Ridge Gourd in Sesame Seeds powder

I hope everyone had a relaxing thanksgiving weekend with family and friends. Most of my friends enjoyed the weekend with shopping. This year surprisingly I didn't do any shopping but had good time with friends. Sunday's visit to farmers market didn't find many varieties of vegetables due to cold season. Found tender ridge gourd, egg plants and some leafy vegetables.

For tonight dinner decided to make ridge gourd in sesame seeds powder the way my mom makes it. Thanks to my mom for a wonderful recipe. If you never tried this curry try to make it. I am sure you will love it. Very simple and delicious.



Ingredients:

1/2 cup sesame seeds
4/5 red chilies
4 Ridge Gourd
salt as per taste
Tampering:
1tsp oil
1/2tsp mutard seeds
1/2tsp urad dal
1/4tsp cumin seeds

Preparation:

Roast sesame seeds(1/2 cup sesame seeds) along with 2 or 3 red chilies as per your spice level and make a powder of it and keep it aside. This powder will be handy in most of the dishes. (If you are storing this powder make sure you add salt as per the taste) I always store this powder. We usually mix rice with this powder and eat.
Wash and peel ridge gourd and cut into cubes.
In a pan add oil. Once oil is hot add tampering ingredients. Once mustard seeds starts spluttering add cubed ridge gourd. Cook covered till ridge gourd cooks completely. Once vegetable cooks completely add 2 tsp sesame seeds powder(adjust the quantity of powder as per your spice level) and mix well. (If the sesame powder mixed with salt then no need to add salt. If not add salt as per the taste). Remove from heat and serve with hot rice.

Healthy, tasty dish is ready to be served.

Happy Thanksgiving

I wish you all a wonderful Thanksgiving with family and friends.
May your plate be filled with delicious food and your life be filled with special memories that make you thankful.

Wishing you all Happy Thanksgiving.

Here is the picture of the fall colors which I took on Sunday.

Kale, Swiss Chard Stir fry/ Sautéed greens

Hurray!.. One more day to go!. I am eagerly looking forward for this long weekend to relax. Let's see how it goes. Last Sunday's farmers market visit bought kale and swiss chard. For today's dinner decided to make sautéed greens in Andhra style the way I cook Amaranth Leaves.



Very simple yet delicious and healthy.

Kale is rich in Vitamin A, C and K. Swiss Chard is very rich in Vitamin A, C, K, Potassium and Iron. So try to cook these greens more often and be healthy.

Ingredients:

1bunch of Swiss chard
1bunch of Kale
2 garlic cloves finely chopped
1/4inch ginger finely chopped
1 medium sized onion chopped
1tsp red chili powder( Adjust as per your spice) (Optional)
Salt to taste
1tbsp of oil
1tsp of mustard seeds
1tsp of Cumin seeds
1tsp of Urad Dal /Split Black Gram
3 red chilies

Preparation:

Wash kale and swiss chard and pull of leaves of the stems. Coarsely chop leaves and finely chop stems. Add oil in a pan, once oil is hot add mustard seeds,cumin seeds, urad dal and red chilies. Once mustard seeds starts splattering add chopped garlic, ginger and onions. Once onions lose the raw flavor add chopped greens, red chili powder/pepper powder, salt. Cook for 5-6 mts till greens are cooked completely. Adjust spices as needed.

Healthy greens are ready to be served.

Avocado, Broccoli, Potato Paratha

Deciding what to pack for lunch for my kid is a big project for me. Every single day I try to come up with a variety dish so that she doesn't get bored of eating packed lunch. As a part of that thinking today came up with healthy paratha/flat bread.
This paratha is full of nutrients and protein.



