Microwave Palkova / 10 Minutes Palkova Recipe

Palkova is a traditional Indian sweet which takes more than a hour to make.  I tried this in microwave oven and it took only 10 minutes; of course, the taste was awesome!  Feeling happy!!!!

Try out this quick and easy to prepare sweet that is suitable for all special occasions!

Ingredients:

Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1 can (395 g)
Fresh Curd - 2 tbsp
Ghee - 2 tsp
Chopped pistachios - to garnish

Directions:

Take a wide microwave safe bowl and grease it with ghee.

Oats Pongal

Bored of using oats only for porridge? Try it out for Pongal; a popular South Indian breakfast recipe!

Pongal is usually made of rice and moong dhal; here is a twist using oats instead of rice.  It is easy to make, tasty and healthy as well!

Try this and include in your routine for a healthy living!

Ingredients:

Oats  -1 cup

Moong dhal - ½ cup

Turmeric powder - ¼  tsp

Water -  1 ½ - 2 cups

Salt - to taste

To Temper:
Black pepper -1 tsp
Cumin seeds -1 tsp

Curry leaves- 1 sprig
Cashew nuts - 8 to 10 pieces (broken into small pieces)
Ginger - 2 tsp (finely chopped)
Green chilli – 1 (finely chopped)
Oil - 2 tsp

Ghee – 1 to 2 tsp

Directions:

Wash and pressure cook dhal with turmeric powder until soft.  Keep aside.

Beetroot Raita / Pachadi - Kerala Style

This yogurt based veg accompaniment is one of the popular dishes of Kerala; usually served during all traditional feast like ona sadhya, vishu etc. 

Ingredients:

Beetroot – 2 cups (grated)
Yogurt / curd – 1 cup
Salt - to taste

For Seasoning: 

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Curry leaves - few
Red chilly - 1 (optional)
Coconut Oil – 1 tbsp

To Grind: 

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp 

Grated Coconut - 2 tbsp 

Green chillies - 1 or 2 

 Mustard seeds - ¼ tsp

https://youtu.be/IaDm1kj_vO0

Directions:

Wash, peel and grate the beetroots. Keep aside.

Beetroot Halwa (Sweet Beetroot Pudding)

Beetroot halwa is an easy to make dessert using milk, grated beetroot, nuts, cardamom and sugar that is suitable for all special occasions; so try and relish.

Red Snapper Fish Fry / Sankara Meen Varuval / South Indian Style Fish Fry - Shallow Frying Method

This is a very simple but delicious fish fry recipe that goes well with any type of meal. 

Ingredients:

Red Snapper / Sankara meen - 6 to 8 pieces
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Red chilli powder - 2 to 3 tsp(adjust according to your taste bud)
Thick tamarind extract - 2 tsp 

Oil - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Oil - for shallow frying 

Directions:

Wash and clean the fish pieces; make incisions and pat dry. 

Strawberry Milkshake

A thick and creamy milkshake made with milk, strawberries and  ice cream is great on a hot summer day!

Ingredients:

Strawberries - 5 to 6
Milk - 1 cup
Sugar - 3 tsp (Adjust according to your taste)
Strawberry ice cream - 1 to 2 scoops
Ice cubes - 2 to 3

Cabbage Chutney / Side Dish For Idli / Dosa

Here is a fresh, healthy, delicious and easy to make chutney that goes well with South Indian breakfast varieties, such as Idli, Dosa and Uttappam; suitable as an accompaniment for rice, as well.

A smart way of adding vegetable into the diet of your family members; they will not even recognize that there is a vegetable in this chutney!

Serves - 4 to 5 people

Ingredients:

Cabbage - 1 ½ cup (chopped)
Carrot - one small (peel the skin and chop into bite size pieces)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Tomato - ½ (chopped)
Ginger - 2 " piece
Channa dhal - 1 ½ tsp
Red chill - 5
Tamarind - a small piece
Grated coconut - 2 to 3 tbsp 
Oil - 2 tsp

Mummy Cupcakes (Halloween Special)

Hi friends, this Mummy Cupcakes recipe is for October month's Home Baker's Challenge.

This is my second recipe for Halloween special and I really enjoyed making them.  Chocolate Mummy Cupcakes with vanilla butter cream frosting is a perfect sweet treat for a Halloween party!

Thanks to Priya Suresh for starting the group and Nalini Suresh for hosting this month's event and challenge. To know more about Home Baker's Challenge click here.

Chocolate cupcake and Vanilla butter cream frosting recipes are adapted from Joy of baking.

