Chitla Podi (powder)/Roasted bengal gram dal/Dalia

Ingredients:-

Dry red chillies 8

Putnalu/Roasted bengalgram dal/Dalia

Dry coconut small pc

Salt to taste

Garlic 2

Cumin 1 tsp

Method:-

Mix all the ingredients and make powder but not so fine.It taste better if is coarsely grounded.

It usually eaten with dosa or sprinkled on the dosa and known as podi dosa.I love to eat this with hot rice and a dash of ghee.

This is the easiest powder to make,no frying nothing.Just gather all the ingredients and make powder out of it.This is my mom's recipe.

Bisi Bele Bath

Ingredients:-

Rice 1 cup

Toor Dal 3/4 cup

Mixed Vegetables (onions, potatoes, peas, beans,brinjal and corn) 2 cups
Tamarind 2 tsp
Water. For 1 cup of rice i took 2 1/2 cup of water

Soak rice and dal for one hour.

Masala:-

Coconut (fresh) grated 1/2 cup

Sambar Powder 2 tbsp
Coriander Seeds 2 tbsp
Cinnamon 1''
Cloves 3-4 cloves
Cardamom 2-3
Asafoetida a pinch
Curry leaves few

Make a smooth paste of the above ingredients.

Seasoning:-

Oil 4 tbsp
Red Chillies 2
Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Curry Leaves few
Turmeric a pinch
Asafoetida a pinch

Method:

Take oil in the cooker.Add all the seasonings.When they splatter add all the vegetables.

Saute for 4-5 minutes.Then add the grounded masala and cook for another 3-4 minutes.

Then add tamarind paste and salt as per taste.

After 4-5 minutes add soaked rice and dal.

Mix throughly and add water.

Pressure cook for 4 whistles (Whistles depends on the cooker used,i used hawkins)

Serve with raitha and chips.

Recipe source:- Mysoorean

Kheema Paratha

Ingredients:-

Wheat flour 1 cup
Salt as per taste
Oil 1 tbsp
Water to make a soft dough

For stuffing

Chilly powder 1/2 tsp
Chopped green chillies 2
Chopped onion 1
Chopped tomatoes 1
Cumin powder a pinch
Garam masala 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste 2 tbsp
Oil 3 tbsp
Salt as per taste
Tumeric Powder 1/2 tsp
Oil for frying paratha

Method:-

Take one cup wheat flour in a bowl with pinch of salt,oil and water and make soft dough.keep it a side.

Take a pan add oil ,Fry onions,salt, turmeric garlic and ginger, green chillies, Add tomatoes.

When tomatoes are dry then add minced meat, keep mixing, then add cumin powder,garam masala,coriander powder, chilli powder,garama masala cook till the meet becomes dry, once it is done add coriander leaves.

Let the kheema to cools down.

Take a portion of dough and place on a lightly floured flat surface and flatten using rolling pin.

Place a 2 tbsp of the filling in the center and bring the edges together to seal it well and form a ball.

Now using a rolling pin flatten to make a round paratha.Fry paratha with oil on a non-stick tawa until golden brown.

Take a pan cook both the sides with butter/ghee/oil.

Saag Murg (Chicken in a spinach puree)

Ingredients:-

Chicken cut into pcs 1 kg

Spinach (palak) 2 big bunches (made into puree)

Oil 4 tbsp

Cinnamon 1'' stick 4

Bay leaves 2

Ginger and garlic paste 4 tbsp

Onion paste 1 cup/2 big onions

Red chilli powder 2 tsp

Ginger julliened 2 tsp

Pepper powder 1 tsp

Dry red chillies chopped for garnishing

Butter enough to saute chicken.

Salt to taste

Method:-

Heat oil in a pan,add cinnamon sticks and bay leaves.Saute over medium heat until they crackle.

Add ginger garlic and onion paste,and red chilli powder.Saute for 30-60 seconds.

Add spinach puree and mix well.Add little water.Let it cook for 3-4 minutes.

In a another pan,heat the butter and saute chicken until lightly browned.

Transfer the chicken pieces into the spinach puree.Add salt and pepper powder,cover and simmer on very low heat for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken in cooked.

Lastly garnish the dish with ginger and dry red chillies.

Recipe source:-Dum Cuisine.

Paneer butter masala

One day searching for some recipe i end up at Sia's Monsoon spice and i saw the picture of panner butter masala.I got tempted by seeing the snap and ended up doing it.

