Summer Salad (Fruits and veggies salad)

Fruits:

Mango: 1 fruit diced

Pomegranate: 1 fruit

Pineapple: 1 fruit diced

Apple: 1 fruit diced

Green Grapes: 1 cup sliced

Veggies:

Carrot: 1 carrot grated

Cabbage: 1 cup grated

Cucumber: 1 peeled and diced

Onion: 1 medium Diced

Tomato: 1 small seeded and diced

Salt: as required

Vinegar: 2 tbsp

Pepper: 2 tsp

Sugar: 1 tsp (optional)

Dump all this in a big mixing bowl and mix properly.

Keep in the refrigerator for half an hour and enjoy this super yummy healthy salad without guilt.

Recipe Courtesy: My aunt, Leelakochamma

Halloween Chicken... :) from Maya's Kitchen

This recipe is coming from my friend, Mayas kitchen. She wishes all my readers a happy Halloween and with that her Halloween recipe for children.

Chicken: 1/2 kg boneless bite sized.

Oil: 3 tbsp

Mustard: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: a handful

Minced garlic: 1 tbsp

Kashmiri Chilly Powder: 3/4 tbsp

Jeera Powder: 1/2 tsp

Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt: as needed

Heat oil. Splutter mustard and curry leaves.

To this add the minced garlic and saute for a minute.

Add the chilly powder, coriander powder, jeera powder and turmeric powder and mix everything properly.

Add the chicken to it and saute well so that chicken is well coated.

Sprinkle a little water and keep the lid and cook on low flame.

keep stirring in between.

Once done, serve warm as an appetizer or with rice.

Prawns Pepper Fry

In 2010 May, my Dad, bro and I made a trip to Trivandrum. I had some work there and they both accompanied me. On our way back, we ate at a restaurant and one of the dishes we ordered was Prawns Pepper Fry. It tasted soooooooooooooooooooo good and this is how I recreated it after that trip. This recipe is a regular at my home now.

Prawns; 1/2 kg

Onion; 1 diced

Onion: 1 sliced thin

Garlic: 6 cloves minced

Green Chillies; 5 slit

Pepper Powder: 1.5 - 2 tsp

To marinate the Prawns:

Chilly Powder: 1/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp

Salt: 1/2 tsp

Oil, curry leaves and Salt : as needed

Heat oil in a kadai and fry the green chillies for a minute and then add the garlic.

After a minute add the diced onion and saute till wilted

Add the marinated prawns and let it get cooked.

When it is almost done, add the sliced onions, green chillies and saute everything properly.

Do a taste test and add more salt if needed.

Add pepper, give everything a quick mix and take off fire.

Mont Blanc

This is a quick and convenient breakfast which my kids simply adore. I got this recipe from Fatafeat.

Egg whites: 2

Egg yolks: 2

Salt and Pepper: as needed

Cheese Slices: 2

Butter: 1 tbsp

White Bread: 2 slices

Add salt and pepper to the egg whites and whisk till it reaches the soft peak stage. Refer the pic below. At this stage, the egg whites hold the shape and will not fall off from the spoon.

Preheat oven.

Grease your baking tray with the butter. Place the bread slices and layer it with a slice of cheese.

Spoon half of the whites on top of the cheese like a heap.

Slip the egg yolk on to the top (make a small hole with a spoon and then do it)

Bake it on 180 C for 15 minutes.

Serve Warm

Brinjal/Aubergine/Eggplant fry

This is one of the tastiest stir fries Ive ever eaten...

Brinjal: 2

Slice the brinjal like in the picture and soak in water.

Slice Onions and green chillies like in the picture below

Heat oil in a kadai, saute the onions and green chillies till wilted.

Add a sprig of curry leaves.

Now add the sliced brinjal, salt and cook till done.

Serve hot with rice.

