Baby Corn Masala

Ingredients:

Baby Corn	12-15 Nos.
Onion	1 No.
Tomato	2-3 Nos. (Depends on size)
Garlic	2 cloves
Ginger	1 small piece
Fennel seeds	½ tsp
Cashew nuts	5
Red Chilli powder	1 tsp
Coriander powder	1 tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4 tsp
Milk	¼ cup
Water	As needed
Kasoori Methi	1 tsp
Garam masala powder	1/t tsp (optional)
Oil	As needed
To Season:
Jeera	1 tsp
Asafoetida	A pinch

Procedure:

Cut the Babycorn into medium size and cook it in a vesssel.

Fry the fennel seeds, sliced onions and cashew nuts in oil by adding one by one.

When the onions become transparent (3-4) minutes, add the chopped tomatoes and cook for a while, till soft.

Once this mixture is cooled, grind it to a fine paste along with chilli powder and turmeric.

Heat the oil in a pan and add jeera and asafatoedia and allow it to splutter.

Add the ground paste and fry it for a while in medium/slow flame for 4-5 minutes.

Once the raw smell goes, add the cooked babycorn and little water.

Pour the milk, may be some more water if the mixture is thick.

Add the crushed kasoori methi and garam masala powder.

Allow this to boil and switch off at the required consistency.

Babycorn masala is ready to serve with chapathi/roti.

Variations:

You can add other vegetables like Capscium, paneer to this gravy.

Senai kizhangu(Edo) puttu

Whenever I buy this vegetable, I do the usual fry where we have to pressure cook them and simply shallow fry with salt and chilli powder. I got this recipe from my cousin sister. Wen she told abt this, I was very reluctant to do this, as this vegetable tends to be very mushy and sticky after cooked. I didn't know how it will come out. But this time I just wanted to give it a try. It turned out very well and taste is very unique.

Ingredients:

Senai kizhangu - 3-4 nos

Onion- 1 big finely chopped

Green chillies - 4 (use less if u want to make less spicier)

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Salt

Oil - 2 tbsp



Procedure:

1. Pressure cook the senai kizhangu for 3-4 whistles. Cool down and mash them well with salt.

2. Heat oil in a heavy bottomed pan (use heavy bottomed to avoid burning) and add the chopped onions and green chillies and saute well. Add turmeric powder and little salt and keep stirring till the onions turn brown.

3. Now add the mashed kizhangu and keep on medium low flame. Keep stirring. Initially the kizhangu will be sticky and won't blend well. But keep cooking for around 15 mins, stirring frequently. It will be mixed well and will turn crispy and brown.

4. Once it has browned evenly and has reached the consistency of puttu (should be separate), turn off the stove

5. Tasty Senai kiZhangu(Edo) puttu is ready. This will go well with sambhar, puli kuzhambu and curd rice.

Enjoy!!

Brinjal and rajma curry

Ingredients:

Brinjal - 4-5 small ones

Cooked kidney beans - 1 cup

Finely chopped onions - 1/2 cup

Chopped tomatoes - 1/2 cup

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Salt

Mustard - 1 tsp

Urid dhal - t tsp

Curry leaves

Oil

Coriander leaves - To garnish

Procedure:

Pour oil in the pan. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter, followed by urid dhal.

Add curry leaves and chopped onions.

Fry the onions, add ginger garlic paste and fry for a while.

Add the chopped tomatoes, all the masala powders and fry for a while till the raw smell goes away.

Add the chopped brinjals and mix it well. Keep it closed with a lid to allow the brinjal to get cooked. Add little water if required.

The cooked rajma can be added once the brinjal is almost done.

Cook till its done and garnish with coriander leaves.

This can be served as side dish for chapathi or rice.

Milagu Idly

Milagu idly is a slightly different version of Kanchipuram idli. My Mother-in-law used to make this often on sundays. This is usually made in glasses so also called as glass/tumbler idly.

Ingredients

Idly batter - 2 cups

Peppercorns - 2 tsp

Jeera - 2tsp

Curry leaves

Asafetdia - a pinch

Oil - 2 tsp

Procedure

Fry all the peppercorns, jeera, asafetida and curry leaves in oil.

Mix this with idly batter.

Pour the mixed idly batter in greased idly plates or in mini glasses.

Steam it in pressure cooker.

Serve the hot idlis with any chutney or milagai podi.

Ragi Roti

I used to prepare this for breakfast often. Usually I make this with only ragi flour, the usual way, but then tried this version with boiled potatoes recently. I find this easier to make and ofcourse more tastier. My daughter definitely loves this one more!

Ingredients:
Ragi flour - 2 cups
Boiled potato - 1
Chopped onions - 1 cup
Green chilly - 2-3nos as required
Curry leaves
Chopped corrainder leaves - 1/4 cup
Salt as required.

