My First award !!!

My morning started on such a wonderful note today,after I visited my blog to find this most amazing appreciation award waiting  for me on my blog:)   from http://epicureansdelight.blogspot.com/
Thanks to my dear blogger friend Cool Blogger,I am truly honored and hope to keep posting more interesting and innovative recipes for my dear readers and blogger friends & followers. I will be sharing this  award with my other blogger friends by the end of November . This is a terrific  bloggers community and I want it to thrive on inspiration and motivation by other  bloggers who share the same space and yet come up with so many different ideas :) Kudos to us all !!!

Three Cheers for dear coolblogger who bestowed this award upon me (my blog) -Hip Hip Hurray !!!

Anda dopyaza/ Eggs in tomato& onion

Poached,boiled,scrambled,anda bhurji & sunny side up .I love eggs  in various forms and also incorporate them in biryani ,Nutrella/soy gravy, and so many other dishes. Today I made anda dopyaza, for me this dish, when made by my chachi/aunt did the magic. I loved how super the eggs looked when you just break them on a bed of onions and tomato's and let them cook in the steam when you cover the pan.

This is  very simple to make ,takes 20 minutes, and tastes great too!!!
Serves-3
Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
Onions: medium sized 2 sliced fine
Tomato's: 2 sliced or chopped
Eggs: 3
Oil: 2 tbsp
Ginger: 1 tbsp
Garlic: 1tbsp
Salt: 1/4 tsp
Turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Coriander powder: 1tsp
Paprika: 1/4 tsp
garam masala: tip of tsp
Cilantro: to garnish

Method:
Take a kadai/pan and heat 2 tbsp of oil and  add sliced onion when the oil is hot. Cook the onion till light golden brown. Then add the ginger and garlic. Cook for couple minutes and add salt .  Next add sliced tomato's and cook for 5 minutes. Now add all the dry spices and cook for couple minutes. spread the onion tomato masala evenly in the kadai/pan and then break the eggs on this masala. Cover the pan and cook on low flame for 2-3 minutes. Remove the lid and sprinkle salt & pepper on the eggs and garnish with cilantro.  Slice the portions to be served.Serve with roti and lassi/butter milk.

My dear kalan aunty this one is dedicated to you :)

Moong Daal Dosa/ Split Green Gram Dosa

Diwali is just around the corner, and the,"To Do" list is stressing me out. With so much to do and so little accomplished,I hardly have the time or the inclination to cook full fledged meals.I have been brain storming for some fun ,yummy and easy eats. So I remembered my friend Hema from Haldia,she is a Marwari and used to very often for" Nashta"/snack make these dosas. I thought I will have ," Nashta/snack" for lunch today, lunch lately has been salad for me,you guessed it- Trying to shed the extra pounds. But Friday is my husband's," work from home day " and therefore an excuse for me to indulge myself *winks*. We just enjoyed our moong daal dosas with some fish fingers.

I was reminiscing our time together as neighbors in Haldia while I was preparing the dosas - Dear Hema & Pramod - This one is dedicated to you,Cheers:)!!!

Makes 4 Dosas
Ingredients:
moong daal/split Green Gram: 1 cup
salt: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 2 tbsp
medium onion & tomato chopped very fine OR salsa 2 tbsp OR green mint coriander chutney

method:
soak the moong daal for 2-3 hours. Grind it in a food processor/mixer,with some water. the consistency has to be pouring,but not thin. A good example would be pancake batter.
Add salt and 1 tbsp oil & mix well.
Take a griddle /non-stick pan and brush it with oil.
Take a ladle of batter and spread in on the griddle,I like it round-But it is totally your choice.
I had chopped onions and tomatos very fine and when the dosa was done , I spread some onions and tomatos and then folded it . You can also use salsa,or green chutney,if you do not prefer raw onions and tomatos. I had prepared fish fingers to eat with dosas.So this was fine for me.

Note: I cook it on high flame for first couple minutes and then reduce the flame and keep it on the griddle for a minute more. You don't have to flip the dosas and cook it on the other side. Use a flat karchi /spatula to turn the dosa.