Ingredients:

1 cup of wheat flour
1/4 cup of soy bean flour (optional)
1tsp garam masala powder
2tsp red chili powder(Adjust as per your spice level)
pinch of turmeric powder
1tsp lemon juice
salt as per taste
1 clove of garlic(Finely chopped or grated using grater)
1 avocado
10 broccoli florets
1 medium sized potato (If you want to avoid starch do not use potato)
1tsp of kasoori methi leaves(Dry fenugreek leaves) (Optional)


Procedure:

In a sauce pan add water and little bit salt and cook potatoes and broccoli florets. Once vegetables are cooked remove from heat and let it cool. Once cooled peel potato skin. Mash broccoli,potato with pestle or masher and keep it aside. In another bowl remove meat from avocado. (With a sharp knife cut avocado length wise. Gently open both sides to remove the seed. Either you can use spoon or use kife to remove the seed.) . Add lemon juice to avocado and using a fork or spoon mash.



In a bowl add flours( wheat, Soy bean), spices(masala, red chili, turmeric, salt), crushed dry fenugreek leaves and grated garlic and mix well. Add mashed avocado, broccoli, potato mixture to the dry ingredients and mix well. Do not add water since mashed vegetables has lot of water. Adjust spices and make a soft dough and keep it aside. (If needed add few drops of water) . Rest the dough for 10 mts.
There are multiple ways to make rotis:

1st method:

Take the dough and divide into small balls. Roll the dough into small round shaped dusting with flour and gently roll into flat bread approximately 5" to 6" diameter.

2nd Method: (This will yield super soft(More softer than 1st method) parathas/rotis)
Take the dough and divide into small balls. Roll the dough into small round shaped. Now add 2 drops of oil and spread on the bread. Fold into half moon shape. Now add one more drop of oil and fold into triangle shape. Dust with flour and gently roll these triangle shaped dough into flat bread approximately 5" to 6" diameter.



Note: (Today I used 2nd method.)

On a hot griddle or pan place paratha on it. Cook both sides till it turns golden color drizzling little bit of oil or ghee.

Yummy Parathas are ready to be served with any curry or pickle or raita/yogurt.

Ideas for lunch box-- Stuff these cooked parathas with any dry vegetable/ salad and pack like burrito.

Spicy Biscuits

Do you like to munch on something with evening tea? I love to eat chips/muruku/biscuits with hot tea. Today decided to give a try on Spicy biscuits for my evening tea.

Very simple to make yet delicious.



Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

2 cups of all purpose flour
1tsp baking powder
2 tsp sesame seeds
2tsp sugar
1/2 cup shortening
1tsp salt (Adjust as per the taste)
1/2tsp cumin seeds
finely chopped green chilies (As per your spice level)
finely chopped cilantro 1/4tsp
finely chopped ginger(1/8tsp)
finely chopped curry leaves 1/4tsp
finely chopped mint,coriander leaves (1/8 tsp)
1/2 tsp paprika powder
1 tsp yogurt

Procedure:

In a bowl add all dry ingredients( Flour, salt, cumin seeds, sesame seeds, baking powder, Paprika powder) and mix well.
using a hand mixer or stand mixer cream shortening and sugar. Now add dry ingredients, chopped herbs(coriander,mint, curry leaves), chopped green chilies, ginger. Mix well. This mixture looks crumble. Now add little amount of yogurt and make a dough. (Dough should not be too soft. So add very little amount of yogurt). Kneed well and cover it with damp cloth.

Preheat oven to 350F



Take a small piece of dough and roll into 1/4inch thick flat bread. Using cookie cutter cut into round shaped biscuits. Use a fork and poke few holes on the biscuits and bake till they turn golden color. (approximately 10 mts).

Spicy biscuits ready to be enjoyed with hot tea.

Spinach Rice - Reposting

Was debating what to make for yesterday's lunch. Tired of eating dal and curry so decided to make spinach rice.

Here is the recipe

Masala Dosa

Does anyone know who doesn't like to eat dosa? I haven't seen till now. Crispy, spicy paper thin crape just melts in your mouth.
Dosas can be made different types using different fillings. Most famous filling is potato curry called msasala dosa. Made it right way these dosas are so yummy that you can't stop eating one.

Pictures with different backgrounds and different presentation:




Here is the recipe.



