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Its been ages since I made the tamarind rice- in an authentic way and to be honest I haven’t done it this way and the main reason is I hate this dish. At last I decided to make it as my hubby loves this and I don’t want to find an excuse for not making just because I don’t like it. Every one says this dish is so tasty and I don’t know why my taste buds always rejects this rice.
Everyone knows this is a very popular temple prasadam allover south India and many people visits temple regularly just for this but visit for sweet pongal they give at temple and sometimes they would give both and I always trade my puliyogere for pongal with whoever I go. This rice is also very popular for picnic in India but not in the trip I am organizing or at least I make sure curd rice is also there or else no picnic:-)
Ingredients for pulikachal/gravy
Tamarind – A golf ball size
Gingelly oil - ¼ Cup
Channa dhal – 2 tbsp
Roasted Peanut – 3 tbsp
Red Chilies – 3
Mustard – 1tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Asafetida
Salt to taste
For the Powder
Sesame seeds – 2 tbsp
Coriander seed – 2 tsp
Fenugreek seed – ¼ tsp
Red Chilies – 2
Method
Add enough water to soak the tamarind and microwave for 2 mins and extract the juice and discard any lumps and do no add more water.
Heat the oil in a pan and add the asafetida and mustard seed and when they splutter add channa dhal and peanuts and add turmeric powder and when the channa dhal turns red add red chili and add the tamarind juice and add half of salt and remaining salt can be added while mixing with rice. Reduce the heat and cook until it becomes thick and oil floats on top. Cool and store in the refrigerator in a bottle and this will stay fresh for a month.
For the powder, just roast all the ingredients and grind to a coarse powder and store in a separate container.
For making tamarind rice
Cool the rice after cooking and rice should be separate.
Add little pulikachal with rice and mix it and sprinkle little of the powder and mix. Add salt to your taste and Enjoy with papad.
This is a very simple and delicious sandwich. This sandwich was prepared for my hubby to take to work for lunch and I had to hurry as it was getting late and you can see that in my picture, did not wait for it to even focus. This is very filling, healthy and easy to carry in a lunch box as well. Mushroom and peppers are the terrific combination I could think of for a vegan sandwich and the whole sandwich comes together very well and the taste you will really relish.
Ingredients
Bread – 4 slices
Button Mushroom – 5 chopped
Red and yellow peppers Chopped – 1 Cup
Cheese Singles – 2 (use any kind of your choice, I used provolone)
Oil – 1 tsp
Salt and pepper to taste
Mayonnaise and Dijon mustard to spread
Method
Heat oil in a pan and fry peppers till half cooked and add mushrooms and fry for couple of mins by adding salt and pepper.
Meanwhile spread the mayo and Dijon mustard on one bread slice and place the fried mushroom and peppers and top it with the cheese and close it with another bread slice.
Put the sandwich in a skillet and evenly brown over medium heat on both sides...ENJOY!!
This is a flavorful creamy, cheesy and tasty broccoli soup. When I was looking online for a good broccoli soup most of the recipe was like blending all the ingredients together and making a soup of it but I wanted real broccoli chucks in my soup to enjoy the broccoli in every spoon of soup I take and this recipe I prepared the way I wanted and it tasted really good and also it is a very simple broccoli soup recipe. This is not too creamy but really very yummy. It is a very delightful appetizer one would have. This was a huge hit in my house and my hubby gobbled it down and my kids, who are not a big soup fan, enjoyed it.
I used chicken broth and if you want vegan version use vegetable broth.
Ingredients
Butter – 1tbsp
Large Broccoli head – 1 Cut to small florets
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Chicken Broth – 2 Cups
Water – 1 Cup
All Purpose flour – ¼ Cup
Cheddar Cheese – ½ Cup
Milk – 1 cup (Use any milk I used half and half)
Salt and pepper to taste
Method
Over a medium heat, melt butter in a large pot. Add onions and sauté till they are tender.
Add broccoli florets, chicken broth and water to the pot. Cover and bring to a boil for about 10 mins or until broccoli is tender.
Add salt and pepper.
In a small bowl mix flour with water and add to the boiling broccoli mixture.
Add the cheese and cook for another 4 to 5 mins in a reduced heat.
Add the milk and when it starts to boil turn off the heat.
While serving add little cheese on top and serve with crackers of your choice and Enjoy!!!!
Sometimes its becomes difficult for me to think what to cook with egg as egg being such an versatile and tastes very good however way its being cooked and goes fabulous with almost anything. At last I settled with this spicy egg masala which is easy to cook and the best. Each time I prepare I try to use different seasoning and all the time the taste is always wonderful. This recipe is very good side dish for any bland rice but I like it for biryani and its tastes even great for roti or chapati.
Ingredients
Egg – 5
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Tomato – 2 medium size finely chopped
Green Chiles – 2 finely chopped
Clove – 2
Cinnamon – ¼”
Cardamom – 1
Fennel seeds – ½ tsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Chili Powder – ½ tsp
Pepper Powder – ½ tsp
Cilantro to garnish
Oil – 3 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Boil the egg and remove the shell and cut the eggs into two haves and keep aside.
In a pan, heat oil and add the fennel seed, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. When its aromatic add the onion and sauté until it turns brown.
Add the ginger garlic paste and mix and add the tomato and cook until the tomato turns mushy and if needed sprinkle water in between.
Now add all the dry masala powders other than the pepper powder and cook in a reduced flame until the raw smell is gone and add little water in between to avoid burning the masala. Last add the pepper powder.
