~~>Taste Buds<~~

DAL MAKHANI

The name alone can make your mouth water!!! Yummy...this takes the first place in my favorite dishes! It is easy to cook, delicious and goes with both rice and chapathis! :) 

Ingredients :

1. 2 cups lentil              (Lentils ,soak the seeds in water say,3-4 hours prior to preparation)
2. 2 large onions            finely chopped 
3. 4 tomatoes                finely chopped
4. Bay leaves                1 or 11/2
5. Green chillies            2-3
6. Ginger                      a small piece
7. Jeera                        1 tbsp  
8. Mustard seeds          1tbsp
9. Red chilli                   1     
10. Garam masala           1 tsp
11. Salt          
12. Pepper
13. Turmeric
14. Vegetable oil

Method:

Flame:Medium

Time: 30-45 min (Cooking lentils seeds + making the gravy)

1. Put the soaked lentils in a pressure cooker and allow it to give 2-3 whistles.
2. Simultaneously, keep a frying pan and pour some oil into it. Once the oil is heated, add bay leaves , mustard seeds,jeera and a piece of red chilli. Fry till the mustard seeds start to splutter.
3. Then add some finely chopped onions into the frying pan. Add a pinch of salt.(This would avoid the onions from over frying and burning).
4. Make green chilles, ginger paste and add it into the frying pan. Keep stirring.
5. Then add turmeric and finely chopped tomatoes into the pan.
6. Try smashing the chopped tomatoes in the pan , this would give a nice taste, as onions and tomatoes blend well.
7. Then add garam masala ,red chilli powder and salt to taste.
8. One you see that the tomato puree is cooked (oil has formed on the top layer) you can add the cooked lentils in the puree.
9. Now, either you can pressure cook the cooked lentils and the puree or leave it in the frying pan.
10. When you pressure cook it, the salt is absorbed in the seeds well , takes less time and tastes better.It would be the same in the frying pan too...but would take a little extra time and energy!! :)Your choice!!! 

And "garama garam dal makhani tayyar hain!!"

            

Note:

• Cashews,almonds fried in butter can be used for garnishing.
• Remember that you are adding salt twice, once when the onions are frying and one after you add tomatoes.
• While adding salt, make sure you add a pinch extra than what you generally add for cooking as the salt needs to be absorbed by the seeds as well.

Happy cooking!!!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

DAL VADA

This is an easy dish to make and can be had as a festive delicacy or as a snack on a rainy day!! My mom used to make this quite often when we used to go to school. Its tasty and looks delicious. Here, I share my mom's recipe.

Ingredients:

Chana Dal                     1 cup

Moong Dal                    1/2 cup

Red chillies                     2-3

Green chillies                  6-7 (keep some aside, minced)

Ginger                            1/2 a piece

Onion                             1 small

Coconut                         a few pieces

Jeera                              1 tsp

Hing

Corriander

Oil

Salt

Method:

Flame : Medium

Time   :1/2 hour

You need to soak chana dal and moong dal for about 3-4 hours prior to the actual preparation. 

1. Grind chana dal, moong dal, red chilles, green chillies, ginger,salt, hing and coconut. (Try grinding with less water.)
2. Now, add the minced green chillies,onions,jeera and corriander and mix well.
3. Take a vessel and pour oil in it. Let is get heated.
4. Now, take a polythene sheet, slightly make is wet, take a small ball of the dough and flatten it with your  fingers and put them in the oil.(The impression of the fingers formed when you flatten the dough is desirable,look nice!)
5. Keep turning then until you see them turn into a golden brown color.
6. Once they are done, place them on a tissue paper.(To absorb any excess oil.)

And "vedi vedi vadalu ready!! :)"

NOTE:

1.  Keep some chana dal aside and grind the rest and add them later. Looks nice when they fry.
2. If you feel that the bater has become to soggy, you can add a little bit of besan or rice flour or you can simply  keep it in the oven for 2 min , this way it absorbs the water and makes it harder.
3. You can add curry leaves too. (I was running short of them! ;-))
4. Add salt and onions only when you are about to fry them. 

