Andhra special Tomato Kurma

I have been busy all these days with my work schedule and other house hold works. I will be posting the pictures soon for all the dishes. This dish my In-law used to prepare mainly for vegetable briyani, but you can take this dish for dosa too.

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 2 Big
• Onions - 3 Big
• Grated Coconut - 1\4 cup
• kaskas(poppy seeds) - 1tbsp
• Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Garlic - 5
• Curry leaves - 1 strip
• Oil
• Red Chilli powder - 1tbsp
• Green Chillies - 2
• Cinnamon - 1inch
• Ajwain - 1tsp
• Clove - 2

Procedure:

• Grind the coconut, ginger garlic and kaskas with little water into fine paste.
• Heat oil add cinnamon, cloves ajwain and curry leaves, fry for few seconds
• Add vertically chopped onions, green chillies and fry for few minutes till they become transparent
• Add chopped tomatoes and salt and fry for few minutes.
• When the tomatoes become tender, add red chili powder . Fry till the raw chili smell vanishes.
• Now add the grinded paste and add little more water and cook for 5 minutes.
• When it becomes a thick gravy consistency turn off the flame.
• Serve with Vegetable briyani or with dosas or uthapam.

Vegetable Briyani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2 cups
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 1
Carrot - 1\4 cup finely chopped
Beans - 1\4 cup finely chopped
Cauliflower - 1\4 cup florets
Potatoes - 1\4cup chopped
Coriander leaves - 1bunch
Mint leaves - 1bunch
Red chili Powder - 3tbsp
Oil or butter
Cinnamon - 1 Inch
Cardamon - 2
Cloves -2
Ajwain seeds - 1tsp
Green Chillies - 2 cut into two pieces
Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp

Procedure:

• Soak the rice in water for 10min.
• Heat oil or butter in pressure pan and add ajwain seeds, cardamon, cinnamon, cloves.Fry for few seconds.
• Add 1\2 bunch of mint leaves and chopped coriander leaves. Fry few seconds till you get an aroma.
• Add Onions and green chillies ,fry till they become transparent. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for few seconds.
• Add tomatoes and fry for few minutes. Now add all the chopped vegetables and fry for few minutes.
• Add red chilli powder and fry for few minutes.
• Drain the rice and add it to the vegetables and add 3cups of water(11\2cup of water for 1cup of rice).
• Stir the rice occasionaly till the rice and water are binded together .i.e half cook the rice
• Garnish with mint leaves.
• Now close the pressure pan(do not put Weight Whistle) and cook the rice in low heat for 10min and server with raitha or tomato kurma

Egg Fried Rice

Love the Fried rice and Gobi Manchurian combination during college days. But never though I would give it a try. But when you determine how your fried rice has to taste, all the other eventually lead you to this tasteful fried rice.

Ingredients:

• Basmati Rice - 2cups
• Carrot - 1\4 cup finely chopped
• French beans - 1\4 cup finely chopped
• Green Peas - 1\4 cup cooked
• Baby Corns (Optional) - 1\4cup finely chopped
• Spring Onions - 1\2 cup finely chopped
• Egg - 2
• Ajinomoto - 1tsp
• Oil

 

Procedure:

• Cook the basmati rice with little bit of salt and spread it on a plate. Allow them to cool.
• Heat oil in a pan and add the eggs. When the egg is scrambled and lightly cooked add all the chopped vegetables including green peas.
• Add ajinomoto and salt. Fry the vegetables for few minutes until they are half cooked.
• Now add the spring onions and fry for few seconds.
• Add the basmati rice and stir the rice so that all the ingredients are spread properly.
• Add salt accordingly.
• Garnish with spring Onions.
• Serve it with Gobi Manchurian

