Thursday, March 31, 2011

Aloo Bonda/ Batata Vada

Aloo Bonda is one of the popular snack / appetizer. It is also known as batata vada in Mumbai and it’s a famous street food.

It is a deep fried savory snack stuffed with potato spices mixture.  There are a lot of variations in making this potato stuffing. Aloo bonda is soft inside and crispy outside.  These are simple to make and delicious to eat.

Potatoes are my favorite vegetable and are very rich in carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals.

These can be served with sweet chutney or tomato ketup.


  
Ingredients:

Potato – 3 no medium
Onion – 1no small
Green chillies chopped – 2 no
Curry leaves – 4-5 no
Jeera – 1 tsp
Coriander leaves chopped – 2-3 tsps
Salt As Required
Chilli powder – 2 tsps
Turmeric powder -1 tsp
Hing a pinch
Ginger grated – 1 tsp
Besan – 1 cup
Baking Soda – ¼ tsp
Vamu/ Ajwain – 1 tsp
Lemon juice – 1 tsp
Oil for deep frying



Preparation

  • Boil potatoes in microwave for 5-6 mins and mash them and keep aside.
  • Heat one tsp of oil in a pan.
  • Add jeera and after they splutter add chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves, ginger.
  • After onions get soft add mashed potatoes, turmeric powder, salt, chilli powder and mix well.
  • Cook for 5 mins and add hing and coriander leaves.
  • Lastly add lemon juice and keep the stuffing aside.
  • In a mixing bowl, add besan, baking soda, red chilli powder, vamu and salt.
  • Add enough water to make thick batter.
  • Heat oil on medium heat for deep frying.
  • Make potato stuffing into small balls.
  • When oil gets hot, dip the balls into besan batter and coat with thick batter.
  • Slowly drop the coated balls into the hot oil
  • Deep fry them until they turn light golden color all over it.
  • Serve with sweet chutney
Sending this to My Legume Love Affair hosted by Dee originally started by The Well Seasoned Cook and Fast Food not Fat Food  hosted by priya and Kid's Delight hosted by priya originally started by srivalli and to Flavors of Maharashtra hosted by PJ originally started by Naina




















Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Radish Tomato Curry

Today for dinner I prepared Radish Tomato Curry. Radish is a root vegetable grown in many varieties and color. I prepared this curry by using white radish and tomato. This curry is very diet friendly and simple and easy to make.

My mom used to make this curry regularly and I used to like the flavour of this dish. This goes well with rotis, chapthis and rice.



Ingredients:

White radish – 1 large
Tomatoes – 2 no
Onion -1 small
Green chillies – 2 no chopped
Curry leaves – 4 to 5 no
Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Jeera – ¼ tsp
Chilli powder – 1 tsp (based on spiciness)
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Salt As Required

Preparation 
  • Gently scrape the skin on the radish and wash it
  • Grate the radish and keep aside.
  • When we grate the radish we get water from it. Keep this water also aside.
  • Add oil in a heated cooking vessel, allow mustard seeds and jeera to splutter and then add chopped onions, green chillies and curry leaves

  • Saute till the onions turn slightly brown
  • Add grated radish and mix well to give an even coat of all ingredients
  • Add some radish water and cover with lid and cook for 15-20 mins
  • Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and mix well
  • Once the radish is almost cooked add the chopped tomatoes and mix well
  • Keep mixing periodically and sprinkle more radish water if required
  • Cook for another 10 mins or till the radish absorbs tomato flavour.
  • Add finely chopped coriander leaves just before remove from heat.
  • Serve with rice or rotis.
Sending this to Veggie/Fruit a Month - Radish hosted by sweet artichoke originally started by PriyaCWF-WF/WV-Tomato hosted by sanyukta originally started by kiranC for Colorful Curries hosted by charitha, Walking through the memory Lane hosted by gayathri 




Monday, March 28, 2011

Nutty Chocolate Coffee Brownies

Yesterday Evening I spent a relaxing day baking Brownies with Chocolate and Coffee. Brownies are an American dessert that is half cookie and half cake. They’re easy quick to make and are so moist and chewy.

I made them with the instant coffee and semi-sweet chocolate chips which really brought out the chocolaty and coffee flavor. Added nuts on top of the brownie mixture. The brownies puffed up more than what I expected. They were incredible and inside were just what I love in a brownie.

Here is the recipe for the Nutty Chocolate and Coffee brownie!!!!




