Can any one guess what is it?

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Can any one guess what it looks like(I think it is easy to guess!!), But what dish is this???

It is Alu pakoda(Potato fritter), which my mother prepared today evening. And when I took one pakoda to check the taste, this one came in my hand!! 

Recipe for pakoda in few days!

Keep smiling,

Simple but simply great!! Potato Wedges!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A simple snack for every potato lover!

There is an annual sports week going on in my daughter's school. She comes early from the school. So I need to keep her lunch ready when she is back. Today I went for shopping and could not prepare anything for her.

There was bitter gourd for us, but she does not like it!

Without much thinking, I took potatoes and started peeling the skin. I did not had any idea, what will I make with the potato, but I was sure that it will be  faster and any thing you make with potato it will come out nice.

When I cut the first potato, I saw that I have cut it into the shape of wedge. So, the other potatoes followed the first potato! But I did not wanted it more spicier as my younger one also loves potato. I thought of using less masala. Here is the recipe for Potato Wedges from my side,

Potato - 10 to12, small ones so the shape looks even and nice

Salt taste

Clove - 2

Cinnamon  - 1 small

Dry ginger - 1/4 tsp

Jeera - 1/4 tsp, fry it for half a minute without oil

Oil - 2 tbsp

Apply salt to the potatoes and keep aside for 5 minutes if time allows you! I took the plate directly to microwave oven for 5 minutes on high. Till it was done, I fried the jeera. Mixed clove, cinnamon, dry ginger and jeera and crushed into a coarse powder. 

(If you do not have microwave oven, no problem!! Cut the potatoes and put them in to a very hot water for 2 minutes. Drain the water immediately Apply salt. Keep it aside for 5 minutes.) 

Then follow the next steps.

Heat oil in a kadai, add the coarse powder and immediately add the potatoes. Keep on frying till the potatoes becomes crispy. It takes around 15 to 20 minutes. The wedges were so crispy! I finished 1/4th of the plate before I served my daughter!!!!

I spread the ketchup on chapati, spread these wedges on it. Rolled the chapati and gave it to my daughter. 

She enjoyed it a lot! 

But I did not get time to decorate it for the photo! 

My  younger one was  sleeping, she missed the plate!!! When  I make for her, I will try to click a decorated photo and post it here!

10 -12 small potatoes!! it finished in 12 seconds!!!! So keep in mind about the quantity! 

I was in a hurry and I prepared it for only one person with this qty. And do you believe that, this was first time that I prepared potato wedges at home!! I always had it in Pizza outlets!!

Linking this to
http://sindhirasoi.com/link/potato/

Keep smiling,

C.C? K.P? S.C OR C.C again!? What's there in A name?

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Call it Chilli Chapati, Chilli paratha, kuttu paratha, spicy Chapati!!! What's there in a name! The taste is the same! Delicious!!! 

Last week when Nithu posted Chilli Paratha, I was tempted to make it the same time! I went in the kitchen knowing that I do not have frozen parathas in the fridge. But I knew Ajjiri is going to make chapatis. I told her to make thick chapatis and keep ready.  I promised Nithu that I will come back with the review.(Sorry for the delay, Neetu!)

I have read many blogs who posted same recipe. 

One, I remember is PJ's  CHILLI CHAPTHI, where she added soya sauce. And my sis-in-law tried this recipe and was so happy with the taste.

Now, coming to my recipe,

I tasted this first in UAE. My co-sister brought chicken Kuttu paratha  from "Deira Dubai Appa Kadai restaurant" and told me to taste it. And it was just superb. I did not share it with anyone! Selfish no! but the taste was like that. She told me that we get the vegetarian kuttu paratha in Sharavana bhavan in Abu shagarah in Sharjah. Very next evening I went there and ordered one plate of same! And I just loved it.

Thinking why writing all  the area names? I am missing Sharjah, Abu dhabi and Dubai(the whole UAE) for food!

Coming back to the story,

When I went to the kitchen .....

I got cabbage, capsicum and carrots in the fridge. I thought of using all these.

So here goes the recipe,

Ready chapatis - 10 to 12, cut into pieces.

Oil 1 tbsp

Heat oil in a kadai, Fry the chapatis till they are just crispy and keep it aside.

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Cabbage - 1/2 cup, shredded

Carrot - 1 big, julienned,

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Capsicum - 1 big or 2 small, cut into length

Green chilly - 2 cut into long 

Tomato puree - made of 2 tomatoes(I do not get ready paste, so I boiled the tomatoes in a microwave for 2 minutes and blend it into puree

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Red chilly  powder - 1 tsp

Madras curry powder - 1 tbsp(it gives unique taste to this chilli paratha, if you do not have, use the normal curry powder or skip it)

Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai, Add jeera and curry leaves with onion. Let onion fry till it changes its color, add ginger garlic paste. Fry for a minute and add cabbage, carrot and capsicum. Fry for two minutes. Transfer this in to a bowl or plate. Add tomato puree in the same kadai. When it starts boiling add all the dry powders and green chilly. Fry for a minute. Return back the fried vegetables into kadai. Mix it properly. Now goes the chapati pieces. Again mix properly so that the masala gets mix with chapati pieces. Cook for a minute. Garnish with fresh coriander. 

