Dappalam

Andhra is famous for its pulusu,be it chapala pulusu or any other pulusu.Dappalam is a mixture of many veggies cooked in tamarind gravy and is very famous in andhra.Sometimes besan or channa dal is added to get the thickness in the pulusu.

My elder sister is married into a typical Andhra family from Vijayawada and she cooks this dappalam very often.I love this with plain rice or hyderbadi bagara rice (not a weird combination though).This is my sister recipe....

Ingredients:-

Soorakaya/Kadhu/Bottle Gourd 1 cup (big pieces)

Brinjal 2 chopped into thick pieces

Drum stick 2

Tomatoes 2

Lady finger 4 chopped into big pieces

Green chillies 2 sliced

Channa dal 4 tbsp (soaked for 3-4 hours)

Tamarind small lemon sized

Jaggery a small piece

Mint leaves few

Coriander leaves few

Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Seasoning

Mustard seeds few

Hing little

Curry leaves few

Oil 2-3 tbsp

Method:-

Soak channa dal for 3-4 hours and pressure cook until soft.Mash it and keep aside.

In a deep pan take oil and add all the seasoning.When they spultter add all the veggies and green chillies,mint leaves,coriander.

Add salt and turmeric powder.Mix well.Cover and cook for 7-8 minutes.Now the veggies will become soft.

Remove pulp from tamarind and add it to the veggies.Also add jaggery.

Add 2 glass of water.Let it come to boil.

Then add the mashed channa dal,cook until the veggies are soft (say for another 5-6 minutes).

Serve hot with rice and vadiyalu or else serve like i do with bagara rice.

Zaika - e - Basmati - Khaas

I throughly enjoyed Master chef aired in Star plus.My fav contanstant were Zebi Zubair and Radhika.I thought these two ladies will be in the finals,but two didnt come to finals.Radhika just missed it and zebi got elimated before semi finals.I liked all the dishes cooked by Zebi Zubair.Few days back i tried her Zaika-e-basmati-khaas (actually it was a team effort).

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 3 cups
Green Cardamom 3

Black Cardamom 4

Black Peppercorns 4
Salt to taste

Curd 1/2 cup

Amul Butter 1 tbspCumin seeds 1tsp

French Beans (boiled and finely chopped) 1tbsp

Cauliflower stem (boiled and finely chopped) 1 cup

Cabbage 1/2 cup chopped finely

Carrot chopped finely 1 cup

Cornflour 2 tbsp

Ginger-garlic paste 2 tspRed chilli powder 1tspOil for deep frying

Onion (finely sliced) 1

Mint leaves (shredded) 10 nos

Method:
For Koftas

Mix together corn flour with cabbage,carrot,beans,cauliflower,ginger garlic paste,red chilly powder and salt.Mix throughly and shape into koftas.Heat oil and deep fry koftas.Take them on a tissue and keep aside.

In the same oil fry onions and keep aside.

In a deep pan, boil 1½ cups of water with green cardamom, black cardamom and peppercorns for 5-7 minutes. Add salt, boil for two more minutes and keep aside.
In a bowl, whisk the curd with an equal amount of water.
In a deep vessel, heat butter and add cumin seeds. When cumin crackles, add spice water and curd water and bring to a boil. Mix in rice and some more salt if required. Boil the rice on a high flame and when rice is just undercooked, reduce the flame, cover the vessel and cook till done.

Serve the koftas on a bed of the prepared rice, sprinkled over with fried onions and mint leaves.

Sweet Corn Soup

We have here every Thursday vegetable market,where we get fresh veggies.Most of the people here opt for this market once a week.One day i noticed a guy selling corn in the non season.Then i went and asked him,he said it is sweet corn and it priced at rs.10/- per cob which is quite high compared to normal corn which is seasonal and which would cost less than Rs.5/-.

In dubai i was used to buy sweet corn in tins.Drain the water and used to toss that with butter and salt and give kids as a evening snack.When i saw sweet corn been sold in our vegetable market was delighted by the sight of it and started buying it very week.Most of the time is just boiling it and tossing with butter and salt and serve hot.Last week made sweet corn soup and it came out just like what we have at restaurant.Here goes my recipe for sweet corn soup.....

Ingredients:-

Sweet corn - 1cob

Carrot 2 chopped finely

Beans 4-5 chopped finely

Cabbage sliced

Salt to taste

Butter 2 tbsp

Soya sauce 1 tbsp

Ajinimoto 1/4tsp

Pepper powder 1 tbsp

Corn flour 2 tbsp

Method:-

Boil corn.Strain the water.

