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.