Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Coconut Chutney with Pearl Onion


2 Cups Frozen Coconut (Sumeru Garden Fresh), Grated

1/2 Cup Roasted Dalia Split (Pottukadalai)
4 Green Chilies, Small
2 Small or 1 Big Garlic Clove
Little bit Tamarind
1 and 1/4 Tsp Salt
2 Pearl Onion
1/2 Bunch Cilantro
2 and 1/4 Cups Water

Grind All.


Taste Note: Tastes Awesome
Source: Rad, from Ammani

Sholam Sevai


1 Pack Sholam Sevai (180 gram)
6 Cups Water
1 Tsp Salt

Mix salt with water.

Immerse sevai in water for 5 minutes. Drain the water immediately.


Steam cook the soaked sevai in Idly Cooker for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, open it only while adding, otherwise the top plate became dry and stuck with the cloth.


1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp Urad Dal
2 Tsp Channa Dal

5 Pearl Onion, Chopped Lengthwise (3/4 Cup Chopped)
4 Green Chilies, Chopped Lengthwise
3/4 Tsp Salt


10 Curry Leaves
1 Tomato (1 Cup Chopped)

1/4 Cup Coconut Powder
2 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped

Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add urad dal and channa dal, fry till the color of the dals change.

Add onion, green chilies, salt and fry till the color of the onion changes

Add curry leaves and tomatoes and saute until tomato softenes.

Add the cooked sevai and mix well.

Add coconut powder and cilantro and mix well.


Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME, with cilantro chutney
Yields: 4 Cups
Source: Rad

Barnyard Millet Pongal (Kuthiraivali Pongal)


2 Cups Barnyard Millet


1/2 Cup Yellow Split Mung Beans

Soak barnyard millet and dal for 30 minutes.

1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
2 and 1/2 Tsp Salt
8 Cups Water

Heat pressure pan, add coconut oil, washed millet, dal, salt and water. When it starts to boil, close the cooker and allow it to cook for 8 whistles in high.

When the pressure comes down, open the cooker and mash it nicely.


1 Tbsp Coconut Oil
1 Tbsp Ginger, Finely Chopped
2 Green Chilies
1/2 Tbsp Black Pepper, Whole
1 Tbsp Cumin Seeds

1/4 Cup Cashew Nuts
1 Sprig Curry Leaves
1/8 Tsp Asafoetida


Heat oil, add green chilies, ginger, pepper, cumin seeds and saute for 30 seconds.

Add cashew nuts, curry leaves, asafoetida and saute until cashew turns light brown.

Add this into the pongal.


Yields: 10 Cups
Taste Note: Tastes Good.
Note: As you can see in the picture, i didn't use green chilies and i used 1 tbsp of black pepper, the taste was good, but i think if we add 2 green chilies and 1 tsp of black pepper, the taste would be awesome.

Kale Banana-Berry Smoothie


2 Cups Lacinato Kale, Center Ribs and Stems Removed, Roughly Chopped, 8 stems (4 stems)
10 oz Blueberries, Frozen (1 and 1/2 Cup Fresh)
2 Banana, Frozen (2 Fresh)

3 Cups Nut Milk (2 Cup)
4 Medjool Dates (2)
1 Tsp Vanilla Extract (1/2 Tsp)
2 Tbsp Chia Seeds (2 Tbsp)
1 Tbsp Hemp Seeds


Add all ingredients to blender, process until smooth. Enjoy immediately.


Yields: 45 oz
Serves:4
Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
The measurements in the brackets servers 2
Source: tasty-yummies

Monday, December 29, 2014

Banana Maple Crunch


4 Large Banana
1 Cup Pecan Nuts
2 Cup Nut Milk
4 Tbsp Maple Syrup

Process the bananas in blender until smooth. Add nuts and blend again until thoroughly combined.

The nuts must be finely ground so stop and scrape down the side of the bowl once or twice, if necessary.

Add the maple syrup, then pour the milk over the banana paste and blend again until creamy.

Pour smoothie in tall glasses, sprinkle with extra pecan nuts.


Source: From one of my Old Cook Book (Page 162)
Yields: 40 oz
Tastes: Tastes AWESOME
Is it good to make Popsicle out of this: YES
Serves: 4

Sunday, December 21, 2014

Peas Kuruma

2 Cup Peas

Overnight soak the peas in water.

1/2 Tsp Salt
5 Cups Water

Cook the peas in cooker with salt and water for 2 whistle.

