Cashewnuts - 6
Raisins - 8
Ground green cardamom - 1 tsp.
Saffron food color - 2 to 3 pinches

Method:
Add 3/4 tsp. of ghee in a small kadai and roast the cashewnuts and raisins. Keep aside.
Add the saffron strands in warm milk and keep aside.
Heat 3/4 tsp. of ghee in a non - stick kadai.
Add the rava and start to fry for 3 to 4 minutes.
Dissolve the saffron food color in hot water.
Pour the hot water in the roasted rava and start to mix well and break the lumps if any formed.
Stir and allow the rava to cook.
Now add the sugar and stir well. When the sugar is fully dissolved, add the 2 1/2 tbsp. of ghee and mix well.
Now add the warm milk with saffron strands, ground cardamom, roasted cashew nuts, raisins and mix well.
When the kesari leaves the sides of the kadai, remove from heat.
Have the kesari warm or at room temperature.

Sent off to Priya's "CWS-Cardamom Seeds" event and Jyoti's "Mother's Day Event".

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Chicken Biryani (Version 2)

Ingredients:
Chicken - 1/2 kg
Basmati rice - 2 1/2 cup
Coconut milk - 1 1/4 cup
Water - 2 3/4 cup
Onions - 5 (sliced thinly)
Tomatoes (ripe) - 4 (chopped)
Ginger - 2 inches
Garlic - 10 cloves (small)
Mint leaves - a handful
Coriander leaves - 3 tbsp.
Curd - 3 tbsp.
Kashmiri red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Green chillies - 4 (slit into halves longitudinally)
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Mace - 2
Kalpasi/Dagad phool - 2
Black cardamom - 2
Bay leaves - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Black pepper - 4
Cloves - 2
Salt
Oil
Ghee - 3 tsp.
Lemon juice - a few drops (optional)

Method:
Wash the chicken and cut it into bite-sized pieces.
Grind ginger, garlic, cinnamon, mace, cloves, black pepper, cumin seeds, dagad phool and black cardamom.
Marinate chicken pieces with ground paste, green chillies, mint leaves, coriander leaves, curd, salt, chilli powder and keep aside.
Soak the rice in water and keep aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker.
Add bay leaves, onions and sauté till the onions change to golden color.
Now add the tomatoes and sauté till it becomes mushy.
Add the marinated chicken with masala and sauté for 5 to 8 minutes.
Now add the soaked rice without water and 2 tsp. of ghee.
Stir gently.
Add coconut milk and water.
Check for salt and add if required.
Cover the pressure cooker with its lid and add the weight.
Pressure cook till one whistle and simmer for 5 minutes.
Remove from heat after 5 minutes.
When the pressure drops, remove the lid and spread the rice on a large wide plate.
Sprinkle the remaining ghee and add lemon juice before serving.
Also remove the bay leaves before serving.
Enjoy this tasty biryani with chicken fry and raita.
Sent off to Priya's "CWS-Cardamom Seeds" event.

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Green Peppercorn Chicken Fry

Ahem! I'm back! :) I thought it would take weeks or months to get the computers fixed, but my husband (who is a lazy guy) spent a whole day to get them fixed!!! Half day was spent in buying the hardware parts and half day spent in setting them up. Okay, today's recipe is green peppercorn chicken (which is good for people suffering from cold). Although, green peppers aren't available here, my relative from Bangalore sent it to me as a gift.

Ingredients:
Chicken - 3/4 kg
Onions (medium) - 5
Ginger - 2 inches
Garlic (small) - 10 cloves
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp.
Black peppercorns - 5
Green peppercorns - 3 medium sprigs
Green cardamom seeds - 2
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp.
Salt
Oil
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Coriander leaves (chopped) - 2 tbsp.

Green Peppercorns

Method:
Cut the chicken into bite-size pieces.
Grind ginger, garlic, cinnamon, green cardamom, fennel seeds, cumin, green and black peppers.
Marinate the chicken with ground paste along with salt, chili powder, turmeric powder and curry leaves. Keep aside.
Chop the onions.
Heat oil in a kadai and add the onion pieces.
Sauté till it changes color. Now add the marinated chicken pieces and start to fry.
Cover the kadai and cook the chicken by stirring in between.
When the chicken turns tender, remove the lid and sauté till the chicken becomes dry.
Enjoy as a side dish for chapathi or for biryani.

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

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