Chickpea Cutlets with Guacamole

Ingredients:

Chickpea(channa) - 1 cup, soaked in water for 8 hours

Potato(skin peeled) - 1

Bread  Crumbs - 1/2 cup

Coriander leaves - chopped, a handful

Salt - according to taste

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 3/4 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Method:

Pressure cook chickpea and potato together until soft and done. Set aside and let it cool. Drain the water and add spice powders, coriander leaves and salt. Add half of the bread crumbs to the chickpea mixture and spread the rest in a plate. Mash the mixture with your hand well. Form balls, flatten, coat both sides with bread crumbs.

Heat 1 tsp of oil in a flat non stick pan. Place cutlets, drizzle a few drops of oil around the corners and shallow fry on one side for about 3-4 minutes or til golden brown on low flame. Flip them around, drizzle few drops of oil and fry till golden brown for 3 minutes (on low flame).

Serve hot with tomato sauce or guacamole (recipe follows).

Guacamole

Ingredients:

Avocados - 1
Red onion - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Garlic - 1 clove, minced(optional)

Ripe tomato - 1/4 cup, finely chopped

Lime Juice - 2 tbspns

Salt and Pepper to taste

Method:

Peel and mash avocados in a medium serving bowl. Stir in onion, garlic, tomato, lime juice, salt and pepper. Chill for half an hour to blend flavors.

Curry Leaves Kulambu

Ingredients:

Tamarind - 1 small lemon sized

Curry leaves - 1/2 cup, tightly packed

Sāmbar powder - 1 1/2 tbspns

Turmeric - 1/4 tsp

Small onion/Shallots - 5-7 nos., finely chopped

Garlic 10-12 flakes, chopped

Salt - as needed

Jaggery - a small piece

Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp

To temper:

Gingely oil/cooking oil -  2 tbspns

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Toor dal - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - a few (optional)

Method:

Wash curry leaves and grind it with little water to a smooth paste.

Extract tamarind juice from tamarind.

Heat a kadai with oil and add the mustard seeds. As soon as they crackle add urad dal, fenugreek seeds, cumin seeds and then toor dal and fry till golden colour.

Add the finely chopped onions and garlic and fry till golden brown.

Add the tamarind extract, ground curry leaves paste, turmeric, salt, sambar powder.

Add enough water and boil till oil separates and floats on the top. Add jaggery and pepper powder lastly and give a boil.

Mix with rice and ghee/sesame oil and enjoy!!

Recipe Courtesy: Rak's Kitchen

Roasted Garlic and Broccoli Soup

Ingredients: (Makes about 3 cups)

Broccoli - 2 cups

Low fat milk/cream - ½ cup

Curry powder (optional) - ½ tbspn

Fresh ground pepper - ½ tbspn

Roasted garlic - 3 cloves

Salt according to taste

Method:

Cut the  garlic pod horizontally into two.

In the Oven;

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Rub olive oil on the cut side of garlic and wrap them completely in aluminum foil.

Place the foil on the lower rack of the oven for about 20 minutes.

Turn of the oven after 20 minutes and allow garlic to rest for few more minutes.

Once its cool, you can squeeze the garlic and it falls of the skin.

On the Stove Top;

Rub olive oil on the cut side of the garlic and wrap them in aluminium foil. Hold the foil directly on the flame(or you can place the foil directly on the flame if you are using induction stove), till the nice aroma of the garlic comes. Turn off the stove and allow garlic to rest and remove the skins.

Pressure cook broccoli in a cooker with salt. When broccoli is cooked, blend the broccoli into creamy consistency. Now transfer the pureed broccoli to a soup pan and add milk and the roasted garlic. Now add pepper and allow it boil for 4-5 minutes.

Remove from heat and serve hot with Croutons.

Linking it to : Cooking with SJ announcement and simplyvegetarian777 announcement for the Soups with SS event

Pori Urundai(Rice Puffs Balls)

Ingredients:

Puffed rice(Pori) - 4 & 1/2 Cups(approx)

Jaggery - 1/2 cup

Cardamom - 1 no.

