Thin Kurma

This kurma goes well with briyani and also with Kothu Parotta. Not much of ingredients used but it comes excellent each and every time I make it. Also, I have received positive feedback from my firends whoever have tried this recipe.
Ingredients
1 finely chopped red/ yellow onion
1 finely chopped tomato
4 medium size green chillies (cut length wise)
1/8 cup shredded coconut
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1 inch cinnamon (Pattai)
2 cloves (Krambu)
1 tbsp fennel seeds (sombu, saunf)
2 tsp kuzhambu milagai thool
1 tsp coriander powder
a pinch of turmeric powder
Salt (as per taste)
2 tbsp Oil

Method
1.Grind coconut, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, chilli powder(I use homemade kuzhambu milagai thool instead) together to make paste with 1 tbsp of chopped onion.
2.Heat the pan and add oil.
3.Fry the onions until it becomes translucent and add the turmeric powder.
4.Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes away.
5.Now add the tomato and fry till the tomato melts and also fry the green chillies.
6.Add the ground paste and fry for three more minutes.
7.Add 2 to 3 cups of water and salt.
8.Let it boil for 3 more minutes and the thin kurma is ready to serve.

Unlike other kurmas, you have to add only a little bit of coconut,and more water to make this kurma thin.

Read the entire recipe here

Pan Pizza

My husband and kid are crazy pizza lovers. My hubby gets into action in helping me to roll the dough. It has been one year since I have started making pizza at home. First when I planned to make pizza I got a recipe online which is one of our favorite till date. So,the recipe is

Ingredients

For the dough
1 cup wheat flour
¾ cup plain flour(maida)
3/4 cup warm water
1 tablespoon active dry yeast
1 tablespoon oil
1 teaspoon salt
2 tsp sugar
For the topping
Pizza sauce Pizza blend cheese(You can try with cheese of your choice)
Diced Red onion Diced tomato(Remove the fleshy inside part)
Diced Green pepper(Remove the seeds)
A pinch of ground oregano


Method
1.Dissolve sugar in warm water.Add the yeast also.
2.Keep it aside for ten minutes till the yeast mixture becomes foamy.
3.Add oil and salt to this mixture and stir.
4.Now add the wheat flour,plain flour one by one and knead it into a dough by adding a little bit of plain flour until it gets together.
5.Now take another large bowl,apply oil to the inner surface of the bowl and transfer the pizza dough into the new bowl.Make sure the oil gets applied to the dough.Keep it closed for about one hour until the dogh raises double in volume.
6.After an hour,Knead the dough again to form a tighter ball .Close and keep it aside again for 45 minutes to get raised again.
7.After that period,with the help of rolling pin,make the dough into round shapes as you do it for chappathis and rotis.
8.Roll the outer edge inside to form the outer crust. Now, it’s the time for pizza topping
9.First,add the pizza sauce all over the pizza,then the oregano powder,add the cheese,and then the veggie topping.
10.Preheat the oven at 400 and bake the topped pizza dough in a greased pizza pan for about 20 minutes or until the cheese melts. You can try with various toppings for this veggie pizza like jalepeno pepper,olives,pineapple,etc.,etc.,I stop with these 3 toppings as the pizza lover(My hubby) loves only these three toppings…

Read the entire recipe here

Carrot Dosa

This carrot dosa recipe is similar to the bottle gourd dosa.As the dosa batter gets spoiled very soon,it can be preserved upto two days only.


Ingredients
1 cup raw rice
1 cup boiled rice
1/2 cup toor dhal
1/2 carrot
1/2 cup shredded coconut.(optional)
1 tbsp tamarind paste
4 dry red chillies
1 tsp jeera (cumin) powder

Method
1. Wash and soak raw rice, boiled rice and toor dhal in water along with red chillies for 4 hours.
2. Cut the carrots into small pieces. Grind it along with the coconut and stuff asked to soak, until it forms a thick batter.Add water little by little while grinding
3. Mix the tamarind paste, cumin powder and salt into the batter. Make dosas 3 to 4 hours later.
4. Serve it hot with coconut chutney.

PS: Make dosas in less than medium heat as spreading the batter is little harder than with regular dosa batter. Don't add more water to the batter, as the thin and crispier dosas become very hard as per this recipe.Make small and soft Dosas.

