Stuffed Green Chillies

Stuffed Green Chilies or mirapakaya kura was a recipe i was intending to try for a very long time and finally did it a couple of weeks back. It came out excellent and best of all Mother-in-law loved it. 

Ingredients:
2 tbsp Oil
1 cup chopped Onions
1/2 cup chopped tomatoes
1½ – 2 tsp Coriander Powder
½ tsp Turmeric Powder
1 tsp Chili Powder
Salt to Taste
10 Long Green Chilies.
5 tbsp Milk
1 cup roasted groundnut
1 – 1½ tsp grated Coconut


Preparation:

1. Wash the chilies and make a slit them vertically. Carefully remove the seeds from inside and keep them aside. (Caution: Wash hands immediately to avoid the burning sensation.)

2. Ground the roasted groundnut, grated coconut and a pinch of salt into a dry coarse powder.

3. Lightly fill the chilies with the stuffing. Do not over-stuff the chilies with the stuffing. There will be some left over stuffing, which will be used later. 

4. Heat oil in a pan and fry the onions until translucent and then add the tomatoes and mix well till the tomatoes are smashed.

5. Add coriander, turmeric, chili powder, seeds  removed from the chilli, salt and mix well.

6. Add the chilies saute them until the spices coat the chilies. 

7. Add milk and mix it. 

8. Cover the cook on medium to medium high flame for 3-5 minutes until the chilies are cooked and tender. 

9. Mix it in between to ensure that the chilies and the mixture/masala does not burn.

10. Remove the cover, add the left over stuffing mixture and cook for another 2-4 minutes.

11. Remove from heat and serve with rice, chapathi or pooris

Bread Pakoda

Evening snacks especially during winter with a hot cuppa chai is one of the best things EVER!Cravings are the things to look out fro you when pregnant.. This is one snack i have had regularly @ Wipro Juice Junctions during my early working days and last week i started craving for it. And i ended up trying it myself for the first time... Not a bad attempt though. It came out pretty good and my craving was fulfilled :D

Ingredients

For the stuffing

2 potatoes

2 onion, chopped finely

4 green chillies, thinly sliced

1/2 tsp mustard seeds

Salt to taste

Few springs of curry leaves

Other ingredients

Around 8 slices of wholegrain bread

1 cup besan

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/2-1 tsp chilli powder (or as per taste)

Pinch of asafoetida

Little salt

Oil to Fry.

Method

1. Pressure Cook the potatoes. Peel them and Mash them well.

2. In a Kadai, heat 1 tsp of oil. Temper the mustard seeds and when they start popping add, curry leaves, chillies along with onions. Add the spices and salt and when aromatic add the mashed potatoes. Taste and test for seasoning. Adjust accordingly. Switch off and let it cool for 10 minutes.

3.  In a bowl, mix together besan, turmeric powder, chilli powder, asafetida and salt. Add enough water to make a thick batter - which will help to coat the bread slices. Add tablespoon by tablespoon of water to avoid thin batter. You need medium consistency.

4. Take one slice of the bread. Spread this potato mixture on one side of the bread. Adjust the amount of mixture to how you will need it.

5. Place another slice on top and press it tightly so that it holds together. The mashed potato will hold the bread in place.  Cut this diagonally to make two slices.

6. In a Kadai, heat the oil which will be used for frying.

7. Dip one stuffed slice in the batter and coat both the sides. When you find the bottom turning red/brown, turn the other side.

8. Once removed, drop it on paper towel to drain excess oil.

 Serve with any condiment of your choice - chutney, ketchup or chilli sauce. Whatever you have on hand. These are great on their own too :)  

There can be multiple variations to it.

1. Stuffing can have a lot of other vegetables too. But have atleast 1 potato so that it can help in holding the bread together.

2. Before spreading the aloo mixture you can spread a layer of green chutney to add up to the spice.

Cone Dosa.

Dosas are always the favourite tiffin of a south indian family and ours is no different. Amidst all varieties of 
plain dosa, onion dosa, uthappam, masala dosa etc.... this is the one i wanted to try. Everytime i visit a restaurant all that i wonder is how is it that they make the dosas stand up in a cone shape. 

Afteer loads of trials & experiments here we go....

1. Heat the Tava.

2. Make the dosa by placing a ladleful (medium size) batter on the centre. 

3. Spread evenly by circular rotations (5 -6 rotations) using the base of the ladle,

4. Ensure its not very thick.

5. Sprinkle ½ teaspoon oil / ghee and cover with a lid.

6. Cook on a medium heat for 1 – 2 minutes.

7. Open the lid and check whether the underside has turned in golden color. 

8. Reduce the gas heat and gently lift the dosa with a spatula.

9. Cut from one end to the middle with the help of a scissor and then roll it as a cone. 

Serve it hot with any chutneys / sambar.

Spanish Rice

I read this recipe in Tarla Dalal's Cooking & More book and it became an immediate hit @ home especially with my hubby & brother-in-law. This is one of those few recipes which i have repeated regularly due to the requests :)

Simple to make & tasty enough. Beware of it if you dont relish spicy stuff.

