Announcing Cooking Concepts # 2 -- Appetizers

From past few days I was very busy with many things. Thus a small delay in announcing my second month’s cooking concept. So this month’s concept is "Appetizer".

Appetizers are a small first course of a meal. Everyone loves them and they go very well for parties, holidays etc...

I love Appetizers…more than any part of the meals. 

So why waiting friends send me as many recipes as you can.

Here are some guidelines

• Make recipes which fit this month’s concept
• Please link back to this page
• Any numbers of entries are allowed, archives are also allowed if reposted and update with the link to the announcement page.
• Use of logo is appreciated

• Send me your entries to sravscc@gmail.com with subject as “CC- Appetizer” with below details
• Name
• Blog Name
• Recipe Name
• Recipe URL
• Picture

Non-bloggers can also send their recipes along with picture to the above email id.

Last date for the entries is August 31st 2011.

Hope to see you all participating!!!

Note: Thank you friend’s for Sending wonderful recipes to event CC-Roti Pachadi/Chutney. I will be posting the roundup as early as possible. 

Guest Post 1---- Red BellPepper Chutney/Red Capsicum Pachadi

I am so excited about my first guest post, Hurry!!!!!!. It makes me feel like a real blogger!!

My friend sirisha sent me this chutney recipe to me and to my event. She is a great cook and tries out new recipes. Her husband praises for her inventive breakfast recipes. She is expert in preparing all food items and I love her curiosity to make an effort on new recipes. 

Thank you Sirisha for this Delicious Chutney!!!!

Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

RedBell peppers -  4 no (medium)

Green chillies - 4 to 5 no(depending on spice level)

Tamarind - very small lemon sized

Garlic - 1 clove (small sized)

Jeera - 1 tsp

Peanuts - 1 tsp

Seasoning

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dal - 1/2 tsp

Jeera - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves   - 4 to 5

Red chill      - 1 no 

Hing(optional) – pinch

Preparation

• Cut the bell peppers into bite size pieces.
• Add a tablespoon of oil into the pan and fry the bell peppers till they are done and keep them aside. (Make sure that bell peppers are not watery as they give away lots of water)
• In a pan add 1 tsp oil, add peanuts and roast them. Keep the peanuts aside. In the same oil add jeera and green chillies and fry them for 4-5 seconds. 
• Let the bell peppers and peanuts cool.In a blender add garlic clove, soaked tamarind ,peanuts, jeera, green chillies, bellpeppers, salt and grind them.
• Take the chutney into a bowl

• For seasoning heat a tsp of oil and add mustard seeds,ural dal, jeera.After they splutter add red chillies,  curry leaves and hing and stir for 2-3 seconds.
• Add the seasoning to the grinded chutney and serve with rice or dosas or idlis.

This goes to my own event  CC - Roti Pachadi/Chutney 

Indian Style Potato & Corn Salad

Indian Style Potato & Corn Salad is a wonderful alternative to regular potato salad. Used chaat masala and garam masala instead of mayonnaise/salad dressing.

This salad relies on the masala coating to pair with boiled potatoes, sweet corn, veggies and peanuts which provide a unique taste. Rich Healthy Salad!!!!

Ingredients:

Potatoes – 3 no

Corn -1 cup

Olive Oil – 1 tsp

Onion chopped – ¼ cup

Tomato chopped – ¼ cup

Garam masala – ½ tsp

Chaat masala – 1 tsp

Lemon juice – 2tsps

Roasted peanuts – ¼ cup

Salt to taste

Lettuce – 2 leaves chopped

Pepper or red chilli powder– ½ tsp

Preparation

• Cook Potatoes in microwave in water for 10-15mins or till cooked.
• Remove them and cool them and cut into bite sized cubes.
• In a microwave safe take these cooked potatoes, corn, olive oil and chat masala and cook for 2 minutes by stirring in between.
• After above mixture gets cooled.

