Top 10 Food Memories of 2017 + Buttermilk Kootu Recipe (Vegetable Buttermilk Stew)

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Phew! there it is. an end of 2017. an end to an year I quickly want to forget and erase from my memory. Though the year started on a positive note, it quickly took a nose dive and by the end it felt like an unintentionally long and painful roller coaster ride. Amidst all this chaos, the blog took a big hit and I no longer felt like cooking or writing elaborate posts. I am super active on Instagram though and the only two positive things I will remember 2017 for are: my love for watercolor and how I found support from my bullet journal. Rest all let's say - it feels good to be forgotten. :-) 

There were a few moments though during the year, here and there where I took a few photographs of food and also tried a new recipe from Chandra Padmanabhan's book - Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine From South which you can find at the end of the post. As always, I have grand plans for self and for my hobbies in the coming year and only time will tell on how far I will be able to execute on them. For now, here are Top 10 food memories of 2017 I want to share with you all. 

Happy Holidays and Wishing you all a Joyous 2018 ahead! May the force be with you!

Happy Holidays! more watercolor artwork here on my other blog.

[VeganMoFo 2016] Sindhi Kadhi | Vegetables in Chickpea Flour Gravy Recipe

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All the kadhi (yogurt gravy) recipes I know so far are made with yogurt by default. Never had I ever tasted or encountered a dish which is named as a kadhi but without the use of any diary. Made just out of chickpea flour as a base for the gravy, today's recipe (Sindhi Kadhi) is an exception. If you are wary about how would it taste (just like I did), then you got to make it to believe how mind blowing it tastes. For several Sundays after I teetered on the recipe, I found myself eagerly making two portions of it for my upcoming weekday lunches. Did I tell you, it is a lovely make-ahead recipe too which keeps well for 4-5 days in the refrigerator. All I had to was warm it in the microwave for 3-4 minutes, pour on top of some rice and enjoy my desk lunch. 

The recipe is from justagirlfrommumbai, one of my favorite Instagram accounts with beautiful (unpretentious) food photography and heart warming stories behind each one of them. If you are not following her already on IG and love food then give her a follow right way!

[Quick Monsoon Recipe] Iyengar Bakery Style Vegetable Masala Bread Toast

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Don't we all miss those memorable moments of our past? Those tiny incidents that warm our hearts and bring a smile on our faces even today. Well, my short stint in Bangalore sure had many moments to cherish. Eating in Iyengar bakeries was just one of them especially when the weather is slightly cooler than normal. Today's recipe Iyengar Bakery Style Vegetable Masala Bread Toast was made to reminisce & celebrate the time spent in the beautiful city of Bangalore. The intention is also to break the dry spell of no-posts happening on this blog since May and be more regular with my updates. Enjoy...

[Farmer's Market Series # 3] Union Square Greenmarket, New York City

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It has been more than SIX months since I moved to New York City. Say what? Time just flew and it sure took time for me to adjust to this new New Yorker lifestyle. I still feel like an alien in a mad world that is always is a rush to reach somewhere. There are tons of places to see and so many things to do in New York City. It will be a wishful thinking on my part if I aspire to do them all, but there are a few must-visit places and Union Square Green Market is definitely on top of the list. So, on a fairly overcast Saturday morning, we set off to explore the city as much as we can. The plan was to meet at the market and then move on to other places like Brooklyn Bridge, China Town, Little Italy, Chelsea Market etc. 

This post is a part of the Farmer's Market Series I do whenever I visit a new city. First one was on Mountain View (California) and another featuring a market from back home. It has been a while since the last feature and am so thrilled that I could be photograph this beautiful NYC market filled with gorgeous seasonal produce and artisanal products. Enjoy!

Fresh Carrots, not the ones that are bagged and frozen from our local grocery store

[Game of Thrones Special Recipe] Harrenhal Vegetable Stew

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"Winter is coming"..

"A Lannister always pays his debts"..

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die"..

