Nov 28, 2018

Tomato and Garlic Chutney

One of my favorite accompaniment for breakfast. I first had this when my mother-in-law made this for idli at our first meeting during my wedding preparations. It is a typical Chennai accompaniment they have mostly for tiff ins.

Good part of this chutney it is preservable up-to a month or so.


Ingredients

10 Garlic Cloves, peeled
1 kg Tomatoes
6 Curry leaves
1/4 cup Canola or Sesame seed oil
1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
1/4 tsp Asofetida (Hing)
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt

Method

  • Grind garlic to a coarse paste and pure tomatoes. Don't add water to both these ingredients
  • Now, heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan. 
  • Add Garlic, curry leaves and hing. Saute for a minute
  • Next add turmeric. Stir for 20 sec. Let the turmeric color seep into the oil
  • Next, add tomato puree. Mix well. Cover the pan and cook for 20-30 min until oil separates from pan
  • Then add red chili powder and salt. Saute for another 15 min on low heat
  • Let it cool and don't cover the pan. 
  • Store it in a glass container and refrigerate

Nov 21, 2018

Chicken Onion Curry

Serving- 5

Ingredients

1 Whole Chicken, cut into medium sized pieces
1 Onion, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Chili powder
1/2 tsp Garam masala powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
4 tsp Oil
Salt
1 cup Water

For Masala 1
1 tsp Oil
1 Onion, finely chopped
2 Red Chillies

For Masala 2
6 Garlic cloves
1 small piece Ginger
2 stick Cinnamon
4 Cloves
4 Cardamom
1 Star Anise
1/2 tsp Poppy Seeds
1/4 cup Coconut,

Method


  • Heal 1 tsp oil in a pan. Fry onions until it turns brown. Add chilies and saute for few seconds. Grind them to a fine paste
  • Next, grind all the ingredients listed under "Masala 2" to a fine paste. Add water as needed. Set aside
  • Next, heat oil in a pan. Add onions and saute until it softens. Then add chicken, turmeric powder, chili powder, garam masala powder and coriander powder. Cook for 10 minutes. 
  • As meat cooks, add previously ground "Masala 1" and "Masala 2" paste. Add salt
  • Cook for 30-40 minutes


Brinjal Pulav




Serving - 4

Ingredients

200 gms Brinjal, diced
2 cups Basmati rice, soaked in water
4 tsp Oil
2 Bay Leaf
2 sticks Cinnamon
1/2 tsp Black Jeera
4 Cloves
4 Cardamom
4 Garlic cloves, crushed
1 Onion, thinly sliced
5 Green Chilies
1/2 tsp Red Chili powder
3 cups Water
Salt

Method

  • Wash and soak rice in water

  • In a pressure cooker, heat oil. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, black jeera and cardamom. Leave for a minute

  • Add onions, garlic and green chilies. Saute until onions softens

  • Then add red chili powder
  • Add brinjal and mix well. Leave for 2 min
  • Add rice, water and salt. Mix well
  • Pressure cook for 2-3 whistles

  • Serve hot


Plain Onion Rava Upma





Servings- 3-4

Ingredients

2 cups Rava
4 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp Mustard Seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin Seeds
1/2 tsp Urad Dal
1/2 tsp Channa Dal
1 Onion, thinly sliced
4 Green Chilies, slit
5 Curry leaves
1/2 tsp grated Ginger
4 Cups Water
Salt

Method

  • Roast rave in a heavy bottomed pan in medium-low heat until rava starts to turn brown color. Then set aside



  • Heat oil in same pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal and channa dal. Let it turn light brown


  • Add onions, curry leaves, green chilies and ginger. Saute until onions are fully cooked
  • Add water and salt. Bring it to boil
  • Now slowly add rava and stir in one direction. Mix well

  • Cover the top and cook for 3-5 min.

  • Serve hot

Jun 8, 2018

Ambur Brinjal Biryani

An easy comforting veggi-delight for a weekday dinner!!



Ingredients

3 cups Seeraga Samba Rice or Basmati rice
10 small Brinjal, cut in half lengthwise
1/4 cup Oil
3 Bay Leaf
2 small sticks Cinnamon
6 Cloves
2 Star Anise
1 tsp Black Jeera
8 Green Chillies, slit lengthwise
1 Large Onion, thinly sliced
Handfull of Mint chopped
1/2 Lemon Juice
4 Cups Water
Salt

For the masala 
4 Red Byadagi Chilli
6 Cloves of Garlic
1 small piece of Ginger
6 Cardamom
2 tsp Fennel seeds
1/2 cup Water