Vikrutti naama samvatsara Subhakanshalu to my near and dear ones!! :) 

~~>Taste Buds<~~

BOBBATLU 


This sure is a tasty, mouth-watering dish, actually a festive delicacy, a pinch of hardwork but tastes yummy!! :)

Ingredients:

Chana Dal                          1 cup
Jaggery                               1 cup
Maida                                 1-1/2 cup
Cardamom powder
Ghee
Salt


Method:


Flame : Medium
Time  :  2 hrs


Preparation of Purnam

1. Cook chana dal in the pressure cooker. (When you press the dal it should become powdery.)
2. Drain the water and let it cool.
3. Once the dal has become dry, grind it into a powder.
4. Mix the chana powder and the jaggary powder and keep stiring until all the jaggary melts and its becomes into a paste.(Keep the flame in medium, else it might burn)
5. Then add cardamom powder and ghee and keep stiring. 
6. Allow it to cool and then make even shaped balls out of it.

Preparation of Bobbaltu

1. Knead maida adding a pich of salt and ghee along with water and prepare a dough.
2. Make even shaped balls.(slightly smaller than the purnam size.)
3. Take a maida ball, roll it into a slightly small chapathi and stuff the purnam ball into it.
4. Then roll again, into a medium size chapathi.(roll such that you can see the stuffing spreading.)
5. Place this on the tava and fry it.
6. Add ghee on both the sides and keep flipping alternatively.

  
And "vedi vedi bobbatlu ready!!"


Note:

1. When making the purnam, make sure the chand dal is dry when you are making the powder.
2. You can add cashew powder too into the purnam.

Happy and Healthy Cooking!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

IDLI


Hmm, this is one item which I can say, has a history.As children, we never liked it because its bland, but mom suggests idli when we go to a new place as its non-oily and safe!!When we grow older, when we are eligible to make our own decisions, we ignore it!!Finally, when our turn come to stay healthy , we again opt idli! :)  Like the say something that is good for health never looks appealing, this comes under that catagory!!! :)

A simple, fulling and healthy food item.

Ingredients:

Urad dal                        1 cup

Idli Ravva                      2 cups

Salt

Ghee

Baking powder              a pinch

Method:

Before you start the idli preparation, you need to soak urad dal and idli ravva separately for atleast 6-8 hours. I soak it before I sleep and drain the water when I wake up. You can grind it later.

Flame : Medium

Time: 7-10 min

1. Assuming that you have soaked urad dal and idli ravva the previous night, use a grinder and grind urad dal adding water in small quantities.
2. The batter should not be too thick or too think.Medium consistency is good.
3. Pour the batter in a container(with a cover) and add idli ravva squeezing water out of it.
4. Then mix the two such that there are no lumps formed by the ravva.
5. Cover the container and keep it a warm place for atleast 6-7 hours for it to ferment.(Oven is good.)
6. When you see this later, it would look slighly risen.
7. Add salt and a pinch of baking powder and mix well.
8. Now, take the idli plates, smear ghee on the plates and pour idli bater into them.
9. Keep it in a pressure cooker, or idli pot with water filled upto the level of the idli stand.
10. Keep it for 7-10 min.

And "vedi vedi idli ready!!"

NOTE:

1. Add baking powder just before putting the idli batter into the plates. If you intend to use the batter later, do not add baking powder.
2. Sometimes adding yogurt to the batter while storing the batter in the oven for fermantation , helps.
3. Do not add more than a pinch, discoloration of idlis is possible.

