Quick Pasta

Pasta is something that I prepare for breakfast. I've never been able to shoot it until today. This is easy to prepare and I would suggest adding more chopped coriander leaves/parsley; the more the tastier. It add lovely flavor and taste to the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Pasta 1 cup (I used 100% Durum wheat)
Bell Peppers 4 tbsp (all 3 colors mixed)
Finely chopped Vegetables 3 tbsp (Carrot and Beans)
Finely chopped Garlic 1 tbsp
Finely chopped coriander leaves 3 tbsp
Tomato Ketchup 4 tbsp
Chilli Sauce 1 tbsp
Olive Oil 2 tbsp

Preparation:

Chop Garlic, Bell Peppers, Vegetables and Coriander Leaves into very fine pieces. Steam or cook the chopped vegetables.

Method:

Boil water in a pan with salt and 2-3 drops of olive oil. Add Pasta and cook till done. Go by the instructions of the pack. 

When it is boiling, heat oil in a pan. Add chopped Garlic and chopped Bell Peppers. Fry for a minute and then add the cooked Vegetables and Coriander Leaves. Add a pinch of Salt, Ketchup, Chilli sauce and give it a mix. Switch off the flame.

When pasta is done, strain and reserve 2-3 tbsp of that water.

Now add strained pasta to the pan. Add the reserved water and fry for few more minutes until done.

Serve hot.

Serves: 1

Notes:

Increase other ingredients more if need to serve for more. Increase chilli sauce according to your taste and preference. 

Vegetables in Milk Gravy

I am little bored with preparing Tomato or Onion based gravies to serve with Chapati. Some time back, I tried vegetables with Masala and milk alone. I didn’t like its taste much and so didn’t prepare it again.

When I came across Green Peas in Milk gravy in Tarla Dalal’s website, got very excited and prepared immediately with mixed vegetables and adjusting to my taste. Though this is a milk based gravy, Tomatoes and Onions are used but in small quantities. We liked its taste and decided to prepare this often.

Ingredients:

• Mixed Vegetables 1 cup (Peas, Carrot and Beans)
• Onion (small) 1
• Ginger-Garlic Paste 1 tsp
• Chilli Powder ½ tsp
• Coriander Powder ½ tsp 
• Cumin Powder ¼ tsp
• Garam Masala 1/8 tsp
• Kasoori Methi ¼ cup
• Milk 1 ¼ cups
• Maida ½ tsp
• Cream 1 tsp
• Cloves 2
• Cumin and Aniseeds 1/8 tsp each
• Butter and Oil

To grind:

• Tomato (medium) 1
• Onion (small) 1

Preparation:

Cut Tomatoes into four halves. Chop Onion into pieces. Chop Vegetables into medium pieces lengthwise.

Method:

• Heat little in a Pan. Add chopped Onions and fry till translucent. Now add chopped Tomatoes and fry till its skin separates. Keep it aside to cool and then grind.
• Pressure cook the Vegetables for one whistle.
• Heat Butter and Oil in a Pan. When hot, add Cloves, Cumin and Aniseeds. When the seeds crackle, add the Ginger-Garlic Paste and chopped Onions.
• When Onions turn slightly brown, add Tomato-Onion Paste. Fry till the Oil separates. Now add the cooked Vegetables, Kasoori Methi and all the Powders.
• Mix well. Fry for a while and then add Maida mixed in 1 ¼ cup of Milk and Salt. Allow to boil.
• When it is almost done, add Garam Masala and Cream. Mix well. Boil for few more minutes and then serve.

Serves: 2

Serve with Chapati or any Indian Bread.

Notes: Cauliflower can also be added. Adding cream is optional.

Vegetable Kurma with Coconut Cream Powder

I didnt get fresh coconut here last week. So bought this Coconut Cream Powder and Frozen Shredded coconut. I have never used this Cream Powder before. When made today, it came out really tasty and I have decided to make this often. I didn’t add too many spices and this is a perfect match with Biryani.

Ingredients:

Mixed Vegetables (Carrot and Beans) ½ cup (350ml cup)

Pearl Onions 12

Tomato (small) 2

Dried Red Chillies 3

Chilli Powder ½ tsp

Coriander Powder 1 tsp

Cumin Powder ¼ tsp

Ginger Garlic Paste 1 tsp

Kasoori Methi ¾ tsp (Optional)

Coconut Cream Powder 2 tsp

Cloves 2

Green Cardamom 2

Cumin 1/8 tsp

Salt

Butter + Oil

Preparation:

Chop Vegetables into medium pieces. Peel and cut Onions into two halves. Cut Tomatoes into four equal halves.

