Finally I am Back !!! - RCI -Konkan Cuisine

I was supposed to be back with in a week , then a month and now its almost 5 months. Sorry friends.Life has changed a lot, i got a new job. So kind of hectic officially. Personally also i am going have my first little bundle of joy. The baby is due in Jan.

So really not able to spend time on the blog and manage work. Getting hectic these days.
But always kept in mind that RCI -Indian Cuisine for September is my turn.

I am sure most of us would have visited Goa. White beaches , clean water ,palm trees ..who would not like that. Must go vacation spot.

This months RCI would be Konkan cuisine also known Malvani cuisine.Coconut is one of the main ingredient and used in different forms. Grated , grinded or coconut milk forum.You can cook it all forms.

Let us celebrate this state and its wonderful cuisine in the month of September. I will be hosting the Regional Cuisine of India – RCI event for the month of September.

The RCI event is the brainchild of Lakshmi K of veggie cuisine. What a wonderful way to compliment and celebrate the diverse food culture of India! Thanks Lakshmi.

So dear friends, cook up the good Konkan food and please send me your entries to recipesnmore@gmail.com by Sept25th.

Rules:

1. Send me your entry by Sept 25th.

2. A Link to your post

3. Your blog/website address

Looking forward to all the wonderful recipes!See you all soon

My Awards and Potato Bonda ---Thankyou All

Just one month more to go for my 1st year anniversary and few little more post for my 100th post and i got these 2 awards ...It is really something unimaginable .. i have to thank each and every person who have been coming to my blog often and supporting me by commenting your thoughts and encouraging me ...

This all started one day when was searching for a recipe i had come across mythreyee blog. She was the first who inspired me to start my blog. If fact she was very kind to respond to my emails for my initial start up. I had come across Asha ji website and had mailed her also for few advice. She was very supportive and kind to guide me. Thank you both once again...

Award is something that inspires me more to innovate new recipe and post them. You know i have put on so much weight by cooking and trying many new recipe. I keep trying and cooking and experimenting many new recipes at home.

Thank you Mythreyee for passing the Rocking Girl award .

Thank you Seema for passing me Nice matters award. Its about..

"“Nice Matters Award is for those blogger who are nice people; good blog friends and those who inspire good feelings and inspiration. Also for those who are a positive influence on our blogging world.” "

Loads of friends and loads of ideas and tones and tones of knowledge is what i have gained in all these months of blogging.

I am going to pass these awards to TBC - Budding Cook and Sree - Tasty Travel .

Now coming to the recipes ...I am sure everybody would love to eat...

This is the first time i am making them at home. My mom used to make them but never ventured on it alone. So for the first time the outcome was awesome. This has a huge list of ingredients, but it tasted awesome. So here it goes...

Raw Materials Required


Dipping Batter Alone

Bengal-gram dal flour – 2 cups
Rice Flour -1 cup
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Hing a couple of pinches
Salt as per desire

Potato Bonda

Potatoes – 1 lb (pressure cook and peel the skin and mash them well)
Onion -1 -2 cup (diced)
Green chillies -6-7 ( finely chopped)
Haldi powder -1/2 tsp
Mustard Seeds -1 tsp
Urdh Dhal -1/2 tsp
Oil -3 tsp
Hing a couple of pinches
Curry leaves
Lemon Juice 5-6 tsp
More oil for deep frying..


Preparation style..

Mix all the batter ingredients together by adding enough water. The consistency should be semi thick and set them aside. In a kadia add the oil and mustard seeds. Allow it to crack and then add urdh dhal.Then add hing ,onion ,green chilli and fry them until they turn brun. Then add haldi powder and smashed potato and mix them well. Add salt and lemon juice and mix them well.

Take small handful of the potato mix and make small tiny balls and keep them in a tray. On the other side heat the oil for deep frying. Once the oil is hot then take the potato ball and dip it in the batter and see to that the batter is all over the potato ball (entire coating) and very slowly drop it hot oil. Drop 4 potato balls at a time in the hot oil so that you have enough space to turn and flip the balls around so as you get an crunchy and crispy layer on the outside. Once it starts to change color then remove from the oil and place them in a tissue paper to drain out the excess oil.

I served my potato Bonda with coconut chutney.Simple and easy one !!

Coconut Chutney

Raw Materials

Coconut -1 cup
Green chilli -2-3
Salt as per desire

Preparation Style

Grind all the ingredients together by adding enough water. Transfer them to a small bowl and add salt and mix well and serve with potato Bondo.

Thank you all once again ..Enjoy the Bonda !!!!

Indian Fried Bread ---Poori with Potato Curry!!!

