TIP OF THE WEEK

LIMES

Limes store best at 40 - 45 degrees F. and last only about 2 weeks.

10 limes yield about 1 cup of juice.

HAPPY CHRISTMAS

TIP OF THE WEEK

Fresh coriander!


Keep coriander leaves in a muslin cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.

CHOCOLATE CHIP COOKIES

This is a secret family recipe for Chocolate chip cookies ! Everyone who tries them begs for more. Enjoy!!"

Ingredients:
1 cup butter flavored shortening

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

2 cups milk chocolate chips

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease cookie sheets.
2. In a large bowl, cream together the butter flavored shortening, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy.
   
3. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well with each addition, then stir in the vanilla .Combine the flour, baking soda and salt; gradually stir into the creamed mixture.
   
4. Finally, fold in the chocolate chips. Drop by rounded spoonfuls onto the prepared cookie sheets.
5. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes in the preheated oven, until light brown.
   
6. Allow cookies to cool on baking sheet for 5 minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.

AVIYAL

Aviyal

This is a semi-dry preparation which is a mixture of all sorts of vegetables.

Ingredients:

Yam sliced thinly into 11/2" length pieces - 1cup

Cucumber sliced lengthy into 11/2" thick pieces -1cup

Snake gourd sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1cup

Carrot sliced into into 11/2" length pieces - 1/4cup

Long runner-beans sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1/2cup

Drumstick cut into 2" length pieces - 2nos

Raw bananas sliced into 11/2" length pieces - 1no

Mango pieces for sour

Turmeric powder - 1/2tsp

Salt - to taste

Grated coconut - 1/2quantity

Green chillies - 5nos

Cumin seeds - 1/2tsp

Curry leaves - 2sprigs

Coconut oil - 3tbs

Method:

1. Coarsely grind the coconut, green chillies and cumin seeds. Keep it aside.

2. Clean the vegetables.

3. Heat 2tbs coconut oil in a thick bottom vessel.

4. Add the vegetables and cook in a low flame. Do not add water.

5. When it is done, add turmeric powder, salt and mix it well.

6. Remove the vegetables from the middle and put sliced bananas and mango pieces and cover it with the other vegetables.

7. When steam comes out, add the coconut paste and stir well. Remove from fire. Mix the remaining coconut oil and curry leaves in the aviyal.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Dirty dishwasher!

You are always cleaning your dishes in the dishwasher, but when was the last time that you cleaned your dishwasher??

Once every few months, after you have emptied the dishwasher reset your settings for regular wash, no heat dry.

Now place a bowl in the bottom rack with a cup of bleach in it. Run your dishwasher cycle with out any soap in the cup.

Once the cleaning process has completed, open the door and place a cup of Vinegar in the bowl. Set your dishwasher to run a complete cycle.

Now you have a squeaky clean dishwasher!

VERMICELLI PAYASAM

Ingredients :

Vermicelli- 1/2 cup (thin variety)

Milk - 4 cups

Sugar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup

Ghee - 4 tbps

Almonds - 2 tbps

Cashews - 2 tbps

Raisins - 2 tbps

Method:

1. Fry vermicelli in 2 tbps of ghee, till light gold in color.

2. Let it gets cold. Skin almonds-chop them into small pieces. Fry the almonds,cashews in 2 tbps of ghee, till well toasted.

3.Boil the milk, add the vermicelli and keep on stirring over low heat till the vermicelli is just cooked and the milk is thick. (Do not over cook the vermicelli).

4. Reduce heat and add sugar little by little-stirring all the time till the sugar dissolves.
Remove from heat, when cold, mix in the almonds, cashews and raisins. Serve chilled.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Onion odor:

Removing onion odors from hands - Rub fingers with salt moistened with vinegar.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Dried fruits:

Dried fruits and vegetables like raisins, prunes and sun-dried tomatoes, retain almost all of their nutrients. Since they weigh less, the nutrient content is actually concentrated.