Method:

Heat little Oil in a Pan. Add Chillies and Onions. When they turn slightly brown, add the chopped Tomatoes. Fry till the Oil separates. Keep it aside and grind when cooled.

Heat the same Pan with enough Butter and Oil. Add Cumin, Cloves and Cardamom. When they turn slightly brown, add Ginger-Garlic Paste. Fry for a while and then add all the powders except Coconut Cream Powder. Now pour in the ground Tomato-Onion-Chillies Paste. Mix well and fry for few more minutes.

Now add Kasoori Methi, Vegetables, Water, Salt and  Coconut Cream Powder. Cook till the gravy reduces and done.

Serves: 2

Serve with Biryani or Pulav or Chapati.

Notes: Coconut Cream Powder can be substituted with normal Coconut Powder or fresh/frozen shredded coconut. If using big Tomatoes, use only one as this an Onion based gravy.

Subz Makhani

Everyone of us like Paneer Makhani. Have you heard of Subz Makhani? I saw this interesting recipe in Tarla Dalal’s CookBook. When I tried this two weeks back with few modifications, it came out amazing. We have become fans of this Gravy and so started making this  often.

Here is the tasty recipe.

Ingredients:

Mixed Vegetables (Peas, Beans,Cauliflower and Carrot) 1 cup

Paneer 4-6 cubes

Onion(Medium) 1

Tomatoes (Medium) 3

Ginger-Garlic Paste 1 tsp

Chilli Powder ½ tsp

Coriander Powder ¾ tsp

Cumin Powder ¼ tsp

Garam Masala 1/8 tsp

Cashews 6

Cream 2 tbsp

Kasoori Methi ¾ tsp

Tomato Ketchup 1 tbsp

Sugar 1/8 tsp

Cloves 2

Cumin 1/8 tsp

Milk ¼ cup

Water ½ cup

Salt

Butter + Oil

Preparation:

Chop Onions into fine pieces and Vegetables into medium pieces. Soak Cashews in Water for one hour. Soak Paneer in Milk for 15 mins.

Method:

Cut Tomatoes. Grind along with Cashews and strain.

Heat Butter and Oil in a Pan. When hot, add Cumin and Cloves. When Cumin seeds start cracking, add Ginger-Garlic paste and chopped Onions.

When they turn slightly brown, add strained Tomato Paste. Fry till the oil separates. Now add all the Powders, Kasoori Methi, Cream, Ketchup and Sugar. Mix well.

When it starts boiling, add the vegetables and Water. Continue to boil. When it is almost done, add Paneer along with milk. Simmer for 5 more minutes or till done.

Serves: 2

Serve with Chapati or any Indian Bread.

Linking this recipe to Priya & Aipi's Bookmarked Recipes Event-- Every Tuesday.

Mixed Vegetable Fried Rice

Vegetable Fried Rice is prepared adding already cooked rice with the vegetables cooked with Masala. Unlike Biryani, less spices are used here with no layering, making it easy to prepare and yet flavorful.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 1 ½ cups (200ml cup)

Mixed Vegetables 1cup (Carrots, Beans, Peas and Cabbage)

Onion (Big) 1

Tomato (small) 1

Green Chillies 1-2

Chilli Powder ½ tsp

Coriander Powder ¾ tsp

Turmeric Powder 1/8 tsp

Garam Masala 1/8 tsp

Ginger-Garlic Paste 1 tbsp

Pudina and Coriander Leaves Few

Water

Salt

Butter and Oil

Whole Garam Masala

Aniseeds and Cumin 1/8 tsp each

Cloves 2

Green Cardamom 2

Bay Leaf 1

Cinnamon a small piece

Preparation:

Soak Rice for 30-45 minutes. Slit Chillies. Chop Onion into very thin pieces (lengthwise).

Cut and grind Tomato into a fine paste.

Method:

Cook Rice with 2-3 drops of oil. Drain the excess water and allow it to cool. Spread the grains in a wide and big plate so that its moisture is lost.

In a Pan, heat Butter and Oil. Add the whole Garam Masala. Few seconds later, add Ginger-Garlic Paste. When they turn slightly brown, add Chillies, Coriander Leaves, Pudina and chopped Onions. Fry till Onions turn slightly brown.

