"F" for Fenugreek Poori in Dahi - Chaat

Ingredients for "Fenugreek Poori"
Fresh Fenugreek leaves(Menthi Aaaku/Vendhiya kerrai/Methi) - ½ bunch
Wheat flour - 4 cups(Golden temple brand Godhuma Pindi/Godhumai mavu)
Luke warm milk - ½ cup
Cumin pwd - ½ tspn
Red Chilly Pwd - 2tspn
Sooji(Rava) - 1 tspn
Salt to taste.
Oil for deep frying

Method:

1.Wash Fenugreek Leaves and wipe with a dry cloth and chop into small pieces.

2.Take Wheat flour in a bowl add salt,sooji,red chilli pwd,cumin pwd,chopped menthi leaves and knead well by adding warm milk and sufficent water to make a soft and pilable dough.Cover this with a damp cloth and keep it aside for 30 minutes.

3.Make medium Onion size balls with the dough and flatten it but sprinkling flour ,roll it with a roller pin into a circle /rectangle and cut the dough with the lid of jar(circle shape)into a small size pooris.

4.Heat Oil in a kadai ,until it gets hot enough to deep fry.(You can find by dropping a small piece of puri in hot oil to know whether oil is enough hot to deep fry .Poori piece will come up immediately.So start frying.)

5.Fry all these small poories for bothsides until golden brown and strain on paper towel for excess oil.Store in a airtight container for another 2 months.

Dahi for Chaat
Homemade Yoghurt(Perugu/Thayir/Dahi/Curd) - 4 cups
Sugar - 1tbspn
Black Salt /Kala Namak - 3 tspn
Cumin pwd - 2tspn
Red Chilly pwd - ½ tspn

Method:

1.Beat the curds and add Black Salt,Sugar,Cumin pwd ,Red Chilly pwd and mix well ,Cover and chill in fridge.

For Filling Fenugreek Pooris:
Tamarind chutney (refer Panipoori recipe)
Crushed Cumin powder
Red chilli powder
Boiled and cubed Potatoes - 5 no
Chopped Onions - 2 cups
Chopped Coriander - 1 bunch
Chaat masala - 1tspn

Method:

1.Take the pooris and make a hole with the finger in the middle of the poori and stuff with Potato cubes along with Tamarind chutney ,Green Chutney,chopped Onion pieces and sprinkle Chaat masala.

2.Place all these poories in a serving plate.

3.Take out Chilled Dahi from fridge and pour around each poori upto ½ inch size in length .

4.Drizzle Tamarind chutney on the top of each poori .Garnish with washed fresh Coriander leaves and serve immediately.

Toor Dal Butternut Squash Kheer

Butternut Squash belongs to the Cucurbita moschata species. Beige colored and shaped like a vase. This is watery and tastes like sweet potatoes.

Nutritional Facts
Rich in complex Carbohydrates
Low in saturated Fat and Sodium.
Good source of vitamins A and C
Good source of Beta-Carotene, Magnesium, Manganese, Calcium and Potassium.

Ingredients for Butternut Squash Kheer/Payasam
Butternut Squash - 2 cups ,grated
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - 2 cups
Toor dal - 2tbspn ,boiled and mashed
Cardamom - 4no
Cashewnuts - 6no
Raisins - 7 no
Ghee - 3tspn

Method

1.Wash,Peel Butternut Squash and remove the seeds and excess fiber and grate into thin long stripes.

2.Heat the saucepan and add 1tspn of ghee and fry the grated squash for 2minutes and add milk; stir for a while and cover with lid and cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes or until squash is tender.

3.Add Sugar and boiled and mashed Toordal paste ,mix evenly ,add Cardamom powder and stir until Sugar melts and cook for another 3 minutes in medium flame .

4.Fry Raisins,Cashewnuts in 2 tspns of Ghee and pour on the kheer and remove from fire.

5.Allow Kheer to cool completely, chill in refrigerator for 1 hr and Serve.Easy to make and rich in taste.


Due to longweekend vacation i made this sweet before but I dont have enough dal powder for the week ahead.
So,first entry became as a second entry for JFI - "Dal of the month - July" event hosted by hostess Sailaja of Sailu's Food.
See Krithika's Butternut Squash Subzi for another tasty variety.
Recipe Source: Own Experiment with food

Annappodi/Spicy Tri Dal Podi

Dals are daily used-in IndianCuisine in different forms in different regions.Especially "Dal" is the easiest preperation in cooking part with the help of pressure cooker and plays a big role in "Vegetarian Main Courses".Lenthils/Dals are rich in Carbohydrates,Calcium, Phosphorous, Iron, and B vitamins and helps in Lower Blood Cholesterol.