Bread Masala

Bread lovers will really love this recipe. This is a quick fix breakfast and also very very tasty. I make this both as breakfast and also as a 4 'o' clock snack. The recipe is adapted from Vanitha magazine but I changed a lil bit here and there

Bread Slices: 3
Onion: 1 medium diced
Tomato: 1 medium diced
Cheese; 2 cubes/triangles
Oil: 1 tbsp
Chilly Powder: 1/4 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala: 1/5 tsp
Salt: as required
Coriander Leaves: to garnish

Remove the crust from the bread and slice it in small squares
Apply cheese on the slices and toast it
(in the original recipe, ghee is used instead of cheese)
Keep it aside.
In a pan, heat oil/ghee, throw in the onions and saute till slightly brown.
Add the tomato and cook till it is mashed up.
Add the dry masalas and saute till the raw smell is gone.
Add required salt, the toasted bread and mix everything properly.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with tomato sauce.

Cabbage Fry

This is my favourite vegetable...  I love it best raw and mixed with mayonnaise...hmmmm....
My husband loves cabbage pepper fry as that is how madras mom makes it... but my mother has a habbit of adding garam masala to all stir fries... so one day I made it like that and now my DH is in a dilemma... which is better? Even I can't decide... Both are so yummy!!!!!

Cabbage chopped: 2 cups
Onion chopped: 1
Ginger: 1 tsp diced
Garlic: 1 tsp diced
Green Chillies: 2 split
Garam Masala: 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Oil: 1 tbsp
Mustard: 1 tsp
Salt: as required

Heat Oil in a kadai and splutter mustard seeds.
Throw in the onions, ginger, garlic, green chillies and saute for half a minute.
Now add the cabbage, turmeric powder and salt and saute on low heat.
The cabbage will cook in its own water and also the oil helps!!!
When it is almost done, add the garam masala and again saute for a minute.
Turn off stove and serve hot with rice.

Linking this recipe to

 

For beginners...

Mutton Curry

This is a very easy and tasty mutton curry preparation... A beginner's guide to cooking mutton, I would say!!!

Mutton: 1 kg

Onions Sliced: 3 medium

Tomatoes chopped: 2

Ginger chopped: 1 tbsp

Garlic chopped: 2 tbsp

Curd: 1 cup

Turmeric powder: 3/4 tsp

Mustard seeds: 1/2 tsp

Mutton Masala: 3 tbsp (I use Aachi mutton masala)

Cinnamon: 1 inch piece

Cloves: 2

Cardamom: 2

Star Anise: 1

Salt and Oil: as required.

Marinate the mutton with curd, salt and turmeric and keep aside for half an hour.

In a pressure cooker, heat oil and splutter mustard.

Throw in the onions, ginger, garlic and saute till onions turn brown.

Add the mutton masala and the tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are mashed.

Add the mutton and just enough water to cover the mutton and close the lid.

Cook for 15 minutes on high heat.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Potatoes and onions fry

This is an inspiration from Bengali cooking...but Ive changed the whole thing to suit my family's tastes... The original recipe uses poppy seeds and sugar and no masalas... and this is what I did...

Potatoes: 2 large
Onions: 1 large diced
Green chillies: 3 chopped
Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
Garam Masala: 1/2 tsp
Salt: as required
Oil: 2 tbsp

Cook the whole potatoes till 3/4th done (I pressure cooked it on high flame for 8 minutes)
Peel the skin and cut into chunks
Heat oil in a kadai and saute the onions and green chillies till the onions turn slightly brown.
Add the turmeric powder, garam masala,salt and the potatoes and fry it.
Serve hot with plain rice or curd rice.

Beetroot stir fry

I used to hate beetroot when I was a child.. For that matter, I hated anything vegetarian!!!! But after marriage, things changed and now I cannot imagine having a meal without atleast one vegetarian dish. This is a simple and tasty beetroot preparation.

Beetroot: 3 cubed
Garlic: 4 sliced
Curry leaves: 1 sprig
Pepper and salt: as required.
Water; 1/2 cup
Oil: 2 tbsp

In a kadai, add all the ingredients except oil and pepper and cook on a low flame till all the water is used up

Now add the oil and stir fry the beetroots sprinkling the pepper powder.

Saute for a few minutes and switch off the stove.

Serve hot with rice.