My chilli chapati or call it any name! is ready to eat!! 

Keep smiling,

A queen of blood meets rice and white milk!! accidentally!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Are you thinking that I have started writing novel on ghosts and devils!! I always find this subject very funny and scary movies makes me laugh.( Do not tell me to watch "The Exorcist" or something like that!!!)

Yesterday, I was in a fix to fix a lunch box for my daughter. As you all know she loves to take rice, I have to plan variety of rice for a week and keep it ready in menu .

So, I checked the fridge for vegetables. I did not find anything, as I bring vegetables only in the afternoon of every Tuesday.

I checked the onion basket, thinking that I will make onion rice and send her. Then I saw these red queens sitting and talking to onions! First I hesitated to use these for rice, as I felt may be Rajul will not like the raw smell of beetroot. Then I thought of giving it a try as she likes boiled beet.

I will give you the recipe before I will tell the result!!

Here they come in line:

Rice - 1 cup or 200 gm

Beet - 1 big or 2 medium

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 big, cut into slices

Ginger & Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Whole garam masala - 1 tbsp crushed.

(1 cardamom, 2 cloves, few shajeera, a small piece of cinammon)

Red chilly powder - 1 tbsp or more if cooking for elders

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Then comes the sweet heart of this rice, do not skip this!

Fresh coconut - either grated or small cut pieces to make coarse milk

(I am not getting proper word here, so let me explain you, take few small pieces or grated coconut, put little water and put in a blender to get coconut milk with coarse coconut. I mean, no need to make it full milk. I hope you got me!!!)

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Procedure to make:

Wash the rice and keep it to dry.

Wash, peel and grate the beets.

Heat oil in a cooker. Add jeera and onion. Fry till brown. Add ginger garlic paste and garam masala. Fry for a minute and add the beet and tomato. Its time to keep on frying the beet till it becomes dry or looks dry. Like this I thought the raw smell will go! and to check whether the smell vanished or not,  read full story.

Now add salt and chilly powder with coconut milk. Fry for half a minute.

Add the rice immediately and fry for a minute so that the red masala will get mix with the rice. 

Here is the place where the queen of blood meets the rice and white milk. So the suspense is over.

Add hot water till the rice is covered. 

Cover the lid and give 2 whistles.

The red beet rice is ready to eat!

Yes! There was no raw smell of beet anywhere! Actually no one will make out that it is prepared with beet.

This was my real invention in a hurry!!! 

Why I am calling these beet as queen of bloods?? All of us know that beet is the house of  highest contain of iron, and regenerates the red blood shells. And doctors suggests to have it more if you want increase your hemoglobin. So what will be the best way to give this to kids, without making them cry! or running and shouting behind them?

The result was, the full day,my daughter was on this rice it self. And in the school her friends took half of the rice from the box. Seeing the color of the rice, even her teacher asked her what is it made of???

Do I need more appreciation?

YES! I want the sweet comments from all my friends here. 

Sending this to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen  APS- Rice Event.

AND

Sending it again to

Priya's Healing Foods - Beetroot Event Guest Hosting
( Linking it to Siri's Healing foods home page)

Keep Smiling,

Loving heart to win you all!(Sandwich)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Do not get confused with the title of the post! I am sometimes crazy! I did not wanted to give a normal name to this one!

Is there anything easiest and tasty, healthy(if you use brown bread) and quick food to have when you are really very hungry and can not wait to stand and cook!!

It is bachelor's first love!! And kids adore this! I just love it!!! Am I too dramatic??? 

Do I need to give the recipe for this???

I hope no!!!

The ingredients I used here is

Bread - 4 to make 2 sandwiches

(Brown bread is best, but I do not get in my place(I love the brown bread), so I used the white bread)

Butter - any brand of your choice

Cabbage leaves - 2 (one for each)

You can use lettuce also(again, same problem, I do not get in my place, I need to goto city to get them!!!)

Tomato - 1 cut into round slices

Ohh! I forgot to give the green chutney recipe,

Its simple!

Fresh coriander - 1 bunch, washed,cleaned and chopped

Mint leaves or Pudina - 1/2 bunch, washed, cleaned and chopped

Green chilly - 1 long

Jeera - 1 tsp

Transfer the above ingredients in a grinder and grind into a fine paste.

Remove it to a bowl. 