Ingredients:

Batter:
1 cup of urad dal (soak for 4 hrs)
2 1/2 cups of rice, 1tbsp of fenugreek seeds soak for 4 hrs
2tbsp sugar (This helps dosa to get golden color)
Salt to taste

Potato curry:

1 big onion cut into slices
5 medium sized potatoes boiled
1/2inch ginger (finely chopped)
2 or 3 green chilies (Slit length wise. Since this curry is used for filling if chili comes in a bite it will be too spicy so u can skip chilies if you don't like to eat spicy)
salt
pinch of turmeric powder
1tsp garam masala powder
red chili powder (as per spice level)
Chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Oil

Tampering Ingredients:

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2tsp cumin seeds
1/2tsp chana dal
4 curry leaves chopped


Preparation:

Grind soaked urad dal, rice with salt & sugar. Make it like a dosa consistent batter. Keep it for fermentation overnight or 6 hours.

potato curry:

In a pan add oil, once oil is hot add tampering ingredients. Once mustard seeds start spluttering add onions ,slit green chilies(optional) and chopped ginger. Add salt which helps onions to cook faster. Once onions loses raw flavor add spices(turmeric, masala and chili powders) and cook till onions evenly coated with spices. Now add boiled and cubed potatoes. Saute in spices and cook till potatoes are evenly cooked in spices. (You can add sprinkle of water if the curry is too dry.) Adjust spices and remove from heat. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves





Dosa:

Heat a pan(cast iron or non stick), add 1 tsp of oil, spread it with top part of onion(You can use other vegetable tops like brinjal or bottle gourd or carrot). This is to season the pan so that the dosa/crape comes off easily without sticking to the 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. I learned these tips from my mom.

Take one ladle full of batter pour it on the center of the pan. Spread it thin into round shape. Spread 1tbsp of filling on the top of the dosa . Add 1tsp of oil around the corners of dosa this helps dosa to cook evenly and crispy.



Note: You can serve dosa without filling with curry, chutney on the side.



Once dosa turns golden brown remove it from pan. Serve dosa/crape with 1/8tsp of butter on top with sambar(lentil soup), coconut/peanut/onion/Ginger chutney.

Peanut chutney recipe can be found here.

Oatmeal, Raisin, Chocolate chip cookies

This is my first cookie post I ever posted in my blog. Cookies means first thing which comes to my mind is kids. Most of the kids love to eat chocolate chip cookies. Last week decided to make cookies so my daughter can eat as snack after school. Instead of chocolate chip decided to make oatmeal cookies. I was happy with the out come. Cookies came out delicious and my daughter loved it.




Source- Slightly adapted from web.
Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
1 stick of unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup cane sugar
1 tsp baking soda
1/2tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 eggs (at room temperature)
3 cups rolled oats
1 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chocolate chips( I used semi sweet ones)
2 tbsp dessert wine(optional)

Preparation:





Sift flour along with salt, baking soda and keep it aside.
Heat oven to 350F. In large bowl beat butter and sugars on medium speed using hand mixer or stand mixer until creamy.
add eggs one at a time. Now add vanilla extract, dessert wine beat well. Now add dry ingredients slowly while mixer is on low speed. Now add oats, raisins and mix well. Now add chocolate chips and mix well using spatula. Using an ice-cream scoop drop 1 tbsp of dough on the parchment paper. Bake 8 to 10 mts or until light golden brown. Cool 1 mt on the cookie sheets. Remove to wire rack. Cool completely. Store in air tight containers.

Quinoa, Beet, Carrot Sandwich

My Sunday's are usually packed with my daughter's activities. Most of the time I try to find quick recipes for Sunday lunch. For today's lunch I decided to make healthy sandwiches.



