Wednesday, July 28, 2010
STIR FRIED SPAGHETTI
WITH VEGETABLES
I usually buy the ready-made pasta sauce for my kid, then once I thought of trying pasta the same way I make my fried rice. I love the vegetable hakka noodles in the restaurants, This one some how satisfies my craving for that veg.noodles 
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Ingredients :
| Spaghetti(I used whole meal) | 100 gms |
| Cabbage,julienned | 1/2 cup |
| carrot,julienned | 1/2 of a carrot |
| capsicum | 1/2 of a medium sized |
| Spring onion | 2-3 sprigs |
| Ground black pepper | 1 tsp |
| Soy sauce | 1/2 tsp |
| Olive oil | 2 tblsp |
| Salt & water | As needed |
Method:
- Cook the spaghetti as per the instructions given in the pack(Boil the spaghetti with a tsp of oil and required salt,till soft.I prefer soaking the pasta before cooking,to make it get cooked very soon.Drain water and wash it in cold water to prevent sticking together)
- Chop the spring onion white part and green part separately.
- Heat a broad pan with olive oil,first add the white part of the spring onion,fry till transparent.
- Then add the carrot,cabbage and capsicum one after other,frying each for a minute or two.
- Lastly add the pepper and sauce,salt as required and then the green part of the spring onion.
- Add the cooked pasta and stir/toss well so that the veggies get mixed with the pasta evenly. Garnish with spring onion and serve hot!
Notes:
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Friday, July 23, 2010
DAL FRY
TADKA DAL - WITH TOOR DAL
My favourite dish in North Indian cuisine! Whenever I get a chance to go to a North Indian restaurant,my order
will be Dal fry with steamed rice and kadai paneer…. My ever green combo! Today I just felt like making this at home
and here’s the recipe…Thanks to Sangeeta for the recipe!
To temper:
Lemon Juice to squeeze on top before serving.
METHOD:
NOTES:(Variations)
My favourite dish in North Indian cuisine! Whenever I get a chance to go to a North Indian restaurant,my order
will be Dal fry with steamed rice and kadai paneer…. My ever green combo! Today I just felt like making this at home
and here’s the recipe…Thanks to Sangeeta for the recipe!
Ingredients:
| Toor dal (thuvaram paruppu) | 1/2 cup |
| Tomato | 1 no. |
| Ginger | 1/2 inch piece |
| Turmeric | 1/4 tsp |
| Asafoetida | A pinch |
| Green chillies | 2 nos. |
| Kasuri methi | A generous pinch |
| Salt | As needed |
| Ghee | 1 tblsp |
| Jeera | 2 tsp |
| Red chilli powder | 3/4 tsp |
METHOD:
- Pressure cook dal(add just enough water) with a drop of ghee,ginger,asafoetida and turmeric for 5-6 whistles.( I soak the dal,cook in low flame after first whistle).
- After done,just mash it little without making too gooey.
- Heat a kadai with ghee and temper with half of the jeera (I added ginger at this stage)and add the chopped tomato,salt,fry till soft and add little water and let it boil for 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked dal and boil for two more minutes and add kasuri methi leaves(soak in hot water before adding)at this stage.
- At last add heat a tsp of ghee and add the remaining jeera and switch off the flame and then add the red chilli powder. Immediately add it to the dal on the top.(you can add little water immediately to prevent it burning).
- Enjoy with steamed basmati rice preferably with any kind of subzi as accompaniment. Dont forget to squeeze lemon as it gives a nice zing to dal!
NOTES:(Variations)
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Wednesday, July 14, 2010
IDLY
HOW TO MAKE SOFT IDLIES
For who knows grinding and making idlies,this post may be silly,as its not a big deal for those who are used to it. But I have some friends and I know so many who have never made or seen some one making, and want to try out at home,for them its really a big big project for them. Even, before I started doing this regularly, I found it very complicated and took some time for getting the correct method of grinding and everything. But now its no big deal for me…Not only this,everything right from cooking, if we see from outside, or if we are just learners,it seems to be a big task and it will be looking more complicated,but if we do regularly, by practice, everything becomes so easy and perfect! Its all about experience… For me before marriage,I found all these grinding and mixing works found to be messy (especially the batter mixing process and washing the grinder
)and I have told my mom many times that, In my life I would never do this, rather I will keep a servant to make all these messy things……and now
… 
Hope I could cover the doubts we get,during this idly making process. All the experts out there,please dont waste your time :) this is purely for beginners! And if you have any doubt in this process,please feel free to write to me in the Email ID that you can find in my blogger profile! By posting this,I am not assuring that I am an expert in making Idlies, just posting what I know,How I do 
.
Ingredients :
| Idly rice | 3 cups |
| Whole urad dal (without skin)/Ulundhu | 1/2 cup(adjust according to the quality) |
| Fenugreek seeds/vendhayam | 1/2 tsp |
| Water | as needed |
| Salt | As needed (3 & 3/4 tsp) |
Method:
- I got a request from one of my reader friend to show the measuring cups I use,so here is it, 1 cup holds 250 ml.
- Idly rice is parboiled rice,especially we use for idly(different from the parboiled eating rice),it looks shorter as shown in the picture.
