Chick peas Sundal!!

Its Navarathri time!!!!!
Back in India there would be colorful Golus in most houses. Themed Golus have become very common in the recent years.
Navarathri is full of colorful rangolis, serial lights, music, pretty dolls, pavadais, and SUNDALS.
All 9 days of Navarathri there are different sundals for prasadam in almost every household.

Due to the request of a friend, I started to write the recipe for Chick peas/ Chenna/ Kondai kadalai Sundal.

Ingredients:

• Chick peas : 1 Cup (Soaked overnight)
• Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
• Urad Dal : 1 tsp
• Curry leaves : 6-8
• Ginger : 1 inch ( finely chopped)
• Red Chilli : 3-4
• Coconut : 2-3 Tbsp (shredded)
• Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
• Salt : As Required
• Oil : 1 tsp

Method:

1. Pressure cook the soaked chick peas with enough water and salt. Add turmeric powder to get a inviting color.Make sure the chenna is well cooked but not mushy. Drain after it is done.
2. In a pan, heat the oil and add mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add urad dal and after it turns brown add red chilli, curry leaves and ginger.  
3. Add the cooked chick peas and saute for a 3 minutes. 
4. Finally add the scrapped coconut and saute for a minute and take it off the heat.

Enjoy the yummy Chick peas sundal. 

Bread Uthappam!!

Bread Uthappam is one of the easiest snack or tiffin that you can make. It is great for a evening snack or morning breakfast.

Ingredients:

• Bread : 4-5 slices
• Rava / Sooji : 1/2 cup
• Yogurt / Curd : 1/2 Cup
• Onion : 1/2 (finely chopped)
• Capsicum : 1/4 (finely chopped)
• Green Chilli : 2-3 ( or as per taste)
• Salt : As required
• Oil / Ghee : To toast

Method:

1. Mix all ingredients together ( except bread and oil) and stir it into a thick dosai batter. Add little water if necessary and keep it aside for 10 mins.
2. Spread a spoonful of  batter ,nice and even, on one side of the bread. 
3. Heat a tava and place the bread, batter side up, on it. Spread a liitle oil / ghee on the sides of the bread, like you would for a dosai.
4. When the plain side is toasted, carefully flip the bread. 
5. When the batter is cooked and turn slightly brown. take the bread out. Repeat for the other slices too.

Your bread uthappam is ready. You can serve it with tomato sauce or green chutney.

Instant Kunuku!!!

Kunuku is a yummy snack, common in Tamilnadu. It is generally made of left-over adai maavu ( Dal Dosai Batter). It's a great snack for a rainy day.

But, this is a recipe for INSTANT KUNUKU, as we dont always have left-over adai maavu handy.
You can prepare this kunuku within minutes.

Ingredients:

• Rice Flour : 1 cup
• Besan/ Gram Flour : 1 cup
• Sooji / Rava : 1/2 cup
• Yogurt / Sour Curd : 1/4 Cup
• Onion : 1 (Chopped)
• Green chillies : 4-5  Chopped (adjust according to your spice level)
• Chilli powder : 1/2 Tsp
• Salt : As required
• Oil : For Frying

Method:

1. Mix all the ingredinets together ,except oil, with water and make it into a thick batter. ( Not as thick as pakoda batter, but a bit thicker than Bhajji batter).
2. Heat oil in a kadai on medium flame. Drop a dollop of batter in the oil and fry them. Fry 5-6 Kunukus at a time.
3. Take them out when are crispy and golden brown.

Kunuku is best had with tomato sauce or even with coconut chutney.

Enjoy!!!!

Eggless Banana Almond Cake

Cakes.. Who doesn't like cakes, especially when they are so easy to make @ home.
Initially my Mom-in-law taught me to bake cakes and i  started to try out different combinations on my own.

When it comes to cakes, Banana is one of the common flavors (next to vanilla and chocolate!!!).

Ingredients:

• Maida / All purpose flour : 2 cups
• Sugar (Powdered) : 1 cup ( You can also sugarfree. If so, use 3/4 cup)
• Baking powder : 2 Tsp
• Baking soda : 1/2 tsp
• Banana : 2
• Cardamom powder : 1/2 tsp
• Almonds : 10 
• Vanilla essence : 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Refined Oil/ Vegetable oil : 3/4 cup ( I used Almond oil for the extra taste!!!)
• Milk : 1 cup

Method:

1. Soak the almonds in water for a few mins and peel the skin off. Chop them into little pieces or halves, if you want bite size almonds in your cake.
2. Mash the bananas well. I grind them to make a paste.
3. Sift the Flour, baking powder, baking soda and sugar together using a sieve. 
4. Add cardamom powder,vanilla essence and almonds to the flour and mix well.
5. Now add mashed banana, oil and milk and mix well.
6. Preheat oven to 345 F or 180 C.
7. Grease a cake pan with butter and pour the cake mix into the pan.
8. Bake for 20-30 mins. Check the cake using a clean toothpick. If the toothpick comes out clean, then your cake is ready. If not, bake it for a few more mins. 