"Podi / Powder" plays vital role in everydays South Indian Cuisine.

Here is my mom's "Oil Free Recipe " for JFI - DAL Event.

Ingredients for Annappodi/ Spicy Dal Podi

Toor Dal/Kandi Pappu/Tuvaram paruppu - 1 cup

Urad Dal/Minapappu/Ullundu - 1 cup

Chana Dal(Bengal gram/Senaga Pappu/Kadala Paruppu) - ¾ cup

Red Chillies (Endu Mirapakayalu) - 20 no(thin in size)

Dried Coconut - 5 tbspn

Roasted Jeera - 2 tspn
Tamarind - (small gooseberry size as shown in photo)

Asafoetida(Hing/Inguva/Perumgayam) - 2tspn

Salt to taste

Method

1.Heat kadai and roast the Toordal in medium flame until it changes to light golden brown color and keep it aside.

2.Fry Urad dal for light pink color and Chana dal for light brown color but be careful Chana dal tending to become black fast.

31.Fry Redchillies for light brown color ,keep it aside.

4.Fry dry Coconut scrapes for 2min to change light golden color and add Asafoetida and mix well(By this time kitchen will be filled with aroma) and remove from fire and leave it to completely cool.

5.Fry Tamarind also in the same way.If the ingredients are cooling enough transfers to a blender and grind coarsely in batches.Make sure it should be middle of grain texture and fine powder."Annam" is called "Rice" in "Telugu" and this podi will be mixed with hot rice so it is named as "ANNAPPODI".


This podi mixed with oil is good with Idli,Dosa,Upma.
Recipe Source :Amma

Dal Podi Sushi Roll

1.Mix Annappodi with steamed Rice,Ghee / Vegetable oil and keep it aside.Instead of Nori I tried with Romaine Lettuce leaves.

2.Place Lettuce leaves in tawa by drizzling some oil and cover with a lid for 2 minutes so that leaves will turn to pale color.Remove from fire and place leaves on cutting board ,sprinkle a pinch of pepper,jeera pwd and put the mixed podi rice
on the leaves and place fried onins on the above of the rice and slowly roll it fully upto edjes and keep it for 10 minutes for setting in fridge.

3.Cut into 2" pieces and serve as "DalPodi Sushi Rolls" with Appalam /Vadiyams.




I prepared a sweet for this event in mid June but i like to post "podi" as my first entry to JFI - Dal for July Month by hostess Sailaja of Sailu's Food.

Stuffed Okra/Koorina Bendakaya Koora

Ingredients for Stuffed Okra/Bendakaya/Vendakkai/Bhindi

Bendakaya/Bhindi/Lady's fingers (Tender) - 15 no
Onions - 3 no,finely chopped into small
Red chilli pwd - 2tspn
Mustard Seeds - ½ tspn
Turmeric pwd - a pinch
For stuffing
Roasted Peanuts - 1cup
Roasted Sesame seeds - ½ cup
Roasted Khuskhus/Gasagasalu - ½tspn
Roasted Dhaniya - 1 tspn
Roasted Dry Coconut pwd - 2 tspn
Salt to taste.
Oil - 2tbspn

Method

1.Wash and wipe the okra with a cloth and make a slit from the bottom to up of three sides of each Okra.

2.Grind the roasted Peanuts,Sesame seeds,Dhaniya,Khuskhus,Coconut into a fine powder.

3.Take a bowl and add all the ground spice powder,finely chopped Onions,turmeric pwd,salt,redchilli pwd by mixing all together with a 1tspn of oil.

4. Stuff all slitted Okra with this mix and kept the okras for a 15 - minutes aside.By keeping,it increases the flavour.

5. Heat oil in Kadai, add Mustard seeds,allow it to splutter and then Add stuffed Okra and stir for another 2 minutes.Add Oil and cook for another 3 minutes by covering with lid on medium flame.

6.Add the leftover(Onion ,ground pwd) mix and fry for 2 minutes until onions become translucent.

7.Sprinkle little water and stir and cook till Okra becomes tender and make sure to cook in low flame by covering with lid for another 8 minutes so that the color of okra changes to light dark green but stir in the middle to avoid sticking the masala to the kadai.

