Ridge gourd curry

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

My imagination or creation of water animals with ridge gourd and other ingredients used in this recipe.  

All credit goes to Nithya!!! who encouraged me to try and garnish the dish. Here is the second recipe where I really put myself to think  to bring these photos in front of you all.  I hope you all will like it!!

Ridge gourd is one vegetable, which I do not make often!! I do not like it, if it is half cooked!!! 
In my in law's house , they prepare it like this only.

This recipe goes well with chapati as well as hot rice.

Here is the recipe,

Ridge gourd - 2 medium, washed, peeled and cut in to small pieces

Onion - 1 small, chopped

Tomato - 1 big, chopped

Garlic - 1 bulb, peeled and crushed

Curry leaves - few

Chana - 1/4 cup soaked

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera  -1 tsp

Chilly powder - 1 tbsp

Dhania powder - 1 tbsp

Haldi - 1 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Heat oil in a small cooker, add mustard, jeera. When they splutter add curry leaves, onion. Saute for a minute. Add crushed garlic, fry till golden brown. Add soaked chana, and ridge gourd. Mix it properly. Add tomato, and other dry powders. Add little water and give 2 whistles. When done, churn with churner or blender. Adjust the seasoning. Serve hot with chapati or rice.

This is specially going to  Nithya and Pavithra's  "Garnish the dish" event.

Keep smiling,

Banana Fry

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

 I was surprised when I got a comment from Smitha, that she is not getting the recipe for Banana fry. I posted it in the month of March only.

Here is the recipe again!

Raw Banana - 1 big

Fine semolina(sooji) - 1/4 cup

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Dhania powder - 1 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 1tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - few

Wash the banana and pat dry. Cut in to thick circles. Mix semolina, 1 tsp oil and other dry powders in a bowl. Add the banana pieces. Mix it properly and keep it at least for half an hour.

Now add oil in thick bottomed kadai. When hot, add mustard seeds till they start spluttering, and curry leaves. Add the marinated banana pieces. Mix it properly and fry till the banana are cooked or turn in to golden color.

Serve as side dish with hot rice and sambhar.

Keep smiling,

Awards!!!! and food in photo!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All

Before I started my blog, I was a silent follower of many blogs, and when ever I used to see the awards on their blogs, I used to feel, is it possible for me to get at least one award among these. It might not be a big thing for many to get awards !! But for me, I feel really very happy and I feel, even I am something!!!!

I was busy in the last week, as my brother and bhabhi came for my second daughter's birthday!!!

It was great fun!!! and when I opened my mail after a week, I got the surprise from Padma!!

Thanks Padma for passing these wonderful awards to me!!!

When I started my blog, I never thought, I will get the awards so soon.

And, I want to thank all my friends in this blog world for passing so wonderful and encouraging awards to me!!!

Coming to the the recipe in "Food in photo", it is VEG NOODLES, my way, as I love to have this healthy noodles only this way cooked. I eat Plain noodles also sometimes, but prefer to eat this way as my morning breakfast as it is very good to start a day with lot of vegetables and sometimes adding scrambled egg in it. The recipe is almost the same in many blogs.

(check the same recipe in http://paritaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/09/maggi-or-pastaitsfusion.html).Only difference is I boil the noodles first and add it after all the vegetables are cooked.

So I thought of posting it in my "Food in Photo"

(I could not participate in many events as I was busy in the party!! I hope I will try to participate in coming months regularly!!! )

Keep smiling

Nivedita

Lime and chilly pickle

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

The first recipe of pickle from me!!! A very easy and tasty pickle which goes well with parathas. My husband loves this pickle to the extent that he eats it with idlis also!!

You can prepare and store in a glass jar for a week. You should keep on mixing it often. But do not make in large quantity.

Here comes the ingredients,

Lemons - 10 to 12 for pickle, washed, dried and cut into 8 pieces

Lemons - 2 to 3 for juice

Long Green chilly - 10 to 12, washed, dried and cut in to half and slit

Salt - 4 to 6 Tbsp

Sugar - 2 Tbsp

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp crushed powder

Oil - 1 tbsp

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Mix all the ingredients in a glass bowl. Keep for one hour. Check the taste and adjust the seasoning. Store it in a jar. It can be used after one day.

Keep smiling,

Basundi(Milk kheer)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all

Milk is my favorite. I always loved to have a glass of milk before going to bed(Very good girl I was!!!). Now also I have the habit. And my favorite sweet is always all Bengali sweets as they are made of milk.

