Coriander Pulao / Coriander / Cilantro Rice / கொத்தமல்லி சாதம்

Here is an easy to make rice variety prepared using freshly ground coriander leaves.   This rice is rich in flavour and suits well for lunch box.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice / Raw rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Lemon juice - from 1 small lime
Salt – to taste

To Grind:
Green chilies - 2 or 3
coriander leaves - ½ bunch
Ginger - 1'' piece

For Seasoning:
Cinnamon - 1
Cloves - 3
Cumin seeds - ½ tsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp 


Directions:

Chop the onion lengthwise and keep aside.

Beetroot Kurma / Beetroot Potato Kurma - South Indian Style

This coconut based beetroot gravy / kurma is a perfect accompaniment for chappathi, poori or any Indian bread varieties; also a tasty way of including this health rich vegetable in our diet!

Serves - 4 to 5 persons 
Ingredients:

Beetroot – 1 (big)
Potato - 1 (medium size)
Onion – 1(finely chopped)
Tomato – 1 (finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 ½ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Coriander leaves – to garnish

To Grind:
Grated Coconut – ¾ cup
Cashew nut - 5
or
Roasted channa dhal (pottukadalai) - 2 tsp (I used this)
Fennel seeds (saunf) – 1 tsp

For Seasoning:
Oil - for seasoning
Cinnamon – 1
Cloves – 2
Cardamom – 1
Bay leaf- 1

Directions:

Wash and scrape the skin of beetroot and potato; cut into bite size cubes. Keep aside.

Pressure cook beetroot and potato for one whistle adding very little water. Keep aside.

Scrambled Egg Cheese Sandwich - Kids Special Recipe

Enjoy these delicious sandwiches filled with egg and cheese. This is a favorite variety for my sons and they often ask for this to school!  

Ingredients:

Wheat bread - 4
Eggs - 2
Cheese slice - 1 

Salt - to taste

Pepper - to taste

Oregano - 1 tsp

Milk - 1/4 cup

Butter - to toast the bread

Tomato sauce - 2 to 3 tsp

Olive oil /butter  1 to 2 tsp

For the YouTube Video, click below:

Directions:

Add egg,  cheese, salt and pepper along with milk in a bowl; beat until well blended.

Plantain Stem / Vazhai Thandu Juice

Plantain Stem Juice is a refreshing, healthy and tasty treat for all!

It helps in managing kidney stones, detoxifying the body and also for weight loss.  It is rich in vitamins & minerals especially high in fiber, vitamin B6 and potassium.

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

Ingredients:

Plantain stem - 1 cup
Curd / Yogurt - ½ cup
Water - to dilute
Salt - to taste
Pepper Powder - ½ tsp
Lemon juice - 1 to 2 tsp (optional)

Directions:

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

Drumstick Leaves / Murungai Keerai Sambar /முருங்கை கீரை சாம்பார்

This is my mother's style sambar preparation using drumstick leaves; this goes well with rice paired with any stir fry or even with pappad!

Drumstick leaves are rich in vitamins & minerals especially high in protein, calcium, vitamin A, and vitamin C; try and include this in your diet for a healthy living.

Ingredients:

Toor Dahl / Tuvar Dhal / Thuvaram paruppu) - ½ cup
Drumstick leaves - 1 big bunch
Big Onion - 1 / Small onion - 10 (Chopped)
Tomato - 1 (finely chopped)
Tamarind - a small gooseberry size
Sambar Powder - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Salt - to taste

To Grind:
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Pepper- tsp- ½ tsp
Cumin seeds- ½ tsp

To Temper:
Mustard seeds - ½ tsp
Urad dhal - ¾ tsp
Fenugreek seeds - ¼ tsp
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig (optional)
Red chillies - 2

Directions:

Pre- preparations:

Separate the leaves from the stalks and wash the leaves.

Pasi Paruppu Payasam / Pasi Paruppu Arisi Payasam / Moong Dhal Rice Kheer - Karthigai Special Recipe

Pasi Payaru Payasam is a tasty, easy to make dish, suitable for special occasions; and this post coincides with the occassion of Thirukkarthigai (17th Nov 2013).

Thirukkarthigai / Karthigai Deepam is observed during the the tamil month of Karthigai on a Pournami (Full Moon) day.  Houses are decorated with oil lamps that lights up the spirits of this month.

Ingredients:

Pasi Paruppu / Moong dhal - 1 cup

Raw Rice - ½ cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Cardamom - 1 tsp

Raisins - 10 pieces

Cashew Nut - 10 to 15 pieces (broken)

Grated Coconut - 1 tbsp 

Ghee - 1 to 2 tbsp

Directions:

Pre-preparation:

Roast the moong dhal using little ghee in medium flame, till you get the aroma.

Eggless Oats Chocolate Biscotti

Hi friends, here is Eggless Oats Chocolate Biscotti for November month's Home Baker's Challenge.