Ingredients:-

Paneer cubes 2 cups, (I used amul frozen panner cubes)

Sugar 1 tsp

Kasuri Methi/Dried Fenugreek Leaves 1 tbsp

Oil 3 tbsp

Coriander Leaves, finely chopped

Salt to taste

Onion Paste

Onions 1 onion (big)

Jeera/Cumin Seeds 1/2 tsp

Cinnamon 1 inch

Cloves 3

Green Cardamoms 1

Bay Leaf 1

Khus-Khus/White Poppy Seeds 1/tbsp

Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp

For Tomato Paste:

Tomatoes 3

Cashews 10

Garam Masala 1 tsp

Amchur/Dry Mango Powder 1/2 tsp

Turmeric Powder pinch

Kashmiri/Deghi Chilli Powder 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan and add paneer blocks. Fry these pieces on both the sides till they turn golden

Place them in a bowl of water for about 15 mins.

Grind onion and tomato paste with all the ingredients listed above separetly are keep aside.

Heat another tbsp of oil in a same pan and add cumin seeds. When it starts to sizzle,add onion paste. Keep stirring at medium heat till onion paste turns light brown in colour.

Make sure that you continously stir the paste and it doesn’t stick to the pan.Now add kasuri methi and sugar and stir for another minute.

Add tomato paste and stir well. Simmer the heat and let it cook for 4-5 minutes, stirring in between to make sure it doesn’t stick to the pan.

Increase the heat to medium and add a cup of water, salt to taste and mix well. Cover and cook for another 5 minutes. Open the lid and adjust the seasonings.

If you find the gravy too thick, add about another ¼-½ cup of water. Drain water and mix in fried paneer pieces . Simmer the gravy and let it cook uncovered for another 5-7 minutes.Switch off.

Serve it hot with roti.

Recipe source:- Monsoon Spice

Diwali wishes and Paramannam (rice pudding)

WE WISH YOU

A

VERY HAPPY, HEALTHY, PROSPEROUS, VIBRANT & COLOURFUL

DIWALI.............

MAY ALL YOUR WISHES BE COME TRUE....

Paramannam or rice payasam is the most common prasadam in andhra.In my house mom used to make this for every festival as this is the most favourite dessert.Paramannam can be done with both sugar and jaggery but i prefer jaggery.This sweet can be eaten both warm or cold.

Ingredients:-

Raw Rice washed and drained 2 cups
Grated jaggery 1/2 cup
Milk 1 liter
Green cardamom 2 (crushed)
Fried cashewnuts and raisins for garnish
1 tbsp ghee(clarified butter)for frying cashewnuts and raisins

Method:-

Soak rice for 1 hour.

Drain water from the rice after one hour and add milk.

Cook till the rice is soft and if needed add little water or milk.

Mean while fry cashewnuts and raisins in the ghee.

Once the rice is cooked and is soft switch off the stove and add grated jaggery,cashewnuts and raisins.

Mix throughly and cover it until served.

PS:-After adding jaggery don't cook payasam,if cooked it will split.

The prasadams i made today.

My laxmi poja.

Bellam Kommulu (sweet muruku) -- Diwali special

Ingredients:-

Channa flour (chanaga pindi) 1 kg
Rice flour 1 cup
Jaggery (bellam) 500 gms
Elachi 2 (powdered)
Ghee 250 gms
Oil for deep frying



Method:-

Mix channa flour and rice flour thoroughly.Warm ghee and add it to the channa flour.Make a soft dough by adding little water.
Now slowly add water and knead a dough which is little more softer than the puri dough.

Heat a kadai with oil enough to deep fry. Once the oil is hot enough, simmer to low flame.



Take the big holes Muruku Aachu, wash and wipe it clean. Then divide the dough into equal balls.
Fill the Muruku maker with the dough. You can either press it directly in the oil or press over a paper or plate and gently slide it down into the hot oil.


Press muruku in the hot oil.Let it cook for 1 min and turn it.Once the bubbles in the oil reduces,then the muruku is done,mostly it will be in light brown colour.Remove it from the hot oil and press muruku with the left over dough.



In a another big vessel take jaggery,elachi and little water.Boil until thick,to check whether the syrup is done or not,take a small plate with little water,add the a tsp syrup and when touched with finger if it forms a ball than the syrup is done.Keep it down on the floor.

