Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu

Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu/Bottlegourd Masala Dal is one of our fav dish ,healthy n easy to make.I was thinking about cooking something different for Linda's amazing event of JFI: Toor Dal,finally I'm rushing at the last minute with my entry.Toor dal has a mild, nutty flavor & cooked as a routine Indian dish which is rich in Vitamin B1,protein,dietary fiber and minerals.Bottle gourd is a common vegetable in India,an yellowish green vegetable, having the shape of a bottle. It has white pulp, with white seeds embedded in spongy flesh.Known as 'sorakkai' in Tamil,Chorakka in Malayalam,Sorakkaya in telugu and lauki in Hindi.I dont know how 's known in kannada.Bottle gourd is eaten as cooked ,it gives a feeling of relaxation after eating it.Its rich in essential minerals, iron, protein ,trace elements and fibre.Its a nice sidedish for rice and roti.Yesterday i had it along with Rice ,Inji- poondu Kulambu ,Vazakkai poriyal and carrot Kosumbari. I'll post the other recipes later.


Sorakkai Paruppu Kootu

Ingredients

Sorakkai/Bottlegourd 1/2cup

Toor dal 1cup

Tomato 1

Onion 1

Green chilli 2

Cumin powder 1tsp

Coriender powder 2tsp

Red chilli powder 2tsp

turmeric powder 1/4tsp

Cliantro 1/3cup

Ginger a slice

Garlic 2 cloves

Oil 1tsp

Salt

Method

Boil the toor dal in the pressure cooker for 2-3whistles with salt and turmeric powder.Mash it into smooth paste.In the blender, grind together1/2 onions chopped, garlic, ginger, coriander leaves, tomatoes, cumin seeds, coriander powder and the red chili powder. Slice the other onion finely and keep aside. Heat oil in a pan and fry the sliced onion. When the onions are turning a little brown, add the ground masala and fry around 15-20 minutes. All the water should have evaporated and the paste should be dry. Now add the boiled dal to it and add a little water if u need gravy. Add salt to taste. Boil for a while till you get the required consistency.Plz note fry the masala well.

Dates Apple Smoothie

"Smoothie" means something smooth.Smoothies were invented in the 1960’s as a healthy alternative to milkshakes,made from all natural fruits, making them of course naturally healthy.A blended and chilled beverage made from fresh fruit and nuts. It is sometimes blended with crushed ice, frozen fruit, frozen yogurt or fat free milk.I was scratching my brain these days thinking about what to send to Chandrika's event in this nov AFAM Dates ,finally ended up in these delicious healthy smoothie.Calorie content in 1cup of smoothie is 1 Fruit Smoothie contains 125 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free milk) contains 205 cal,1 Fruit Smoothie (wid.fat-free yogurt) contains 220 cal.Of course u all know about these cute and wrinkly yumm dates are high in iron, potassium, fiber and a bunch o’ vitamins, no fat or cholesterol.I love the combo of dates with almonds, crunchy nuts with milk ,apple n dates...
Ingredients
Low fat milk 4cups
Apple 1big
Dates 10 deseeded
Vanilla extract 1/2tsp
Ice cubes(optional)
Sugar 2tsp(optional)
Method

• Soak deseeded dates in 1cup of warm water for half an hour.
• Peel the apple skin ,finely chop into small pieces.
• Blend dates,apple,milk and vanilla extract till u get a smooth n frothy drink.Freeze your fruit beforehand, smoothie will stay colder and be thicker . U can add ice cubes ,if u need chilled one.Instead of milk,vanilla ice creams or fat free yogurt can be used .Add sugar ,if u need more sweet.i didt add,as dates and apple makes enough sweet.
• Garnish with chopped almonds.

Baigan Ka BHURR-taah

Although from south,i prefer having northindian dishes in restaurants mostly panner or chole dishes .Frankly speaking ,haven't heard about this bringal dish till my marriage.This is the second dish i got from my 's' cooking class,first one was palak dal.He used to cook all these while he was a bachelor...now interested in criticising my cooking...Now coming Baigan Ka Bharta...or BHURR-taah (pronounced like) ..here ingredients are roughly mashed while doing dish, roasted bringal with smokey spicy flavour,basically a Bhihari dish.Even bringal haters like me would like this.First time after making this,i couldn't identify whether it has bringal in it...I actually made this for sending to Rci bihar event,i couldn't make it within time.Now this is my entry to Suganya of Tasty Palettes for her wonderful Vegan Ventures this month.