Mixed Vegetable Saute

This is a very easy stir fry (minus chopping the vegetables!!! but if you have frozen vegetables, nothing like it!!!)
Onion sliced- 1 medium
Soya sauce- 1 tsp
Salt and Oil: as required
Frozen vegetable mix- 1 cup
 OR
Beans and Carrot chopped- 3/4 cup
Green peas- 1/4 cup

Heat oil in a pan and saute the onions till translucent (if using fresh vegetables, otherwise wait till it is light brown if you are using frozen vegetables).
Now add the vegetables and saute till done.
Add the soya sauce and salt and saute again for a minute.
Serve hot with rice.

Chemmeen Roast

This is a very very easy fastfood recipe. I got this recipe from the June 2007 edition of Kanyaka magazine. On busy days and whenever Iam too lazy to cook, chemmen roast and rice is the way to go!!!!

Prawns: 1 kilo
Onions: 2 large diced
Chilly Powder: 3 tbsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp
Pepper Powder: 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Coconut Oil: 100 ml
Salt: As required

Heat oil in a kadai and throw in the prawns with turmeric powder, a little water and salt. let it cook for 15 minutes on a law flame.
Now add the onions and  masala and saute till done.
See, I told u its easy.. o yes, it is tasty too!!!!

Easy Prawns Biriyani

When I was newly married, I was not fond of cooking biriyani coz I always felt it was tedious and was scared I will mess it up. But my husband loves Biriyani and used to tell me "atleast make a kalipeeru biriyani" and I used to wonder what a kalipeeru Biriyani was. Then I heard the same term used by my sisters-in-law. So I asked my husband and he said  "Mom makes it, learn from her". Now I have to tell you all, Mom is an excellent cook and she makes all kinds of biriyani .. from dum biriyani to malabar type (mixing) biriyani to even kalipperu biriyani. She usually makes the kalipeeru biriyani with minced beef. Ive used her method to make prawns biriyani ... changed the recipe a bit coz it is prawns- has to be marinated and also I used lemon and cut down on the tomatoes.

Basmati Rice: 2 cups
Prawns: 1/2 kg
Onion: 1 big sliced
Ginger Garlic paste- 1 tbsp
Tomato: 1 medium sliced
Green chillies: 2 slit
Lemon juice: 0f 1 lemon
Cinnamon: 1
Cloves:3
Cardamom:1
Star Anise:1
Coriander leaves: a bunch
Ghee- 2 tbsp
Oil-2 tbsp

To Marinate the prawns:
Chilly powder: 1.5 tsp
Coriander Powder: 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tsp
Salt:as required
Lemon juice of one lemon

Wash and devein the prawns. Marinate with the To marinate ingredients and keep aside for half an hour.
Wash the rice properly and soak it in water for 20 minutes.
Take a pressure cooker and heat the ghee and oil, Add the whole garam masala (cinnamon, cardamom, star anise and cloves)
After a minute, add the onions, ginger garlic and green chillies and saute till the onions are browned.
Now add the marinated prawns and cook on a low flame.
When the prawns are half cooked, add the tomato and saute till oil separates.
Add required salt and the chopped coriander leaves.
Now add the rice along with 3 cups of water and place the lid.
When the steam starts coming out steadily, place the weight and wait for 30 seconds.
Turn off the stove and let it remain like that for 20 minutes.
Open the lid and serve hot with raitha.

Cauliflower Capsicum Saute

Haven't you had days when you just don't know what to cook. Then you will decide to make something with a particular vegetable but can't decide on a recipe. You think and think and then you will decide to call up all your friends and family. So you sit with the phone and dial everyone on your contact list. And finally you will have enough recipes to write a book... I remember one such day. I had cauliflower and capsicum with me and I called up all my cousins- read expert cooks. Finally Susha chechy gave me a simple recipe but the fact is I never made it till today... she gave me the recipe almost a year back!!!! she messaged me the recipe and till date that recipe is in my saved messages list. Today I read it again and as usual I simplified it again coz Iam too lazy!!!! Her recipe needs onion and No... Iam too lazy to chop onions... and her recipe doesnt require much oil coz cauliflower is steamed but I used a lot of oil coz I fried the cauliflower.... so that is the difference!!!!!