Healthy cooking and stay happy!! :)

~~>Taste Buds<~~

LOUKI CURRY


For all those guys who do not like this vegetable,call it anapakayi or sorakaya, here is a tasty way of making a this curry :) A little bit of milk creates magic.It tastes really good with chapathis. Read below to see how! :)

Ingredients: 


Sorakaya                              1
Onion                                   1 chopped finely
Green chillies                        2-3 chopped
Ginger                                   chopped
Red chilli powder                  1 tsp
Curry leaves
Corrainder
Milk                                      1 cup
Chana dal                              1tsp
Urad dal                                1 tsp
Mustard                                 1 tsp
Jeera                                      1 tsp
Turmeric                                 A pinch
Oil
Salt

Method


Flame: Medium
Time: 30 min

1. Firstly, finely cut the bottle-gaurd and keep them aside.
2. Now, take a frying pan, pour some oil in it. Once it gets heated, add chana dal and urad dal.
3. When they turn slightly brown, add mustard and jeera. When they start to splutter add onions, green chilles,curry leaves and ginger into it.
4. Add a pinch of turmeric and fry until the onions turn slightly translucent.
5. Then add bottle-gaurd pieces into the pan, add salt and let it cook for some time.
6. Once you see that the bottle-gaurd pieces have become soft, add red chilli powder and mix well.
7. Finally, pour milk and let it be absorbed by the pieces.

And "tasty tasty curry ready!"

Note:

1. You can add coconut milk instead of milk, it tastes good too.
2. You can add a little garam masala too.

Happy Cooking! 

~~>Taste Buds<~~

PHULKA


For all those weight conscious people, here I present your savior! :) Kidding, this is one of my favorite chapathi making style, with less oil, and remains soft for a very long time.

Ingredients:


Wheat flour                       2-3 cups
Water
Salt

Method:


Flame: Varies
Time: 20 min

Special Requirement : Gas Stove

1. Pour some wheat flour in a large bowl, add salt and knead the flour. (The softer the better!)
2. Keep the flour aside for sometime, let the dough absorb the water.
3. Now,place a frying pan on the stove, and pre-heat the pan.
4. Meanwhile, take a small ball of the dough, and roll into a small circle.
5. Once that is done, place the chapathi on the pan.When you see small bubbles forming, flip it to the other side.
6. When you see bubbles on the other side too, remove the chapathi from the pan.
7. Now, the tricky part, place the chapathi on the stove and increase the flame.
8. When it starts to swell, lower the flame, flip the chapathi on the stove and again increase the flame.
9. Once it swells on both the sides, place it in box and close the lid.

And "There are your phulka..!!"

Note:

1. This needs a little bit of practise.
2. Smear desi ghee on the phulka tastes yummy!! :)
3. If you do not have a gas stove, you can use chapathi maker.(Never seen one, but heard people talking about it.)

Happy Cooking! :)

~~>Taste Buds<~~

POORI


The moment you hear "poori" , it reminds you of oil! :) But today, I bring you oil-less poori's. There is no trick or whatsoever, but a slight difference in the dough preparation for poori and chapathi.

Here are a few tips for making a good poori dough :

• When you knead the poori dough, add water little by little and make sure its not too soft. 
• Always prepare the dough a few minutes before you intend to make pooris. (Keeping it for longer time means the dough would absorb more water which would cause the poori's to absorb more oil while frying!!!)  

Ingredients:

Wheat flour                     2-3 cups

Water

Salt

Oil

Method:

Flame: Medium

Time:30 min

1. Take the wheat flour in a large bowl ,add salt and knead the flour by adding water in small quantities.(Try not to make the dough too soggy.)
2. Now, keep a frying pan, and pour oil in it. Heat the oil..
3. Meanwhile, make small balls of the dough and start rolling into small circles of approx. 3 inches in diameter.(Unlike for chapathi,make sure you do not roll them too thin.)
4. Place this poori into the hot oil and fry.(Keep pressing the poori gently while its frying, it would swell fully then.)
5. Flip it when you see one side turning into a light brown color and fry the other side too.
6. Remove the poori and keep it on a  tissue paper or old newspaper :).(It would absorb any excess oil.)

