Potato Ulii Karam

When it comes to the best experimental vegetable for the test of culinary skills, the clear winner is "potato". Continents around the globe cook this vegetable in so many delicious and appealing ways. I am presenting an indian sub-Continent version of this delightful surprise to mankind. Its a treat to your decision making ability: Bake-it or Grill-it or Toss-it or fry-it , but forget not to coat it with some Indian spices. Golden brown is the color we are waiting for as we are working on teasing our appetite. 

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 4 ( jumbo sized)

Onions - 1

Whole dhaniya - 2 table spoons

Whole jeera - half  teaspoon

Dried red chillies - 5

Salt to taste

Oil - 1/4th cup

Method of preparation:

1. Cut the potatoes into cubes , cook them in the boiling water for 15 minutes or microwave for 10 minutes. 
2. In a small kadai, roast dhaniya, dried red chillies and whole jeera for 3 to 4 minutes. 
3. Grind the above mentioned spices with onions into a paste. 
4. Heat oil in a skillet, fry the potatoes till the color of the potatoes turn golden brown. 
5. Now add the grounded onion paste to the potatoes and allow it to cook till the raw odor of the onions disappear. 
6. switch off the stove and serve it with hot with rice! 

Kichadi

During the cold weathers I always crave for the food which is hot and easy to make! Today I prepared mixed vegetable-rice kichadi with ghee for my dinner.  


Ingredients:
Rice - one cup
Masoor dal and moong dal - 1cup (together)
Mixed vegetables chopped ( I prefer carrots, beans, potatoes and peas)
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Hing - one pinch
Salt to taste
Ghee- 4 table spoons
Green chillies-1
Black pepper powder - half tea spoon.


Method of preparation:

1. Soak rice and lentils in water for 30 minutes before cooking.
2. In a cooking pot: heat ghee, add whole mustard, cumin, hing, green chillies. 
3. Now add vegetables and cook them for 5 minutes. 
4. Add soaked rice and lentils and cook with 5 or cups of water
5. Add turmeric, salt and pepper while cooking.
6. Switch off the stove, kichadi is ready to serve. 

Serves 1 to 3 people.


Ideas:

• Kichadi tastes best with raitha and Indian pickles. 

Phirni

Phirni or firni is a popular desert made in Northern part of India during festive seasons. It is made with milk, rice, saffron, cardamom, sugar or  jaggery.  My recipe is little different because I prepared the desert with some custard powder! This simple and tasty desert will take less than half hour to prepare!!! 


Ingredients:
Milk - 2 cups
Rice - 4 table spoons
Sugar- according to your taste
Custard powder- 3 table spoons
Raisins, almonds and cashew nuts (optional).


Method of preparation:

1. Boil the above recommended portion of milk in a non stick cooking pot. 
2. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes, grind it with just enough quantity of water ( do not make it into paste)
3. Add the ground rice, sugar, cardamom to the boiling milk. 
4. Once it starts thickening, add custard powder to the cooking dish. ( to avoid lumps, mix custard powder with few spoons of  warm milk before adding it to the milk) 
5. Allow it to cook for atleast 15 minutes, till the milk reduces its quantity. Keep stirring to avoid milk getting burnt at the bottom. 
6. Switch off the stove and transfer the phirni into a container, allow it to cool and refrigerate the desert for alteast 4 hours before serving. 

Ideas:

• If you would like to add some raisins and nuts, coat & roast them with ghee. 
• This dish can be served hot or cold. 
• If handy, garnish with some saffron peals. 

Enjoy the desert!

Kothimira Pachadi

Kothimira or fresh coriander, is my favorite! I garnish or add a little in almost all my dishes because I like the flavor, colour and it is healthier. I made this chutney with fresh coriander leaves, which can be served with rice, roti's, dosa, pesarattu, etc.,


Ingredients:
Fresh coriander- 4 bunches
Tamarind - one gooseberry sized
Jaggery- half teaspoon or little more
Roasted Red chillies- 4 to 5
Salt to taste
Turmeric- one pinch
Mustard seeds- half teaspoon
Cumin seeds- half teaspoon
Channa dal- half teaspoon
Urad dal-half teaspoon
Oil 3 table spoons
Water ( depending on how thick or loose you want to make the chutney)


Method of preparation:

1. Grind roasted red chillies, tamarind and Jaggery first with out adding water (if you add tamarind concentrate, thats fine).
2. In a kadai heat few drops of oil, fry the coriander till it changes its color and grind it along with salt and turmeric in the same jar adding little water (may be 4 or 5  table spoons). Transfer the chutney into a bowl and keep it aside.
3. In another small kadai, heat some oil add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dal, channa dal and hing.
4. Add the tadka to the chutney and serve it.

