Tomato Rasam

Hola All :) :)

Monsoon already knocked in every part of India.... Happy Monsoon to every one :) :) ....Enjoy the rains ..with you family and friends... and thank to god for blessing us with all the good things in life... I know you would be thinking why I wrote suddenly this line regarding saying thanks to god... I am a very religious person... and believe a lot in god... So in everything I feel to thank god for showing his blessings on us... and I feel everyone should do the same if he feels from heart... I feel like rains are also gift of God to us... as after rain we get relaxation from the hot summer heat... so these are my thoughts... I know many will agree with me and might be some of them not.... Its ok... everyone has a right to think on his or her way...  At the end we should be happy :) :)

Lets move on to today's recipe post... So today we will discuss about a very common dish or soup ... of Southern India... known as  "RASAM"..Rasam is integral part of South Indian meals... I personally die heart fan of south Indian dishes... I love dosa...idly... uttapam... etc.. list is endless... By seeing my love for south Indian food my friends use to tease me in my college days ... that I should get married to some south Indian guy :P... Jokes apart... So today we will discuss about Tomato Rasam... Its very simple to prepare .... Whenever I feel lazy to cook I prefer to make Rasam... Either with rice or idly.... goes well with both... Also in monsoon we feel to drink or eat something hot... So hot RASAM is the best option for monsoon....

As I am a North Indian ...I prepare rasam using Readymade rasam powder available in market.I used for this recipe MTR rasam powder... Some people also add any type of lentil... But I prepare only with Tomato without any lentil.. Lets proceed with detailed recipe :-

Ingredients :-

3-4 medium sized tomato's chopped small.
3 cups of water.
1-2 tsp of rasam powder ( adjust with your taste)
4-5 curry leaves
1/2  tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp of red chilly powder( optional)
Pinch of fenugreek seeds / methi
Pinch of asfotedia
1 dry red chili
2 tbsp of oil
2 tbsp of jaggery ( adjust as per your taste)
Small piece of tamarind or ¾ tsp. tamarind paste
Coriander leaves to garnish 

Procedure :- 

Heat oil in the pan.Add the mustard seeds, curry leaves , fenugreek seeds and cumin seeds.Let them Splutter.Add the dry red chilly.Now add the chopped tomatoes.Also add salt , turmeric powder and red chilly powder.Fry tomatoes for at-least 2-3mins.Cover the mixture and cook.You need to cook till tomatoes become soft.After that add jaggrey and tamarind to the tomatoes.Add the rasam powder , stir well.Now add the water and cook it till boil comes.Add salt as per taste.Taste the sourness and adjust as per your taste if you need add jaggrey more.Cook on medium flame.

Once done garnish with coriander leaves.

Note :- To enhance the taste you can also add fresh grated coconut.

Hope you will enjoy hot hot sambhar in rain with friends and family... Will come soon with new dish... Let me know your views... queries ... I am always there to help you in cooking :) :)

Till then cia... Enjoy the monsoon and also take care of health...

Mooli or Radish Paratha

Hello Everyone

I am back after a long gap... I guess after 2 months... Hope you all missed me :) :) .... I really missed you all ... was busy in outings... some household activity and stuff ... So the blog and cooking left behind for some time... But now will try to post at least 2 recipes in a month .... :) :) .... 

Today I came with a simple but healthy and yummy recipe .... "Radish Paratha"...In hindi we call as  Mooli Paratha ... Mostly Radish is ate in salad by people... But some people including me don't like raw radish .... So in order to consume radish I prefer parathas ... Because radish  has so many good healthy benefits like they  are a very good source of vitamin C which is needed for keeping bones and teeth strong.Secondly they are good source of fiber , potassium , magnesium , etc... So we should add radish in our daily diet... At least once in a week.... So here I come with one yummy recipe of Mooli parathas ... There are many ways to prepare ... here is my way... Lets proceed with recipe...

Ingredients :-

1 Radish washed,peeled and shredded
3-4 tbsp roasted besan or gram flour in 1 tsp of oil
1 tsp red chilly powder
1/2 tsp asfotedia
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Chat masala
1/2 cup chopped coriander
salt to taste
oil to roast the parathas
1 cup wheat flour
water to form dough

Procedure :-

Squeeze the excess water from radish.Roast gram flour till the good roasted smell comes.In another pan add oil , mustard seeds once oil heated.Then add asfotedia. Now add radish and keep the flame low medium.Roast it till the water evaporates.Then add all the masalas and mix it well.Cook for 1-2mins. Now add the roasted gram flour .Give a nice good mix.Cook on low flame for 3-4 mins.Then Cover with lid and cook it for 5 mins. Again open the lid and give a stir.It will look sticky. Don't worry.Again close the lid and cook for 3-4 mins.Cook it till the Gramflour mix and cooked properly with radish.Let the mixture cool down.Garnish with coriander leaves.Now form a dough by wheat flour + salt + 1tsp oil + water.Rest the dough for 20mins.Now with the help of rolling pin and rolling board make a small chapati and fill the filling as shown in picture below.If you want you can sprinkle some Chat masala after adding stuffing in paratha.

