Monday, February 23, 2015

Beetroot Yogurt Chutney

Curd Chutneys are simple & easy to make. They take very less time & you don't have to be a expert to make one. Beetroot Yogurt Chutney is one of my favorites & love making it very often. Probably it's the goodness of the beetroot that motivates me to make it more often. The recipe I shared is one way of making it. You can add in fried onions & can flavor it up with mustard, sesame or your choice of dressing too. I make eggplant chutney regularly, but it is very similar to this chutney what I'm sharing here. The other one is the tomato sesame chutney, which is flavored with sesame paste along with yogurt & it is simply superb. Give this chutneys a try & I'm sure you will simply love them. These chutneys can be paired with rice, roti & many other south indian tiffins. 
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting "Cooking for One". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.
Prep Time-5mins 
Cook Time 10mins 
Serves-2People
Ingredients 
2Cups grated beetroot
1&1/2Cups thick yogurt/Curd
1Tbs lemon juice
Salt to taste 
Tempering 
1Tbs oil 
1Tsp chana dal 
2Tsp urad dal 
1Tsp mustard seeds 
1Tsp jeera
3Red chili's broken in to half 
2Green chili's chopped
1/2Tsp hing
Few curry leaves 
Directions 
- Heat pan with oil. To that add in chana dal, urad dal & fry them till they turn light brown in color. Next add in mustard, jeera, red chili's, green chili's & curry leaves. Fry them till mustard starts jumping & last add in hing. Switch off heat & transfer it to a plate. 
- To the same pan add in grated beetroot & sprinkle with little salt. Close pan with lid & cook for 5mins on low heat. Switch off heat & transfer to a bowl. 
- Once the beetroot is cold enough to handle add in curd & enough salt to it. Add in lemon juice & tempering to the curd. Mix them well. 
- Let it sit for sometime before you serve, so that the flavors will mingle perfectly.
Note 
- If needed cook beetroot for more than 5mins.  
- Lemon juice is optional. 
- If the curd is too thick add little water to get the perfect consistency.
Here are the other 2chutneys I was mentioning above which are very similar to the recipe I'm sharing here. 
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Thursday, February 19, 2015

Egg Fry

Egg Fry is a easy side dish. This protein packed dish can be a served as appetizer, side dish & also as snack. Eggs are perfect for any kind of meal. On lazy days & when I have no company for lunch this fry is to my go as it is filling & tasty.
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting "Cooking for One". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49. 
Prep Time-5mins
Cook Time-10mins 
Serves-3people
Ingredients 
6Eggs boiled & peeled
1Small onion sliced 
2Tsp red chili powder {Adjust as needed} 
1Tsp turmeric powder
Salt to taste 
1Tbs oil
1Tbs lemon juice {Optional}
Few spring onions to sprinkle {Optional}
Directions 
- Slice eggs vertically as seen in picture & keep aside.
- Heat pan with oil. To that add in sliced onions & fry them translucent. 
- Next add in sliced eggs to pan. Arrange nicely without disturbing the yolks. 
- Sprinkle turmeric, chili powder & salt to pan. Fry them on each side. You should see little blisters on each side of eggs. 
- Switch off heat. Sprinkle lemon juice & spring onions to fried eggs. Mix them well. 
- Egg fry is ready to serve. 
Note
- Onions, lemon juice can be excluded from the dish.
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Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Tomato Rice

