Green chilly fries(ಬಾಳಕದ ಮೆಣಸಿನಕಾಯಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I think I delayed posting this recipe as this is prepared in summer and kept for a year. This is also a very common summer preparation with paapad and other fryums. We call it 'baalakad menasina kai" and have it in our regular meals. But as all of you know that I was in Pune for than a month. Actually I had kept few recipes in my draft thinking that I will post them regularly. But my brother's house computer was under repair and I did not get much time to use his personal laptop when he was at home in the evenings.( talking, going out!!!) This time was a real holiday for me. Soon, I will come with details about my holidays in Pune.

THANK YOU ALL FOR BEING WITH ME WHEN I WAS NOT POSTING REGULARLY.

Coming to this recipe,  these type of green chillies are available only during February and March month. So it is perfect to prepare these in Summer as these chillies need sundry. 

Fresh long green chilly - 1 kilo

Fresh yogurt or curds - 1/2 kilo, adjust less or more as per required

Salt to taste

Hing - 1 tbsp or a pea nut size(crushed) if using hard hing

Long thick needle to slit the chillies

Wash the green chillies and dry with soft towel or cloth to remove any water. Slit all the chillies on one side so that the curd gets mixed.

Transfer the curd in a big plastic or glass bowl. 

Add salt and hing. Mix it well.

Add slit green chillies in to it and with a wooden spatula or bare hands(if you can bear the pain later :-)  ) mix the chillies with curds.

This should be prepared in the morning so that you can keep it to dry. 

Spread a thick cleaned plastic sheet in a place where there is lot of sun rays. Take only the chillies(leave the curds in a bowl itself and keep it covered)and spread these on the plastic sheet. Allow to dry till evening. In the evening, again put the chillies back into curds. Mix it properly and keep it till next morning. Again take only chillies and put to dry like previous day. Repeat it for 3 days. From 4th day, dry the chillies till they are totally dry. This may take 2 days depending on the weather. Once the chillies are dry, the color will also change to brown. 

Store in air tight container (good plastic or glass will be fine ). You can store it for a year also.

When ever required, take the chillies out and fry in hot oil. Use it with rice, chapati as a side dish.

Soon I will post a recipe using these chillies.

Keep Smiling,

Surprise for me!! I feel great!!

Tried and Tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I never expected this one!! When Jagruti left a message "please visit my blog" I visited her blog thinking that may be its about some event announcement. But when I went through her second round up((second round of joyful eathing while travelling of  Joy of cooking her event and I had a surprise for me!! She has dedicated the whole event to me! I could not believe it!! So sweet of her! I am really honoured! I am glad to recieve this token of love from her.  First time,I have commented in her blog "Lets grow together" and happy to grow with her and all the bloggers.

I wish her all the best and good luck in the future.

Once again "THANK YOU SO MUCH JAGRUTI" I am really touched.

Visit her blog for wonderful recipes.

Keep smiling,

Baingan ka Bharta(brinjal chutney)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Brinjal is the main vegetable used in North Karnataka. Brinjal and Onion sabji is a must in every marriage in few communities in Hubli and Dharawad.

Brijnal is known as zero life vegetable also. Many people do not like the taste of brinjal! But, as usual I love this vegetable also. And I love the most in brinjal preparation is this Baingan bharta.

I know two methods to make this one. This time I am giving you the method that is used in North Karnataka. One more is Punjabi style which has its own flavor and method.

Coming to the recipe,

Ingredients used are,

Brinjal - 1 big

Green chilly - 1 or 2

Onion - 1 medium, chopped in to fine cubes

Garlic - 2 flakes(optional)

Fresh coriander - handful

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Wash and wipe the brinjal. Prick to make holes all the over. Brush it with oil and roast it on a flame or in a microwave. When cold, keep in water for few minutes. Peel the skin and take the flesh out carefully, Avoid the skin as it tastes bitter.

Roast the green chilly and garlic(if using) Grind  it to make a coarse paste. or you can use  pestle, it gives better taste,

Now, add the roasted brinjal and other ingredients. Again use pestle and mortar to mix all the masalas properly. Check and adjust the taste.

Baingan ka bharta is ready to eat with Jowar rotti or chapati. My dauguter loves it, if I spread it on chapati with curds and make the roll.

Bharta tastes great with Jowar rotti and curds.

Please bear with me and give me some time to post the recipes regularly.

Keep Smiling,

  

Capsicum & Paneer Stir fry(Food Remake)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

(It is so easy to prepare food, when some one is guiding you!! That's why I enjoy very much when ever I follow other blog and cook any dish. And I post it in 'Food Remake' label, as, it is very common in Indian film industry to remake the movies from one language to the other. So even my food here is the remake one!!!)

If you are a regular follower of my blog, you know that I love Paneer in any form. I keep on trying paneer dishes, from many blogs and from the world of recipes.

