Spicy Tomato Chutney

Chutney's are always a hit in every South Indian household where idlis and dosas adn kichdies and upmas are  a normal part of breakfast or dinner...
Most of the time we end up with no idea of what chutney to make. This is a slight variation to the regular tomato chutney.

Ingredients:-

Red onion - cut in cubes - 1 big one
Garlic - 5pods (chopped)
Tomatoes ripe - cut in cubes - 1 cup
Coconut - 1/4 to 1/2 cup
Red chili powder -as per spice required
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Tamarind - 1.5 inch piece
Curry leaves - 10 - 15 leaves
Cilantro - a few
Olive oil or cooking oil - 2 tbsp

For Seasoning:-

Coconut oil - a few drops
Mustard Seeds
Urad dhal
Hing / Asafoetida
Curry leaves a few chopped

Method:-

In a kadai heat the cooking oil and when hot add the curry leaves and cubed onions and fry till it turns pink and soft.
Add the chopped garlic pods in it along with the tamarind.
Add the tomatoes, chili powder, turmeric powder and salt and let it cook till the raw smell goes
Add the coconut and fry it till the oil seperates and once done remove from the stove top and add the chopped cilantro and mix and keep.
When cool grind into a fine paste by adding water only if required.
For seasoning, in a tempering small pan add the coconut oil and when hot add the  mustard seeds, urad dhal, hing and curry leaves and when the spluttering stops add it to the ground chutney and serve with hot dosas and idlis. I also eat it with rotis.

Kothu Parotta

This is a spicy dish my mom used to make, and I would always ask her to make extra for next day and keep. It used to be that good. For the first time I am making it on my own. I tried this today to send it to Srilekha's EFM for the month of March, Parathas and Gravies/Curries Series. After a very long I am participating in an event.
This is very easy to make and it can be made even for a big group.

The below given measurement will yield two kothu parottas for 2-3 people, depending on appetite!
Ingredients:-
Ground Meat - 1/2 lb
Shallots - 3 chopped fine
Green chilies - chopped fine
Red onion - 4 round slices
Tomato - 6 round slices
Egg - 2 nos
Chopped Cilantro
Garam masala
Ginger garlic paste
Chili powder
Salt to taste
Cooking oil
All purpose flour - enough for two parottas (i used 1.5 cups)
Lemon wedges or slices for garnish and for flavor while eating

Method:-
1. Knead the flour with salt and butter with sufficient amount of water and keep it aside
2. In a kadai add 1 tbsp of oil and when hot add a little chopped green chilies and the chopped shallots
3. Fry till done and add the garam masala, ginger garlic paste and chili powder
4. Stir well and once the raw smell goes add the ground meat and salt
5. Cook until done and is completely dry. There is no need to add water, maintain medium heat
6. Divide the knead flour into two equal balls and spread it into a big round roti
7. Place half of the cooked meat in the centre and make a hole in the middle




8. Pour the egg in the hole and make sure it doesn't leak outside






9. Now add a little chopped green chilies,







2 slices of onion and

slices of tomatoes







10.Now fold the roti into a bundle






11. In the meantime heat a deep dish and add 2 tbsp of oil and only when it gets really hot place the bundle roti in the kadai
12. Give it a few seconds to fry and then turn it over, after a few seconds with a flat spoon break it up and keep chopping it up until the egg is fully cooked and the roti is also completely cooked
13. When done add chopped cilantro and mix for a few more seconds.

Serve hot and enjoy!

I am sending this for the Parathas & Curries Event by Srilekha.

Pesaret & An Award

First let me wish all of you a belated Diwali and hope that all of you had a good time too. I am back on the blog after almost a month. Had been a little too busy, first with Diwali prep and the festival itself, then had friends over from Austin(great couple Somu & Pavi) and in between had been taking my son for his swimming classes which turned out to be a failure. He used to love the pool and now scared of it and he would do anything to stay away from it, poor thing. Even on his way bck from school he keeps telling me in the car, "Amma, pool poie venna" (Don't wanna go to the pool).

And it feels great to start again with an award from Vidhas of Appetizing Recipes. She is a wonderful blogger with amazing entries and she has passed me the Inspiration Award.Thanks a lot dear Vidhas for thinking of me. I would now love to pass it on to,
Mansi, Lothika,Deepa,Cham, Harini, JZ, Divya,Priti,Sra,Meeso and Ramya .

Coming back to the recipe for today, this is the first time I am making it. My mom-in-law is a wonderful cook and she makes a lot of south indian dishes which I am yet to learn from her and seriously I am a big fan of her food. The complement my husband gave me was that it tasted almost like hers which made me feel I was on top of the world....
Pesaret - a regular tiffin at my inlaws, is a favorite of mine. My mother-in-law taught me the recipe and it is one of the most easiest dishes that one can cook. Pesaret is nothing but dosa made with moong dhal / paasi paruppu and a very healthy and filling dish too..By using ginger in it, digestion is faster and dhal is full of protien so a healthy dinner or breakfast and my son eats it without making a fuss and now thats a relief...

Ingredients :-
Moong dhal - 2 cups
Idli rice - 3/4 cup
Ginger - 2inch piece
Green chilies - 4 or as per spice required
Curry leaves - a few
Salt to taste


Method:-
1. Soak the dhal and rice together for 2 to 3 hours
2. Grind it fine with all the above ingredients by adding water as required.
3. Make it into a thin batter a little thinner than for dosa.
4. Heat tava and when hot pour a ladle of the flour and make it just like dosa by adding a few drops of gingelly oil over it before turning it.
5. Serve hot with coconut chutney or pickle and curd.

Egg Puff

I love making snacks for weekends as thats when Vivek is also at home to have hot tea and of course even Arya loves puff.
Its an easy to make tiffin and the only thing that one has to buy is the pastry sheets. I also make peas puffs and vegetable puffs and the method for them is also the same as the egg puff, which I have added along with this recipe.
Kids will love it too..

You will need:-
Pastry sheets - 1 no (1 sheet makes 9 puffs)
Red onion - 1 big (chopped fine)
Green chilies - 2 crushed
Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Chili powder - 1/2 tsp (or as spice required)
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Salt to taste
Egg - hard boiled 4 nos cut in two
Raw egg - 1 (just beaten and set aside for egg wash)
Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

Method:-
1. In a kadai pour the oil and when hot add the fennel seeds and once it stops spluttering add the green chilies.






2. Fry it for a few seconds and then add the chopped onions







3. When fully cooked add the garam masala, chili powder, turmeric powder, pepper powder and the ginger garlic paste and mix well.
4. If you wish you can add a less than quarter cup of water to cook the masala.



5. Once the raw smell is gone add salt and let it simmer for a minute or two and then add the boiled eggs.
6. Make sure the egg gets covered in masala fully and then reduce the heat to a little less than medium and let is set for 10 minutes.
7. Thaw the pastry sheets according to package instructions and then spread it on to a flat dry surface that has some flour on it. Roll it with a rolling pin just a little bit and then cut it into desired sizes. Pre-heat the over to 350degrees. I use Pepperridge farms pastry sheets and I cut one sheet into 9 pieces.
8. Now place one piece of egg with a little masala on one side of the cut pastry sheet.






9. Take the egg wash and rub it on the sides and then fold the sheet and make sure the sides stick together, use a fork to press it down.





10. Rub a few drops of egg wash on the top of the sheet, as that will give the puff a nice glaze color.
11. Follow the same procedure for all the other pastry sheets and then place then one by one leaving a little place between them.




12. Place them in the oven for 12-14 minutes, depending on the oven or until golden brown on the top.
13. Serve hot with ketchup or any sauce.





For peas puff :- It is the same ingredients as teh above instead of egg add 1/2 a cup of peas and you can also add more onions if you like.

For veg puff :- Add 1/4 cup of peas, 1/4 cup of finely cut french peans, 1/4 cup of grated/finely chopped carrot.

P.S. - If you do not eat egg then just use water to stick the sides of the pastry sheets and you can use a fork to press down the sides.

Pazham Pori

A favorite snack of mine since my childhood days. A very common snack/ tiffin of Kerala and can be easily got from any vendor during travel by train and mostly in every street corner too. Banana commonly called nendrampazham is a fruit that can be easily got in Kerala and this recipe brings all memories of me pestering my father to get me pazham pori whenever the guy with the basket passed us by..... Well my recipe did come out good and my son is now a big fan of it :)

Require:-

Ripe banana - 1
Maida - 1/4 cup
Rice flour - 1/2 cup
Sugar - as per requirement
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Oil to fry
Salt a pinch

Method:-
Mix the maida, rice flour, sugar, cardamom powder, turmeric powder and a pinch of salt with water to make a batter which has the consistency of bajji batter.
Cut the banana into thick long strips, say 1 banana makes 6 strips.
Heat oil in a frying pan and the oil has to be really hot.
Dip the banana one at a time and place them in the hot oil slowly.
Leave some gap in between them.
Fry them until golden brown and well cooked.
Place them on to napkins to drain the oil and eat it warm.
An easy sweet snack that everyone will fall in love with...

I am sending this to the deep fried event by Paajaka.

Masala Puri - spicy

A favorite chaat dinner of ours. This was introduced to us by our friend Aparna in Austin,TX. She is a very good friend of mine and a lovely person too. Her husband Ravindra and Vivek used to work in the same place. She made it for me when I was pregnant with Arya and I fell in love with it from the very first bite.
The masala is made with onions and the filling is the same as we would use for most other chaats. It is a little time consuming but not difficult to make. I haven't made it for a long time and we decided to have it for dinner the weekend my brother-in-law was here. It was good and it was the first time he had it and he said it was good too.
It is a fun dish to make especially with kids around, as they are sure to love to play with the golgappas and have fun doing the fillings....So here u go and you can enjoy it too.

You need:-

1.Golgappas -- store bought is fine - this amount will serve upto 75.
2.Onions - 4 medium (red or white)
3.Tomatoes - 2 nos
4.Ginger garlic paste - 1 tbsp
5.Green chilies - 3 nos
6. Elaichi - 2 nos
7.Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
8.Cinnamon - 1 inch
9.Cloves - 4 nos
10.Cashewnuts - 10 nos
11.Cilantro - 1 bunch
12. Mint leaves - a few
13.Coconut - half a cup
14.Tamarind - 1 tsp
15.Peas or chick peas - 1 cup
16.Amchur - 1/2 tsp
17.Pani puri masala - 1/4 tsp
18.Salt to taste
18.Cooking oil - 1 tbsp

For the filling:-

Onion - 1 medium chopped fine
Tomatoes - 2 chopped fine
Carrot - 2 grated
Peanuts - boiled (optional)
Lime - 1 cut into wedges


Method:-

1. Cut the 4 onions into medium sized pieces and pour a little water and put it in the cooker for 1 whistle.







2. Once the onions are done put them in a blender and puree them and keep it aside.





3. In a mixie take the ingredients 3 -10 and grind them into a fine paste by adding water if required.








4. In a deep non-stick vessel pour the cooking oil and when hot add the ground onions and after five minutes add the ground paste and keep stirring until the raw smell of the masala goes.







5. Take ingredients 11-14 and grind them to a paste and now add it to the masala.








6. It is okay to add a little water if necessary, but remember that the masala has to be really thick.
7. While it is simmering add two - three pinch of amchur to it and let it simmer until it becomes thick and the aroma arises. Then switch it off and set it aside.







8. In the meantime in a kadai boil the chick peas / peas with water, a little salt, a pinch of amchur and pani puri masala.
9. When fully done add two big spoons of the gravy to it and let it simmer for a while.
10. You can either smash it with a potato smasher or run it in the blender.