Tomato Rice is a simple yet flavorful dish. It's easy to make & requires less ingredients & time. If you are making with a fresh cooked rice it might take a little more time, but for a left over rice it is a super fast dish. On those lazy days when I have to cook just for myself I prefer one pot meals rather for an elaborated lunch. This is one of many versions to make this rice, but I prefer this version because of it's simplicity.
Enjoy this dish!!!
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting "Cooking for One". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.
Prep Time-5mins
Cook Time-30mins
Serves-1person
Ingredients
2Cups cooked rice / Basmati rice
1Small onion sliced
2Big tomatoes chopped
1/2Cup cauliflower florets
1Tbs oil
2Bay leaves
1Tbs ginger garlic paste
1Tsp garam masala powder
1Tsp red chili powder
Salt to taste
1/2Cup chopped mint & coriander leaves
Directions
- Heat pan with oil. To that add bay leaves  & ginger garlic paste. Stir them for few seconds.
- Next add in onions & cook them for 2mins while sautéing in between till they are soft.
- Add in tomatoes & cauliflower florets to pan & cook them for 5mins to 10mins on low heat with a closed lid.
- Once tomatoes are soft & cooked perfectly sprinkle with garam masala, chili & salt. Mix them well & allow them the curry to come together.
- Sprinkle in mint & coriander leaves. Next add in rice & mix them well. Adjust salt & chili powder if needed.
- Cook on low heat for 5mins & Stir in between to avoid sticking rice to bottom of the pan. Switch off heat & close pan with a lid. This makes the rice more flavorful & tastier.
Note
- Though I limited to cauliflower, you can add in more veggies like carrots, beans, green peas, capsicum to this dish.
- You can use leftover rice or freshly cooked rice in making this dish.
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Friday, February 13, 2015

Chocolate Cake | Eggless Mini Cake

Chocolate Cake, the most delicious cake has been around for many decades was originated in America. Cake's are delectable & when it's a chocolate cake you can never stop with one bite. Cake's are perfect to serve for any occasion. They come in different sizes, I mean you can manage the portions & can control the unnecessary munching of it. I love to enjoy a small portion of it & I decided on making a small cake for my sweet cravings. You can bake or microwave this cake. I prefer to microwave rather than oven for the convince & with microwave you can enjoy the cake in no time. 
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting " Dessert Recipes". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.
Prep Time-10mins 
Cook Time-2mins
Serves-2 people 
Ingredients 
4Tbs all-purpose flour
6Tbs brown sugar 
4Tsp cocoa powder 
1/4Tsp baking soda 
1/4Tsp baking powder 
Pinch of salt 
4Tbs butter @ room temperature
6Tbs milk {add it as needed}
4Chocolate pieces to layer
Powdered sugar & strawberries for garnish
Directions
- In a bowl sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder & salt. Mix them well. 
- Add in butter. Next add in little by little of milk to form a smooth batter. Mix it well. 
- Grease a bowl with butter. Layer the chocolate pieces. 
- Pour in batter & microwave it for 2mins. 
- Allow it to cool off before transferring to a plate. Loose the ends of cake using a spoon & flip it on to a plate. 
- Garnish with powdered sugar & strawberries or as you wish. 
Note
- Cooking time varies with microwave.  
- If using white sugar, add in 5Tbs & add more if it needs.
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Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Mango Sago

Mango Sago is a identical twin of Hong Kong's Mango Pomelo Sago dessert. I missed pomelo garnish on top as I could find them so named the recipe as Mango Sago. Pomelo is basically used as garnish in this dish, so felt I haven't missed mush in making it. Mangoes are now available all around the year in markets & if not you can get canned fruit to make this cool dish.
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting " Dessert Recipes". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.
Prep Time-10mins 
Cook Time-15mins 
Serves-3people
Ingredients
1/4Cup sago
4Cups water 
Chopped mangoes & strawberries for garnish
For Puree 
1Big ripe mango cut into bite size pieces 
3Tbs sugar 
1/4Cup coconut milk 
1/2Cup milk 
Directions 
- Bring water to boil & add sago to it. Cook for 15mins to see the clear looking cooked sago. 
- Stain the water & wash the sago under cold water & keep aside. 
- Puree mango bites, sugar, coconut milk & milk to a smooth paste. Adjust sugar if needed. 
- Add in the sago & chill it for 2hrs or more.
- While serving garnish the mango sago with chopped mango & strawberries. 
-Enjoy this cool dessert. 
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Tuesday, February 10, 2015