8.Serve Stuffed Okra /Koorina Bendakaya Koora with hot Steamed Rice.

Almond - Pistachio Chocolate Sandwich Cookies

Ingredients for Almond - Pistachio Sandwich Cookies
All purpose flour - 2 cups
Butter - 1 cup
Egg - 2 no
Baking Powder - 1tspn
Sugar - 1 cup
Milk - ½ cup
Vanilla Essence - 1 tspn
Salt - tspn
Alomonds - 8 no
Pistachio - 10 no
Dessicated Coconut - 4 tspn
For sandwich filling
Chocolate chips/kisses - 2 cups
Vegeatble oil - 1 tspn

Method

1.Preheat oven to 375 deg.Beat Butter and Sugar together until light and fluffy.Mix Egg yolks,All purpose Flour, Salt and Vanilla essence,coarsely ground Almond Pistachio.

2.Mix well and keep it aside by covering with lid for 15 minutes.

3.Fill cookie press with dough and press cookies onto "ungreased" cookie sheet.

4.Bake cookies for 10 - 12 minutes or until edjes change to light brown color.

5.Remove cookies from sheet to cooling rack (another baking sheet lined with wax paper) with wide-bladed metal spatula.Cool completely.

Ingredients For Sandwiching:

1.Place wax paper on a new baking sheet, lay out all the cookies, upside down.Combine finely chopped chocolate and vegetable oil in a ovenproof bowl.

2.Heat water in a sauce pan.Place this bowl over simmering water on low heat stir until completely chocolate melts and becomes smooth.

3.Take care that water should not come into the glassbowl from the bottom while stirring.Keep it aside if it is very hot and stir for smooth paste.

4.Apply melted chocolate with a "spoon" onto the flat side of the cookie and dip immediately into the dessicated coconut powder.Do again the same way with the bottom of another cookie.

5 .Place the two chocolate-containing cookie's on top of each,flat side in, and press gently together and place on wax paper to cool.

6.The chocolate in the middle will appear to the edges of the cookie sandwich.Do the same way with rest of the all cookies and refrigerate till chocolate is set.

6. Store in airtight container with wax paper between layers.Enjoy the nutty taste with chocolate flavour .

See here for Nabeela's Jam Cookies .

"E" for Eggplant Rice/Vangi Bhath

My mom used to prepare and serve "Vangi Bhath" along with Appalam and Majjiga pulusu. This recipe is basically from "Karnataka" and "Maharasthra" states of India."Eggplant" is called "Vangi" in Marati.See this link for more info.

Ingredients for Vangi Bhath
Eggplants(Brinjal/Vankaya/Kattirikaya)- 3 no
Basmathi Rice - 3 cups
Green chillies - 3 no,juliened,
Onions - 1 big size,chopped into thin slices
Jeera - 2 tspn
Chana dal - 2 tspn
Curry leaves - 1 sprig
Peanuts(Veusenaga pappu/Verkadalai)- ½ cup
Vanghi Bhath masala Powder - 3 to 4 tspn
Tamarind Juice - 3tspn or 1tspn tamarind pulp
Oil - 2tbspn
Ghee - 2 tspn
Salt to taste.
Coriander leaves(Kotthimeera/Kotthamalli/Kotthambir) for garnishing.

Vangi Bhath Masala Powder:
Dessicated coconut pwd(kobbari/kopra) - 3tbspn
Chana dal(Bengal gram /Senaga Pappu/Kadalaparippu) - 2tbspn
Urad dal(Minnapappu/Uzhandu) - 2 tbspn
Coriander seeds(Dhaniyalu/Dhaniya) - 2 tbspn
Seseme seeds(Nuvvulu/Ellu) - 2tbspn
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Cloves - 2 no
Green Cardamom - 1no
Sha jeera( Caraway seeds) - ¼ tspn
Fenugreek seeds(Menthulu) - ¼ tspn
Red chillies - 5
Cinnamon(Dalchina chekka/Dalchini) - 1" piece
Groung Nutmeg(Javithri) - ½ tspn
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method

Heat a sauce pan and dry roast the Coconut powder into light golden colour and keep it aside.Roast red chillies to light brown color and transfer to a plate.Dry roast all other ingredients( Chana dal/Uraddal/Dhaniyalu/Seseme seeds/Cumin seeds /Cloves/Fenugreek seeds/Cinnamon) one after one seperately.Let it cool and Grind all the ingredients together to a fine powder.Store in a airtight container in fridge.It will stay for 6 months.

