Veggie chow mein

Indian Vegetarian chow mein - Rice noodles
This is an attempt for coming up with an indianized version of the chow mien. Rice sevai or noodles anything will go well for the curry. You can try preparing with either of them, whichever goes for you.

Ingredients
Rice noodles  or Indian instance sever or chow mein noodles - 1 packet
Water - as required (2-3 cups )
Salt - as required

Oil - as required(approx 4 spoons)
Corn flour -3 spoons


Vegetables for the gravy
Carrots - 2 - sliced and cut into thin pieces
Potato - 1 - sliced and cut into thin pieces
Capsicum - 1 - sliced and cut into thin pieces
Onion - sliced into thin pieces
Green chillies - 4-5 - slit into halves
Garlic - chopped into fine pieces
tomato - 1 - chopped into fine pieces
Chillie-tomato (hot and sweet) sauce - 3-4 spoons

Procedure:
1. Heat about 2 cups of water  till it boils well
2. Add about 1 flat spoon of salt to it
3. Add the noodles/instant rice sevai to the water with about one spoon of oil
4. Turn off the stove and close the lid and keep aside

5. After about 10 mins, the noodles would have got cooked well and also because of the oil, the strands would not be sticking with each other
6.Drain the water well and spread out the noodles/sevai on a plate and allow it to cool.

Gravy
1. In a pan, pour about 3 spoons of cooking oil and heat it up
2. Put in the garlice pieces and green chillies and saute well
3. Add the sliced up onion, and capsicum and saute till the onions turn golden brown

4. Add the Potato pieces, sprinkle about 1/2 spoon of salt and saute well

5. Add the carrot and sprinkle about 1/4 spoon of salt and saute well

6. Mix the corn flour with about 5 spoons of water till it forms a dilute liquid

7. Pour it into the vegetable mix and mix well
8. Add the tomato pieces, add about 1/4 spoon of salt and saute well till all the ingredients are mixed well

9. Add the chillie- hot and sweet sauce to the mix

10. Pour about 1/2 cup of water and allow the mix to cook well.
11. Turn off the stove when the gravy turns into a thick mix.

12. Taste if enough salt is available in the mix and add if required.

Serving
Serve the noodles in a plate. The generous amount of hot gravy can be either spread on top of the noodles or placed besides the noodles on the plate

Enjoy your recipe well!

Mini Kerala Sadhya

Mini Kerala Sadhya

Aviyal

All kinds of Vegetables will go well
Potato - 1
Carrot - 1
Brinjal - 1
Beans - a handful
Pumpkin - a few pieces
Bitter gourd - 1
Coconut scrappings/powdered coconut - 3/4 cup
Green chillies - 5-6
Salt
Curl - 3 tea spoons
Coconut oil - 2 tea spoons
Curry leaves - As required
 Jeera - 4 tea spoons

Procedure
1. Cut all vegetables to about 1/2 inch length pieces
2. Cook them well in  a thick-bottomed vessel with required amount of salt and water
3. Grind the coconut scrappings/powder, Green chillies and Jeera into a a fine paste by adding required amount of water,in a mixer.
4. When the vegetables are cooked well, add the ground coconut mix to the vegetables and let the mix get cooked well.
5. When the mix is cooked well, add curd to it, mix well and turn off the stove
6. Add coconut oil and Curry leaves

Serve with Hot rice.

Melagishiyam

Potato -2 or Cabbage - 1/2
Tuvar dhal - 3/4  cup
Jeera - 4 tea spoons
Red Chillies - 5-6
Coconut scrapings - 1/2 cup
Coconut pieces - about a tea spoon
Coconut oil - 2 tea spoons
Currey leaves -a few
Mustard - 1 tea spoon
Salt as required
Water

Procedure

1. Boil the cut vegetables(either potato cubes or chopped cabbage) with required amount of water and salt.
2. Boil the dhal in a pressure cooker separately( at least 3-4 whistles)
3. When the vegetable is well cooked, add the dhaal to it , mix well and allow it to get mixed and cook well.
4. Meanwhile, grind the cococunt scrapings, Jeera and Red chillies to a fine paste in a Mixer grinder.
5. Add the paste to the vegetable dhaal mix, stir well and allow to boil.
6. When boiled well, turn off the gas.
7. In a separate skillet, heat some oil. Add the mustard , allow it to splutter and add some curry leaves.
8. Add about a spoon full of coconut pieces and fry them till they become golden brown. Add all these to the Melagishiyam and serve hot with Rice.

