birthday dessert ideas: Recipe

Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Recipe. Show all posts

Cooking with the Tadka Girls- Pasta in lemon pepper sauce!

Few weeks or maybe a month ago, I read a blog post by a friend in which she had mentioned this book "Around The World With The Tadka Girls [Ruchira Ramanujam, Ranjini Rao]".We spoke about the book to a point where she mentioned it was a good book to have, not only were the recipes good, they were easy to make and the ingredients were all simple ones [most of which we would have around the kitchen]

Two weeks ago,I was at a bookstore, when I called this friend asking about the title of the book. Another friend who was with me exclaimed on seeing the book in my hand. We decided to buy a copy and share the book!

Day before, when I was wondering what to make for dinner, I decided to refer the book. Spotted a Fettucine and prawns recipe, read through it and went ahead to tweak the recipe a bit [since am a vegetarian, i chose to replace prawns with vegetables].. It turned out beautiful, took less than 15mins to cook and I loved the tangy peppery flavours.

The Recipe!

Ingredients-

Farfalle pasta- 1 cup

Onion- 1

Garlic- 3 pods

Thyme/mixed herbs- 1 tbsp

Salt- to taste

Black pepper- 2 tsp

Oil- as much as required

Butter- 1 small cube

Water- enough to boil the pasta in

Vegetables- mushroom, baby corn, carrots and capsicum [green, yellow & red]

Lemon/lime juice- 1.5 tsp

Lemon/lime rind/peel- 1 tsp

Method:

In a pot, add water, salt and oil- add the pasta and allow it to cook. I added the baby corn to this as it takes a while to cook.Strain and keep aside. Dont throw away all the water, keep 1/2 cup aside.

In another pan, add the butter and oil, saute the garlic and onion for a few minutes.

Add the chopped vegetables and saute till they cook

Now, add the salt, black pepper and herbs

Once the vegetables are well done, toss in the cooked pasta and mix well.

Squeeze in the lime juice and add the lime ride/peel[either grate it or chip finely]

Add 2 tbsp of pasta boiled water and turn off heat when all come together.

Serve hot!

[Recipe] Tomato garlic chutney

Damn, it was nearly 7.40pm and I hadnt cooked dinner yet.. Did a mental run through of all that I had and after a short debate I knew what I was going to make for dinner. I had decided to make Pongal for dinner. Wanted to make it with Saamai but noticed there were bugs in the unopened sealed packet [had bought two packets a few weeks ago, was done with one and now this second one was goner], dumped it and went with rice option.

Phew, the main was decided, but what about the side? This is when I walked into the kitchen, opened the fridge and stood staring at it as if an idea was going to spring at me. Kaboom.Well, it kinda actually did.

Here is what I made,

Spicy Tomato Chutney:--

Tomato 2 roughly chopped
Dry Red Chillies 3
Garlic 4 cloves
Tamarind a tiny piece
Salt to taste
Water- 1 tsp just to get the blender going

For tempering:
Oil 1
tbsp

Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
Urad dal 1 tsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Hing a pinch

In the blender, add all the ingredients and make into a thick puree. If needed, add the water.
In another pan, add the oil and do the tempering
Now add the puree to the tempering and allow it to cook well for a good 5-8mins till oil starts coming out on all sides.
It is now ready to be devoured..

Perfect for any plain rice, dosa, and was good with pongal as well.. Spicy and tangy, with strong garlic flavour..

[Recipe] Dal Tadka

I was getting back home after my evening walk and suddenly I thought of Dal Tadka and the past hour I spent looking at recipes on the net to see how easy/complicated it was.. And now I think I found the ultimate recipe.. I found it on this blog. It sounded easy and interesting so off I went to the kitchen to give it a shot.

I tweaked the recipe a bit, and here is how I made it

Cooking time: 35mins
Prep time: 10mins
Serves- 2

The Daal
2 tbsp tuvar dal
1 tbsp moong dal
1 small onion chopped roughly
1 green chilli
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 cups water

Salt to taste

For the tempering

1/2 tsp Ghee
1 tsp cumin
2 red chilies

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 small tomato, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger- garlic paste

1 tsp garam masala powder

a pinch of asafoetida/hing
1 tsp kasuri methi/dry fenugreek leaves, crushed
salt as required