Break the muruku into small pcs and add it to the syrup.Don't mix it with spoon or ladle,just hold the bowl with cloth on both the sides and turn the vessel so that all the muruku is coated with the jaggery syrup.Remove and let it cool.Store in a air tight container.It taste best after one day.



This muruku i made it for the first time and it tasted quite well.But one major disaster was averted.Usually i press the muruku directly into the hot oil.Some how my instinct told me not to do, so i pressed few on a plate and transferred them into the hot oil.After finishing two batches when i tried to press another one on the plate the muruku press spring and the handle came off with much pressure that the top lid of the muruku pressing machine came off,had it been on the hot oil i would have got burn injuries and my baby was also present in the kitchen.Later i didn't had courage to make anything with the left dough.So i want to tell my readers/friends to be careful in using muruku pressing machine.The below picture says everything.
.

Have a wonderful and SAFE Diwali.

Perugu Garalu (Dahi Vada)

Ingredients:-

Udad dal 500 gms
Curd (thick) 1 liter
Green chillies 2
Salt as per taste
Oil for deep frying

Seasoning:-

Udad dal 1/2 tsp
Rai 1/4 tsp
Red chilly dry 2
Curry leaves few
Oil 2 tbsp

Method:-

Soak udad dal for 3-4 hours.

Blend yogurt for few minutes.Add salt and mix well.

Heat oil add all the seasonings and when they splutter add it to the yogurt.Keep aside.

Grind udad dal into thick paste without adding water.

Wet a plastic sheet with little water and take a lemon sized balls and flatten it on the sheet and make a hole in the center so that vada cooks evenly.

Slowly drop the vada in the oil and cook till golden colour on both sides.

Take it out and immediately dip it in a bowl of water and transfer it to the yogurt mixture. Let the vada soak in yogurt for atleast half hour.

PS:-By dipping the vadas in the water will keep vada soft in the yogurt or else vada will become thick after dipping in the yogurt.

A Simple Vegetarian Meal

Mostly our meal consists of plain rice,pappu charu,potato fry,vadiyalu, pickle, uppu mirapakay and curd.Pappu charu is made daily in most of the andhra households and one can say it is a common staple food of people living in the andhra.It is best eaten with plain rice, a dash of ghee and alu fry.I learnt this from my mom,usually there are two variations of pappu charu,my m-law makes it very thick where as my mom makes it thin,i prefer the thin version and my hubby prefers thick version.

Pappu Charu (lentil cooked in tamarind water)

Ingredients:-

Tur dal (kandi pappu) 1 cup
Tamarind 1 small lemon sized (soak in 2 cups of water and extract the pulp)
Lady finger 4 (cut into big pcs)
Brinjals 2 (cut into big pcs)
Tomatoes 2 (chopped)
Onions 2 (sliced)
Green chillies 2 (silted)
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Red chilly powder 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder 1/4 tbsp
Salt as per taste

Seasoning:-

Rai 1/2 tsp
Udad dal 1/2 tsp
Zeera 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Red chillies (dry) 2
Garlic 1pod (crushed)
Oil 2 tbsp

Method:-
Pressure cook tur dal with turmeric and water.The water proportion to the dal i took is for 1 cup dal ,1 1/2 cup water.Once cooked remove the excess water and mash until smooth and keep aside.Don't throw the excess water.

Mean while take the tamarind pulp in a pan add onions,green chillies,curry leaves,tomatoes,lady finger and brinjal.Add 2 cups water and let it cook on a medium heat for 10-12 minutes or until the vegetables are cooked well.

Add salt,turmeric powder,mashed dal and the excess water collected from the cooked dal.Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.Lastly add red chilly powder and stir well and switch off the flame.

Now do the seasoning.Take a oil in a kadai,add crushed garlic.When the garlic truns brown add rai,udad dal,zeera,red chillies and curry leaf.Allow them to splutter.

Add this seasoning to the pappu charu and let it cook for another 1-2 minutes and cover the pan so that the aroma from the pappu charu doesn't comes out.

Alu fry (potato fry)

Ingredients:-

Potatoes 1/2 kg
Onion 1 chopped
Green chillies 2 chopped
Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
Red chillies powder 1 tbsp

Seasoning:-

Oil 3 tbsp
Rai few
Udad dal few
Curry leaves few
Red chilly 1 broken into 2 pcs

Method:-

Pressure cook potatoes.Let it cool and remove skin.Mash potatoes with hand and keep aside.