Basundi or milk kheer is favorite sweet of my mother and she never misses the chance to have it(She is diabetic patient, taking insulin everyday!!) She makes it only with milk and sugar, or with Dharwad pedha, which gives unique taste and flavour to the sweet.

My husband likes it with puris. It is one of his few favorite sweets. When I prepare this, he loves to experiment, eating the basundi with puris or jalebis or bread or chapati.

I like to drink it just like that chilled or hot!!!

In the photo you can see the Mathura pedhas which mom brought from Delhi. So I thought of making basundi with the same. As it had more cardamom, I did not add extra.

Here is the recipe,

Milk - 1 litre

Sugar - 1 cup

Elaichi(cardamom) - 1 crushed powder,(if you are using Dharwad Pedha)

Mathura pedha - 2 to 3(It is more sweet and strong flavoured)

or

Dharwad pedha - 3 to 4

Take the milk in a thick bottomed vessel in which milk should not get burnt easily.

Boil the milk till it becomes 1/4 th less. It takes around 20 minutes. Now add sugar, keep on stirring in between. After 5 minutes, add crushed pedhas. Mix it properly. Keep stirring in between as it should not get burnt. Boil till the milk is reduced to half.

Adjust the sweet at this stage.

Serve it hot with puris or serve chilled.

It is going to participate in Sanghi's event:

I want to dedicate this to two persons, one is my mother and other is my husband!!!

Already written about them in the beginning.

Keep smiling,

Nutty Egg Omelet

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi all,

As I told before, I am an eggatarian. I love to experiment with eggs and come out with new recipes. This one is

an accidental recipe, which is unique (I feel).
Last week, when we came from shopping in the night, we were tired and hungry. My hubby was hurrying to give him something fast. I had only chapattis. I opened the fridge to check, I had left with very little onion and tomato masala which I made for the morning breakfast with dosa. It was little to serve with chapattis. So what I did was, I beat two eggs and mixed with the masala and few other ingredients (written down). I was happy and surprised with the taste. Check it out. I am sure you will love it. Why it is Nutty omelet is I added crushed peanut and almonds in onion and tomato masala. When my husband started eating, he liked the nutty and crunchy taste. Don’t ask me, I did not get to eat only. Next time I had it full!
Here is the recipe,
For onion and tomato masala
Onion – 1 big (Chopped lengthwise)
Tomato – 1big (Chopped finely)
Curry leaves – 4 to

6
Chilly powder – 1 tbsp
Crushed peanut and almonds – ¼ cup (should be bigger in size or crush it to half)
(If you like add cashew nuts also)
Mustard seeds – ½ tsp
Jeera – ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Haldi -1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Hing – a pinch
Sugar – 1 tsp
Fresh coriander – 1 tbsp
Add mustard seeds and jeera in hot oil. Now add curry leaves, hing and onions with crushed nuts. Cook till brown, add tomato. Let it cook till oil separates. Add Chilly powder, salt, sugar and haldi. Add little water and boil it for five minutes. Mix with chopped fresh coriander.
Tomato and Onion masala is ready.

(There is separate

post for this recipe too!)
Now for the omelet,
Capsicum - half (chopped finely)
Salt as per taste (there is salt already in masala)
Eggs – 3
Oil – 2 tbsp (olive oil, optional)
Beat the eggs and add in to the masala. Add chopped capsicum and salt. Beat again.
Take thick bottomed pan. Add oil. (I always make omelet with olive oil). When it is hot, spread the beaten egg slowly. Cover it and cook for one minute. Open the lid and very slowly turn the omelet. Cover again and cook it till the omelet is cooked fully.
Serves two. You can eat just like that! When you get crunchy and nutty taste please remember me!!!

One more thing I always do with tomato and onion masala is, I boil 2 EGGS, cut in to pieces. Mix well and serve with chapattis to my daughter. She loves to eat, if I roll the same into chapati and give.

So there are 2 recipes for eggs here.

I am sending this recipe to Sudeshna's Announcing: Event for Eggs.

This omelet is going to participate in Divya's (Dil Se..)

event : Show Me Your Omelette!

Keep smiling,

Fresh Coriander tokku(chutney) and Award!!!

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi all,

One more award from PJ of seduce your Tastebuds!!! Thanks PJ. I am really honoured!!