Making Vangi Bhath

1.Wash Brinjals(Eggplants) and cut into long thin pieces.Immerse cut pieces in salt water to prevent the changing color of eggplants. Cook Basmathi rice in electric rice cooker by adding suffcient water.

2.Heat oil in the same pan, add the cumin seeds and stir. When the cumin seeds crackle,add chana dal fry for light brown color,then add the chopped green chillies ,onions and salt and sauté for 2 minutes.

3.Add eggplant pieces ,turmeric and sauté ,stirring for 3 minutes,untill eggplants are semi translucent.

4.Add curry leaves,redchillipwd,vangibhath masala pwd and stir for a while and cover with lid and cook in low flame for another 2 minutes.

5.Add tamarind juice,roasted peanuts/groundnuts and stir well ,and cook for another 2 minutes.Tamarind juice adds tangy taste to it and end result is eggplant dry curry , absorbed with masala pwd,oil,salt and colorful because of turmeric.

6.Mix this into the boiled basmathi rice and add salt & chilli pwd & masala pwd according to taste if neccessary .Add a tspn of ghee to it and mix well to get all the flavours into the rice and Cook for another 4 minutes by covering with lid.

7.Remove from fire and garnish with fresh Coriander leaves. Now, Hot "VangiBhath" is ready to serve with any Raita.

Ingredients for Carrot Raita

Grated carrot - ½ cup
Curd - 2cups
Ginger - 1" piece,finely chopped,
Jeera pwd - ½ tspn
Cucumber pieces - ½ cup
Green Chilly - 1 no,chopped
Onion - 1 no,chopped into small pieces
Salt to taste

Making Carrot Raita

Mix all the above ingredients in a bowl and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Ingredients for Mushroom Bajji
Button Mushrooms - 8 or 10 no, each chopped into half
Besan /Senagapindi - 2cups
Rice flour - 2 tbspn
Corn flour - 1 tspn
Red chilli pwd - 2tspn
Jeera pwd - ½ tspn
Coriander pwd/Dhaniya pwd - ½ tspn
Salt to taste
Water for making batter
Oil for frying.

Making of Mushroom Bajji
Sieve Gram flour and mix along with rice flour ,corn flour ,all the above ingredients in a bowl with adequate water to make a bajji batter.Dip the mushroom pieces and deep fry in oil.Strain these bajjis on tissue paper to take out exccess oil.Serve hot with any Chutney/Tomato sauce along with a cup of Coffee at evening times. And a good accompany to any Pulov/Biryani if it is a lunch or a dinner.

Ingredients for Cucumber Butter milk
Curd - 2 cups
Cucumber - 1/2 cup,chopped into small pieces
Ginger - 1" piece
Cumin pwd - ½ tspn
Lemon juice - 1 tspn
Cilantro - 2 sprigs,chopped
Curry leaves - 3 or 4 no,chopped
Salt to taste.

Making of Cucumber Buttermilk
Wash and peel the Cucumber,Ginger and cut into pieces and make it into purée along with coriander leaves in a blender.Add Jeera pwd,salt,curry leaves,curd and mix well with ice water and whip for a while in blender.Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and Serve chill.
My entry to FMR Event -"For the love of Rice " hosting by hostess Paz.


Recipe Source:AMMA

Missing my favourite food from My family - Meme

Missing my favourite food from My family
My mom's Vegetable Kurma
Vegetable pulov,Semiya pulov/upma,Idli upma
Any kind of dal especially Mamdikaya pappu(mango dal),
Verusengapappu chutney,Beerakaya pachchadi,Annapodi,pappula podi,groundnut podi
Rasam /Charu
Kadambam Pulusu (She will make this for Bhoghi festival of 3rd day )
Majjiga pulusu
Gulabjamun,Carrot Ladoo,boondi ladoo,icecream ,wheat flour halva in sweets,
Corn vada,Pesara vada ,Mysore bonda ,Poori ......What ever she cooks its always delicious to us and she is innovative too.My grand mom (Ammamma) has her own style of cooking for us .
Next come to my Aunt's delicacies "Super Dosa" with Kadalaparupu chutney (chana dal chutney).Muruku,Ariselu,Kesari,All kinds of "Kozhambu(I learnt from her only),Okra dal,
Onion Chutney,Garlic chutney,Drumstick leaves curry,bajjis and Plantain flower Vada ........
I miss these foods and trying to satisfy myself to get that taste in my kitchen with their wishes and advice.

