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,

Curd Rice Balls(ಮೊಸರು ಬುತ್ತಿ ಉಂಡಿ), reposted

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

This food was and is common for picnics in our house. During child hood, once in 2 months, my mother and her sisters and cousins always arranged for short picnics. There used to be so many relatives.

And we were about 15 cousins. We always had great fun. There were variety of dishes prepared by our grannys, packed nicely and systematical. We visited fields, farm houses or temples. If nothing, we used to meet in some one's house at least. Those were the days!!!, I never wish to forget! This "curd rice ball" was common, as it was easy to keep in our hand. We used to run and play while holding it in the hand and eating.

Click here  for old link of the same recipe.

Here is the recipe,

Rice - 2 cups(cooked with more water)

Fresh curds - 1/2 cup

Milk - 1/4 cup

Onion - 1 medium (chopped)

Garlic - 3 to 4 flakes

(Optional, skip it if you do not like the garlic taste!!, but tastes great with garlic.)

Green chilly - 1

Fresh coriander - 1 hand full

Curry leaves - few

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Mix ready rice, curds, milk, sugar and salt in a bowl.

Crush garlic, green chilly, fresh coriander and curry leaves together. Mix it with rice.

Adjust the quantity of curds and milk. After mixing, the rice should not be very watery, as we need to make balls. Keep aside for half an hour. Make balls and serve in the hands.

Great refresher for the summer!!

These curd rice balls are rolling to silpa of Anita' s Kitchen  APS- Rice Event.

Keep smiling,

Foodie movie on cooking and blogging : Julie & Julia

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Today I watched the movie "Julie & Julia"  It is about cooking,eating and BLOGGING! A wonderful movie based on 2 true stories.

It is a story of Julia Child who is a writer of the  famous cook book  Mastering the Art of French Cooking, and Julie Powell, the writer of the book Julie & Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes.

The story runs simultaneously between the past(Julia Child) and the present(Julie Powell).

Inspired by Julia's cooking book, Julie will set the the goal to make 524 recipes in 365 days. And she will start blogging about her recipes. 

While Julie is reading Julia's book and trying her recipes, the movie goes back to the past showing Julia Child's life and her cooking adventures. 

Meryl Streep has given full justice to the role by exactly imitating the real Julia Child.

Very enjoyable movie and when you are watching some scenes where Julie is trying to cook and putting them in words in her blog,  you will feel "oh its me"!!

I strongly recommend all my blogging friends to watch this movie. 

Waiting for your review about the movie.

And Thanks to Avinash(my Brother) and Shilpa(my bhabhi) for suggesting me to watch this movie.

(This is my first review about anything. Hope, you will not laugh if you feel its funny!)

Keep Smiling,

Corn flakes chewda(reposted for repost event)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

This was my recipe posted on March 17, 2009 in my blog.  I used to prepare it when I was in UAE. This was my tea time snack. 

I  had sent this recipe to Radio 4 FM, and the RJ Charu called me to talk on air about this. She is a sweet lady. I have spoken to her many times on air. And she always used reply to my mails. Radio was my addiction when I was in UAE, and believe me, I used to on the radio at 5 in the morning while preparing breakfast for my husband and daughter. 

Here is the recipe for Cornflakes chewda. Very easy and fast to make. Children will love it. If they don't like to eat cornflakes with milk, this is the best way to give them.

Normal cornflakes - 1 cup

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Dalia (Puthani) - 2 tbsp

roasted peanut-2 tbsp

curry leaves few

chilli powder - 1 tsp

salt to taste

sugar - 1tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

salted cashew nuts -10 to 12

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, jeera. Then add curry leaves, Dalia. Fry for one minute and off the gas.

After a minute, add roasted peanuts, cashew nuts, salt, sugar and chilly powder. Keep it aside. Once its cold add cornflakes. mix properly.

Good filler for kids and elders can enjoy with a hot cup of tea.

Even you can add raw onion, tomato, fresh coriander, green chilly and lime juice to make it like a chat.

Here is the link for old post:  cornflakes chewda

I AM SENDING THIS RECIPE TO PJ'S Tasty Bites For Toddlers

Sending this to The repost event and another set of rules held by Jaya of Desi Soccer Mom.

Thanks to Jaya for holding such an unique event.

I have written the fresh lines in bold and italic letters so that you all can understand which is added new. 

Keep smiling,

My awards in the year 2009

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

Here is the collection of all the awards I got in the year 2009.

I want to thank all these lovely friends who thought of me and shared these awards with me!

Award from Chaitra

Awards  from PJ

     

Award from Shanti

Awards  from Padma 

Awards  from Sangi

                                                       Award from PJ and Sanghi

                                                                     Award from Priya

Awards  from priya

   


Award from Aruna

Keep Smiling,

Rice flour Poori and Chilli Gojju(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!!!