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As someone who got into a reading habit pretty late (in her 20's), fantasy genre never appealed to me much. I read Harry Potter in parts and never touched The Lord of the Rings!. My natural inclination is towards fiction with either lots of drama (The Notebook) or suspense (The Thirteenth Tale). My book choices are pretty predictable and never-out-of-the-box. Then 3 years ago, I accidentally stumbled upon George R. R Martin's Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice & Fire series). It was an intimidating set of books with 1000+ pages each and very hesitatingly I started reading on my e-reader. The story of GoT, set in medieval times is filled with swords, sex, gothic creatures and characters hungry for power - always. There are too many Houses to remember and worst of all, as soon as you start liking a(ny) character, the author invariably kills it. Ugh. Anyhow, soon I found myself drawn into this fantasy world to such an extent, that it was very hard to get out. Every chapter had a cliff hanger at the end and it was impossible to resist NOT to read the next one. 

Coming to today's recipe - Harrenhal Vegetable Stew, I have to say whether you are a fan of the show or not, it will appeal to all. Just cut the veggies in season, dump everything into a stock pot and let it simmer. Store the rest in refrigerator and enjoy during those crazy weeknight dinners. (If you were me, while watching an episode of GoT). :-)

[Farmer's Market Series # 2] Madannapet Mandi, Hyderabad (India)

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If there is one place bursting with life and something that makes me immensely happy, it is our local vegetable market. By 5 am every single morning, a variety of vegetables pour in from nearby places and vendors setup their stuff at allotted places before the morning rush comes in. This market is called "Madannapet Mandi" and is located in suburbs of Hyderabad.

I love my morning market visits especially with my dad and have been accompanying him since I was a kid. Till today, this is our favorite time together. It was pure fun to walk around with my DSLR in hand the other day and capture few moments. Along the way, the big camera did garner some attention from many curious onlookers and some even asked if I worked for any newspaper. How I wished that was true! :-)

Are you ready to have a peek at a market I have been going every Sunday for the past two and half decades. Scroll down and Enjoy!

Small Eggplants or Gutti Vankaya  (as it called in Telugu) Try this chutney or  Hyderabadi special curry if you have some. 

{Simple and Easy Appetizers} Cornmeal Crusted Potato Wedges Recipe

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We simply love potatoes in our house and can be easily tagged as a perennial favorite. Basically we try to make, eat and taste them in every possible variation - with eggs, with balsamic vinegar, spiced up with kolhapuri masala, sometimes as mini pancakes, as rolls, as tater tots or even in a Christmas pie.

Today's recipe - Cornmeal Crusted Potato Wedges is a result of one such quest to experiment with this humble vegetable. This dish enjoys being different and scrumptious at the same time. These are so yum that once you taste it, you are bound to return for more with an instant craving. I promise.

Enjoy!

the cornmeal seasoning for the potatoes

potato wedges roasting in the oven..

{Recipe} Cornmeal Crusted Potato Wedges

Adapted from Simple Bites
Serves 2-3

Ingredients:

4 medium sized potatoes, peeled
1-2 tbsp fine cornmeal (or polenta)
salt - to taste (~ 1 tsp)
1/4 tsp black pepper powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 cup olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves, chopped

Preparation:

1. Cut potatoes into long wedges and boil for 10 mins. Turn off heat and drain in a colander. Keep aside.

2. In a bowl, mix together - cornmeal, salt, black pepper powder and chilli powder. Gently toss the boiled potatoes in the cornmeal mixture.

3. Preheat oven to 220 C or 425 F.

4. Heat a pan (oven-proof or cast iron skillet if you have one) and add a thin layer of olive oil. Add garlic. Let it sizzle for about 30 seconds and add seasoned potatoes in one single layer.

5. Transfer the contents onto a baking pan and roast for about 30 mins, turning them for every 10 mins. You can skip this step and directly place into the oven, if using an oven-proof skillet or cast iron skillet. 
Make sure you roast them until they are crunchy from out side.

Serve them with any dip and ketchup.

...ready to be served..

Sending this as an entry to Healthy Vegan Fridays and The Wellness Weekend.

This is Recipe 26 added to my The 100 Recipe Challenge for Year 2013. Check out the rest of the recipes too!

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until next recipe,

Simplicity at its Best - {Recipe} Roasted Cauliflower with Whole Cumin Seeds

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Each one of us has a favorite vegetable. Ofcourse they change over time and as we get introduced to new textures & flavors. But, for me it was always - Cauliflower, my first love which am sure will be likewise in future as well. I usually make a tomato + cauliflower dry curry with minimal spices at every opportunity. Since we had some sporadic gloomy days some time ago, I wanted to a pretext to turn on my oven so that its heat can cheer me up a bit.