Water - a little to immerse jaggery

Ghee - to grease hands

Method:

Powder the jaggery and heat it with water just to immerse it in a broad vessel.

After it completely dissolves, filter it in a cloth or metal strainer to remove impurities.

Add cardamom powder to it and heat the syrup till it reaches a consistency of rolling ball. To check for the correct consistency, take water in a bowl and drop a few drops of syrup in the bowl. If the syrup doesnt dissolve immediately and able to form a loose ball and hold its shape, then the syrup is in the correct consistency.

Keep the fire in low, when the consistency is about to reach.

When the specified consistency is reached, remove immediately and add the puffed rice slowly and mix it until all the syrup in the bottom of the vessel disappears and the mixture should not stick in the hands. If its too sticky, then add more puffed rice to it and mix again.

Grease both the hands with ghee, and roll tightly into balls of your desired size.

Tips:

Roasted sesame seeds and coconut pieces can also be added.

If the mixture hardens while making balls, heat the mixture in the stove for less than a minute and roll again.

Recipe Courtsey: Rak's Kitchen

Momos with Red Hot Chutney

Momos

Ingredients:

For the Dough;

Maida - 1 cup

Oil - 1 tbspn

Salt - ¼ tsp

For the filling;

Onion - 1, chopped finely

Mushrooms - 6, chopped finely(optional)

Ginger, garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green chilies - 2, chopped finely

Carrot - 1 large, chopped finely

Cabbage - 2 ½ cups, finely chopped

Salt - 1 tsp

Pepper powder - ½ tsp

Method:

Sift maida with salt. Add oil and knead with enough water to make a stiff dough of rolling consistency, as that for puris.

Heat oil in a kadai for the filling. Add chopped onion. Fry till it turns soft. Add mushrooms and cook further for 2 minutes. Add carrot, green chilies and ginger - garlic paste. Mix well and add the cabbage. Stir fry on high flame for 3 minutes. Add salt, pepper to taste. Remove from fire.

Make marble sized balls and roll thinly, to make about 5” rounds. Put 1 heaped tbpn of the filling. Pick up the sides into loose folds like frills and keep collecting each fold in the center, to give a flattened ball like shape. Make all momos.

Place the momos in a greased idli stand and steam it in a pressure cooker with 1 cup water without the whistle for 3-4 minutes.

OR It can be baked in the oven at 200C for 5 minutes till light golden on the edges.

Serve hot with red chutney.

Recipe Courtesy: Nita Mehta

Red Chutney

Ingredients: (yields about 3/4 of a cup)
Large red bell pepper/capsicum - 1 whole + ½
Medium sized tomatoes - 2 to 3
Garlic - 2 cloves
Freshly grated coconut (optional) - 2tbspns
Olive oil - 2 tbspns
Any fresh herb (Cilantro or Curry Leaves) - a few
Sugar - ½ tsp
Salt - according to taste
Crushed red pepper (to taste, or optional)

Preparation:

Oven:

Cut the tomatoes and pepper in half.  Drizzle a tablespoon olive oil on them and toss them to coat well. Add salt and crushed red pepper and toss again. Arrange cut side down on a baking tray. Preheat oven to 450 F and bake for 30 minutes or until the skin of the pepper is blistered and dark. You can broil it for the last 5 minutes.

OR Stove Top:

You can toss the veggies with olive oil and salt and heat a skillet; roast it in the pan at very high heat until skin is charred and vegetables are softened.

Remove all the blackened skin from the tomato and the pepper.

Take the pulp of the pepper and tomatoes and combine with all the other ingredients and a tablespoon of olive oil in a food processor and process until smooth.

Kothamalli Rice(Cilantro Rice)

Ingredients:

Coriander leaves/Cilantro Leaves - 1 bunch

Rice - 2 cups

Green Chilies - 2-3

Small Onions - 4-5

Garlic - 6-7

Tamarind pulp - 1 tsp

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tsp

Gingelly oil - 1/2 tsp

Salt - according to taste

Method:

Soak rice and water for 15 minutes. Cook with 4 cups water.