In the same water pressure cook carrot,beans and cabbage.Strain water and keep aside.

Take 2 tbsp of boiled corn and grind it into smooth paste.

Put a big vessel on the flame.Add butter.When butter melts add the water in which the veggies are cooked.

Let it come to a boil.Then add all the veggies and corn.

Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.

Then add the mashed corn and mix throughly.Again boil for 2-3 minutes.

Now add corn flour mixed in water and stir continuously so that no lumps are formed.

Last add soya sauce,pepper,ajinomoto and salt.Stir and serve hot wit

h any starters of your choice.

Murg Pulao

This is another recipe from Nita mehta Microwave cooking book.I have blogged about chicken biryani before and this one is quite different to what i have blogged and it is quick and easy to make.

Ingredients:-

Basmati Rice 1 cup

Chicken cut into pcs 1 cup

Salt as per taste

Turmeric powder 1/2tsp

Red chillies dried 3

Onions chopped 2

Ginger chopped 2tsp

Garlic 12-14 flakes

Cumin seeds 1tsp

Fennel seeds 2tsp

Cinnamon 1’’stick

Black cardamom 2

Cloves 3

Pepper 8

Method:-

Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes.For the paste grind all the ingredients together,using some water.

Mix chicken and the prepared paste in a big micro proof dih.Cover and microwave for 3 minutes.

Add rice along with the water.Add salt and haldi.Cover and microwave for 13 minutes.

Separate the grains with a fork.Serve after 5 minutes.

Bhindi with Peanuts

Ingredients:-

Lady's finger (bhindi) 300gms cut diagonally into 1/4'' thick slices,about 1'' long

Peanuts 1/2 cup

Garlic flakes 3-4 crushed roughly

Onion 1 chopped

Tomato 1 chopped

Coriander powder 1 1/2 tsp

Garam masala 1/2 tsp

Salt as per taste

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Tomato chilli sauce 2tsp

Oil to fry

Method:-

Heat oil for deep frying in a kadhai to medium hot temp.Add half of the bhindi and fry on medium flame for about 5 minutes till it gets cooked.Remove from oil on a paper napkin.

Fry second batch of bhindi also.

In the same oil deep fry peanuts also till golden,drain on a paper napkin.

Remove all the oil from the kadhai.Heat 2 tbsp of oil again the the kadhai.

Reduce flame.Add garlic and fry till it changes colour.

Add onion and fry till golden brown.

Add chopped tomato,cook for 4-5 minutes till it leaves oil.

Add tomato chilli sauce,coriander powder,garam masala powder,salt and chilli powder.

Stir for a minute on low flame.Add peanuts and bhindi.Stir,serve.

Veg Pulao --- Microwave

Last month i was very busy with the kids exams and other things,didn't find time to write her.Was writing in my other blog but didn't right here.It is not that i neglected or i lost interest but i felt i should take a break.Now back from my break in this new year.The recipe i am writing today is from Nita Metha's Microwave cooking.I have posted Veg pulao recipe here and here before but this is different compared to both because of the different ingredients i used.As such the previous both are also different.Here goes the recipe of Nita Mehta...

Ingredients:-

Basmati rice 1 cup

Ginger garlic paste 1 1/2 tsp

Cauliflower florets 1/2 cup

Potato 2 cut into 1/2" pieces

Carrots 2 cut into pieces

Green peas 1 cup

Panner cubes 10

Turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Red chilly powder 1/2tsp

Salt to taste

Mint leaves few

Lemon juice 1 tsp

Oil 2tbsp

SPICE BAG (crush the spices lightly)

Pepper 10

Fennel seeds 2 tsp

Green cardamoms 3-4

Black cardamoms 3-4

Cloves 2

Cinnamon 2 sticks

Method:-

Soak rice in 2 cups of water for 30 minutes. Tie the ingredients of the spice bag in a piece of muslin cloth.

In a broad micro proof dish, put oil, ginger and garlic paste, cauliflower, panner, potato, carrots and peas. Microwave for 3 minutes.

Add the soaked rice. Add haldi, red chilly powder and salt. Add the spice bag. Microwave covered for 6 minutes.

Add mint leaves and lemon juice. Stir gently with a fork. Cover and microwave for 7 minutes. Wait for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork. Remove spice bad. Serve hot.

Happy New Year

Dear All.

May the dawning of this New Year,

Open up for you new horizons,

Fill your heart with new hopes and bring for you Promises of brighter tomorrows!

Here’s wishing you happiness and prosperity in the New Year!”

Have a wonderful year..........