MEEN KUZHAMBU(FISH CURRY)

Meen kuzhambu (Fish curry)

Ingredients:

Fish – 1 whole (Cut in to thin slices) (Or) Small fishes 8 to 10 Pieces

Onion – 1

Tomato – 1

Cumin – ½ tsp

Peppercorns – 10

Turmeric – 1 tsp

Garlic – 5

Oil – 4 tsp

Fennel seeds – 1 tsp

Tamarind – 1 lemon size

Chili powder – 3 tsp

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Cumin – ½ tsp

Methi – 1 tsp (Fenu Greek)

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Make paste:

½ Onion, tomato, garlic, peppercorns, cumin, and turmeric, make a fine paste.

Method:

1. Heat a big pan and add oil. Then add all the ingredients for the seasoning.

2. Let it splatter, and then add the onion Sauté for 2 mins.

3. Now add the paste and ½ cup of water and let it boil for 15 mins.

4. Extract the tamarind juice and filter it add the chili powder and set aside for 10 mins.

5. After the 15 mins add the tamarind mixture.

6. Let it boil and make it to a gravy consistency.

7. Now add the fish and cover with a lid and boil it exactly for 5 mins and turn the heat off.

8. Serve hot with rice.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Healthy tips :

Maintain a healthy weight. The weight that's right for you depends on many factors including your sex, height, age and heredity.

Excess body fat increases your chances for high blood pressure, heart disease, stroke, diabetes, some types of cancer and other illnesses.

But being too thin can increase your risk for osteoporosis, menstrual irregularities and other health problems.

If you're constantly losing and regaining weight, a registered dietitian can help you develop sensible eating habits for successful weight management. Regular exercise is also important to maintaining a healthy weight.

MINT CHUTNEY

Mint chutney(Thovayal)

Ingredients:

Mint - 1 cup

Coriander – ½ cup

Coconut – 2 tbsps

Salt – to taste

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 1 tsp

Asafoedita(hing) – a pinch

Red chilies – 4

Oil – 1 tsp

Method:

1. Heat a pan, add oil and add all the other seasoning ingredients.

2. Let that splatter.

3. Now add mint, coriander and coconut.

4. Sauté for 5 mins and let it cool.

5. Grind well, and add salt mix well.

6. Serve with idli,dosai,vadai,bonda,pakoda etc.,

TAMARIND CHUTNEY

Tamarind chutney

Ingredients:

Tamarind – 1 lemon size (Soaked)

Coconut – 1 cup (Shredded)

Red chilies – 6

Mustard seeds – 2 tsps

Urad dal – 2 tsps

Salt – to taste

Oil – ½ tbp

Method:

1. Heat a little pan add oil, mustard seeds, and urad dal. Let it splatter.

2. Leave it to cool.

3. In a blender add the soaked tamarind, shredded coconut, salt and add the seasoning mixture and grind well.

4. Serve with idli and dosai

TIP OF THE WEEK

Healthy tips:

Enjoy plenty of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. Surveys show most of them don't eat enough of these foods. Do you eat 6-11 servings from the bread, rice, cereal and pasta group, 3 of which should be whole grains? Do you eat 2-4 servings of fruit and 3-5 servings of vegetables? If you don't enjoy some of these at first, give them another chance. Look through cookbooks for tasty ways to prepare unfamiliar foods.

NEWS FOR THE MONTH

Apricot:

History:

The Apricot is a species of Prunus, classified with the plum in the subgenus Prunus. The native range is somewhat uncertain due to its extensive prehistoric cultivation, but most likely in northern and western China and Central Asia, possibly also Korea and Japan.

It is a small tree, 8–12 m tall, with a trunk up to 40 cm diameter and a dense, spreading canopy. The leaves are ovate, 5–9 cm long and 4–8 cm wide, with a rounded base, a pointed tip and a finely serrated margin. The flowers are 2–4.5 cm diameter, with five white to pinkish petals; they are produced singly or in pairs in early spring before the leaves. The fruit is a drupe similar to a small peach, 1.5–2.5 cm diameter (larger in some modern cultivars), from yellow to orange, often tinged red on the side most exposed to the sun; its surface is usually pubescent. The single seed is enclosed in a hard stony shell, often called a "stone", with a grainy, smooth texture except for three ridges running down one side.

