Nalapagam

Aloo palak

2009-12-03T19:29:00.001-05:00

This is a potato spinach dry curry which goes well with rotis or rice.

Ingredients:

Potato diced and boiled-2
Onion finely chopped-1
Spinach- 1 cup
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder-1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
Kasoori methi (dry fenugreek leaves)- 1 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste-1 teaspoon
Chilli powder-1 teaspoon
Method:
1. In a pan, add 1 teaspoon oil and add cumin seeds.
2. Add onion and saute with ginger garlic paste, coriander powder, cumin powder and kasoori methi.
3. Add the boiled cubed potatoes and salt.
4. Cook for 5 minutes and then add chopped spinach
5. Cook for another 5 minutes till spinach wilts.

The flavor for this dish comes from the onions sauteed with masala powder.

It is Navarathri time!

2009-09-24T10:48:00.001-04:00

Navarathri, also celebrated as Dusshera, is a festival celebrated in India to honor the Indian Goddess of Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswathi. The festival lasts for ten days and is celebrated with worship and dance. The Dandiya Raas dance and the Navarathri Golu are hallmarks of this festival. The Golu is a display of colorful Indian dolls, stacked neatly on wooden ladder steps.

People visit their friends and relatives' house to view the Golu and they take home neatly wrapped paper packets of 'Sundal'.

Sundal is a mix of steamed/cooked lentils or peanuts seasoned with salt and indian spices. A different variety of sundal is prepared everyday as an offering to God and distributed to friends and family.

Sundal recipe

Ingredients

Soak overnight any of the following lentils:

Chana dal or dry peas or peanuts or dry garbanzo beans or black eyed peas

Mustard seeds, dessicated coconut, curry leaves, a pinch of asafoetida, a pinch of turmeric powder and salt to taste

Method

Cook any of the soaked ingredients. The lentils should not be overcooked and must retain original shape.
Heat pan, add 1 teaspoon oil and add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves.
Add the cooked lentils, turmeric and salt.
Cook for 5 minutes. Add dessicated coconut and mix well.

Your golu sundal is ready. This is a healthy protein rich snack too. Enjoy and let the festivities begin.

Sago khichdi

2009-08-30T21:49:00.001-04:00

This dish came out very well. Thanks to my mother-in-law who introduced me to this dish. I tried it with nylon sago which I got from india this time. It is a must try dish. Let me know what you think.
Ingredients (serves 2)
Nylon sago (javarissi)- 1 cup
Green chillis- 2
Dry coconut powder- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves
Sesame seeds (white)- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1 pinch

Method:
1. Soak the sago in 1 cup water for 3 hours. The sago should not oversoak in water. Water should be just right that the sago absorbs it.
2. Add oil in kadai, add sesame seeds, dry coconut and curry leaves.
3. Add turmeric and soaked sago. Add salt to taste.
4. Cook for 5 minutes. The sago should not be too mushy when cooked.

Improvize the khichdi with vegetables, cashewnuts or peanuts. Enjoy.

Avocado Obsession!

2008-09-26T12:12:00.002-04:00

I have to admit that I love avocados. I didn't quite like the taste when I tried it first. Maybe I wasn’t ready for it. So one day, when I was shopping for my groceries, I found a sweet discount on Avocados and I picked up a few. That’s it; from then on I am hooked. I like to eat an avocado cut in half, with salt and pepper, and scoop it with a spoon. It tastes best that way. I like the Hass Avocado better than the Florida Avocado. I once picked up the Florida Avocado and I regret it to this day. It doesn’t come anywhere close to the Hass in taste. Plus, it had a weird label claiming less fat than the regular avocado. That really freaked me out- a genetically modified avocado J

The Hass avocado contains mono unsaturated fat which is the good fat and again, in right quantities. It helps to improve your digestion and you can eat it without guilt of cholesterol.

So, here’s to the Avocado- the feel good fruit!

7 facts about me- I have been tagged!