Enjoy this super simple & yummy dosa,when you are running short on time or even when you have all the time:)

Peela Chanwarh/ Make Over For Left Over White Rice

You can put this dish together in a jiffy. All you need is left over white rice. Not that you cannot do it with rice just cooked  . But NO it will not taste the same. I love this dish with the left over rice.On the contrary I will cook extra white rice so that I have some left over to make this dish the day after :) This is a typical Sindhi  dish .  I have eaten rice cooked in a similar way down South of India, also prepared with left over rice but slight variation in the ingredients and they also have a different name.

So this one is for all those busy  men/women who are always on the look out for quick fixes :) Cheers!

Ingredients:
Serves 1 person

Bowl of left over white rice
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds: tip of the tsp
Asfoetida: a pinch
Turmeric: tip of the tsp
Curry leaves/Curry patta: 5-10
Tomato: 1/2
Onion: 1/2 medium sized onion
Green chilli's: personal choice
salt: very little( depending on the amount used in the white rice)
Red pepper: a pinch

Method:
Take a frying pan and add 1 tbsp oil. When the oil is hot ,add mustard seeds & asfoetida along with curry leaves. Add the chopped garlic and ginger. Now add thinly sliced onions and saute till translucent. Add curry leaves to this. Chop tomato's and add to this along with dry spices- salt,turmeric,chilli pepper. If you are adding green chilli's you can add them with the onions . Cook this mix for couple minutes till the tomato is cooked with all the dry spices and the raw tomato smell is gone. Now add the rice and mix it carefully without breaking the rice. Garnish with a sprig of cilantro and serve peela Chanwarh/ Yellow rice with raita and green coriander & mint chutney.

Note: You can if you like add tiny pieces of carrots,beans and corn while you are frying the onion. I like my peela chanwarh/yellow plain :)

Sambhar/Tangy Lentil Soup

I used to prepare sambhar with the ready/instant sambhar masalas by MDH and some other brands,until one day,when ,"liverina" the ladies club in Haldia hosted a fair to raise money for a cause. I was in Sarsa di's group. Sarsa di hailed from Chennai which is south of India and the abode for- Dosas/rice & lentil pancakes,idlis and sambhar. I was in the right place. Sarsa Di along with 8 ladies had volunteered to make sambhar. It was then that I realized I was not making sambhar the authentic way . I  learnt that for any dish to taste the way it is supposed to, it is necessary to roast & grind the masalas/ spices,when you are ready to use them . The packets we get in the market have a shelf life of 1-2 years.They are mostly not vacuum sealed  and we don't know how long they have been sitting on the shelves. Therefore they are probably 20% less potent  already .When we open these to use some,and save the rest   for later use ,they loose almost 50% of their flavors and aroma. So now as a rule of thumb- I roast and grind masala's fresh and I try and make only the required amount but sometimes I am left with some extra,which I seal in a ziplock and stick it in the freezer. This way they stay fresh. Currys with home made masalas taste like no other:)
Sarsa di  I owe this to you *bows before her*

Ingredients:
arhar daal/ split red gram : 1 cup
Turmric: 1/2 tsp
salt: 1 tsp
corriander seeds: 1tbsp
Red chillis: 3-4 (depending on how spicy you like your sambhar to be)
bengal Gram: 1 tbsp
coconut ; 4-5 tbsp ( fresh or unsweetened flakes)
Fenugreek seeds/methi dana: 1 tsp
Asfoetida: a pinch
Mustard seeds: 1tsp
Curry leaves: 15-20
Onion: 1 medium sized
Vegetables: carrots,peas,drumstick, together they should not exceed 200gms( You can add or remove vegetable you like or don't like)
Tamarind pulp: 1/2 cup
Tomato: 1 medium sized
Oil: 2 tbsp

method:
Soak the daal for 30 minutes. Wash it and pressure cook it with 3/4th glass of water, for 5-8 minutes with salt & turmeric. take the back of the ladle and mash the daal well. Take the corriander,chillis,bengla gram and roast it on a griddle for 5-7 minutes moving it constantly. Now add the coconut flakes and roast these for a minute or two,you do not want the coconut to burn, you want this to turn golden brown. Now let this cool and then grind it to a fine powder in a coffee grinder. Add this to the daal and mix well. Now add water about 3/4 th glass,don't make it very thin,you will also add tamarind pulp to it. So keep that in mind . Now let this boil.Meanwhile take a frying pan and add oil,when the oil is hot add mustard seeds,fenugreek,curry leaves,asfoetida and slice the onion thin and add to this.Fry till the onion turns translucent .Now add the chopped pieces of vegetable that you like in your sambhar and fry for 2 -3 minutes. Add chopped tomato( if you like) Now add this to the sambhar,let it boil for 3-4 minutes and lastly add tamarind pulp. garnish it with chopped corriander and serve with idlis,dosas or rice :)