Ingredients

Bringal/Egg plant 1 big
Onion 1 finely chopped
Cooked Green peas 1/3cup
Green chilli 2 slit
Garlic 2 clove chopped
Ginger 1 inch size minced
Tomato 1 finely chopped
Garam masala powder 1/2tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Cumin powder 1/2tsp
Coriender powder 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 1/2tsp
Oil 2tsp
Salt
Cilantro
Method

• Firstly prick the egg plant nicely with fork all over.Roast it in open flame ,its gives the nice smokey flavour or broil/bake it in bake oven for about 20 mins,till the skin starts charring.Turn it to another side after 10 mins so that its evenly cooked.i usually bake coz roasting in direct flame is bit complicated.Once its roasted,let it cool down for a while.Peel off the skin and mashed it roughly with fork.If u need a nice paste,blend it.
• Heat up oil ,add chopped ginger-garlic ,saute for a min.Throw down chopped onions and green chillies,fry for another few more mins till they are golden brown.
• Add red chili powder,cumin powder,coriander powder,masala powder,turmeric powder saute for a min.Add chopped tomatoes,cook it they are soft.
• Now add mashed egg plants and cooked green peas with 2 tbsp water ,cook in low flame for about 10 mins covered,so that all blend together.


• Stir occasionally.Remove from flame ,add lemon juice and garnish with chopped cilantro.Goes well with chappati or naan.

Inji curry-A sweet n sour ginger chutney

All keralties are very fond of this,a must dish in onam sadya . Known in different names such as Pulinji,Inji curry.what ever be the name ,its bascially a Sweet n sour ginger sauce.Main ingredients are Tamarind{puli} and Ginger {inji},hence the name.Ginger has a vital part in Indian cooking,aromatic, pungent and spicy, adds a special flavor and zest to stir fries and many fruit and vegetable dishes.Its a dietary supplement, shown to clean and thin the blood thus positively affecting the heart and almost every other organ in the body.Try to add grated ginger than paste in cooking coz grated gives much more flavour and maximum benefits.Now coming back to dish,Inji curry can be served as a side dish for meal.Goes well with rice and any curries,also with dosa /idli.Even though its a kerala dish,every malayalee has a unique style in preparing this,which varies from places within kerala.In northern kerala,coconut and coriender powder is added.Here goes my amma's style...

Inji curry
Ingredients
Fresh ginger minced 1 cup
( plz note ,not ginger paste,crushed ones)
Green chilles finely chopped 15
Tamarind 3-4 inch piece of ginger(size of small lemon)
Red chilli powder 3/4tsp
Mustard seeds 1tsp
Curry leaves a few
Fenugreek seeds 1tsp
Jaggery 2tsp
Salt
Gingely oil 2tsp
(use any refined oil )

Method
Soak tamarind in a cup of warm water for about 15 mins and extract the thick juice and keep aside.Dry roast fenugreek seeds,powder it and keep aside.Heat oil in thick bottomed pan,add mustard seeds,then curry leaves.Now add crushed ginger and finely chopped green chillies and fry till golden brown.Add tamarind paste,chilli powder,salt .Bring it to boil,keep the flame on medium.It will around 10 to 15 min to get rid of the raw smell of tamarind and to get a thick sauce.Now add jaggery,allow it to boil.Add according to ur need of sweetness in Injicurry.Once its reaches a thick consistency and oil starts floating on the surface,remove from heat.Inji curry gets thicker once its cool down.Store in glass or ceramic containers for long life,keep in fridge.This same can be used to make Instant Puliyogare .This is my entry toThink Spice..Think Ginger Event hosted by Sunita .

Diwali Special !!!

A VERY HAPPY DIWALI TO U ALL!!!

Hope u guys had a wonderful and colorful diwali filled with happiness this year...

