Badam halwa

Merry Christmas. we all get into holiday mood. My kids love to have Christmas tree and decorate the tree with their gifts under the tree :). I have promised them to do next year.

Actually I did this halwa for Diwali and was lying in the draft. So thought for posting it on Christmas. Badam halwa - a grand and rich sweet. You can do this with almonds alone. But I added besan flour and cashews. The taste was perfect. Since I distributed this sweet to my friends I packed in wax paper, you can do this in parchment paper or butter paper too. Cut the paper and give to your kids, they will enjoy packing and eating in this way of serving. Give a try you will love it.....

Mixture

Mixture is the combination of all snack. Home made mixtures are very flavorful. There is no hard and fast rule for mixture whatever snack you have in hand you can mix it. I was in need of more quantity, so I combined Murukku too. If you are not feeling like to do or don't have the kara boondhi ladle, you can use the store bought and do the other snacks at home.

Paal payasam | Rice kheer

When I have been to Navarathiri, many of my friends did this pressure cooker method. The taste and color was unique which you don't get in normal way. While pressure cooking for long time the milk changes to light pinkish color. The milk will not reduce, only the rice in it gives the thickness. Personally I don't like garnishing with ghee and cashew. I feel the milk and ghee doesn't combine, it just floats. If you are interested you can garnish.

Chana masala | Chickpeas masala

Chana masala is the best side for roti, poori or any type of Indian breads. Mostly chickpeas used in many of chaat items. If soaked and pressure cooked chana masala can be done quickly, rather you can used canned beans. Personally I don't like canned foods except tomatoes that too for color only :). I did not add any tea bags for the color, I like as it is. If you want you can add 1 tea bag while cooking chickpeas.

Oats porridge

Breakfast is breaking up the fasting from prior night. So most of the experts refers breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Whoever want to reduce weight should not skip breakfast. I don't skip any meals :) This is the simple breakfast in the morning without sucking up you time too.

Many of them take oats with milk and sugar and top it with nuts. Adding buttermilk is really a good way to avoid sugar.  Mostly oats will be our breakfast. Even my kids love this way of porridge. 

The time of cooking oats really depends on the type of oats you use. I usually use normal Quaker oats. But if using steel cut oats the cooking time will be more. One minute oats are very quick. Try using different oats depending on the time you have. Check Granola with oats.

Mirch ka salan

Mirch ka salan is a famous Hyderabadi dish, whole green chilly stir fried and simmered in peanut and sesame sauce. It is usually a best combo with dum briyani. This spicy dish can be served with rice or roti. Originally it is made with long chillies available in India which are used to prepare fritters or bhaji. The long chilly will not be more hot compared to small ones. Mine was not spicy, so I added red chilly powder top of that. The best alternate for long chilly is Jalapeno. 

Malai kofta

Malai kofta - is a classic Moghul dish. Usually we order this as a side for naan in Indian restaurant.  Never imagined I can do this home. Whenever I think of doing this, I avoid because of the big process. But it's worth trying at home. It was my little angel's B'day, I wanted to do something rich and special for my friends.

Kofta's are balls mixed with little spices and some veggies or any choice. Kofta's are usually soft and combined in gravies, whereas the drier versions are called kebabs. If you are so specific about oil you can shallow fry in pan. Since I was doing for a party and doing it very rarely, I don't want to compromise it. If you are panning this dish for a party, prepare koftas and gravy ahead. Refrigerate it. While it's time for party deep fry the koftas and add in the warm gravy.

Kara boondhi

For last Diwali, I wanted to do mixture, so tried this kara boondhi. The process is very easy until you get a desired consistency. To say, first I had tails then added water. Then it became watery, so added flour. While I got perfect boondhis my batter was over :( Since I mixed in mixture(will post soon) the tails and thins didn't get into eyes much. Try doing in small batches, till you get the perfect consistency.

Kandathippili rasam

Kandathippili - I never tasted it before or even had it in any form. My friend gave this to me. So I tried doing this rasam. It was like an ordinary rasam except with some Ayurvedic flavor.

Kandathippili  is considered as a medicinal food in India. It is a kind of pepper so it helps to prevent cold, sore throat,body pain and for indigestion. If you don't have this stick, do the same process leaving the stick for plain rasam or by using rasam powder.

Sweet kozhukattai | Modak (coconut filling)

I made this for Ganesh Chatruthi. But it took so long for me to post. I have already posted Sweet kozhukattai under the same title but with peanut stuffing. This time I used coconut and brown sugar. You can either use jaggery or brown sugar. I was so lazy to grate the jaggery, so used sugar. The taste didn't differ at all. It was so easy too.