This time, when I saw  Sushma Mallya's (http://authenticfooddelights.blogspot.com/) this recipe, (Authentic Food Delights: Capsicum & Paneer Stir Fry), Visit her blog for the details.(I am not able to copy the link of her blog and the recipe also, thats why  I have typed only the blog name and the recipe name!!)

I could not wait to try it. I tried it the very next day she posted it in her blog, but I took so much time to post it. Sorry!!

I liked it very much, that I have already repeated it 2 to3 times. And, I am sure, you all also will like it.

Keep Smiling,

Thin poha(avalakki) masala(ಹಚ್ಚಿದ ಅವಲಕ್ಕಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am in Pune for my and my kid's vacation. They both are enjoying their summer camp. I am also enjoying my getting up late in the morning chatting with my sis-in-law, shopping and other things.

I am very sorry I am not able to post regularly. The main reason for this is, my brother's computer is  under repair and I have to wait for him to come home to use is personal laptop. But I will try maximum to use it and post the recipes when ever I get chance.

Coming to the recipe,

Poha, beaten rice, flattened rice, avalakki, call by any name!! A great help for unexpected guests or for quick food for a hungry stomach. Can make many dishes with this!! There is thick poha also which is used either soaked in water or fried in oil.

Even the thin poha is used in many ways. Today, I am giving you one recipe, and hopefully will try to give other recipes also.

This was my father's favorite. He was the first to come home from office. And he loved to keep this ready for us!!!

And, this is a common evening snack in North Karnataka. In Dharawad, there is a canteen from many years named "L.E.A. CANTEEN" which is mainly famous for this poha which we call in Kannada "Hacchida Avalakki". The way he prepares this is really so good, and difficult to get the same taste in the house!!!

What we need for this is,'

Flattened rice or thin poha - 200gm

Onion - 1 big, cubed

Green chilly - 2 to 3, cleaned and finely chopped

Curry leaves -few

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Pea nuts - 2 tbsp(Optional)

Salt to taste

Turmeric powder - pinch

Sugar - 1tsp

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Fresh coconut - 3 tbsp, grated

Fresh coriander - handfull, chopped                                

Heat oil in a kadai, Add mustard seeds. When these splutter, add cumin seeds and pea nuts. Let the nuts fry for 30 seconds. Go on adding, curry leaves, green chilly, onion. Fry till the onion changes its color. Add salt and turmeric. Off the heat. Now add lime juice and sugar. Allow it to cool.

Take the cleaned poha and mix it with the ready onion masala. Add fresh grated coconut and fresh coriander.

Enjoy it in the evening with hot cup of tea.

Keep Smiling,

Sago sandige

Hi All,

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Its summer time!! The best time to make sandige(fryuma, is it a right word??), happala(paapad). During our childhood, helping our mother, aunts and neightbours to make these things was like a festival for us.Yeh, one can oraganize an event on making these, as it will help many of us to prepare variety and store it for a year.

                                       

Sago sandige is again a favorite side dish of my husband. When he came this time, my mom prepared for him and packed it in his luggage.

There are two ways to make it. Giving you the one method, will try to give another soon. 

Sago(big size) - 1 kg

Salt to taste

Hing - to taste

Wash the sago and soak it with very little water for full night or 8 hours.

Its better to prepare early in the morning.

Remove all the water from soaked sago. Add water and hing. Mix it properly and put in idly mould and steam it for 15 minutes. Steam all the sago in batches. Or to make it fast you can use Tatte idly stand or in big steel plates if you have big vessel to steam these.

When one batch is steamed, remove it slowly from the mould and spread these neatly on a plastic paper kept under sun. Let these dry for full day. Remove in the evening and again repeat drying for two more days. Sandiges are ready to fry and eat.

This is going to the event conducted by iloufer of Kitchen Samraj! "Cooking with Seeds- Sago Event Announcement"  which is started by  Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes.








Keep Smiling,

Dosa dosa which dosa who can guess this!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Some times, over confidence puts us in embarrassing situation. This is what happened with me! Last week I planned to make Mix flour, semolina and curds dosa. Usually it comes out very nice. But that day was not mine!!

I don't know what went wrong with the mix!!!

All the 10 dosas came out like this!! Do I need to say, we jumped for quick upma for breakfast!!

Keep Smiling,

Vermicelli Kheer( (ಶ್ಯಾವಿಗೆ ಪಾಯಸ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Vermicelli, used in Payasam, Idly, upma, halwa or burfi!! tastes great!! Vermicelli  payasam is my husband's favorite. He loves it hot and with lot of milk!!

A very easy and quickest sweet dish, for any unexpected happy occasion!! All  ingredients are easily available at home, no need to buy specially for this!