Other recipes using Cauliflower - Vegetarian Rogan Josh (with Cauliflower & Tofu), Cauliflower (Gobi) Paratha, Vegan Christmas Tree Pie, Fried Cauliflower

Roasted Cauliflower with Whole Cumin Seeds

I also was not in a mood to whip, cream and bake something elaborate like cookies or cakes. A sudden whim and I remembered reading about this recipe on Melissa Clark's blog (one of my favorite food writers). A simple toss with olive oil and cumin seeds, roast until crispy and there you have a delicious bowl of roasted cauliflower which is so darn addictive that it took exactly 3 minutes, literally for me and my sister to finish it off in entirety. :-)

{Recipe} Roasted Cauliflower with Whole Cumin Seeds

Recipe idea from Melissa Clark

It is versatile enough to be great as a side dish or just as a snack with an unbeatable combo of flavor and texture. Add whatever you have in hand.  I am planning to add herbs and nuts next time around. For an indianized version, sprinkle some chat masala once out of the oven. For some cheesy goodness, one can also sprinkle grated cheese in last few minutes of roasting.

Ingredients:

1 medium sized cauliflower, cut into florets
olive oil (about 1/2 cup)
generous pinch of cumin seeds (jeera)
salt & pepper


Preparation:

1. Preheat oven to 425F or 220 C.

2. In a mixing bowl, add lots of olive oil with cumin seeds. Toss the cauliflower florets until evenly coated. Sprinkle salt and freshly ground black pepper.

3. Spread the florets on a baking sheet evenly and roast for 20 to 30 minutes, stirring once or twice for even toasting and caramelization.

Cauliflower florets

Just out of the oven..

Serve with hot sauce like I did or toss/sprinkle cool yogurt/curd with herbs on the top.

I could just manage to save this little bunch for the picture. Rest was all gone by then! :-)

For more such simple yet delicious recipes, Check out the Recipe Index featuring more than 200 posts .

until next time,

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{Recipe} Paneer Jalfrezi (Indian Cottage Cheese with Mixed Vegetables) with Home-made Coconut Milk Fried Rice + winners for Quick Fix Indian giveaway announced

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It's monsoon time here in Hyderabad with heavy, sporadic rains almost every evening. A hot cup of chai with few spicy crackers or sometimes just biscuits on the side along with a book in hand is a usual affair.  Here are my latest reads  -

1. Murder on the Orient Express (Hercule Poirot #10) by Agatha Christie - Can I say am in love with Mr.Poirot, such a witty guy. I can't wait to start on other books in this series.

2. Can You Keep a Secret? by Sophie Kinsella - a total chic flick. this is my second book of Sophie's and I feel her stories are perfect to me made into a bollywood movie. Anybody agrees with me? ;-)

3. Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda. - If you are up for an emotional roller coaster ride, then pick up this book. The language by the author is simple, prose good and there are many parts of the book which will sting you like a bee and make you realize the hardships of the poor. The plotline seems predictable, but actually its not and I like the way it unfolds in both the worlds of Asha and Kavita. These characters will stay with me forever. It is the sad and unfortunate reality (which I completely detest) of the society today that boys are favored over girls and after reading this book, it made me realise how lucky I am to have such progressive parents who still to this day strive for the betterment and happiness of me and my little sister.

Paneer Jalfrezi (Indian Cottage Cheese with Mixed Vegetables) with Fried Rice

So, during my weekend grocery shopping I spotted these beautiful red and yellow peppers, all I could think was Paneer Jalfrezi, a colorful, dry side dish very popularly made  in many indian restaurants. Accompanied to that was a usual fried rice but with a twist of home-made coconut milk. These were served as a Sunday lunch to for few close friends and family, thoroughly enjoyed by all.

Adding coconut milk was amma's idea. Full credit to her as the rice had a nice, slightly mellow hint of coconut-ey flavor which added a new essence to it.

Slightly sweet and spicy - What a beautiful pepper(s) to cook with. 

One can never have too much paneer. ;-)

Veggies, chopped roughly to the size of paneer - ready to be sauteed.

All mixed in and simmering. 

Rice on the side - home-made coconut milk with no preservatives add a nice touch to the usual fried rice. 

pressure off, ready to be fluffed with a fork!

Want to grab a plate?

