Egg Drop Soup

Egg drop soup is my Asian favorite soup. I order this soup all the time when I visit a Chinese restaurant. When  I wanted to make this recipe at home, I was surprised to find what the base ingredients were; to make this delicious soup.

3 main ingredients to make this soup are chicken stock, eggs and soy sauce. Additionally ginger/garlic,  spring onions and corn starch can be added. It takes only 15 min to make this soup.

Ingredients

4 cups of Chicken stock

2 Eggs

1 tsp Sesame seed oil

1 clove of Garlic, minced

1/2 tsp Soy sauce

1 tsp Corn Starch

Few sprigs of Green onions/cilantro

Salt

Pepper

Method

• On a preheated large pot, heat oil. When it turns smoky, add garlic. Then add chicken stock and bring it boil

• In the meantime, mix corn starch and soy sauce in water without forming lumps. Add this mixture to the boiling chicken stock

• beat egg in a bowl and set aside

• Now reduce the heat and stir the soup using a ladle to form whirlpool. Slowly pour the eggs to create egg ribbons. Cook for 1 minute

• Turn off the heat. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with spring onions/cilantro
• Serve immediately

Majjige Neeru | Spiced ButterMilk | Masala Majjige

"Majjige Neeru" or "Spiced Buttermilk" is a traditional beverage made during festivals especially for Sri Rama Navami festival, celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. It is also a summer refreshing drink. It helps to cool off body on a hot sunny day.

I learnt this recipe at my maternal grandparents house where I spent my summer vacations here. Me and my cousins used to help our mothers in kitchen in making lemonade and buttermilk in mid mornings. We learnt how to make butter and buttermilk in traditional way using rope and a butter churner tied to a pole. I miss those days, just leave behind our memories. 

The recipe is simple and very easy.

Ingredients

1 cup yogurt

2 cups water

1 Green Chili, minced

1 sprig of Curry leaves

1 sprig of Cilantro

1 small piece of Ginger, grated

1/2 tsp Salt

Method

Method 1 -

• In a pot , mix water and yogurt. Use a butter churner to churn. Churn for 2- 5 minutes
• Crush green chili, curry leaves, cilantro, & ginger. Add it to the buttle milk. Adjust salt as per taste and mix well
• Strain the butter milk and discard if any thing is left in strainer
• Refrigerated for 1 hour. Serve chilled

or

Method 2-

• In a blender, add water, yogurt, green chili, curry leaves, cilantro, ginger, cumin seeds and salt. Blend for 1 or 2 pulses
• Strain the butter milk and discard if any thing is left in strainer
• Refrigerated for 1 hour. Serve chilled

Panaka | Panakam | Panangam

"Panaka | Panakam | Panangam" is a sweet drink prepared on Sri Rama Navami festival. Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Rama. This festival is celebrated on 9th day of Chaitra month according to Hindu calendar. 

 It is also a summer beverage made with jaggery, pepper, cardamom and lemon.

Ingredients

3 cups water

6 tsp Jaggery | Gur | Brown sugar

1/4 tsp Cardamon

Pinch of pepper powder (optional)

3 Lemons

1/4 tsp Ginger Powder

Method

• In a pot, mix water, jaggery, cardamom, pepper powder, ginger and juice of 3 lemons. Stir until jaggery completely dissolves
• Refrigerate for 1/2 hour and serve cold

Lemon Rice | Chitranna

An age old recipe from South India, yet enjoyed by people from different age groups. Its the most commonly served temple prasadham, to festival, breakfast and lunch box recipes. 

My love for this recipe is so immense that I want to share this recipe to everyone. Lemon rice used to be my lunch box recipe atleast once a week until I graduated. And the joy cannot be expressed when I used to shared my food with the friends @ lunch time ....

A very simple seasoning comprising of oil, mustard seeds, bengal gram, peanuts, curry leaves, onions, turmeric and lemon juice is integrated with warm white rice. A dash of lemon juice and turmeric highlights this  lemon rice recipe and to add a little crunch peanuts and channa dal are incorporated.