Shallot /Chinna vengaya Sambar

Shallots - 15 pieces
Tomato - 1 - cut into small pieces
Green chillies - 5-6 - slit into halves
Shred Coconut - 1/2 cup
Red Chillies -7-8
Dhania/Coriander powder - 3 tea spoons
Curry leaves - a few
Fenugreek - 1/2 tea spoon
Cooking Oil - 3 tea spoons
Sal - as required
Bengal gram/lentils  - 1/2 cup
Water - 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Chilli powder - 1 tea spoon
Sambar powder - 1 1/2 tea spoon
Asofoedita - 1 pinch
Coriander leaves - a few



Procedure

1. Boil the bengal gram/lentils with 1 1/2 cups of water in a pressure cooker for 5 whistles.
2. When the pressure releases, smash the cooked bengal gram and  keep it aside
3. Heat a thick-bottom skillet and pour 1 tea spoon of oil
4. When the oil heats up, add 1/2 spoon of fenugreek and fry till golden brown, add the asofoedita powder and a nice aroma comes at this stage
5. Add the coriander powder, coconut, chillies,curry leaves and roast till the mix becomes golden brown.
6. Grind the mix into a fine paste and keep aside
7. In a thick-bottom skillet, heat 2 tea spoons of oil, add the slit green chillies and Tomato pieces and saute.
8. Add the shallots, do not fry them. Add 1 cup of water and add salt as required.
9. Add 1/2 spoon of turmeric powder, chilli powder, sambar powder and let this mix boil.
10. Once the shallots become soft and well-cooked, add the cooked bengal  gram and mix well and allow it to boil
11. Add the ground coconut paste and mix well. Add salt if required.Close the skillet with a lid and allow it to boil.
12. Once this mix boils well, turn off the stove.
13. In a separate skillet, heat some oil, add some mustard and a red chilli allow them to splutter and pour the mix into the prepared sambar.
14. Sprinkle some coriander leaves and garnish

Hot and tasty Sambar is read y to be served with Rice.

Ambada - Crispy side dish

Ambada

Ambada is a simple side dish. It can be tried out as an an easy alternate for Bajji/Bonda receipes from South India.

Ingredients
Cabbage -chopped finely (2 cups)
Onion - chopped finely(1 cup)
Gram flour - 3/4 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Corn flour(Optional) - 2 tea spoons
Red chilli powder - 2 tea spoons
Garam masala powder - 1 tea spoon
Salt - As required
Water - As required
Cooking oil - As required for frying

Procedure
1. Prepare the base batter by mixing Gram flour , Rice flour , Corn flour, Red chilli powder , Garam masala powder, Salt with required amount of water. Mix well till the consistency is that of a thick paste. Add water in little quantities as required or else the mix may become too watery and the cabbage strands would separate out from the mix
2. Add the Cabbage, Onion and Ginger garlic paste to the Mix.
3. Shape the mix into small balls or flatten them like vada and deep fry them in Oil.
4. Drain the oil and serve hot as Side dish with Rice.  This will be similar to pakoda preparation.
Can be taken for tea-time snacks as well.

Enjoy the preparation !


 

Cauliflower/Gobi Manchurian 65/gravy(Home style)

Cauliflower fry/Gobi fry

Ingredients
For the Cauliflower dry
Cauliflower florets - 1 full cauliflower
Gram flour/All purpose Maida - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup or Corn flour - 4 tea spoons
Red Chilli powder - 2 tea spoons
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2 tea spoon
Salt - 1 tea spoon (can vary as required)
Water - As required to make paste
Cooking Oil - As required to fry

For the manchurian gravy
Red Onion -1 - chopped into fine pieces
Cooking Oil - 1 tea spoon
Capsicum/Green Bell pepper - chopped into small pieces
Coriander leaves - a few
Green chillies - 4-5 - slit length-wise
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1/2 tea spoon
Tomato sauce - 1 tea spoon
Soya sauce - 1 tea spoon
Garam masala powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Salt - as required
Tomato- 1 - cut into small pieces


Procedure
1.Wash the cauliflower florets thoroughly and Cook the florets in water with required amount of salt.
2. Turn off the stove when it reaches about 3/4th cooked stage otherwise the florets would over-cooked and get smashed

3. Remove the florets from the water and place them on tissue paper to drain the extra water.



4. In a dry bowl, mix the All purpose Maida/Gram flour,Rice flour/Corn flour,Red Chilli powder,Turmeric powder, Garam masala powder,Ginger-Garlic paste,Salt into a thick paste by adding a little water.



5. Now dip the florets in this paste and mix well and allow to stay for 30 mins.

6. Heat the cooking oil in a thick-bottom skillet.
7. Fry the florets well till they turn golden brown.

These can be served as such as Gobi 65 dry

Procedure for the Cauliflower manchurian semi-gravy
1. Add a little oil in thick-bottom skillet
2. Add the slit green chillies and fry them.
3. Add the finely-chopped red onion pieces and add a little ginger-garlic paste

4. Add the capsicum pieces and fry till all the ingredients are cooked well.
5. Add Red chilli powder, Garam masala powder, a little salt, Tomato sauce and Soya sauce and saute them well.
6. Add the chopped tomatoes and a fry them. Add a little water towards the end so that all these get cooked well into a thick paste.
7. Add 90% of the cauliflower fried florets prepared using the Gobi 65 procedure
8. Cover the lid and allow it to be cooked for 8-10 minutes under low flame.

9. Uncover lid and stir the contents lightly so that they don't get burnt.
10. Finally add the remaining gobi 65 pieces and mix.

11. Spread a little finely chopped onions and coriander leaves for the final touch.

Server with hot chapathis/Naan. Goes well with Fried Rice, Pulao also.
Happy cooking.

