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,

Mutton Curry

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

What I will write about this recipe! I just love it. This curry goes well with rotti, chapati, idiappam, dosa, rice noodles,bread and the list goes on..... I am missing the aroma I get when it is cooked and ready to eat! The whole building or chawl or area where ever you are staying will come to know that what is cooked in your house!! 

Mutton curry, easy to make, good to eat and can keep for 2 days and save your time to cook. 2 days in the sense, the day you cook it and the very next day., Not good to keep it for more than that.

(I forgot to take seperate photoes! So for all the three recipes, the same photo will be posted!!)

I am coming to the recipe,

Mutton - 1/2 kilo

Apply salt and turmeric to the chops for half an hour. Then clean it 2 to 3 times with good water.

For marinating,

Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tbsp each

Oil - 1 tbsp

Curds - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tbsp

Garam masala(ready) - 1 tsp

Marinate the mutton with above ingredients at least for 2 hours. If it is marinated over night, it tastes better as mutton will be tender and all the flavors goes inside it.

Once it is marinated, Transfer it into a cooker and give 3 to 4 whistles. Remove the stock and keep aside to add it to the curry.

For curry masala

Onion - 3 big, washed and chopped

Tomato - 2 big, washed and chopped

Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup grated

Cardamom - 3 

Cloves - 3

Cinnamon - 1

Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp

Shajeera - 1 tsp

Nut meg powder - 1/2 tsp

Put all the ingredients directly in the mixer and grind it into a fine paste.

For tempering,

Onion - 1 big, washed and chopped into thin slices

Curds - 2 tbsp

Bay leaf - 1

Chilly powder - 3 tbsp

Oil - 1/2 cup or 1/4 cup as per your diet. But this curry tastes better with more oil

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Mutton stock

Salt to taste

Coriander or dhania powder - 1 tbsp

Haldi or turmeric powder - 1 tsp

Final step:

Take a thick bottomed kadai or cooker. Keep on high flame and add oil. When the oil is hot add chopped onion and fry on high flame till the onion becomes brown. Reduce the flame, add bay leaf, ginger garlic paste. When the raw smell of the paste goes, add the ground paste. Roast the masala till it turns out brown and starts leaving oil on the sides. The raw smell of onion should go.

Add curds, salt, dhania powder and turmeric powder. Mix properly and add cooked mutton. Again roast it for some time. Now add the mutton stock and more hot water if required. Cover the lid and cook it for 15 to 20 minutes. Check the seasoning.

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve it with a slice of lime and onion.

Sending this one to Srilekha's  EFM - MUTTON SERIES! event. 

Keep Smiling,

Plain Toor dal(ಖಾರ್ ಬ್ಯಾಳಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more a very simple, tasty and quick recipe from North Karnataka.This is one of common dal which is prepared for the dinner. The reason is, it is easy to cook, tasty to eat and goes well with jowar rotti and rice. When you go through the recipe you will agree with me!

Few ingredients needed for making this dal is,

Toor dal - 1 cup

Onion - 1 big, cut into cubes

Curry leaves - few

Salt to taste

Haldi -1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 2 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander - 2 tbsp(it is not in my photo, as I was out of coriander)

Water to make dal

Keep 3 cups of water to boil. Till it starts boiling, Wash toor dal and keep it aside. Cut onions and keep other ingredients ready.

Add toor dal to boiling water. Allow it to cook for few minutes. Remove the white layer that comes after few minutes boiling. Now add all the ingredients except fresh coriander. Cook the dal without cover till it is just cooked. Do not allow dal to be very soft. If you cover it with a lid all water will spill out.

Garnish with fresh coriander. 

Plain Toor dal(ಖಾರ್ ಬ್ಯಾಳಿ i.e khar byali means spicy dal) is ready to eat either with jowar
rotti and onion or with hot rice and paapad and pickle. Choice is yours.

Don't you think it is the easiest dal for a tired person for his/her dinner??
Sending this to 

 EC's event MLLA-19th Helping event announcement for the month of January 2010.
As per the rule of the event, I am linking my post to  Susan's event host lineup page..  also.Keep Smiling,

A healthy green soup for all!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am not much in to boiling soups. Even though I love to have, somehow I do not like to cook for myself.