Meanwhile grind together coriander, green chilies, onions, garlic, salt and tamarind pulp.

Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds and let them splutter. Now add the ground mixture and saute till the raw smell starts disappearing. When a nice aroma starts, switch off the stove. In a wide plate spread the rice, add gingelly oil. Then add the paste and mix thoroughly. Serve hot with chips.

You can store the remaining chutney in the refrigerator for a week.

Strawberry Cup Cakes

Ingredients:

Nonstick vegetable spray

All-purpose flour, for pans

Self-rising flour - 3 cups

Granulated sugar - 2 cups

Vegetable oil - 3/4 cup

Pureed and strained strawberries - 1 1 /2 cup*

Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Lemon zest - 1tsp

Eggs - 4 large, beaten

Red food coloring**

*You can use fresh or frozen strawberries.  If you use frozen, let them defrost on a cookie sheet.  Then place in a food processor or a blender and pulse until pureed.  Run through a medium-sized strainer to remove the seeds. 

**I added some food coloring to achieve that perfectly pink color.  If you don’t care about getting the pink color, feel free to leave it out.  I used about 5 drops, but you should add them one at a time until you achieve the color you are looking for.

Method:

Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Spray and flour muffin pans, tapping out excess flour; set aside.

Prepare the cake batter; in a large bowl, stir to combine self-rising flour, sugar, oil, pureed strawberries, vanilla, lemon zest, and eggs.

Spread batter evenly in the pans. Bake, rotating pans halfway through, until the tops spring back when gently pressed with your fingertips, 26 to 28 minutes.

Transfer pans to a wire rack to cool 10 minutes. Invert cakes onto wire rack. Re-invert cakes and let them cool completely, top sides up.

Prepare the cream cheese frosting (recipe below); frost as desired and refrigerate until ready to serve.

Cream Cheese Frosting;

Cream cheese - 1 ; 8 oz package, softened

Butter - 1 stick, softened

Vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Confectioners sugar (powdered sugar) - 3 cups(approx)

Milk (if needed) - 1tbspn

Method:

Beat cream cheese and butter together until smooth. Slowly add the sugar in 1 cup batches until desired sweetness is achieved.  You may need less than 3 cups if you like your frosting less sweet. Stir in vanilla.  Add milk slowly if you need a looser consistency.

Peanut, Mango and Cucumber Salad

Ingredients: 

2 cups peanut, skinned and lightly toasted

2 cups green raw mango, chopped

1 large cucumber with little or no seeds, chopped

3 tablespoon chopped red onion

2 hot green chili pepper, thinly sliced

For dressing: (adjust proportions of dressing to suit your taste)

2 tablespoon sesame oil

4 tablespoon lime juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds, crushed

2 teaspoon red chili pepper/paprika (or to taste)

salt to taste

any of your favorite herb for flavor, if you wish to use

Method:

Use the mango which had ripened lightly so they were light yellow and sweet and tart at the same time. If you are using raw mangoes which are all green, the salad will be more on the tart side and miss the little hint of sweet. 

In a large skillet, lay the peanuts in one layer and toast them lightly on low to medium heat until you see light brown spots on them. Cool and rub between kitchen towels to remove the skin. Cool the nuts. Place the cooled nuts in a ziploc plastic bag or between kitchen towels and using a rolling pin crush them coarsely. It is okay if some are still whole and halved.

Combine raw mango, cucumber, pepper and onions and toss; let it sit for about an hour. Drain if they release any liquid. Chill the mix.

Whisk the oil, lime juice, chili powder, salt, cumin and herbs.

Add the crushed peanuts, toss and combine the whisked dressing. Let it sit for about 30 minutes for the flavors to blend.

Serve as a salsa with chips or pappad or add some rice puffs(pori) and serve as a beach sundal.