Ingredients:

For Chocolate Cupcake:

All purpose flour – 11/3 Cups

Sugar – 1 cup (powdered)

Butter – ½ cup 

Baking powder – 2 tsp 

Salt – ½ tsp

Cocoa powder -  ½ cup 

Egg – 2 

Hot Water  – 1 cup
Vanilla essence - 2 tsp

Vanilla butter cream Frosting:

Butter - ¼  cup

Confectioner's Sugar - 1 cup

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Milk - 1 tbsp (if required)

Directions:

For Chocolate cupcake:

Preheat oven to 180 deg C. Line the cups of a muffin pan with paper liners.

Kavuni Arisi / Black Rice Sweet Pongal - Chettinad Special

Tasty and healthy chettinad delicacy suitable for all occasions; made of an unique rice variety rich in antioxidants.

Ingredients:

Black Rice / Kavuni Arisi - 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Grated Coconut - ¼ to ½ cup
Sugar- ½  to ¾ cup ((adjust to suit your taste)
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Broken Cashew- 10 to 12 pieces
Cardamom Powder- ½ tsp

Directions:

Wash and soak the rice in 4 cups of water for about 3 to 4 hours.

Spooky Witch Finger Cookies (Halloween Special)

Hi friends, here is Spooky Witch Finger Cookies recipe for October month's Home Baker's Challenge.

This month Nalini Suresh is hosting the event and she has given three recipes Ghost or Mummy Cup Cakes, Pumpkin Cookies and Spooky Witch Finger Cookies as Halloween special.

I really enjoyed making this; cookies came out very crunchy and tasty; an amusing way to celebrate Halloween.  Try this spooky and scary fingers cookies and enjoy with your family and friends.

Thanks to Priya Suresh for starting the group and Nalini Suresh for hosting this month's event and challenge. To know more about Home Baker's Challenge click here.

Yields - 20 to 25 cookies (approximately) 

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 11/3 cup
Butter- ½ cup
Sugar – ½ cup
Egg - ½
Vanilla essence – ½ tsp
Almond essence - ½ tsp
Baking Powder – ½ tsp
Salt – ½ tsp
Almonds – 20 to 25 pieces

Directions:

Preheat oven to 180 deg. C; grease baking tray or line with parchment paper.

Chettinad Mushroom Gravy / Curry

A tasty curry from chettinad cuisine prepared using freshly ground spices that is rich in flavour! 

Ingredients:

Button mushrooms - 10 to 15 nos (clean in warm water and cut into bite sized pieces)

Onion - 1 (finely chopped)

Tomato  -  2 (finely chopped)

Ginger and garlic paste - 2 tsp 

Oil - 1 to 2 tbsp

Grated coconut - ½ cup

Cashew nuts - 10 nos. 

Salt - to taste 

Fresh coriander - for garnishing

To dry roast and grind:

Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

Dry red chillies - 4 to 5 nos (adjust to suit your taste)

Peppercorns - 2  tsp 

Turmeric - ½ tsp 

Cinnamon sticks - 1 

Cardamoms - 1 

Cloves - 2 

Fennel seeds -  ½  tsp

Cumin seeds - ½ tsp

Star anise - 1

For seasoning:

Curry leaves - 1 Sprig 

Bay leaf - 1 

Kalpasi - little

Directions:

Roast all the masala ingredients without oil and grind together to a smooth powder.

Yam Fry / Yam Tawa Roast / Senai kizhangu Roast -- South Indian Style

Here is a South Indian Style Yam Roast made healthy by shallow frying method!. 

Yam is very tasty and a nutritious vegetable; rich in vitamins & minerals (especially B6 and also very high in potassium, magnesium and phosphorous).

With its low glycemic index content, it is good for diabetics in maintaining the glucose levels normal. It is a also natural cure for constipation and irregular bowel movements.

So eat Yam / Senai kizhangu in a healthy way for its nutritional benefits.

Serves - 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:

Yam - 250 grams (medium sized piece)
Thick tamarind extract - 2 tsp + 1 tsp extra
Red chilli powder - 1½ tsp (Adjust according to your spice level)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch

Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsp

Directions:

Peel the outer skin and cut into slices (not thin or thick).

Boil water along with turmeric powder, salt and a tsp tamarind extract . 

(Adding tamarind juice while cooking yam is to prevent / reduce the itchy nature)

Add the yam slices and allow to cook till it is soft but holds the shape. Drain yam and keep aside.

Take a wide bowl and add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, tamarind extract and salt; just enough water to make fine thick paste.

Apply this masala on both sides of the sliced yam without breaking it and keep aside.

Heat oil in a flat bottom pan or tawa, place the yam and turn on both the sides until the yam become golden brown in colour (do this in medium flame).