Mash the boiled potatoes nicely. Mix all the ingredients together. Add water and make a smooth dough. Make equal sized balls. Keep a wet clean cloth on a flat surface (I use the backside of a flat plate which makes it easier for me) .Place this ball on it and press it with hand to make round shaped rotis (not very thin or too thick). Remove the roti and place it on hot pan. Add oil and cook it nicely both the sides.
You can serve it with coconut chutney or tomato sauce. It tastes good even without anything (as I did). You can sprinkle some cheese on top to make it appealing for kids :-)

Homemade paneer pizza

My daughter loves pizza and demands it often these days. I'm just not happy to give her the ready ones. So I wanted to try make pizza at home. I took this receipe orginally from Rak's kitchen and made slight modifications to that. My daughter likes paneer and so added paneer as the main topping. It turned out good. Here goes the receipe.
Ingredients:
Pizza sauce:
Tomato pulp or finely chopped tomatoes - 1 cup
cut onions -1/4 cup
garlic cloves -2
corrainder leaves
chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt

Method
Add little onion in the pan and fry garlic for few minutes, add onion let it get cooked till soft.
Add the tomato pulp, chilli powder, salt and let it reduce to half. Switch off the stove.

Add corrainder leaves and once the mixture gets cooled, grind it to a fine paste.

Topping:
Onion 1/2
Tomato 1/2,Chopped, De-seeded.
Capsicum 1/2,chopped
Paneer As needed
Mozzarella cheese - For topping

Pizza base:

All purpose flour - 1& 1/2 cups

Active dry yeast - 3/4 tblsp

Milk -1/4 cup

Water -1/4 cup

Sugar - 1 tsp

Salt - 3/4 tsp

cooking oil -1/8 cup

Method:

Mix active yeast in warm water and leave it for 10 minutes.
In a broad vessel add flour, sugar, salt and oil and mix it well.

Add the milk and yeast mixture in this to make a smooth dough.

Cover this with a damp cloth and leave it in a warm place for an hour or so.

The dough will raise to double its size.

Press the dough and roll it to desired size. You can make two small size pizzas or a medium one.
Now apply the pizza sauce prepared and arrange the toppings.

Cover it with grated cheese as desired.

Preheat the oven for 210 degree celsius and bake it for 10-12 mins (till the cheese turns golden brown) .

Kids Special - Colorful Mini Chapati

I was just thinking of a fun way to have food for kids. But I was only planning for chapati for dinner. Then got an idea and made it colorful and in different shapes too. This is a healthy than the regular chapatis and inviting too. My kid always refuses to take any side-dish and eats the chapati alone. For the colorful chapatis, I didn't have to worry abt making him have side dish as this had all vegetables in itself. After dinner I was proud of giving a nutrious meal. To make it more appealing I made different shapes using cookie cutter and my kid was the first to come to the dining table today.

Ingredients:

Chapati flour - 3 cups (have each 1 cup separately)

Boiled and ground carrot puree - 1 cup
Boiled and ground peas puree - 1 cup
Boiled and ground beetroot puree - 1 cup
Salt
Oil
Water - if needed

Procedure:

1. Take 1 cup of flour and add salt as required and mix well. To this add the carrot puree little by little as needed and knead well to a soft dough. This is for orange chapatis

2. Take 1 cup of flour and add salt as required and mix well. To this add the peas puree little by little as needed and knead well to a soft dough. This is for green (slight) chapatis. For more green options try out spinach/ cilantro/mint leaves.

3. Take 1 cup of flour and add salt as required and mix well. To this add the beetroot puree little by little as needed and knead well to a soft dough. This is for red chapatis

4. Make balls of the dough and roll them as we do for regular chapatis. Then take cookie cutter and cut the rolled dough to make different shaped mini versions of colorful chapatis. You can also use any utensils cap/cups with sharp ends to get the shapes.

5. Heat tawa and place them in a batch. Add oil and flip over as we make regular chapatis.

6. Serve them hot. Healthy Colorful chapatis are ready for kids
 

Schezwan vegetable noodles

I am always a fan of schezwan foods. And when I came across the recipe, I was quite excited to try this. Bcos I never thought we can get the taste of Schezwan Vegetable noodles at home. It turned out fabulous and my hubby's comments were spectacular too. You can try the same ingredients with rice for Schezwan Fried rice too.

Ingredients:

Cooked noodles - 2 cups (cook noodles as per the instructions)
Mix vegetables (carrot, peas, beans, cabbage, peppers) - cut them as long thin slices
Spring onions - 1/2 cup
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsp

Schezwan Sauce
Red chilies - 5 (soak for 2 hrs)
Garlic cloves - 4
Soy sauce - 2 tsp
Vinegar - 1 tsp



Procedure:

1. Wash the cooked noodles and make sure they are separate. mix oil if needed

2. Grind the ingredients under sauce to a paste

3. Heat oil in a pan and add mix veggies and fry them well. Once they r half cooked add the sauce, salt and blackpepper(if needed).

4. Mix well then add the noodles and saute well.

5. Finally add spring onions and leave some for garnishing while serving

6. Enjoy ur schezwan noodles