Tiny Black eye peas vadas..:)

Ingredients to make vada :

2 cups black eyed peas

3  green chillies chopped

1 inch ginger (chopped to pieces)

1 Onion (finely chopped)
1/4 cup yellow channa dal soaked

Salt to taste

1 tea spoon jeera

few curry leaves

chopped mint leaves- 1tblsp

Oil for deep fry

A pinch of asafoetida

Method:

Soak 2 cups of black-eyed peas in water for overnight. Drain all the water.

Grind the blackeye peas &  ginger into coarse batter in a  mixer without adding water. The batter must be solid. So do not add water while grinding the peas.

How to know whether the vada dough is perfect or not. Take  1 large glass of water in a pan. Take a lttle vada mixture & drop it in the water. If the dough floats in the water then u ll kno that your batter is ready.

Beat the dough in your hand to make the vada soft & fluffy


Remove it into a bowl and add chopped onion chopped chillies, yellow soaked channa dal, chopped mint and green chillies and asafoetida and salt..

Remove the batter to a vessel. You can use your hands or small cotton cloth to make vadas. Take small amount of batter in a ball shape, put that ball on your left palm and flatten it lightly. Drop gently into hot oil from the side of kadai .

In batches, deep fry them in hot oil, turning them until they are golden-brown on both sides. Serve it with Chilli Sauce or Ketchup.

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Pesarattu with Upma and Ginger Chutney

 

Pesarattu is a typical Andhra specialty...It is made with moong dal soaked over night. You use the moong dal with skin on and this is what gives this dosa the classic green color. This dosa doesn't need fermenting.. It is made of green gram dal and is very good for health. Of course this dosa is high in protein and fiber. Serve it with upma rolled inside and it becomes an pasarattu'.

Ingredients:

1 cup of Moong dal and 2 table spoons of rice( Rice will help to make it crispy)- (soak for 4 hrs)

Ginger – ¼ inch piece

5-6 green chilies(As per your taste)

1tbsp of coriander seeds

Salt to taste

Chopped onions

Chopped coriander leaves(optional)

Oil

Preparation:

Grind soaked moong dal, ginger,green chilies and salt. Make it like a dosa consistent batter. (Don't make it too thin like regular dosa batter.)

Heat a iron tawa or nonstick pan, The pan must be hot for dosa to come out in good shape. You can check the hotness of pan by sprinkling water on the pan, it must sizzle.. grease it with oil.

Now add a ladle full of ground green gram batter in the middle of the tawa, and spread it in circular motion away form the centre and towards the edges of the tawa...similar to dosa making. Add a few onions, ginger, green chillies and sprinkle cumin seeds on the top side of the dosa/crape..

Pour enough oil on the top and edges of the dosa.

Cover with a deep bottom lid on medium flame for 2-3 minutes or till the bottom of the dosa changes color and becomes crisp.

Flip on to other side and cook for another 2 mins till the dosa and onions are cooked.

Fold and remove from heat.

Once dosa turns golden brown remove it from pan and serve with coconut/Ginger chutney. It can be served with upma as well...

For the uppma:

Rawa – 1 cup

Water – 3 cups

Salt – as per taste

For Seasoning:

Oil – 1 tablespoon

Mustered & cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Channa dal – ½ spoon

Urad dal – ½ spoon

Peanuts- 1 tblsp

Curry leaves – 5 to 6

Grated ginger- ½ tsp

3-4 Green chillies- chopped

Ingredients :

Procedure :

 In a sauce pot, add oil and when it hot add the mustard & cumin  seeds and let it splutter. Now add all the other ingredients in the seasoning.

 When the dals  & peanuts turn golden brown add the ginger and green chilies and saute it for 2 mins. Now add water and salt to it and allow it to boil.  When the water boils nicely add the rava and cook until it is done.

For the Ginger Chutney:

INGREDIENTS           

 1 teaspoon chopped ginger

 1\4 cup grated jagary

 2 tablespoons channa dal

 1 tablespoon urad dal

 5 red chilies

1\2 teaspoon mustard seeds

 1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon tamarind paste

A  pinch of Asafoetida

1 teaspoon oil

Method:

Fry chana dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, red chilies and asafoetida in 1tablespoon oil.  Fry till the dals become brown and the mustard seed split. Wait till the mixture becomes lukeworm. Then add salt and grind the mixer into a powder. Add chopped ginger, grated jaggery, tamarind paste and water and grind again to a thick paste. Your ginger chutney is ready.