Ingredients for this,

Thin vermicelli - 1 cup, roasted with little ghee 

(Or we get roasted ready packet also in the market)

Water - 1 cup

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Milk - 1 cup

Ghee - 1 to 2 tbsp

Cardamom powder - 1/8th tsp

Dry fruits (Cashew nuts, almonds, Pista and raisins) - 1/4 cup

Milk powder or condensed milk - 1 tbsp

Roast the vermicelli in very slow heat with little ghee. Or if you have the roasted one keep it aside.

Heat ghee in a thick bottom kadai. Fry the dry fruits and remove it into a bowl. Add water in the same kadai and bring it to boil. Add vermicelli and boil it for a minute. Now add sugar and milk. Let it boil for 2 minutes. Check whether the vermicelli is cooked! If not, add some more water or milk. Add milk powder or condensed milk. After boiling it for half a minute add dry fruits and remove from the heat. 

Vermicelli kheer is ready to serve.

Sending this to Shama's  "Kheer Event"

                             

Keep Smiling,

My first event roundup (flopped)!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

These 2 days, I am very sad!!! Now I can empathize the film team, whose movie is a flop!!! Yes, I am feeling so bad that I did not get entries for my event! I do not know, where I went wrong, or did I make any mistake in organizing the event.!!! I got only entry from Nithu!! I am not understanding whether to try my luck again in organizing another event or just go on blogging my recipes without any expectation!!! I am feeling like crying for this!!! Each day I got up with the hope that my inbox will be full of event entries!! I extended the last date for my event hoping that at least I will get last minute entries!!! But till today I received only two entries and that too only from  Nithu. I know it is not compulsory for any one to participate! Anyways, I will not pull my complaint list.

Thank you so much Nithu for your participation.  Here are your and mine entries for my great first event!!!!

Nithu's first entry, here she explains the games:  Raja, Rani, Thirudan & Police; kola kola ya mundrika; oru kudam thanni oothi.

Nithu's second entry, in this she has given the details of the games: Action, Freeze and Ease" and another game is "Passing the Secret".

Now, 3 entries from my blog,

 Chakka Vachhi for Forgotten Indian Games!

Second entry is Broken Bangles game(ಬಳೆಚೂರು ಆಟ) for Forgotten Ind...

and the last entry is  Chigali (Tamarind lolly pop) for Forgotten Indian ...

I got these entries after I posted the above ones.
I am adding Shama's entry :
CHOTANGKALLU (GAME WITH STONES) here she explains this beautiful game, we call it "Aane Kallu aata". Elders believe that if we play this game before rainy season starts, it will not rain that year. I do not believe in it. But enjoy it till today!
One more entry from Shama, 
Palangguli : we call it as "Aali guli mane" and we also play with tamarind seeds but with 5 seeds in each house. She got the beautiful piece. The one I got in the house is simple one!

I am hurt!!! 

Keep Smiling,

Aamras!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Mango Season!! Is there anyone who does not fall for mango!!! We can prepare many dishes with mango. Already many of my blogging friends have posted the recipes with mango. I am also here with Aamras or shikarni ( ಶಿಕರ್ಣಿ), which is famous in summer season. You can have it with Rice poli, Puran poli, Puri or chapati. Tastes great with anything.

This time, Mangoes are very less seen in the market. My husband got it from a village. He got the Aapus variety. Actually, Kalmi variety is used to make the Aamras, but as he did not get it, I managed to prepare it with Aapus only. We have to cut and eat Aapus variety mangoes.

He likes Puri with aamras. so, It is for him!! Puri Aamras is a great combination!!

I am giving the recipe for Aamras. 

Juicy mangoes - 3 to 4

Jaggery - 1 cup, crushed(adjust the quantity according the the sweetness of mango and jaggery)

Cardamom powder - 1/4tsp

Ripe banana - 1, sliced into small cubes

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Wash the mangoes and keep in water for some time. Remove from the water and peel the skin. Squeeze the mangoes and take a pulp in a big bowl. Keep the mangoes in another bowl. When all the mangoes are over and kept in a bowl, add little warm drinking water. Squeeze these mangoes again in a first bowl to take out all the pulp! 

Add all other ingredients and blend it with a blender only for few seconds. Keep it in the fridge, till you prepare the puris. Click here for puri recipe.

Keep smiling,

Soya beans Salad

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Soya beans!!! Healthiest beans for every one. Many people do not like to have it in beans form But there are many ways to get it into your stomach. You can make it flour and add it into wheat flour. You can have soya chunks or soya granules.

Soybeans belong to the legume family and are native to East Asia. Whole soybeans are an excellent source of protein and dietary fibre. Soy protein is the only vegetable with a complete protein... Read more 

I love it (Again me!!!!   ) in any form, as usual. But, this salad is really quick and healthy and tasty!!! My sister in law (Kavita) who stays in Sharjah, loves this salad from me!! When ever I ask her what she wants me to make for her, her first choice is always this salad. So this is for her!!