Laxmi of Taste of Mysore has a wonderful blog, and I follow her recipes regularly. 

This recipe  was a hit in my house with the children and my friends. So I thought of sharing my click with all of you! 

Click here  for the detailed recipe with photos. 

Gojju is very tasty and if I make this, it will get over within half an hour. I love to have it with chapati, bread, rice, roti, dosa.......!!!!!

Keep Smiling,

Award from Priya!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,
Hurray!!! One more award for me. This time it has come from priya of Priyas Recipes. 

Thank you so much priya!

I wan to share this beautiful "Sweet Friends" award with all my friends here in this blog world.

Please feel free to put it in your blog!

Keep Smiling,

Pearls and Gems!! for breakfast!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi all,

Got confused with the title!!

When I clicked the photo, this name flashed in my mind!

As I told before also, it is like a celebration for me if this recipe comes out nice. And today was the day, I got it just right or more than right. But against its name, it was so soft that it was almost melting in the mouth! Am I exaggerating ??? NO! I was really happy and may be more than 50 times I told my mother about how I prepared it.

Still scratching your head about what am I talking??

Don't you think they look just  like pearls and gems!!!

It is nothing but Sago or Sabudana Kichdi!

This is my daughter's favorite at any time. I could never prepare it so good like today!! So writing and keeping it in a safe locker that I should not forget the process in the future.
Coming to the recipe,
Sago(big) - 200 gm
Butter milk - 3 tbsp
Potato - 1 big, peeled and cut into big cubes
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves - few
Green chilly  - 1, remove seeds and chop it fine
Almonds - 6 to 8 roasted
Pea nuts - 10 to 12 roasted
Salt to taste
Lime juice - 1 tbsp
Fresh coconut - 2 tbsp grated

Few months ago, when I was searching for this recipe, I read in a blog(sorry, I do not remember the name) that if you sprinkle some butter milk on soaked sago, the kichdi will come out soft. I tried it and it is true.
So,
Wash the sago in clean water and soak it only for 5 minutes. Remove the water. Sprinkle butter milk and keep it aside for 3 to 4 hours.
Chop the nuts in to 4 pieces or crush it in to small pieces.
Add oil in thick bottomed kadai. When hot , add jeera and curry leaves. Add chilly and potato cubes. Fry till brown. Add soaked sago and keep on stirring. Or else the kichdi will get burnt. After the sago changes its color add nuts and salt. Keep on stirring for some time. Cover it and cook it till the sago is cooked. Now sprinkle the milk. Mix it and cover it for a minute on medium flame. Remove from the heat.  Before serving add lemon juice and fresh coconut, mix and serve it hot.

 Sago flour (from Metroxylon) is nearly pure carbohydrate and has very little protein, vitamins, or minerals.... Read more about sago here.
But definitely a good breakfast or evening snack for kids. If you want to make it more nutritious,add more nuts, potato and other vegetables.

Sending this to Srivalli's  Announcing Kid's Delight ~ Wholesome Breakfast! . 
Hope it goes into her list!

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,

Green mutton chops

Tried and tasted by Nivedita,

Hi All,

The food I miss the most in India (or to be precise, my house) is Non Vegetarian food. I miss cooking These  preparations. This photo is taken when I was in UAE. Even before leaving UAE, my last Friday Food was all these three together.

I have already posted the Biryani recipe long back, and the recipe for chops and curry was due.

Without much introduction, I am posting the recipe for Green mutton chops.

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

Mutton Chops - 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

Fresh coriander - 1 small bunch

Green chilly - 3 to 4

Curds - 2 tbsp

Salt - 1 tbsp

Put all the ingredients and make in to fine paste in a grinder or blender.

Marinate the mutton chops with the ready paste 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.

For masala,

Oil - 1/4 cup(you can reduce if you do not like more oil)

Onion - 3 big, cut into long thin slices

Tomato - 2 big, cut into small cubes

Bay leaf - 1

Garlic Ginger paste - 1 tbsp together

Whole garam masala - 1 tbsp Crushed

(Cardamom, Clove, Cinnamon, nutmeg, Pepper)

Fresh Coriander - 1/4 bunch, cleaned, washed and chopped for garnishing

Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste, add 1 tbsp first. After the mutton is cooked half, check again and adjust the taste.

Water 

Add oil in a very thick and wide kadai. When very hot, add onion and fry till it changes its color to golden brown. Now add whole garam masala and bay leaf.. After few seconds, add ginger and garlic paste. Fry for a minute. Add tomato. Mix properly. Cover it and cook till Tomato is tender. Now add marinated mutton chops. Mix with all the masala. Add 2 cups of water. Cover it and cook for at least half an hour, make it sure to check in between for the water. If you feel, still water is needed to cook the mutton, add one more cup. When you see the mutton is cooked, add kasoori methi and keep on a high flame. Cook or fry it till the water is gone. Garnish with fresh coriander and serve it with Lemon juice sprinkled on the top. 