11. Now make holes in the golgappas and set it aside.









12. To fill them follow it by first adding the smashed peas or chick peas, onions, tomatoes, carrots and then pour the warm masala generously over it and just squeeze the lime a little for a tangy flavor and eat it warm. If you like to add 2 or 3 peanuts before pouring the masala.
I poured a little masala in the golgappas, but it will better to pour some more! Its ok to get our fingers messy...
Have fun eating it!

Masala Dosa

A south Indian dish that is delicious. It can be made even with guests over. An easy to make, sumptuous dish that is filling too. For dinner tonite i decided to make masala dosa and it has been a while since i've made it. This can be eaten with any chutney. I make it in two ways, the dosa stuffed with the potato masala and the other method is to rub the dosa with a spicy coconut and dhal chutney and then stuff it with the potato masala.

For the dosa batter:-
Whole urad dhal - 1/2 cup
Idli rice - 2 cups
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp (soaked with the dhal)
Soak overnight or for 6-8hrs and grind them separately and mix it together by adding salt and let it ferment and become fluffy.

For the filling:-
Potatoes - 3 medium (boiled and smashed)
Onion - 1 medium sliced thin
Peas - 1/4 cup (boiled)
Green chilies - 4 sliced in two
Ginger - chopped fine
Curry leaves
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Cooking oil - 1tbsp
Ghee - 1 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup

Method:-
In a kadai pour the oil and ghee and let it become hot.
Now add the mustard seeds and once it splutters add the ginger, green chilies and the sliced onions and the curry leaves. Allow the onions to cook completely
Put the turmeric powder and fry it for a few seconds and pour the water and add salt.
Add the smashed potatoes and the peas and mix it well and let it simmer for a while and make sure it is not watery.

For the Dhal chutney:-
Toor dhal - 1 tbsp
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Tamarind - small piece
Red chilies - as per spice required
Asafoetida - 2 pinch
Gingelly oil - 1 tsp

In a kadai pour the oil and when hot add all the above ingredients except for the tamarind. Fry it until the aroma rises. Cool it and grind it with salt and water. It need not be very thick as it has be spread on the dosa.

Make the dosa:-

Heat the tava, spread a spoonful of batter and turn it once and turnit back immediately once it is cooked on both sides.
Spread a tsp of the dhal chutney on one side and place the potato filling in the center.
Fold the dosa and serve it hot with chutney of choice.

P.S. - If u do not want to use the dhal chutney its perfectly fine, all you have to do is just place the potato filling and fold the dosa and serve.

Aloo Parotta

Aloo Parotta is one of Vivek's favorites and i try to make it regularly. It can be made by stuffing the flour with the potato mix or by kneading it with the flour. I prefer the kneading one as the flavor in that is wonderful. I made it for my son's birthday party and everyone loved it. Well it was last november, and my son also loves to eat it.

Ingredients:-
Potatoes - 5 medium boiled and skin removed and smashed well
Onion - 1 large minced
Green chilies - 3 small minced
Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp
Garam masala - 1 1tsp
Chili powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cilantro - minced
Salt to taste
Cooking oil - as per requried
Wheat flour - 4 cups

Method:-
1. In a kadai pour 2tbsp of oil and when hot add the fennel seeds followed by the minced onion.

2.Once well done add the green chilies, ginger garlic paste and the garam masala and mix well and wait till the raw smell goes.

3.Add the chili powder and the turmeric powder and wait for the oil to separate

4. Put the smashed potatoes and salt and mix well. Make sure the salt is spread and the potato gets coated fully in the masala. Let it stay for a while as al the water in the potato has to be gone.
5.Add the cilantro and mix well

6.Let it cool before mixing it with the wheat flour
7.Put very little salt in the flour and mix it and keep , now add the potato masala little by little and add only oil and DO NOT ADD WATER.

8. Make thin rotis and make them like how you normally would and rub butter and serve ti with raita or curd.
9. Serve hot.

I am sending this recipe to Srivalli's Roti Mela...Her blog is http://cooking4allseasons.blogspot.com/ and an awesome one too!