Can there be anybody whom we know not liking poori...Never heard about it. I love them and love making them too. You can name it as the Indian version of Fried Bread. Quite similar to chapatti that we make but we have to deep fry the poori. My husband loves poori's and made them as a Valentine's Day Special for him!!!!!

One tip, I am sure may of you must be knowing. Once you prepare the dough, we have to make poori with 5-7 mts. Or else the dough would consume loads of oil and I am sure many of them would not like that. So here it goes!!

Raw Materials Required
Chapatti Flour - 2Cups

Oil for deep frying

Salt as per taste .

Preparation style

Mix the flour and salt by adding little water. See to that the dough is firm and not soft as we make the chapatti dough. Let it rest for 5 mts and then make small portions of them. Roll them as you make chapatti but the size should be small. It looks quite good if you make small poori. Heat the oil for deep frying. Once the oil is ready slide the poori into the oil and fry them on both the sides. Roll them often in the oil and see to that both sides are cooked well. Be very careful when you fry and then remove it from the oil and place them in a tissue paper. The excess oil would be drained and serve them hot with potato curry.

And I think the perfect combination for poori would be Aloo and nothing else. I made a simple potato curry .Wanted to share with you all .Here it goes

Potato Curry

Raw Materials Required

Potato -5-6 nos

Onion -1 chopped

Tomato -3-4

Matar (Green Peas) -1 1/2 cup

Haldi -1 tsp

Red chilli powder -2 tsp

Jeera -1 tsp

Salt as per taste

Oil -2-3 tsp

Coriander leaves few for garnish

Lemon juice -5-6 tsp

Preparation style

I cook this recipe directly in the pressure cooker. Add oil and jeera in the pressure cooker. Allow it to crack and then add onions .Fry them until they are golden brown and then add tomoto. Add the potato and matar also. Add 4-5 cups of water to it and mix them well .Add haldi, chilli powder and pressure cook them .I gave 3-4 whistles and allow them to cool. Once you open the cooker and when the pressure is gone you could see the aloo is well cooked along with tomato and matar. You can smell the aroma quite well and then add salt and coriander leaves to it. Then add the lemon juice and serve it with poori...It taste awesome...

This would be entries to 3 of the events organised by our blog friends

1- Bee and Jai Jugalbandi

2- Sai Monsoonspice

3-DK -Culinarybazzar

Hope you enjoy these dishes and Wish you all a

VERY VERY HAPPY VALENTINE DAY!!!!!

Arusuvai Friendship Chain - Update

Friends I am passing on the Arusuvai Friendship Chain to a couple of my friends .

1.Seema My Randap.

2.Mythree Paajaka.

3.Richa As Dear As Salt.

4-Sree -Tasty Travel (updated on Feb-15)

I have email a couple of more friends and should be getting their reply soon and then will tag them also.

Seema you must have got my secret ingredient today. But Mythree and Richa should be receiving them soon... Enjoy everybody as the Arusuvai Friendship Chain continues

Masala Vada -Game Night Party!!!!

I think there would be very few people who would not love to have hot hot vada's when watching TV.Especially when we have cricket matches going on , vada's are most common .I made few of them last week .Quite simple recipe ..Here it goes ....

Raw Materials Required

Channa Dhal -1 cup
Tuvar Dhal -1/2 cup
Urdh Dhal -1/4 cup
Red Chilli -3-4
Green Chilli -2-3
Coriander leaves
Hing a couple of pinches
Salt as per desired

Preaparation Style

Soak all the dhals, red chilli , green chilli in water for 2-3 hours.Drain them and set aside so that water would complete drain out. Grind coarsely the soaked ingredients and also add the coriander leaves by adding very very little water. Once done transfer them into a small bowl ,add hing and salt and mix them well. Make small lemon-sized balls and pat it lightly on your palm (mine never came to a perfect shape)and slide into hot oil and deep fry until golden brown. Serve them hot ..Enjoy the vada and also the game .

This would be my entry for the event organised by Mansi - Game Night Event .

Pineapple Pulissery -Kerala Cuisine

I hardly used to make Pulissery at home .Pulissery would always be my last option. Once i saw our friend's TBC-Pineapple Pulissery, I decided to make my version .It came out to be awesome one.Thanks to you TBC.

Back home mom used to always make Pulissery with "white pumpkin or bengarul katrithika" ..Once i saw pineapple this was something new to me .My mom's recipe is little bit different from tbc , but almost all in ingredients are the same ..So here it goes ...