A gift for myself for getting the award!!! how do you like this necklace made of red chilly and fresh coriander and a pendent made of jaggery!!(Forgot to keep methi seeds as pearls in between the leaves!! ) Hahaha, any one like to order the ornament!!! you can do it yourself!!! Honestly, the inspiration came from Nithya of 4th Sense Samayal!!! Thanks a lot Nithya.

Coming to the recipe for Fresh Coriander tokku, which is again the trial of TV show. It takes very less time to make but tastes good with chapati and hot rice. Still I have to try with bread or dosa!!

Fresh Coriander - 2 bunch, washed and cleaned

Dry red chilly - 4 to 6 (according the taste and the variety)

Methi seeds - 1 tsp

Jaggery - 2 tbsp

Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

For tempering,

Oil - 1 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Hing - a pinch

Dry roast the red chilly and methi seeds. When cold, add other ingredients and put in a mixie or blender to make fine paste. Adjust the seasoning.

Heat oil in small kadai, add mustard seeds. Off the stove and add hing. Add this to the ready paste.

The Fresh coriander tokku is ready to serve.

This award comes with a meme and I have to say 10 honest things about me.

Check me out :

1. I love reading, reading and reading.(Reading anything that is handwritten or printed, anytime I mean it, I read while cooking also!!!!, )But prefer to read autobiography, philosophical and self development books.

2. I love Maths.

3. I got sweet tooth!!!

4. I am a quite person, with very few friends.

5. I love animals but do not like pets(Sorry!!)(same pinch, PJ)

6. I explain unnecessarily and repeat the sentences while talking about something.

7. I get adjusted in any condition, under any circumstances.

8. I appreciate honesty.

9.I love to do Yoga, Meditation and exercise(which I am doing past many years!!)

10. I think 9 things are enough to know me!!!

As always, this award too comes with the certain rules and here they are

1. I must list 10 honest things about myself

2. I must put a copy of The Honest Scrap Logo on my blog.I must select at least 7 other worthy bloggers & list their links

3. I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above three requirements also.

I would love to pass it on to-

Nithya

Padma

Parita

Maria

*sangi*

notyet100  and priya

Keep smiling,

Crispy rice balls

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!!!

One more food remake from Suma of Veggie Platter She calls it as "paalakaayalu". I have named it as "Crispy rice balls", as they really turned crispy and very tasty!!! Thanks Suma.

We had cooking competition in our area for Ganesha Chaturthi activities. And the theme was to prepare food from rice. When I was browsing the blogs for a recipe, I came through this one, and here is the result. And the competition result was I got second prize!!!

And my second daughter who is not even 2 years, went on stage for fancy dress competition with her sister. They were dressed up as Chinese girls( last month, my mother bought dresses from China,)in the evening!!! She was not ready to come down from the stage!! She wanted mike in her hand and wanted to sing and dance. Posting the photo of them on the stage!

Keep smiling,

Veg. Juice Pulao

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

My last minute entry to Chaitra's event! The reason is, as I stay little far from the city, it is difficult to get all the vegetables when I need. We depend on weekly markets, which are small and will have very little options to buy varieties. Even though I wanted to make this rice before only, I did not get spinach all these days. But today when I went to market I saw fresh Spinach and thought of making the rice and send this entry to Chaitra's event.

As I told before, I am trying new rice preparations, this is one of them. One month before, I watched this recipe in the TV, but could not write down. So depending on my memory, I tried the pulao, it came out good. But for sure, it is very healthy for kids, as they do not eat palak and beetroot directly.

Here is the recipe,

Long grain rice - 2 cups

Beet root - 1 small

Palak(Spinach) - 1 bunch small

Carrot - 1 big

Onion - 1 small, chopped into long pieces

Cauliflower - cut in to 12 to 15 pieces

Paneer - 8 to 10 cubes(optional, but tastes good)

Soya nuggets - 8 to 10(Soaked in the water for sometime)

Tomato -1 medium

Tej patta - 1

Cinnamon stick - 1/2 inch

Clove - 3

Cardamom - 1

Oil - 1 tbsp

Butter - 1 tbsp(optional)

Salt to taste

Chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Soak the rice in water for 2 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.

Clean and wash palak leaves. Boil for few minutes. Peel the beet root, carrot. Cut into pieces. Boil and keep it to cool.

Prepare palak, carrot and beetroot juice separately.(you can mix all together and make the paste at a time also.)

Wash, cut the tomato and prepare the paste.