Masala

1 Tsp Oil
1 and 1/2 Tbsp Coriander Seeds
1 and 1/2 Tsp Cumin Seeds
1 and 1/2 Tsp Fennel Seeds
10 Black Pepper
 5 Red Chillies
1 Tsp Poppy Seed
6 Cloves
2" Cinnamon

6 Garlic Cloves
1 Tsp Ginger, Chopped
1/2 Cup Onion, Chopped
1/2 Cup Tomato, Chopped (1 small Tomato)

1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1/4 Tsp Garam Masala Powder

Pour oil in a pan, add coriander seeds, fry for few seconds, add cumin seeds, fry for few seconds, add fennel seeds, fry for few seconds, add black pepper and red chilies and fry for few seconds, add poppy seeds and fry for few more seconds, add cloves and cinnamon and fry for few more seconds.

Add garlic and ginger and fry for few more seconds. Add onion, fry for 2 minutes, add tomato, salt, turmeric powder and garam masala powder and fry until tomato softenes, about 2 minutes.

1/2 Cup Water

Allow it to cool, add water grind to a smooth paste.



1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 Tsp Mustard Seeds
3/4 Cup Onion


1/2 Cup Tomato

Pour oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it starts to splutter, add onion and saute till it turns light brown, 1 and 1/2 minute in high medium.

Add tomato and saute until it softens, about 1 and 1/2 minute in medium


Add peas and saute for 5 minutes in medium flame.

2 Cups Water
1 and 1/2 Tsp Salt

Add water, salt, ground masala and allow it to boil for 10 minutes.

1/4 Cup Coconut Powder
1/4 Cup Cashew Nuts
1/4 Cup Water

Grind coconut and cashew nut with water to a smooth paste.


Add ground coconut, cashew and allow it to boil for 5 minutes.


Taste Note: Tastes Good. But the one Sim prepared was awesome, he is hiding some secret ingredient which made his kulambu tasted better and he didn't share that with me :(
Source: Simba


Carrot, Oranger Ginger Juice


2 lb Carrots


6 Navel Oranges
2 Tbsp Ginger, Chopped


Process all the ingredients through the juicer.


Yields: 40 Oz
Serves: 5
Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME.
Source: branappetit
Note: I think for 3 of us, just preparing it with 1 lb carrots, 3 oranges and 1 tbsp ginger.

Friday, December 19, 2014

Mixed Bell Pepper and Potato Sabzi


2 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp Cumin Seeds

6 Green Chilies, Chop into 2 Lengthwise Pieces
1 Tbsp Ginger, Grated


Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds when it cracks, add green chilies and ginger and fry for a minute.

2 Orange Bell Pepper
2 Red Bell Pepper
2 Yellow Bell Pepper


Chop Bell Peppers into Big Pieces. I chopped each bell peppers into 8 lengthwise pieces and each lengthwise pieces into 3 pieces crosswise.

Add bell peppers and fry for 20 minutes in medium flame.


4 Potatoes

Chop each potatoes into 1" lengthwise pieces and chop each lengthwise pieces into 3 crosswise.


1 Big Onion

Chop onion into 6 lengthwise pieces and chop each lengthwise pieces into 2, separate the pieces

Add onion and potato and fry for 20 more minutes.

Note:

If you are using only green bell peppers, the frying time will be less
If you are using green bell pepper along with other color bell peppers, add the green bell pepper while adding potatoes and big onion.
If you add onion, 20 minutes after frying bell peppers, you can find the onion in shape, if you add the onion first, when the dish is finished, the onion wont be in good shape.


1 Tomato

Chop the tomato into 8 pieces, remove the seeds, use just the flesh and the skin.

1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Coriander Powder

Add tomato, turmeric powder, coriander powder, fry for 10 more minutes.

2 and 1/2 Tsp Salt

Add salt, mix well, close the pan, keep it in medium flame for 5 minutes and switch off the stove.


Taste Note: Tastes . I over cooked it, have to reduce the timing a lot, the bell peppers became mushy.
Source: Jyoti

Thursday, December 18, 2014

Veggie-Loaded Protein Rich Quesadillas

2 Cups Hummus, Prepare this atleast one day in advance.

3 Cups Refried Beans, Prepare this atleast one day in advance.


1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 Cup Big Onion, Chopped


1 Cup Carrot, Finely Chopped (1 and 1/4 Big Carrots)
1 Cup Red Bell Pepper, Finely Chopped (1 and 1/2 Small)
1 Cup Mushrooms, Finely Chopped (10 Small)
1 Cup Broccoli, Finely Chopped (3 Big Florets)


1 Tsp Cumin Powder
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder

Heat oil in a pan, add onions and fry for 5 minutes in medium flame.