Serves: 4-6

Pina Colada

Ingredients:

Pineapple Juice - 1 cup(fresh)
Cream of coconut - 1/4 cup
Club soda - 1 cup
Vanilla ice cream - 1/3 cup

Method:

Blend pineapple, cream of coconut and vanilla ice cream in a blender until all gets mixed well. Stir in club soda and serve.

Mini Ice Cream Cake Pops

Ingredients:

Brownie (Refer my earlier post)

White or dark Chocolate chips or chunks - 1/2 cup

Frosting - Vanilla or chocolate

Method:

Bake your favorite cake recipe, I used Brownie (whatever flavor) let it cool. 

Take a large bowl and crumble the cake over the bowl, stir in about 1/2 cup of frosting, mix well then roll the mixture into balls. Place them on a cookie sheet and pop them into the freezer. Melt white or dark chocolate. 

Tips for melting;

• Fill your pan with 1 in. of water.
• Bring it to a simmer over medium heat.
• Now chop your chocolate into very small pieces. (TIP: Use white chocolate chips or chunks to save time.)
• Put your chocolate into the top of your double boiler or your bowl.
• Place it over top of the heated water. Now, let this sit until half melted. Remove from heat and set pan onto your counter top. (Place a towel under the pan to be sure that none of the moisture reaches the chocolate.)
• Gently stir your melting-white-chocolate with a spatula until smooth. (If lumps remain, return to heat for a minute or so until all is melted.)

Then dip the top of the cone into the melted chocolate and place a ball right from the freezer on top of the cone, it will harden instantly because it is cold and then you will be able to dip the rest of the cake ball into the chocolate. Allow the excess chocolate to drip and top it with M&M. Enjoy!

Recipe Courtesy: Everyday with Rachael Ray

Roasted Peppers and Pasta Salad

Ingredients:

Pasta(Bows or spirals or penne) - 2 1/2 cups

Green and Red Peppers - 2(1 each)

Olive oil or cooking oil - 1 tbspn

Italian Dressing;

Olive oil - 2 tbspn

Garlic - 4 flakes(crushed and chopped)

Tomatoes - 4 large(blanched and pureed)

Tomato Sauce - 2 tbspn

Vinegar - 1 tbspn

Salt - according to taste

Sugar - a pinch

Red chili flakes - 1 tsp

Oregano - 1 tsp

Method:

Boil 8 cups of water with 2 tsp water. Add pasta. Cook for 12-15 minutes until tender. Drain. Rinse under cold water. Keep in the strainer for 10 minutes to drain out the water. Transfer to a salad bowl and pour 1 tbspn olive oil on it. Mix well. Keep aside.

Pierce the green and red peppers with a fork and hold it directly on the gas flame. Roast it on all sides for 1-2 minutes till the outer skin of the peppers turns slightly soft. Cool and lightly brush the chard skin. Wash and chop the roasted peppers into small pieces. Add to the pasta. Keep aside.

To prepare the dressing, place the tomatoes in boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes. Remove from water and cool. Peel the tomatoes and blend in a blender to a smooth puree. Keep aside.

Heat 2 tbspn oil in a pan. Reduce heat and add garlic. Stir and add the blanched and pureed tomatoes. Stir for 2-3 minutes and add the tomato sauce, vinegar, salt, oregano, sugar and chili flakes. Mix.

Add 1/2 cup water and give one boil. Simmer for 3-4 minutes till it becomes slightly thick. Check seasoning and remove from heat. Cool slightly and pour over the pasta. Toss gently.

Recipe Courtesy: Nita Mehta's "Menus from around the world"




Tip of the day: Adding salt to the water when cooking pasta will help firm the pasta and bring out its flavor.

Pumpkin Cookies

Ingredients:

All purpose flour - 2 cups 

Baking powder - 1 1/4 tspns

Baking soda - 1 tsp

Ground cinnamon - 1 tsp

Ground ginger - 1/4 tsp

Ground cloves - 1/8 tsp

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Large eggs(room temperature) - 2

Light brown sugar - 1 1/4 cups

Canola oil or Corn oil(or other flavorless oil) - 1/2 cup

Pure vanilla extract - 1 tsp

Pumpkin puree - 1 cup

Chopped nuts or chocolate chips - 1 cup

Method:

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F (165 degrees C) and place oven rack in the center of the oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

In a large bowl, sift or whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, and salt.