• In a salad bowl combine above mixture (cooked potatoes, corn,chat masala),chopped onions, tomato, lattice.
• Mix lemon juice, garam masala, red chilli powder to form a dressing
• Add salt to taste, mix well, tossing gently to combine.
• Scatter roasted peanuts over it before serving. 

Sending this to Fast Food not Fat Food hosted by vardhini originally started by priya, Dish Name starts with I hosted by Akila, Salad Spread hosted by Anamika, MEC-Potato Feast hosted by Mons Originally started by srivalli , Any One Can Cook hosted by Umm Mymoonah

 

Paneer Pulao

Paneer pulao is very easy to make and it is quick too. We can prepare this rice in no time. Nice for lazy weekends when you feel like puttering in the kitchen.

To prepare this, lightly shallow fry paneer first since it helps to add color to pulao and a few roasted cashews make this special. I added few mint leaves for fresh aroma.

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice – 2 cups

Paneer – 16-20 small cubes

Onion – 1 small

Bay leaf – 2 leaves

Lemon juice – 3 tsps

Coconut milk – ½ cup

Mint leaves – ¼ cup chopped

Cloves -  4 no

Green chillies – 3 no

Cinnamon sticks – 2 small

Jeera – 1 tsp

Salt As Required

Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp

Ghee or Oil – 2 tsp

Water – 2 ½ cups

Cashews – 6-10 no

Preparation

• Shallow fry paneer cubes in 1 tsp of oil for 4 -5 minutes, until they gently turn to golden brown on both the sides.
• Remove the paneer and keep in cold water with salt for 5 minutes

• After 5 minutes remove from water and keep them aside.
• Wash basmati rice and soak in water for 30mins
• Now in a cooking pan heat ghee in a pan,add ginger garlic paste.
• Now add bay leaves, cloves, jeera, cinnamon sticks, cashews and sauté for few minutes.
• Add onions and green chillies, mint leaves and mix well.
• Add basmati rice by draining water and mix well
• Now take the above mixed spices, rice in rice cooker add water, coconut milk, lemon juice and salt.
• Lastly place paneer cubes on top of rice and cook well.
• Serve with raita.

Sending this to HLI-Paneer hosted by Jayashree originally started by Kalyani

Bottle Gourd Peel Chutney/Sorakayya Tokku Pachadi

Bottle Gourd is one vegetable that I find regularly in Produce Junction (Farmer’s Market). I buy them in almost my visit. This vegetable is rich in fiber and can be used to make curries, sweets, juices. Whenever I make anything with Bottle Gourd, I don’t throw away the peel. I make use of this peel to make Pachadi.

When we were kids my grandmom used to make all kinds of chutneys with vegetables as well as with peels. They used to taste great in rice along with ghee.

Sorakayya Tokku Pachadi is a healthy chutney which is prepared by Bottle Gourd peel, peanuts.

Ingredients:

Bottle gourd peel (cut them into small pieces)

Green chillies – 5-6 no

Garlic – 2 pods

Tamarind – very small lemon size

Jeera – 1 tsp

Peanuts – ½ cup

Salt As Required

Seasoning

Oil

Mustard seeds – ½ tsp

Urad dal – ½ tsp

Jeera – ½ tsp

Curry leaves – 4-5 no

Redchillies – 2 no

Hing a pinch

Preparation

• In a vessel on medium heat add 1 tsp of oil and add bottle gourd peel and fry for 5-8 mts still it becomes soft.
• Add green chillies, garlic and sauté for a min and keep it aside.
• Roast Peanuts on medium heat and after cooled peel they skin and keep aside.
• Once cooled grind all the above ingredients along with tamarind, jeera and salt.
• Add water if required to grind it.
• For seasoning heat a tsp of oil in a vessel and add mustard seeds,urad dal and jeera.
• After they splutter add curry leaves, red chillies,hing and stir for 2-3 seconds.
• Add the seasoning to the grounded paste and serve with rice and dosas.

Send this to my own event CC - Roti Pachadi/Chutney