Coconut Rice

I made Coconut Rice for the Variety Rice plate.. This rice itself is a complete meal. It is a dish with no onions & garlic so it can be made on pooja days as well..

Ingredients:

Cooked Rice - 1.5 cup
Fresh Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Salt to taste
For tempering:
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Channa Dal - 1 tsp
Cashews - 4 to 5  ( broken into pieces)
Asafoetida - a generous pinch
Green Chillies - 2 (cut into slits)
Red Dried Chillies -  2
Curry Leaves - 1 sprig
Coriander Leaves for garnish
Appalam/Urad Papad - 2 (broken) (optional)
Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add Channa Dal, Urad Dal, green & red chillies, cashews and appalam.
2. Once the appalams are fried,  dals & cashews turn light brown, add curry leaves & asafoetida.
3. Add grated coconut and saute for 1 to 2 mins
4. Add cooked rice & salt & mix for another 2 to 3 mins till the rice is thoroughly mixed.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves & serve hot.

Eggless Vanilla Sponge

My daughter is now going to school.. She wanted cake for Friday's Snack box.. I made this Eggless Vanilla Sponge which she loved and the recipe is so simple that it can be made easily.

Ingredients:

Self-raising flour - 1 cup (125 gms)
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp
Unsalted Butter (Melted) - 60 ml (1/4 cup)
Condensed Milk - 1/2 tin (200 ml)
Vanilla Essence - 1 tsp
Milk - 80 ml (1/3 cup)

Method:

1. Pre-heat Oven in 120 deg for 10 mins. Grease & dust the baking time (5'X5') square tin.
2. Sieve flour & baking soda separately
3. Combine all wet ingredients (butter, condensed milk, vanilla essence & milk)
4. Pour-in sieved flour & soda mix in wet ingredients
5. Mix all with an electric hand mixer for less than a minute without any lumps
6. Bake at 150 deg for 50 mins and then increase the temperature to 180 deg & again bake for 10 mins

Tips:

• If you do not have self-raising flour, you can use 1 cup all purpose flour & 1 tsp of baking powder and sieve well
• You may serve this cake with whipped cream, chocolate jam or with hot tea
• You may add dry fruits & nuts to give a bite to the cake
• This cake can be used also for Desserts, Truffles, etc.

Brunch Menu - North Indian Thali (Simple)

Hi.. I am going to put up few Brunch Menu to make on Weekends or special days like Birthday or Festivals.

Last Sunday I made North Indian Thali... which consisted of

1. Bhindi Masala

2. Lasooni Dhuli Moong Dal

3. Boondi Raita

4. Phulkas

5. Rice

6. Mirchi ka Achar

Lasooni Dhuli Moong Dal

LASOONI DHULI MOONG DAL

This is the Simplest Dal EVER!!!. I prepare this when I am too Lazy or need to prepare dal in a jiffy...

Ingredients:

Dhuli Moong Dal - 1 cup
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 2 to 3 (Slits)
Garlic Cloves - 6 to 7
Oil for tempering
Jeera - 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Lemon Juice - 1.5 tsp (approx. 1/2 lemon)
Green Coriander for Garnish

Method:

1. Pressure Cook Dal with Salt & Garlic Cloves & Turmeric Powder
2. Heat oil in tempering Kadai, add Jeera & Green Chillies. Let it splutter for 30 secs.
3. Pour the temper over dal & add water if required
4. Add Lemon juice & coriander for garnish.

Bhindi Masala

BHINDI MASALA

A perfect side dish for rotis or rice.

Ingredients:

Bhindi/Okra -  2 cups, cut into slits

Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp

Onion - 1 (Chopped)

Tomato -  1 (Chopped)

Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp

Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1.5 tsp

Garam Masala Powder - 1.5 tsp

Amchur Powder - 1/4 tsp

Salt to taste

Oil - 2 tbsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Method:

• Heat Oil in Kadai, add Jeera, Ginger-garlic paste, onions & Tomatoes. Fry till it is cooked.
• Add all dry masalas & add Bhindi. 
• Cover & cook till bhindi is cooked. Add salt & saute for 2 mins and serve hot.

Jam Jam Jammy

I made Jam Biscuits..last weekend.. and My Daughter loved it... hope you all will like it....

Ingredients:
Flour - 1 Cup Butter - 4 1/2 tbsp Powdered Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp Mixed Fruit Jam - 2 to 3 tbsp 

Method:

1. Pre-Heat Oven at 165 degrees for 10 mins
2. Cream Powered Sugar & Butter till sugar is mixed well with butter
3. Add Vanilla essence, Flour & knead to a dough. (if the dough is too dry add milk otherwise not required)
4. Chill the dough for 10 to 15 mins.
5. Make 25 equal sized balls from the dough & flatten it.
6. Make a small thumb impression on each flattened dough & scoop 1/4 tsp of Jam in each
7. Bake it for 15 to 20 mins at 165 degrees. Cool it on Wire Rack for 1 hr & store it in Air Tight Container

Tips:

• You can use other types of Jams to give a flavor twist.
• Please be very careful while taking out the done cookies out of the oven as the jam will be Super Hot....

Sweet Modak (Kozhukattai)

Hi... Sorry for posting this after two weeks of Ganesh Chaturthi... But I was so held up that I could not post it at that time. I made these & came out to be very tasty on Ganesh Chaturthi. This is especially for those who do not know how to make modaks. It is very simple recipe taught by my Chachi (Chitti) Radha.. who is one of my inspirations to cook..

This can also be made during Navarathri especially on Saraswathi Poojai which falls on the 9th day of the Navarathri Festival.

Ingredients:

For Stuffing:

Grated Fresh Coconut - 1 cup
Grated Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Cardamom Powder - a generous pinch

For Dough:

Rice Flour - 1 cup
Water - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Oil - as needed

Method:

1. For preparing the stuffing, heat a heavy bottom pan, add Coconut & jaggery
2. Keep stirring till the jaggery melts & combines well with coconut. Saute till both are mixed well & forms a lump. Add Cardamom powder & remove from heat to let it cool. Make 10 to 15 small balls from it.
3. For preparing dough, boil water in a pan rigorously, take a tbsp. of rice flour & mix with 2 tbsp. of boiling water separately in a bowl.
4. Add this mix to boiling water to prevent lumps when you add entire portion of rice flour (This tip was given by my Chachi!!)
5. Add the entire portion of rice flour gradually while stirring it continuously.
6. Stir until Thick lump is formed. Let the rice flour mix cool
7. Dab some oil on your palms & knead the rice dough
8. Make 10 to 15 small balls, make small cups out of those balls & stuff the prepared coconut stuffing, thereby, making modaks.
9. Steam those modaks for 10 mins in a bamboo steamer/idly cooker

Tips:

• Step no. 4 is very important to avoid lumps in the rice flour dough.
• Measurement of Rice Flour to water is 2:1.