Ingredients:

Semi sweet chocolate chips – 3 tsps
Unsalted butter – 2 tsps
Instant coffee Nescafe ( ur choice of coffee) – 1 ½ tsp
Sugar – ½ cup
Eggs – 2 no
Baking powder – ½ tsp
Vanilla extact – 1 tsp
All purpose flour – ½ cup
Walnuts –1 tsp (optional)
Salt a pinch

Preparation
  • Melt the butter, chocolate chips and coffee in microwave for 1min by stirring occasionally.
  • In a large bowl take sugar, salt, baking powder, vanilla extract and mix well.
  • Add eggs and mix well for 2-3 mins
  • Add Flour to the eggs mixture and beat until fluffy.
  • Now Add the chocolate, coffee mixture and mix well.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees

  • In a square cake pan line with a parchment paper.
  • Pour the mixture into the prepared pan
  • Garnish with walnuts on top of the batter of brownie.
  • Bake for 20minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center of the brownie comes out clean.
  • Remove from oven and let them cool in the pan for 5 minutes.
  • Cut them into squares.
Sending this to Brownie event hosted by divya, Food palette Series brown hosted by Akheela and Heart and Soul Hop hosted by kankana

Saturday, March 26, 2011

Tindora Rice/Dondakkaya Rice

Tindora Rice is a Simple and Easy to make. This is a big favorite of mine and likes to have it in my lunch box daily.

Tindora rice has a true flavor of Tindora in each bite, mild spicy due to green chillies, red chilli powder and nice crunchy texture with coconut and vegetables.

For this, Tindora are fried separately and then added to rice preparation. This way Tindora not only has its crispness but also enhances the flavor of the rice by imparting its flavor.



Ingredients:

Tindora/Dondakkaya chopped – 1 cup
Rice – 1 cup
Jeera – ½ tsp
Onion chopped - 1 small
Shredded coconut – ½ cup
Boiled potatoes, mixed vegetables ( carrot, peas, corn) – ½ cup
Chillies chopped – 2 no
Red chilli powder – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 4 no
Coriander Powder – ½ tsp
Lemon Juice – 4 tsps
Salt As Required
Oil - 4 tsp



Preparation

  • Wash and Cook rice with 2 cups water and cool
  • In a cooking pan heat oil and add jeera after it splutters add onion, green chillies, curry leaves
  • After onion gets soft add tindora.
  • Add salt, coriander powder and cook by covering the pan with a lid
  • Meanwhile boil potatoes, mixed vegetables in microwave for 5 mins
  • When tindora gets almost cooked add above boiled vegetables and shredded coconut.
  • Cook for 5 -10 mins.
  • Add red chilli powder if required. Lastly add the lemon juice and mix well.
  • Add cooked rice and mix well till the tindora mixture mixes well with rice.
  • Serve with raita.

Thursday, March 24, 2011

Shrimp Egg Fried Rice

After today’s superb match against Australia my husband wanted kangaroo fry biryani lol !!! Instead I made Shrimp Egg Fried Rice.

Fried Rice with Shrimp and Egg is very simple and quick dish made with shrimp, eggs, and chopped vegetables.





Ingredients:

Rice – 2 cups
Onion – 1 no chopped fine
Eggs – 5 no
Mixed Veggies ( Peas, Carrot, Beans, Corn ) – ½ cup
Shrimp peeled and devined– 1 cup
Chilli sauce – 6 tsp
Ginger and garlic paste – 2 tsp
Oil – 4 tsps
Salt As Required
Spring Onions chopped – 2 tsp
Corinder leaves – 2 tsps
Green chillies chopped – 1 tsp



Preparation

  • Wash and cook rice (sona masoori or long grains) with 4 cups of water and cool.
  • In a cooking pan heal oil and add onions and sauté  till soft
  • Add green chillies and ginger garlic paste
  • Mix well till raw smell goes away for 1 minute.
  • Add washed shrimp and add salt and cook shrimp for 10-15 mins with a closed lid until shrimp is cooked well. (If required add very little water)
  • After shrimp gets cooked add mixed vegetables, chopped spring onions, chopped coriander leaves.
  • Beat eggs and mix well with shrimp mixture.
  • Next Add the cooked rice and chilli sauce.
  • Mix well and serve with any spicy sauce.

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Raspberry Banana Smoothie

Raspberry Banana Smoothie is a cool, refreshing fruity drink prepared by raspberries, fresh bananas and milk.  

This Smoothie is a great cool relief from a hot summer day.



Ingredients:

Raspberry fresh or frozen– 1 cup
Ripe bananas – 2 no
Milk – 1 cup
Sugar or honey – 1tsp
Vanilla extract – ½ tsp
Ice cubes

Preparation

  • In a blender combine raspberries, bananas (sliced into smaller chucks) and milk.
  • Blend the ingredients on high for about a minute or until smooth.
  • Add sugar or honey, vanilla extract, ice cubes and blend again until smooth.

  • Pour the smoothie into glasses.
  • Garnish a few raspberries or banana slices on top and serve. 