Paneer Jalfrezi

{Recipe} Paneer Jalfrezi with Home-made Coconut Milk Fried Rice 

Home-made Coconut Milk Fried Rice - Cut a whole coconut into pieces and grind it until smooth paste. In a muslin cloth, squeeze as much coconut milk you can into a bowl. Give it a rest for few minutes and squeeze for more.

Ingredients:

2 cups basmati rice
1 medium-sized onion, chopped
1 bunch mint leaves, chopped (2 tightly packed cups)
3-4 green chillies, slit in the middle
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp garam masala or biryani masala
3 cups home-made coconut milk diluted with little water
3 tbsp oil
1 cup mixed vegetables, chopped - carrot,beans,peas etc (optional)

Preparation:

1. In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add onion, mint leaves, ginger-garlic paste and fry these for 2 mins.

2. Now, add in garam/biryani masala, green chillies and vegetables(if using any). Cook these for 2-3 mins.  Season with salt, add rice and cook for a minute.

3. Finally add the coconut milk and pressure cook until 1 whistle. Turn off the heat and once pressure has subsided, fluff with fork.

Serve hot with any spicy side dish and raita.

Paneer Jalfrezi (Indian Cottage Cheese with MixedVegetables)

Ingredients:

1 cup of paneer/indian cottage cheese, cut into strips (immerse in salted hot water until use)
3 cups of mixed veggies - I used 3 kinds of bell peppers - green, yellow, red and zucchini
1 onion, chopped
2 tomatoes, finely chopped
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
3 tbsp of tomato puree (add one more finely sliced tomato if there is no tomato pure on hand)
1 tsp ginger-garlic paste
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
salt to taste
1/8 tsp turmeric
2 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tsp kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - optional
4 tbsp vegetable oil
lemon juice and coriander leaves - for garnish

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Once they start to sizzle, add onions and ginger-garlic paste. Saute on medium-low heat for few minutes. Add mixed veggies. Cook half-way through. Make sure the veggies are still crunchy and not mushy.

2. Add tomatoes, tomato puree, tomato ketchup, salt and turmeric. Mix well. Add 1 cup of water as well.

3. Add chilli powder and coriander powder. Rub the kasuri methi between your palms and sprinkle the leaves. Cover and cook on low for few minutes, stirring once or twice in the middle.

4. Lightly squeeze water out of paneer pieces and add to the veggies. Gently mix. the spices must evenly coat the paneer. Let it simmer on low heat for 8-10 minutes, covered.

5. Turn off the heat. Add lemon juice and top with coriander leaves. Serve with rice or roti.

Lunch/Dinner served - Paneer Jalfrezi (Indian Cottage Cheese with Mixed Vegetables)

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The two lucky winners (randomly chosen by my mom) who won a copy each of  Quick Fix Indian Cookbook by Ruta Kahate giveaway are - Nupur (US) and Hamaree Rasoi (India)

Here were their comments -

NupurJuly 16, 2012 7:34 PM

Good looking tater tots!

My favorite quick-fix recipes would be grilled cheese (bread stuffed with cheese and assorted veg, and a smear of pickle and chutney). I'm located in the US, crossing my fingers that I win this fun cookbook.

Hamaree RasoiJuly 20, 2012 12:23 PMSiri , my quick fix recipe which I make quite often for my son is cut whole wheat bread in round shape with glass and grate some carrot, chopped capsicum, onion, mozzarella cheese on top and season it with salt, oregnao and cilantro leaves. Bake is for 10 minutes!!
These tarter tots are looking so cute and crispy.
Following you via subscribe and Facebook also :-)Finger crossed ;-)

Congratulations fellas. I will send you an email for your shipping addresses pretty soon. 

until next time,

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YRTML IV - Vegetable Biryani & Mango Banana Smoothie

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Vegetable Biryani by Nags of Edible Garden (Click here for the recipe)

Who doesn't crave for a delicious biryani with a spicy paneer side dish as their dinner. Probably not every singe day, but think about those special occasions or those lazy sunday afternoons with a tiny little caveat - without spending much time in the kitchen. For all of those, Nags's Vegetable Biryani is the answer. The best part, it can be made in pressure cooker. And the spice paste is the absolute highlight. Sorry, the pic is not doing any justice to how good it tastes. :).