Seasoning ingredients:

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Mix these both to a ready paste, and the green chutney is ready to go into the sandwich.

I am sending this loving heart to two lovely ladies. Let's see whose heart it will win???

First,  this is going to Radhika Vasanth 's Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast Food

As per the rule I am linking it to Sudeshna’s 

Cook like a bong page also.

 

Only one thing you have add here is boiled potato to make it little healthy, it is not in the photo. 

And then again it is going to

PJ's The 'no cook' event! 

(without the boiled potato of course!)

It is perfect for no cook event. Don't you think so?

Enjoy it any time!

Keep Smiling,

Burnt Jeera dal(reposted)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

I posted this recipe on March 21st 2009,  Burnt Jeera dal. 

As my blog was new and did not had friends who knew about it, I did not get any comments. Thanks to Jaya of Desi Soccer Mom who has taken this event which demands the reposting of 2 posts out of first ten posts.

So I am taking this chance to repost my dal and wait for the sweet comments from you all!!

(Do these lines look very formal??) Its fine. That is what my heart is telling to write down!

Here is the recipe, 

(Earlier, I was not very good in handling camera and taking pics. So this dull photo may make you laugh. Now also I am not so good, but learnt little more than before)

Here the jeera must be burnt and the flavour of burnt jeera with flavour of dal is toooooo good to resist!!!

Here is the recipe:

Toor dal or yellow moong dal - 1 cup(Boiled and mashed)

Tomato - 1/2 chopped length wise

Long dry red chillies - 4 to 5Jeera - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Haldi - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Ghee - 1 tbsp(you can skip this and add 2 tbsp oil)

Coriander - 2 tbsp to garnish

 Heat the kadai, add jeera and let them become black or almost burnt.

Immediately put oil and ghee. After few seconds, and red chillies, haldi, salt and then red chillies.

now add tomato and let it cook for 2 minutes.

Add toor dal or moong dal. Add little water and let it boil for a minute.

Check the salt and adjust according to your taste.

If you like, you can add 1 tsp lemon juice after you off the gas.

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with hot rice and pickle with papad.

Sending this to Jaya for her event The repost event and another set of rules :

Keep smiling,

Mini Samosas

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,

Samosas were never in my kitchen as I never liked the big sized samosas!! But in UAE, I started eating only those we get frozen. They were very tasty, but I used to have rarely because of the frying and frozen factor. Then these mini samosas were available in Keralite Restaurant during Ramdan Fasting. I used to wait to have in the evenings.

        

(keep the straight line on your left)                                                          

  

(Fold like how it is shown in a photo. Apply milk to bind it)

 

After coming from UAE, I totally forgot about these mini darlings.

Last week, my daughter reminded me and ordered me to make samosas. 

A very simple fast food which can be made anytime, as all the ingredients are available at home. This is first time I have made samosas at home!!!!

For filling,

Potato - 3 to 4 medium, boiled and smashed

Peas - 1/4 cup, boiled in a micro wave for a minute

Carrot - 1 small, boiled(optional)

Salt to taste

Garam masala - 1/2 tsp

Chat masala - 1/2 tsp

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp, roasted

Oil - 2 tbsp

Oil to fry samosas

For dough

Maida or all purpose flour - 1 cup

or you can use even wheat flour if your are weight conscious.

Salt - 1 tsp

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Water to prepare dough
Prepare the soft dough with above ingredients and keep aside for at least 15 minutes.

Keep the potatoes and peas in a oven to boil for 5 minutes.  Till it is boiled, prepare the dough and keep it aside and start making filling masala ready.

Heat oil in kadai, Add cumin seeds and all other dry masalas. You should be quick as it will get burnt. Add the vegetables. Salt and lime juice. Mix properly. The masala is ready.

Make small balls(Garlic bulb size) out of dough. Take one ball, roll in to small puri size. Cut in to half. Then comes the trick. Always keep the straight line on your left. It will be easy to make cone. (follow the photos.)

Take smaller size ball to make mini samosas.

Fill the masala. Cover the cone by applying milk. Make other samosas also ready. Fry all the samosas  in a hot oil.

It takes long time to make mini samosas, but tastes great.
Serve with green chutney, sauce or ketchup.
Want to have plain? No problems. 
AND WITH A TWIST, THIS PLATE OF DANCING SAMOSAS ARE GOING TO 

RADHIKA'S 

Event Announcement: Food for 7 Stages of Life - Healthy Fast FoodAs per the rule I am linking it to Sudeshna’s Cook like a bong page also.

The twist is, as there is a time limit in her event, you can prepare this healthy fast food, if and only if you have boiled potatoes  in the fridge.And if you are making it only for one or two persons( as it takes long time to prepare for many)
I hope I am not violating any rule of the event.


Keep Smiling,