2008-09-18T22:04:00.005-04:00

Thanks Bhawna for stopping by and for tagging me. Here are 7 facts about me
Here are the rules for "7 Facts about me"---

(a) List these rules on your blog.

(b) Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog.

(c) Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.

7 facts about me

I am a...

Traveler- I like to explore unknown territories, I like to see new places and meet new people. When I have a million dollars, I would travel around the world and relish the rest of my life with memories from my travels.

Romantic- I believe in love and how it makes the world go around. I see beauty in everything and everyone. I love poetry and art - in all its forms.

Dreamer- I believe in dreams and how powerful your dreams can be.

Believer- I believe in God and his beautiful presence.

A good friend, a wonderful wife and an affectionate daughter.

Wow. I made it. When I started, I had only two facts to list :-)

Anyway, now that I have to tag 7 bloggers...Here it goes

Shyam at http://srefoodblog.blogspot.com/

Veena at http://gob-smacked.blogspot.com/

Apar at http://shakaharisapadu.wordpress.com/

http://saffronhut.blogspot.com/

http://blog.fatfreevegan.com/

I have tagged the above 5 bloggers..My favorite blogs!

Raving reviews

2008-08-19T21:34:00.002-04:00

I have to write about this amazing bakery in Plainsboro NJ. They serve delicious cupcakes and a wide variety of cakes. The bakery is Sugar + Sunshine Bakery located in Market Street, Plainsboro NJ. Their website is http://www.sugarandsunshinebakery.com/. I tried their chocolate cupcake and it was out of this world! The coffee is freshly brewed and the bakery has a great ambiance. The bakery also has Red Velvet and Carrot Cake which tastes delicious.

If you are in Plainsboro, NJ, you must stop by and check out this place. It is really worth it!

Kadai Tofu

2008-08-19T21:21:00.003-04:00

I like to use Tofu (Bean Curd) in my cooking. It is a healthy substitute for Paneer and there is no major taste difference.

I love making Kadai Panner with Tofu as the substitute for Paneer. Here is the recipe for Kadai Paneer.

Ingredients
Coriander seeds (dhania)- 3 teaspoons
Dry red chillies- 2
Garlic- 1 teaspoon finely chopped
Green peppers- 2
Tomatoes- 4
Coriander leaves
Tofu - Extra Firm- diced
Salt
Turmeric- 1 teaspoon
Kasoori Methi ( Dry fenugreek leaves)- 1 teaspoon

Method

Dry roast the coriander seeds and coarsely grind the coriander seeds and dry red chillies.
Add 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan and fry the coarsely ground coriander seeds and dried red chillies.
Add garlic and add finely chopped tomatoes. Add 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder and salt. Cook till the tomatoes become mushy.
In a separate pan, add 2 teaspoons of oil and fry the diced tofu pieces. Remove and set aside.
Fry the chopped green peppers and add the green peppers and tofu to the tomatoes.
Let it cook for 5 more minutes.
Add 1 teaspoon Kasoori Methi and stir.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.

Sweet surprises!

2008-07-22T22:40:00.005-04:00

Two sweet surprises for me! For the past few months I have been craving for halwas. I love halwas, not the red, hard ones, but the ones that melt in your mouth and are chewy. It was a pleasant surprise when one of my colleagues in Hyderabad, India sent two boxes of sweets to our US office- one for me and one for my other colleague. I was thrilled when I saw the words ' Bandar Halwa" marked outside one of the boxes and before my other colleague had a chance to choose, I took that box. I googled Bandar Halwa and it is a traditional sweet from Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, India. The halwa box made my day.

The next surprise- dried mango pieces from Philippines! My colleague took a vacation to Philippines and she brought back some gifts. She gave me this amazing dried mango pieces and they tasted awesome- sweet and tangy.

Thanks to Ginny and Srinivas- my thoughtful friends for the sweet surprises!