Sending this to Think Pink hosted by Sarah originally started by Monthly Mingle

  

Monday, March 21, 2011

Tomato Bajji

Tomato bajji are famous at my husband's place and he remembers them a lot ,as he used to have them quite often when he was young. I gave  them a  try and they came out so delicious and yummy. I cannot bring back his Golden days (bcoz he is married to me LOL!!)…atleast I managed to bring the flavor of tomoto bhajji.

These are prepared with ripe round tomatoes dipped in besan batter and layered with onions, coriander leaves and roasted peanuts. 



Ingredients:

Red Round Tomatoes – 3 Medium
Besan – 1 cup
Baking Soda – ½ tsp
Salt As Required

Onion – 1
Coriander leaves – ½ cup
Chaat Masala – 1 tsp

Sev (optional) – 3 tsps
Lemon juice – 2tsps
Roasted Peanuts – 3 tsps
Red Chilli Powder – 1 tsp

Oil for Deep Frying



Preparation

  • Wash the ripe round tomatoes and dry them.
  • In a mixing bowl, add besan, baking soda, red chilli powder and salt.
  • Add enough water to make thick batter.
  • Heat oil on medium heat for deep frying.
  • When oil gets hot, dip the tomatoes into batter and coat with thick besan batter.
  • Slowly drop the coated tomato into the hot oil.
  • Deep fry the tomato until it turns light golden color all over it.

  • Remove bajji’s from heat.
  • After it gets cooled cut the tomato bajji into halve.
  • Take a wide serving plate
  • Place the half bajji’s, layer each with chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, salt, chilli powder, chaat powder, lemon juice.
  • Lastly add sev and roasted peanuts.
  • Serve immediately.
Sending this to My Legume Love Affair hosted by Dee originally started by The Well Seasoned Cook , Cooking with Whole foods - Tomato hosted by sanyukta originally started by Kiran and Fast Food not Fat Food  hosted by priya and Kid's Delight hosted by priya originally started by srivalli.




Friday, March 18, 2011

Papri/Papdi Chaat with Sweet, Green Chutney and Sev..Holi Rey!!!!

Best wishes and a Very Happy Holi to all my friends, followers, blog readers!!!!! 

For Holi, people involve themselves in smearing color on each other, playing with water and enjoying with mouth watering snacks, sweets and thandai. Papri Chaat is one of the yummy snack item prepared for Holi.



Papri Chaat is prepared with papri, sev, chaat masala, boiled potatoes, coriander leaves, chickpeas, onions, sweet and green chutney. Papri refers to crispy dough wafers which are fried in oil.

Here’s a detailed delicious, tempting chaat recipe with Chutney’s and Sev


Ingredients:
  
For Papri / Papdi’s (for 15-20)

All purpose flour / Maida – 1 cup
Ajwain Seeds – 1 tsp
Salt As Required
Water for kneading
Oil for Deep Frying

For Sweet Chutney

Tamarind – a small lemon size
Dates – 9 -10 no
Jeera Powder – 2 tsp
Jaggery – ½ cup
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Salt As Required

For Green Chutney

Mint leaves – ½ cup
Coriander leaves -1 cup
Lemon Juice – ¼ cup
Green Chilli – 2 no
Salt As Required



For Sev

Besan – 1 cup
Rice Flour – 1 tsp
Salt As Required
Water
Oil for Deep frying

Other Ingredients

Boiled Potatoes – 1 no
Granted Carrot – 1 cup
Chopped Coriander leaves – 1 cup
Boiled Chickpeas – 1 cup
Onion Chopped – 1 cup
Chaat Powder – 2tsp

Preparation

For Papri/Papdi

  • In a wide bowl add all purpose flour, ajwain seeds and salt and mix well.
  • Slowly add water and make smooth dough.
  • Make small size puris of the dough.
  • Deep fry them in oil and keep them aside.




For Sweet Chutney

  • Boil tamarind in micro wave in water for 2 mins.
  • After tamarind gets cooled grind tamarind and dates into a fine paste.
  • Take a pan and on medium heat cook above paste.
  • Add jaggery, redchilli powder, jeera powder and salt.
  • Cook well till the jaggery mixes well and till the mixture gets smooth and keep aside.


For Green Chutney

  • Grind washed Coriander and Mint leaves along with green chillies, sugar and lemon juice to a fine paste.
  • Keep aside.


For Sev

  • In a wide bowl take besan, rice flour, salt, 1 tsp oil and mix well by slowly adding water little by little to make soft dough.
  • Take  the murukku press and use the disc of smallest hole.
  • Fill half of the press with dough and once the oil is hot, press the murukku dough into the hot oil.
  • On medium flame fry them till golden color.
  • Repeat the process till the rest of the dough is done and Keep them aside.