And "Garama garam poori tayyaar hain! "  

Happy Cooking!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

LOUKI/DUDHI PARATHA


This is one vegetable , I can hardly think of making no more than 2-3 different and tasty recipes of! Well, another such easy and tasty recipe , I know of is what my mom used to make. Louki is generally referred to as  called Sorakaya/Anapakaya in telugu.

Ingredients :


Wheat flour                       2 cups
Louki                                1/4 grated
Green chillies                     2-3 finely chopped
Turmeric                            1 tsp
Red chilli powser                1 tsp
Jeera                                  2 tsp
Salt
Oil

Method :


Flame: Medium
Time:1/2 hour

1. First, take the wheat flour in a large bowl, convenient enough to knead all the ingredients.
2. Take a grater, and grate the louki into the bowl.
3. Then add, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and chopped green chillies into it.
4. Add a teaspoon of oil .
5. Mix and knead a dough. (Do not add water here.)
6. After you see that the water from the louki has been completely absorbed by the flour, then if needed then add water.
7. Keep it aside for 15 min.
8. Take a small ball of the dough, and try :) to press the ball and make a circle :).
9. Place it onto the frying pan and fry.

And "garama garam louki  paratha are ready!"

Note:

1. Try not to add water into the dough unless you are finding it difficult to make a dough.
2. Usually , the water from the louki should be enough to make a dough.
3. You can add corriander leaves also.(I forgot to add while mixing!! :) )
4. Add garam masala into it is optional! You can add all sorts of stuff into this to make it as spicy as you want! :)

Finally, cooking is definitely a stress buster! Happy cooking! :) :) :)

~~>Taste Buds<~~

AVADALU /DAHI VADA


This is definitely a festive dish! Its easy if you have tried garelu/vada before.

I will not be explaining the method one makes vada since I have done that previously. Pls visit
http://sriandsra.blogspot.com/search/label/FESTIVE%20DELICACIES

Ingredients:


Curd                                   1 medium sized bowl full
Green chillies                       Cut into small pieces
Ginger                                 Cut into small pieces
Urad dal                              1 tsp
Mustard                               1tsp
Jeera                                    1tsp
Turmeric                               1/2 tsp
Asafoetida                            1/4 tsp
Salt
Oil

Method:

Flame: Medium
Time  : 10 min

Visit how to make garelu here http://sriandsra.blogspot.com/search/label/FESTIVE%20DELICACIES.

1. Assuming that you have to taken the vadas from the frying pan , you have to put the vadas in a bowl filled with  water. (This makes the vada soft and it can absorb all the spices well.)
2. Remove the vada from the water and carefully squeeze the water out.(This has to be done with care lest the vada might break.)
3. Then place these in the curd mixture shown below.

Curd/Dahi Prepatation:

1. Now, take the bowl of curd, add salt, turmeric,green chillies and ginger.
2. Mix all the contents well.
3. Now, take a frying pan, pour some oil and add urad dal.
4. Once it turns a little brown, add mustard and jeera.
5. Add asafotida and pour all the contents in the curd. Mix well.

Add the vadas in the curd and keep it out for sometime. This lets the curd and the contents to be absorbed by the vadas well.

Note:

1. Try not to put the vadas directly without soaking them in water. Its softer and the spices are absorbed well.
2. You can add coconut too in the curd mixture.

And "Lovely vadas are ready!"

Happy Cooking!

Peek-a-boo (Aloo paratha and Paneer Butter Masala)

Hi,


I just could not keep myself from posting these pictures of aloo paratha and paneer butter masala, the recipes of which would be posted later :)

Aloo Paratha :


A blend of spices such a corriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, turmeric, green chilli pieces and minced corriander leaves.


A simply "yum" food :) :) :) and not to forget the aroma of butter when you fry chapathi on the tava. Now you know why indians have pot belly's :) :) :)

Paneer Butter Masala :


Is there anyone on this planet who does not like this dish!!! If so, pls tell me why you dont like it!!!