 Eat Pesarattu and Upma with this chutney.

My 3rd Marriage anniverasry celebration (MY 1st handmade Icing cake & Card)

Hi friends I love to share  about  special experiences of my 3rd anniverasry which was on 23rd nov.

this time I am in US, so I decided to ease things by doing the cake at home & to give a surprise to my hubby dear.

My 1st Handmade cake..:)

Surprise for my husband..:) decoration , cake & card..:)

How To make Ghee from Butter

Butter and ghee are not the same. Ghee is clarified butter that has been cooked longer to remove all the moisture, and the milk solids are browned (caramelized) in the fat and then strained out. This gives a rich nutty taste. Ghee has a longer shelf life, both refrigerated and at room temperature. It is traditionally used in Indian cuisine. Always use unsalted butter. Use organic butter or the best butter you can buy. Cheap butter contains lots of water and chemicals, plus it burns much faster.

When making clarified butter always start with at least 25% more unsalted butter than the amount of clarified butter needed, as the volume is reduced during the melting and straining process.

Depending on where you live sometimes  Ghee can be expensive to buy... making it in your own kitchen is easy and inexpensive..So here is the easy method to make ghee @ home...

Ingredients:

500 gm unsalted butter

Muslin cloth, & funnel

Method:

Heat a pan & melt the butter.

Allow it to simmer gently  for 25-30 minutes.

Never cover the pan during the whole cooking process.

After that some solids will be visible on the bottom of the pan and the liquid deepens to golden and turns translucent and fragrant. Also a rich aroma ( aroma smells like popcorn) arises in the air. Immediately remove from the heat.

Important - If you leave it on the heat too long, you will burn the residue and all of the ghee will have a burnt taste. allow the pan to cool in room tempr.

Filter the ghee  into a clean , dry airtight jar...

Or

Pour the hot melted butter into a container and allow it to separate on its own while cooling, and then refrigerate. After it has solidified, you can easily scrape off the hardened foam on top.

Poached Eggs

Ingredients you need:

4 eggs

2tblsp Black pepper

2tsp Salt or as per the taste

Water for boiling

3tblp vinegar

Utensils  required

Frying pan

4 metal rings

4 small bowls

Method:

Break eggs into the 4 small bowls (i.e break only one egg in one bowl  & repeat with  the remaining 3 eggs in that 3 bowls)

Heat the water. Half fill pan with water.Put on medium heat. Add the vinegar & salt. Place the 4 metal rings in to the boiling water. Sim the flame.

Now poach the eggs. Pour eggs in to the metal rings ( 1 egg in 1 metal rings ) .Cook for 3-4 min.Remove the rings. Use cloth to protect the hands when removing rings.  Remove the pan from the heat & Serve immediately on toast .

Sprinkle some black pepper before serving.

or

Break eggs into the 4 small bowls .

Heat  a large pan. Place the 4 metal rings in to the pan. Add a little olive oil.when the oil is hot Sim the flame.

Now Pour eggs in to the metal rings ( 1 egg in 1 metal rings ) .fry it for 1 min quickly.Remove the rings. Remove the pan from the heat & Serve immediately ..Sprinkle some black pepper & salt  before serving.

Peanut butter Stuffed Ridge gourd

woow.... Peanut butter stuffed RIDGE GOURD...One of MY fav. dish...YUmmmm....The spice mix added a lot of flavor to the ridge gourd & It is a perfect  delicious accompaniment to plain boiled rice and a Daal ..

Here is my take on this recipe:

Ingredients:

Ridge gourd : 3 medium size

Onion  2 nos medium size
peanut butter - 1tblsp

Roasted peanuts- crushed a handful

2tblsp ginger garlic paste

Turmeric  powder 1/2 tsp

Red chili powder 1 tbsp

Garam masala  1 tsp

Cumin & mustard seeds 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves a handful (optional)

Salt to taste

Oil

Method:

Peel the ridge gourd, cut into 2 inch rounds and make a slits on one side into + shape.

Grind the onions roughly.