For Papri Chaat

  • Boil the potatoes and mash them coarsely. Add chaat powder to it.
  • Take a wide serving plate.
  • Place the papri’s , layer each with mashed potatoes, boiled chickpeas, chopped onions, chopped coriander leaves, grated carrot.
  • Add 1 tsp of sweet and green chutney over it.
  • Lastly add sev and serve.
  • Yummy Yummy Papri Chaat is ready!!!
Sending this to Holi Aayi Re event hosted by vatsala and to Flavors of Maharashtra hosted by PJ originally started by Naina and A.W.E.D- Indian Cuisine hosted by Umm Mymoonah












Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Fresh Methi and Coriander Chutney

Methi and Coriander Chutney is a very simple recipe that is easy to make, healthy and flavorful.

This chutney has a tangy flavor due to tamarind and slight spicy taste of red chillies and is prepared by grinding fresh methi and coriander leaves along with tamarind, jaggery and red chillies.



Ingredients:

Methi leaves – 1 bunch
Coriander leaves – 1 bunch
Tamarind – 1 small size lemon
Red chillies – 4-5 nos
Oil – 2 tsp
Garlic – 1 pod
Turmeric Powder – a pinch
Salt As Required
Jaggery or sugar – ½ tsp

For Tampering

Urad Dal  - ½ tsp
Avalu/ Mustard seeds – ¼ tsp
Jeera – ½ tsp
Curry leaves – 4-5 leaves
Oil – 1 tsp
Red chillies – 2 no
Hing a pinch

Preparation

  • In a pan add 1 tsp of oil and saute the red chillies, garlic on medium flame. Remove and keep aside.
  • In the same pan, add another tsp of oil and add the coriander leaves and sauté till the rawness of coriander leaves disappears. Remove from heat and keep aside.
  • In the same pan add another tsp of oil and add methi leaves and fry till the rawness of leaves disappears for about 3-4 mints. Remove from heat and cool.
  • Grind the roasted mixture along with methi and coarinder, jaggery, turmeric powder, tamarind and salt to  a coarse paste by adding a very little water.
  • Heat oil in a pan for tampering; add the mustard seeds, jeera, urad dal after they splutter add curry leaves, hing and red chillies and fry till the dal turns red.
  • Add this tampering to the chutney paste.
  • Serve with hot rice/roti’s.
Sending this to "Herbs and Flowers in my Platter" - Coriander leaves/Cilantro hosted by Krithi originally started by PJ


Monday, March 14, 2011

Simple & Easy Mango Mousse

Mango Mousse is a creamy dessert with tropical flavor. This recipe is made with
Mango pulp gets its shape from gelatin, its lightness from whipped cream.



This easy recipe of mango mousse is wonderful on a hot day or after a meal.

Enjoy this very quick and simple dessert!!!

Ingredients:

Mango pulp – 15 oz or ½ can
Sugar – 2 tsp
Gelatin (vanilla/orange flavor) – 4 tsps
Whipped cream – 2 cups
Water – ½ cup



Preparation

  • Heat mango pulp on medium heat by adding add water.
  • Now add the gelatin and heat for some time till the gelatin gets dissolved.
  • Add sugar to it.
  • Take off from heat.
  • Add whipped cream to mango mixture and mix well.
  • Take the mixture in separate bowls and keep it refrigerated for two hours.
  • Garnish with fruits.

Saturday, March 12, 2011

Coconut Oats Cookies


I always love coconut. Baking coconut adds  flavor and texture. These cookies are made with oats, coconut, sugar and vanilla. They are quick to make.   I used whole grain oats which are nutritious. 

Coconut Oats cookies are very crispy and soft with an intense coconut flavor. Here is the recipe of these lovely and delicious cookies.




 Ingredients:

All purpose flour – 2 cups
Shredded Coconut – 2 cups
Whole grain oats – 1 cup
Sugar – 1 cup
Egg – 2 no
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Salt a pinch
Baking Soda – ½ tsp
Baking powder – 1 tsp
Melted Better – ½ cup




Preparation

  • In a bowl add melted butter, sugar and mix well.
  • Add eggs, one at a time beating well after each addition.
  • Combine flour, oats, shredded coconut, baking powder, baking soda, vanilla extract and salt.
  • Add to above mixture and mix well.
  • Preheat oven to 350 degrees
  • Shape into 1-in balls, flatten slightly and place them apart on greased baking sheet.
  • Place some shredded coconut on top of cookies.
  • Bake for 15-17mins or golden brown.
  • Remove from oven immediately if overcooked cookies get hard.
Sent to Kid's Delight hosted by Champa and Oats Recipes hosted by Sameena