Simple Lemon Rice/Elumichai Sadam

Simple Lemon Rice/Elumichai Sadam

Ingredients

Long grained Rice(Basmati preferable) - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Oil - 3 tea spoons

Lemon juice - 4 tea spoons

Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon

Coriander powder -1 tea spoon

Turmeric powder -1 tea spoon

Channa dhaal - 1 tea spoon

Urad dhaal - 1 tea spoon

Ginger-Garilic paste(Optional) - 1/2 tea spoon

Onion - 1/2 cup diced into fine pieces

Green chillies - 5 - slit into halves

Red Chillies(Optional) - 2 - cut into small pieces
Salt - To taste

Curry leaves - As required

Coriander leaves - As required

Procedure

1. Cook the Basmati Rice with 2 cups of water.Add 1 spoon of Oil while cooking so that the rice grains don't stick after cooking

2. Spread the cooked rice on a plate to cool down

3. Heat a Pan and add 2 spoons of Cooking oil.

4.When the Oil is hot, add the channa dhaal and Urad Dhaal to it.When the Channa dhaal turns golden brown and the raw smell goes off, add the mustard seeds and curry leaves to the oil and let them splutter.

5.Add the Chillies to the Oil and sauté them

6.Add the Onion,Ginger Garlic paste and saute well.

7.When the onion turns golden brown, add the turmeric powder and coriander powder and sauté well.

8.Now lower the stove flame or put the stove in low heat mode

9.Start adding the Rice, sprinkle salt as per taste and keep mixing the rice with the previously cooked mixture gently till it is evenly spread across the rice.

10.Now add the lemon juice evenly and mix the rice well.Cook in low flame for 5 minutes.

11.Garnish with coriander leaves on top.

Simple and tasty lemon rice is ready to be served.Adding a spoon of ghee will provide a nice aroma.

Happy eating:-)

Vegetable Kurma and Chapathi

Vegetable Kurma

Vegetable Kurma is a great dish which goes well with Chapathi, Roti, Naan and also Idli, Dosa.
Here is the recipe that I use to make it.

Servings for 2
Preparation time : 20 minutes

Ingredients
Potato -1
Carrot - 1 (if Big) or 4(if baby carrots are used)
Beans - a handful
Onion - 1
Ginger Garlic paste - Half a tea-spoon or as required
Green Chilies -6
Tomato - 1
Cloves - 1
Cinnamon - 1 or 2 small pieces
Cardamom - 3
Cashew nuts -3
Freshly Scrapped Coconut or Coconut powder - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds(Jeera) - 1 tea spoon
Vegetable/Any cooking Oil - 2 tea spoons
Butter - 1 spoon (optional)
Coriander powder - 1 tea spoon(heap)
Chilli powder - 1 tea spoon
Garam Masala powder - 1 tea spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
Water - 2 cups or can be added as required for cooking (depending on the consistency required for the kurma)

Procedure

Cut all the vegetables into small pieces separately.



To create the coconut paste

Add water and grind the following ingredients well using a Mixer: Coconut,Chillies, Cashew nuts,Cinnamon,Clove,Cardamom,1/4th of the chopped onions and half spoon of cumin seeds

To prepare the Kurma

1. Heat the Oil In a thick skillet
2. Once the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and the remaining jeera



3. When the mustard and jeera splutter, and the jeera turns brown, add the remaining chopped onions.Let them turn into golden brown colour.



4.Now add the carrots and saute them for sometime after which add the potatoes.
5. Keep sauting them so that they get partly cooked in the heat without adding water.Add the tomatoes and saute them.

6. Now sprinkle some Chilli powder, Garam masala powder, Salt and Coriander powder
7. Add one cup of water and let the vegetables get cooked well till soft.
8. Now add the ground paste , add the remaining water. Add salt if required.
9. Allow the kurma to cook well till the raw smell of coconut goes away.This can be done either in the same skillet Or the kurma can be transferred to a pressure cooker and cooked for 1 whistle.

Transfer the contents to a bowl, add 1 spoon of butter and sprinkle coriander leaves for the final touch.
Your delicious Vegetable kurma is ready to be served.

To prepare Soft Chapathi
Ingredients
Wheat Flour - 2 cups
Water - As required
Milk - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tea spoons
Cooking oil - 2 tea spoons
Salt - 2 tea spoons
Sugar - 1 or 2 tea spoons

Procedure
1. Mix the Wheat flour, Salt and Sugar well
2. Pour the Milk into the Wheat flour and knead the dough.Add water as required
3. When the dough if formed add Ghee and Oil and knead well till soft.
4.Keep closed for 30 mins to  1 hour and make the dough into balls.
5.Dip them in flour and Press them into round shape using the Chapathi base and roller pin
6.Heat a thick based skillet
7.Place the chapathi dough and flip both sides at an interval of about 10 seconds, till cooked well.
8.Apply a bit of Ghee once the chapathi is taken off the stove.

Soft Chapathi is ready to be served with tasty Vegetable kurma.Hope you have a great time eating :-)