Apricot cultivars:

The Apricot was first cultivated in India in about 3000 BC. In Armenia it was known from ancient times, having been brought along the Silk Road; it has been cultivated there so long it is often thought to be native there. Its introduction to Greece is attributed to Alexander the Great, and the Roman General Lucullus (106-57 B.C.E.) also exported some trees, cherry, white heart cherry and apricot from Armenia to Europe. Subsequent sources were often much confused over the origin of the species. Loudon (1838) believed it had a wide native range including Armenia, Caucasus, the Himalaya, China and Japan. Today the cultivars have spread to all parts of the globe with climates that support it.

More recently, English settlers brought the apricot to the English colonies in the New World. Most of modern American production of apricots comes from the seedlings carried to the west coast by Spanish missionaries. Almost all U.S. production is in California, with some in Washington and Utah.
Many apricots are also cultivated in Australia, particularly South Australia where they are commonly grown in the region known as the Riverland and in a small town called Mypolonga in the Lower Murray region of the state. In states other than South Australia apricots are still grown, particularly in Tasmania and western Victoria and southwest New South Wales, but they are less common than in South Australia.

Medicinal and non-food uses :
Cyanogenic glycosides (found in most stone fruit seeds, bark, and leaves) are found in high concentration in apricot seeds. Laetrile, a purported alternative treatment for cancer, is extracted from apricot seeds. As early as the year 502, apricot seeds were used to treat tumors, and in the 17th century apricot oil was used in England against tumors and ulcers. However, in 1980 the National Cancer Institute in the USA described laetrile to be an ineffective cancer treatment.

In Europe, apricots were long considered an aphrodisiac, and were used in this context in William Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, and as an inducer of childbirth, as depicted in John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi.

Due to their high fiber to volume ratio, dried apricots are sometimes used to relieve constipation or induce diarrhea. Effects can be felt after eating as few as three.
Research shows that of any food, apricots possess the highest levels and widest variety of carotenoids. Carotenoids are antioxidants that help prevent heart disease, reduce "bad cholesterol" levels, and protect against cancer. In traditional Chinese medicine, apricots are considered helpful in regenerating body fluids, detoxifying, and quenching thirst.

Some claim that the kernels also have healthy properties, including toning the respiratory system and alleviating a cough. However, the tip of the apricot holds a concentrated amount of the chemical laetrile, which can be upsetting to the system. The tips of the seeds should be removed and consumption should be limited to no more than five a day.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Healthy tips:

Eat a variety of nutrient-rich foods. You need more than 40 different nutrients for good health, and no single food supplies them all.

Your daily food selection should include bread and other whole-grain products; fruits; vegetables; dairy products; and meat, poultry, fish and other protein foods.

How much you should eat depends on your calorie needs. Use the food guide pyramid and the Nutrition Facts panel on food labels as handy references.

TAMARIND RICE

This is the traditional way of doing and also the long process.

Ingredients:

Tamarind – 2 lemon size (Soak for 3 hrs)

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds – 2 tbps

Urad dal – 2 tbps

Channa dal – 2 tbps

Red chilies – 5

Curry leaves – 1 sprig

Turmeric powder – 1 tps

Salt – 3-4 tps

Oil – 3 tbps

Method:

1. Grind the tamarind to fine paste. Mix with little water and filter it. Keep the juice separate.

2. In a pan add oil; once the oil is hot add the entire seasoning thing except turmeric and salt.

3. Once everything started to splatter add the tamarind juice. Now add the salt and turmeric.

4. Allow it to boil and keeping stirring occasionally. Until it’s gets a gravy consistency.

5. You can store it in a tight container and keep in the fridge for as long as you want.

To make tamarind rice:

Basmati rice – 2 cups

Tamarind paste – 4 tbps

1. Cook the rice and let it cool.

2. Add the paste and mix well until the rice is mixed uniformly add little salt to your taste.

3. Now for the seasoning again heat a pan and add all the above seasoning ingredients and also add peanuts or cashews if you like.