Dry Gobi Manchurian

You know what's the best part of cooking? WE are the master of what we cook.. I mean we decide how the dish should taste and what can be added/reduced to give more flavor right? Anyways this dish was perfect and we finished it so easily, nothing was left for the next meal. Please do bear with my not so good photography.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1
• Ginger - Finely chopped 3 tsp
• Garlic - Finely chopped 5 tsp
• Ginger Garlic paste - 2tbsp
• Maida - 1 cup
• Red Chili Powder - 3tbsp
• Crushed Red Chili - 3
• Corn Flour - 3 tbsp
• Onions - Finely Chopped 1cup (or) Spring Onions
• Soya Sauce - 3tbsp
• Oil

 

Procedure:

• Cut the cauliflower into small florets and blanch them for 3 -4 mins. Drain and keep it aside.
• In a bowl add maida, ginger garlic paste, 2 tbsp of corn flour, Red chili powder and make a thin paste. Add salt accordingly.
• Now dip the florets into this paste and fry them in the oil. Deep fry and keep them aside.
• Heat the oil in a pan and add chopped ginger garlic fry for few seconds, now add the Onions and crushed red chillies.
• Fry for few minutes until the onions turn light brown in color. Now add the deep fried florets and add soya sauce. Also add 1 tbsp of corn flour mixed with water.
• Fry them for few minutes.
• Garnish the dish with green onions.
• Serve it with fried rice.

Beans Carrot Poriyal

Since I make these dishes regularly in hurry and carry to office, I did not have time to take pictures of it. So here we go with the dish. 

Ingredients: 

• Beans - Finely Chopped 1\2 cup 
• Carrot - Finely Chopped 1\4 cup 
• Red Chillies - 2 
• Onions - Finely Chopped 1\2 cup 
• Grated Coconut - 3tbsp 
• Toor dal cooked - 3Tbsp
• Oil - 2tsp 
• Mustard seeds - 1tsp 
• Urad dal - 1tsp 
• Curry leaves - 1strip 

Procedure:

• Cook the chopped beans and carrot with little water and salt .
• Drain the water once the veg is cooked.
• Heat the oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal wait till they splitter. Just crush the red chillies with hands into two and add it, fry for few seconds. Then add the curry leaves.
• Now add the chopped onions and fry until they become transparent.
• Add the cooked beans and carrot to it and fry for few minutes in low heat.
• Finally add the grated coconut and toor dal to it stir for few seconds.
• Serve it with sambar rice or rasam or just with white rice. Taste is guaranteed :-)

Red Chutney or Onion/Tomato chutney

This chutney is served in all houses and hotels in TN. A very hot and favorite of all time chutney is here.

Ingredients: 

• Onion - 1 Big
• Tomatoes - 1
• Red chillies - 2
• Curry leaves - 2 strip
• Ginger - 1tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1\2tsp
• Urad dal - 1\2 tsp
• Oil - 1tbsp

Procedure:

• Heat oil in a pan, fry chopped Onions for 2mins and add the tomatoes and ginger until they become tender. Keep it aside.
• Fry the red chillies and 1 strip of curry leaves for few seconds and cool it.
• Grind all the ingredients in a mixer.
• Heat oil, add mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.
• Add it to the chutney.
• Serve it with Doss and Idli.

Note: If your tomatoes are not sour enough(hybrid ones), you can add a coin size of tamarind and grind along with the chutney.

Fresh coconut and Coriander chutney

A instant yet juicy and delicious chutney. That's what comes to my mind when I remember the taste of this chutney. Don't even think that you can go wrong with this chutney :) for dosa and idli.

 

Ingredients: 

• Coriander leaves - 1 bunch
• Grated Coconut - 1cup
• Green chillies - 2
• Mustard Seeds - 1\2tsp
• Urad Dal -1\2tsp
• Curry leaves - 1strip
• Oil - 1tbsp

Procedure:

• Make sure you got little bit tender coconut which adds more taste.
• Grind all the ingredients from Coriander leaves to green chillies. Add water accordingly.
• Heat oil and add mustard seeds,urad dal and add curry leaves. Add it to the chutney.
• Serve it with Dosas and Idlies.