If you don't have rice flour you can soak the rice and do. That would be more softer too, for that kind of base see sweet kozhukattai. 

Recipe Index

[+/-]Appetizer/Soups

Soup

• Tortilla soup (vegetarian)
• Quinoa soup
• Noodle soup
• Broccoli soup with coconut milk
• Roasted bell pepper and tomato soup
• Cream of tomato soup
• Spinach soup
• Veggie soup

Salad

• Peanut salad
• Cucumber salad
• Italian salad
• Spicy asian salad
• Chana salad(sundal)
• Cabbage yogurt salad

Appetizer

• Masala papad
• Corn on the cob

[+/-]Eggless baking

Cake

• Vanilla cake with yogurt
• Carrot cake
• Eggless brownie
• Lemon cheesecake
• Vegan peanut butter mug cake
• Blueberry lemon cake
• Vanilla chocolate layer cake
• Vegan dates cake
• Basic vanilla cake
• Beet cake
• Apple and cherry upside-down cake

Bread

• Lemon bread
• Focaccia bread
• Raisin bread

Savory

• Baked potatoes
• Spanakopita
• Black bean patty

Muffins

• Blueberry muffin
• Banana chocolate chip muffin

Snacks

• Cashew cookies
• Coconut macroons
• Hazelnut spread rolls

[+/-]Kootu/Poriyal/Stir fry

Kootu

• Kathrikai murungakkai kootu | Brinjal drumstick kootu
• Peerkangai (Ridge gourd) paal kootu

Poriyal

• Beans Mezhukkupuratti
• Cabbage thoran
• Carrot, beans & potato poriyal
• Vazhakkai(plantain) podimas
• Potato roast
• Sesame potatoes
• Vazhaipoo parupu usli
• Ginger (ingee) pachadi and colacasia fry
• Garlicky potato
• Beans poriyal
• Sweet potato poriyal
• Pumpkin poriyal
• Avarakai poriyal
• Vazhakai poriyal

Stir fry

• Broccoli with bread crumbs
• Oven roasted cauliflower
• Broccoli with roasted peanuts
• Cauliflower pepper stir fry
• Cabbage peas stir fry
• Radish and greens stir fry
• Broccoli stir fry
• Veg stir fry

[+/-]Drinks/Beverages

Drinks

• Lemon and lime soda
• Spiced buttermilk
• Pomegranate juice
• Strawberry nutella milkshake
• Mango mocktail
• Blueberry sparkling lemonade
• Oatmeal banana smoothie
• Hawaiian banana mango smoothie

Beverages

• Dry ginger coffee
• Mocha coffee
• Masala chai

[+/-]Homemade

• Homemade pasta sauce
• Homemade coconut milk
• Mango chunda
• Processed rice flour
• Alfredo & zitti sauce
• Chocolate icecream
• Vanilla icecream
• Homemade yogurt
• Poondu parupu podi
• Rasam powder
• Granola cereal
• Mixed fruit Jam
• Thakkali (Tomato) thokku
• Apple thokku

[+/-]Pasta & Noodles

• Pasta with sun-dried tomatoes
• Spaghetti with homemade sauce
• Homemade pasta sauce
• Creamy spinach pasta
• Five cheese ziti
• Alfredo & zitti sauce
• Spaghetti with spinach balls
• Almond pasta
• Tortilla noodles
• Thai curry noodles
• Spinach avocado pasta
• Creamy pasta
• Spicy veggie Pasta

[+/-]Sweets & Desserts

Sweets

• Besan ladoo
• Stuffed gulab jamoon
• Ukkarai
• Fruit kesari
• Akkaravadisal
• Sweet diamonds
• Somas/Karanji
• Palkova
• Mango Kova
• Mysore pak
• Almond and cashew burfi
• Ashoka sweet
• Cashew coconut burfi

Halwa

• Badam halwa
• Beetroot halwa
• Carrot halwa
• Sorakkai(bottle gourd) halwa

Desserts

• Butterscotch pudding
• Horset sweet ball

Payasam/Kheer

• Ada pradhaman
• Thengai(coconut) payasam
• Pasi paruppu payasam
• Javvarisi payasam
• Aval payasam
• Paal payasam

[+/-]Festival special

Diwali

• Besan ladoo
• Stuffed gulab jamoon
• Dry fruit ladoo
• Sweet diamonds
• Somas/Karanji
• Palkova
• Mango Kova
• Mysore pak
• Almond and cashew burfi
• Ashoka sweet
• Cashew coconut burfi
• Badam halwa
• Diwali special