"Diwali", “row of lights” for which the festival is named , to welcome Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Light signifies goodness. So, during the Festival of Lights, 'deeps', or oil lamps, are burned throughout the day and into the night to ward off darkness and evil .It is a time to lit up 'diyas' in and around the house, and kindle the dark, amavasi night with dazzling display of fireworks. It is a time for rejoice , a time to put on new things, time for exchanging gifts and greetings and wishing each other.The preparations begin the day before Diwali,the house is washed and decorated with kolam (rangoli) . In the pooja room, betel leaves, betel nuts, plaintain fruits, flowers, sandal paste, kumkum, gingelly oil, turmeric powder are kept. Crackers and new dresses are placed in a plate after smearing a little kumkum or sandal paste. Diwali celebrations begins early in the morning. Family members applies sesame oil on their heads and take bath.They were new clothes,goes to temple and burst crackers.This year i missed all these things,this was our first diwali( thalai diwali).I made some traditional snacks,as i'm a beginner in cooking,tried with some simple ones..like Paruppu Vada,ulundu Vada,Paasi paruppu (moong dal) Vada and Suzhiyan.I tried suzhiyan from RAK's Kitchen,it was very tasty.

Ulundu Vadai (Urad dal vada)
Ingredients
Urad dal 1cup
Fenugreek seeds 1/2tsp
Green chillies 3 nos
Ginger 1tsp
Onions 1/3cup
Carrot 1/3cup (optional)
Rice flour 2tsp (to make vadas crisp)
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Method
Soak urad dal nad fenugreek seeds for an hour,grind both dals in ablender to athick batter without adding water.Add very little if needed to grind.If batter is bit watery ,add rice flour .so that batter will be thick,u get crispy vadas.Mix salt,ginger,onions,carrot into the batter.In a heavy bottomed pan,heat oil for deep frying.Wet our hands or apply little oil ,so that batter doesnot syick to the hands.Make vadas and deep fry it.Making holes in vadas are not that easy for beginners like me,my vada are not in very good shape.

Moong dal Vada(Paasi paruppu vada)
Ingredients
Moong dal 1cup
Ginger 1tsp
Green chilli 3
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Method
Soak dal for an hour,grind smoothly without adding water.Mix ginger,green chilli,salt to it.Heat oil ,pour batter into oil with a small spoon,u'll get different shapes of vada.Fry till golden brown.

First Wedding Anniversary!!!

Our 1st wedding anniversarywas on Nov 5th,a slight difference from the normal days.After a long time,i wore saree and went to temple.I want to begin the day with some sweet,how about a Pineapple Upside down cake.I saw many of these in blogsphere,especially inspiried by Mansi's mini ones.I havent baked cake before,so beginned with this fruit cake in my own style.

Pineapple Upside down Cake

Ingredients..
1/3 cup butter
2/3 cup brown sugar/granulated regular sugar
1 can (8 ounces) pineapple round slices, drained, reserve juice
1 quick cake mix ,i used Super moist Butter yellow mix
3eggs
1 1/3 cups water
1/2 cup veg oil
Method..

Melt 1/3 cup butter,sprinkle brown sugar evenly over melted butter ,pour evenly into the cake pan. Arrange pineapple slices over sugar.u can place cherries or pecans to make the cake more decorative in the middle of pineapple slices.In a large mixing bowl, beat cake mix,eggs,veg oil for low speed for 30 sec. Stir in 1/3 cup pineapple juice , water if needed slowly for 3 min. Mix well and pour into cake pan over pineapple slices. Bake in pre-heated 350° oven about 30-35 minutes.Allow it to rest in the pan,after cooling completely,invert it upside down to a serving plate.

Paruppu Payasam (Moongdal Payasam)
I also made pradhaman,without payasam what celebration....I remember ,grandma used to make this for every year on onam,coz grandpa like to have this payasam with banana along with kerala traditional sadya...i love the taste of dal and jaggery combo.Thought that this will be a flop,coz i'm not that good in making desserts with jaggery.In kerala ,we call this as 'Parippu Pradhaman'.Parippu Pradhamans are of two types, Pradhamans using only parippu(dal) or a combination of parippu and rice. Both Bengal gram dal and moong dal are used in preparing pradhaman.Here i tried only moong dal.This was my first attempt in making pradhaman,very happy that it came well,so simple and delicious dessert...