Raw Materials Required
Curd -2 Cups
Rice -2 tsp
Kadla Parup -1 tsp (Channa Dhal)
Coconut -1 cup
Green Chilli- 4-5
Haldi - 1/2 tsp
Jeera -1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Methi Seeds -1/2 tsp
Red Chilli -2-3
Oil -3 tsp
Salt

Preparation Style
Beat the curd and add pineapple to it and set aside . Soak the rice and dhal for an hour before cooking. Grind the coconut ,green chilli and jeera together. Along with this paste grind the rice and dhal together and make a thick paste. Add little water while grinding and not too much.The paste must be semi thick . Mix the paste with the curd and add haldi to it.Keep the Pulissery in low flame and allow it to come to a boil.Add salt and let the flame be on low.On the other side take a small kadai add oil and mustard seeds .Allow it to crack and then add methi seeds and red chilli.Pour them on the Pulissery and mix them well and serve it hot with rice.

This would be my entry for Jyothsna's Event of Currybazaar who is hosting RCI: Cuisine of Kerala.

Guessing Game Contd........

This is Methi leaves ( Fenugreek) .There are 2 dishes coming our of this ingredient.Can you name them ....Results will be out on Monday morning ..Keep guessing !!!!!

My First MEME and Papadi Chat

I feel so happy that 2 of our friends Tee and Archana have tagged me for this MEME .I feel so happy to be a part of the food blod friends community .So my MEME goes like this ..

1-It was in search of few recipes in the internet that made me inspire to create this blog .I was exploring Indus Ladies website, where in the recipe section I found our very own Mythre’s Blog Mythreyee-Try This Recipe .That was the first instance I thought, why not I also share with the world some of my recipes .I always had an desire to cook something new and different .Thanks to mythree for helping me out initially and giving me few basic guidelines. It was after marriage I entered into full fledged cooking note. Before in India I used to prepare food but only during weekends .It would not be a daily routine for me as my dearest mom would take care of the Kitchen .But I had to do it here .My husband is the first hand critic as well as inspiration to cook more and different recipe. After watching Food Network channel and food blog’s I developed so much passion in cooking and trying out different recipes.

2-I am very soft and sensitive female and a perfect Sagittarius person. My best friend is my mom and I have been missing her badly since I got married .I wish she could always be beside me throughout my life. Thanks to the world of technology which helps me in talking to her over phone and through Internet everyday. It has been close to 2 years now that I have seen her .Just waiting for the time when I could see her again and just hug her. My dad has always stood beside me during all my hardships and has encouraged me to always think positive and achieve in life .My brother is a cute brother .We fight a lot over the phone , but the next minute we are friends again .I miss my family a lot .

3-I got married in 2005 with a very sweet and cute husband of mine .Vishy is very quite and calm unlike me who always want to talk and talk. Half the time goes in me talking and the result he has to listen to it. He wants me to be both a career oriented women as well as a good home maker. I think I am satisfying the second part and not the first. The first is not in practice because of the immigration concerns. But both of us believe that one day our dreams come true. My in laws are very soft spoken .In fact my mother in law sometimes provides me with some different recipes to try out .She notes it down from the Tamil books and send me a mail. Nice of her.

4-I love shopping .If you call me for shopping in the mid of the night, yes deepa is ready. I just want to go to shops and do some window shopping .But I always come back buying something or the other .I have a huge craze for bangles and a huge craze of dress. You would not believe guys for my wedding reception I wore 96 bangles on each of hand .Does it sound crazy……I bought all my bangles at Jill Mill in Chennai .Oh I still remember my self and my cousin spent close to 5-6 hours in selecting all the bangles. I bought close to 25 dozens that day alone for all my wedding sarees. It was crazy and just a crazy buy. But the sad part is I could only bring only a couple of dozen to US. But waiting for the time to get all my bangles here.

5-I love eating .Specially eating outside ….If anybody knows Sree Mitai in Chennai .I am sure all of you must have been there ….Oh I really love eating there .I miss Sri Krishana Sweets , Gangotri , Food Court ,Punjabhi Dhaba …These where my favorite places , where I used to eat .Missing them

6-My childhood was spent in Mumbai and Lucknow .After living in Lucknow for 7 years I love winter climate and hated the heat of Chennai .I came to Chennai for my college .i just hated Chennai for the extreme heat wave and traffic. Else Chennai is great.I love winter and the extreme of winter too..But cannot tolerate the heat and the sunlight.

7-I am very closely attached to my family and my uncle and aunts. I miss my grandfather a lot who passed away just 2 days after my engagement. He used to call me “baby” and even today it rings me into my ears.

