Ujvala's Kitchen

Bok Choy Curry

Ingredients:
Bok choy - half grocery bag [aka, about 20 florets]
1 onion and 1 tomato.
4 Green chillies
10 Soya chunks [optional] -- i like it with soya chunks, hence always use them.
Oil to saute
Salt to taste
1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp corriander powder
handful of chopped cilantro

To know more about bok choy, please refer to "Know your Ingredients" page.

Bok Choy Curry

Procedure :
Soak soya chunks in hot water for atleast 10 mins.
Meanwhile, chop bok choy, onion, tomato, green chillies and set them aside.
Now, drain away all the water from soya chunks, squeeze them thoroughly and set them aside.
In a pan, take oil to saute, put tempering, add green chillies, onions, salt, saute until onions are tender.
Saute tomatoes, add chopped bok choy, saute for 5-7 mins on medium flame with closed lid.
Now, add soaked soya chunks, add garam masala, corriander powder, stir altogether, cook for another 5 mins.
Finally add cilantro.

Consumption:
Bok choy curry can be served either with rotis/rice/quinoa.

Quinoa Pulav

Hah, finally, i made something out of quinoa, instead of having it as a rice substitute!
Want to know about quinoa? Please refer to "Know your Ingredients" page.
My recipe has :

Quinoa Pulav

Ingredients
Quinoa 1 cup
Mixed Vegetables [Corn, Peas, Beans] - 1 cup
1 medium potato
4 Green chillies
1 bunch of Scallions [Green Onions]
few Cashews
Ginger and Garlic
Curry leaves
few mint leaves and cilantro
1 lime
Salt to taste
Oil to saute

whole spices
1/2 tsp Kala Jeera [Black cumins]
1 cinnamon stick
Couple Bay leaves
2 tsp Kasoori Methi [dry fenugreek leaves]

powdered spices
1 tsp Garam masala
1/2 tsp Amchur powder [dry mango powder]
1/2 tsp cardomom powder
2 tsps corriander powder
1 tsp homemade peanut powder [optional]

Procedure :
Wash quinoa and soak them in water for 30 mins.

Soak quinoa for 30 mins

After 30 mins, drain away all the water and keep the soaked quinoa aside.

In a pan, add some oil, let it heat up, add whole masalas, cashews.
Add scallions, ginger and garlic, Green Chillies, curry leaves, salt, let them cook for 5 mins or until onions turns tender.
Add potato, let it cook for 5 mins; Add vegetables [corn, peas, beans], cook for 5 mins.
Add soaked quinoa, roast for 5 mins.

soaked quinoa added to veggies

Add all powder masalas.
Add 1.5 [1 and half] cups of water.
Close the lid and let it cook for 10 mins.
Once quinoa is cooked, open the lid, add mint, cilantro, stir altogether, switch off stove, give the punch of lime and serve it hot.

Quinoa pulav ready

Apple-Walnut Muffins

Ingredients :
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 egg
3/4 cup milk
1/3 cup vegetable oil [i used canola oil]
1 cup finely chopped, peeled apple
1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

Muffin batter with chopped apples and toasted/chopped walnuts ready

Apple-Walnut Muffins

6-cup muffin pan with freshly made cashew-raisin muffins

Procedure :
Toast walnuts, let them cool down, chop them and set them aside.
Grease a 6-cup muffin pan, set aside.
In a bowl, beat an egg, whisk it thoroughly; add flour, sugar, baking powder, milk and oil.
Stir altogether until moistened.
Add apple pieces and stir in gently and add 1/4 cup of walnuts; stir altogether gently.
Now pre-heat oven for 350 degrees Fahreinheat.
Fill each cup of the muffin pan to 2/3 full. Do not completely fill the batter, as they need some room to raise; hence fill it only to 2/3.
Sprinkle with remaining walnuts.
Place the pan inside oven and cook them for 25 to 35 mins or until well cooked. [To know whether the baking is done or not, plz follow the tip mentioned in "Tips and Tweaks" page on my blog].
Once muffins are done, take out the pan, let them cool down for few mins, serve them fresh :)

Cashew-Raisin Muffins

Follow the same procedure for the batter as above but in the place of apple-walnuts, add, cashew-raisins.

Barely Bread

I made this barely bread from scratch at home. Am very happy to bake it fresh in the morning and have it for breakfast :) This is an instant type bread, so easy to make it and enjoy the taste right away! Hope you all like my recipe...