 Decorate your cake with icing of your choice. 

Enjoy!!!

Green and heavy!!

Dark Green Stones with 3 Antiqued silver balls.

Elegant Red & White!!!

White glass pearls and red Swarovski crystals with Shell pendant.

Paruppu Usili!!

Paruppu ( Dal/ lentils) Usili (crumble) is one the favorite dishes of any Iyer household.

After we were betrothed, in an effort to understand my to-be hubby and before i even knew how to cook, I asked Ji(Hubby!!), "What's your favorite dish?" The answer was instantaneous, " Paruppu Usili" he said. My head started spinning. Even though i adored Paruppu Usili, it just looked very complicated.
But now i'm really confident while doing the dish. And with a little love and affection, it becomes extra special.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal : 1/2 Cup
• Chana Dal: 3/4 Cup 
• Red Chilli : 5-6 ( or as required)
• Vegetable of your choice : You can use Beans, Cabbage, Vazhai-poo ( Plantain flower) or Kothavarangai (Clustered beans). You can use only one vegetable at a time. : 1/4 kg Chopped
• Salt : As Required
• Asafoetida: 2 pinches
• Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
• Urad Dal: 1 tsp
• Curry leaves : A spring
• Turmeric Powder: 1/4 tsp
• Oil : 5 tsps

Method:

1. Soak the Dals together in water for an hour.
2. Drain the water And grind the dals with the red chillies,asafoetida and salt ( requied for the dal) without water. If you feel it is too coarse just sprinkle a little water.
3. Steam cook ground dals like idlies.
4. In the mean time cook the chopped vegetable with salt and water. Cook until they are 3/4th cooked.
5. After the dal is cooked, let it cool and crumble the steamed mixture. ( I usually run it in the mixer for a few seconds, until it crumbles).
6. Heat oil in a pan or kadai and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter. Add Urad dal and let it brown. Add curry leaves.
7. Add the dal crumble and let it crumble and cook well. Let it brown very slightly.
8. Add the cooked vegetables and saute well. Let it on the stove or 3-5 mins and switch off.

Tasty, mouth-watering paruppu usili is ready. Usili goes well with Vathakuzhambu, Sambar, Rasam, Mor-kuzhambu etc.

P.S: If you want the Usili very soft, reverse the dal quantities.

Enjoy!!!!

Stuffed Karela(Pavakkai)

Bitter Gourd / Karela / Pavakkai is one of my favorite vegetable. Most people are not huge fans of karela because of it's bitter taste. 
But karela has a lot a nutritional benefits.

Bitter Gourd is a very good blood purifier. It is very good for diabetic patients, as it improves the blood tolerance level. It improves eyesight,stimulates digestion and improves immune system.
I use karela regularly in my cooking. I usually make karela sambar, karela pitlai ( a thicker version of sambar), karela sabzi or karela roast. I like karela in any of these forms and luckily,so does my hubby.
But last week i decided i would try something that i had heard of, but never cooked or tasted. 
Stuffed Karela. I decided to make it using my imagination. But it turned out pretty good. 


Ingredients:
Karela / Pavakkai: 5-6 (Medium sized)
Onion: 1 (big) or 2 (medium)
Ginger : 1 inch
Jeera / Cumin: 1 tsp
Turmeric powder : 1/4 tsp
Red Chilli powder : 1/2 tsp ( or according to your taste)
Coriander powder : 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder : 1/2 tsp
Garam masala : 1/4 tsp
Salt : To taste
Oil 


Method:

1. Wash the karelas and slightly peel their skin.
2. Slit the karela vertically, making sure you don't cut the karela in half. Just slit until you can open them like a cup and keep the ends intact.
3.  Use a spoon to scoop out the seeds and keep them in a cup.  DO NOT THROW THE SEEDS AWAY.
4. Boil the karelas with water and salt, (The salt removes the bitterness), until they are almost cooked. Make sure they don't cook too much and go mushy. Place the boiled karelas on a paper towel to dry them.
5. Chop the onion and ginger.
6. Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds, ginger, karela seeds,chopped onion and saute them well.
7. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, chilli powder and garam masala. Add little water if necessary.
8. After the onion is cooked well, add salt. Remove from heat.
9. Fill the slit karelas with the stuffing and wrap them with a thread, so that the stuffing does not come out.
10. Heat little oil in a pan and place the stuffed karelas in a row. Cook them well on medium heat. Turn them as required. If there is any stuffing left use it as gravy and and it after karelas are cooked well and turn little crispy.
11. Remove from heat.

You can also deep fry the karelas.

Delicious stuffed karela is ready to be served. It can be served with rice or chapathis.