Semolina Pudding with Strawberry Sauce

Valentine's Day is around the corner & air is already filled with lots of love. On time I got some strawberries to make the valentine's day tastier & colorful.
Semolina pudding is a traditional german dish. I added a little vanilla flavoring to the pudding to make it much more tastier. How I know that vanilla makes it more tastier ? I made it twice before posting it in this blog & the first experiment with out vanilla made it a little bland. The base dish "Semolina pudding" remains the same, but you can customize the sauce with your choice of fruit to make it more interesting.
Adapted from : Semolina Pudding
Prep Time-5mins
Cook Time-20mins { For both sauce & semolina} 
Serves-2people 
Ingredients 
2Cups milk 
1/4Cup sugar
3Tbs butter 
1Tsp vanilla extract
1/2Cup semolina/sooji 
Few chopped strawberries & almonds
For Sauce 
1Cup chopped strawberries
2Tbs brown sugar
1/2Tsp lemon juice 
1/4Cup water
Directions
- In a deep pan mix milk, vanilla extract, butter & sugar. Bring them to boil on low heat. Then add in semolina little by little while stirring it. Allow the mixture to become thick. Switch off heat & keep aside.
Sauce
- Heat a pan with strawberries, water, lemon juice & sugar. Bring to boil & cook till strawberries are soft. Switch off heat & allow it to cool. 
- Grind it & stain the sauce.
-  Divide semolina in to 2 bowls & add in spoons full of sauce to it. Garnish with chopped strawberries & almonds or as you like.
Note
- Adjust the sugar as per your taste. 
- Semolina pudding might not be thick as soon as you cooked, eventually it gets smooth & easy to dig in.
- Left out semolina pudding can be refrigerated. When you want to have it, microwave it with enough milk & enjoy the pudding.
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Thursday, February 5, 2015

Cabbage Potato Curry

Cabbage is a very versatile vegetable. Though it might taste very bland, when mixed it with other veggies & spices it tastes much more delectable & yummy. Cabbage potato curry is a easy to make dish with less ingredients & can also be made in less time. As mentioned in the note you can simply ignore adding garlic & replace it with hing/asafetida. 
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting "One Ingredient & 3 dishes". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.
Prep Time-10mins 
Cook Time-30mins 
Serves-2people
Ingredients 
3Cups chopped cabbage 
1Big potato {skin peeled & chopped to big pieces}
1Big tomato chopped 
1Tsp chili powder 
Salt to taste 
Few coriander leaves to garnish 
Tempering 
1Tsp mustard 
1Tsp jeera 
1Tsp chana dal 
1Tsp urad dal
3Red chili's cut equally 
2Garlic cloves minced or chopped finely 
Directions 
- Take a deep vessel half way thru filled with water. Add in cubed potatoes with pinch of salt. Cook potatoes till they are done done perfectly. Switch off heat & strain  the excess water. Keep them aside.
- Heat pan with oil. To that add the add chana dal & urad dal. Once they turn to light in color add in mustard, jeera & red chili's.
- Once the mustard starts jumping add in minced garlic to pan. Fry for few seconds or till the raw smell goes off. 
- Than add in tomatoes & cabbage. Cook them with a closed lid for 5mins. Tomatoes will go soft & cabbage is cooked perfectly. If not cook for few more minutes with a closed lid. 
- Add in cooked potatoes salt & red chili powder. Mix them well. Cook on low to medium heat till the curry comes together. It takes no more than 3mins for the curry to come together. Adjust salt & spiciness if needed. 
- Switch off heat & garnish with chopped coriander. 
- Curry is ready to serve.
Note
- If you are pressure cooking cabbage, then add in potatoes to that. You don't have to boil them separately.
- You can skip adding garlic to the curry. Instead you can use hing/Asafetida while tempering the curry. 
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Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Cabbage Moong Dal Curry