Take a kadai,heat oil and add all the seasoning,when they splutter add onions and green chillies.

Saute till onions are pink in colour.

Add mashed potatoes,salt and turmeric powder and mix thoroughly.

Let it fry for 2-3 minutes.

Lastly add red chilly powder and mix.

PS:-recipe for vadiyalu will follow soon......

Kheema Fry/mutton minced fry

Ingredients:-

Kheema/Minced Meat 500gms
Onion (chopped) 1
Green chillies (chopped ) 1
Ginger and garlic paste 1 tbsp

Red chilly powder 1 tbsp
Pepper powder 1/2 tbsp
Turmeric powder 1/4 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for frying
Fresh Coriander and Mint leaves few

Method:-

Marinate kheema with onions,green chillies,ginger garlic paste,turmeric powder,pepper powder, coriander and mint leaves and salt for half an hour.

In a kadai take the marinated kheema and keep on a slow flame until the water gets dried.

Once the kheema is dry,make a well in the center and add oil.When the oil is hot enough mix the kheema with the oil.

Fry till kheema is crispy and cooked well.

Recipe source:- Yummy food

Kajjikaya/Gujjiyas

Kajjikayalu is famous andhra sweet which is made for dusheera or diwali.The main ingredients for the stuffing are the sooji/semolina/bombay rava,sugar,dry coconut and deep fried.I made this for dusheera and made few changes like adding dry dates and roasted chickpeas instead of poppy seeds to the filling.

Ingredients:-

Maida 500gms

Bombay rava/semolina 500 gms

Salt 1/2 tsp

Milk 1 cup

For filling:-

Bombay rava/semolina 500 gms

Nuvullu/Sesame 200 gms

Poppy seeds 100 gms (as i don't get khus khus here i used putnalu pappu/roasted chickpeas)

Dry coconut 1 (finely grated)

Dry fruits (cashewnuts,raisins or any dry fruit of your choice)

Dry dates 10 (finely chopped)

Elachi 5

Oil for deep frying

Method:-

Dry roast rava,sesame and poppy seeds separately.As i have used putnalu,i crushed it.

Mix all the fillings and keep aside.

Mix maida,rava and salt thoroughly.Add milk and make a dough similar to puri dough but not too soft.Keep aside for half an hour.

Roll each ball into thin puri with rolling pin.

Spread 1 tablespoon of the filling on the each puri and apply little water on the edges of the puri and fold it to half.Press the edges firmly.If you have the mould than it is very easy to make this.

Heat enough oil for deep frying and drop kajjikayalu slowly into the oil one at time and can fry 3-4 at one go.Turn them carefully on to the other side and fry till light brown in colour.

Deep fry on medium heat.

Marbel Cake

Ingredients:-

Plain flour 2 cups

Eggs 2

Sugar 2 cups

Salt 1/4 tsp

Vanilla essence 1 tbsp

Coco powder 2 tbsp (or more as per taste)

Baking powder 1 tbsp

Cooking soda 1/2 tbsp

Oil 1 1/2 cup

Milk 1 cup

This is just before going into the microwave oven

Method:-

Beat eggs until fluffy.

Mix all the dry ingredients except coco powder.

Mix egg and oil.

Slowly pour the egg mixture into the flour and mix well.

Divide the batter into two.Mix coco powder in 2 tbsp of milk and add that to the one part of the batter.

Then add vanilla essence to other part of the batter.

Line the pan with butter and sprinkle flour.Pour both the batter alternatively.Use a toothpick to run it through batter to create swirls but don't over do it.

Bake in pre heated microwave oven on 200 degrees for 40 minutes or till when the tooth pick comes out clean when picked.

This cake has become favourite with my girls,they just love this.

My Crochet

In school i had SUPW class in which i was taught how to make sweaters with crochet.Until i saw crafty's creation i never knew that one can do so much with the crochet.If anyone missed seeing her blog ,pls check here, they are so beautiful, adorable and inspirational.She was so sweet she send me few links and designs,i learnt from all those links the abbreviations used in the making of crochet and did few designs.

Most of these i did for my kids.Check my WP blog for more corchets.











All the designs are from lion brand website.

Event particiption:-This post is going to participate in the event at Spice your life by srivalli who is celebrating her blog first aniversary