Then make a ball  as shown above by covering the edges and roll the chapati.

Roast the chapati by applying oil on medium flame from both the sides.Enjoy hot with chutney or curd :) :)

Note :-  If you want you can eliminate the addition of gram flour.

So I hope you will prepare this yummy healthy parathas soon :) :)..Share your experience, doubts or views to me.. will love to hear and help you all...

Hoping you all are enjoying the recipes in the blog.. Its time to say Good bye.. tc.. Will post new recipe but as promised SIMPLE RECIPE soon ...:) :)

Jalebi

Hello Lovely People :) :)

Happy Hindu New year to one and all :) :) ... May this mew year brings happiness and prosperity for everyone ... God bless us all with his blessings.... New year relates to new hopes... new desires...  new challenges ....new life... new aspirations .... new resolutions ... new changes... etc ... so many things attached to a new year... It all depends on individual how and in what way the new year will bring change in his/her life... But one thing we should remember in this new year... "We need to SAVE WATER".... yes you people read correct... Water the basic necessity ... Day by day its scarcity is increasing... Each and everyone should come forward and save water in his /her level.. We need to save for our future generations... Try to use as minimum as possible... and if you see someone is misusing try to make them understand their mistake... Hope everyone who ever reading this blog take oath to save water....

Lets move ahead.... in order to celebrate any festival ... we first eat sweet dish... so that everything will feel with sweet things in our life.... On Hindu new year ...  most of the people make PURONPOLI .... its a like a Indian bread stuffed with sweet Lentil mixture and roasted in pan with lots of ghee ... It taste too too yummy... I love to eat those in my child hood when mom use to prepare for us... Also some people will make Shrikhand... another  sweet dish made by hung curd.. sugar ... dry fruits and saffron.It also taste awesome... But this time I want to make something different .. other then this two traditional dishes.... So made JALEBI :) :) .... 

Jalebi is a very popular sweet from the Indian cuisine. Jalebi is a hot favourite on any special occasion be it a birthday, wedding or festival. Jalebis though mostly eaten by themselves, can also be soaked in warm milk. To make jalebi, first the flour batter is fermented. Then later, the batter is poured in a spiral shape in hot oil and deep fried. Then these fried spirals are soaked in sugar syrup for a few minutes and then served. so what you get are crisp, syrupy, juicy and crunchy jalebis.So let's start with the detailed recipe.

Ingredients :-

1 and 1/2 cup of all purpose flour or maida
3-4 tsp of curd
1 full tbsp of garmflour or besan
2tsp of oil
1 cup of sugar + 3/4cup of water ( For sugar syrup)

6-7 saffron strands for sugar syrup

1/4 tsp of orange color (optional)

Water

Ghee or Clarified butter for frying

Procedure :-

In a bowl add maida , curd and garam flour.Mix it well to avoid all lumps.Add water if required.Whisk it well in a batter which should have dropping consistency.Now add oil and again whisk.We need to whisk it properly so that we can make it airy.It will help in fermentation.Let the batter rest in some warm place for 12-15 hours.

After 12-15 hours, first prepare sugar syrup.For Jalebis we need one thread consistency sugar syrup.In a pan add sugar and water as given in ingredients.Wait till it come to boil.If you think there are impurities in sugar, add 2-3 tsp of milk.Once milk is mixed and mixture comes to boil.All dirt will come above the mixture.Carefully remove the dirt with the help of spatula.Now add saffron and color to the syrup.Check by taking a drop of syrup between finger and thumb.If you can see a thread then we are good to go.Otherwise heat for some more time.

Now in a flat pan heat the ghee on medium Flame.Take a sauce bottle or if you don't have take a ziploc bag .. fill it with batter and then make a small cut at the bottom(giving it shape like a cone).Once hot make jalebi.Once cooked on one side turn it.Then drop in sugar syrup.Let it in sugar syrup for less then 50sec... If you keep for more time in sugar syrup, it will become soggy. Serve hot.

Note :- You can use cardamon or any other flavoring for syrup if you want.

Hope you and your family will enjoy jalebis at home... My family and friends loved it... It was my first try and I was very happy by the outcome :) :)... Will come soon with new recipe... Till then good bye... tc...  and yes SAVE WATER... SAVE EARTH... PLANT TREES .... 