Serve hot. This will be a best accompaniment for rice with sambar, rasam or curd.

Note:

You can also add garam masala and ginger garlic paste for different taste.

Kollu Sundal / Horse Gram Sundal

Horse gram is a nutritious legume which is rich in protein, iron and fibre; also helps in lowering cholesterol, weight loss and menstrual problems.

It is known by Hurule in Kannada, Kollu in Tamil, Kulthi in Hindi, Ulavalu in Telugu, Muthira in Malayalam and Horse Gram in English.

Here is a tasty and healthy Horse Gram Sundal / stir fry recipe for this special occasion!

Serves: 3 to 4 persons

Ingredients:

Horsegram - 1 cup

Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp (finely chopped)

Lemon juice - 1 to 2 tsp

To Grind:

Green chillies - 2  (adjust according to your spice level)

Grated coconut - 3 to 4 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2 to 3 tsp

Mustard seeds - ½ tsp

Urad dhal - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Salt -  to taste

Asafoetida - a pinch

Check this link for video:

Directions: 

Wash and soak the horse gram overnight or for about 5 to 6 hours.

Pressure cook horse gram adding little salt and nearly 2 cups of water for 3 or 4 whistles or until it becomes soft.

Drain the excess water and keep aside (don't dispose this water; you can use this in soup, rasam or sambar for its health benefits).

Grind green chillies, coconut and cumin seeds without water; keep aside.

Heat oil in a Kadai; add all the ingredients under "For Seasoning" one by one.

After it crackles add the grounded paste. Saute this in low flame for a minute till the raw smell goes.

Now add cooked horse gram and salt; continue mixing till it is mixed properly.

Finally, sprinkle chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice; give it a thorough mix .

Horse Gram Sundal is now ready to serve!

Note:

You may also use green gram / pasi payaru to prepare this dish.

Adding coriander leaves and lemon juice lifts the taste of this dish; so don't omit.

Tandoori Fish / Baked Fish using Tandoori Masala

Here is a simple, easy to make, healthy & tasty treat for fish lovers using Indian masala.

Ingredients:

Any types of fish (with more flesh) - 2 medium size fishes


To Marinate:

Ginger-garlic paste - 1 to 1½ tbsp 
Garam masala - 1 tsp 
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp 
Chilli powder - 1 tsp Coriander powder - 1 tsp 
Curd -.1 tablespoon 
Juice of 1 lime
Salt - to taste
Red colour - 2 pinch (optional; photo you see here is without using colour)

Directions: 

Wash the fish well and make slits on both sides of the fish.

Mix all the ingredients under “To Marinate” into a thick paste in a bowl and coat the marinate all over the fish (use your fingers to do this).

Marinate for at least for 1 to 3 hrs in the refrigerator.

Preheat oven to 250 deg. C. Grease a baking dish with oil and arrange the fish slices on the dish leaving space between each fish.

Bake at 250 deg. C for 20 to 30 minutes (temperature and time will vary according to the oven and thickness of the fish) until the fish is fully cooked.

Turn the fish in between to cook both sides evenly. Serve hot with slices of onion and wedges of lemon.

Note:

Adjust spice level to suit your taste.

You can also use barbecue or grill method with the same recipe.

Plantain Stem Stir Fry / Vazhai Thandu Poriyal

Plantain stem poriyal is an easy to make, healthy stir fry that can be served as an accompaniment to rice. It is an excellent source of fibre and pottasium; also helps in overall functioning of the digestive system.

Try this recipe and include in your meal for a healthy living!

Ingredients:

Plantain Stem - 1 medium sized
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Split moong dhal - 2 tbsp

Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Salt - to taste
Grated coconut - 1 to 2 tbsp
Butter milk / Yogurt - ¼ cup plus water

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2 to 3 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - ½ tsp
Red chillies - 2 to 3 (adjust according to your spice level)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Directions:

Soak moong dhal in water for about for 20 to 30 minutes and keep aside.

Remove the outer layer of the banana stem.  Cut into roundels, removing the thread like fibre and discard them. Chop that into small pieces.

To prevent darkening, put them in a diluted mixture of water and buttermilk.

Heat oil in a kadai; add all the ingredients under "For seasoning" one by one.

Once it crackles, add chopped onion and fry till onion becomes translucent (strain the water from both moong dhal and plantain stem before cooking).

Now add the chopped plantain stem, soaked moong dhal, salt and water (just to immerse the plantain). Give it a mix.

Close a pan with lid and cook till the it becomes soft and water dries up.

Sprinkle grated coconut and give it a thorough mix; Plantain stem poriyal is now ready to serve!

Note:

You can also substitute green chillies for red chillies.