Ingredients..
Moong dal/Cheru payar parippu 1 cup
Jaggery 1 1/4 cup(more or less can be used depending on how much sweet u need)
Thick milk 1 3/4 cup (coconut milk can be used )
Grated coconut 1/4cup (chopped dry coconut /copra can be used)
Cardamom pwd 1/2pod
Cashewnuts 8
Raisins 8
Ghee 1 tbsp
Water to pressure cook dal 2 cups
Water to prepare jaggery syrup 1 1/2cup
Method..
Heat ghee in a thick pan,roast cashew nuts and raisins till golden brown,keep aside.In the same pan,roast moong dal for 5 min or so,till a nice aroma comes.Moong dal has a nice flavour.Remove from the pan,cook dal in apressure cooker for 3 whistles,dal should be soft .Once cooked,mash the dal .Don't mash into fine paste.In the same pan,melt jaggery with water.Strain to remove impurities if any.Again boil jaggery syrup,add cooked dal.Boil till for few min.Now add grated coconut and milk to the above,go on stirring in low flame till its blended.Add cardamom powder,roasted cashew and raisins.Serve hot or chilled.

Vacation Dishes

I'm here with the dishes we prepared during our vacation trip at Harstene Island.We started our trip at Friday evening,it was like 2hrs drive from our home.It was rainy day as usual in Seattle, went in two cars,one gang went first they reached beach house and was waiting for us.On the other side,we lost our way,went far beyond the destination,reached some dead end.Thought like we reached first, started key questing.Actually caretaker was not there , key was placed under some log near the community entrance,details was given to us clearly.It was raining heavily,we began to search key,under some logs found there and was looking for community board.ohhh...atlast came to know that hm mm...we were at wrong place ,almost thirty miles ahead from destination.Fun was that,we were searching key in a log near a Pub ,not the community entrance...ha ha ha....it was a real fun key questing...
Now coming to foods, Here goes few recipes of my friend's special.

Anu's Baby corn salad and StrawBerry Punch....






Baby corn Salad
Ingredients
Baby corn 1
Onions 1/2
Pepper powder 1tsp
Garam masala powder 1/2tsp
oil 1tsp
Salt
For Garnishing..
Tomatoes,onions and Lettuce..
Method..
Heat oil in a pan,saute till onions are golden brown.Add salt ,pepper corns,masala and saute till a nice flavour comes. Now add baby corns ,keep in low flames.sprinkle water if needed and cook till corns are cooked.Garnish with tomatoes,onions and lettuce.


Strawberry Punch
Strawberry 1 pack
Lemon Juice 1bottle
Sugar to taste
Method..
Make lemonade with con.lemon juice or lemon with sugar .Add sugar according to Ur taste.Now add chopped strawberries into it.Keep refrigerated for few hours,so that the strawberry color spreads in lemonade.Otherwise blend strawberries and add with lemonade.Serve chilled.
It was really very tasty....

Gop'z Tilapia Fry -Kerala style
Tilapia (cut into desired pieces or any kind of fish) 1
For marinate
Red chilly powder 2tsp
Pepper powder 1tsp
Onions chopped 1tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste 1tsp
Turmeric Powder 1/2tsp
Lemon juice 1/4tsp
Salt
Make a thin paste of red chilly powder,turmeric powder,pepper,onions,ginger-garlic,lemon juice, and salt with little water. Apply to the fish pieces and marinate for 15 minutes.Heat oil in a pan, the fish pieces and fry on both sides till done.


Niv's Prawns masala - Kerala Style
Prawns 2lbs
Coconut oil 2tsp
Curry leaves

For masala..
Coconut 1/2cup
Turmeric powder 1tsp
Red chilli powder 1tsp
Jeera powder 1/2tsp
Garlic paste 1tsp
Salt

Method..
Clean prawns.Do not take the shells from it.If u prefer without shells,then try in that way.In a thick pan,pour 1tsp oil,add mustard seeds,curry leaves.When it splutters,add prawns .Cook for 10-15 mins,add some if needed.When its cooked,prawns shell turns into orange-red colour.In the mean time,grind the items listed under masala with little water.Pour this masala along with prawns.Cook for another 10 mins till the raw smell of masala goes.Atlast again add 1tsp oil,saute for 5 mins.Usually Crab in done in this way in kerala,Prawns also can be done.While eating,remove the shell like we eat crab.Enjoy !!!