Ideas:

• This chutney can be made with raw coriander leaves too. 
• It can be saved in the refrigerator  for atleast  5 days. 

Cauliflower and Peas Masala

Cauliflower (Gobi) and peas when cooked with Indian species gives a very rich taste! I want to prepare this dish with freshly ground spices and the involved procedure makes the gravy a little dry during its serving stage. Following is are the spices I have used in my procedure. 


Ingredients:
Cauliflower ( one large sized)
Green peas (one cup frozen or fresh)
Onions (half cup chopped)
Oil  (6 to 7 table spoons)
Salt to taste
Water 1/4th cup


Spices to be grounded:
Whole coriander seeds (2 table spoons)
Dry red chillies ( 5 to 6)
Cloves (5 to 6)
Cinnamon stick ( one inch long)
Cardamom-2 
Garlic pods- 2 ( don not roast )


Method of preparation:

1. Take a large kadai heat oil, add chopped onions, green peas and  cauliflower florets with 1/4th cup water, mix them well and close the lid and allow it to cook for at least 8 minutes or till the vegetable becomes soft.
2. Take another small kadai, roast all the dry whole spices listed above except garlic pods. 
3.  Grind all the roasted spices along with the garlic pods without adding water. 
4. Now add the grounded spices to the cooking vegetable with salt according to your taste and allow it to cook for another 5 to 6 minutes. 
5. Switch the stove, transfer the cooked Cauliflower and peas masala in to the serving bowl. 

 Ideas:

• Water can be added more to the cooking dish,if you do not want to make it dry.
• If you do not have peas handy, do not worry :) 
• Tastes best with roti and rice. 

Fruit Trifle

I baked a vanilla sponge cake this afternoon and planned to serve it with ice cream when my guests arrive for dinner. When I opened the refrigerator for some ingredients, I found some fruits lying in a container so I thought why not use them? With some help from ready made pudding box purchased from a nearby grocery store, I started making a quickee desert called Fruit Trifle. Layers of colorful fruits with intermediate cake cushions and some thought from your creative element, will make this chilled trifle a perfect evening delight.  


Ingredients:
Sponge cake ( your favorite flavour) - 4 Slices of dimension 4x4 inches each
Fresh fruits or canned fruits (assorted)- 1 cup
Whipped cream-  1 cup
Chocolate (for garnishing)
Pudding (2 small containers, I prefer vanilla)
Jelly or any fruit jam ( 4 to 5 table spoons).


Method of Preparation:

1. Take 4 glass bowls or containers of your choice. 
2. Cut the baked cake into small pieces and put those tiny pieces into the class bowl and arrange the bottom layer. 
3. For the second layer I used Raspberry and blue berry jam one spoon each in every container.
4. In a bowl mix all the cut fruits with whipped cream, and use this mixture as another layer. 
5. Above this fruit mixture, cushion some more sponge cake and pudding. 
6. You can pile up many layers of suggested ingredients till you reach the brim of the container. 
7. Finally, embellish the top of the fruit trifle with whipped cream and garnish with some grated chocolate. 
8. Refrigerate for at least an hour before serving.

Ideas:

• Any fruit of your choice can be used in the preparation of this desert. 
• Instead of pudding, custard can be layered. 
• Serve it chilled. 

Enjoy the desert!

Dappalam

Dappalam / mukkala pulusu is an andhra dish prepared with different vegetables cooked in stew with Indian spices. It is made during the festive season especially during Sankranthi  and also on most of the auspicious occasions. It is generally served with plain cooked lentils and rice. I can say this dish is in between rasam and sambar. try it out! 


Ingredients:
Carrots -3
Drum sticks -2
Bottle guard (half)
Diced pumpkin ( half cup)
Onion (half cup)
Concentrated tamarind juice (half cup)
Jaggery (1 1/2 table spoon)
Mustard (half tea spoon)
Jeera (half tea spoon)
Red chilli powder (one tea spoon)
Turmeric ( half tea spoon)
Green chillies - 1 
Salt to taste 
Hing / asafoetida (one pinch)
Curry leaves 4 to 5 
Oil (2 tea spoons)
Water 4 to 5 cups
Rice flour 1 table spoon. 