Well, this is by far my favorite dish, finger licking, fatty and tasty dish.


A super combination of tomatoes, onions, kaju and my secret ingredient! :) [Kidding, this is like the tv shows which keep you lingering on the one thing that is not mentioned!!]


Well,  right now I am someone who is not doing anything but is busy!! :) [HEHEHE!]


More coming up....




Stay Happy and Healthy! :)

~~>Taste Buds<~~

VEGETABLE PULAV

I know, your mouth must watering by simply listening to this name. Well here is a simple and tasty vegetable pulav. Lots of vegetables, spices and coconut milk! (Yes thats rite, coconut milk enriches the taste of your pulav!!!)

Ingredients:

Rice                         2 cups

Carrots                    2

French Beans           1/4 kg

Peas

Potatoes                   1 large

Onions                      1 large

Green chillies             5-6

Coconut milk             1 can

Bay leaves

Shahi Jeera

Cinnamon

Oil

Salt

Pulav Garam Masala

Method:

Flame: Medium

Time: 30 min

1. Wash and soak 2 cups of rice in 2 1/2 cups of water.
2. Take a frying pan and pour 4-5tbsp oil in it.
3. Add Bay leaves, cinnamon and shahi jeera in it.(crush shahi jeera in ur palm when u r putting it in the oil.) Keep frying.
4. Add chopped onions into it and fry. Add a pinch of salt.(This would prevent the onions from deep frying )
5. Add green chillies in it and keep frying.
6. Add chopped potatoes,  french beans and carrots into it and keep mixing for 10 mins.
7. Now, add 3-4tsp of pulav garam masala into it.Keep mixing for 5 mins.
8. Add green peas and 1 cup of coconut milk into it.
9. Switch of the stove and transfer the contents from the pan into the rice cooker.(once u wash the rice, soak with 21/2 cups of water in the rice coooker dish itself.)
10.  And let it cook in the rice cooker.
11. Once it comes to warm, unplug the rice cooker and transfer the contents into the frying pan.(This would help evaporate any water left, this is not mandatory though!)

And "spicy pulav ready!!"

Note:

1. Coconut milk is optional.
2. Ginger garlic paste can be added too.
3. Adding more oil , prevents rice for becoming soggy.

Happy Cooking!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

CAPSICUM MASALA


This is one of my personal favorites! It tastes good with chapathis, plain rice and the best with vegetable pulav!

Ingredients:

Capsicum                      2 large(Cut vertically into long pieces)
Onion                            1
Peanuts                        
Cashews
Dhaniya                         2 tbsp
Grated coconut
Curry leaves
Green chillies                  5-6
Red chillies
Jeera
Mustard
Tamarind                         soak a little bit in water
Oil
Salt

Method:


Flame: Medium
Time: 30 min

1. First,take a frying pan and roast dhaniya, peanuts, cashew.
2. Next add grated coconut and green chillies and keep the pan aside. (Let it cool and grind all the contents into a paste.)
3. In the mean while, take a frying pan and pour some oil.
4. Now, add jeera and mustard seed.Fry till the mustard begin to splutter.
5. Add the chopped onions into the oil.Add a pinch of turmeric. Fry until they turn golden brown.
6. Add the capsicum pieces into the pan and let them fry.
7. Now, add the paste into the capsicums and mix well such that the paste sticks well to the capsicums.
8. Add salt and red chillies into the capsicum and let it cook.
9. Squeeze the juice from the tamarind a pour it into the curry. (gives a slightly tangy and tasty taste!)
10. Fry until you see a thin layer of oil forming on the sides of the pan.(Which means that the contents are not raw anymore.)

And "yummy yummy capsicum masala ready!"

Note:

1. Tamarind juice is optional.
2. Cashews is also optional but it adds a special to the gravy.
3. Capsicum when cut into small pieces may get smashed and blend into the gravy.
4. Roast the nuts slightly brown, so that the raw taste disappears.