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

Hope you all will enjoy this feast. My next recipe in Non vegetarian is my way of Mutton curry.

Keep Smiling,

Mixed Lentil Dal

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Dal is a food, which can be prepared in more than 1000 ways and each preparation tastes different.  The down one is a simple and healthy dal.

Again, as usual, I have mixed 7 lentils in this.

Here is the recipe,

All mixed lentils - 1 cup all together, Qty of each dal is as per your taste, but Urad dal should be little.

(Toor dal, Yellow moong dal, Chana Dal, Masoor dal, Urad dal, Split black Urad dal, Split green moong dal)

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Tomato - 1 big chopped

Wash the dal and mix jaggery and tomato in a cooker with dal. Give 3 whistles. Allow it to cool.

For dal masala,

Oil -1 tsp

Ghee - 1 tsp

Jeera or cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Onion - 1 medium, cut into long thin slices

Garlic - 6 to 8 cloves, crushed

Ginger - 1/2", cut in to thin long pieces

Whole red dry chilly - 3 to 4

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Fresh coriander - handful, chopped finely

Heat oil and ghee in a kadai, add jeera. Fry for some time. Add curry leaves and garlic. Fry till the garlic changes its color. Now add onion and ginger and fry till onion is fried. Then goes whole red chilly, coriander powder and turmeric powder. Fry for half minute and add boiled dal. Mix it and allow it to boil for a minute. Now add 1/2 cup water. Close the lid and allow it to boil for 2 minutes on low flame. Open the lid and add fresh coriander. Remove from the heat.

Dal is ready to serve.

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,

Sindhi Curry(Veg curry with Gramflour)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

One more healthy traditional food, with lot of vegetables in to it!!!! It is very good in winter and rainy season, as one can just drink it or sip it sitting beside the window and watching rain drops and enjoying the hot soup with cold breeze(At least this is what I do whenever I get chance!!!) or can enjoy with Brown rice or Bhooga chawar.

It takes time to cut all the vegetables and it takes time to cook the curry also, but the result is very tasty that you will forget the pain of cutting the vegetables and waiting for it to cook.!!!

When I was in UAE, I learnt it from my Co-Sister and Sister In Law. And I love it to have any time of day or night!!

Coming to the recipe,

Potato - 2 big, washed, and cubed in to big pieces.

Carrot - 1 big, chopped length wise

Beans - 8 to 10, cleaned and cut in to two.

Cluster beans - 10 to 12 cleaned and cut into two

Brinjal - 1 medium, cut into lengthwise

Drum stick - 2 washed, cleaned and chopped in to 3 to 4 pieces

Ladies finger(Bhindi) - 4 to 6, washed, cleaned and dried. Cut in to 2 pieces and shallow fry in little oil. Keep it aside.

Oil - 1/4 cup

Methi Seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Green Chilly - 2 slit 

Ginger - 1/4" crushed(optional)

Gramflour(Besan atta) - 4 tbsp

Curry leaves - 1 line.

Tomato - 2 medium (or tomato paste or puree - 1/4 cup)

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Amsol - 4 to 6

Salt to taste

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Dhania or coriander powder - 1 tbsp

The vegetables are optional and you can replace or skip few. But more vegetables really make the curry tasty and healthy.

Add oil in a thick bottomed kadai or cooker. Keep on a medium flame, when oil is hot, add jeera, green chilly, ginger and methi seeds. Fry for few seconds. Now be careful before adding Gram flour. Keep on stirring or else it gets burnt. When good fried aroma starts coming, put hard vegetables like potato, drumsticks, beans and cluster beans. Keep on stirring for a minute. Now add Tomato or tomato puree. Mix and let it cook for a minute. Time is to add red chilly powder, dhania powder and haldi. Again mix and add cook for one more minute. All should happen over medium flame. Add at least 3 cups of water and close the lid and cook for 10 minutes. Now add other soft vegetables like carrot, brinjal and salt. Again boil it for 10 more minutes. And then comes the chance of Bhindi or okra or lady finger to get boiled. Cook it for 2 minutes adjust the seasoning. Add Amsol and curry leaves. Cook for 5 minutes. 

The curry is ready in the cooker and will be waiting for you to take it in a bowl and taste it.

An instant and fastest way to cook is,

After you add gram flour, add all other ingredients except curry leaves and amsol, add water and give 4 to 6 whistles. When cool, add curry leaves and amsol and boil it directly on medium flame for 2 minutes. 

But the first method tastes better even though takes lot of time.

Moral of the cooking is 

"Slow and steady wins the race!!!"

Keep Smiling,