Here is the recipe

Ingredients:

bread slices
coriander chutney
5 beets cubed
5 medium sized carrots cubed
1 cup quinoa
cucumber slices
onion slices
red chili powder (as per your spice level)
1tsp garam masala powder
cloves 1/4 tsp
bay leaf 1
1 tsp lemon juice
chopped coriander

Preparation:

Finely chop 2 bread slices
In a stock pot add cubed beet, carrot, cloves, bay leaf and cook with water. Once beet and carrot is cooked remove the bay leaf and let it cool. In a another pan/bowl cook quinoa. Once beet and carrot cooled using blender and make a paste. In a bowl mix veggie paste, quinoa, chopped bread, spices, chopped coriander, lemon juice and salt. If the patty mixture is thin then add little bit more chopped bread. Make small patties of the mixture and either on the grill pan or normal pan shallow fry and keep it aside. Spread coriander chutney on bread slices and arrange veggies as per your taste and keep the patty and close with other slice and toast on both sides. Cut diagonally and serve with ketchup or green chutney.

Chunky 17 bean vegetable soup

Chilly days started in bay area. Days like this I just feel like eating some thing really hot and spicy. Decided to make this healthy bean soup. Chunky, thick, tangy and spicy soup is what I need for today. Perfect for winter season.



Here is the recipe.

1 cup of 17bean ( you can get this any grocery store like Safeway, Trader Joe's) soaked over night.
1 medium sized onion chopped finely
3 tomatoes chopped
1/2cup chopped celery
1/2 cup chopped carrot
1tsp ginger garlic paste
1/2tsp black pepper powder
chili powder (as per your spice level)
1/2tsp cumin powder
1/2tsp coriander powder
pinch of turmeric powder
1tbsp oil
salt as per taste
chopped coriander for garnish



Preparation:

Pressure cook soaked beans with salt and water. ( I used 2 cups of water for 1 cup of beans). In a pan add oil, once oil is hot add ginger garlic paste, chopped onions and cook for few mts till raw flavor of onion goes away. Now add chopped veggies and spices and cook for 6 to 8 mts till the veggies are cooked in spices. Now in the stock pot add cooked beans, water and cooked veggies. Using a masher mash beans little bit. If you don't like chunky you can use hand blender to blend to smooth paste. I love chunky so used masher. Cook on medium heat and adjust spices till soup comes boil (If the soup is too thick add water.). Garnish with chopped coriander and serve with chips/papad or just the soup.

My mini studio for food photography

Do you really need one? With the hectic work schedule it is very difficult for me to take good pics during the day time. Most of my cooking happens after I come back from work. During summer I can use the natural light to take pics but with the season change I hardly get enough light by the time I reach home. Only way to take pics is to use lights.
Few months back came across RV's Site and found a post about building your own studio. Decided to give a shot and finally ended up making over the weekend. Took few pics using the studio and very impressive. Was planning to post this over the weekend itself but due to hectic schedule couldn't post till now.

Here is my studio. It hardly takes any space. I used corner place in my garage. Total cost of my studio is 14$. 6$ for white cloth from Jo-ann, Day light bulbs 8$.
I used only 2 lights instead of 3 lights as per RV. Since I already have two lights didn't buy work lamps as suggested in the site.



First pic after the setup:







Making the box:

Garlic Pepper Rasam

Change in the weather made all of us sick at home. Only thing I feel like eating when I have cold and sore throat is spicy rasam. My mom always use to make this rasam and pepper milk(Miryala Kashayam) when we have cold. She used to say pepper helps to clear throat. For sure it does help. Thanks to my mom for passing on these delicious recipes and health tips.



Ingredients:

4 medium sized tomatoes cut into cubes
2 or 3 green chilies(optional) (i love to eat spicy so added green chilies as well. You can omit this if you don't want too spicy)
1tsp tamarind paste/ 1 medium sized tamarind soaked in water and remove the juice.
1tsp rasam powder
1tsp black pepper powder ( you can reduce/increase as per your spice level).
pinch of turmeric
3 garlic cloves crushed
1tsp chopped corander
salt

Tampering:
1tsp oil
pinch of asafetida(hing)
1/2tsp mustard seeds
1/4tsp cumin seeds
1 red chili
curry leaves (optional)

Procedure

In a pan/sauce pan add oil, once oil is hot add tampering items. Once mustard seeds starts spluttering add garlic and tomatoes. Cover and cook till tomatoes are cooked completely. With the back of laddle mash all the tomatoes and add rasam powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder,salt and tamarind paste/juice. Cook for 2 mts and add water to make it thin consistency and let it boil. Adjust spices and remove from heat and garnish with chopped coriander and serve.