Vegetable Dum Briyani

As we are in hyderabad...we dont get chittinadu briyani(famous in Tamil Nadu) which were used to. I will post the chettinadu briyani may be this weekend. So now here we got used to this Dum briyani. So whats special in Dum Briyani? the ingredients that are used in the briyani are kept as layers and cooked in low heat which adds more flavour to it.My hubby liked the falvours and asked me to try with mutton briyani. Hopefully I will try it sometime on weekends.Now lets go with Veg Dum briyani.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - 2cups
Vegetables - Carrot, Beans, Caulifalower, Potatoes. Dice all the vegetables for 1 1\2cups
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Pudina leaves - 1bunch
Corainder leaves - 1 bunch
cloves
Cinnamon
Cardaman
Bay leaf
Red Chilli Powder - 3tbsp (or) in somehouses they would have both powdered grinded together.
Coriander Powder - 2tbsp
Green Chillies - 2
Lemon - 1 Juiced
Oil
Milk
Saffron or turmeric





Procedure:

• Grind the onions, tomatoes,green chillies, coriander leaves, 2 cloves, 2 cardamons, 1 inch of cinnamon, 1\2 cup of grated coconut to gether with little water.
• Soak the basmati rice in water for 10min.
• Take a large bowl or pan and add 4 to 5 cups of water, lemon juice, 1\2 cup of pudina leaves, 2 cloves, 2 cardamon, small piece of cinnamon, 2 tsp of salt and bring to boil.
• When water boils with all the ingredients add the soaked drained rice to it .
• Let the rice be 1\2 cooked when it is half cooked drain all the water from it and spread the rice in a plate.
• Take a large pan, add 2 tbsp of oil and then add all the diced vegetables to it, fry for few minutes.
• Add the masala paste to it and add red chilli powder and corainder powder to it. Fry till the raw smell goes. Add salt to it.Cook all the vegetables.Keep it aside.
• Meanwhile fry 1 big chopped onion in oil until it goes crispy golden in color. keep it aside.
• Mix the saffron in warm milk.
• In a large pressure pan , spread the half cooked rice on the bottom of the pan, above it spread the fried onions, pudina leaves and a layer of vegetable gravy.
• Again add a layer with rice and then with fried Onions, pudina leaves, sprinkle some safron milk and then add the veg gravy.
• Let the top be rice layer and add onions,pudina,saffron milk.
• Cover the pan or cooker and let it cook for 15min in low heat.
• Delicious briyani ready to serve.

Tiffin Sambar

I always used to wonder how Saravana Bhavan Tiffin Sambar(Hotel famous for its tiffins and Veg food) is so delicious .... I asked my mom to make it and my sweet dedicated Mom finally prepared this dish for us. It was as delicious more than the saravana bhavan sambar. So here it goes, I made slight changes and this is my version of Tiffin Sambar. I can't believe it that it came out so well. Totally Thrilled ! 

Ingredients: 

•  Tuvar/Toor Dal - 1\2 cup 
• Tamarind - Lemon size 
• Coriander seeds - 2tbsp 
• Urad Dal - 1tsp 
• Fenugreek seeds - 1\2tsp 
• Cumin seeds - 1tsp 
• Grated Coconut - 1\2cup 
• Red Chillies - 6 
• Hing - 1tsp 
• Small onions(Shallots) -15 to 20 or
• Regular Onions - 2 to 3 (diced)
• Add your choice of vegetables 
• Curry leaves - 5 strips 
• Green Chillies - 2 
• Oil - 3tbsp 
• Mustard seeds - 1tsp 
• Sugar - 1tsp  

Procedure:

• Cook the dal nicely and mash it keep it aside.
• Soak the tamarind in 1\2 cup of water and keep aside.
• In a saucepan add oil and roast Coriander seeds, Urad dal, Fenugreek seeds, Cumin seeds, red chillies, grated coconut, 3 strips of curry leaves seperately one by one . 
• Make sure you get the nice aroma of the ingredients while roasting, which means they are fried properly.
• Cool them and grind it to a thin paste with little water.
• In a large pan add oil and then add mustard seeds, 1tsp of Urad dal, wait till they splutter.
• Add rest of curry leaves,green chillies and Onions, Fry till the onions become transparent.
• Add all the vegie, (In my case I did not add any vegetables but yet it came out very well) cook them with little water.
• When vegetables are cooked add the grinded paste, stir them till the raw smell goes and add the mashed dal .
• Cook for 3mins and add water accordingly, do not add excess water.
• Add the tamarind juice and cook till raw falvor fades(I cooked for 5 to 8min).
• Finally add the sugar, cook for 2min and garnish it with Coriander leaves.
• Serve it with white rice or idli or dosa.

Green Peas Paneer Masala

I always want to give the best food for my hubby, and he is a guy who won't compromise with food. He gives me the correct feedback(tough sometimes) of whatever I prepare. After my marriage we initially lived with In-laws and I don't felt that much busy with house hold works.

Now we moved to Hyderabad and both are working in same office, it is a big task for me to maintain both Job and House hold all alone :-( Hopefully I would get used to it.

I spend much time in lunch and Dinner (since breakfast is so easy with healthy corn/wheat flakes along with dry fruits,Honey, along with it some juices or fruits)

Ingredients:

• Fresh green peas - 1\2 cup
• Paneer - 1\2 cup
• Onions - 2
• Tomatoes - 2
• Coriander seeds - 2tbsp
• Red chillies - 5 (you can change it according to your taste)
• Pepper - 1tsp
• Coconut - 6tbsp
• Oil
• Curry leaves or green grass for garnishing

Procedure:

• Soak the green peas for an hour and cook it
• Cut the paneer into small pieces and soak them in boiled water for 10min.
• In a pan add oil and fry the onions, red chillies, tomatoes, coriander seeds, pepper and coconut separately. Cool them and grind, keep it aside.
• Add oil in the pan and add the rest of the chopped onions and fry for sometimes and then add the grinded masala and fry till the raw smell goes.
• Add the peas and paneer nad add little water to it.
• Cook it for 10min. Garnish the green peas paneer masala with curry leaves or green grass.
• Serve hot with chapati or fried rice.

Parupu Adai

My mom used to prepare this dish whenever my dad is at home(He is working out of Station) This is one of the favourite dishes for me and my Dad, we love a lot. She make it with lot of oil to make it crispy and tasty.
Those days when we were doing schooling , mom used to make this heavy food on weekends and we all in our family love the way she makes it.
So after marriage for very first time I planned to try out her dish for dinner. Actually my mom used to prepare this for breakfast since it is a heavy food. My bava(thats what I call my hubby,he loves it :-)) is very consciuos of how much of oil I use for cooking here I used Olive Oil for frying the Adai. Lets straight away go to the dish.

Ingredients:
Rice - 1\2cup
Boiled rice -1\2cup
Channa dal - 1\4cup
Urad dal - 1\4cup
Toor dal - 1\2 cup
Red chillies - 6(You can use it according to your taste)
Coconut chopped into small pieces - 1\4 cup
Green chillies 2 chopped
Chopped Onions - 2 large
Oil
Curry leaves - 3 strips finely chopped
Cumin seeds - 1\2 tsp

Procedure:

Soak the rices seperately and all the dals seperately for 3 hours.
Grind the rice with red chillies coarsely keep it seperate.
Grind all the dals coarsely,add little water if needed. Do not over grind it.
Now mix all the rice and dals together in a vessel.
Heat the pan , add little oil and add the chopped onions(finely chopped) and fry it till it turns light brown in color.
Add the onions to the existing Adai flour.
Fry the cumin seeds with little oil and add it to the flour.
Add the Curry leaves to the flour
Add salt and little water to it, make sure this is not a regular dosa or idly flour so it should be in thick consistency.
Now fry the adai on dosa pan with oil as you do for your regular dosa.