Read the entire recipe here

Mushroom Biriyani

Weekly once,I prepare biriyani(vegetable,chick or mushroom) for lunch.Today I had a pack of mushroom in the fridge and kept it to do curry for the evening dinner.But my biriyani fever started from the morning(I hear somebody saying,"When has it gone?")I make mushroom biriyani in different ways.But just remembered a tasty biriyani which I ate long back in a restaurant in Coimbatore, long back.After munching a lot,with the biriyani taste after so many years,I planned a new recipe.I was not sure about the end result,but thought of giving out a try.You know what?The Biriyani tasted like the one I was longing for...ATTAKASAM(wonderful)


Ingredients
1 cup Basmati rice

8 oz Small portabella Mushroom
8 to 9 Shallots-cut lengthwise
1 tomato-cut into cubes
1/4 cup mint leaves
1 tsp turmeric powder
Red chilli powder

2 tbsp lemon juice
yogurt
4 green chillies


oil( 3tbsp +1 tbsp)

Salt(as needed)

To grind:
1/2 cup chopped big red onion
4 garlic pods
1 inch ginger
1 tomato
4 cardamom(elachi)
1 big cinnamon(pattai) stick
4 cloves(krambu)
5 green chillies
little bit of coriander leaves



Method
1.Soak rice in water for 10 minutes and keep it aside.
2.By that time,Grind all the ingredients given for grinding except chillies into a paste by adding a little bit of water.Add green chillies to that paste and just grind one round.Remember just a bit of coriander leaves.This paste should be 1/4 cup.if not add onion a little and grind.
3.Remove the stem from the mushroom and cut the rest into cubes,don't cut the stem further.You can add it just like that.
4.Heat the pressure cooker( or a heavy bottomed pan) at medium and add 3 tbsp of oil first and fry the shallots until it becomes translucent.
5.Add the ground paste,turmeric powder and stir continuously until the oil separates from the mixture.Add half of the required salt.
6.Move the mixture to one side of the cooker and add 1 tbsp oil at the other side and allow it heat.
7.Add the mushrooms,tomato and mint ,chilli powder and the already fried mixture to the oil.
8.Stir continously for 5 minutes.Now add the rice and mix.
9.Add the yogurt(2 tbsp yogurt+ 2tbsp water) , lemon juice and remaining salt needed to the mixed rice.
10.As mushroom sheds water by itself and as we have added 2 tomatoes and a enough mixture is there for the rice to get cooked,dont add water much.Close the lid of the cooker /pan and add water little by little whenever needed.
10.When the rice is 3/4 th done, add the 4 green chillies to it in the top.No need to cut.Add just like that.It gives a very good flavor to any biriyani.
This biriyani goes well with Raitha or a Thin kurma made especially for biriyani.While cooking don't use much of spatula after adding the rice as the rice will break.

Read the entire recipe here

Thayir Sadham/Bagala Bath/Curd Rice/South Indian style Yogurt Rice

This is yet another simple dish-Thayir sadam,but quite a different way using sour cream.Sour cream gives such a wonderful taste to the thayir sadam that you can't resist yourself.The idea came first when I was new to this country and when our friend Uma  told me that she adds Sour cream in Mor Kuzhambu.I started experimenting with the ratios,and here is the perfect thayir sadham.

Ingredients
1 cup raw rice
2 cups Plain  Homemade/Storebought Yogurt.
1/4 cup or more Sour Cream
Enough water.
For the tadka
Oil
2 Dried Red Chillies.
Mustard seeds
Urad dhal
few sprigs curry leaves.
finely chopped red onion(optional)

Method
1.Add 4 to 5 cups of water to the rice and cook it in a pressure cooker until done.
2.Once the pressure goes off,smash the rice with a round headed spatula or using a masher.
3.Allow it to cool.Once the rice gets cool,add the water and stir well,to avoid any lumps.Add the yogurt,sour cream and salt and stir.I put the rice in the refrigerator for a while.
4.Heat a pan with oil,add mustard seeds to the oil.Once it starts spluttering,add the ingredients under tadka and fry for few seconds.Pour it over the rice.Stir well.
5.Serve it with pickle.

Notes
1.Pomegranate /Shredded carrot can be added to rice finally just before serving.
2.Adding onion to the tadka is optional,but will definitely bring a good flavor.Try it for a change.My DH loves this way.
3.I have tried using low fat yogurt+ lite sour cream and full fat yogurt +full fat sour cream...Both taste good...But prefer going the second way though ;)

Read the entire recipe here

Varutha Pori-Puffed Rice Snack

This is a super dooper easy snack for the evening to take along with a cup of coffee or tea.The preparation time is very short and its tasty too...