Ingredients

1 cup milk, 2 eggs, 3 tbsps sugar, 1 tbsp baking powder, 1/2 cup all purpose flour, 1/2 cup barley flour, pinch of salt, mustard seeds (optional)

Barely Bread

Method :

pre-heat oven for 350 degrees. meanwhile, prepare batter :
In a bowl, break eggs, add milk, sugar, baking powder - whisk altogether;
Now, add both the flours mix it without lumps. add mustard seeds.
Grease non-stick loaf bread pan or an 8 inch square pan with butter.
pour the batter into the pan and bake it in oven for 25 to 35 mins.

Basic baking done testing - poke with a fork, all the way thru the bottom of the pan and take it out; if u see liquid batter on the fork, then it still needs time to bake.
once bread is done, let it cool down, take it out from pan, cut into loafs and enjoy with the spread of your choice :)

Tofu-Beans Stir fry

Hi friends,
sooo sorry for being late in updating my blog. Here, i am coming with my recipes shower..
Ingredients required for tofu-beans stir fry :
Tofu is very high in protein and less in fat content.
1 Extra Firm Tofu
1/4 bag of beans [grocery bag]
Few leaves of Mint
1/2 tsp Corriander powder
Oil to saute
1/2 tsp [less/more] Red chilli powder according to spice
Salt, Cilantro to taste.

Tofu-Beans Stir Fry with yummy omlette and rice on the side

Procedure:
Draining away excess water from Tofu :
Place tofu on a deep plate and place stack of plates/bowls on top of tofu for atleast 15 minutes. This procedure removes all the absorbed water from tofu, thus making tofu perfect for stir fry.
Please do not allow tofu to break down during the process.
If tofu seems to break down, remove stack of plates and replace them again on the center of tofu.

Once all the water has been drained away from tofu, cut the tofu into smaller cubes as you see in the above picture and set them aside.
Chop beans into small piece and set them aside.

Take a pan with enough oil to saute; Put tempering, add beans to the tempering, add salt, stir altogether, close lid and let it cook for 5 mins on medium flame.
Meanwhile, take another pan with some oil to saute, let it heat up and add the chopped tofu pieces, stir fry them until they turn golden brown.
Remove the stir-fried tofu from pan and set them aside.
Now, open the lid of beans and let the beans cook for another 10 mins.
Add stir-fried tofu to above cooked beans and let altogether cook for another 5 mins on simmer.
Finally add red chilli powder, corriander powder, cilantro, home made peanut powder [if you like], stir altogether, switch off the stove and serve it hot with yummy omlette and rice on the side :)

Asparagus Curry

Ingredients required
Asparagus 1 bunch [find more about asparagus on my page - "Know your ingredients"]
Potato 1 medium
Onion 1 medium
Tomato (optional) 1 medium
If you do not add tomato, then curry will be like dry saute curry; if you want like gravy curry, add tomato, or else you can skip it. sometimes, i wouldn't use tomato; then it tastes almost like potato curry :) may be that is beauty of asparagus. clubs with rest of the ingredients.
Oil to saute
Salt, Red Chilli powder and Cilantro to taste
Tempering ingredients - urad dal, chana dal, cumins, mustards, curry leaves

Making
--> Chop asparagus and potato into small pieces, set aside.
--> Take a pan with some oil to saute and heat it up.
--> meanwhile chop onion, tomato[if using], cilantro, set them aside.
--> Once the oil is heated up, add tempering ingredients and let the mustards splatter.
--> Add chopped asparagus, add salt, close the lid and cook for 5 mins.
--> Now, add potato, close lid and cook again for 5-7 mins.
--> Add onions, cook until they become tender; Finally add tomato, cook until everything is well done.
Final step, add handful of cilantro if you like. switch off flame, serve the curry hot with rice or roti.

Trifle Pudding

Ingredients

Cake mix 1 pkt
Jello 1 pkt
Cashews
Pineapple
Raspberry juice ⅛ cup
Custard Powder - Vanilla flavor 3tbsp
Milk ¼ gallon

Procedure:
Make Jello and refrigerate for atleast 4 hours.
Bake the cake, let it cool down, cut into small pieces and keep them aside.
Take 2 tbsp of butter into a pan and let cashews roast; keep roasted cashews aside.
Take already prepared jello from fridge and cut them into small pieces as well.
Chop Ripen Pineapple into small cubes, keep aside.
Preparing Custard :
Mix custard powder with 3 tbsp of cold milk; mix as thick paste without lumps.
Bring milk to boil.
Add custard powder paste to boiled milk and keep stirring so that no lumps should form.
Boil custard milk until it becomes thick (like condensed milk thickness).