Now add the egg and mix carefully to coat the gravy with the egg and take care not to separate the yolk and white
Add cilantro and enjoy with anything you like.
Here is yet another favorite hot dish of mine - chili chicken. This is not the usual Chinese style chili chicken, this kind of chili chicken is available at all the Andra style restaurant in Bangalore and they use the whole green chilies to make this dish “really spicy” and they used to be pleasantly spicy for me and I still have not found something else very tasty and that also made my eyes water like this. Suddenly I just started craving for this dish and I prepared myself remembering the taste and I would say I could nearly match more than 75% of the original taste and just enough to satisfy my lingering craving. I used the chicken for the chicken curry and really tasted good but still you can marinate the chicken and use for this recipe. Here is the recipe,
Ingredients
To marinate
Chicken – ½ lb
Yogurt – 2 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste – ½ tsp
Chili powder – ½ tsp
Turmeric Powder – ½ tsp
Salt – little
Other Ingredients
Green Chilies slit – 10 to 13 (depending on your need)
Onion – ½ of 1 Chopped very finely
Tomato – 1 finely chopped
Coriander Powder – 1 and ½ tsp
Garam masala – 1tsp
Cardamom Powder – ¼ tsp
Oil – 3 tsp
Salt to taste
To Grind
Garlic – 6 Cloves
Ginger – ¾ inch
Cilantro – ½ Cup
Method
Marinate the chicken with all the ingredients and refrigerate for 1 hr.
Heat oil in a non-stick pan and add the onion and sauté for 5 mins or until its tender.
Add the tomato and fry for few mins and add the grinded paste and mix. Add the coriander powder and mix.
Add the green chilies and mix. Now add the chicken and sprinkle little water and close and cook for 5 mins, checking in between to avoid burning.
Now open and reduced the flame and cook by mixing occasionally until the chicken is fully cooked and the dish is dry without any water.
Garnish with cilantro and enjoy as a side dish for any kind of rice.
This valentine Day I decided to make two separate treat for kids and for my hubby. I chose chocolate cookie for my boy as he adores chocolate a lot and my hubby doesn’t have any special interest when comes to flavor so went on with the same chocolate even for the cake. I wanted to show to my family how much they mean to me and also how much I love them with these special straight from the heart treats. To make it more romantic, I cut the cake in the heart shape with the cookie cutter and it turned out lovely to look at and my hubby was really surprised and he finished off without a speck.
Ingredients
All purpose flour - 3/4 Cup
Granulated sugar - 1/4 Cup
Packed light brown sugar - 1/4 Cup
Cocoa powder - 3 tbsp
Baking soda 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Margarine - 3 tbsp
Vanilla extract - 1 tsp
For Chocolate Frosting
Margarine - 1 tbsp
Powdered Sugar - 2/3 Cup
Cocoa powder - 1tbsp
Milk - 2 tsp
Method
Heat oven to 350°F.
Grease and flour 8-inch square baking pan.
Stir together flour, granulated sugar, brown sugar, cocoa, baking soda and salt in medium bowl.
Add milk, vanilla extract and beat with whisk until smooth.
Pour batter into prepared pan.
Bake for 20 to 25 mins or until the toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.
Cool completely. Transfer to cutting board and using a heart-shaped cookie cutter, cut cake into 4 hearts.
Chocolate frosting:
Mix all the ingredients and whisk until smooth, adjust the milk or the sugar powder according to the consistency needed to spread on the cake.
Spread chocolate frosting on top of two hearts and place remaining two hearts on top to make two small cakes. Enjoy!!
When talking about the Valentine’s Day my boy has not changed a bit compared to previous year. As soon as the month Feb. started, he got excited and started the count down from day one till 14th and he started wishing from as early as 12th and he even wished me “Happy Valentine’s eve” on 13th, valentine’s day is so special for him. So for such a special occasion I should give him special, not something buy from the shop, it should be made with love so I decide to surprise him with ‘chocolate cookie pop’ treat as he is a chocolate boy, I mean chocolate is his favorite. I made this treat with love especially for him and I could see how thrilled he was, not knowing what I am making and trying to peek in-between and he was totally surprised to a see cookie on a Popsicle and he loved it. My girl not knowing what’s all the excitement about acted the same way as her brother and enjoyed the cookie.
Ingredients
Butter or margarine, softened – 2/3 Cup
Granulated sugar - 1-1/4 cups
Vanilla extract – 1 tsp
Egg – 1
All-purpose flour - 1-1/2 cups
Cocoa Powder - 1/2 cup ( I used Hershey’s)
Salt – ½ tsp
Baking soda – ¼ tsp
Popsicle sticks - 10
Pink frostings for decoration
Method
Heat oven to 350°F.
Beat butter, sugar, water and vanilla in large bowl on medium speed of mixer until well blended. Add egg and beat well.
Stir together flour, cocoa, salt and baking soda. Gradually add to sugar mixture, beating on low speed just until blended.
Refrigerate dough until firm enough to handle, say for 10 mins.
Roll dough into small ball and place on cookie sheet and leave enough space between the cookies as they spread while baking.
Insert wooden Popsicle stick about three quarters of the way into side of each ball. Flatten slightly.
Bake for 15 minutes or until outside edges are firm and center is set.
Cool several minutes on cookie sheet. Cool completely and decorate the cookie with pink frosting as you like. Enjoy!!!
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