Happy cooking! :)

~~>Taste Buds<~~

PAV BHAJI

Ever thought of something to eat that would be spicy, filling and easy to make??? Well, pav bhaji is the answer. This is something I always loved. Here is how to go about with this.

Ingredients:

Buns                          5-6
Tomatoes                  3 large
Onions                      1
Green chillies             5-6
Cashews                    paste
Capsicum                  1
Corriander  
Jeera
Red chilli powder         2tsp
Corriander powder      1tsp
Garam masala              2tsp
Butter
Oil
Salt

Method:

Flame: Medium
Time: 30 mins

1. Firstly,cut the tomatoes,chillies,corriander and grind them together.Keep it aside.
2. Now,take a frying pan, and add 2 tbsp of oil/butter in it.
3. Add jeera into the oil.
4. Add chopped onions in it.(cut it into 2 halves, use one half now).
5. Add chopped capsicum into it and fry.
6. Now, add the tomato puree into it.
7. Keep stirring the contents in the pan.(This removes the rawness in the tomatoes ).
8. Add the cashew paste into it.
9. Add garam masala, corriander powder and red chilli powder into the pan.
10. Add salt to taste.
11. Keep frying them until you see a thin layer of oil around the tomatoes.(Which means that there is nothing left to fry yet!! :) )
12. Transfer the contents into a bowl. Bhaji is ready!!
13. Now, for the pav, first smear butter on the white side of the bun.(Usually, a bun is sold cut in halves.)
14. Place the buns on a tava. Keep moving until the white part become golden brown.
15. Pav is ready for serving! :)

And ,"Yummy yummy pav bhaji ready! :)"

Note:

1. Cashew paste is optional, it gives a special taste to the gravy though. :)
2. Eat it with cut onions, while biting a green chilli and having lemon juice on the bhaji.
3. A little bit of food color does magic to your bhaji,again, its optional.(I figured out that's how they get such an attractive color, and no matter how many ever tomatoes u add u will never get it so red without being tangy.!!!

Happy Cooking!

~~>Taste Buds<~~

VADA(GARELU)


My mom makes the best garelu (vadas). When my mom used to make this delicacy, I used to stand beside and see how she used to make it so round and perfect!!( I wouldn't call it as a herculean task,but its definitely an art!!)


Ingredients:


Urad dal                          3 cups
Green chillies                   5-10
Jeera                                2stp
Salt
Oil
*Thick Polythene sheet ( the ones you get when you purchase pulses are perfect)

Method


Flame: Medium
Time: 30 min

1. Firstly, you need to soak Urad dal in water for atleast 6-7 hours.
2. Drain the water and grind urad dal in the grinder.
3. Approximately, 1(or less than 2) cup/s of water should be enough.
4. Remove it and keep the bater in a bowl.
5. Add chillies, jeera and salt to the bater in the bowl.
6. Mix all the contents well.
7. Now, take a frying pan and pour oil in it.(Oil needs to be really hot, avoids the vadas from sticking to one another).
8. Take the polythene sheet, moist it with water, take a ball of the dal paste and keep it on it.
9. Now, dipping your hand in the water, try to make a circle and a hole is the center.
10. When you try to remove it, try to slide it from the sheet, hold it and place it in the oil.
11. Keep frying until they are golden brown.

And "Garam garam garelu ready!!!!"

Note:

1. Try to grind urad dal with less water, else it becomes too loose.(Try keeping it in the refrigerator, might harden the bater.)
2. You can add ginger,curry leaves,corriander and onions too in the bater.(Always add onions  just before u plan to make the vadas.)
3. Have it with alapuchutney, it tastes yummy.. :)
4. And finally, its all about practice..!!! :) 

Happy cooking!! :)

Festive Colors

SANKARANTHI


Date: 14th Jan 2010

First festival of 2010 and it has been all about cooking delicacies for Bhogi, Sankaranthi and Kanuvu. Tried my  best to keep up with the tradition and made some of my favorite items! (wel...being here,in Toronto, i dnt think i can talk about skies filled with kites...so food sums up our festival!)