Binding altogether :
Now, in a glass rectangular bowl, Layer in the same order -
First spread cake pieces, Spread pineapple pieces, sprinkle raspberry juice, spread roasted cashews, spread jello pieces, Now, pour already prepared thick custard milk evenly spreading all over the bowl.
if your bowl is deep enough, repeat all the layers in the same order.
Refrigerate entire bowl for atleast 4 more hours.

And Yummy Trifle pudding is ready.
Tips : To make it even easy :
→ replace cake with ready to use pound cake.
→ Prepare jello the day before and let it refrigerate for good amount of time.
→ Canned pineapple instead of fresh pineapple and chopping it.
→ Strawberry jello [which makes red jello] gives nice eye-catchy color combo when mixed with custard.
Tweak : Apple instead of pineapple, adds more taste. I would recommend Apple. i used pineapple bcoz, i just wanted to experiment.

Tomato Rice

My husband likes Tomato Rice a lot. This time, i made it slight different version by adding soya chunks.
Ingredients
Tomatoes 3 big
Onions 1 and half
Basmati Rice 3 cups
Soya Chunks 12 count
Green Thai Chillies 8 cnt
Red Chillies 3
Cilantro, Curry Leaves
Coriander Powder 2 tsps
Garam Masala 1 and half tsp
Cashews
Ginger paste 1/2 tsp
Oil to saute and Salt to taste
Tempering : Chana Dal, Urad dal, Jeera, Mustard seeds

Cooking Procedure :
Cook Rice separately and keep it aside.
Boil water in an open bowl; boil soya chunks for 5 to 7 mins;
Drain away excess water and keep the boiled soya chunks aside.
In a pan, take oil enough to saute; Add Tempering ingredients, curry leaves, cashews, Green chillies, Red Chillies.
Add chopped onions, let them become tender; then add tomatoes and boiled soya chunks. Cook for 10 mins.
Finally add the masalas, Cilantro.
Delicious and easy Tomato Rice ready to serve. Plain Yogurt can be served or even Raita is a good option as well.

Aloo(Potato) Kurma

My husband loves this style of Potato Kurma. In fact, this is his Signature style of making Kurma. Simple but delicious.

Potatoes 5 big
Onions   1 and half
Tomatoes 2
Poppy seeds ¼ cup
Shredded coconut
Tamarind   1 tsp (soaked and squeezed juice or wet tamarind paste)
Green Chillies 3 Thai
Cilantro of few strands
Red Chilli Powder to your spice
Garam Masala   1 tsp
Corriander Powder 1 tsp, Salt as required

Cooking Procedure
→ Soak poppy seeds atleast for an hour. Make a fine paste with poppy seeds, coconut.
→ Chop each potato into 4-6 pieces and pressure cook upto 2 whistles. Let the potatoes cool down and peel off the skin, set them aside.
→ In a pan with some oil, Saute Green chillies, Onions. Once onions are half done, add tomotoes, cook until half done; add tamarind paste.
→ Now, add boiled, peeled off potatoes, Salt, poppy seeds-coconut paste, stir altogether.
→ Close the lid and let it cook for atleast 10 mins on medium flame.
→ Now add garam masala, Corriander powder, stir-in all again and let the curry cook for another 10 mins on low flame.
→ Finally add handful of chopped cilantro and Potato kurma is ready to serve with rice or rotis.

Andhra Special - Gutti Vankaya (Spicy EggPlant Fry)

Hi Friends, today, i came with delicious and spicy Andhra Special dish. Gutti Vankaya, if properly prepared, tastes the best of all the curries. Here i would like to share my recipe :

Ingredients :
Chana dal - 2 Tbsp
Red Chillies - 6 big
Urad dal - 2 Tbsp
Corriander Seeds - 1 Tbsp
Cumin seeds - 1 Tbsp
Tamarind - lime size
Curry leaves - few
Salt to taste.
Oil 4 Tbsp.