Now add Tomato Paste. Fry till its raw smell goes off. Now add all the Powders and fry till the oil separates.

Now add the chopped Vegetables and Salt. Mix well. Fry on a medium to low flame till they are cooked.

Add now the cooked Rice and mix well.

Serves: 2

Serve with Raita.

Notes:

I used a Kadai to cook Rice. If Pressure cooker is used, cook for 1 whistle and ratio of rice: water is 1:2.

Vegetables like Cauliflower and Capscium can also be used.

Avial

Avial is a healthy food as it is a mixture of 4-5 vegetables and is a great combination to Sambar. My Mom makes this Avial whenever we are all at home together or during festival days. I learnt from wiki that Bhima invented Aviyal. Very Surprising,, Isnt It??

Here goes the recipe:
 

Chopped Vegetables for Avial

Ingredients:

Drumstick 2

Brinjal (small) 2

Green(Unripe) Banana / Vazhakkai (small) 2

Cluster Beans 5

Carrot 1

Cumin / Jeeragam ¾ tsp

Green Chillies 3-4

Curd/Yoghurt  5-6 tsp

Grated Cocount 5tsp

Salt

Water

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds 1 tsp

Curry Leaves 5

Pearl Onions 3

Coconut Oil

Method:

Chop Vegetables lengthwise. Chop Pearl Onions.

Cut Brinjal into four pieces. Grate Coconut.

Grind together: Coconut, Chillies and Cumin.

Preparation:

Heat Pan. Add chopped Vegetables. Add water well enough to cover the vegetables. Cook on a medium flame till done.

Add Coconut Paste and Salt. Fry for five more minutes.  

Heat Oil in a Pan. When hot, add Mustard Seeds. When Popped, reduce flame and add Curry Leaves, Pearl Onions. Fry till the Onions become translucent. Pour this seasoning into the Avial.

Mix Curd / Yoghurt with the Avial just before Serving.

Serves: 4

Serve with Rice and Sambar.


Note: Prepare Sambar which does not include those vegetables in Avial like Pumpkin Sambar, Hyacinth/Indian Beans (Avaraikkai) Sambar, Ivy Gourd (Kovakkai) Sambar. 

Vegetable Kurma

Everyone is fond of their Mom's recipes like me. There are some recipes, how much ever tried cannot beat Mom's taste.

This is one such recipe. My husband says it is good and the Kurma vansihes soon when served. But I feel still something is missing to reach Mom's Kurma.

Here goes the Recipe..

Drumstick and Peas Kurma

Ingredients:

Large Ripe Tomatoes 2

Vegetables 

Garlic Cloves 2

Finely Chopped Ginger 1 tsp

Sambar Powder 2 ¼  tbsp

Grated Coconut 4 tsp

Pearl Onions 5

Tamarind (small gooseberry size)
Mustard Seeds 1 tsp
Urad Dhal 1/2 tsp

Curry Leaves 5

Salt

Sesame Oil

Water 4 cups

Preparation:

Cut Vegetables into pieces. Peel and chop Pearl Onions.

Peel Garlic. Chop Ginger. Cut Tomatoes into four pieces.

Method:

Heat little Oil in a Pan. Add Chopped Ginger and Garlic. When they change their colour, add Chopped Tomatoes. Fry on a low flame till the raw smell off and the skin of the Tomatoes slightly separates. Grind it to a smooth Paste once cooled.

Heat enough Oil in the same Pan. Add Mustard seeds, when they start popping up, add Urad Dhal. Few seconds later add Curry Leaves and Onions. Fry till Onions become translucent. Add the Tomato-Garlic-Ginger paste. Fry on a medium flame till the oil separates.

Add Vegetables and Sambar Powder. Fry for 2-3 minutes so that the Sambar Powder gets mixed well with the vegetables. Add Salt and enough water. Boil on a medium to high flame. When the Kurma starts thickening, add grated coconut. Boil for 5-10 minutes till done. Now add tamarind paste and boil for few more minutes.

Serves: 2-3

Serve with Rice with any Non-Spicy Poriyal/DryCurry like Carrot-Cabbage Poriyal. This can be served with Chapati and Poori too ..