There are lots more about my self .Will surely keep posting about my self some more later.I am going to tag Hema , Seema, Sukanya .Play along only if you wish to .No compulsion at all

Now coming to recipe part.Papadi chat is the inspiration from my friend Seema.We had potluck at out place and she prepared papadi chat as a appetizer.Oh i really was in love with this one .So simple and easy and very tasty .i decided to make on my own and share it with all of you .So here it goes .

Raw Material Required

Papadi - 1/2 pkt (Store Bought)
Thin Sev -1/2 pkt (Store Bought)
Aloo -3 or 4 (cooked and smashed well)
Tamarind Chutney - 1 bottle (we shall be using only few tsp -Store bought)
Coriander Chutney -1 bottle (we shall be using only few tsp -Store bought)
Coriander for garnish
Red Onion - 1 (Cut into small pieces)
Chat Masala -1 tsp
Gram Masala -1 tsp
Salt as per taste

Preparation Style

Mix the aloo ,chat masala , gram masala and salt in a small bowl .Then place the papadi in the plate.The take small quantity of aloo and place it on the papadi .Pour 1/2 tsp of tamarind chutney on top .Then pour 1/2 tsp of coriander chutney on top .Place some onion pieces and spread the store bought sev on them .Ganish it with coriander leaves and serve it .It taste great.

Game Over ----------Yelai Vadam

After preparing Javarsi vadam , my next venture was making Yelai Vadam .I love Yelai Vadam .I remember those days when my grandpa and mom used to sit down and prepare this vadam every summer .I am a great fan of it .But i was feeling bad that i cannot make this vadam without the vadam stand which we get it in India .Then i came across our own friend Hema's Vegconcoctions preparation of Yelai Vadam .On that day i was really so much thankful to hema for she taking efforts to explain each and every step of preparing this vadam with out the stand .Thanks a lot hema .Here is my version of it .

Raw Materials Required

2 Cups - Rice

Salt as per taste

2 tsp of sesame seeds (white color)

Hing few pinches

Preparation Style

Soak the rice over night and grind it next morning .Make the same batter as we make for the dosai .Infact we should add some more water to it in order to make the batter light .Then add salt , sesame seeds and hing to it .Just over the batter with the plate and allow the it to ferment for a couple of days .Once you start getting the smell out of it then it is an indication that we can prepare the vadam .












Take same size plates .Apply little oil in the plates so that the vadam can be easily removed after steaming .Then take a small spoon of batter and pour it in the plate .Try to make a the same shape as dosai.Initially it would be little difficult , but after a couple of them the circle comes out very easily .On the other side , place the kadia in the gas with little water in it .This is required for steaming .Then place the plate in the kadai and allow it to steam for 2mts.Each plate requires to steam for 2-3 mts .Then remove the plate from the kadia and then try to take the vadam out of it .Then vadam comes out very easily.Place the vadam in a plastic sheet and allow it to dry in the sun .Now again apply oil in the plate and pour the batter and make small circles .Repeat this process until you complete the batter.Then after the vadam dries , it becomes hard.We need to keep the vadam in the hot sun for a couple of days. After that we fry those vadams in oil .Yelai Vadam ready .It taste great .Enjoy

This would be my entry for the MBP-EVENT--PRESERVE IT hosted by Coffee-The Spice Cafe

Punjabhi Treat- First 3 in a row

I was living in Lucknow for more than 8 years .During these years i have visited many places in north India .From Jammu to Shimla ..almost every place.I still remember those days we had a road trip from Lucknow to Shimal ...on the way we visited Chandigarh , Delhi , Ludhiana ..Wow!!those places are amazing .,..and most fun part was eating at the road side dhaba ..Really hot and tasty food .You can really watch how the cook prepares the naan and tandoori roti ..Mouthwatering .. I really love those days ..Missing India for all that ...I was very happy to see Richa's event As Dear As Salt-Punjab Cuisine for this month .So loads will be from my side ....Today only i could get 3 of them ..but still more in the kitchen ...So here we go ...


Pulka Chapati ..

Raw Materials Required

Wheat Flour -2 Cups
Salt as per taste

Oil -2-3 tsp

Preparation Style

Take a small bowl , add the flour and salt and mix it well .Make a soft dough by adding little water to it .Knead the dough until it is soft and a bit elastic .See to that you are able to pull the dough out and make small balls.Before pulling the dough out , you can set it aside for sometime ..say about an hour.

This time i used the bread man machine for kneading the dough and came out to the great .It really a time saving device .Very happy to own it ...

Later on take small balls of the dough and roll them over and make a small circle .Place them in the tava and allow them to cook on both side .When they start to lift them take it out from the tava and place them on the gas directly and allow it to pop up ...

Once they are fully popped then remove from the gas. Simple Pulka sabji is ready ...