Sonali and Revathi has tagged me to do this and I am tagging
Tanuja of Kodalis Kitchen ,Ramya,Lera of Myriad Tastes ,LG,Latha of masalamagic ,Archana of Spicyana,Stephanie of Dispensinghappiness for this meme.
Thank you.

Raspberry Juice

Raspberrys belong to the genus Rubus, a part of the rose family.Red Raspberry is believed to be native to Europe, but it’s widely cultivated in North America, Britain, Scandinavia and Scotland.The raspberry is a compound fruit composed of many small fruits. The skin of the fruit is smooth and fragile and is red-pink, dark purple,orange or yellow in color. The core of the fruit is hollow, distinguishing raspberries from blackberries also known as “aggregate fruits” since they are a compendium of smaller seed-containing fruits, called drupelets, that are arranged around a hollow Central cavity. Their shape conveys to them a very delicate, almost “melt in your mouth” texture. They are fragrantly sweet with a subtly tart overtone.

Uses:
Healthful properties in the leaves,root and bark are so valuable,is known as the "Woman's Herb". Species Rubus idaeus,fam:Rosacaea, raspberry is a relative of the rose, famous for vitamin C in the rose hipp.These leaves (and fruit) are rich in citric acid, malic acid, tartaric acid,citrate,malate and tartarate of iron, potassium and calcium, calcium & potassium chloride, sulphate and phosphate, pectin, fragrine (an alkaloid that tones the tissues), a volatile oil,vitamins A, B, C, E, and fructose. The action is astringent, tonic, refrigerant, parturient, hemostatic,anti-septic, anti-abortient, anti-gonorrheal, anti-leucorrheal and anti-malarial. see here for more on cure zone.
Alma Hutchens (Indian erbology) says raspberry leaf tea "can be taken freely before, during and after confinement, rendering parturition less laborious." Regular drinking throughout pregnancy strengthens and tones tissues, helping contractions and checks hemorrhage during labour. A perfectly safe drink (unlike black tea or coffee which contain caffeine) raspberry tea also enriches milk and helps prevent miscarriage.
Raspberries are an excellent source of Vitamin C and are a source of soluble fibers. In addition, they contain ellagic acid, a potential cancer-fighting agent.

Storage:
When selecting raspberries, look for deep-colored, plump and juicy berries that are fragrant, without the cores attached. A core means the raspberries were picked too early and the berry will be sour. Avoid berries that have bruises, are soft and mushy, have black spots or mold. It is also important to check the bottom of the container to make sure there are no red stains or squashed fruit. Since raspberries soften quickly and are delicate, they should be used right away after picking or purchase. stored on a paper towel placed in a airy box. Do not soak the berries, as their hollow core fills with water and makes the berry less flavorful. Fresh raspberries are available in mid- summer through early fall. Adding a bit of lemon juice to the raspberries will help to preserve their color.More read from
Joy of baking.
See here to knowmoreand at Indianadoc about this lovely colorful fruit.

Medicinal Uses:
Raspberry Leaf Tea is valuable during parturition. It should be taken freely - warm.,prescribed by herbalists, naturopaths and maternity caregivers for a variety of reasons in many forms, doses and concentrations .

Nutrional facts:
An excellent source of Vitamin A,B1, C and are a source of soluble fibers.
Contain potential anti-cancer agent ellagic acid.
Are a high source of soluble fibers and may lower high blood cholesterol.
No fat, sodium, or cholesterol.

Ingredients for Raspberry Juice:
Raspberry - I used Drisscolls brand fresh fruits.
Sugar - 2tspn
Ice water or Ice Cubes - 2cups
Mint leaves for garnishing.

Method:
Wash Raspberries gently and blend in a blender to fine puree by adding ice cubes or ice water and strain to remove seeds through a fine sieve into a pitcher by pressing with fingure on puree in circular movement with finger on solids in strainer to extract as much liquid as possible.Mix Sugar and stir until it dissolves and refrigerate until ready to serve.Garnish each glass with a fresh Raspberry and Mint leaves.

Raspberry Lemonade:
Add a 2 tspn of lemon juice to Raspberry juice to make this into a "Raspberry Lemonade".

Raspberry Milkshake:
Puree Raspberries alone in blender and strain it to discard seeds and add milk and sugar and whip it in the blender ,serve chill.

Raspberry Smoothie:
To a blender container,add home made yoghurt/curd, raspberries puree,sugar cover and puree until nearly smooth.Serve chill .