P.S: This recipe is out of my own imagination. So, please let me know how i can improve this recipe.

Carrot curry with a twist!!!

Carrots are a good source of dietary fibers, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Vitamin K and Potassium.
Drinking a glass of carrot juice daily will do much more for you than many bottles of supplement tablets.
Its powerful cleansing properties are effective in detoxifying the liver. 
" Eat Carrots! You can see better"- My mom used to tell us.  Beta-carotene, lutein and zeaxanthin are some of the finest nourishment that help keep the optic system in tip-top condition.

If I think of carrots, I immediately imagine the delicious Carrot Halwa!! YUM!!!!!!!!!!
One day, I had to very less time to cook something and I saw the carrots sitting on the lower rack in my refrigerator. So I thought, " Ok lets make Carrot Curry". I didn't want to make it the usual way, and so i started to make it with a twist!!!!
It is easy to make. It is a bit tangy!!


Ingredients:
Carrots: 4-5 ( not mini carrots)
Green chilis: 3
Ginger : 1 inch 
Turmeric powder: 1/4 tsp
Soya sauce: 2 Drops
Lemon juice: 1 tsp
Salt: To taste
Mustard seeds: 1/4 tsp
Coriander leaves: For garnish
Oil: 1 tsp


Method: 

1. Wash and peel the carrots. Grate them.
2. Cut the chilies and ginger into fine pieces.
3. Heat the oil in a pan. When the oil is hot, add the mustard seeds and wait till they start popping.
4. Add the green chili,ginger and turmeric powder.
5. Now add the grated carrots and sprinkle little water. Close the pan.
6. Keep stirring often until the carrots are soft and well cooked.( If need be, sprinkle little water and close the lid)
7. After the carrots are cooked, add the soya sauce and the lemon juice.
8. Add salt and stir well.
9. Garnish it with fresh coriander leaves.

The tangy carrot curry is ready to be served. It is good with Rasam rice and Chapathi. 

Yummy Home-made Chocolate!!!

 "Nine out of ten people like chocolate. The tenth person always lies." - John Q. Tullius

Hi all!! I’m Shylendri Bilesh. This is my first ever blog. So I thought, why not start with a universal favourite. Chocolates!!!!

There are not many people in the world who say that they don’t like chocolates. Chocolates are enjoyed by people of all ages.

Here are some facts about chocolate:

• The best way to store chocolate is by wrapping it in foil and then placing it in plastic. Keep it at a constant temperature of 65 degrees F and 50% humidity.
•    Dark chocolate stored under perfect conditions will last for 10 years.
•   Quality dark chocolate contains flavonoids which help reduced the risk of heart disease.
• Eating a 1.6 oz (small) bar of dark chocolate can be good for you!
• Chocolate is associated with the release of serotonin, the hormone that makes you feel relaxed, calm, and happy.
•   Switzerland is one of the top countries when it comes to chocolate consumption.
•   Chocolate does not cause or aggravate acne, this is a myth.
•  Chocolate has great health benefits. It helps with depression, high blood pressure, Tumors and Pre-menstrual syndromes.
• One ounce of baking chocolate or cocoa contains 10% of the daily recommended intake of iron.
• Dark chocolate (65 percent or higher cocoa content) has far more antioxidants than milk or white chocolate.

This particular Chocolate recipe was passed on to me by my dear Mom-in-law.It is very easy to make.And above everything else it is too tasty!!! You cannot satisfy yourself with just one!!!!!

Ingredients:

• Milk Powder - 1 cup
• Sugar (Powdered) - 3/4 cup
• Unsalted Butter - 2 Tbsp
• Cocoa Powder (Unsweetened) - 1/4 cup ( I use Hersheys dark chocolate powder)
• Water - Little less than 1/2 cup
• Broken nuts or tutti-frutti or anything else that you would like in a chocolate - (optional)

Method:

1. Mix Cocoa powder, Milk powder, Butter and broken nuts together and keep it aside.
2. In a heavy bottomed vessel, heat water and sugar . Heat the sugar syrup until it reaches single thread consistency or kambi paagu ( To check single thread consistency : Dip a spatula in the syrup and take it out. After it cools down a bit, touch the syrup with your forefinger.Then press the forefinger and thumb and gently pull apart. You will find a single thread with no breaks. That is when it has reached the right consistency).[If the syrup gets past the single thread consistency, you will not be able to cut pieces out of your chocolate. It will crumble.]
3. Now take the vessel out of the stove and slowly add the Cocoa powder mix to the sugar syrup. 
4. Keep stirring until it becomes a thick lump( avoid over-stirring it).
5. Grease a rimmed plate or chocolate mould with ghee( clarified butter) or butter.
6. Spread the mixture on the greased plate and even it out with a spatula.
7. Let it cool.
8. Cut the chocolate into pieces with a greased knife and enjoy!!!