Gujarati Khaman Dhokla

Hello All

Happy Spring !!!! ... Here in US .... Spring is welcomed by nature with Cherry Blossom ... Very nice Beautiful flowers on tress... Amazing view .... Feels so good... Me and my hubby went to see Cherry Blossom Festival in Washington D.C.There many trees brought from Japan are planted beautifully... And in this Spring season their beauty can't be expressed in words.. Loved the place... So many people every year come from all over to the world to witness this festival in DC... Also in Japan Cherry Blossom is best in the world...

In India Spring welcomes the Hindu New year .. Also known as Gudi padwa... My mom used to make Shrikhand and PuranPoli on this day... Loved those days... only one work to do..just eating... No need to think of anything else... Now everything we need to prepare... and now I feel... how much work mom was doing that time... that too without much use of technology and devices... Love you mom for all the hard work you did for us... ohh in every post I become senti ... :( ... As I miss my parents a lot here in US... God bless them with all good health and prosperity... 

Lets move on today's Recipe..I am fan of both sweet and Spicy things.Loved to have varieties in snacks.Also I love Gujarati Cuisine.For example Dhokla , kothimbir vadi , Khandvi , Khichu , Etc... Here in US its difficult to get this things easily near by... I mean all depends on where you stay.. So I love to make them at home.. Today I will share mine Recipe of Khaman Dhokla ...

I already shared Dhokla made of curd with semolina and gram flour in one of my post... But this one is pure with Gram Flour and that too without use of curd... So you will be thinking then I will be using which ingredient to make is sour ...

So here the magic ingredient is Citric Acid... Also known as in hindi Nimbu ka Sath... Its readily available in any Indian grocery store...So lets start with this yummy Spongy tangy recipe...

Ingredients:

2 cups gram flour
1 and 1/2 cups of Lukewarm water
2 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1  tsp fruit salt
2 tsp ginger chilly paste
3/4 tsp citric acid
Salt to taste
2 tsp of oil

For Tadka:

2 tbsp Oil 
1 tsp Mustard Seeds
2 tsp Seasme seeds
3-4 green Chillies (As per your taste)
1-2 Red dry chillies
Asafoetida (hing) 1/4 tsp
Water 1/2 cup
Grated Coconut (Optional)
Coriander leaves
4-5 Curry Leaves (Optional)

Procedure :-

First heat the water in a vessel until it's lukewarm and then turn off the flame. Then take a round bowl and add the gram flour, sugar, citric acid and the lukewarm water. Mix everything well so that there  are no lumps left and the batter is smooth in texture. Let the batter sit on the stand for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile take a big vessel with water, place a ring inside it and out it to boil. Cover the vessel with the lid.Now after 15mins add the turmeric powder, salt to taste, ginger and chilli paste and little oil to the batter and mix all the ingredients well. Now reduce the flame to medium and take the lid off the vessel and place your tin(greased it well with some oil) on the ring.If you don't have ring you can use any steel plate with some good broad edges.Then add a 1 tsp. of Eno fruit salt to the batter and whisk it quickly.Pour the batter in the tin placed inside the vessel and cover the it with a lid.Let it steam on a high flame for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, open the lid and take out the tin and let the dhokla rest for 5-6 minutes. Separate the dhokla from the tin by using a knife. Then with the help of one plate flip the dhokla on it.Again with another plate re-flip it.

Heat the oil in a Khadhai. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds, sesame seeds chillis, curry leaves, asafoetida. Add the coriander leaves and grated coconut and mix them well. Spread this mixture over the dhokla. Cut the dhoklas into small squares or shape of your choice.

Now in a pot take water ... less than 3/4 cup and add 3 tsp of sugar to it.Make it to boil and then spread it on dhokla .Drop this sugar mixture nicely on all over the dhoklas..So that they can soak it and become nice and juicy...

See the Spongy and how light it is in below pic :)

NOTE :-  You can also add direct water and sugar to tadka of oil.Bring it to boil and then spread it to Dhokla..

Enjoy it with green coriander chutney and sweet tamarind chutney.Sprinkle some thin nylon sev on top :) :)

Hope you all like this recipe.. any doubts ... queries are welcomed... Will come soon with new recipe... Till then Happy Gudi Padwa to all... Enjoy.. tc.. cia..

Khichdi Cutlet

Hello All

Happy Holi ... Happy Easter ... I know I am wishing late... but in festivals around was not able to write the blog... Hope you all had a good time in these festivals .... Festivals give a relaxing time from our daily boring routine... some events .... new things.. bring freshness in our life... meetings up with friends .. family and relatives ... people with whom we will not able to give time in our daily commitments... these some days give us time to get in touch with our well wishers... So its good to have festivals ...celebrations ... in our life... :) :)

In our homes ... many times we make khichdi mostly... Khichdi is whole some meal prepared with rice and lentils... People enjoyed it with curd or just pickle... I too love to eat sometimes...  But yes not all the time ;) ... I guess it happens with everyone...Some people treat khichdi as food for patients... If someone is not feeling good.. or his/her stomach is upset... they will be given khichdi for lunch/dinner... So its a dish not liked by everyone... Even though we can make it innovative by adding different veggies.. soya chunnks... good spices... some people will not satisfied... 