Ingredients

Whole dry red chillies, broken into pieces -- 8 - 9
Garlic Cloves - 5
Saffron Stands - A pinch.
Fresh Curd - 2 tbspn
Oil - 3 tbspn
Onion - 2 finely chopped
Beans - 5 to 6
Potato -1
Carrot - 1
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Capsicum - 1 small one
Steam Rice - 3 Cups (ensure the rice strands dont stick to each other)
Cooking cheese - 4tbspn Grated
Black pepper powder - to taste
Salt - to taste

Method

1. Chop Beans, carrot, Capsicum & potato into small diced pieces

2. Roast the red chillies on a tava till crisp. Combine with the garlic and pound to a smooth paste.

3. Roast the saffron strands for a few seconds on the same tava. Add to the curds , mix well and keep it aside

4. Heat the oil in a Pan, add the onions and stir-fry for a couple of minutes.

5. Add the red chilli-garlic paste and stir-fry for 1 more minute.

6. Add the beans, potatoes, carrots, green peas & capsicum and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

7. Add the rice, saffron-curd mixture, cheese, salt and pepper and stir-fry for 3 to 4 minutes.

Serve hot with Raita / Plain Curd / Potato Chips!

Cabbage Do Pyaaza

Cabbage... One of those vegetables which i used to be lazy to cut and did not want to use much... But now i have started using them.... Nice recipes too... and to top it all he also seems to like it!!!

Here goes the first Cabbage Do Pyazza


Ingredients:


1 medium size cabbage (patta gobhi)
2 1/2 medium size onions (pyaz)
9 tblsps oil (tel)
few fenugreek seeds (methi dana)
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds (rai)
1/2 tsp fennel seeds (saunf)
2 cloves garlic (lahsun), minced
1 inch by 1 1/2 a piece of ginger (adrak), chopped
1 medium tomato (tamatar)
1/2 tsp turmeric (haldi)
1 green chily (hari mirch), thinly sliced
3/4 tsp salt (namak)
1 tsp garam masala
1 tblsp lemon juice

Method
Cut the cabbage (patta gobhi) into thin long strips.
Peel 2 onions and chop them lengthwise. Chop the remaining half coarsely.
Heat 6 tablspoon of oil in a pan and then add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, fennel seeds and the fenugreek.
When the seeds sputter add the onions chopped lengthwise.
Keep stiring the onions for 1-2 minutes.
Now add the shredded cabbage, stir in properly and put the lid on the pan and let the cabbage cook for 15 - 20 minutes on low flame stirring occassionally.
In the mean while, make a paste of the chopped onion, ginger, garlic, and tomato.
Take the remaining oil in another pan and add the paste, turmeric, chilly and keep frying stirring all the while for 5 - 6 minutes.
If the mixture starts to stick to the bottom of the pan then sprinkle 1 teaspoon of water occasionally.
When this mixture is ready add the cooked cabbage, salt, garam masala and lemon juice and let it cook for 5 minutes.
Serve hot with roti or parantha.

Kovakkai Groundnut Curry.

Back to Blogging after a looooong time.....


Kovakkai Curry.

There are a variety of curries which can be tried with Kovakkai / Tindora. This one is a groundnut based one & was tasting good. Mom-in-law loved it & wanted it to be done on another day when the main course was chappathi instead of rice.

Ingredients:

1/4 kg Kovakkai / Tindora / Ivy Gourd
½ tsp mustard seeds
10-12 fresh curry leaves
pinch of turmeric pwd
salt to taste
1 ½ tbsp oil
4 tbsp roasted peanuts
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
4 dry red chillis

Methd

1. Heat a few drops of oil in a kadai, add the cumin seeds.

2.Once they splutter and turn brown, add the red chillis, peanuts (3 tbspn) and roast them.

3. Once it cools off, grind the above ingredients to a powder

4. Wash the Kovakkai & cut it length wise, basically each into 2 / 4 long pieces

5. Add oil in the same pan and heat it till hot. Reduce to medium flame and add the mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add the curry leaves ,stir them till the aroma come out.

6. Immediately add the sliced Kovakkai and combine.

7. Add salt and turmeric pwd and mix well. Saute on medium heat for 3-4 minutes , keep sauteing them so that it doesn’t burn. Now reduce to low flame and let it cook covered till soft, approx 12-15 minutes.

8. Keep checking inbetween, sauteing them so that they dont burn. 

9. The Kovakkai starts to turn soft, don’t overcook them. 

10. Add the ground coarse pwd at this stage and combine well and let it cook, uncovered for another 2 minutes on medium heat. Turn off heat.

11. Finally garnish with roasted peanuts. 


Serve hot with steamed rice, dal or sambar.

Kesarya Pulao

Kesarya Pulao - A recipe adapted from Sanjeev Kapoor cookbook, is a rich preparation with very little spices and masala, so it wins over my father-in-law hands down on any day.

Ingredients
Basmati rice 1 1/2 cups
Almonds 10-12
Cashewnuts 10-12
Raisins 10-15
Saffron (kesar) 1/4 teaspoon
Milk 1/4 cup
Ghee 3 tablespoons
Cloves 2
Cinnamon 1 inch stick
Salt to taste


Method
Clean, wash and soak rice in three cups of water for fifteen minutes.
Drain and keep aside. Slit almonds and cashews into two.
Wash and soak raisins in one-fourth cup of water for ten to fifteen minutes, drain and keep aside.
Soak saffron in one-fourth cup of warm milk and keep aside.
Heat ghee in a thick-bottomed pan, add clove and cinnamon and allow to crackle.
Add the slit almonds and cashewnuts and fry on low heat for two minutes.
Add the drained rice and continue to fry for another two minutes.
Add raisins, saffron milk, salt and two and a half cups of water and bring to a boil.
Cover and simmer on low heat till rice is done and Serve hot.
Any gravy / fry item could be served as accompaniment - Potato / taro / Stuffed Ladies Finger.