Method of  Preparation:

1. Boil portion of water in a large size cooking pot.. 
2. Dice all the vegetables and add it to the boiling water and allow it to cook for 10 minutes. 
3. Once all the vegetables start getting softer then add the concentrated tamarind juice, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder, jaggery, slit green chillies and allow it to cook for atleast 15 minutes. 
4. Take a small sized kadai, heat two tea spoons of oil, add mustard seeds, whole jeera, hing, curry leaves and tadka to the Dappalam. 
5. To make the Dappalam thick, mix rice flour with one table spoon of water and add it to the cooking dish and allow it to cook for another 7 to 8 minutes. 
6. Switch off the stove and garnish with fresh coriander. 

Ideas:

• Extra sugar or jaggery can be added to make the dish little sweet. 
• Tastes best with rice and cooked plain lentils ( pressure cook toor dal add one pinch of turmeric and salt to taste). 
• Vegetables like sweet potatoes, ladies fingers, etc., can also be used in preparing this Mukkala pulusu.

Pudina Rice

Pudina / mint when cooked with spices and rice gives a good flavor, if all the ingredients are ready on the counter top the dish can be prepared in less than 15 minutes.  lets start cooking... 


Ingredients:
Pudina / mint ( 2 1/2  fresh bunches )
2 cups rice
Green peas (1/2 cup)
Green chillies 2
Onion ( half finely chopped)
Cloves ( 4 to 5)
Shahi jeera ( 1 tea spoon)
Cinnamon stick ( 1/2 inch)
Ginger garlic paste (1/2 tea spoon)
Ghee (4 table spoons)
Oil few drops
Salt to taste. 


Method of  preparation: 

1. Cook 2 cups of rice
2.  In the mean while take a kadai, heat few drops of oil, cook washed mint leaves and green chillies for 2 minutes and then grind it to a fine paste. 
3. In the same kadai, heat ghee, add shahi jeera, cloves, and Cinnamon fry for 30 seconds. Now add chopped onions and  ginger-garlic paste,  fry until they become transparent. 
4. Add pudina and chilli paste along with cooked green peas and mix it well. 
5. Now add the cooked rice, mix it well with out lumps and then add salt to the rice dish according to your taste. Switch off the stove and serve it. 

Ideas:

• Pudina rice tastes best with raitha. 
• This rice dish can also be prepared with fresh coriander leaves instead of mint.

Capsicum Curry

Bell peppers taste changes from its raw( uncooked) state to a fully cooked form. 


Ingredients:
Capsicum / bell peppers  ( 3 jumbo sized)
Chopped onions ( half cup)
Mustard seeds (half tea spoon)
 jeera powder  (half  tea spoon)
dhaniya powder (half tea spoon)
Dry red chili powder ( quarter tea spoon)
Turmeric powder ( half tea spoon)
Red chillies 3
salt to taste 
oil (5 table spoons).


Method Of Preparation:

1. Heat some oil in the skillet / kadai. Add mustard seeds and let them splutter. 
2. Before the mustards burn, add chopped onions, red chillies and allow the onions to turn golden brown. 
3. Mix the above mentioned spices ( in powdered form) in a small container and use half portion of the mixture at the time of frying the onions. 
4. Add cut bell peppers / capsicum and let it cook on medium flame till they become soft and absorb the color of initially added spice mixture. 
5. At this time add the remaining portions of the powdered spices and salt to the cooking dish and mix it well. Cook for another couple of minutes and switch off the stove. 

Ideas:
To add color to the dish, red and yellow bell peppers can be added.

Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweet potatoes are cooked in several ways, I remember my mom cooking sweet potatoes with little jaggery or sugar syrup and sometimes also roast them. Today I baked them with few spices for the evening snack. This vegetable is healthy and ranked high in nutritional value.   


Ingredients:
Sweet potatoes 2 
Oregano (according to your taste)
Black pepper (according to your taste)
Salt (according to your taste)
Olive oil ( 2 table spoons)


Recipe:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. In the mean while, peel the sweet potatoes cut them into wedges of size 3 inches in length x 1 inch in width.
3. Dress the sweet potatoes with olive oil, oregano, salt and pepper and mix well.
4. Place them in a baking tray and set the tray in the preheated oven for 10 to 15 minutes. When the vegetable becomes little soft then switch off the oven and its ready to serve. 

Ideas : 

• Parmesan cheese, garlic powder or paprika can also be sprinkled on the wedges before serving. 
• A glass baking dish wrapped with aluminum foil can also be used to baked the wedges.