Procedure :
--> Cut each egg plant into 4 quadrants, keeping the heads of each egg plant; Set them aside.
--> Take a pan with 2 Tbsp of oil and roast all the above ingredients in this order :
Chana dal, Urad dal, Red Chillies, Corriander Seeds, Cumins, Tamarind and Curry leaves, Salt.
--> Make sure not to burn the ingredients.
--> Let the roasted ingredients cool down and then blend into coarse powder.
--> Now, add very little amount of water to the above powder to make it to very thick paste. You should be able to hold it as a ball. That is the right consistency of water you should add.
--> Stuff the above paste into each of the cut eggplants.
Take a pan with 2 Tbsp of Oil and arrange stuffed eggplants into the pan, Sprinkle little salt on the eggplants, Close the lid and let it cook for atleast 20-25 mins on medium flame.

Finally, when all the eggplants become tender and cooked, add handful of Cilantro, cook for another 5 mins and serve hot with rice.

I roast couple of green chillies in the same pan at the end. Roasted green chillies with Eggplant tastes good together (only if you can handle spice).

Eggplant Lasagna

I am taking too long breaks to update and decorate my blog ;). Today, my long determination of making Eggplant Lasagna came true and i am able to make successful Lasagna. Enjoy the yummy recipe. Since this is my first time, i made myself comfortable with easily available
Ingredients :
1 Big American Eggplant
1 big Onion
2 cups Mozzarella Cheese
1 cup Parmesan Cheese
Lasagna Pasta Sheets (i bought small pkt that has 12 sheets)
'Tomato and Basil' pasta sauce
3 Thai Green Chillies
1 tsp Black pepper powder
Half bunch of finely chopped cilantro
Few mint leaves, Oregano, Kasoori Methi
Oil to saute
Salt to taste

Here is the procedure
Get the Pasta ready :
--> Boil the water, add salt and boil the pasta as u do with regular pasta.
--> Now, drain all the excess water, run some cold water, set them aside and let it dry.
--> Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F, meanwhile prepare the below eggplant gravy.

Gravy preparation :
--> Add oil to a pan, let it heat up.
--> Chop the eggplant horizontally (like semi-circles) and set them aside.
--> Add chopped onion, chopped green chilli, cook until the onions are tender.
--> Kasoori methi, Oregano, Cilantro, Mint leaves and Black pepper powder can be added at this moment.
--> Now, add the chopped eggplant circles. Keep the flame in simmer.
--> Sprinkle some salt, close the lid and let the eggplant cook on simmer for atleast 10 mins.
--> Once eggplant is half done, add the 'Tomato and Basil' pasta sauce.
--> Stir altogether again, close the lid and let it cook for another 10 mins on simmer.
--> Switch off the flame once all is done. This is your eggplant gravy.

Baking - Final step of Lasagna :
--> Apply butter to the baking pan. I used the 8 in round pan as shown in the image.
--> Place some of the eggplant gravy, spread it all over the pan. This is your Layer 1 (L1).
--> Next place half count of the boiled pasta sheets as Layer 2 (L2).
--> Now add half of the mozzarella cheese and half of the parmesan cheese as Layer 3 (L3).
--> Repeat L1, L2, L3 layers again on top of the above three layers. Remember, top most layer should be the cheese.
--> Keep the pan in heated oven and let it cook for 30-40 mins at 350 degrees F.
Thats it get the Yummy lasagna out of the oven, let it cool down a bit, sprinkle with cilantro, and serve it hot with red crushed pepper if needed.

Indian Challenge : Ariselu

After a very longg time, i'd given a try for my one of the most favourite sweet and the most Challenging Indian recipe...
here, i would like to share with you all, the procedure i followed to make delicious Ariselu. My mother-in-law guided me thru this entire process :)

I have used the following ingredients :
Rice Flour : 1 cup
Jaggery : 1/4 cup
Sugar : 3 tbsp
Sesame seeds : 2 tsp
Ghee : 3 tbsp
Oil to deep fry
and last but not the least : 2 big spatulas to press them.