Method

1. In a pressure cooker, add the washed dals with a pinch of salt, onions, 2 cups of water and allow it to cook [5-6 whistles] . Once done, remove and mash the dal well.
2. In another smaller pan, add some ghee, and all the ingredients listed under "tempering" and let it saute for a few minutes.
3. Add the cooked dal to the tempering and let it come to a boil.
3. If you feel daal is too thick, add water depending on your preference

Serve hot with plain rice. I also had some pickle and it was heaven!! :-))

{recipe} Clear vegetable soup

I like my soup to be chunky, dont like it completely smooth. And one soup I love is the clear vegetable soup. I remember having a version of this in Cascade years ago. Last month one day I stood staring into the veg tray for a few minutes, shut the fridge and repeated the same once again. I gave up! I had 2 carrots, a small piece of cabbage, 1 onion, 1 potato, handful of fresh peas, 1 tiny bit of zucchini, 1 tomato and a small piece of tofu. I broke my head for a while and finally a lightbulb moment happened. I decided to make the soup for dinner and have it with 2 slices of multi grain bread.

Ingredients
2 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup cabbage
1 onion
2 carrots
1 potato
1/4 cup peas
1 tomato
1/4 zucchini
50-60 grams tofu
1 liter water
Salt
Black pepper
2 cloves of Garlic
1 tsp vinegar

Method

1. Chop all the veggies into cubes and set aside.
2. In a pan, add oil, saute the onions, garlic for a few minutes and then add the rest of the chopped veggies and saute them for 3-4 mins
3. Add water and allow it to come to a boil, cooking the veggies [if you want you can pre-cook the potato and peas]
4. Once the vegetables are all cooked, take a tbsp of the same and puree.
5. Add puree back to the boiling vegetables in water and let it simmer
6. Add salt and black pepper along with vinegar [this gives it a nice kick] and finally add the tofu. Let it boil for a minute and turn off stove

Your soup is now ready to be served!!

Options:
You can add any vegetable you can get your hands on- cauliflower, broccoli, beans, zucchini, mushrooms,pumpkin, squash, boiled chickpeas etc etc
You can also add an egg at the end- crack open the egg and drizzle from a height, and stir- this becomes an egg drop soup :D
You can infact add a few spinach leaves if you have them [ quite like the change in colour]
You can make the same with meat as well
If you like it spicy and with heat, add few chopped red chillies
To make it a better meal, you can toss in some boiled noodles/pasta/macarooni
Similarly, a bay leaf will boost the soup's flavour

As you can see, sky is the limit when it comes to soups!!

{recipe} Spinach Soup

It was one of those days when I had been sneezing all day, and there seemed to be no light at the end of the tunnel. I got home, tired and cranky and all I wanted was a bowl of hot soup. Rummaged through the fridge and came out victorious. I had spotted a few interesting ingredients. This is what I whipped up..

Ingredients

2 Cups chopped spinach leaves
1 Onion chopped
2 cloves of Garlic [finely chopped]
2 Cups water [enough to boil spinach and dilute the soup]

1 tbsp milk

1 tbsp Butter/olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

The Process:

1. In a pan, boil the spinach and take it off the heat once cooked.
2. In another pan, add some oil/butter and saute the onion and garlic for a few seconds.
3. Puree the boiled spinach with the onion & garlic
4. Add salt, pepper and milk when bringing it to a boil

Serve hot. You can add a few bits of roasted pounded almonds or peanuts

Bon Appetit!!

Hot Chocolate with a twist

For some strange reason, felt like having hot chocolate. I am so not a chocolate person, which made me wonder where this craving came from. Anyways, decided to experiment a bit [I dint/dont really know how hot chocolate was/is made]

Made my version of hot chocolate and it came out quite nice... Here is how,

Ingredients:
Milk- 1 cup
Handful of chocolate chips[Ghirardelli]
Cinnamon powder- a tiny pinch
Ferrero Rocher chocolate- 1/2
Salt - a tiny pinch
Coco pops cornflakes- 1 tbsp

The process:
1. Bring milk to heat up, added the chocolate chips ,Ferrero Rocher and cinnamon powder- let it boil.
2. Switch off gas, add the salt
3. Sprinkle a good spoonful of coco pops cornflakes and serve hot...

It was delicious!!