Since, chakkara pongal is the dish that most people do on this particular day...i made it too..(it was so yummy!! :) )


CHAKKARA PONGAL


Ingredients:


Rice                                       1 cup
Milk                                       2 cups
Jaggery                                  100 gms
Cardamom powder                2 tsp
Cashews
Badam
Raisins
Ghee                                     4 tbsp


Method:


Flame: Low
Time: 20-25 min

1. Wash the rice and pour it into a pressure pan.
2. Then add 2 cups of milk into the pressure pan and keep it on low flame.
3. After 2 whistles, switch off the stove.
4. In the mean time, make the jaggery into a fine powder.
5. Take the lid off the pressure pan and add the jaggery powder. (Make sure the flame is low, else jaggery could break the milk)
6. Mix well until the jaggery powder mixes completely.
7. Add cardamom powder into the pressure pan and stir well.
8. Now, pour the contents into a bowl.(Chakkara pongal is ready.)
9. Keep a frying pan, and add some ghee in it.
10. Once the ghee melts, add cashews and badam.
11. Fry until they turn golder brown.
12. Then add raisins.(These should be added last, as they take lesser time to fry.)
13. Spread the contents from the frying pan into the chakkara pongal bowl.

And "chakkara pongal is ready!!!"

Note:

1. You can add the any amount of milk after the rice cooks depending on the thickness you desire.
2. You can add any amount of ghee while stirring the jaggery too.
3. Dry fruits is completely your choice! (add all that u want, it only enhances!)
4. Make sure u make a powder of the jaggery.(Tip: keep it in the microwave for 10 sec, and then make a powder, lessens your work.)

Happy cooking!

Wishing everyone a Happy and Joyous sankaranthi! :)

~~>Taste Buds<~~

GREEN CHILLI CHUTNEY


Yeah, the word itself gives you a thoght of how spicy the chutney can be. This a great chutney, easy to make and yet blends well with bland dishes mostly, like idli, vada , dosa and even plain rice. (with ghee not to forget :))


Here is how we go about with it:

Ingredients:


Green chillies               15-20
Corriander                   1 full bunch
Tamarind                      25 gms
Curd                            1 tbsp
Salt

Popu:


Chana dal              1tsp
Urad dal                1tsp
Mustard                 1tsp
Jeera                      1tsp
Oil                          2tsp
Asafoetida
Curry leaves
Red chilli                1

Method:


Flame: Medium
Time: 15 min

1. Wash green chillies and corriander and blend them in the grinder.
2. Add salt and tamarind.
3. We can add water to it depending on the thickness one wants.
4. Remove it,keep it in a seperate bowl and add curd to it.Mix well.
5. Now, take a small frying pan , add oil in it.
6. After it gets heated, add chana dal and urad dal.
7. When they turn slightly brown, add mustard and jeera.
8. Add curry leaves and a red chilli.
9. Then add asafoetida into the frying pan.
10. Pour these contents into the bowl and stir well.

And, "Teekha teekha mirchi chutney is ready!!"

Note:

1. If its too spicy,add grated coconut .Adds a special taste to it.
2. Lots of corriander also does the trick to make it spicy and tasty!

Happy cooking!!

New Year's 2010....Yippee!!! :) :) :)

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!


I decided to keep this section as colorful as possible!! Reason being very very simple and obvious..!I want my life to be as colorful as this coming year!!! 


Well! In retrospect, last year wasn't that bad too, we did have some good memories that would stay with us for a lifetime.... 

1. Our first valentine day... [dunno y i fantasize this day!!! :) :) :)  :) :)]
2. My sister got engaged.[:) :) ]
3. My best friend got married![:) :)] 
4. My sister-in-law got a MD seat.. [she has been trying for the past 2 yrs..uff..finally!! :)]
5. An unforgettable trip New York Trip and I made new friends![:)]
6. We moved to a new house in St Louis.[just 1 mile away,...hehe...but packing is still packing!!!! :) & :(] 
7. A trip to Chicago and met my relatives![:) ]
8. My cousins came to visit us in St Louis. [:)]
9. I has a rocking 2 month vacation in India.[:) :) :) :) :) :) :)]
10. My husband became a docter!!! [oho..i meant the PhD thing!!! :) :) :) :)]
11. Visited Detroit and got a visa to Canada.[:) :)]
12. Had a nice holiday in Toronto.[:) :) :)]
13. And, finally, we moved to Toronto for gooooooood!!!!!! yayy..............![:) :) :) :) :) :)]

Not to highlight on the bad things... I want to make them seem as few a possible, actly the two big things for me, which, if I had a chance ,I would have re-lived and had it my way would be,

1. My GRE score [would have worked on my math...actly the paper sucked..!!! :( :( :( ]
2. My first anniversary.. [we celebrated it seperately..honestly..no celebration! ]
3. Recession.[Y me??? :(]

Would it be "ok" to assign :,,( for sad with tears..??????????? Then think of 100 of them in the 2nd one.. !!

When people say that all good things come to an end...I think of it as one good just leads to another! :) New place, new friends, new beginning, I think I am being given a second chance to live a different life all over again, a new page in the same book.Only that this time I am much more prepared for challenges that I need to face in the coming days!

"New year resolutions" what are they?????? Something made in one night for the whole year!! Oh please, thats not something which I would ever stick to!!! 

Well. whats gone is never gonna comeback, but we can make a lot of difference to our present!!!

Cheers to a wonderful year and life!! Cheers!!!

P.S : Those :) and :( indicated the intensity of my happiness and saddness...!!! HEHEHE, and a new emoticon for crying...  [;,(], do u have a  better emoticon...????

~~>Taste Buds<~~

Tomato Pappu [Tomato Dal] 


I think this is the simplest yet tastiest of all the dal's. This with avakayi {mango pickle} is yummy... !!! :)

Ingredients


Chana dal                    1 cup
Tomatoes                     2 small ones
Green Chillies               3
Red chilli powder
Turmeric
Corrainder
Salt
Water                           2 cups

Popu :


Urad dal                     1tsp
Mustard                      1tsp
Jeera                           1tsp 
Oil                               2tsp
Curry leaves
Asafoetida

Method


Cooking time: 20 min
Flame: medium

1. Wash 1 cup of chana dal and keep it in a dish. (This is the bowl you intend to keep to cook the dal)
2. In that dish, add finely chopped tomatoes and green chillies.
3. Add 2 cups of water and place it in the pressure cooker.
4. After 3 whistles(2 in low flame and 1 in high), switch off the stove. 
5. Let the cooker cool.(You can test it by trying to remove the whistle)
6. Once you are able to remove the whistle, add salt , red chilli powder and a pinch of turmeric and mix slightly.
7. Now, in a frying pan, add oil. Then add urad dal. 
8. When the urad dal turn slightly brown, add mustard seeds and jeera.
9. Then add curry leaves and asafoetida.
10. Pour the contents in the frying pan into the dal dish.
11. Now place the dal dish on the stove for 5 min and switch off the stove.
12. Garnish it with corriander.

And "yummy yummy dal ready!!!!!!!!!!"

Note:

1. Pre-frying the chana dal before washing them makes the dal even more tasty.
2. Its better to make it in the pressure cooker or on the stove directly than in the micorwave.
3. Cutting the green chilles vertically and then adding it in the popu is also good.(Its nice to bite a crunchy green chilli in this pappu). But make sure you close the frying pan with a lid when you do this.  :)
4. It is best when served with rice, avakayi, appadam and vodiyaalu.... (oo..my mouth is watering!! yummy)