Cauliflower: 1/4 kg
Capsicum: 3 small
Green chillies: 3
Garlic: 4 fat cloves chopped fine
Ginger: an inch piece chopped fine
Soya sauce: 1tsp
Tomato sauce: 1 tbsp
Oil: 4 tablespoons
Salt: as required

Heat oil in a non stick pan. Saute Garlic, Green chillies and ginger.
Now add the cauliflower and fry it in the oil.
When it is cooked, add salt and capsicum and saute for 2 more minutes in low flame.
Now add the sauces.
Serve it hot with Chinese noodles or Fried rice.

Pepper chicken

This recipe is almost like the mushroom pepper fry… but definitely tastier coz of the chicken … I feel this is better as the main dish Coz if u make this as starters, it will e too heavy…

Ingredients:
Chicken: half kilo
Onions: 6
Ginger: 1 inch
Garlic: 5
Garam masala: 1 tsp
Pepper powder: 6 tsp
Coriander powder: 1 tsp
Curry leaves
Salt

Method:
Heat oil. Sauté the chopped onions, ginger and garlic till golden. Add chicken pieces, garam masala, pepper powder and coriander powder. Mix properly. Close lid and cook. Keep stirring in between. Poke a toothpick to see if it is cooked. Serve hot with chapattis.

mushroom pepper fry

hey nunu gal, this is one tasty yet very easy recipe, your dada loves it. and iam sure u gonna love it too. do u know how mamma came up with this recipe. one day (this happened b4 u were born), mamma and puthrichechy had lunch at The Delhi restuarant. puthrichechy ordered mushroom pepper fry and wow!!! it was yummy. that was the first time ever i had this dish. on the way back, i bought mushrooms and started experimenting and lo!! it tasted the same!! eureka!!!

ingredients:
mushroom:1 packet
onions: 5 big diced
garlic: 5-6 chopped fine
green chillies: 3 nos
curry leaves
pepper: as needed
salt

method:
in a kadai heat oil, fry the onions. when it is translucent, add the garlic and curry leaves, stir for some more time. now add the mushrooms and salt and keep stirring for some more time till the mushroom is properly cooked. make sure u keep the flame low. now add the pepper (mamma doesnt know the quantity- i keep tasting to see if the pepper is enuff) okay to make it easier for u- lets say add 2 teaspoons and see if it tastes good... okay??? thats it!!!! very very tasty mushroom ready!!!!

Mushroom masala fry

This one is dedicated to my husband. Last night I was really lazy to cook anything. When I looked at the time, it was 8:30 pm. All the more reason for me to take a home delivery menu card, coz I hate getting into the kitchen after 7 pm. It runs in the family I think coz back home we have dinner by 7 pm. But my husband will never touch food before 9:30pm. And he likes it straight from the pan to his plate. Okay… back to where I started… anyways, I had to cook… no excuses… well, my very sweet neighbour, Indu had bought me a packet of mushrooms. Ha, now what do I do with it… see what I did!!!
And oh!!!!!! My husband just loved it!!!!!!! He said it was too good!! If he says that, it surely is!!!

Ingredients:
Mushroom: 1 packet
Onions: 2-3 chopped fine
Garlic- 4 chopped fine
Ginger: 1 inch chopped fine
Greenchilles: 2 chopped fine
Tomatoes: 2 chopped fine
Turmeric powder: a pinch
Chilly powder: 1 teaspoon
Pepper powder: 2 tea spoons
salt

Method:
Chop the mushrooms and mix it with all the other ingredients except tomatoes and salt. Keep it aside for 10 minutes (that’s the time I took to knead the dough for chapattis)
Now heat oil in a kadai (atleast 3 tablespoons ) . Splutter mustard, curry leaves and then add the mushroom mixture and fry on a low flame for sometime. See if the mushroom is cooked. When it is almost done, add the tomatoes and salt and keep stirring till the tomatoes are cooked well. Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve.