Beetroot Halwa for our men in blue!

Yesterday all the blog buddies watched the India/Pakistan match together via FB and it was true fun. It seemed as if I became a kid again:)
This Halwa is to celebrate:)

Ingredients

2 cups boiled and grated beetroot
1 cup sugar
2 tsp raisins
2 tsp cashewnuts
1 tsp cardamom powder
2 tbsp khoya (mawa) optional
2 tbsp ghee

Preparation

Boil 2 medium size beetroots and finely grate it to make 2 cups. Heat a heavy bottomed pan, add 1 tsp ghee. Fry the cashewnuts and raisins till golden and set aside. In the same pan add the remaining ghee, grated beets and saute for 2 minutes. To the beets add sugar and cardamom powder and cook for 10-12 minutes till the moisture evaporates and fragrance fills the kitchen. For additional richness add khoya or milk (its purely optional). Once the halwa leaves the sides of the pan remove from heat. Finally add the dry fruits and serve warm!

My Hearty thanks to Smitha for the lovely gesture, cute magnets and a warm note!

Amaranth leaves-shallots stir fry

Amaranth leaves called as Thotakura in telugu or Mulai keerai in tamil is used in different ways in the southindian kitchen. It can be used to make dals and curries too.

Ingredients

2 cups of Amaranth leaves (cleaned and chopped finely)
1 cup shallots (chopped)
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
2 green chillies (slit lengthwise)
salt to taste

For tempering
2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp split urad dal
2 tbsp curry leaves
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder

Preparation

Heat a pan, add oil and temper with the given ingredients. Once the tempering is done, add the shallots and saute for a minute. To the shallots add green chillies, chopped amaranth leaves, grated coconut, salt and saute on medium heat. Cover with lid and cook for five minutes till the leaves are soft and moisture has dried up. Serve warm with rice and dal:)

Wheat Flour Laddu for Neivedyam's 4th Birthday!

Four long years of blogging, blog hopping, comments, friends, facebook and many more. I never get bored of doing all this apart from regular nagging by hubby and others in the family, my 2 year old saying stop publising even if she does not know what she is saying:), weight gain and all my jeans going tight:( ......
Neivedyam has given me an identity apart from what I am!! I love doing what I am doing and thanks to all my friends and visitors for making this possible. I know I say it every year but I mean it from my heart!

Now lets get back to the job.....:)

Ingredients

2 cups wheat flour
1 1/2 cup sugar (finely powdered)
1 cup ghee (melted)
1/4 cup almonds(chopped into small pieces)
1/4 cup cashewnuts(chopped into small pieces)
1 tbsp pistachios (finely chopped)
2 tbsp raisins
1/2 tsp cardamom powder

Preparation

Heat a pan, add 2 tsp ghee, add all the chopped dryfruits and fry till they slightly change colour. Set aside.
In the same pan add 2-3 tbsp ghee and roast the wheat flour on medium heat.
Once the flour changes colour slightly and aroma raises, turn off the flame, add the dryfruits, cardamom powder, remaining melted ghee, sugar and mix well. Transfer the flour from the pan to a plate and make laddus while the mixture is hot and bearable enough to hold in your hands.
Wheat flour laddus are ready. Some people even add edible gum to this laddu to give extra richness.

Capsicum Sesame Curry (Dry) / Capsicum nuvvulu kura

Ingredients

2 cups finely chopped capsicum
1 cup finely chopped onions
2 tbsp sesame seeds
2 tbsp split urad dal(husked)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
salt to taste

for tempering
2 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 tsp Asafoetida powder
2 tbsp curry leaves
1 green chilli slit length wise

Preparation
Heat a heavy bottomed pan and dry roast sesame seeds for 2 minutes on medium heat till slightly brown. Set aside. Similarly roast urad dal till golden and set aside to cool. Once the urad dal and sesame seeds have cooled down completely, grind it into a coarse powder and keep aside.
Heat a pan, add oil and temper with all the ingredients in the given order.
Once tempered, add onion and saute for a minute. To this add capsicum and saute on medium flame till capsicum is slightly soft and cooked. Do not overcook. To the capsicum add the prepared sesame powder, salt and coriander powder and mix well. On low heat let the curry cook for 2 minutes.
Remove from heat and serve with rotis or rice!

Shallots Sambar (Vengaya Sambar)

This is a typical south Indian sambar served with Idly/dosa or rice. It is also called as Arachu vitta sambar(sambar made by grinding the ingredients). I have added a new touch by adding vegetables and masalas to this sambar.

Ingredients

1 cup split red gram (thoor dal)
8-10 pearl onions (shallots)
1 drumstick
1/2 cup yellow pumpkin (cut in to cubes along with skin)
1 medium brinjal (cut into large chunks)
3 tbsp Tamarind pulp
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp sambar powder
2 tsp grated Jaggery
2 tsp freshly chopped coriander
2 tsp oil
salt to taste

For paste

5-6 pearl onions
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
3 tbsp grated coconut or 1 tsp raw rice
2 medium tomatoes
3-4 dry red chillies
1-2 tsp oil

for tempering

2 tsp ghee
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp split urad dal
2 tbsp curry leaves
1/3 tsp asafoetida powder

Preparation

Pressure cook split red gram dal(thoor dal) with 3 cups of water for 3 whistles till soft and well cooked.
In a pan add 1/2 tsp oil and saute fenugreek seeds, coriander seeds, dry red chillies and coconut for a minute, till slightly golden, remove and set aside. Instead of coconut, raw rice can be sauted a little and used for the thickness of the sambar. Add the remaining oil and saute the shallots for 2 minutes. When all the ingredients cool down, grind these ingredients along with tomato into paste.
In a heavy bottom pan add 2 tsp oil and saute shallots, drumsticks, brinjal and pumpkin for 2 minutes. This way the drumsticks do not break apart when cooked. Now add turmeric powder, salt and 2 cups of water to cook the vegetables for 10-12 minutes till soft but retain shape. To the vegetables add tamarind pulp, Sambar powder, ground paste and bring the mixture to boil. To this add jaggery, cooked dal and simmer the heat. Once the sambar comes to boil add coriander leaves and turn off the heat. Temper with all the given ingredients and cover with lid as soon as you temper. This way the aroma and flavor of will stay in the sambar.

Since this is my innovative Sambar, sending this to Pari's event hosted by Nivedita- "Only Original Recipes"

Kothmira Karam Podi (Coriander Leaves Powder )

Ingredients

1 cup chopped fresh coriander leaves
3 tbsp split black gram dal(husked)
3 tbsp bengal gram dal
3 tbsp roasted bengal gram dal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 medium lime size tamarind
4-5 dry red chillies
3-4 garlic cloves
2 tsp oil
salt to taste

Preparation

Heat a pan and dry roast split black gram till golden, then dry roast bengal gram, coriander seeds and red chillies, separately, one after the other, slightly on low flame for 2 minutes till aroma raises. Remove and set aside. In the pan add 1 tsp oil slightly saute coriander leaves for 2 minute on low heat till the moisture dries up. Remove the coriander leaves and set aside with all the other ingredients to cool. In the same pan add 1 tsp oil and saute the garlic cloves for a minute till the raw smell leaves.
Once all the ingredients cool down, add all the dals, garlic, chillies, tamarind and salt to the mixer and grind into a powder. To the powder add coriander leaves and grind again until coriander leaves blend well.

This powder can be served with warm rice and ghee, idly/dosa or can also be used as kura podi(masala) for subzis like bhindi/okra, brinjal etc.
Here is a picture of bhindi subzi to which I added this powder and served it with hot rice and ghee:)



Now some contribution for the ongoing events!

This Oats halwa goes to Oats recipes event by Dr Sameena Prathap.



This Maharashtrian Thali goes to Flavors of Maharashtra by PJ and Naina

Hyderabadi Mirchi Ka salan

Hyderabadi Mirchi ka salan is served along with Hyderabadi Biryani and it is a very famous and authentic combination!

Ingredients

8-10 Jalapeno chillies (Bajji mirchi)
4 tbsp peanuts
4 tbsp dry coconut
1 tbsp Sesame seeds
1/2 tsp Onion seeds (Kalonji)
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
1 tsp Fennel seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp Fenugreek seeds
2 tsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp of curry leaves
1 tsp green chilli paste
4 tbsp tamarind paste
3-6 tbsp oil
3 large onions (deep fried till brown and crisp)
1 tsp cumin powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
2 cups of water
1/2 tsp garam masala

Preparation

There is a lot of pre- preparation that needs to be done before preparing this gravy like, deep frying the onions, preparing tamarind paste, sliting the chillies and keeping all the ingredients near by!
In a pan saute peanuts on low flame for 2 minutes and then add dry coconut and saute for a minute till they get roasted slightly. To this add sesame seeds and roast slightly for a minute and remove from flame. Set aside to cool. Once it has cooled down, grind these ingredients with a little water into a paste.
Leave the stem of the chillies intact and slit open the chillies only on one side. Also remove the seeds inside the chillies if any. In another pan add 3 tbsp oil and fry the chillies. Fry the chillies for 10 to 12 minutes till soft. Set aside.
In another pan heat 2 tbsp oil and add onion seeds, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds and fennel seeds. When the seeds start spluttering, add ginger-garlic paste, curry leaves, green chilli paste and saute for 2 minutes. To this mixture add tamarind paste and cook for a minute. Now add fried brown onions and mix well. Also add cumin powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and finally the ground peanut paste. Now cook the whole mixture till it leaves oil and also leaves the sides of the pan. To this add 2 cups of water and bring the gravy to a boil. Once you see the boil, add the fried chillies and again cook and bring the mixture to boil on low flame. The flavour of the chillies should get incorporated in the gravy. Finally sprinkle garam masala and remove from heat.
Hyderabadi Mirchi ka salan is ready to go with Hyderabadi biryani.

Ridge Gourd Dal (Beerakaya Pesarapappu)

This recipe is from Pedatha's book. Her book always stays in my kitchen bookshelf. I have learned many basics form it. This is a very comforting dal with rice.

Ingredients
3/4 cup green gram (husked)
2 medium ridge gourd (chopped)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
2 green chillies (slit length wise)
2 tbsp fresh coriander leaves (chopped)
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tbsp oil
salt to taste

For tempering

1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 red chillies
handful of curry leaves
1/4 tsp asafoetida powder


Preparation

Pressure cook the dal with turmeric in 3 cups of water to a soft consistency. If the cooked dal is very thick you can dilute it by adding half cup of water. Churn well and set aside.
Scrape and chop the ridge gourd into medium sized cubes.
In a pan heat the oil for tempering and add mustard and let them pop. Lower the flame and add the rest of the tempering ingredients.
To this add the chopped gourds, cover and cook for a couple of minutes until tender.
Add the cooked gram, green chillies, coriander leaves and salt and continue to cook for a few minutes. Turn off the heat and add stir in the lemon juice.
Serve warm with rice!