Mango- Banana Smoothie by DK of Chef In You (Click here for the recipe)

Summer is almost over and so is an end to our mango-fetish!. Let's say adieu to the beloved summer with a quicky yet delicious smoothie, Shall we?...all those ripened bananas over your stove top counter, blend them all with that last mango-bounty with a tiny hint of orange juice to enjoy this delectable smoothie. Top them with fancy chia seeds like she did or some raisins like I did, walk into that sunny balcony one last time, spread our your legs onto a comfortable chair, pick up a book and let yourself soaked in. :). Happy last few days of summer to all of you.


Click here to check out other recipes that were featured in YRTML segment.

until next time,
Siri

Pantry Cleanup Day 3: Paneer Schezwan Rice

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Paneer Schezwan Rice

Recipe: from the back of Schezwan sauce bottle with some minor additions

Cook 1 cup of rice with 2 cups of water.

Heat little oil in a skillet, fry paneer cubes until they gets golden brown. Remove and drain excess oil on paper towels. Now, saute some freshly minced ginger and garlic. Add a cup of mixed vegetables. If they are frozen, I recommend to microwave them for atleast 2 minutes. Mix well and cook for couple of minutes.

In a small bowl, mix schezwan sauce (as per your taste & spice-level, add little by little if you unsure. I used approx 1.5 tsp) with a 1 tsp of soya sauce. Stir well and add to the vegetable mixture. Adjust salt if necessary. Finally drop the paneer cubes and rice. Mix well and Serve. :)

until next time,
Siri

Methi Pulao

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Andhra Pradesh, the state in India I hail from is sweetly named as 'Rice bowl of India'. We eat rice almost every day and we love it to the fullest...:)..

.... but some unfortunate events ,happening back in my state are threatening the very integrity of it. Some want a separate state called - 'Telangana'..on the sole reason that the region is being neglected and proper funds are not allocated for its development. though the demand for separate state is not new, recent events took a new twist and every day - the first thing I tell my parents, when I call them is 'to be careful'...it is sad that when politics become pre-dominant, the voice of the people is snubbed and the result of that is ...utter chaos.. I fervently hope things would settle soon, back home and everything comes to its normality.. Do I support this 'separate state'.. Hell No!.. It is so hard for  me to comprehend the thought that my state will be broken into pieces.. It is entirely my opinion & there might be others who totally disagree with me.

....coming back to today's recipe...is a rice dish ofcourse..'Methi Pulao'..and the recipe is of sindi roommate....we ate this with a spicy eggplant-tomato curry and it was simply heavenly..:) Enjoy.

Methi Pulao (Fenugreek Pulao) [my sindhi rommate's recipe]

Ingredients:

1 cup fresh fenugreek leaves
1 cup long-grain basmati rice
1 medium tomato, finely chopped
1 cup vegetables - I used beans, carrots & corn.
2 green chillies, very finely chopped
2 bay leaves
2 cardamom & clove pods
2 tbsp ghee (butter or oil)
1/2 tsp garam masala powder
salt - to taste

Preparation:

1. Clean rice and soak for atleast 15-20 mins.

2. In a pan, heat ghee and drop cloves, cardamom and bay leaves. let them crackle. Add green chillies and tomatoes. Cook until a little mush. then add the rest of veggies. cook until tender.

3. Add methi leaves and cook for 5 mins till it releases the aromatic smell of fenugreek..:). Add rice and fry for couple of minutes. Add 2 cups of water. Season with salt and garam masala. Mix well. Do not cover yet.

4. Let it come to a rolling boil, then cover & cook on medium heat until rice is done.

Optional: Garnish with fried onion and cilantro & serve hot with a spicy side dish.

Heaven! :)

Eggplant-Tomato Curry -

Today is Day Three of the recipe countdown to New Year 2010..to know what other participants are cooking.. please scroll through the right-hand-side-bar.

Chao,

Quinoa Vegetable Pancakes

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It was my project manager at work place who introduced 'Quinoa' to me and I must confess that I was least interested in the beginning. But as the proverb goes - "Necessity is the mother of Invention", I ran out of rice this weekend and had to experiment with this substitute.

A little of Quinoa (KEEN-wah):

Image credit
Quinoa is a not-so-common item in an American kitchen, which is technically not a true grain, but is the seed of the Chenopodium or Goosefoot plant. When cooked, it has a slightly crunchy texture and a nutty flavor. Studies show that the health benefits of Quinoa are abundant as they are rich in amino acids and essential proteins, much better than 'carbs' that we usually take through rice. Its a great choice for vegans and relatively a high source of calcium, iron and vitamins.