and here is the procedure :
--> Soak the rice for 12-15 hrs. Change water twice in the middle.
--> Slice the jaggery and keep it aside.
--> Drain all the water and start blending the rice. Blend the rice and seive the flour;
--> you should get the smooth damp flour; To retain the dampness, just close the flour after seiving each time.
--> Repeat the blending and seiving process, until u get the very smooth texture of all the flour.
--> Now take the jaggery, sugar and pour water until jaggery is exactly immersed.
--> Put it on the stove; Let all the Jaggery start bubbling vigorously;
--> Occassionally check the syrup by placing the syrup in a small bowl containing water. The syrup, when
u place in water and touch it with hand, it shouldn't stick to your fingers and you should be able to make
it as a small ball. that is the right consistency of the syrup required to make ariselu.
--> If you have the baking thermometer, u can remove the syrup at 200 F. (it came out as 200 F for me; not sure about that so, i followed the traditional method...)
--> Now, add the blended flour, sesame seeds, ghee into the jaggery syrup.
--> Stir it completely without any lumps.
--> Now, make the batter into small, smooth dumplings and make them as Pattis.
--> Take a deep pan with oil and let it heat up.
--> Drop each patty slowly into the oil and let it fry until golden brown;
--> Now, take the patty out of the oil and press it slightly harder with another spatula, until it becomes flatter.
Be careful while pressing into the pan itself; If you have roti press, u can use it to press the the fried ariselu.

Thats it!! Now, you are ready to enjoy the taste of delicious and mouth watering ariselu....

Capsicum (Bell Pepper) Rice

It came out really good. I didn't expected this taste from bell pepper :)
Ingredients
Bell Pepper 2 (1 red and 1 green for contrast )
Onion 1
Frozen Peas few
Oil to saute
Salt to taste
Cashews few
Mint leaves few, Cilantro few
Corriander powder 1 tsp
Cumin powder 1/2 tsp
Green Chillies 4
Red Chillies 2
Whole Spices : Bay Leaves few, 4 cloves, Cumins, 2 Cinnammon Sticks and Kasoor Methi
Rice 2 cups

--> Take oil sufficient for saute. First saute the whole spices. Add mustard seeds. Add cashews.
--> Now add all the other ingredients except mint and cilantro and saute until well done.
--> Cook rice and add this rice to the above sauteed mixture.
--> Finally sprinkle, cilantro and mint and serve it hot.

Sabudana (Tapioca) Vada

Ingredients :
   Sabudana 1 cup
   Rice Flour 1 1/2 cup
   Green Chillies 2
   Cilantro few chopped
   Potato 1
   Salt to taste

Procedure
--> Soak Sabudana overnight. (pour water only until sabudana gets dipped. or else they become mushy)
--> Mix Chopped Green Chillies, Grated Potato, Cilantro, Rice flour, Salt, little bit yogurt and mix altogether.
--> Make them into small patties over a ziploc and deep fry them in the pan.
--> thats it, ready to serve it hot with Ginger-tamarind chutney or ketchup/Tomato chilli sauce.

Mango Rice (Mamidikaya Pulihora)

Mine is slow and study principle. thats why there is delay for my recipes to come until blog ;) anyway, i've exceeded half century of recipes :) and crawling towards century ;)
Today, i came up with easy and yummy mango rice recipe.

Ingredients
Raw Mango 1 and half
Rice 2 cups
Green chillies 6
Red Chillies 2
Turmeric and last but not least : Cilantro few strands
Few Cashews, Urad dal, Chana dal, Curry Leaves, Cumins, Mustard seeds.

Peel off the skin of mango, grate it and keep it aside.
Cook rice as usual. Now, take pan with small amount of oil and put all the tempering ingredients, salt, turmeric.
Toast the grated mango in the same tempering for 2-5 mins stirring occassionally.
Now, add this entire tempering to the above cooked rice. stir altogether, sprinkle cilantro and serve it hot.

Mushroom Biryani

Ingredients
Mushrooms 2 cups (sliced)
Green chillies 6
Rice 2 and 1/2 cups
Cilantro few strands
Onions 1 and half
Tomatoes 2
Oil to Saute and Salt to taste

Spices
few Bay leaves
Cinnammon Sticks 2
Cloves 4-5
Whole Cardomoms 2
Kasoor Methi 1 tsp
Rosemary few

Shan Biryani Mix 1/2 pkt (u can add 1 f.pkt to ur spice)
Corriander powder 2 tbsp
Nutmeg powder 1 tsp

Procedure
--> Wash and slice monterey button mushrooms, keep it aside. U can even wash rice and keep it aside the same time. No need to soak as i'm sharing easy recipe.
--> Take enough oil to saute onions in a wide pan.
--> Add first 6 spices once the oil is heated up.
--> Now Add chopped chillies, onions and salt. once the onions turns transparent, add the tomatoes. Let them cook on medium flame until the tomatoes are well done.
--> Add the sliced mushrooms, now u can close the lid and let it cook for atleast 10-15 mins.
--> Then add the rest of 3 spices, stir well, let it cook for another 2 mins.
--> Once everything done, Add the sauteed mixture to the washed rice, pour water as u put regularly for rice. and cook altogether until it is done. I prefer Rice Cooker, as it is easy and no obligations :)
--> Once the rice is almost about to finish, add few tsps of milk and stir it altogether. At last sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve it hot with either raitha or Hot and sweet sauce.