Heat a kadai.,Add onion paste & ginger garlic paste sauté for 3-4 min till oil appears in the masala.

Add peanut  powder, red chili powder,turmeric,salt and garam masala into paste without adding any extra water. Mix it well & stir for another 2-3 min. add peanut butter. mix well & Switch off the flame & keep aside. Let it cool in the room temp.

Then Put the masala stuffings to the  ridge gourd pieces ..

Heat a pan add oil when oil becomes hot add cumin & mustard seeds when they splutter add curry leaves, stuffed ridge gourd pieces and any leftover onion paste.

Cover the pan and cook on medium flame (sprinkle little water if needed) stirring occasionally, until ridge gourd pieces are soft.

Switch off the flame & serve with hot  steamed rice.

Coconut Stuffed Eggplants

Whenever I want to treat my self with a nice curry I definitely choose stuffed vegetable curries and this stuffed baby eggplants is my all time favorite and  very easy to prepare ..

Ingredients:

8-10 baby eggplants

1/2 cup grated coconut
2 tbsp chana dal (bengal gram dal)
2 tbsp udad dal (black gram dal)
2 tsp coriander seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

3-4 dry chillies

2 tbsp sesame seeds  &  peanuts

1 tbsp tamarind paste

 salt or to taste

2 -4 tbsp oil

2 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp cumin seeds

Hing a pinch

Curry leaves handful (optional)

Method:

 Heat a kadai in a medium flame. Add the coconut, channa dal, urad dal,coriander & cumin seeds, sesame seeds , 5-6 curry leaves, peanuts and dry chillies. Stir together and let roast until the coconut starts to get specks of brown. Remove from the pan to a blender.

Add the tamarind paste, salt and 1/4 cup of water to the blender and mix. Add more water if necessary to make a thick paste for stuffing.

Make two slits in the eggplant lengthwise starting at the tip opposite the stem .Working quickly (so the eggplant doesn’t start to turn brown), use your fingers to stuff the eggplants on all cut sides with the stuffing. Reserve any leftover stuffing.

Heat a pan  over medium heat. Heat  2 tbsp of oil and the mustard seeds. Allow to start popping and then add the cumin seeds, hing and curry leaves .

Then place the eggplants in the pan. Sprinkle the left over stuffing on top of the eggplants.

After 1-2 min carefully turn each eggplant so that it starts to brown on another side. Keep doing this every minute or so until all surfaces are browned .

cover a lid on the pan and reduce the heat to low. Allow to cook until the eggplant flesh is soft . now our stuffed eggplant is ready to serve.

Serve as a side dish with rice...or you can have it with roti

Stuffed sour Baingan masala

Ingredients:

Baby baingan/ brinjals/eggplants – 8

Salt  as per  taste

For masala

Roasted Peanuts – ½ cup

Roasted Sesame seeds – 1tblsp

Roasted Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Roasted  Coriander seeds – 1tbsp

Tamarind pulp – 1tbsp

garlic- 2 nos

Cloves – 2

Cinnamon stick – 1” piece

Roasted Dry red chilies – 3

Method:

Grind all the masala ingredients  along with salt & little water & make a thick paste. 

Make two slits in the eggplant lengthwise starting at the tip opposite the stem, making sure that the eggplant still holds together and does not become pieces. Keep aside. 

Gently open the eggplants and stuff the masala inside. Set any remaining stuffing to the side as this will be used to make the gravy for the dish. 

Heat 2tbsp oil in a pan,  add the eggplants . Cook covered on medium low heat until eggplants are about ¾th cooked. 

Add ½ cup of water to the left over masala and pour it into the pan, cover and cook until the sauce is thick and the eggplants are cooked all the way through. 

Serve with hot steamed rice/ roti

Potato PopulPodi (south indian style)

To make the podi (daal powders) U need:

1 cup of channa dal

1 cup of split urad dal (with skin)

3tblsp of moong dal

2tblsp sesame seeds

1tblsp cumin seeds

12-15 red chillies

Raw garlic- 3-4 cloves

Handful curry leaves

Dry roast all the daals, red chillies , cumin & sesame seeds separately. Mix all things in a bowl. Let it cool for 5-10 mins in room tempr & then Grind them & make a powder. The smell of this freshly made potato podi is amazinggggggggg...