Ingredients

2 Cups of Rice

1 Lemon

Few sprigs of Cilantro, finely chopped (optional)

For seasoning

4 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Bengal gram

4 tsp Peanuts

2 sprigs of Curry leaves

5-6 Green Chilies, finely chopped

1 small onion, finely chopped 

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

Method

• Cook rice with 4 cups of water. Allow rice to cool and separate the rice using a fork or ladle
• In a sauce pan, heat oil. When it is smoky, add mustard seeds, bengal gram & peanuts. Saute until it turns light brown
• Then add curry leaves and green chilies. Give it a little stir
• Add onions. Saute until it turns transparent. Then add turmeric powder. Stir for few seconds. Pour this seasoning on top of freshly prepared rice
• Squeeze lemon juice and add cilantro. Adjust salt as per taste. Mix well
• Serve immediately

Carrot - Celery Juice

An amazing weight loss recipe to start in morning. Its not only nutritious but also delicious. 
When I was watching a show in food channel, the chef mentioned that 24 stalks of celery is equivalent to 200 calories. This stuck me up to make this juice recipe with 2 ingredients.

Ingredients

2 Carrots, finely chopped

2 Stalks of Celery, cut into squares

Orange Juice, (as needed)

Method

• Puree carrots first in a electric blender or a food processor. Then add celery and puree
• Add orange juice to adjust thickness
• Chill until needed

Also, check for more juicing recipes - Kale - Carrot Juice

Pudina Chicken Fry | Mint Chicken Fry

Chicken is slow cooked in mint puree until it is juicy and tender. This recipe has bursting flavors of mint, cinnamon, cloves, green chilies, onion, ginger and garlic.

Pudina chicken fry is refreshing with flavors and is fried succulent to perfection. 

Ingredients

1 Kg Chicken, cut into bite sized pieces 

1 Onion, thinly sliced

2-3 sprigs of Curry leaves

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Pepper powder

4 tsp Coriander powder

4 tsp oil

For Masala - 

1 Large bunch of Mint (pudina)

8 - 10 Green Chilies

2 Medium sized onion, cubed

1 Cinnamon stick

4 Cloves

1 inch piece of Ginger

4 Garlic cloves

1/2 tsp Fennel seeds

Method

• In a heavy bottomed dish, heat oil. Add onions, curry leaves; and saute until it is transparent

• Add turmeric powder,  and pepper powder
• Add Chicken and mix well

• Make puree of all the ingredients listed under Masala

• Return the masala to the dish and add coriander powder. Mix well until masala is coated over chicken.  Cover the dish and cook in low heat for 30 min. Adjust salt as per taste and cook for another 30 minutes

• Serve hot with rice or roti 

Fish Pakoda

A dinner party recipe to cook for a small gathering. This is seafood platter  is crunchy on the outside and moist  inside. 

Any kind of fish can be used to make pakoda like ocean perch, tilapia, salmon, white fish fillet, catfish and so on. 

Long strips of fish is marinated in a spicy batter of corn flour, ginger-garlic paste, pepper and red chili powder which is then deep-fried until it is crunchy.

                       

Ingredients

1 kg Fish fillets (ocean perch, salmon, catfish..)

1 tsp Ginger-Garlic paste

Juice of 1 Lemon

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/2 tsp red Chili powder

1/2 tsp pepper powder

1 cup of Corn flour

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Method

• Into a large bowl, mix corn flour, ginger-garlic paste, lemon juice, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder and pepper powder. Season it with salt. Add little water to make thick paste
• Apply this spice mix on fish fillet on both the sides. refrigerate for 30 minutes
• Heat oil for deep frying
• Gently drop fillets in oil. Fry in medium heat until it turns deep red color. Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil
• Serve hot 

Zucchini Sabji

Zucchini is used in almost everything from breakfast to dinner. It is a summer squash vegetable which is very easy to work with. The most easy way to work with zucchini is sauteing with some seasoning. 

This recipe is a quickest approach to fix your lunch or dinner served with bread. Zucchini is sauteed with onions and tomatoes , then added Indian spices for flavoring. 