Add carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms and broccoli and fry for 5 more minutes in medium flame.

Add cumin powder, red chili powder and mix well. Fry for 3 more minutes.

 
Do not add any salt, the hummus and refried beans have enough salt.

Yields: 2 Cups of cooked vegetables 

Assemble the Quesadillas:

Place a tortilla on a plate. Spread one of it with about 1/2 cup hummus and the other half with 1/2 cup 1/2 cup refried beans. Top fried beans with sauted vegetables.


Fold the hummus part of the tortilla over the refried beans and veggies, press lightly to make sure everything sticks together.

Heat a pan on the stove top and grill them.


Guacamole

Serve Quesadillas with Guacamole.

Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME. Protein Rich Quesadillas
Source: veganrunnereats

Blueberry Ginger Almond Milk Smoothie


3 Cups Almond Milk
3 Cups Blueberries, Fresh or Frozen (I bought Frozen from Costco, but next time, i would buy the Whole Foods, Frozen Blueberries, they are Non-GMO, Organic Blueberries)
1 Tbsp Fresh Ginger, Grated


Put all the ingredients in the blender, blend until smooth.


Serves: 3
Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME
Source: tasty-yummies

Simple Guacamole


The above picture is missing 1 Green Chilies, Salt and one more Avocado

1 Big or 2 Small Ripe Medium Avocado, Peeled and Pit Removed (I used 2 small Avocados)
2 Tbsp Cilantro, Chopped
2 Tbsp Red Onions, Chopped
1 Tsp Green Chilies, De-seeded and Chopped
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Tbsp Fresh Lime Juice

2 Tbsp Roma Tomatoes, Chopped

Peel the avocado, remove the pit. Mash with a fork.

Mix with cilantro, red onions, green chilies, salt and lime juice, mash again.

Stir in tomato chunks.


Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

Cauliflower Pulav

2 Cups Basmati Rice
4 Cups Water (1:2 ratio water, if cooking in Rice Cooker, 1:1 and 1/2 ratio water, if cooking in Pressure Cooker)

Wash and soak the rice in water for 30 minutes.

Drain the water completely and cook the rice with proper ratio of water in pressure cooker for 3 whistles / in rice cooker and allow it to cool in a plate.

2 Tomatoes


Puree the tomatoes in magic bullet.
 

1 Cauliflower, Large

Cut the cauliflowers into florets.

Hot Tab Water
1/2 Tsp Salt
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder

Add salt and turmeric powder to a pot and fill hot tab water.


Add the cauliflower florets to this water and let it remain in water for 5 minutes.


After 5 minutes, drain the water completely and set aside.

1 Tbsp Oil
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt

Heat oil in a pan, add red chili powder, salt and mix well.

Add the completely drained cauliflower florets and fry for 10 minutes in medium flame. DO NOT overcook, as we want the cauliflower to retrain its crunchiness, keep aside.


1 Tbsp Oil
1" Cinnamon
2 Cloves
1 Cardamom
1 Bay Leaf


Heat oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaf, saute for 30 seconds.


1 Cup Onion, Chopped

Add onion and fry till the color of the onion changes, about 5 minutes in medium flame.

1 Tsp Ginger, Chopped
2 Tsp Garlic, Chopped
4 Green Chilies, Chopped into 2 Lengthwise Pieces

Add ginger, garlic, green chilies for 1 more minute.


1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
1 Tsp Red Chili Powder
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1/2 Tbsp Biriyani Masala Powder
2 and 1/4 Tsp Salt

Add tomato puree, turmeric powder, red chili powder, coriander powder, biriyani masala powder, salt and cook until the raw smell goes, about 5 minutes in medium flame.

Add cooked cauliflower, cooked rice to the tomato gravy, mix everything well and simmer for few a minute and switch off the stove.

Garnish with cilantro leaves.


Taste Note: Tastes AWESOME. I prepared rice in pressure cooker with 1:2 ratio of water for 4 whistles and it became mushy, probly preparing it in Rice cooker with 1:2 ratio of water would be better or use 1: 1 and 1/2 ratio of water and cook it in pressure cooker. But the taste was awesome.
Yields: 10 Cups (Depends on size of Cauliflower, mine was extra large cauliflower)
Source: padhuskitchen