- Wash and soak rice separately and urad dal + fenugreek seeds for 3 hrs at least.
- I grind urad dal first,but my MIL says if ground in larger quantity,urad dal batter,if ground and kept first has tendency to become watery. But as I grind only 1/2 cup , I grind Urad dal first.(Its because,if we grind rice lastly,its easy to wash the grinder )
- The following steps are only the water quantity and the time it took for the urad dal I have,so take it as a rough idea and use water accordingly and grind till you get a smooth batter!
- Drain water from urad dal and add half of the dal and start the grinder. Add 1/4 cup water. Then add the remaining dal and add 1/4 cup more and grind for 4-5 minutes. Stand near by and use the plastic spatula to wipe the dal ,ensure no dal or fenugreek seeds gets stuck to the side walls of the grinder container and remain un ground.
- After 4-5 minutes,add 1/4 cup of water and grind for 15 minutes, for every 4 minutes or so add 1/8 cup of water.
- Total time for urad dal batter = 20 – 25 minutes approximately and total water = 1 & 1/2 to 1& 3/4 cups approximately(for 1/2 cup). (water quantity and the volume of the batter depends upon the quality if the urad dal,better the quality of the dal, it will get more water while grinding and becomes light and fluffy,still stiff and white in colour!) If your urad dal is not a good quality,the batter will become watery and it will not be white comparatively.
- By this time the batter will be having small small bubbles in it,light and fluffy.Transfer the ground urad dal batter to a big container,enough to hold the fermented batter.
- Now drain the water in the rice and add the rice little by little while your wet grinder is running(this is to avoid the grinder getting stuck because of over loading)
- Add 1/2 + 1/2 cup water in between while you add all the soaked rice little by little.
- Grind for 4-5 minutes and again make sure no whole rice remains un ground in the sides of the grinder container. Use the spatula.
- Add 1/2 more cup of water and grind till it is smooth or a little coarse(whichever consistency you prefer,I personally grind smoothly). Add more water if its needed. It takes about 25-30 mins approximately. Time may vary,check it out(as mine is 6 years old grinder and also the rice quantity depends).
- Transfer this rice batter to the urad dal batter and add salt and mix well with your hands. Keep closed in a warm place for fermenting minimum of 12-14 hrs. I soak around 1.00 PM,grind around 4.00 PM and keep over night and make idly for the morning break fast…
- The next day morning it will be fermented and raised in quantity. A well fermented batter gives,soft and tasty Idlies.
- I have my Idly pot given by my MIL,its gives soft idlies which after getting cold too doesn't form a layer(dry)…
- My kid loves both my idly and the crispy dosa! Idly tastes best with Idly Podi.
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Some Notes:
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Thursday, July 8, 2010
BOTTLE GOURD KOOTU
SURAKKAI KOOTU
When ever I hear the name of this,it always remembers me a saying-if any one interferes and annoys when two people are talking and asks what are they talking,they say : “சொரக்காய் கூட்டுக்கு உப்பு பத்தல”.
. I dont know the story behind that,if anyone knows please do share ! I made this as per my MIL’s instructions when I was there. She usually makes dosa by grinding this along with rice. Comes out very soft,will blog surely in future. My mom too makes two versions in this kootu. And I am a big fan of it too,recipes will sure blog in future. My mom adds sugar and makes this sweet. Also she makes a complicated dish with small small rice balls(as they make for paal kozhukattai),which is also a sweet version,it will be just awesome,really!!
Here’s my MIL’s salt version of the kootu. I was not able to concentrate on pictures,still managed to click some. Recipe is very very simple.
To grind:
To temper:
Is it not so simple?
When ever I hear the name of this,it always remembers me a saying-if any one interferes and annoys when two people are talking and asks what are they talking,they say : “சொரக்காய் கூட்டுக்கு உப்பு பத்தல”.
. I dont know the story behind that,if anyone knows please do share ! I made this as per my MIL’s instructions when I was there. She usually makes dosa by grinding this along with rice. Comes out very soft,will blog surely in future. My mom too makes two versions in this kootu. And I am a big fan of it too,recipes will sure blog in future. My mom adds sugar and makes this sweet. Also she makes a complicated dish with small small rice balls(as they make for paal kozhukattai),which is also a sweet version,it will be just awesome,really!! Here’s my MIL’s salt version of the kootu. I was not able to concentrate on pictures,still managed to click some. Recipe is very very simple.
Ingredients:
| Bottle gourd | 1 no. |
| Salt & water | As needed |
| Coconut,grated | 1/4 cup |
| Rice flour | 1/2 tsp |
| Oil | 1 tsp |
| Mustard | 3/4 tsp |
| Urad dal | 1 tsp |
| Curry leaves | 1 sprig |
| Red chillies | 2-3 nos. |
Method:
- Peel the skin and remove the centre soft portion of the veggie.
- Chop them finely and boil it with little water(just to immerse) and salt and cook till done.
- Grind the coconut with rice flour and water,to a smooth paste and add it to the cooked veggie.
- Mix well and boil for 2 minutes and temper with the items given under the ‘To temper’ table. Enjoy as acoompaniment for rice.
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Is it not so simple?
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