4. Mix with the rice and serve with masal vadai or chips.

TIP OF THE WEEK

To make fluffy idli:

Raw Rice:4 cups Urad dal :1 cups Cooked Boiled Rice(leftover rice):1 cup Soak the above two ingredients for atleast 4 hours and grind the urad dal until fluffy and smooth .
Then add the raw rice and coarsely grind it .In the end add the cooked boiled rice and mix the salt.Keep it for fermentation .

If winter keep it inside the preheated oven for 1 hour and make idli . Smooth and fluffy hotel idli is ready. Enjoy with sambhar or chutney or milakapodi.

MASAL VADAI

Ingredients:

Gram dal - 2 cups
(channa dal)
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cups
Salt - to taste
Curry leaves - little
Ginger - 1 cm
Onion - 2

Fennel seeds - 2 tbps

Method :

1. Soak gram dal in water for 2 hours.

2. Wash with water and drain off water.

3. Chop onion, curry leaves and coriander leaves.

4. Grind the dal coarsely with green chilies,ginger and fennel seeds.

5. Add all the other cut ingredients add salt and mix well.

6. Take a lemon size of the dough and make it into vadai.

7. Deep fry in oil till golden in color.

8. Serve hot with coconut or mint chutney.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Cleaning of copper bottom pans:

Lime peels dipped in salt can be used to make copper bottom pans sparkle.
Rub with salt dipped peel.
Leave for a minute.
Scrub with soap and wash.

RICE PAAYASAM

Ingredients:

Rice - 1/2 cup

Milk - 6 cups

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Camphor - pinch
or nutmeg - pinch

Cashews and Raisins - 1/4 cup (Together)

Method :

1.Wash rice well, and cook it with milk till semi thick (stirring all the time so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the vessel and the rice is well cooked.)

2.Reduce heat; add the sugar, little by little when sugar is well incorporated remove from fire.

3.Fry in ghee the cashew nuts and raisins, till golden in color.

4.When cold add to paayasam.

5.Powder camphor or nutmeg and add that too.

6.Serve hot or cold.

Tips :

You could add 1/4 cup of beaten cream when the paayasam is cold.

Instead of sugar you could heat 1-1/4 cup of palm jaggery(or ordinary jaggery) with a 1/4 cup of water-when jaggery completely dissolves-strain and when cold, add to the cold thickened paayasam.

Add powdered camphor or nutmeg.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Healthy tips:

Limit your calorie intake to what you need for one day. Remember that if you consume more calories than needed, the extra calories will be converted to fat. The higher your body fat, the bigger you’re craving for food will be.

JUST A THOUGHT

Hello everybody,
First of all I would like to thank all of you who visited my blog.
Since, festival season started I am planning to post mostly sweet and snack items.
If anybody has any suggestion or any requests please leave a comment (Or) sign my guest book and let me know. I will try my best to post it.
Thank you.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Fresh Fish :

The best way to keep fish really fresh is to place the fish in a double plastic bag filled with water and place near the freezer wall. Fish should never be refrozen.

LEMON RICE

This is a very easy recipe to make in 10 mins. If you have cooked rice it's even more easy to make.

Ingredients :

Cooked rice – 2 cups

Lemon juice – 3 tbps

Seasoning :

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Urad dal – 2 tsps

Chana dal – 2 tsps

Green chilies – 2

Turmeric powder – 1 tsp

Oil – 3 tbps

Salt to taste

Method :

1. Spread the cooked rice to cool down for about 15 – 20 mins.

2. Add oil in a pan and add all the seasoning items one by one.

3. Once everything started to splatter turn of the heat and add the lemon juice.

4. Pour this mixture to the cooked rice and add salt.

5. Mix well and serve with masala vadai or chips.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Crying over Onions :

If your onions always make you cry, next time stick them in the freezer for 10-15 minutes before you chop or slice them. Also don't cut through the root part of the onion as it releases most of the tear-producing odor.