Soya beans - 1 cup, soaked for 8 hours and boiled till soft

Carrot - 1 big, cleaned and chopped into fine cubes

Capsicum - 1 medium, cleaned and cubed

Onion - 1 medium, cleaned and cubed

Mayonnaise - 2 to 3 tbsp(if you do not like Mayonnaise, add hung curd! it taste great!)

Pepper powder - 1 tsp (avoid this, if you are giving it to kids)

Salt to taste. 

Fresh coriander - 1 tbsp chopped (or even Parsley will taste good, if you like the flavor)

Lime juice - 1 tbsp

Add 1 tbsp of chopped green chilly for spicy taste.

Put  everything in a big bowl and mix it properly. Keep it in a fridge for some time before you serve. 

Munch it in the morning, or in the after noon or in the evening. Or have a bowl of this salad as a dinner!!! 

It gives justice to any time!!!

Sending this to two events,

Divya at  Dil Se..'s  Show me Your Wholegrains! event :

and

Madhuri's   Serve me Some... > Serve me Some…Salads event

Hope all of you will enjoy this healthy salad,

Keep Smiling,

Peanut Gujiya (ಶೇಂಗಾ ಕರ್ಚಿಕಾಯಿ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Sweets!!! Deserts!!! I love sweets!!! I love to eat in any form!! I have written before also, if I do not get anything, I will have 1 tbsp Boost! 

Here is a sweet, which is usually prepared during Diwali. Gujiya or Karchikai is very common sweet in India. And the stuffing differs in each state and each region.

Mom always prepares the stuffing with, dry coconut, jaggery, dalia powder and cardamom powder. The one I have prepared was shown in a Kannada TV Show, which mom liked it so much and prepared it on Ugadi.

Giving you the recipe,

All purpose flour - 250 gm

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Milk - 2 tbsp

Oil - 1tbsp

Mix all with little water to make into soft dough, cover it with moist cloth. Keep it aside for an hour.

For stuffing,

Peanut - 1 cup, roasted. Remove the skin and clean it

Jaggery - 1 cup or less, depending on the sweetness of the jaggery

Dry Coconut, grated - 2 tbsp, roasted

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt - 1/4 tsp

Oil to fry

                                 

First, dry grind the peanuts for one round to make it coarse powder. Then add the jaggery, cardamom powder and coconut. Grind it again to make smooth powder. Transfer it into a bowl and add salt, mix it nicely.

Divide all purpose flour in to equal small lemon size balls. Roll into oval shape of palm size. Take one tbsp of ready peanut powder mix and put it slowly in the middle of  rolled puri.  Close it to neatly and bind it with water to give gujia shape. Repeat with other balls. 

Heat the oil in a kadai. When its hot, keep it on medium flame and fry all the gujiyas in batches.

You can store it for a week or 10 days.

Keep smiling,

Extending the last date for my event!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,

I AM GOING TO EXTEND LAST DATE FOR MY EVENT. LAST DATE IS 10TH APRIL.
TWO REASONS FOR THIS
I AM GOING ON SHORT VACATION FOR A WEEK AND
I HAVE RECEIVED ONLY ONE ENTRY!! 
RUSH YOUR ENTRIES.
http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.com/2010/02/forgotten-indian-games-edited-and-re.html




Keep smiling,

Instant Vermicelli Idly

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A wonderful, healthy, tasty and easiest breakfast for the whole family. Even you can feed this to 9 months infant, who has started to eat just now. I always love to try Idly s in different size bowls, as kids will enjoy it.

But, my both daughters won't like it at all!! I don't know the reason, but they both have it either two or one idly. So I do not make this more for them. Ask me?? I love to have it any time. 

Ingredients :

Very thin vermicelli - 1 cup

Bombay rawa or semolina - 1 cup

Fresh curds - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Eating soda or Bi carb soda - 1/8 tsp

Carrot or potato - 1 medium, cleaned and grated (not in the photo, but usually I add it)

Ghee - 1 tbsp to roast

Oil to apply to the mould

Roast the semolina and vermicelli (Seperately) till you get a very good aroma. Allow it to cool. When it is cold, add all other ingredients and mix it properly to make it into nice batter. While doing this, Keep the cooker with 1 cup water on heat. 

Apply oil to the mould and pour the batter in to the moulds(Each mould will hold 2 tbsp batter). Keep it in the cooker and steam it without wait on the cooker for 12 to 15 minutes.

Once done, serve hot with ghee, chutney powder, coconut chutney or sauce. 

Sending this to Suma's  on going event, JIHVA - Breakfast which is linked to Indira's Main announcement-JIHVA

Keep Smiling,