But  soup was urgent need for my both daughters. Last month both fell sick and doctor's strict advise was to include any soup in their regular food. Just for my kids, I had to start making the colorful soups. This one is one of those I tried.

 Some times,my camera plays tricks with me!!!

My younger daughter does not link spinach or palak. So I play few tricks to feed her the same. And what can be the best trick than adding palak in the soup????

Coming to the recipe,

Potato - 1 medium, washed, peeled and cut into cubes

Spinach - 10 to 12 leaves, cleaned, washed and chopped.

Tomato - 1 big, washed and cut

Cabbage - 2 leaves, washed and cut

Onion - 1 small, cut into cubes

Ginger - 1/4", washed, peeled. Keep it whole.

Keep all the vegetables in a cooker with very little water. Give 2 or 3 whisltes. When cold, discard the ginger.

Puree the vegetables.

For tempering,

Butter or oil - 1 tsp(for kids, add both)

Garlic - 2 cloves, chopped finely

Salt to taste

White pepper powder - 1 tsp

Milk - 2 tbsp

Heat oil and ghee(if adding) in a pan.Add garlic and brown them. Now add the veg.puree. When it starts boiling, add white pepper and salt. Boil it for 2 minutes without covering. Add milk before taking it down the flame.

Immediately serve it in a bowl.

This soup is good for every one. If you avoid potato, its good for reducing weight and diabetic patients.

Do not skip tomato as it helps spinach to get digested.

I am sending this one to Event Announcement held by Usha of Veg Inspirations.

Keep Smiling,

Simple Veg. Biryani

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi All,

A very simple and easy rice for lunch box. 

Without much introduction or back ground, I am coming to the recipe,

Long grain rice - 200 gm

All vegetables of your choice - 200gm, wash and cut into cubes

(I used Potato, beans, carrot and peas)

Onion - 1 small thinly sliced

Green chilly - 1cut into long slit (if making for kids or 2 for elders)

Tomato - 1 medium, chopped

Ghee - 1 tbsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Tej Patta or bay leaf - 1

Fresh cream - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

For Biryani dry masala,

Fennel seeds -1/2 tsp

Cumin seeds / Jeera -1/2 tsp

Shahjeera/Caraway seeds – 1/2 tsp

Cloves - 4

Cardamom -1

Cinnamon (1” inch length) - 1

Grated nutmeg -1/4 tsp (optional)

Grind everything into fine powder.

Taken from this and originally from this.

Wash the rice. Remove water and keep it to dry for half an hour or at least for 15 minutes.

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai. Add Onion and bay leaf. Fry till golden brown. Add tomato, green chilly and 1/2 tsp of ground masala.

Add all the vegetables and fry for a minute. Now goes the rice. Mix the rice with all the vegetables. Add salt, a table spoon of ready masala powder. Mix and add cream. Fry for a minute

Add hot water till the rice is covered. Close the lid and give just one whistle.

When done, serve hot with curd and onion raita or send it to lunch box for kids.(It is in my daughter's menu) 

This is flying to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen  APS- Rice Event.

Keep smiling,

Life and Laugh again!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

From past one week, I was in tension for my daughter's study. Her unit tests have started this week and she was not studying at all. I am not a mother who is behind marks or rank. But I want her to study regularly for some time and I want her to understand what ever she is studying. I do not want her to by heart everything and get full marks. Her problem is concentration. She won't sit in one place for more than 10 minutes. This time it was out of control as she was not understanding few lessons in Maths and Kannada. 

So I was worried and was shouting at her. 

Three days back, when I was scolding her, she told " Mamma, do not take tension, I will do well in the exam" I asked her how is she going to do, without studying at all. 

Can you guess her answer?? 

She told in a cool voice " mamma, I will just keep my hand on my heart and tell   'all iz well, all is well, all is well' !!!!!! 

(Repeated from JAB LIFE HO OUT OF CONTROL!!!)

Keep Smiling,