Ingredients
1 cup puffed rice(pori/kurmure)
1 tsp mustard seed
6 to 7 crushed garlic cloves(skin on)
3 to 4 dry red chillies
1/4 cup Peanut(Nilakadalai)
1/4 cup Roasted Channa dhal(pottukadalai/dalia)
A handful of curry leaves
A pinch of asafoetida powder(Perungayam)
A pinch or two of salt
1tsp turmeric powder
4 tbsp Coconut oil

Method
1.Heat a wide mouth pan at medium flame and add  coconut oil to it.
2.Add the mustard seeds to the heated oil.
3.Once the mustard seeds splutters,add the crushed garlic cloves to it and fry for half a minute(The purpose of adding the garlic cloves at the first is to make it little bit crispier).
4.Now add the red chillies,peanuts and dalia,curry leaves one by one ,(the roasted channa dhal should be the last time to drop in,as they burn easily)and fry them along with the garlic cloves with a pinch of asafoetida,turmeric powder and half the salt u need (In U.S,the pori doesn't have salt like India.thats why I add a bit.You can add or reduce as per your taste).
5.Now at low flame add the pori .Add the remaining needed salt now.Continue to fry for 2 more minutes and the varutha pori is done.

So,the tasty snack is before you within few minutes.You can even store it in an air tight container for 3 to 4 days.Believe me,the garlic cloves adds so much flavor to this pori and good on the second day.Whenever i have a bowl of varutha pori,I start looking for the garlic ;)

Read the entire recipe here

My First Post-Coconut Bun(Wow!!!!!!!This is really exciting)

All I want to say first is Hi,and Welcome to my blog.I just wanted to share the recipes which I found easy and yummy.I love cooking,as i found no other work other than cooking after coming to U.S..I don't bake a lot,but i become so much enthusiastic whenever I bake.So,with all my enthusiasm comes my first recipe, the "Coconut Bun".I wished to bake the coconut bun, which is sold in all the bakeries in Coimbatore(My home town) and the main reason for it to get the first place,is being my all time favorite.I couldn't get the exact stuffing that they prepare in the bakeries(with coconut,sugar and tooty fruity),but came out with a similar version of that.This Bun is ultimate.Try this out.I got the bun recipe in mayyam.com,and followed exactly the same,as I don't like to take any risk with recipes,that I try for the first time.But I changed the filling to come closer to the bakery buns.So,here goes the recipe

Ingredients
For the Bun:
2 cups plain flour(Maida/All purpose flour)
4 tbsp sugar
1 1/2 tsp active dried yeast
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup sesame seeds
For the filling
1 cup Fresh Shredded Coconut
1 cup sugar(or as needed)
1/4 cup cashews
1/2 cup raisins
1 tbsp plain flour
Egg Wash
1 egg yolk
1 tbsp water
Method:
1.Mix together the flour, yeast, sugar and salt. Set aside.
2.Heat the milk and butter in the microwave for 10 to 15 seconds until the butter melts.

3.Pour this mixture into flour mixture.

4.Add an egg to the mixture

5.Knead this into a dough until smooth and shiny(Initially it would be sticky,don't panic.Continue to knead-I don't have very strong hands-It took 10 minutes to me)

6.Cover and keep it aside for an hour(By that time,the dough should have been doubled and raised)

7.Now,get ready for the filling

i)Heat a pan and fry the shredded coconut for 2 minutes.

ii)Add the sugar and little bit of water

iii)Stir continuously,until the mixture becomes a ball

iv)Add the flour to that mixture

v)Roast the cashews and add it to the mixture,add also the raisins.Keep the filling aside.Let it cool.

8.After 1 hour,Punch down the dough and knead gently on a lightly floured surface

9.Divide the dough into equal sized balls(I got 10 balls)

10.Flatten the each ball with a roller and fill with the completely cooled coconut filling and seal the bun neatly.

11.Gently rotate the bun repeatedly until it forms a smooth-skinned ball.

12.Place each bun into a greased baking dish.

13.Cover the dish and let the buns rise again in a warm place until nearly double in size, approximately 45 minutes.

14.In a bowl,mix egg yolk and water.

15.Wash the balls in this mix.

16.Sprinkle sesame seeds over the buns.

17.Bake it in the preheated 400 degree Farenheit oven for 20 minutes or until the top of the bun becomes light golden brown in color.

Read the entire recipe here