Note: This quantity serves 4
Tamarind and vegetable can be adjusted according to your taste. This does not alter the taste of the sambhar.
 I do not use too many vegetables-Yes,you guessed it right-I have a picky eater at home:)

Oats& semolina idli/ Oats & semolina cake

yippee!!! I cannot contain my jubilation ,I finally found a way to feed my 17 year old daughter oats. Breakfast in our house is mostly oats & pancakes.You guessed it- Oats for me & my husband and pancakes for our daughter. Every time I prepare oats I ask my daughter to try some,but to no avail. I remember  I was not a big fan of oats either,but I found ways to make this breakfast interesting & yummy :) We do that to food all the time- Don't we :)?

So toady  today was my EUREKA moment. My Bhabi/sister-in -law mentioned the oats idli and asked me to put it up on my blog. Well-I have tried the semolina Idli many times,but honestly never the oats idli,so I asked her to send me her oats idli  recipe. I was very thrilled with the idea,since I know my daughter can never say NO to idlis and sambhar.This is  one of her favorite foods. I got the recipe today morning and I have already fed my daughter idlis with sambhar and as I write this blog she is happily napping next to me with a contented look on her face:) usually after a good meal and happy tummy she likes to cuddle and sleep with me:)

So here's to my success with  the oats - three cheers-hip hip hooray :)))

Ingredients:
oats ( the 1 minute variety) : 2 cups
rava/semolina : 1 cup
Curd: 2 cups
salt: 1/2 tsp
baking soda: 1/2 tsp
asfoetida: a pinch
green Chillis: 4-5
Split Gram daal: 1 tsp
Black gram daal hulled dhuli/washed: 1 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp
cashews : 4-7 break it into tiny pieces.
Oil: 2 tbsp
Curry leaves: 5-10 chopped
Cilantro- 2 tbsp chopped

Method: Take a heavy bottomed pan and roast the oats for 5-7 minutes till they turn a pale golden brownish color. Separately roast semolina for 3-5 minutes. Let them cool. Then run the oats in a food processor for just a couple minutes,you don't want them to turn into powder,just grind them to a coarse powder.  Now add the roasted semolina to the roasted oats and add 1 tsp of baking soda and 1 tsp of salt and mix these well. Take a small frying pan add 2 tbsp oil and when hot add asfoetida along with mustard seeds,curry leaves,split Bengal gram, black gram daal hulled /skinned. Add this to the oats and semolina and mix well,add the chopped cilantro now. Take a idli steamer and pour soak water in it and let it boil. Meanwhile add curd to the oats and semolina and all the seasoning and mix well. Now grease the idli mould and fill the mould with the idli batter,close the lid and let it cook for 6 -9 minutes. Remove them from the moulds with the help of a spatula. These taste best when steaming hot with either sambhar or chutney.

Note: I made 9 idli's with this proportion. You can increase the proportion. Just remember the ratio for oats and semolina is 2:1

Sindhi Kadhi/Bengal gram flour based tangy curry with medley of vegetables

Sindhi Kadhi is one of the most popular  signature sindhi dishes loved by most sindhi's. For me sindhi kadhi is," family get together's". My dad was in a transferable job and we mostly lived away from our ancestral home in Pune/India,where the rest of the family,which is my uncle,aunts and cousins lived year round. So every year over the summer break,we travelled to Pune to spend time with our family. Cooking used to be a big affair and Kadhi was the easiest and the yummiest option :) So amongst other things this was the most cooked dish on most days of our month long stay.  So this one is dedicated to all those wonderful summers spent  in our ancestral home with all my uncle's aunt's and cousins. Cheers !!!