[Recipe] Celebrating International Chocolate Day - Chocolate Pancakes

To be honest, am not a big chocolate fan. Am not the kind who will rush to grab that last piece of chocolate or attack the bar once someone hands it over. I don't opt for chocolate ice cream or chocolate cake, i always reach out for the apple pie or anything with berry in it. But then, one morning I walked into my kitchen, pulled out pretty much all that sat in one particular shelf in my fridge and discovered there was a bag of chocolate chips.. That was probably a sign from above asking me to make something with chocolate! Who am I to disagree..

I ended up making Chocolate Pancakes for breakfast and they were yummy..

Ingredients

1 cup flour
1 tablespoons sugar
¼ teaspoon salt
1 tbsp Milk
1 egg
2 tsp butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla essence
Handful of chocolate chips[Ghirardelli]

Process:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients
2. Now add the wet ingredients and whisk well
3. Take a pan, add some oil/ butter and add dollops of the batter in small circles. Allow them to cook for 2mins on each side and voila, fluffly soft delicious pancakes are ready..

You can pretty much add anything you like to the pancakes. I have made using fruits, once with cheese and jalapeno as well.

I had these with honey!!

And guess what, today is International Chocolate Day! Who would have thought :-))

Preparation time: 5mins
Cookigg time: 5mins

Daal Makhani Courtesy GITS

I went over to my grandparents place after about a week and noticed a package sitting on the side shelf where post is normally kept. It had my name on it and seemed to be a box of sorts. When i opened it, I discovered a big blue box that said "Ready to eat" Dal Makhani & Biryani from GITS. I had no clues where it was from, a mystery which still has me wondering. I did find a note inside from FBAI saying this was a review box and they had found me amidst the blogging community.

There was a box of Dal Makhani which looked very tempting. Ever since I began living on my own, I have been creating one pot meals - salads, soup, pulao, pasta etc. But the minute I saw this box, I pulled out the packed of dosa batter I had in the fridge and decided my dinner. Dosa with Dal Makhani.

I made 2 dosas and kept them aside

In a pan, I added a drop of oil and 2 tbsp of Dal Makhani and heated it up .

Voila, dinner was ready.

The Dal Makhani was good, it was thick rich and yet not heavy [not loaded with butter/cream/etc]. I managed to use the packet over 4days, for brown rice, roti and 1 more round with dosa. Now, am curious to try the Biryani.

One packet of Dal Makhani is priced at Rs 59/- For someone like me who enjoys the occasional Dal Makhani, but is too lazy to soak, boil, cook and eat, this is a good alternative!!

Cake Recipe With Chocolate Flavor

Cooking has never been this easier with the introduction of the Internet. At first I thought that baking cakes was something that was hard and would take my whole day. This was short-lived as a friend of mine informed me that she was simply using the Internet to bake cakes for her family. This surprised me a lot since she was simply searching for a recipe that she thought she could manage. Once this was done, her work was simply to rush to the stores and find the ingredients that were recommended in the cake recipe that she was about to use. I thought over this and I knew it was time to try out my cooking skills. I tried this twice and the best recipe that I found to be easy was the chocolate one. I am quite certain that by following my way of cooking you would definitely prepare something that your family would enjoy. Below is how I cook my chocolate cake:

Ingredients of the cake recipe

1½ serving of butter - softenedSugar- 1¼ spoonfuls of sugarEggs - (number will vary)All-purpose flour - 2 cupsUnsweetened cocoa - 2 cupsBaking powder - 2 spoonfulsOne and a quarter servings of baking soda1½ spoonful of vanilla¾ cup of milk - buttermilk

Filling ingredients:

Pie fillings of cherry - 2 servings3-4 servings of cream that is chilled2 cups of confectioner's sugarMilk chocolate (shaved) - will help in garnishing the baked cake

Cooking tips and procedure for your cake recipe:

The first procedure of this cake recipe is to preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit [should be done before you even start preparing your ingredients].

Using a non-sticking paper, you should line your cake pan to ensure that the cake does not stick on the sides of the pan.

Allow the butter that has been mixed with sugar to soften before you beat it using an electric mixer. Add the eggs to the mixture but make sure that you add an egg at a time as you mix well before adding another egg. You then need to add sifted flour, baking powder, buttermilk, cocoa, baking soda as you stir well to ensure that no lumps are formed. Once your oven has reached 350 degrees Fahrenheit, as mentioned earlier, slowly add the batter into the pan and allow it to bake till there is a middle set. Ensure that the bake time is about 40-45 minutes. Use a tooth pick to determine if it is ready or not. If it comes out with some crumbs in it then you will still need to place your cake in the oven for a few more minutes.