Squeeze the water from nuggets.

Heat oil and butter in a cooker. When hot, add all dry masalas(crush it once or they will pop out). Add onion. saute for a minute. Add soya nuggets, paneer. Saute for 2 minutes, keep on stirring.

Now goes palak,carrot and beetroot juice and tomato paste. Let it boil for 3 minutes. Now add rice, salt, chilly powder and cauliflower. Mix properly. Add hot water till the rice is covered. Give 2 whistles. Wait till the cooker is cool.

The pulao is ready to serve.

Sending this recipe to

Rice Feast @ Aathidhyamfrom Chaitra

Keep smiling,

Green Corn Rice

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

I am not so good, when it comes to rice preparations. But, now after coming to India, I am trying to do new experiments with rice.

One more reason is, I need to send lunch box to my daughter to the school, as she stays in the school for 6 hours. So rice is the best food to eat faster than chapati. And fast food or junk food is not allowed in her school. Even bread, noodles is not allowed. So in these two months I have

tried almost more than 10 rice varieties and surprised that even I can do it!!!!

Here is the recipe for Green corn rice,

Long grain rice(or normal rice) - 1 cup

Onion - 1 big chopped lengthwise

Ginger & garlic paste - 1 tbsp

Green chilly - 2 or 3 finely chopped

Methi leaves - 1/4 bunch cleaned and washed(optional)

Tomato - 1 big chopped

Fresh coriander - 1/2 bunch, cleaned and washed

Pudina - 1/4 bunch, cleaned and washed

Fresh, frozen or canned corn - 1 cup

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Wash and soak the rice for 2 minutes. Remove the water and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a cooker. Add onion and fry till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste, green chilly and tomato. Saute for 2 minutes. Now add chopped green leaves mix properly. Now goes the corn and rice. Fry it for two minutes. Add salt and hot water till the rice is covered. Do not add more water.

Close the lid of the cooker and wait for one whistle. Open the lid, when cooker is ready(When it allows to open!!)

Garnish with fresh coriander and serve hot with raita or papad.

Sending this recipe to

Rice Feast @ Aathidhyam from Chaitra

Keep smiling,

Bhindi(okra) in green masala

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A very easy and tasty Sindhi vegetable preparation, which goes will both with chapati and rice. My husband loves to eat it any time. But, however I try hard to make it tasty, I can never compete with his sister's taste. He always says, my sister makes it better!!!

Coming to the recipe,

Lady finger or bhindi - 12 to 15

Potato -2 cleaned peeled and cut into thick round pieces.

Tomato - 2 big

Green chilly - 3 to 4

Fresh coriander - 1/2 bunch washed and cleaned

Ginger - 1/2 inch cleaned

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp and 1 tsp

Wash, clean and pat dry the bhindi. Cut the ends, fry them in 1 tsp oil. Keep it aside.

Grind tomato, green chilly, fresh coriander and ginger into smooth paste.

Heat oil. Add potato and for for 2 minutes. Now add ready paste and let it boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Now add bhindi, salt, haldi and coriander powder. Cover it with lid till the bhindi is cooked.

Serve hot with chapati or brown rice.

This traditional recipe of North Karnataka is going to

Shanti's

EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT: STATE SPECIALS

Keep smiling

Mix Veg Poha

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

A very easy, simple and healthy breakfast for a family. I will not go into the detail about this recipe, as it is very common all over India. Only difference is the way we prepare it and using ingredients according to our taste.

But I would like to say about poha or beaten rice or flattened rice. It is very healthy food and can be prepared in many ways. It is used in many other food preparations also. It is famous for Lord Krishna and Sudama's friendship also. It turned Sudama from beggar to the richest person, with Lord Krishna's blessings.(In Bhagvat Purana).

Poha is available in 3 sizes usually. One is Thin poha which is used to make chewda or ghee poha or curd poha. Other is Medium Poha,which is used to make soaked poha like the one I have given or again one can make with curds or cucumber. And the last one is very Thick Poha, which is deep fried in oil to make chewda.

Here is the recipe for Mix veg poha,

Poha (medium) - 2 big cups or 200 gms

Oil - 3 to 5 tbsp

Onion- 1 big, chopped

Green chilly - 4 to 6 according to the taste and how strong the chillies are.