Combinations of Vegetables used:

• Drumstick and Potato 

• Drumstick and Peas
• Peas, Beans and Carrot
• Peas, Beans, Carrot and Cauliflower (Cauliflower can be soaked in hot water for some time and then added)
• Peas and Cauliflower

Note:

This Kurma tastes better only if Tomatoes are fried for a long time (before grinding) and more Sesame Oil is used.

Sambar



Mullangi (Radish) Sambar

Sambar is one such recipe that is prepared at least 2-3 times a week at every Tamil Home.

I came to know from a TV History news that Sambar came to existence during the period of a Tanjore King called Shahji. I checked with wikipedia and found to be correct.

Coming to the history, Shahji was fond of a dish called Amti which could not be prepared as some of the ingredients were out of stock. So he experimented with Tamarind, Vegetables and Pulses available here. It was also served to his cousin, Sambaji who visited him. Everyone enjoyed and named it Sambar after the Guest, Sambaji.

Ingredients:

Vegetables ¾ cup (350ml cup)

Ripe Tomato (Medium) 2

Toor Dhal ¾ cup (200ml cup)

Sambar Powder 2 tbsp or to taste

Turmeric Powder  ¼  tsp

Asafoetida crystal  1 / Asafoetida Powder 2 Pinch

Water 4-5 tbsp (for Tamarind Juice)

Tamarind  ‘Gooseberry or Nellikkai’ (small) size

Salt 1 ¾ tsp or to taste

Water 5 cups (approx) (350ml cup)

For Seasoning:

Mustard Seeds 1 tsp

Split Urad Dhal ½ tsp

Pearl Onions 5

Curry Leaves 4

Coriander Few

Sesame Oil

Preparation:

Cut Tomato into halves.

Cut vegetables into pieces.

Soak Tamarind in 4 tbsp of water only for 2 mins. Extract Juice.

Chop Pearl Onions and Coriander.

Method:

Cook Toor Dhal till it turns to a paste.

Heat Pan or Kadai. Add Vegetables and Sambar Powder. Fry without oil for 2-5 mins on a low flame. Add cooked Toor Dhal. Squeeze Juice from Tomato. Add it along with its skin. Add enough Water, Turmeric Powder, Asafoetida , Salt and stir well.

Boil till Vegetables & Tomatoes are cooked and the raw smell goes off. Add the Strained Tamarind Juice. Boil for five more minutes.

Seasoning:

Heat Oil in a Pan. When hot, add Mustard seeds. When popped, reduce flame and add Urad Dhal. Few seconds later, add Pearl Onions and Curry Leaves.

When onions turn translucent, switch off flame and add Coriander. Mix well. Add this seasoning to Cooked Sambar.

Serves : 4

Serve with Rice and any Poriyal/Dry Curry.

Note:

Toor Dhal can be soaked for 30-45 minutes to make it cook well and faster. It is necessary to soak Toor Dhal if water used for cooking is hard water.

Tamarind Juice should not be thick as we add Tomato too. So do not extract more Juice from Tamarind or do not soak for longer time.

Also Sambar should be little watery and not very thick.

Sambar can also be made only with Pearl Onions and without vegetables. This is called as Vengaya Sambar (Onion Sambar) and this goes well with Idli, Pongal or Dosa rather than with Rice.

Suggestions for Vegetables that can be used in Sambar:

Brinjal (Kathirikkai Sambar)

Chayote (Chow Chow Sambar)

Drumstick (Murungakkai Sambar)

Drumstick Leaves (Murungai Ilai or Murungai Keerai Sambar) (Do not add leaves initially; add them later as they cook faster).

Hyacinth/Indian Beans (Avaraikkai Sambar)
Ivy Gourd (Kovakkai Sambar)

Okra / Ladys Finger (Vendakkai Sambar)

Radish  (Mullangi Sambar)

Raw Mango (Mangai Sambar)

White Pumpkin (Vellai Poosanikkai Sambar)

Combinations:

Beans and Carrot

Drumstick and Brinjal

Drumstick and Hyacinth/Indian Beans

Drumstick and Raw Mango (Use only one Tomato)

Drumstick and Radish

Drumstick, Raw Mango and Jackfruit Seeds (Use only one Tomato)

Drumstick and Jackfruit Seeds

Drumstick and White Pumpkin. You can also try Yellow Pumpkin (Manjal Poosanikkai). But it gives a sweet taste.

While preparing Sambar with Raw Mango, do not add them initially add them later when sambar boils well and other vegetables are almost cooked (if added). Also cut Raw Mango into larger pieces.