Carrot Halwa

this would be all-time favourite. easy to prepare. ofcourse everyone knows... just wanted to share.

Take 1/4 cup of butter in a pan and fry the cashews and raisins. Take out the roasted cashews and raisins and keep them aside. Now, Fry the 1 cup of grated carrot in the same pan. Pour 3/4th cup of milk and let it cook until it gets thick. Add 1/2 tsp Cardomom powder. Now, add 3/4 th cup of sugar and mix it altogether.
Add the roasted cashews/raisins, mix it altogether one more time and serve it hot...

Palak Paneer

Paneer (Indian cheese) is a good source of protein for vegetarians. Very easy to prepare freshly even at home just by curdling heated milk with lemon juice. Today, i would like to share yummy most popular Palak Paneer recipe. Here are the Ingredients :

Spinach 2 bunches

Onion 1

Tomatoes 2

Ginger-Garlic

Green chillies 3

Red Chilli powder 1/2 tsp

few Kasoor Methi few leaves(dried fenugreek leaves)
nut meg powder 1/4 tsp (goes good with spinach especially)
salt to taste

Whole Spices :
Cinnamonn sticks 2
cloves 3
cardomom 2

Cooking Procedure :
(1) Wash and Boil the Spinach in a deep vessel with 'Open lid'. Cooking spinach with open lid helps preventing discoloration. It takes about 5 mins to cook spinach in boiled water. Now, keep that aside.
(2) Take oil in a wide pan (needed to saute onions). Add the whole spices and let them roast.
(3) Now, add the chopped onions; add required salt to cook the onions fast n nice.
(4) Add chopped tomatoes. Let the tomatoes cook completely without any chunks. Add Nutmeg powder and kasoor methi.
PS : everything should be cooked with open lid. u can reduce the flame if the ingredients are burning.
(5) Meanwhile, get ready with paneer. (I just buy paneer and cut it into small cubes)
Now, blend the cooked spinach in a blender.
(6) Add the spinach puree to the sautee onion-tomato gravy and stir it well.
(7) Now add the paneer cubes and let it cook for atleast 5 mins on simmer.
(8) Now, you can add heavy cream if you want. I just added few tbspns of soymilk for nice flavour.
(9) thats it, sprinkle cilantro, switch off the flame and serve it hot with rotis/rice :)

Yummy yummy Palak paneer ready..

Oats Idli

Very healthy recipe; Lessens the spike of insulin level when consumed. Hope you will enjoy.
Ingredients
Steel Cut Oats (or Irish Oats) 1 cup
Semolina 1 cup
Baking Powder 1 and half tsp
Yogurt as required
Salt to taste

Prepare Oats
Blend the oats into coarse powder and use 1 cup for idli preparation. remaining you can store it in a box and use them for other recipes.

Preparation
Take few tsps of oil in a pan and put Basic popu.
Now add semolina and roast it till golden brown. Add Oats powder to the semolina mixture and let it heat up.
Let the entire mixture cool down and add Yogurt/Buttermilk until the consistency to make as idli. Add baking powder, salt to the mixture. The batter looks almost exactly like the batter for Vermicelli Idli.
Now, place the batter in the idli plates and cook them on steam for just 12 mins.
Take out idlis from plates, and serve them hot with peanut chutney or any other chutney of your choice.

Healthy Spread

Instead of the regular jams and the peanut butter on the bread everyday, you can try this; Taste bhi, health bhi :). Even good for kids.
Ingredients :

Walnuts 1/2 cup
Pecans 1/2 cup
Almonds 1/4 cup
Peanuts 1/2 cup
Macademias 1/4 cup
Milk 1/2 cup
Honey 1/4 cup
Unsalted Butter couple of tsps

Procedure :

--> Clean all the above nuts gently.
--> Let them dry on a paper towel for a while.
--> Take a saute pan, pour small amount of oil just to saute nuts.
--> Saute nuts taking one variety at a time. Pecans are gentle, donot let them burn.
--> Once done with saute, let them cool for some time.
--> Now, blend all the roasted nuts,milk,and honey in a regular blender.
--> Blend until it is finely done.
--> Store it in a tight container and keep refrigerated.
--> Ready to use it on your regular bread.

I like flower arrangements a lot.. I believe flowers brings happiness and pleasantness. these are couple of the arrangements i made...

Kreativ Blogger Award

Kreativ blogger Award

Thanks a lot Bhagi for sharing the award .

So here is how it works.
Rules for accepting this award:

1) Thank the person giving the award
2) Copy the award to your blog
3) Place a link to their blog
4) Name 7 things people don't know about you
5) Nominate 7 bloggers
6) Place a link to those bloggers
7) Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award

7 things people don't know about me
.
1. I like cooking/helping/being ambitious.

2. Baby pink is my most favourite color.
3. I still love to watch cartoons.
4. Love eating plain rice with yellow dal, aavakai and a dollop of ghee.Yum!
5. Joyous; gets extremely nervous yet productive with even short span of time.
6. I am a music lover. melodious music.
7. Love all chocolates/cakes/sweets... yum yummy.

I am passing out the award to all the bloggers i like.

Vegetable Pulav - Kurma

Pulav Ingredients and Method :
2 cups Basmati Rice; 2 Cinnamon sticks; 2 Marati Mogga (dried capers); 1 medium onion, bay leaves; few cloves and cardomom; 2 potatoes - sliced; 1/2 cup shredded carrot; 1/2 cup frozen peas; 3 thai chillies; salt to taste; 1/4 cup milk; few cashews.

--> Cook rice; (add pinch of salt and few drops of oil for fluffy rice).
--> In the meanwhile, saute all the above ingredients except cashews and milk;
--> Add the sauteed ingredients to the rice that is being cooked; mix it; now, wash frozen peas and keep aside.
--> when the rice is almost about to done, add roasted cashews, peas, milk, stir rice altogether once and unplug the cooker, once it is done;

Kurma Ingredients and Method :
1 cauliflower; 2 star anise; 2 cinnamon sticks; 2 black cardomom; 4 cardomom; few cloves; 1/2 cup poppy seeds; 1/2 cup shredded coconut; cilantro; 2 thai chillis; 1 tsp red chilli powder; few black pepper; 2 big onions; 2 tomatoes; 1 tsp garam masala; few kasoori methi; 1/2 cup yogurt;

--> Boil cauliflower florets in water, with a bit of salt and keep the boiled florets aside;
--> Saute all the ingredients leaving green chillies, poppy seeds, coconut, yogurt; u can take away the big spices like star anise, cinnamon sticks, black cardomom after sauted them;
--> Dry roast poppy seeds, green chillies; let them cool down a bit and grind them with coconut until fine paste.
--> Add the paste to the sauteed mixture, add yogurt, add the boiled cauliflower florets, salt, mix altogether, close lid and let it all cook on slow flame;
--> finally add cilantro and serve it hot;

Chekkalu

Hii All, again after a very long time, i came up with delicious crunchy snack recipe to share with you all.
Ingredients:
Rice Flour 2 cups; Green chillies 2 thai; small piece of Ginger; few Curry leaves; few cilantro; 1 tsp cumin powder; Chana dal 3 tbsp; Oil to deep fry; salt to taste.

Method:
--> Soak chana dal for atleast 1 hr;
--> Make paste with rest of the ingredients with small stone grinder/mixer.
--> Take rice flour in a bowl, mix the above prepared chillie paste, and soaked chana dal, salt
--> Add 2 tbsp of warm oil. sprinkle little by little water and mix the dough altogether. don't add excess water. the finished dough should be like this :

--> Heat up oil in a pan sufficient to deep fry;
Note : Knead the dough well; or else, chekkalu may break up when u put them in oil;
--> make small dumplings, put each dumpling on ziploc, and press it thinly. instead of pressing with hand, i use
(small easy trick : i put the dumplings between 2 ziplocs and press each one with ding chick[small stone grinder] until it become thinner.)
--> Place each of the chekkalu into the heated oil and fry them on med-hi flame slowly; let them cool down; store and enjoy the taste upto 2 weeks (or even more if they still survive :) );