• Mixture
• Kara boondhi
• Ompodi
• Ring murukku
• Murukku with boiled urad dal
• Ribbon murukku

Navarathiri special

• Pattani sundal

Vinayagar chathurthi

• Sweet kozhukattai
• Sweet kozhukattai | Modak (coconut filling)
• Kara kozhukattai

Onam

• Ada pradhaman
• Kalan
• Olan
• Aviyal
• Beans Mezhukkupuratti
• Cabbage thoran
• Plantain chips

Others

• Panakam and vadapappu
• Karadaiyan nombu adai(sweet&salt)
• Sukhiyan
• Pongal special

[+/-]Rice varieties

• Vegetable dum briyani
• Lemon rice
• Vegetable briyani
• Coconut rice
• Kalkandu pongal
• Puliyodharai
• Capsicum pilaf
• Sakkarai pongal
• Peas pulao
• Cilantro lime rice
• Milk pongal
• Yogurt rice
• Cranberry rice
• Chana pulao
• Carrot rice
• Chinese fried rice
• Celery rice
• Green rice
• Tomato rice with coconut milk
• Masala khichdi

[+/-]Gravies & Dry curries

Dry curries

• Stuffed okra
• Mango chunda
• Besan zucchini
• Szechwan baby corn
• Eggplant and potato curry
• Mustard greens with spinach
• Quick aloo gobi
• Gobi manchurian

Gravies

• Vegetable kurma
• Dahi bhindi | Okra in yogurt gravy
• Potato curry
• Vegetable badam curry
• Tindora curry
• Baingan bharta
• Brinjal curry
• Gobi palak
• Raw banana in yogurt gravy
• Bottle gourd kofta curry
• Tofu butter masala
• Malai kofta
• Mirch ka salan

Paneer dishes

• Panner jalfrezi
• Panner butter masala
• Mutter panner
• Kadai paneer

Dals/lentils

• Moong dal(Jain)
• Dal makhani
• Black-eyed peas gravy
• Dal dhokli
• dal tadka
• Channa masala

[+/-]South Indian sides

For rice

• Ennai kathrikai
• Chana karakuzhambu
• Kuruma Kuzhambu
• Milagu kuzhambu
• Urundai kuzhambu
• Keerai masiyal
• Vendakkai kara kuzhambu
• Kadugu kuzhambu
• Manthakkali vatha kuzhambu
• cucumber morkuzhambu
• Poondu morkuzhambu
• Kathirikai mochai kuzhambu
• Sunda kuzhambu

Kerala dishes

• Kalan
• Olan
• Aviyal

Andhara dishes

• Gongura thokku

Rasam

• Pineapple rasam
• Kandathippili rasam

Pachadi

• Mango pachadi
• Vellarikka ellu pachadi
• Pachamilagai pachadi

For Idli, dosa

• Tomato garlic chutney
• Vada curry
• Sodhi
• Red bell pepper and tomato chutney
• Sodhi
• Sambar (restaurant style)
• Sunda kuzhambu

[+/-]Breakfast & Dinner

Sandwiches

• Sandwich roll ups
• Cheesy corn sandwich
• Grilled veg sandwich
• Eggplant sandwich
• Cheese rolls
• Potato sandwich
• Bread sandwich

Continental

• Apple stuffed crepes
• Quinoa potato roll
• German apple pancake
• Black bean patty burger
• Oats porridge
• Granola

South Indian

• Lemon sevai
• Idiyappam
• Keerai pongal
• Tomato dosa
• Aapam
• Kanchipuram idli
• Thavala adai

North Indian

• Methi thepla
• Plain roti
Parathas

• Mooli paratha |Radish flatbread
• Aloo paratha
• Onion paratha

[+/-]Snacks & Chaats

Snacks

• Sweet diamonds
• Tostadas with black bean
• Cheese rolls
• Plantain chips
• Mixture
• Kara boondhi
• Ompodi
• Ring murukku
• Murukku with boiled urad dal
• Ribbon murukku
• Masala pori
• Spanakopita
• Poopudi

Vadai

• Sabudana vada
• Medhu vada

Chaats

• Papdi | papri
• Spinach fritters chaat
• Corn chaat
• Green peas chaat
• Pav bhaji
• Veg cutlet