NEWS FOR THE MONTH

Apples:

History:

The apple is the pomaceous fruit of the apple tree, species Malus domestica in the rose family Rosaceae. It is one of the most widely cultivated tree fruits. The tree is small and deciduous, reaching 5 to 12 meters (16 to 39 ft) tall, with a broad, often densely twiggy crown. The centre of the fruit contains five carpels arranged in a five-point star, each carpel containing one to three seeds.

The tree originated from Central Asia, where its wild ancestor is still found today. The wild ancestor of Malus domestica is Malus sieversii. It has no common name in English, but is known in Kazakhstan, where it is native, as Alma; in fact, the region where it is thought to originate is called Almaty, or "reach of the apples". This tree is still found wild in the mountains of Central Asia in southern Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Xinjiang, China.

Apple cultivars:

There are more than 7,500 known cultivars of apples resulting in range of desired characteristics. Cultivars vary in their yield and the ultimate size of the tree, even when grown on the same rootstock.

At least 55 million tons of apples were grown worldwide in 2005, with a value of about $10 billion. China produced about 35% of this total. The United States is the second leading producer, with more than 7.5% of the world production. Turkey, France, Italy and Iran are among the leading apple exporters.

Storage:

Commercially, apples can be stored for some months in controlled-atmosphere chambers to delay ethylene-induced onset of ripening. Ripening begins when the fruit is removed. For home storage, most varieties of apple can be stored for approximately two weeks, when kept at the coolest part of the refrigerator (i.e. below 5°C). Some types of apple, including the Granny Smith and Fuji, have an even longer shelf life.

Health benefits:

The marketing slogan and proverb addresses the health effects of the fruit: "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." Research suggests that apples may reduce the risk of colon cancer, prostate cancer and cancer. Compared to many other fruits and vegetables, apples contain relatively low amounts of Vitamin C as well as several of other antioxidant compounds. The fiber content, while less than in most other fruits, helps regulate bowel movements and may thus reduce the risk of colon cancer. They may also help with heart disease, weight loss and controlling cholesterol, as they do not have any cholesterol, have fiber, which reduces cholesterol by preventing reabsorption, and are bulky for their caloric content like most fruits and vegetables.

There is evidence that in vitro apples possess phenolic compounds which may be cancer-protective and demonstrate antioxidant activity. The predominant phenolic phytochemicals in apples are quercetin, epicatechin, and procyanidin B2.

The seeds are mildly poisonous, containing a small amount of amygdalin, a cyanogenic glycoside; usually not enough to be dangerous to humans, but it can deter birds.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Cutting fish :

Rub your hands with salt and lemon juice to remove fish odors.

VEGETABLE PULLAO

Tehri is the name given to the vegeterian version of the dish and is very popular in Indian and Pakistani homes. Vegetarian version might have some textured vegetable protein based protein balls give a meat-like texture. The difference between biryani and pullao is that while pullao may be made by cooking the items together, biryani, is used to denote a dish where the rice is cooked separately from the other ingredients.

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 2 cup

Onion - 1

Ginger - ½ Inch

Garlic - 7 cloves

Green chilies - 4 (or to your taste)

Vegetable - potato, carrot, capsicum (bell pepper), green beans, peas (any vegetable you like)

Cashews – 7(soaked for about 15 mins)

Salt – to taste

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Curd - ½ cup

Pepper powder – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Chillie powder – 2 tsps

To seasoning:

Cloves - 5

Cinnamon – 1 inch piece

Cardamom - 2

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Bay leaf – 2

Method:

1. Make a paste out of ginger, garlic, green chillies, curd, cashews and turmeric.

2. Cut the vegetables in cubes. Mix with half of the paste and set aside for ½ hour.

3. Soak the rice for ½ hour.

4. Now in cooker or big pan heat oil add all the seasoning. Once it starts to splatter.

5. Add the onion and sauté for 5 mins or until it becomes golden brown.

6. Now add the remaining paste and mix well. Occasionally stirring.

7. Now add the vegetable mixture and add 1 cup of water and cover with a lid for 10 mins.

8. Now add the salt, chili powder, pepper powder, cumin powder. And let it cook for about 10 more mins.

9. Now drain the excess water from the rice and add the rice slowly.

10. Cover with a tight lid. And cook in med low flame for about 30 mins or until the rice is cooked well.

11. Serve hot with raita and salads.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Little snack on the go :

Carry an orange with you wherever you go, they come in their own covered container so you can just peel and eat orange segments whenever the snack craze occurs.

SAMBAR

This is an Indian dish made out of lentils. You can either eat with breakfast like (Dosai, idli,vadai, etc) or with white rice.

Ingredients:

Toor Dal - 3/4 cup (pressure cooked)

Onions - 1

Tomato - 1

Green chilies - 2or up to your taste

Vegetables - Pumpkin, carrots, bell pepper, radish, potato , etc ( any vegetable u like)

tamarind paste - 2 tsps

chili powder - 2 tsps

TO SEASONING :

mustard - 1 tsp

urad dal - 1 tsp

curry leaves - few sprigs

dry red chilies - 2

1. First pressure cook the toor dal(lentils)

2. In a pan pour 3 tsps of oil and then add mustard seeds, urad dal, dry red chills, curry leaves and wait for one minute.

3. Add the sliced onions, tomatoes and green chilies.

4. Saute for 5 minutes. Add all the cubed vegetables.

5. Saute for 10 minutes and then add the tamarind paste with 1 cup of water. Add salt.

6. Close with a lid for 15 mins.

7. Take the pressure cook lentils and just viper it in the blender for 30 secs.

8. Now add the lentils to the boiling mixture. Set in med low for 15 mins. Garnish with cilantro.

9. Serve hot with idli, dosai, vadai or with white rice.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Stainless steel sink:

Use vinegar to clean the stainless steel sink. It will really make it shine.

EGG PLANT(BRINJAL) GRAVY

This is famous egg plant(brinjal) gravy for briyani.

Ingredients:

Egg plant - 5

Onion - 1/2 Medium

Tamarind paste - 1/4 cup

Chili power - 2 tsps (or) depends on how spicy you eat.

pepper corns - 2 tsps

Salt

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Oil - 4 tbsps

Water - 1 cup

Method:

1. Add 3 tbsps of oil in a pan and add sliced onions, saute for 2 mins.

2. Add the egg plant and fry for 10-15 mins.

3. After that add the tamarind paste with chili power, salt, turmeric and then add 1 cup water.

4. Let it boil and until it makes a gravy form.

5. After that in a separate pan add 1 tbsp of oil add the peppercorns let it sizzle and then add it to the gravy. Stand for one 1 min. Serve hot with white rice or Briyani.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Sticky dosai:
Rub slices of onion on dosai tawa (griddle) before spreading dosai. This will avoid the dosai from stubbornly sticking to the griddle or tawa.

NEWS FOR THE MONTH

CHOOSE WISELY:

Grapes:

Twenty grapes equals about 100 calories.

Butter:

About 1 tablespoon of butter equals 100 calories.

Raisins:

1/4 cup equals about 100 calories.

Apples:

There are about 100 calories in a large apple.

Strawberries:

About 1 1/3 cups of strawberries equals 100 calories.

Celery:

About 4 cups of celery equals 100 calories.

Pears:

About two medium fresh pears equal 100 calories.

Oranges:

There is about 100 calories in a large orange.

Lettuce:

It takes about 2 large heads to equal 100 calories.

Cantaloupe:

1 medium cantaloupe equals about 100 calories.

Cottage Cheese:

There is about 100 calories in 5 tablespoons of regular cottage cheese.