I tried couple of recipes out of Quinoa and all of them turned out to be super-delicious, to my pleasant surprise ofcourse.

Here is one such dish, 'Quinoa Pancakes'..:) - a great way to start out to use this unknown grain..:D

Quinoa Pancakes

Ingredients:

1 cup Veggies (finely chopped): Zucchini, Bell peppers, Onion, Tomatoes
1 cup cooked Quinoa * (look for it in any local grocery stores)
1 egg
1 cup All purpose flour
Salt to taste
1/4 cup Milk
2 tsp Olive Oil

*(Cook as per package instructions. I used my rice cooker with 1 part Quinoa to 2 part water proportion.)

Preparation:

Step 1: Heat a tsp of oil in a wok and saute all the veggies for 3-4 mins. Set aside.

Step 2: In a mixing bowl, combine egg and milk . Add flour and water stirring into a fine batter with a consistency of a pancake batter. Season with salt and add a tsp of olive oil.

Step 3: Finally add in quinoa & veggie mixture and mix well.

Step 4: Heat greased griddle and pour a small batter. Tip to spread out (or) spread with a spoon.

Step 5: Cook one side for 2-3 mins on a medium-low flame and turn over to cook the other side.

Serve hot!

See what my fellow marathon runners are upto:

DK, Valli, Ranji, PJ, Curry Leaf, Medha, Priya, Bhawna, Raaji, Ruchii, Anu, Kamala, Roopa, Divya Kudua, Rekha, Divya, Lakshmi, Raaga, Lakshmi Venkatesh, Sripriya, Kamalika, Pavani, Viji

signing off,
Siri

Straight Out Of Puck's Oven # 2 : Twice Fried Rice

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Welcome to the second edition of my weekly series - 'Straight Out of Puck's Oven' and here I present a rice dish - 'Twice Fried Rice' from Puck's cookbook - "The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook: Recipes from Spago, Chinois, and Points East and West".



Its a versatile dish and one can jazz it up with any kind of veggies that are in season. This is definitely one such Puck's recipes which can stimulate your appetite and would want you for more and being a huge veggie lover, I thoroughly enjoyed it...:)

Ingredients

2 cups Rice (Recommended: Long Grain Rice)
4 cups of Vegetable Stock
Salt to taste
Veggies I added- Cauliflower, Green Beans, Broccoli, Tomatoes (Original Recipe: Napa Cabbage, Mushrooms, Green and Red Bell Peppers and Snow Peas)
1/2 Onion - thinly sliced (my addition)
1 to 2 tablespoons Olive Oil (Recommended: Peanut oil)
1 egg, beaten
1/4 cup soy sauce

Note: The original recipe asked for 1/4 cup of Soya sauce for 1 cup of Rice. But, I don't like the strong, pungent taste of Soya Sauce, so I halved it.

Preparation:

1. Place the rice in a saucepan and add the stock and salt. Bring the liquid to a boil, reduce the heat, cover and cook slowly for 15 to 18 minutes. It is important to cook the rice until dry. Turn the rice out onto a large platter or baking sheet and let it air dry for up to an hour. (or) Place the rice on a baking sheet and dry it in the oven at 200 degrees F for 30 minutes, stirring two or three times with a fork. I followed the latter option as its much quicker.

2. Take a fork and thoroughly fluff the rice.

3. Heat a wok or large skillet until it is very hot, pour the oil in around the edges, and then stir fry all the vegetables for a minute. Add rice and continue to stir fry for another 30 seconds. Pour the egg in around the edges of the wok or skillet and quickly stir it into the rice and vegetables.

4. Finally, stir in the soy sauce. Cook for couple of minutes. Serve hot with the choice of side dish!



Off this goes to Kalyn's Weekend Herb Blogging, this week guest hosted by Coffee and Vanilla.

Have a great weekend ahead folks!

Related posts:

Straight Out of Puck's Oven # 1: Couscous Salad

- Siri

Mama's Vegetable Biryani and Aloo Kurma

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*Vegetable Biryani, Aloo Kurma, Tofu Kurma*

"She is an innovator, an experimenter, a missionary in bringing the gospel of good, healthy cooking to the home table.."..

*She* is none other than my dearest Mom, who is an awesome cook, ..for her cooking is not a grueling task..She does that with such ease that amazes me everytime and mind you, all of her dishes turn out delectable and yummy .
She, as a cook has a great fan following - me, my dad, all my uncles n aunts, her office colleagues, my dad's office colleagues, my friends.. Phew, the list goes on and on and on...