[+/-]Cuisine

Middle Eastern

• Hummus
Italian

• Spinach avocado pasta
• Creamy pasta
• Focaccia bread

Chinese

• Chinese fried rice
• Gobi manchurian
• Szechwan babycorn

Greek

• Spanakopita
• Potato lemon mix
• Whipped feta with roasted peppers

Thai

• Thai curried noodles

Mexican

• Tortilla soup (vegetarian)
• Tostadas with black bean
• Homemade Spinach Tortillas
• Asian guacamole
• Cilantro lime rice
• Chipotle bean burrito
• Chimichanga
• Tomato pineapple salsa

Tomato garlic pickle | Thakkali poondu thokku

Whenever in hurry and there is no side dish for chapathis, my mom do this. She avoids garlic. But adding garlic gives a nice flavor. A very easy and instant pickle goes well with any food. Top on bread, side for idli, dosa and roti, Combine with rice and name it as tomato garlic rice. You will really wonder how this little tomato help in all our menu. Perfect with curd rice too. Since we don't add water it stays more than a week in refrigerator.

Cranberry rice

Fresh cranberries are available till Thanksgiving. You can buy now and freeze it . Usually I  prepare cranberry as rice or thokku. Try this vegetarian meal for Thanksgiving day. Raw cranberries are a source of antioxidants under active research for possible benefits to the immune system and as anti-cancer agents.

 

Cashew coconut burfi

Wish you all a wonderful and happy Diwali!!!!

Tried this sweet for first time, got the burfi  shape and texture :). I really wonder about the color, all I used was white ingredients but my color was really brown, but the taste was very nice with cashew in it. For diwali , I wanted to try this simple sweet with easy ingredients and wanted like burfi easy for packing to friends.

Om podi | Plain sev

Plain sev - easy snack to do. Combine all the ingredients and deep fry them. It cooks very fast too. Plain sev is used in most of the Indian Chaats. Most of the kids love this snack, with no spice in it. A crunchy deep fried noodles perfect for tea time or any time if you are like me :)

Diwali sweets and savories

 

Happy Diwali 2013 !!!!

Sweets

 

 

 

Savory

 

Ring murukku

I had this ring murukku in 'To do' list for Diwali. I and my sisters used to put this murukku in all our fingers and we eat this (Old golden days). If you don't have murukku press, but eager for preparing Diwali snacks you can try this. No need of any mould. Very easy to prepare. Making rings take time.

Pav bhaji

Pav bhaji is a famous street food. It is a combo of potato and other veggies. All the mashed veggies with the flavor of pav bhaji masala gives a wonderful taste you will long for. In our family we take it has a dinner with tomato soup.

Kothavarangai kootu | Cluster beans kootu

The whole city has been warned with 'Sandy' , but before the power goes off , I want to update my post. This kootu with peanuts will sure be a hit in your house which is a comfort food. I like the kothavarangai  we get in India, even I get it here. It has no taste nor flavor. But when this kootu is done in India it has a unique flavor and taste.

Cream of tomato soup

When time is short and you crave for any hot soup in this fall, don't use canned soups. Instead, in just few minutes you can put all in a pressure cooker or in a large stock pot, puree and have it. They are sure to become a family favorite. When the weather turns cool we need something hot. My kids love soups especially this tomato soup. When you are having cold, this soup soothes your throat and pepper helps to cure it.

The title says, cream of tomato soup - but I didn't use white sauce. The potato works as a magic here to give a thick consistency. For richer taste I added cream, if in diet skip that. The beet will give the dark color to soup. Carrot also helps to give color and nutritious too.

Mysore pak

Mysore pak - I wanted to try for a long time, but somehow kept on postponing. Since Diwali is nearing I thought of doing some sweet recipes. I remember lots of comedies with mysore pak in Tamil movies. But anyhow made a mind to try.

After Krishna sweets have come we all had mysore pak of soft version, before that we had hard mysore pak with little pores in it. It's so long time I had those sweets. Many of them tell we have to use more ghee for mysore pak, so always avoid it. After seeing Vardhini's and Sharmille's mysore pak, I wanted to try with equal ratio of ghee, sugar and flour. This is an easy recipe try it.....

Vegan peanut butter mug cake

Very rarely I prepare the mug cake, most of the time when Ro wants a cake I do One minute cake in microwave. This time I thought of doing with peanut butter then got an idea of doing it vegan so skipped milk and used flax seed powder. The flax seed powder has a nutty flavor, so easily blends with this cake. Try adding walnuts or any nuts to give an extra taste.

If you are a peanut lover u will like this taste. It was so soft and moist. You can add a pinch of baking soda too.