Curry leaves - few

Jeera - 1 tbsp

Urad dal - 1 tbsp

Chana dal - 1 tbsp

Peanut - 2 tbsp

Ginger - 1 tbsp chopped finely

Potato - 1 big (peeled and cubed)

Tomato - 1 medium chopped

Capsicum - 1 small chopped

Carrot - 1 medium chopped

Green peas - 1/4 cup(boiled or frozen)

(I did not put as I did not had when I prepared this)

Lime juice - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Haldi -1/2 tsp

Sugar - 1 tbsp

Fresh coriander to garnish

Soak poha in water only for 30 seconds. Be careful to remove it immediately from water, or else the poha will turn into paste. Keep it aside till all the water goes.

Heat oil in kadai, add jeera, curry leaves, urad dal, chana dal and peanut. Let the dals turn into little golden colour. Go on adding, ginger, green chilly, onion, potato and carrot. Saute for 2 minutes. Now add green peas, capsicum. Again saute for 2 minutes. Now goes, tomato and salt.

Mix the masala properly and cook it till the potato is cooked properly. Keep on low flame. Add lime juice, haldi and sugar. Off the heat. Mix the soaked poha in the masala and garnish with fresh coriander. The mix veg poha is ready to serve with papad.

OR

another way is, after you take the soaked poha from water, mix it with salt, sugar and lime juice. Keep it aside for some time. And while preparing masala, drop these ingredients. Then while mixing the poha garnish it with fresh coriander and mix the masala. This is the way I like to do. The taste also is little different.

Try either way!!!

Keep smiling,

Pasta masala, Indian style

Tried and tasted by Nivedita

Hi All,

Sometimes, we forget many important tasks to do!!! It shows the poor memory, which I feel I always suffer from. And some times, it is just out of mind. You might be thinking, what I am trying to say about!!! Yes, today when I was checking my blog after one month, I realised that after I posted "Breakfast in Photo"(http://niveditaskitchen.blogspot.com/2009/07/breakfast-in-photo.html#links) for Divya's event, I totally forgot to post the recipes for the same.
I am very sorry and in future, I will make it sure, not to repeat the mistake!

My next three postings will be the recipe for the photos.

Now coming to this one, till I was in India, I never heard of Pasta or Macaroni or even Italian food. As I am from small town, and 12 years back, it was not grown up city, we were restricted to local foods and to the maximum, we used to get North Indian food in hotels. And my mom never liked going out to have food, as she always tried most of the foods at home only. So 12 years back, when I went to UAE(Abu Dhabi), first time I saw the pasta packets. I used to wonder, how they can eat these, as they looked like worms to me. (So ignorant I was!!!! ) (Even though I used to eat noodles, and I had seen the pasta recipe photos in the magazines, but when I saw it physically, these looked different,).

Then one day I bought a packet, and thought of trying it. But as I did not know the Italian way, I thought of trying it Indian way, as how we prepare poha!!! And came out this recipe. As the time went, I started trying in different ways to make pasta and I loved it every time. But as this was my first try, I want to share the same recipe here.

And when I checked for pasta recipes in many blogs(After the blogging is born), I came to know that many, prepare it this way only!! I was little disappointed, as I used to think it is my invention!!! How funny!!!

Coming to the recipe,

Pasta - 100 gms(Take any shape, but smaller the size, easy to cook !!)

Onion - 1 big chopped

Tomato - 1 big chopped or

ready tomato paste - 1/4 cup (Available in supermarket)

curry leaves - few

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Jeera - 1 tsp

Ginger - 1 inch, chopped

Red chilly powder - 2 tbsp

Green chilly - 1 chopped

Haldi - 1/2 tsp

Curry powder - 1 tsp

Dhania Powder - 1 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp

Salt to taste

Lime juice - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Fresh coriander to garnish

Boil the pasta as per given instructions on the packet. Always add 1 tsp oil when boiling. Drain it and pour cold water. Keep it aside.

Add oil in thick bottomed kadai. When hot, add mustard seeds, jeera, curry leaves and ginger. Saute for a while. Now add green chilly and onion. Let it cook till transparent. Then goes tomato, and all other dry powders except salt. Let it cook till the raw smell of tomato goes. It takes at least 5 minutes. Keep on stirring. Now add salt and boiled pasta. Sprinkle lime juice and add sugar. Mix it properly. Garnish with fresh coriander. Close with the lid and cook for few minutes.

Pasta masala is ready to serve for breakfast or anytime!!!

Wait for my next post for Mix veg poha!

Keep smiling,