This month Priya Suresh is hosting the event and she has selected Biscotti varieties as a challenge. Though she had suggested both spicy and sweet version; I preferred to bake the sweet one which came out so crunchy and delicious.

Just a small note on Biscotti; Biscotti are oblong, thick, brittle cookies from Italy.  The term Biscotti comes from the Latin for "twice baked" because the cookies must be baked twice to get them dry and crunchy.  

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

Yields - 15 to 20 cookies (approximately)

Ingredients:

All-purpose flour - 1½ cup

Oats - ½ cup

Granulated sugar - ½ cup (powdered)

Unsalted butter - ½ cup

Melted chocolate - ¼ cup

Cocoa Powder - 1 tbsp

Baking powder - 1 tsp

Baking soda - ½ tsp

Salt - a pinch

Vanilla essence - 1 tsp

Directions:

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

Curd / Thayir Semiya (Yogurt Vermicelli)

This creamy Curd Semiya is a perfect dish for parties and special occasions; an interesting twist to traditional curd rice recipe!

Ingredients:

Vermicelli / Semiya - 1 cup 

Curd / Plain yogurt – 1 to 1½ cup (here I have used low fat curd / yogurt) 

Milk - ½ cup (low fat milk)

Water - 3 cup 

Asafoetida powder – ½ tsp 

Salt - to taste 

To Temper: 
Oil - 1 to 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – ¾ tsp
Red chilli - 2
Cashew nuts – 5 (optional)

Green chilly - 1 (finely chopped) 

Ginger – 1 small piece (finely chopped or grated) 

Coriander leaves – 1 to 2 tsp (finely chopped) 

You may also add grated carrots, seedless grapes and pomegranate to enhance the taste and appearance of the dish.

Directions:

Heat a tsp of oil in a kadai; fry the vermicelli till it turns golden brown in color.  Keep aside.

Mohanthal Using Condensed Milk

Mohanthal is a popular, milk based Gujarati sweet; it resembles the South Indian Mysore Pak by its look and ingredients!

Mohanthal involves a time consuming process and mostly prepared using khoya; but here I have tried an instant method using condensed milk (from Tarladalal's cook book which is contributed by a member).  I  have made slight changes in the quantity of ingredients.

Do try this and post your feedback.

Ingredients:

Besan flour / Kadalaimavu / Gram flour - 1 ½ cup
Sweetened condensed milk - ¾ to 1 can ( 395 g)
Milk - 3 tbsp
Saffron - few strands
Cardamom powder - 1 tsp (optional)
Ghee - ½ cup
Chopped pistachios / almonds - For garnishing

Directions:

Mix milk and besan flour to give a crumb texture and keep aside.

Chettinad Prawn Masala / Chettinad Eral Masala

This semi dry prawn masala from chettinad cuisine is a great treat for spice lovers. This goes well with Indian breads as well as steamed rice; you can even use this as a stuffing in sandwiches.

Ingredients:

Prawns - 250 grams
Onion - 1(finely chopped)
Tomato - 1 small (finely chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 1½ tsp
Green chilli - 2 (Finely chopped)
Red chilli powder- 1½ tsp (Adjust according to your spice level)
Pepper powder - ½ tsp(optional)
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp
Garam masala powder - ½ tsp
Curry leaves - 1 sprig 

Coriander leaves - for garnishing

To Grind:
Grated Coconut - 1½ to 2 tbsp
Saunf / Fennel seeds - 1 tsp 

Directions:

Peel the skin, devein and wash the prawns; keep aside. 

Grind the coconut and fennel seeds by adding water; keep aside.

Bitter gourd Raita / Pavakkai Pachadi

An easy way to overcome the reluctance to eat Bitter Gourd!  We were once served this dish in our neighbors house and since then this became one of our favourite!

A simple and tasty way to include Bitter Gourd in our routine.

Ingredients:

Bitter gourd - 2 (big)
Green chillies - 2 or 3 (finely chopped)
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Yogurt / curd - ¾ to 1 cup
Salt - to taste

For Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp 

Curry leaves - few 

Red chilly - 1 

Oil - for tempering 

Directions:

Wash and peel the skin (don't peel the skin completely; take out only the outer thick layer).

Slit it into two and remove the seeds;  then chop into bite sized pieces and keep aside.

Coconut Ladoo / Laddu Using Condensed Milk

Wishing you all a happy and safe Diwali!!

Coconut laddu with condensed milk is very easy and takes less than 20 minutes to prepare.  It is the best recipe for those rushing with last minute preparations!

Yields - 18 to 20 medium sized ladoos approximately.

Ingredients:

Dessicated Coconut - 2 to 2 ½ cups

Sweetened Condensed Milk - ½ amount of 400 grams tin. 

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp (optional)

Sliced almonds - for garnishing

Directions:

Take a bowl; add desiccated coconut (reserve some cocunut for coating the ladoos later), condensed milk, cardamom powder (if using) and mix well to form a soft dough.