One day, (...when I was missing my mom terribly,) I got reminded of her "Vegetable Biryani and Kurma" so badly, that I actually asked her to send me her recipe and also a photograph if possible....:DD

...U all know 'How sweet mothers are..!".. She made these and sent them the following day.. So, here I am presenting my mom's Vegetable Biryani and Aloo Kurma (drumroll please....)and this is my way to keep safe her recipe on my blog for ever. Love U Mom.. U Rock!

I still have to try this out in my kitchen, which I am planning to do this weekend.. (*fingers crossed*)...:)



Vegetable Biryani
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Ingredients:

Basmati Rice 2 cups
Chopped Onion 1/2 cup
Mint leaves - few
Chopped Carrot, Beans, Green Peas 1 cup
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tbsp
Biryani Masala - 1 tbsp
Oil - 4/5 tbsp
Water - 3.5 cups

*Vegetable Biryani*

Preparation:

1. In a flat bottomed pressure pan, heat oil, add Onion, mint leaves, Ginger Garlic paste and fry these for 2 mins.
2. Now, add in biryani masala, vegetables; Cook these for 2 mins.
3. Season with salt, add rice and cook for a minute.
4. Finally add the water and cook until 3 whistles.
5. Serve hot with any spicy kurma and raita.

Now, coming to Kurma, my mum prepares a standard gravy for almost all Kurmas and adds in choice of vegetables like Potato (or) Brinjal (or) Cauliflower (or) Tofu.. etc etc.

Here is the recipe for the Gravy and then halved to make Aloo Kurma and Tofu Kurma as in the photograph!..:DD

Ingredients:

Fresh Coconut - 1 cup
Roasted Sesame seeds (Telugu: Nuvvulu) - 2 tbsp
Onions - 3 tbsp ( or 2 medium ones)
Peanuts - 1 tbsp
Roasted Yellow Bengal Gram (Telugu: Putnala Pappu) - 1 tbsp
Tamarind taste - 1 spoon
Oil - 2 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1 tbsp
Ginger Garlic paste - 3/4 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tbsp
Yogurt - 1 tbsp (optional)

Preparation:

1. Take a tbsp of oil in a pan, on a low flame add in sesame seeds, 3/4 of onions, peanuts, yellow bengal gram, ginger garlic paste and fry these for a 2 mins.
2. Then add tamarind water and finally coconut. cook for a minute.
3. Grind these to a fine paste and keep aside.
4. In a wok, take left over onion, add in the ground masala and cook for couple of minutes. When the oil starts to separate, season with salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and garam masala.
5. Finally, add some yogurt and stir well.
6. You can in your choice of vegetable in Step 4.
7. Goes well with any biryani, naan or roti.

*Aloo (Potato) Kurma*


*Tofu Kurma*

Off this Aloo kurma goes to Sia's "Ode to Potato" event and also to Dhivi's "The Potato Fe(a)st" (Thanks to Dhivi for accepting my late entry way after deadline!...cho chweet of u!).

Hope you all enjoied my mom ka khaana as much as I did (.....cherished!.. Miss u Mom!)...:DD

[UPDATED 8/12/2010] - I am sending this as an entry to Alka's LYRO:Potato event. 

- Siri

Mixed Veggies dipped in Tomato Sauce

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It is one such cold, chilly evening when my tummy wanted to have a big bowl of hot, simmering mixed vegetable curry for dinner, but with a twist of tomato. As you wish my 'aaka' (master) said my heart, and here it is - " Mixed Veggies dipped in Tomato Sauce".


There is something very soothing and comforting about having a big heap of hot rice and a pot of creamy vegetable curry on a cold, chilly and gloomy winter night. Isn't it !!
and today I am in a mood of experimenting with some known flavors like veggies and spaghetti sauce. Wondering where this spaghetti sauce came from... hmmmmm.. thats the secret of the tomato sauce of my version of mixed veggie curry. Read on to find out how...!!
I promised Suganya of 'Tasty Palettes' to make something exclusively for her 'Vegan Ventures' event, November being a Vegan Month. Forwarding this recipe to you dear and will try to make more in coming days..:)


Ingredients:

1. Veggies whatever u can find - I used cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beans, potato
2. 1 big Tomato (chopped)
3. 1 medium Onion ( finely chopped)
4. 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce ( or tomato puree will do !!)
5. Salt - to taste
6. 1/2 tbsp Chilli powder
7. 1 tbsp Oil
8. 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala ( for that Indian kick !!)
9. Water - if needed

How to make:

1. HEAT oil in a skillet, add finely chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
2. ADD tomatoes, par-boiled veggies and mix well. Cook for few minutes.
3. POUR a good amount of spagetti sauce over the veggies. Add salt, chilli powder, and garam masala one by one.