Serving

The best way to serve is when it is cold. Cut it into three or four layers for easy storage if the cake is big enough. This will ensure convenience in keeping it in a refrigerator.

[Recipe] Tawa pulao

Last evening while out walking, suddenly it hit me.. I knew what I was going to make for lunch today [monday]. I quickly walked across towards More supermarket and bought what I needed. I had seen and tasted this dish at Spoonbill when Kamalika made it, so there was no confusion on the process. What was I making? Tawa Pulao ofcourse :D

Here is what you need:-
1 cup Rice 1 tbsp – Oil 1/2 tsp – Cumin seeds 1/4 Onion chopped 1 Garlic pod 1 cup Mixed vegetables - Yellow capsicum, red capsicum, baby corn - all chopped into chunks 2 tsp – Pav bhaji masala 1/2tsp - curry powder Salt- to taste Mint leaves/coriander leaves Water to cook the rice and boil baby corn
Other Options for vegetables: Peas, cauliflower, paneer, and just about anything you can think of.

The process:
1. Take a pressure cooker and cook the rice [1cup rice =3 cups water- 4 whistles]- turn off stove and set aside I placed the baby corn in a plate along with the rice and cooked it. 2. In a pan, add oil, jeera, garlic and onion. Once sauted, add remaining vegetables and the masala powder & curry powder. Let it cook till the raw smell of masala goes away. Add required amount of salt and let it cook. 3. Add the cooked baby corn to this and saute for a minute. Now add the rice and spread it amidst the veg mix and cook for 2-3 minutes till it evenly mixes.
Voila.. Serve with curd, pappad or onion raita. I had it with boiled beetroot and curd.

PS: Am using pictures taken at Spoonbill because today I forgot to take pictures as hunger had taken over my brain.. :-)

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 25 mins
Serves: 2

[Recipe] Quick Fix Pasta

I had been busy cleaning up the house, and other chores that it completely slipped my mind that I had to cook lunch. Only when I was talking to a friend who mentioned she was just winding up lunch did it hit me. Walked into the kitchen knowing I had only a few items there..

An idea formed in my head and within 25 mins Lunch was ready. What did I make? A Quick fix pasta with the ingredients in my cupboards.

Ingredients:
Pasta - penne- 1 cup
Garlic- 1 pod crushed
Cabbage- few leaves finely chopped
Beans- cut lengthwise [1 inch long pieces]
Capsicum- 1/4- finely chopped
Baby corn- 3- finely chopped
Almonds or walnuts- 4 to 5 chopped up
Pesto sauce- 1 tsp
Sundried tomatoes- 1
Olive oil- 2tsp
Cheese- 1 small piece
Salt- to taste

The process:
In a pan, add enough water, a pinch of salt, a tsp of oil and allow pasta to cook [al dente]. I went ahead and added the baby corn to this water to allow it to cook well [you can cook it separately]. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it out , saving 1 tbsp of the water.

In another pan I added 1 tsp of olive oil, the garlic and other vegetables, allowing them to saute for a few minutes. To this I added the pesto sauce, almonds, sun dried tomato and salt. Add the water [in which you boiled the pasta] and finally sprinkle the grated cheese and serve hot..

It tasted good, even if I do say so myself...

Serving portion - 1
Cooking time- 20mins
Prepping time- 10mins

Sunday Lunch- Noodles, Schezuan style

I stood there in the kitchen wondering what to make for lunch when the doorbell rang. Glad to get away from the fridge and stove, I answered the door to find a courier. It was a set of Knorr sauce mixes. Nice. Just the inspiration I needed to make something new. It was going to be a one pot dish. What did I make?

Noodles, Schezuan style. How? Read on to know how...

Ingredients:
1/2 onion [ thinly chopped]
2 cloves garlic [ finely diced]
6-7 button mushrooms [cut into small pieces]
6-7 beans [cut into 1inch pieces]
1 egg
1 tsp Olive oil
1 tsp salt
1/2 packet Haka Noodles

2 cups Water
2 tsp Knorr-Chinese-Schezuan mix

The process:

1) In a pot, add 1 to 1.1/2 cups of water and cook the noodles. I added the egg to the same water and let it cook for about 10mins and removed the same.

2) In another pan- add the oil, saute the garlic and onions, before adding the remaining vegetables [you can add any vegetables to this dish], add some salt and pepper.

3) Remove the veggies once cooked and in that same pan-- mix about 2 tsp of Knorr-Chinese-Schezuan mix to 1/2 cup of water and allow it to come to a simmer. Add the cooked vegetables to the sauce and check for seasoning. I also added the noodles and finally the egg to complete my lunch.

How easy is that? I am now itching to try the others from Knorr range!!

Cooking time: 25mins
Prepping time: 15mins
This portion I cooked serves - 1

The Methods to Prepare a Chocolate Cake Recipe

Cakes are known worldwide for being the most highlighting components during a celebration. There is no such festivity or carnival being celebrated without the presence of a cake. Hence, this is one of the food items that are liked by young and old people equally. You can also serve cakes as desserts during the parties and it would be more appreciated if the dessert you serve is a chocolate cake. Chocolates remain one of the favorites of children and hence chocolate cakes are always a success among the kids and the youngsters. If you have been looking for a simple chocolate cake recipe to try at your home, here is the one that will make your wish come true. You can win the hearts of your loved ones through the preparation of a birthday cake at home.

The raw materials:

Here is a foolproof and simple chocolate cake recipe which can also be filled with jam and whipped cream by replacing the chocolate icing. The main ingredients that are required for the recipe include butter, caster sugar, free-range eggs, self-raising flour, baking powder, cocoa powder along with a little milk. However, if you have kids at home who love the sweet flavor, you can also try icing the cake with the help of dark chocolate, softened butter and icing sugar that can be easily obtained from any of the stores. The preparation of the chocolate cake recipe can be quite easy and can be finished within 30 minutes. Moreover, you need not spend money on the cakes that have been sold by your favorite baker and can instead cook the same with the help of economic components. If you talk about the nutritive value of the cake then you will be amazed to know that it contains about 51g fat, 728kcals, 6.5g protein, 55g sugar, 66.2g carbs, and 0.8g salt.

The method of preparation:

Before starting with the cooking of the chocolate cake recipe, you should preheat the oven to about 180°C. A sandwich tin that is about 2 x 20cm in size can be greased with butter on a butter paper baseline. The butter and sugar can be put in a bowl and the two can be blended together until you get a light and fluffy mixture. You can then add the eggs one after the other and continue the process of beating after adding each egg. Put the flour through a sieve along with cocoa and baking powder. You can also add milk to the mixture until you get a dripping consistency and the mixture can be poured into the respective tins. Bake them for 20-25 minutes in an oven until you get a clean skewer when inserted into the center of the cake. You can take the baked item out of the oven and let it cool for about 10 minutes. However, the cake is halfway ready and the next task is to make the icing over the cake.

For icing, you need to melt chocolate in a bowl kept over a pan of simmering water. When the chocolate melts entirely, you can cool it. In another bowl, beat the butter and the icing cream together with an electric hand whisk until they form a fluffy and light batter. You can then add the molten chocolate into the mixture. Your icing is ready and you can spread a little of it in the midst of your cake. The rest of the icing can be utilized for decorating the surface of the cake.

[Recipe] Semiya Dosai

Dinner was Idli... And I will eat Idli only if it is the last thing available on earth, that is when the plants, bugs, and everything else has perished and I was left with nothing but an Idli. So, that evening my mind was buzzing - wondering what to cook for myself. We were watching TV, and suddenly on came Vineet Bhatia, in the Twist of taste show, and where was he? He was in Madurai. :-) I sat up straight and glued in, waiting to see the places they featured and if I knew any of them. [background story- we lived in Madurai and that is when I began school].

Vineet walked around Meenakshi amman temple, tried his hand at Bun parota [that looked like a fluffly version of the parota], sampled some dosa and nonveg side dishes at Konar hotel. The show then moved to the studio where he announced he was making an interesting version of the dosa[with masala] and chutney. I noted it all down in my head and quietly snuck away to prep for the Dosa [decided to try the masala and chutney another day]

Semiya Dosai

Ingredients

Roasted vermicelli- 1 cup

Rice Flour- 2tbsp

Beaten yoghurt- 1.5cups

Water- if required to dilute the yoghurt

Salt- a pinch

red chilli powder- a pinch

green chillies- 2

coriander- a bunch[optional]

Oil- as required

Roasted Vermicelli/semiya

Dosai that I had with a side made with leftover karamani and a nombu adai

Method:

In a pan, roast the vermicelli with a tbsp of oil if not pre-roasted. Take it off the heat. In a bowl, pour the yoghurt, and add all the ingredients, finally adding the vermicelli and mixing it well. Set this aside to soak for about 5-10mins. [this is so that the vermicelli will become nice and soft]

Take a dosa making pan, add some oil, pour out a ladle of the batter and allow it to cook on both sides. [Each side will take about 2mins to cook]

Variation:

Add grated carrots, sliced onions, more coriander, dosa milagai podi to the dosa and make it like an oothappam.

Bon appetit!

[Recipe] Spinach Daal

What you need:

Spinach: 2 cups

Onion: 2

Green chillies: 2

Cooked green gram dal/moong dal: 1/2 cup

Tamarind: 1 small sized ball

Tomato: 2

Urad dal: 1/2 tsp(for tempering)

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp(for tempering)

Oil - as much as you need

Salt- to taste

Curry leaves - 4-6

Taken on mobile- BB

Method-

In a pan, heat oil and add mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. to this, add the chopped onions and green chillies. When they turn to a golden brown, add the chopped spinach and fry well for a couple of mins.

Put a pan and the green dal to cook in it, once that is done, add to the fried spinach and onion along with the tamarind(that has been soaked in water n strained), chopped tomato and salt. Boil for about five minutes..

If you want, you can grind the spinach.. but i like spinach as it is.. and it sure tastes yummy with Roti and Steamed rice.. enjoy~~~

Recipe- Makki Di Roti & Palak Subzi

No, you read it right. We had Makki Di Roti & Palak Suzbi. I know the traditional combo is Makki di roti and Sarson ka saag, well, we don't get Sarson ka saag [the Mustard greens] in Chennai and so this alternative :)

When we had visited Delhi earlier this month, when i mentioned i like this combo, my aunt asked her maid to make it. Mom & I walked it down to this cool organic store called The Roots and bought Maize flour.We devoured the rotis and the Sarson ka saag, and mom decided she wanted to make them once we were back in Chennai. Since there was a packet of flour leftover, we brought it with us and yesterday mom made it for lunch.

She had asked the maid how to make [in her broken hindi] and managed to make a few small rotis, invited me over for lunch excitedly :)

What you need:
Maize Flour - 2 cups

Salt -to taste
Ghee - as required to knead the dough

How to make:
1. Add salt and ghee to the flour and mix well till becomes a nice soft dough.
2. Make balls or divide the dough into portions
3. Take a plastic sheet and pat the dough on it, making it into a roti [dont make it too thin, it will stick to the sheet]... Alternatively you can roll out each ball between the folds of a greased plastic sheets.
4. Heat a tawa and cook the roti on it till both sides are done.
5. apply a dollop of butter or ghee and serve hot.

Palak Subzi that mom made was the usual subzi you make for rotis and it did go well with Makki di roti...

What you need:
Palak/spinach leaves - a bowl of chopped leaves
Onion- 1
Tomato- 1
Green chilli- 1[optional]
oil- as required
Salt- as required
Garam masala- 1 tsp
Cream/milk/curd- 1 tsp

How to make:
1. Boil the palak leaves with a dash of salt and make a puree
2. In a pan, add some oil and saute the onions & green chilli, once they turn golden brown, add the tomatoes and saute for a few more minutes. [you can blend these if you wish]
3. To this add the spinach puree, salt, garam masala and allow it to cook
4. Add some cream/milk/curd just before you serve...

You can add palak to make it Palak paneer or potatoes if you desire.

Bon Apettit!!

Thiruvathirai Special

Thiruvathirai, a star, also a festival celebrated in the marghazi masam [Dec-Jan] is a day when we celeberate the thandavam (cosmic dance) performed my Lord Shiva. Another side to this day is that it is Lord Shiva's star birthday today, the star being arudhra. The one thing i remember about Thiruvathirai is lunch menu, unfortunately it consists of items i dont like, well, these days i have a nibble and dont grunt as much. What is on the menu? Kali and Thalagam.. Sounds greek and latin, well, not really, but it is a wierd combination and mix of flavours.

We were in Delhi recently, and mom made Kali cos my uncle loves it and well, that was probably the 1st time i ate some on my own [with no one breathing down my neck] and actually liked it.. Hmm... so, today at lunch, i made myself some rotis and had a spoonful of kali as well :-) [Good girl i am]

Kali is a sweet dish, while Thalagam is a graavy made using 7/9/11/13/15 vegetables [something like a heavy duty sambar]

How are these made? For the 1st time, i paid attention to mom and gramma when they explained the dishes. So, here goes..

Kali

What you need-

Raw Rice - 1 cup

Mung dal - 1 tbsp

Jaggery- 3/4 th cup

Butter-2 tbsp

Water - 2 to 3 cups

Coconut- 1 tbsp grated

Cashewnuts- fried in ghee

How to make Kali-

1. Wash and dry the rice

2. Dry roast the rice and daal till the rice turns light golden.

3. Grind to a coarse powder or finely [depending on your preference]

4. In a kadai, add 2 cups of water to the jaggery and let it come to a boil. When it does, run it through a sieve to make sure there were no dust or foreign particles in the jaggery

5. To this liquid, add the rice - daal and coconut. Keep stirring and add water if you feel the mixture is too thick. Like Sooji upma, the rice will absorb the water, so dont worry if it looks runny.

6. Stir for a good 15- 20mins till the rice cooks and starts releasing ghee around the corner.

7. Sprinkle the fried cashewnuts and serve.

Thalagam
What you need-

Vegetables of your choice- Today gramma used 15 veggies- Carrots, yellow pumpkin, beans, potato, sweet potato, arbi, butter beans, snake gourd, flat beans, string beans, brinjal, chow chow, raw banana and so many more.... [typically Indian veggies are used] - Chop them up into bite sized pieces.

Dry red chillies- 5 to 6 [depending on how spicy you like the dish]

Toor dal - 1tbsp

Rice- 1/2tbsp

Coconut - 1/2 cup grated

Black Sesame seeds- 2tsp

Tamarind- the Size of a small lemon

Gingely oil- 2tsp

Mustard seeds- 1tsp

Salt- to taste

How to make the Thalagam-

1. Just like you make sambar, soak the tamarind in a cup of warm water for 5 - 10 minutes , squeeze and set aside the tamarind juice.

2. In a pan, heat some oil, add the mustard seeds, allow to splutter and set aside.

3. In the pan, add some more oil and add the toor daal, red chillies, rice, coconut and sesame seeds. Saute them till they all turn light brown colour and then grind to a fine powder.

4. In the pressure cooker put all the chopped vegetables, tamarind juice, some salt and cook till they are tender.

5. Now add the ground powder, and water if required. Mix and allow to cook well.

Note: The mix should not be too runny or light, it will be like a gravy/koottu.

[Recipe] Pottukadala Chutney

I wanted to make something for the Dosa, but was unsure what.. Couldnt make onion based as grandparents dont eat, so waited for gramma to return from temple visit. Asked about chutney/thogayal options and she suggested making this with pottukadala..

What you need:Pottukadala[broken roasted gram] - 1 cup
Thengai thuruvinadhu [grated Coconut] - 1/5cup [or more]
Puli [Tamarind]- a small ball [size of the new Rs5 coin]
Pachai milagai [Green chilli]- 3
Ennai [Oil]- 1 tsp
Kadugu [Mustard seeds]- 1tsp
Broken uluthamparuppu [urad daal]- 1tsp
Uppu [Salt]- to taste
Thanni [water]- to grind

Variation:
Poondu [garlic] -3 pods
Varutha Verkadala [roasted peanuts] - a handful

How to make:
1.In a pan do the tempering- add oil, mustard seeds and broken urad daal- let them splutter
Also add the green chillies, saute them slightly.
2.Remove the green chillies and add the other ingredients to it- pottukadala, coconut, tamarind, salt, and water [this is also when you add the garlic pods-no need to saute them]
3. grind to a paste [ texture depends on your preference, i like it a bit coarse]
4. Pour the tempering on top and serve

Left- Garlic chutney and right is the plain one
Tastes yumm with Dosa, idli, poori, and even pongal.

Recipe- Zucchini & Broccoli Rice with Corn

I was home alone and that meant I could go woohoo and cook whatever I wanted.. No maid No cook, rather neither had showed up that day. For some it might have a moment of panic but not for me. It was such a liberating feeling, to know that the house was all mine..

Opened the fridge, rummaged through what was in it and found the bag of goodies- zucchini, broccoli, and one big corn.. That was all I needed.

