A regular preparation at home. This is an adapted recipe from my Mother and Mother – in -law.  The result of a Maharashtrian and Andhra recipe turned out to be fairly interesting.  The critics mopped up the dish entirely with some Hot Rotis , so I’m going to be re-visiting and preparing this dish often at home.

Ingredients:

1 ) Baby Brinjals – 500 Gms ( I have used the Purple kind here )
2 ) 1 Onion chopped into 1/2 inch squares
3 ) 3 red chillies
4 ) Peanuts – 1/2 Cup
5 ) Til seeds – 1 Tea spoon
6 ) 1/2 inch Ginger chopped
7 ) Jaggery – 1 Tea spoon
8 ) Salt to taste
9 ) 3 to 4 Teaspoons Oil for frying
Procedure:

Slit the Baby Brinjals across without breaking them. Soak them in water. Dry roast the Peanuts , Til seeds , Chillies , Ginger and chopped onion with a Teaspoon of oil until they turn brown.  Cool them and grind them into a smooth paste with little water. Take a shallow pan or a small pressure cooker. I tend to use the Pressure cooker to save time. It saves up almost half the cooking time. If you take a Pan , follow this procedure – heat 2 to 3 Teaspoons of oil , add the mixture/masala to the oil and cook them for a minute or two. Add the slit brinjals to this masala with some salt , jaggery and 1/4 cup of water. Close the lid and cook for 15 to 20 minutes until the Brinjals are soft. If you use the small pressure cooker , follow the above procedure until you add the the water. Close the lid and Pressure cook it for 10 minutes.  Once cooked garnish it with Coriander and serve hot.

Serving suggestion : With Chapati/ Roti.

Ok! So here’s yet another Family favourite getting published! Recipe courtesy – Mom-In-Law . The Sago Kicchdi is one of those first few dishes I learnt from my mom-in-law to keep my husband’s tummy happy, and it took me about 5 failed attempts to get here. I have managed to add some small twists to it , to suit our requirement. So here is what we have every Sunday for Breakfast!

 Ingredients

• Sabudana/Sago    1 cup
• Roasted Peanuts 1/4 cup
• Green chillies     4-5
• Ghee/ Oil      1 tablespoon
• Roasted Cumin seeds  1 teaspoon
• Salt  to taste
• Sugar 1 teaspoon
• Lemon juice     1 teaspoon
• Fresh coriander leaves  a few sprigs
• Curry leaves  1 sprig
• Asafoetida 1/4 teaspoon
• Mustard seeds 1/4 teaspoon

Procedure
Wash sabudana and soak in one cup water for three to four hours. (I usually soak the Sabudana overnight with 3/4 cup water ). Sabudana ( sago ) pearls should be separate and moist. In case they are too moist , try to dry them on a tissue or cloth to absorb the moisture. Grind the peanuts coarsely. Coarsely pound the Roasted Cumin seeds in a Mortar.

To the Sabudana grains , add Sugar , Salt , Cumin powder , Peanuts and mix them well and set it aside.

Heat ghee/oil in a pan, add curry leaves,asafoetida, mustard seeds and chopped green chillies. When mustard seeds crackle  add sabudana, saute for four to five minutes, stirring well. Sprinkle a little water and add the lime juice. Mix well. Remove from heat. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves.

Serving suggestion:
Best served with Sweet Curd.

The past few weeks have been fairly cold and a perfect setting for a Warm soup. Although I must admit that this recipe was tried mostly to use my new Soup Mugs instead of wanting to have soup The mugs were one of those beautiful things that I fell in love with almost immediately. So unique and yet chic.A very quick and easy to make Soup. Inspired by one of the Family ” Palak ( Spinach ) and Carrot soup ” recipes , this recipe is slightly modified to add Corn Kernels to make it more kid friendly.

Ingredients:

1 ) 2 Bunches of Spinach washed well.

2 ) 1 Bay leaf

3 ) 1 onion, finely chopped

4 ) 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped

5 ) 1/4 tsp finely chopped ginger

6 ) 1 green chilli

7 ) 1 Bay leaf

8 ) Black pepper

9 ) Salt

10 ) 1 Tablespoon Corn flour

11 ) 1/2 cup Sweet Corn kernels

Procedure :

Chop the Spinach into even bits. Add the Onion , Bay leaf , Garlic , Ginger , Chilli into a small Pressure cooker with a Cup of Water and let it steam for about 5 to 7 Minutes. Once cool , remove the Bay leaf , strain the contents and set the Stock aside. Puree them with a small amount of the Stock  into a fine paste. To the puree add the Stock and the Corn kernels and let it boil for about a minute. In a small bowl , add 5 Tablespoons of water and mix the Corn Flour and pour it into the Soup mixture. The Corn flour is added to thicken the consistency of the soup. You can vary the amount based on the consistency you require. Season it with Salt and Pepper.

Serving suggestion:

With Roasted Pappad or Garlic bread.

Egg Muffin

A simple and nutritious Savory dish when you have some left over Chicken bits from yesterday’s dinner and just a few eggs.

Ingredients:

1 ) Chicken – Cut into tiny bits ( I have used some Chicken from an Indian style Chicken curry )

2 ) 4 Eggs

3 ) 1 Chopped Onion

4 ) 1 /2 teaspoon Chilli Powder

5 ) Salt to taste

6 ) 3 Tablespoons All Purpose Flour

7 ) 1/2 Teaspoon Baking Powder

Procedure:

Whisk the Eggs in a container for about a Minute or Two. Add the Flour and Baking Powder to the Eggs and mix them well. To this mixture add Chopped Onions , salt and Chilli powder and set them aside

Take 4 Ramekins and grease them with butter. Place the Chicken bits in the Ramekins and pour the Egg Mixture on top of the Chicken. ( Make sure to leave some room since the Mixture is bound to Fluff up once its in the oven )

Pre-Heat the Oven at 200 degrees Centigrade

Place the Ramekins and bake them for about 25 to 30 Minutes. Serve it with a Mushroom Side dish. And there you have a perfect Winter recipe for one of those Cold nights Enjoy

Gram Flour Sandwich with Stir Fry veggies

A Quick Sunday Breakfast Fix.

Gram Flour Sandwich

Ingredients:

1 ) 6 Whole Wheat Bread slices

2 ) 4 Tablespoons Gram Flour

3 ) 2 Tablespoons Corn Flour

4 ) 1 Onion – finely choppes

5 ) 2 green chillies – finely chopped

6 ) Salt to taste

7 ) 50 ml water

Procedure: Add all the ingredients ( 2 to 7 ) to a bowl and add mix them well. Dip the Bread slices into the bowl and evenly spread the mixture well on each slice. Heat up a pan. Grease the pan with some oil. Gently place the Bread slices on the pan and leave it on a Medium flame until the slices turn brown evenly.

Stir Fry Veggies

Ingredients

1 ) 1 Carrot – Sliced thinly

2 ) 1 cup cabbage -

3 ) 1 Onion

4 ) 1 Bay leaf

5 ) Star Anise – 2

6 ) Salt to taste

7 ) Vinegar – 1 Tsp

8 ) 1.2 Tsp Chilli Powder

9 ) Ginger Juliennes – 1.5 tsp

Procedure: In a wok add a teaspoon of oil and add the Bay leaf , Star Anise , Onions and ginger and fry them until the Onions turn pink. To this add the carrots and Cabbage and stir fry them for 10 minutes. Add salt , Chilli powder and Vinegar.

If you have a fussy eater for a toddler, im sure this is one of those recipes which will make you feel better about some nutrients getting into your toddler’s system easily.

Cinnamon is a great remedy for cold, so I try to incorporate it as much as possible lately. And hey surely a good substitute for sugar too.

The current recipe turned out slightly crisp and not as fluffy as I wanted it to be, but all in all was good on taste. I realized that Yeast had to be used to get it fluffy, but since I missed adding Yeast and used Baking Powder instead, they turned out to be crisp.

Ingredients

1 ) Wheat Flour – 1 Cup

2 ) Nutella – 1/4 Cup

3 ) Butter – 4 tablespoons

4 ) Cinnamon Powder – 2 to 3 Tablespoons

5 ) Baking Powder – 1/2 T spoon

Pass the Wheat Flour, Cinnamon Powder and the Baking Powder through a Sieve. To this mixture , add the Nutella and mix them until it forms a Soft Dough. (When the dough does not stick to your hand, it has reached the correct consistency)Divide the dough into small and equal portions (approximately 2 inch rounds )

On a flat surface, spread some wheat flour and roll the dough flat until they are about 1/2 a cm thick. Cut the round edges of the surface to get an even square.

Spread the Butter evenly on to this surface and sprinkle the cinnamon powder evenly along the surface. Make sure you leave around an Inch space on all sides.

Roll the dough from the bottom end to the top.Now cut the rolled Dough into even 1 Inch portions and set it aside.

Pre-Heat the Oven at 200 Degrees. Grease the Baking tray and line the Cinnamon rolls on the tray. Bake for about 20 Mins.

Cool them on a tray and serve them with fresh fruits. We used it for our Sunday picnic and was surely a great snack for a nice Sunday.

Avocado Chutney

Avocado – Having heard enough about the Health Benefits of the Avocado and having heard enough “Nays ” at home when it’s served on the plate , I tried out a simple Chutney to add a little zing and still get the nutrients.

It’s simple and quick and can be best served with Bread, Chapati’s , Idly’s and Dosa. A small twist in the Chutney and can pass off as a nice dip for some nice chips.

So for the ingredients

1 Avocado, peeled and pitted

1 tablespoon Urad Dal (Optional)

3 to 4 Garlic Cloves

1 Inch Ginger

1/4 Cup shredded Coconut

4 to 5 Curry Leaves

1 Green Chilli

1 teaspoon Lime Juice

Salt to taste

Asafoetida – 1 pinch

Oil – 1 T spn

Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tea spoon.

Mash the pealed Avocado and set it aside. Dry roast the Urad Dal , Curry Leaves and the Shredded coconut for a minute. In a mixer add the Avocado , Urad dal , Curry Leaves , Coconut , Garlic , Ginger , Chilli, Lime juice and salt and grind it to a fine paste. Set aside the Chutney in a small bowl and prepare the Garnish.

Heat the skillet, add the Oil to it and once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds until they splutter. Once they splutter, add the Asafoetida and hold for 2 seconds. Pour this garnish on to the Avocado Chutney.

Shying away from pastries for a while , masking the laziness with the Calorie chart But there comes the much awaited b’day of our house and it seemed like the perfect time to try the one and only Pastry that made me go wow with the first bite

I have to admit that the experience of making a pastry calls for a lot of patience , so given all the Quick recipes in this blog , this one’s a stunner for me ! But hey , a Husband’s b’day ought to be special.

My preps started one week ago , Monday – Discussed with a friend about the Do’s and Donts
Tuesday – Scout for the ingredients , the Whip cream and canned fruits being the key ones
Wednesday – Place the Order
Thursday – Plan the procedure
Friday – Ummm….Let’s say …
Saturday – Bake the cake
Sunday – Add the whipped Cream and top it with the Pineapple Goodies
Sunday noon – Celebrate

Ingredients:

2 cups All-purpose flour ( Maida )
1 ¾ Cups powdered sugar
4 Eggs
2 tsp Baking powder
1 tsp Vanilla Essence
Canned Pineapple 4 slices
Canned Pineapple Syrup
2 cups Whipping Cream ( I used Merry Whip Cream )
1 Cup Pineapple chunks

Procedure:

Sift the Maida flour with Powdered Sugar and Baking powder and set it aside. Separate the Egg Whites and the Egg yolk. Beat the Egg Yolk with Vanilla essence and Butter until they are whisked properly. Beat the Egg whites until they form soft peaks. To this blend the Flour and the Egg yolks gently.

Grease the pans with butter and pour in the Cake mixture.

Pre-Heat the oven at 180 Degrees Centigrade. Bake the cake for about 20 to 25 minutes.
Once the cake is completely cool , cut the cake horizontally into equal slices.

 Assembling the cake:

Use a spoon soak one slice of cake in the pineapple syrup. The cake should be moist but still firm.
Fill the cream in the piping bag and pipe on the surface of the cake. Use a flat palette knife to spread the whipped cream evenly all around the first layer of the cake. Spread small cut pieces of Pineapple on the first layer.
Place the second layer of the cake over the first , use the pineapple syrup on this layer too to make it moist. Continue to spread the whipped cream on the surface of the cake and all around the cake to cover it entirely with whipped cream. Decorate it with pineapple pieces.

Serving suggestion:

Refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours and then serve.

For the Whipped Cream , beat the Whipped cream until they form soft peaks.

Kadhi and Rice.

A dish when you are up for a very simple and Quick recipe.I have had various versions of this simple curry , a South Indian, Gujarati , Sindhi and numerous variations from home to home.
Here is an adaptation of these various forms to suit my palate. I love this one due to its simplicity and mainlyfor the fact that im sorted in about 20 mins. So here goes.

Ingredients:

1 ) 500 Ml curd. I’ve used the Packet Curds as opposed to the Set Dahi in this case.
2 ) 4 to 5 Teaspoons of Gram Flour
3 ) 1 inch Ginger Pod
4 ) 3 to 4 Green Chillies.
5 ) Asfoetida – 1/4 Tea-Spoon
6 ) Mustard Seeds – 1/2 tea spoon
7 ) A pinch of turmeric
8 ) Salt to taste
9 ) 1 teaspoon Sugar
10 ) Oil – 2 tea spoons
11 ) Curry leaves for garnish

Procedure:

Beat the curds well with a beater or churner to a smooth mixture. Add water to attain desired consistency. Take a small portion of this curd in a cup and add the Gram flour to it. This is to ensure that there are no lumps. Add the Gram flour mixture to the Curd. At this point you can add in the Salt, Sugar and Turmeric and set it aside.
Coarsely grind the Ginger and Chillies and add them to the curd mixture too.In a vessel add the Oil and wait until its hot. To this add the Asfoetida, Mustard seeds and the curry leaves. Once the Mustard seeds splutter , you can pour in the curd mixture and boil it for about 8 to 10 minutes.

Served best with steaming rice

I’ve been so away from my system , from blogging , from the camera. A lot of catch ups , trips to meet some distant cousins kept me busy entirely.
I missed blogging dearly..

And while trying to get back into the routine , my daughter and I went Veggie shopping. And she’s in an age to pick up things that she likes and just drop it into the bag while im not looking. The recent additions being , a pack of Oreo , some popcorn , chocolates of course and a pleasant but welcome addition , the Lovely Cool Cucumber.
While I would swiftly drop back everything to where they belong , I was very proud of the Cucumber and added another one to appreciate it.

So , here’s a quick Salad recipe involving the cucumber.
Ingredients:

1 ) I cucumber Sliced – Length wise
2 ) Garlic and Chilli Sauce – 1 Tea spoon
3 ) Vinegar – 1 Tea spoon
4 ) Pinch of salt
5 ) 1 Teaspoon Sugar
6 ) Peanuts ( 2 Teaspoons )
7 ) Raisins ( 1 Teaspoon )
8 ) Coriander for Garnish

Procedure:

Slice the Cucumber lengthwise. I keep the seeds on too , I don’t like to throw them away , but if you like it to be little dry , then you can remove the seeds and retain the Cucumber only. Mix the Garlic Chilli sauce , Vinegar , Salt , Sugar , peanuts and Raisins and mix them up. Garnish it with Coriander and serve.