4. MIX the content well. Cook for 7 to 10 mins until the veggies are nicely dipped into the tomato sauce and soaked with its flavors...:)
5. GARNISH with coriander leaves or a big dollop of cream and ENJOI with hot rice or as it is..:DD

Another Look....


Also sending this to Sra's 'Grindless Gravies' Event..:))

A Big Thank You for all you wonderful fellow bloggers who visited my blog often - as it crossed a 10,000 visitors mark with this post. Thank You dearies..:DD
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Mediterranean Chick Pea Salad with Lemon dressing

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"To insure good health - eat lightly, breathe deeply, live moderately, cultivate cheerfulness, and maintain an interest in life." - William Londen

"Food" is one of life's dependable pleasures and it can be a wholesome experience, if you're eating the proper food. The main purpose of this Fit 'n' Fine meal series is to introduce such recipes which are rich in good carbohydrates and fats, nutrient-dense whole foods, lean sources of protein and plenty of fiber which both are tasty and also satiate our hunger. These are a wide variety of salads, interesting soups and other less calorie-right carb recipes one can easily incorporate in their day-to-day cooking.

Here is my recipe - Mediterranean Chick Pea Salad with Lemon dressing.

Ingredients:

1. Chick Peas - 1 can
2. Chopped Cucumber, Onion, Celery, Coriander, Tomatoes, Lettuce - can also include Peppers, Romaine, Broccoli, Carrots and other veggies.
3. Salt - to taste

For Dressing:

1. Olive Oil
2. Lemon - 1
3. Garlic - 2 cloves
4. Black Pepper - 1/2 tbsp

To make salad: Drain and wash the chick peas and layer them in a salad bowl. Then add all the veggies and salt. Mix well.

To make the dressing: Mix olive oil, lime juice, garlic and pepper.

Drizzle the dressing over the salad. This can also be substituted with any kind of ready-made dressing available in the market. Also, I garnished the salad with few nuts to make it more exciting....:D



Nutrition at a glance:
Per Serving(approx): 500 calories, 20g of Protein, 25g of Carb, 38g of Fats and 6g of Fiber.

This is my entry for WYF-Diet Food Event hosted by our dear Hima.

Easy Garden Veggie Frittata

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Frittata is basically an Italian omelette with lots of veggies and its thicker and yummier than a normal omelette. There are many different varieties of Frittata both meat and meatless. This "Easy Garden Frittata" is my first time experiment in Italian cuisine and it was a super duper success and I am sure you will love it too.

The original recipe can be found here. My version doesn't have Parmesan cheese and I added few more ingredients to give it an Indian kick..:D

Preparation Time: 15 mins
Cook Time: 15 mins



Ingredients:

Eggs - 4
Grated Potato - 2 tbsp
Grated Carrot - 2 tbsp
Chopped Broccoli - 3 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam Masala - 1/4 tbsp
Milk - 2 tbsp
PAM Spray or Oil - 1/2 tbsp

How to make:

1. In a flat skillet, spray a little PAM or use oil, add grated potato, carrot and finely chopped broccoli - let these cook for few minutes.
2. Then add salt, chilli powder and garam masala - mix well.
3. In a bowl, beat the eggs with milk added and then pour it evenly on the veggie mixture.
4. Cover the skillet and let it cook for about 10 to 15 minutes on medium-low heat untill the eggs are properly cooked. Flip over and repeat the step for few more minutes.
5. Optional: add parmesan cheese over it and cover for few more minutes. I skipped this step as I am not a big fan of cheese and also to make it more healthy.
6. When done, let it stand for 5 minutes. Cut into 4 equal portions and Serve with any sauce/chutney preferably tomato sauce.


This is my entry to Weekend Breakfast Blogging # 16: Omelettes initially started by Nandita and now hosted by dear Kanchana.

Enjoi folks..:D