Green Beans:

2 1/2 cups of green beans equals about 100 calories.

Macaroni:

There is about 100 calories in 3/4 cup of cooked macaroni.

Mayonnaise:

There is about 100 calories in a tablespoon of regular mayonnaise.

Corn:

Approximately 1/3 cup of corn equals 100 calories

Choose your food wisely! Stay healthy!

TIP OF THE WEEK

Peeling Garlic:

The easiest and quickest way to peel garlic is to crush a clove with the flat side of a large knife. Once it is crushed, the peel can be removed easily. Since the clove it flattened, it also makes it very easy to dice the garlic.

CHANNA MASALA

Ingredients:

Channa(Garbanzo beans) - 1 cup (Soaked for about 3-4 hrs.)

Onion – 1

Tomato – 1

Garlic - 5 cloves

Green chilies – 3

Chili powder – 2 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tsp

Cashews – 5 (Optional)

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Oil – 1 tbsp

Cumin seeds – ½ tsp

Salt – to taste

Cilantro - few

Method:

1. Pressure cook soaked channa dal for 3 whistles.

2. Grind tomato,garlic, 1/2 onion,and cashews to a nice paste.

3. Heat a pan add oil, Once oil is heated add cumin seeds and garam masala powder.

4. Add onion and green chilies. Saute for 5 mins.

5. Then add the grind paste and let it boil for 10 mins.

6. Now add the pressure cooked channa dal, add salt and chili powder.

7. Add a cup of water. Cover and cook in med low heat for about 20 mins.

8. Garnish with cilantro.

9. Serve hot with Chappati, poori, Bhature.

IDLI BATTER

Idli is made in India and very widely popular. The main thing about it, it needs to ferment very nicely. When you keep on doing it you will get it.(practice makes perfect) This batter is also used to make dosai,kuzhi paniaaram,etc., (i will write this one separately)

Ingredients:

Urad dal - 1 cup
Par boiled rice - 4 cups
(soak for 3 to 4 hours)
Salt
(If you are going to use a grinder you can even have 5 cups of rice to 1 cup of urad dal.)

Method:

1. Nicely grind urad dal in the blender(Grinder would be perfect)

2.Coarsely grind rice (Not very coarsely)

3.For every cup add less than 3/4 but more than 1/2tsp of salt.

4.Add salt and mix both the batter and leave for one night.

5.It's needs to ferment nicely if not idli's won't be good.

6. Once it's fermented take the idli moulds and pour some batter and steam the idlis on pressure cooker for 10 mins.

7. You can also make dosai with the same batter. 


Tips and warning:

The batter has to come up fermenting otherwise you won't get good idli's.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Dehydrate the residue of coconut used for coconut milk by drying in the sun. This dried flaked coconut can be used in dry chutneys, sweets, masalas, etc.

CARROT HALWA

Carrot Halwa :

Ingredients :

Carrot ( Grated) 1 Cup

Milk 3/4 Cup

Sugar 1/2 Cup

Ghee 100 gms

Method :

1. Heat ghee in a pan.

2. Add shredded carrots and stir well until the color changes.

3. Mix sugar and stir well until the sugar get completely mixed with the carrots.

4.Add the milk and keep stirring until the milk totally get absorbed with the mixture.

5.Garnish with cashews.

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Tomato chutney :

Ingredients:

To Grind :

Onion - 1

Tomato - 1/2

Salt to taste

For seasoning :

Oil - 2 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method:

1. Grind onion and tomato for 3 - 4 mins.

2. In a heavy pan add the oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves & add the onion & tomato paste.

3. Saute for 5 mins or until it's little thick,add salt mix well.

4. Good to go with breakfast items.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Candles :


Place candles in a dish of water while burning. They will last longer.

BUTTER CHICKEN

Butter chicken is an Indian dish from the Punjab region popular in countries all over the world that have a tradition of Indian restaurants. While the dish's general recipe is well known, the actual flavour can vary from restaurant to restaurant even within India. Butter chicken is usually served with naan, roti, parathas or steamed rice.