Now to make the potato fry u ll need:

Medium size potatoes- 4-5 nos  washed & cut in cubes

Roasted dal powders - 3tblsp (see the recipe below)

salt as per the taste

haldi- 1/2 tsp

red chilly powder as per your taste

oil- 1tblsp

cumin seeds- 1/2 tsp

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds. let it splutter. Add the cubed potatoes & fry for 2-3 min.

Add haldi , salt & red chilly powder. Mix well. Cover the lid till the potatoes are done.

Remove the lid & stir the potatoes. Add the roasted powder daal & mix it well. Stir for 1-2 min. Switch off the flame & serve with roti or rice..

Rice flour Manda with moong dal stuffing

Ingredients:

 Rice powder  -2  cups

Water  double amount of flour- 4 cups

yellow split moong dal 1cup soaked

 grated coconut- 1 cup

 jaggery/ Sugar- 1 cup ( as per your requirement)

cardamom- 3-4 pcs crushed

black pepper powder- 1tsp

Oil – 1tsp

Salt – ½ tsp

Method:

Boil the moong dal it should not be too soft. Drain all the water from the boiled daal. Keep aside.

Take a pan. Heat 1 tsp oil .Add  the boiled moong daal, grated coconut  & jaggery , fry it for 5 min, Then  add black pepper, crushed cardamom to it. Then switch off the flame, keep aside.

Heat a kadai. Add water. Let it boil. Then add salt to it. Mix well. Then slowly add the  rice flour and stir it continuously  to avoid forming lumps. Keep it on the flame for 2 min. Remove from flame and keep aside.

Wait till the dough cools down to room temperature, apply oil/ ghee on your palms & kneed the dough .

Make small balls from the dough . Flatten the balls and put the previously done moong dal & coconut stuffing & seal it from each side. U can make the the mandas in gujia shape also .

In a  idli maker  take 2 cups of water  or u can take a deep pan & Tie a cloth over the mouth of the pan. Boil it.

When its starts steaming, put the previously done rice flour balls and cover it. Steam it for 10-15 min.

Remove from flame. Serve hot.

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Eggless banana sponge cake

This is one of my favorite cake. The Banana Cake is super moist and absolutely delicious.  It would make a great snack cake. you will never believe it's actually pretty healthy (not  sprouts healthy, hehhehhe, but healthier than the average cake recipe..

I love the smell of banana cake baking, So  I baked banana cake to perfume my room with the sweet aromas of bananas. ...

My banana cake was topped with broken cashews & grated chocolates..... As a result, my cake looked so photogenic I had to take numerous shots of them…

Learn how to make/prepare Banana  Cake by following this comfortable recipe,...

Ingredients:

•2 cups all purpose flour (maida)

•200 ml of condensed milk & 1 cup of powdered sugar ( if condensed milk is not available u can add milk also)

•1 tblspoon baking powder & 1/2 teaspoon baking soda ( as this is a egg less cake so we have to add more baking power for raising agent)

•1 cup of sprite ( u can add any soda)

•1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

•1/4 teaspoon salt

•1/2 cup melted butter

•1 cup grated banana

•broken cashews & grated chocolates (optional)

Method

The first thing I did I put the bananas  into a bowl, (Yep, they were about that ripe.) and grate them.

don't forget to Preheat the oven at 325 degrees (F).Grease 8×8 inches cake pan. U can use the non-stick spray or butter paper also.

Beat the powder sugar & condensed milk together.

Melt the butter & pour it warm & again beat it.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom and salt in a bowl.mix it up. Pour the mixture of butter sugar & mix gentely.

Add the grated banana & mix gently.

Now pour the coke & slowly mix it. Pour the mixture  evenly in greased cake pan.

 (I have added a few cashew nuts on the top & crushed chocolates bcz i just love cashews & chocolates.......this is optional).Bake for about 25 minutes, or until cake starts leaving the pan from sides and an insert knife in the center of the cake come out clean.

Remove the cake from the oven and let it cool off for few minutes only.

Run a knife around the edges to loosen the cake and place a flat plate over the cake pan and turn it over to transfer the cake on to the plate.

Prick the cake several places with a fork.Brush the top of the cake generously with the sugar syrup  while still hot.Let the cake cool before slicing.

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