In the bowl of your electric mixer, or with a hand mixer, beat the eggs and sugar until light and smooth (about 2 minutes).  Beat in the oil, vanilla extract, and pumpkin puree. Add the flour mixture and beat just until incorporated. Now fold in the nuts or chocolate chips. Using 1/4 cup of batter (can use a small ice cream scoop or measuring cup) place small mounds of batter onto the prepared baking sheet, spacing about 2 inches (5 cm) apart.

Bake for about 15 -18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of a cookie comes out clean. Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.  Store cookies in the refrigerator.

Recipe Courtesy: Joy of baking

Jangri

Ingredients:

Whole white urad dal/Muzhu ulutham paruppu - 3/4 cup

Rice flour (optional) - 1 tsp

Orange food color - 1/2 pinch

Salt - a pinch

For Sugar syrup:

Sugar - 3/4 cup

Water - just to immerse the sugar

Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp

Rose essence - 4 drops

Orange food color - a pinch

Method:

Soak urad dal for 2 hrs and grind with very little water as we do for grinding vadas. 

The batter should be fluffy and smooth. Mix a pinch of salt, food color and rice flour(if desired) and mix well.

Heat the sugar with water just to immerse it and after it starts boiling, let it boil for 3-4 minutes. Add lemon juice, food color and lastly essence and mix well and switch off the stove. Take a zip lock cover and make a hole with a thin nail. The hole should be very tiny.

Fill half the cover with the batter and practice doing in a plate. Draw two circles and over it, draw small swirl like circles as shown in the picture.

Then heat a broad, flat bottomed pan (keeping the flame low or low-medium flame, other wise, the jangris will blow to a bigger size and become brittle or soggy) with only little oil say 1 inch depth. The oil should not get fully heated, when it starts forming small, small bubbles in the bottom, then draw jangris in the oil, repeat the same to make many.

Once the jangris gets cooked and becomes light, turn over and cook till crisp and then take out carefully and transfer to the sugar syrup (the sugar syrup must not be too thin and also not too thick). You can use Chop sticks for this, which works out very well.

Dunk the fried jangris in hot sugar syrup for 1-2 minutes and take out carefully and arrange it a plate(you can warm it if the syrup becomes cold). Let it rest for 30 minutes.

Notes:

Keep for a day if you dont feel that the sugar syrup is not absorbed well by jangris. Also you can try dunking the jangris twice in the hot syrup. 

And lastly, if you are not comfortable with drawing the jangri shape, do make a comparatively bigger hole and make mini swirl like rings (mini jangris).

Recipe Courtesy: Rak's Kitchen

Ribbon Murukku

Ingredients;

Rice flour -  2 cups

Gram flour/Kadala maavu/Besan Flour -  1/2 cup

Pepper powder(coarse) or chili powder - 3/4 tsp

Butter - 1 tbspn(softened)

Oil - 2 or 3 tspns

Asafoetida powder - 1/2 tsp

Salt & Water As needed

Oil - for deep frying

Method:

Mix rice flour, gram flour, pepper powder, butter, oil, asafoetida, and salt well.

Then add water little by little to make a stiff, non-sticky dough. Heat oil in a kadai. Fill the murukku press with the prepared dough, with the ribbon murukku plate. Press the dough in hot oil in a circular way to form a single layer. Don't layer so much, just one layer to ensure even and quick cooking.

When the bubbles reduces, flip the murukku and cook again till the bubbles ceases and the   color of the murukku changes. Drain it in the paper towel. Cool down completely and store it in an airtight container.

Recipe Courtesy: Rak's Kitchen


Tip of the day: To effectively strain debris from used cooking oil , use a coffee filter placed in a funnel.