Ridge Gourd Curry!!!

Ridge gourd is loaded with nutrients such as dietary fiber, vitamin C, riboflavin, zinc, iron and magnesium. It is also low in fat and calories.
Ridge gourd is a good blood purifier, strengthens immune system and helps in weight loss.
English : Ridge Gourd

Tamil : Peerkangai

Telugu : Beerakaya

Hindi : Turai

Kannada: Heere kayee

Malayalam : Peechinga

This ridge gourd curry is my mom's recipe and I assure you that it tastes really good.


Ingredients:

• Ridge Gourd : 4 Medium
• Mustard : 1/2 tsp
• Jeera: 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves : 6-7 leaves
• Oil : 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder : 1/4 tsp
• Salt : As Required

To grind :

• Ginger : 1 inch piece
• Green Chillis : 2
• Coconut : 2-3 Spoons

Method:

1. Peel the skin from the ridge gourd and cut in cubes.
2. Grind the TO GRIND ingredients without water.
3. In a kadai/ pan add oil and splutter mustard , jeera and curry leaves. Add turmeric powder. 
4. Add the cut vegetables and salt.
5. After it is cooked, add the ground mixture. Keep for a min. Then Switch off.

Ridge Gourd curry is now ready. Tastes good with rotis or rice.

Enjoy!!!

Chole Paneer!!!

After a very long time I was back into the kitchen to cook. I hoped that I had not forgotten how to cook. Mom decided to make chapatis for lunch and I offered  to make the side-dish.
Chole is one of Ji's favorites. I decided to make the dish with paneer.

Ingredients:

• Chick peas : 2 Cups
• Paneer : 1 Cup ( cut in small cubes)
• Onion : 1 Medium ( chopped)
• Tomatoes : 4 Medium 
• Cumin seeds / Jeera : 1 tsp
• Cloves : 1
• Garam Masala : 1- 1 1/2 tsp
• Ghee : As Required
• Salt : As Required
• 
  

To Grind: 

• Onions : 2 medium
• Garlic : 3-4 pods
• Green Chillies : 2-3 medium
• Ginger : 2 inches
• Fennel seeds : 1/2 tsp
• Cloves : 2
• Cinnamon : 1/4 inch piece

Method:

1. Cook the Chick peas separately with little salt.
2. Boil Tomatoes until skin peels off and mash them to make puree.
3. Grind the TO GRIND ingredients.
4. Fry the paneer cubes in ghee until golden brown.
5. In a kadai / wok add little ghee/ oil and add cloves and jeera. Let it splutter.
6. Add most of the chopped onions and saute till raw smell goes off.
7. Then add tomato puree and the ground paste and saute till raw smell goes off.
8. Add salt and Garam Masala.
9. Add the boiled Chick peas.
10. After the chick peas is well mixed with the gravy , add the paneer cubes and mix well.
11. Leave on for another 2 mins and switch-off.
12. Garnish with the remaining chopped onions and coriander leaves. Squeeze a little lemon if u wish.

Chole Paneer is now ready. Serve with hot Rotis.

Enjoy!!!!

Karela / Bitter Gourd Fried Rice

Back to blogging  after a  very long time.

I wanted to do something very easy and very different for lunch, so, i started to google for some karela rice recipes. I came across this wonderful and easy recipe for Karela Fried Rice in a blog and decided to make it. It came out awesome. So i decided to share it with you all.

Ingredients:

• Karela / Bitter Gourd : 3 medium sized (Thinly Sliced)
• Garlic : 3 pods ( Finely Chopped)
• Capsicum : 1  medium sized (Finely Sliced)
• Carrots : 2 (Thinly Sliced)
• Basmati Rice : 2 Cups
• Sugar : 1/4 tsp
• Salt : As required
• Soy Sauce : 1 Tbsp
• Chilli sauce : 1 tsp
• Pepper powder : As required
• Oil : As required

Method:

1. Cook the Basmati rice separately.
2. Heat some oil in a kadai or wok, and fry the chopped garlic. Then throw in the Capsicum and Carrots and fry them a bit.
3. Add the sliced Bitter Gourd and fry them till they are done. ( Close the pan a little while to let the karela cook)
4. Then add salt, sugar, and the sauces and saute for a while.
5. Add the cooked rice and mix them well. Add the Pepper powder and mix well.

Tasty, yummy , Karela fried rice is ready. Garnish with Spring onions. Serve hot.
If  you want add some Hot Sauce before serving.

Easy Gobi Manchurian!!!

Gobi Manchurian is one of my favorite dishes. Manchurian is basically a Chinese dish.
Gobi Manchurian / Cauliflower Manchurian made dry / with gravy, makes a great snack.

This is not the traditional method where you fry the Gobi. I tried it without frying the Gobi and it turned out just fine.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower : 1
• Onion : 1 (medium)
• Garlic : 1 -2 pods
• Ginger : 2" piece
• Green Chili : 2-3
• Capsicum : 1
• Soy sauce : 1 Tbsp
• Chili sauce : 1 Tsp
• Tomato sauce : 1 Tbsp
• Salt : As required
• Sugar : A pinch or two
• Oil : 2 Tbsp
• Corn flour : 1 Tsp
• Spring onions : 2-3 Shallots
• Coriander leaves : For garnishing

Method:

1. Wash and cut the Cauliflower into florets and soak them in water with a pinch of salt.
2. Chop onion, green chili,garlic, ginger . Wash and cut capsicum into small cubes or thin,long slices.
3. In a pan heat oil and add the onions, green chili, garlic and ginger. Saute them until the raw smell goes and the onion turns slightly brown.
4. Add the cauliflower florets and the capsicum, and add a little salt. Cover the pan and stir occasionally.
5. After the Gobi and capsicum are cooked, add the sauces ,salt & sugar, and mix well.
6. Mix the corn flour with a little water and add it to the Gobi mix. 
7. Garnish with Spring onions and Coriander leaves.

Enjoy!!! 

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!!!!