The Rice-
1cup rice (I used normal rice but you can use Basmati rice)
1/4 zucchini chopped up
1/2 broccoli cut into florets
1 tomato
2 cloves
2 cardamom
1 small stick of cinnamon
1/2 green chilli ( this one was big)
Butter- 1tsp
Salt to taste

How:
1. In a pan dry roast the spices and tart them aside
2.add a wee bit of butter and fry the green chilli
3. In a rice cooker add all the ingredients and allow to cook
4. In about 25-30 mins the rice is ready

Options- you can add herbs/ garam masala/onion- garlic and just about anything else to the rice..

The Corn-
Quite simple- I broke the corn in half, added a bit of turmeric powder and salt and let it cook in the pressure cooker for a food 20 mins

Lunch was served and it was delicious!!

The Great Biryani Cookout from CFG

I've been with the Chennai Food Guide group for a while and its been an amazing journey! Apart from restaurant reviews, the team has now branched out into organising various workshops. Though i've not attended any, the feedback and reviews have been left me quite envious. One more is in the offing.. It is the.... drum rolls please..... c'mon, keep em coming....

The Great Biryani Cookout

Who does not like a good biryani? I have had quite a few across restaurants and some were outstanding [simple yet packed with flavour] while others well, less said the better. But i have always wanted to learn the art of making a good Biryani [wonder when that will happen]. For now, here is a treat for all you wannabe Masterchefs, or rather wannabe Biryani connoisseurs

When-- Saturday, June 23, 2012

What Time-- 11am through to 2.30pm

Where-- Lakshmi Farms.

How to Get there-- It is 3rd Farm House on the RIGHT HAND SIDE after the ECR Toll Gate from Thiruvanmyur towards Mahabs. You won't miss the place on the day of the event!

Who's teaching-- Learn from the best there is, a traditional Chef - Rajab who has under his chef's hat over15 years of experience of cooking Tamil Muslim Style Biryani at weddings, and other functions. Tempting right?

What is in store for you??

This workshop completely teaches you how to cook Biryani (Veggie, Mutton and Chicken) Chennai Tamil Muslim Style from the beginning till the very end, along with the Chicken 65, Raitha, Brinjal Thokku and Bread Halwa. The idea is that all participants get engaged right from cutting the vegetables, washing the rice to loading the Biryani in the Dum.

Later you all can eat what you have cooked.

Note: SEPARATE COOKING AND PREPARATION FOR VEGGIES AND NON VEGGIES [ so, dont smirk or scrunch up your face at the mention of Non veg biryani being cooked alongside veg]

Things on the COOK, EAT & LEARN Menu:

VEG MENU
1) Veg Biryani
2) Gobi 65
3) Onion Raitha
4) Brinjal Thokku
5) Bread Halwa
6) Flavoured Sweet Rice

NON VEG MENU
1) Chicken Biryani
2) Mutton Biryani
3) Chicken 65
4) Onion Raitha
5) Brinjal Thokku
6) Bread Halwa
7) Flavoured Sweet Rice

Scaled Recipe Booklet will be Provided and Instructed by a Traditional and Experienced Cook/ Chef.

Cooking will be done in traditional vessel and possibly using wood fire.

Everyone gets to take home Desserts - Bread Halwa and Flavoured Sweet Rice

Unlimited Soft Drinks and Water will be available

How much-- 1499/- Per Person [Includes everything mentioned above]

What to bring-- A Chopping board & a Knife [so we dont get caught if you accidently commit any crimes, other than chopping veggies/meat that is...]

How to Register?

Those who are interested to take part in the CFG Biryani Workshop on Saturday June 23rd 11am-3pm need to contact Nishanth Radhakrishnan via mobile +919840340490 or email him on nishanth@chennaifoodguide.in

Your participation will be confirmed for the event once payment is done. You can come deliver the amount to our office. Address details are as follows:
Chennai Food Guide
ARZ Consultancy
No. 17/12 Venkatrathinam Nagar
Extension 2nd Street
Adyar, Chennai - 600020
Behind Cafe Coffee Day

For e-transfer - email Nishanth [nishanth@chennaifoodguide.in] for account details.

First Come First Serve Basis: 50 People only

ALSO GET DISCOUNT VOUCHER FROM DAAWAT A BIRYANI for all participants. For more info on them visit: http://www.facebook.com/daawatabiriyani

What are you waiting for? Vethala paakku or the red carpet??? Get going and Register already!!

You can also check out the Facebook page for The Great Biryani Cookout