Method

  1. Wash and soak rice in water. Set aside
  2. Grind all the ingredients listed under masala into fine paste. Then set aside
  3. On a heavy bottomed skillet, heat oil until smoky. Add these together - bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, black jeera and  star annise
  4. Then add green chillies and onions. Saute until onions sweat
  5. Then add brinjal. Saute for a minute
  6. Then add the masala paste. Mix well. Cover the skillet and cook until brinjals are half cooked about 8 minutes
  7. Then add these -  water, salt, mint and lemon jucie. Bring it to boil
  8. Reduce the heat. Then add the rice. Mix well. Cover the skillet and cook in low flat for 15 to 20 minutes. Turn off heat and set aside for another 10 minutes. 
  9. Serve with cool cucumber raita 

***Tips and success factor ***
(Do not add more water, otherwise rice becomes musshy. The success of this recipe depends up how long rice soaks in water and cooking rice in low heat)

Apr 5, 2016

Ompudi | Khara Sev



Its a mommy's favorite recipe. Crispy noodle strands made with besan (chickpea flour) is a perfect tea time savory snack. In south India they are called ompudi becuase it is flavored with caraway seeds. Most popularly it is called as sev. 

Its the most common garnishing ingredient in Indian chats and they are not complete without topping of sev. 

My mom usually makes this snack in large batches. It takes very less time to prepare and cooks very fast. With proper storage it can last for up-to a month. 


Ingredients

3 cups Besan (chickpea flour)
1/2 tsp Ajwain (caraway seeds)
1 tsp Red chili powder
1/4 tsp Asafoetida (hing)
2 tsp Melted Ghee
Salt
Water
Oil for deep frying


Method


  • Blend ajwain into fine powder

  • In a large mixing bowl, mix together besan, ajwain, red chili powder, asafoetida, ghee and salt



  • Add water in small batches to the besan mixture and mix together to form a sticky dough  (*** Note -  you can use spoon to make dough for less messy)

  •  Grease the sev maker. Load the besan dough until it fills up the cylinder. And close the cylinder

  • Heat oil until it is moderately hot on medium heat 
  • Press the handle of sev maker and gently drop the noodle strands in oil in circular motion. Fry in medium heat until oil bubbles go away (*** Note -  Flip the sev only once. Flipping more than once will break the sev)

  •  Use an absorbent paper to drain excess oil
  • After sev cools down, store it in a air tight container 

Potato Leak Soup


A fulfilling recipe from French cuisine made from potatoes and leaks flavored with oregano and thyme. All these ingredients are blended together using immersion blender until they are smooth. 

Ingredients

3 stalks of Leeks, whites and light green only partially chopped
3 medium sized Yukon potatoes, peeled and diced
6 Garlic cloves, minced
1/2 tsp Oregano
1/4 tsp Thyme
1/2 tsp crushed Black pepper
1 ltr Chicken Broth
Salt
1 tsp Butter

Method

  • Melt butter in a large pot. To this, add garlic and leeks. Sautee for few seconds

 

  • Then add potato and sautee for another 2 minutes

  • Add oregano, thyme and black pepper

  • Add chicken broth and mix well. Cover the pot and cook for 10 minutes until potatoes are fork tender

  • Add salt as per taste
  • Using an immersion blender blend the soup until smooth

  • Simmer for 2 -5 minutes
  • Serve hot

Apr 2, 2016

Sabsike Soppina Akki Rotti


Sabsike Soppu ( Dill leaves), dark green stranded leafy vegetable is very rich in fiber and vitamin K.  The oils present in dill leaves such as carvone, limonene, phenolic and flavonoids boosts breast milk supply.  This leafy vegetable is classified as galactogogue foods. 

Akki Rotti is a southern Karnataka based recipe made with rice flour and a wide variety of vegetables and spices.

*** Note: By adding oil while kneading the dough, keeps it moist and can be refrigerated upto 3 days

Ingredients

3 cups Rice flour
1 large bunch of Dill leaves (with stem), finely chopped
1 Carrot, shredded
1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
1 inch piece of Ginger, finely chopped
2-3 Green Chilies, finely chopped
Salt
4 tsp Oil 
Water (@room temperature) as needed 

Method


  • In a large bowl, mix all ingredients together except for oil and water
  • Add enough water to form soft dough. 
  • Add oil and knead well. Let it rest for 30 minutes

  • Divide the dough into equal portions. Take each portions and shape it into balls
  • Place one portion of the shaped dough on a greased flat pan. Wet your palm and  pat the dough to form a pancake working from inwards and spread it evenly outwards 
  • Add few drops of oil on the edges. Cook on medium heat on both the sides until it turns golden brown

  • For the next rotti, cool the pan with running cold water and repeat the above 2 steps
  • Serve hot with coconut chutney. And some ghee is also preferred