Ingredients

4 nos. Zucchini, 

1 Medium Sized Onion, finely chopped

1 Tomato, finely chopped

1/2 tsp coriander powder

1/4 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Red chili powder

1/2 tsp Garam masala

Salt

2 tsp Ghee

Method

• Heat ghee on a preheated sauce pan. Add onions and saute until it turns brown

• Add tomatoes, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chili powder and garam masala. Cook until tomatoes are completely cooked

• Add zucchini and mix well. Cook for 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt

• Serve hot with Roti or chapathi

Pesarattu

A  breakfast recipe represents  Andhra's delightful cuisine. I learnt this recipe from my friends who hail from Andhra Pradesh. Other varieties include "Moong Dal ka Cheela" , "Besan Ka Cheela"  from North Indian Cuisine.

Pesarattu is prepared from ground batter of  green gram, green chilies and ginger.
Green Gram is highly nutritious as it is a good source of protein, thiamin, Niacin, and dietary fibers. Due to its rich protein content, it is served for breakfast. 

Ingredients

1 cup Green Gram

6 Green Chilies, divided

1 inch piece of Ginger

1 red onion, finely chopped

handful of Cilantro

Salt

Oil

Method

• Soak green gram for 6-8 hours

• Grind green gram, chilies, ginger, coriander into a smooth thick batter. Add water for grinding as needed. Then add salt as per taste

• Separately mix onions, chilies and salt in a bowl

• On a preheated flat pan, pour a ladle of batter in center and spread it into thin circle from inside to outside. Sprinkle onions on top (it should stick to the crepe). Drizzle few drops of oil in edges. Wait for 30 sec until the edges starts turning brown

• Flip over other side and cook for another 30 seconds

• Serve hot with coconut chutney

Cauliflower Sabji

A simple veggie delight made from cauliflower florets seasoned with whole variety of Indian spices such as - cayenne, garam masala and turmeric powder. 

This recipe is best for a busy weekday dinner platter. 

Ingredients

1 Cauliflower, cut into bite sized florets

1 Medium sized Onion

1 Tomato, finely chopped

2 Garlic cloves

1 small piece of Ginger

A sprig of Curry leaves

1/2 tsp Cayenne

1/4 tsp Turmeric Powder

1/4 tsp Garam Masala powder

Salt

2 tsp Oil

Method

• Coarsely make a paste of onion, ginger and garlic

•  Heat oil in a heavy bottomed dish. Then add the coarsely ground paste and curry leaves

• Add in tomatoes, turmeric powder, garam masala, and cayenne. Stir for a minute

• Add cauliflower and toss  well. Cook for 15 minutes on medium heat while stirring occasionally

• Season with salt and cook for another 5 minutes

• Serve hot with roti

Kale - Carrot Juice

Are you on Juice cleanse? Try this new juicing recipe "Kale - Carrot Juice" made from fresh veggies such as carrots, kale and ginger.

This recipe is a powerhouse of antioxidants, high fiber, great anti-inflammatory  food, rich in calcium, vitamins A, C, K and off course great detox food.

Ingredients

1 Carrot, chopped

3 Stalks of Kale (also include tender stems)

1 inch piece of Ginger

1 Cup of Water or Orange Juice

Method

• Grind all these ingredients in a blender. If have a juicer, works good.
• Serve immediately or chilled

Mushroom - Bell Pepper Stir Fry

Simple ingredients put together and  brought to your table!!!

Mushrooms and bell peppers are those veggies that  cooks very fast in about 2 minutes which retains both crunch and flavor. Both of these vegetables have high water content, cooking too much makes mushrooms leathery and capsicum soggy. Just to add a little kick, these veggies  are tossed  in coriander powder, chat masala, green chilies and curry leaves.

Thanks to my sister Vaishnavi (we fondly call her as Indu :-) ) shared this recipe with me.

Ingredients

200 gms Mushrooms, diced

1 Green Bell pepper, cubed

1 Small Onion, diced

3 Green Chilies, finely chopped

Few curry leaves
1 tsp Mustard Seeds

1 tsp  Oil

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Chat Masala

1/4 tsp pepper (optional)

Salt

Method

• In a wok, on high heat; add oil, Mustard seeds, curry leaves,  and green chilies. Give a little stir. Immediately add onions and bell pepper. Stir in for a minute

• Add coriander powder and chat masala

• Add mushrooms and toss it on high heat. Season it with salt and pepper

• Serve immediately as a side dish

Additional Notes:

Use grape seed oil or Extra virgin olive oil to make it a guilt free recipe. 