I am still following the tradition and cook kadhi in large quantities :)
Serves: 6
Ingredients:
Besan/Bengal Gram flour: 1 cup
oil: 1/2 cup
Fenugreek seeds: 10-15
carom:1/4 tsp
cumin: 1/4 tsp
mustard: 1/4 tsp
curry leaves: 15-20
Whole green chilli's: 2-3
dried red chilli's whole: 2
asfoetida: pinch
salt: 1tsp
turmeric: 1/4 tsp
Ginger grated: 2 tbsp
tamarind pulp: 1/2 cup
vegetables: 50 gms of each- cauliflower,carrots, okra,drumstick, potato,peas,broccoli,eggplant,raw mango pieces without the skin.

Method:

fry okra's

Take a heavy bottomed large pan and add oil. Lightly fry the okras,as they tend to have a slimy texture on contact with any water based curry. frying them will help overcome this. When slightly golden brown remove and put aside.

Now to the same oil,add curry leaves,fenugreek seeds,carom,cumin,mustard seeds and when they start to crackle add the beasn/gram flour and fry till golden brown & when brown add the turmeric.







saute besan/Gram flour

 Now add 2 glass of water and let it boil for a couple minutes. Boil the potato's before hand as all the other vegetables will not take very long to cook. Add all the vegetables & ginger,wait till all the vegetables are al dente ,then add the tamarind pulp. Cook for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Note: if you like it thin add 2 glasses of water if you prefer it thick then reduce the quantity of water.

Thanks!

I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to all my blog followers :) I love blogging about food but you guys make it even more special with your comments . Thank you !!!

masaledar Bharwan shimla Mirch/Stuffed Capsicum

Everyday cooking   used to be restricted to ," regular dishes" in Indian households, when the exposure to fancy dishes was limited to eating out in restaurants or watching some celebrity demonstrate recipes on a T.V show. Thanks to the amazing wonders of INTERNET,everything is virtually possible in  almost real time. I love the fact that I am able to share the recipes of my everyday meals with the rest of the world . This is the magic of Internet which we now have started to take for granted :) BTW I brought up the topic of fancy dishes because, stuffed capsicum in  the 80's was quite a," novelty" in  normal Indian households due to the absence of  ovens in regular homes. So any dish that required baking or grilling meant finding alternate ways to cook it.  It makes me happy that these gadgets are becoming a house hold thing  now , at least in Urban India. At the same time I envy the simple & primitive means of  cooking which are practiced by people living in rural India. They eat natural , and cook naturally. Kudos to them all ,they are not slaves to the  modern & quick means of cooking.

I dedicate this recipe to all those who made this dish possible even in the absence of OTG's :) Cheers !!!

Ingredients:
Green Capsicum: 4
Potato: 2 large
Ginger: 1tbsp
garlic: 1 tbsp
Tomato: 1 medium sized
salt: 1 tsp
turmeric: 1/4 tsp
coriander powder: 1/4 tsp
garam masala: 1/4 tsp
paprika Powder: 1/4 tsp
Carom seeds: 1/4 tsp
Fenugreek seeds: 15-20
Fennel seeds: 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Nigella : 1/4 tsp
asfoetida: A pinch
Oil: 2 tbsp
curry Leaves: 10-12
mint leaves: 10-12
cilantro for garnishing


Note: Asfoetida, carom ,ginger & fenugreek aid in digestion.

 Method:
Boil potato's,peel them and mash them.
Take a frying pan and heat oil. When hot add all the seeds( carom,nigella,mustard,fennel,fenugreek) to this add curry leaves ,asfoetida and ginger& garlic and fry for a couple minutes. Chop tomato and add to this along with all the dry powders( turmeric,paprika,coriander,garam masala,salt) saute for some time till the tomato is completely mashed. Now add the mashed potato's and mix it well.

Raw capsicum stuffed with the potato mix

take the washed and dried capsicum and cut it into two halves,remove the tough part in the centre and also the seeds. Now stuff the capsicum with the potato mix. Brush the capsicum with oil and pre-heat the oven to 400 d Fahrenheit . Then broil the capsicum till the edges and the skin gets a nice cooked brown color. Roughly 15-20 minutes. Capsicum should be ready.I served it for lunch today with beaten yogurt and roti along with some salad and home made green chutney :)