So in order to satisfy this section of people... I came put with Dish  named as Khichdi Cutlets... Made up of left over Khichdi... yummy.. tasty... liked by everyone... So whenever you end with khichdi left at your kitchen.... try this ... it will finish jhatpat :) :) ... This is  my guarantee... So let's start with its recipe :) :)

Ingredients :- 

2 cup left over Khichdi
1/2 cup crushed peanuts ( not fully crushed )
1/4 cup gram flour 
2-3 chopped green chilies
1 chopped onion ( It can be skipped if you already added onion while makiing Khichdi)
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
salt to taste as we added some gram flour
1/2 tsp of red chilly powder and coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 cup Bread crumbs ( 1/2 will go in mixture other half for coating)
and Oil to shallow fry

Procedure

Mix everything with khichdi except oil.Mix it will.If needed water you can add.Then make small pattice or cutlet with the help of applying water in palms.Shape them in whichever shape you like.

Then put a pan on for heat and add some oil in order to shallow fry the Cutlets. Nicely coat the breadcrumbs both the sides And then Cook the Cutlets on medium flame both the sides.Sprinkle more oil if you want crispy.

Flip it once cooked from one side..

Take it out once you see its properly cooked on tissue paper to soak excess oil.Serve hot with Tomato Ketchup or Green chutney or Sweet tamarind chutney..

Note :- You can also fry this Cutlets for more crispness.

I hope you and your family will like this yummy Cutlets... Will meet soon with new recipe.. Till the time have a good time .. enjoy the life... feel good... be happy.. tc.. If you have any queries.. suggestions... kindly let me know...  cia..

Medu Vada

Hello All

Hope all are doing well.... After a month I am back... I missed you all..  was not well ... So not able to write blog ... But now I am back again with good wishes from you all... So how was the Valentine Day... I know everyone would had a awesome one... It just a day f expressing our love to our loved ones... My husband also planned a sweet simple small surprise... I was amazed with his love towards me.. touch wood :) :)...

Today in this blog we will discuss about the most famous and tasty south Indian Snack MEDU VADA.

I am South Indian food die heart fan.Being a North Indian I really miss dosa , idli and vadas in our kitchen.All my friends when I was in College after seeing me South Indian food love tell to marry a South guy so that I can full fill my south food desires :) ...  Medu Vadas are a traditional South Indian Fritters which can be served as a main course, side dish, or snack. This crispy fritters are made with spiced urad dal batter and fried in donut shape dumplings. They are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. They are served with Sambhar and Coconut Chutney.

This was my first trial with Medu Vadas and I tell you came perfect.I was too amazed with the outcome.Due to fear of giving shape to Vada I never had guts to try.Then last week there was a potluck organised.So I decided to make Vadas this time.And all the friends loved it.I got a single vada too taste... Everything finished in no time... I was on seventh cloud when everyone praising me on each bite they ate... First trial and success.. feeling is different I tell you.. So today I will share this recipe here... Lets start with it...

Ingredients

1 cup split urad dal soaked for at least 5hrs

4-5 curry leaves chopped

1/4 cup of fresh coriander leaves chopped

1/2 cup onion finely chopped( Optional)

2-3 green chilies finely chopped (Optional)

1/2 tsp red chilly powder

salt as per taste

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

pinch of baking soda

Oil for frying

Procedure :- 

With minimum or 2-3 tbsp water try to make a thick paste of urad dal. You should use very very less water while grinding.Otherwise will not able to make vadas.Take out the paste in a bowl.And now beat it with hands like we do cake. At least for 15mins. This is necessary step in order to make the batter airy. Then add all the other ingredients and mix well.

Heat the oil on medium flame.Once hot then pour the dumplings. Now for making the donut shape, first wet your hand with water.Take a small amount of batter in wet hands and then try to make a hole with the help of thumb in center and then turn your hands above pot containing hot oil and drop it.Let it cook for 2-3 mins then turn it.

Cook till it become light brown. Don't raise the flame on high otherwise it will be raw from inside.

Take out on paper towel and serve hot eith coconut chutney and Sambhar...

I loved everybite of Vadas... It was not too tough as I thought and never gave them a try this much long.So you all also enjoy this Vada in with your friends and family.Become star in your party :) :)... Do share your views.. comments... queries.. I am waiting to hear from you all... will back soon.. till that time cia... good bye.. take care...