Aloo Sabji

Raw Materials Required

Aloo - 5-6 (peel the skin )
Onion -1 cup
Tomato -2 (cut them into pieces)
Red Chilli powder -2 tsp
Haldi powder -1/2 tsp
Jeera -1 tsp
Garlic -2 cloves
Green Chilli -3
Salt as per taste
Cilantro
Preparation Style

I cook this dish directly in pressure cooker....In the cooker pour little oil and add jeera to it .Let it crack then add garlic,green chilli,onion and saute them .Then add tomatoes and the masala's too it .Saute them for 2-3 mts and add aloo .Pour some water such that the aloo submerges to it .Close the cooker and allow about 3-4 whistles.Let the cooker simmer and transfer the dish in a bowl and smash the cook .It would get easily smashed .Then garnish it with cilantro... One can also add few drops of lime ...The taste would be excellent ....

Rajma Masala

Raw Material Required

Rajma -1/2 lb
Onion-1 (cut into small pieces)
Tomato -3 nos
Rajma masala -2tsp
Coriender for garnish
garlic -2-3 cloves
ginger -little
Jeera -1 tsp
Salt
Lemon few drops
Oil 3-4tsp

Preparation Style

Soak the rajma previous night in water .The next day wash it well with cold water and pressure cook the rajma.Grind half onion , 2 tomato and half the quantity of garlic and ginger together and keep it aside the paste .In a kadia add few drops of oil .Then add jeera and allow it to crack .Add the balance of onion , ginger and garlic to it and saute them .When they become golden brown then add the balance tomato and saute them .When it starts to leave water then add the paste to it .Allow the onion to loose color and leave the oil back .Now add the rajma masala and saute them for some time .Then add rajma and mix it together .Do not let the rajma water to waste .Preserve them to add in the kadai and keep it loose.After the masala comes to boil add cilantro and lemon drops .It would taste great .

This would be my entry for the Regional Cuisine created by Laksmi and this month's host by Richa As Dear As Salt-Punjab Cuisine .
Chk out in a couple of days with Gajar halwa, Methi Matar malia and Cauliflower Manchurian ..all on it way .......

AFAM Round Up-Mango

First of all I would really thank all of you for taking part for the AFAM -Mango created by Maheswari -Publish today.Just a one month old blogging girl i feel so happy to host this event .Thank You all for the support you and encouragement...I really enjoy cooking these days more than before and i hope that all of you are having a blast at cooking .

Entries have been pouring from Mango Cheesecake to Sevai .From desserts to snack items.Few bloggers have exhibited more than a single entry .Wow!!!Fabulous entries .In total we have close to 30 entries.I have tried to arrange of the entries in alphabetical order.So here it goes...

Asha Foodies Hope-Mango Cobbler

Aarti Aartiscorner -Takku-Kairi Panha

Asha George
Kerala Curry –Mango Treat

Arundhati R
Chef At Work –Mango Sasam

Archana
Luv2eat Hate2cook- Mango Salsa

Bhagyashree
Crazy Curry –Kairi Panha

Bee and Jai
Jugalbandi.Info-The Taste Of Yellow

Coffee (3 Entries)
The Spice Café – Mango Madness

Deepz
Letz Cook-Mango Panna

Mandira
Ahaar-Spring Chocolate Sundae

Madhuli
Food Court – Kairee Panha

Pooja V
Khanapina -Rainbow Color

Ramya R
Maneadige –Mango Something

Roopa
Recipe Of Choice-Mango Cookies

Supriya
Spice Corner -Mango Chutney

Sandeepa
Bong Cook Book –Mango Pudding

Sigma
Live To Eat -Kumquat & Mango Mojito

Sushma
Sunkiran –Mango Cheese Cake

Sukanya
Hot and Sweet Bowl –Mango Delight

Sharmi (2 entries)
Neivedyam –Mango Curry and Kulfi

Swapna (2 entries)
Swad Of India –King of Fruits

Sridevi
Sreelus –Mango Cheese cake

Swapna
Susarlas Kitchen –Mango Banana Smoothie

Suganya
Tasty Palettes –Mango Kulfi

Shn
Kitchenmishmash –Mango Sorbet with Mango Sauce

Vinyas
Mad Tea Party-The King Of Fruits

Viji
VCuisine-Mango Coconut Burfi

Vini
Passion For Food –Kottimeera mamidi pachchadi menthi

Trupti
The Spices Who Loved Me –Ginger Garlic Mango Pickle

Last But not the least .my entry

One more last entry for this event from Priya's
Akshayapaatram -Mango Ice Cream

Thankyou all for these excellent entries