You can have this rasam just as soup or have it with rice. Either way it is awesome.



Note: If you want little thick you can use mixer or hand belnder to mash tomatoes.
One more way to make it thick is to add 1/2 cup of cooked toor dal lentil(mashed).

Winter Melon Halwa

Continuing my experiments with winter melon. Today's dish is sweet version. Perfect time to make sweet when Diwali is just around the corner. Very simple yet delicioso :).



Here is the recipe

2 cups grated/coarsely grinded winter melon
1/2 cup sugar (Adjust as per your sweet level)
3tbsp clarified butter/ghee
1/4 cup milk
pinch of cardamom powder
Food color(optional)
nuts, raisins for garnish

Process:

Peel the skin of winter melon. Either grate or use mixer to make coarse paste. (I used mixer).
In a pan add ghee and pour melon mixture, milk and cook till all the water is evaporated and melon cooked nicely(Melon mixture becomes almost 1/2 of the original quantity). Now add cardamom powder and food color(optional). Once water is evaporated add sugar and cook for 5 to 10 mts till melon mixture looks smooth and not watery.. In a separate pan add 1 tsp ghee and roast nuts and raisins.
Garnish with roasted nuts and raisins and serve.

Winter Melon (Boodida Gummadikaya) Fritters

Few days back went to farmers market and bought winter melon(Boodida Gummadiyaka in Telugu also known as Ash melon). Was planning to make vadiyalu. Vadiyalu nothing but fritters which are usually made in hot summer in many varieties. One of the popular variety is Winter melon Fritters. Process to make vadiyalu is take spoonful of batter place it on wet cloth (like placing cookie batter on parchment paper) and dry under the sun. Usually drying takes at least 1 to 2 weeks depending on the heat. Once fritters are dried can be used through out the year storing in an air tight container. Usually fritters are eaten along with sambar/lentils.

Before keeping the batter for drying decided to make few fresh fritters. Here is the version of Pacchi Vadiyalu/fritters

Memories: I cannot finish my post if I start writing about all the memories. Glimpse of few memories associated in the process of making Vadiyalu and Papad. Parents used to keep this vadiyalu on the terrace. It is kids job to keep an eye on these vadiyalu. Not to forget while placing the fresh batter we used to taste and finish at least 1/4th quarter of batter :). There are days when surprise rain visits and we used to run to the terrace and bring back the vadiyalu. Fun old days...


Here is the recipe.



Ingredients:

1cup of urad dal(soaked in water for 4 hrs.)
2 cups of finely sliced winter melon
Green chilies (as per your spice level)
1/4 inch of ginger
pinch of asfatoedia
salt as per your taste
oil to deep fry

Preparation:
Grind soaked dal with green chilies, ginger into smooth paste like Vada batter adding few drops of water.(If you add more water fritters will absorb more oil). Add salt and mix with sliced winter melon. In a pan add oil to deep fry. Once oil is hot use your fingers to drop batter in the form of fritters in hot oil. Using laddle turn the fritters so that fritters cook evenly. Fry them till they turn golden color on medium heat.
Remove it from oil and drain excess oil using paper towel.







Serve it hot.




Here is the first step of vadiyalu process (Remaining in the next post once vadiyalu is dried completely)

Navaratri - Kolu pics

Wishing you all Happy Vijayadashami.

Here are the pics of our Bommala Koluvu.

Full view:



Zoo:

I kept mustard seeds which sprouts quickly to create the jungle kind of scene..


Barat:




Dancing doll (Kondapalli Bomma):



Dasavataram:



Japanese Village:




3rd step:



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