Ingredients:

For Chicken :

1 whole cleaned chicken
1 tsp. Red Chili Powder
1 tsp. Lemon Juice
1 tsp. Butter for basting
Salt according to taste

For Marination :

1 tbsp. Curd/Yogurt
2 tbsp. each of Ginger- Garlic paste
1 tbsp. Red chili powder
2 tsp. Oil
1 tsp. Lemon juice
Salt according to taste

For Gravy/Sauce :

1 tsp.Whole garam masala
400 GMS. Tomato puree
100 ml. Fresh cream/ Malai
2 tsp. Sugar
1 tsp. each of Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tsp.chopped Green chilies
1 tsp. Red chili powder
1/2 tsp.Garam masala powder
1/2 tsp. Kastoori (dried fenugreek leaves) methi
50 GMS Butter
Salt according to taste

Method :
1.Make incisions with a sharp knife on breast and leg pieces of the chicken.

2.Now rub it in the above mentioned mixture and leave it aside for half an hour.

3.Remove whey of Curd/Yogurt by hanging it in a muslin cloth for 15-20 minutes.

4.Mix all the Marination ingredients to the yogurt.

5.Apply this marinade onto the chicken pieces and refrigerate for 4-5 hrs.

6.Put the chicken on to the skewers and cook in a moderately hot tandoor or a preheated oven (200 degrees C or 400 degree F) until almost done.

7.Baste it with butter and cook for another 3 minutes.

8.Remove and keep aside.

9.Heat butter in a pan.

10.Add whole garam masala, let it crackle and then add Ginger- Garlic paste, and chopped green chilies.

11.Cook for 2 minutes.

12.Add tomato puree, red chili powder, garam masala powder, salt and one cup of water.

13.Bring it to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes.

14.Add sugar and kastoori (dried fenugreek leaves) methi.

15.Add cooked tandoori chicken pieces.

16.Simmer for 5 minutes and then add fresh cream.

17.Serve hot with naan or kulchas.

TIP OF THE WEEK

Nuts!

If I am not planning to use nuts immediately, I like to store them in the freezer to preserve their freshness. They will also crack more easily after freezing.

POORI

Poori are puffed indian bread which are unleavened.





Ingredients:
Wheat flour - 2 cups
Salt - to taste
Oil - 2 tsps
Water - enough to make dough
Oil for deep frying


Method:
1. Sift wheat flour and salt together. Add the the 2 tsps oil and enough water to make a dough.
2. Knead the dough well and set aside for half hour. cover the dough with damp cloth.
3. After the half hour knead the dough again and make small balls (Ping pong ball size)
4. Roll it with a rolling pin appox. 2 and half to 3" diameter.
5. Heat the oil in a deep frying pan.
6. When the oil is hot enough fry one by one until golden brown on each side.

CHICKEN KOZHAMBU

1. Chicken kozhambu (curry) is basically a authentic dish in India.
   
   Ingredients:
   1-1.5lb chicken
   2 big Onions
   2 big Tomatoes
   2 to 3 tsp Ginger garlic paste
   1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
   2 to 2 1/2 tsp Chili powder
   1/2 tsp Coriander powder
   1/2 tsp Cumin seed powder
   1 tsp Garam masala
   Salt to taste
   1 tsp Oil
   Coriander leaves and Curry leaves
   
   Method:

1. In a large pan, heat oil and add the garam masala items and onions.
2. Saute the onions for a while.
3. Then, add the ginger garlic paste and saute.
4. Then, add the tomatoes, turmeric powder, chili powder , coriander powder, cumin seed powder and salt.
5. Fry this mixture for a while maybe adding a little bit of water.
6. Then, add the chicken pieces with some water so that the chicken pieces are covered with water.

7. Cover the pan with a lid and allow to cook for 1/2-1 hr.
8. Once the oil starts to come out to the top, the kozhambu is done (the consistency should be like a gravy)
9. Serve hot with chappatis, poori, or white rice.