Cabbage Moong Dal Curry is another tasty way of using cabbage. I love the mix of  cabbage & moong dal when they are tempered with hing. Hing/Asafetida gives a very unique taste to the curry & makes it much more flavorful. I wouldn't like to skip adding hing or replacing it with something else, as it pairs perfectly with the curry. As you can see this is a easy to make dish & can be made in no time too. Enjoy this dish !!!
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting "One Ingredient & 3 dishes". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.
Prep Time-1hr 10mins { 1hr is for soaking dal}
Cook Time-30mins 
Serves-2People 
Ingredients 
3Cups chopped cabbage 
1/4Cup moong dal {Soak for 1hr}
1Tsp mustard seeds 
1Tsp jeera/cumin 
1Tsp chana dal 
1Tsp urad dal 
3Red chili's broken in to half
1/2Tsp hing 
Few curry leaves 
Salt to taste 
1Tbs oil
Directions 
- Wash & soak moong dal for minimum of 1hr. 
- To start with heat pan with oil. Add in chana dal & urad dal to pan. Fry them to light brown in color. Add in mustard, jeera, red chili's, curry leaves & hing to pan. 
- Once the mustard starts jumping add in moong dal with 1/2cup water & close it with a lid. 
- Cook on medium heat for 5mins or until you see moong dal is cooked perfectly.
Method 1: 
- Add cabbage to pan & close with lid. On low heat cook for 5mins to 10mins. 
- Once the cabbage is cooked add in enough salt & mix it well. Cook for 2mins more & switch off heat. 
Method 2: 
- Pressure cook cabbage. Add it to the cooked moong dal along with enough salt. 
- Mix in & cook for 5mins on medium heat while stirring once in a while. Make sure there is no liquid left in the curry. It should be dry & not clumpy. 
- Switch off heat & allow curry to cool before serving. 
Note 
- Moong dal shouldn't be over cooked. To cook moong dal add no more than 1/2cup water. 
- If you need this curry to be a little more spicy, then add in 2 sliced green chili's while tempering. 
- Don't skip adding hing in this curry.
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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Cabbage Curry

Cabbage curry with less spices is always comforting & soothing to your stomach. Cabbage is one of those veggies you don't have to add too many spices to make it flavorful. With little effort you can make yummy dishes out of this veggie. As a kid I hated this veggie a lot & all that hatred changed when I started experimenting on cabbage. This is a simple, yet basic recipe I'm sharing here & can be made in very less time too. 
For this week theme on BM I'm presenting "One Ingredient & 3 dishes". Enjoy the dishes & don't miss the update. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM#49.
Prep Time-5mins 
Cook Time-20mins or less
Serves-2people 
Ingredients
4Cups chopped cabbage
4Tsp oil
1Tsp mustard
1Tsp jeera/cumin
1Tsp chana dal
1Tsp urad dal
2Red chili's broken in to half
Few curry leaves
To Grind
4Tbs grated coconut (fresh or dry)
2Green chili's {adjust as needed} 
1Tsp grated ginger
Directions 
- Heat pan with oil & to that add in mustard, jeera, chana dal, urad dal, red chili's & curry leaves.
Method 1:
- Once the mustard starts jumping add in chopped cabbage & close pan with lid. 
- Cook on low heat for 10mins & once you see the cabbage is oozing out little wetness, remove lid & continue to cook on low heat for another 5mins. 
- Mean while coarse grind ginger, green chili's & coconut. 
- Add salt to the curry & also the grind coconut mixture to pan. Mix them well & cook for 2minutes. Then switch off heat. 
Method 2:
- If cabbage is not tender, then you can pressure cook cabbage ahead. 
- Add it to the tempering & cook for few minutes. 
- Then add in the grind coconut mixture & salt  to the curry. Cook for 2more minutes & switch off heat. 
- Curry is ready to be served.
Note
- I prefer pan cooking cabbage than pressure cooking it. I feel cabbage becomes watery & tastes different when you pressure cook it. 
- Adjust green chili's as needed. I used thai chili & 2 were more than enough to this curry. 
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