Aloo - Channa Chat

A low calorie and oil-free snack made effortlessly. Pre-cooked boiled potatoes and dry black chick pea are tossed in a spicy tangy sauce. I prefer to make the sauce fresh because all the flavors are imparted in this chutney. The savory sauce is made up of tamarind pulp, sugar, red chili powder, chat masala, coriander powder and cumin powder. 

This recipe can be either served as a salad or as a evening snack. It tastes best when served cold.  

Ingredients

1 Potato

1 cup Dry Black Chickpea

1 Lemon

Few sprigs of Cilantro

For the sauce

1/4 cup Freshly squeezed tamarind pulp

1/2 tsp Raw sugar (or any sweetener)

1/4 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp cumin powder

1/4 tsp Red chili powder

1/4 tsp Chat masala

Salt

Method

• Cook potato in a pot of boiling water until fork tender. Peel of the skin and cut into small cubes
• Soak dry black chickpea in water for 3-5 hours. Then wash chickpea in running cold water. Cook in a pressure cooker for 10 -15 minutes with 3 cups of water. Drain excess water. (you can retain this water which can be used as a base to prepare soups and curries)
• In a pan, mix all the ingredients  and bring it to boil
• In a bowl, mix potatoes, boiled chickpeas and sauce. Season it with salt, then add lemon juice and garnish with coriander
• Serve wither warm or chilled

Additional notes~

Further in this recipe, you can embellish with chopped red onions and pomogranate

Capsicum Varuval

Capsicum varuval is a simple and a tasty side dish for yogurt rice (Thayir Sadham ). We make this scrumptious and juicy dish when capsicum is cheap and available in abundance. 

This veggie delicacy  just needs dry rub to coat capsicum and shallow fry in oil. The dry rub consists of turmeric powder, red chili powder, cumin powder and coriander powder. Capsicum is slow cooked until it sweats in oil and becomes translucent. The lightly colored brown spots in capsicum adds an additional bonus to the flavor.

Ingredients

4 Medium sized Green Bell peppers

4 tsp Oil

1/3 tsp Turmeric powder

1/2 tsp Coriander powder

1/4 tsp Red Chili powder

1/4 tsp cumin powder

Salt

Method

• Cut the bell peppers in quarts with crown intact

• Make a smooth paste of all the spices with a little water and season it with salt

• Apply the spice mixture inside the capsicum without breaking it

• Heat oil in a pan. Place the bell peppers close to each other and cook in low heat. Rotate occasionally until it turns transparent

• Serve it as a side dish with curd rice, sambhar or type of lentil curry

Thayir Sadham

Thayir Sadham is called yogurt rice is a simple and easy meal mostly in southern states in India. Warm rice is mixed with yogurt and seasoned with different condiments. In particular,  freshly grated raw ginger is added to boost its flavor which has several health benefits. 

This recipe is prepared in Bhramin style  which means no onion & no garlic. In many temples, curd rice is served as prasadam. It is also said that curd rice aids digestion. Usually in weddings or in any functions, after a heavy course meal; it is finished with curd rice.

Tip:

• In summer milk is also added to prevent yogurt getting sour
• Fruits like pomegranate and grapes are also added. Apart from these even roasted cashew nut are also added

Cooking time: 35 -40 min | Serves - 2

Ingredients

1 cup of Rice (uncooked)

4 cups of Yogurt

1/2 cup of Milk (optional)

1 inch piece Ginger, grated

1 Green Chili, finely chopped (optional)

 Handful of Cilantro, finely chopped

Salt

For Seasoning~

2 tsp Oil

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Channa dal

A sprig of Curry leaves

2 nos Red chili

Method

• Cook rice with 2 1/2 cups of water. After rice has cooked mash rice with a ladle
• Mix rice with yogurt, milk, ginger, green chili, cilantro and salt
• In a pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, channa dal, curry leaves and red chili. When it starts to sizzle, pour the seasoning to the curd rice and mix well

Additional Notes:

• Adjust the thickness of yogurt and rice as per your choice. Rice tends to absorb yogurt when left for long. You can add little water or milk to brng down to right consistency.
• I have used fat free yogurt. You can use yogurt from whole milk to make it more creamy