Vegetable Pasta Soup

2008-07-08T21:32:00.003-04:00

When you are in mood for a one dish dinner- the vegetable pasta soup has it all! It has the veggies, the pasta and tastes so good. Enjoy this hearty soup with warm garlic bread.

Ingredients
Whole wheat spaghetti or long pasta- just enough to add to the soup
Carrots- finely chopped
Celery- finely chopped
Any other vegetable
Grated parmesan - half a teaspoon
Ground pepper
Basil
Tomato juice
Salt

Method:

In a saucepan, add water and add the chopped vegetables and the pasta.
Slow cook the vegetables and the pasta for 10-15 minutes
Add tomato juice, ground pepper, grated parmesan, basil and salt
Cook for 5 more minutes and the soup if ready to serve

Spinach rotis

2008-07-08T21:03:00.005-04:00

A rainy day in New Jersey. I made some warm spinach chapatis and daal. Here is the recipe for healthy spinach rotis. Enjoy with a healthy lentil daal.

Ingredients

Spinach- 1 bunch
Ginger
Whole wheat flour
Cumin powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves
Ajwain seeds
Salt

Method:
In a pan, wilt the spinach and add ginger, cumin powder, coriander powder.
Mix wheat flour with warm water and the spinach mix
Add ajwain seeds and salt
Leave the dough for 15 minutes
Make chapatis and serve with daal.

Thirst Quencher - Lime Soda

2008-06-10T20:32:00.005-04:00

The heat wave in New Jersey sent me looking for thirst quenchers. I finally ended up buying a bottle of Seltzer water and few limes.

I remember myself and my cousins always made Lime soda suring our summer vacation. We would go to the shop pick up some bottles of 'plain soda' a.k.a club soda. We would then go to our backyard and pick limes from the lemon tree. We would then squeeze the limes in tall glasses and add a pinch of salt and sugar and add the sizzling club soda. It is an amazing drink and it is a definite thirst quencher. And the best part- skip the salt and sugar- and you end up with a zero calorie drink.

So here is a picture of Lime soda- the summer thirst quencher!

Health vegetable #3- Spinach

2008-06-10T20:15:00.004-04:00

Spinach is a vegetable that you can eat raw in a salad or just steam it and eat with a little pepper and salt. My favorite spinach recipes are 'Spinach Morkutaan' which is a dish from Tamilnadu in India. The spinach is cooked with dal and spices. I can eat it with dosas, chapathis or rice. I have tried so many dishes using spinach and I eat atleast two bunches a week.

Today my dinner is 'spinach thoran' which is a spinach sauteed with urad dal and onions. It is a simple dish and can be eaten without any accompaniments.

So here is the recipe

Spinach- 1 bunch finely chopped
Urad dal- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- 1 teaspoon
Coconut oil- 1 teaspoon
Dry red chillies- 1 or 2
Onions- 1 finely chopped
Channa dal- 3 teaspoons- microwave for 2 minutes till the dal is semi-cooked

Method

Add 1 teaspoon of coconut oil and add the mustard seeds
When the mustard seeds splutter, add urad dal and saute till urad dal are brown. Then add the red chillies.
Add the onion and saute till brown
Add the spinach, salt and saute on low heat
When the spinach is cooked, add the semi-cooked channa dal and cook till the curry becomes dry.
Serve while hot

Health Vegetable #2 - Celery

2008-06-06T19:09:00.004-04:00

I came across this recipe for a celery thokku in http://vegconcoctions.wordpress.com. I tried it out last week and it tasted awesome! In fact, I even recommended it to my friend and she also loved it. I think it is a beautiful way to include a healthy vegetable like Celery in your diet.

So, with due credits to the Hema and her MIL who thought of this unique and tasty recipe, here it comes - Celery Thokku ( from http://vegconcoctions.wordpress.com)

Celery
Green chillies
Asafoetida - a pinch
Cilantro leaves- chopped
Ginger - 1/2 inch cube
Mustard: 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Gingerly oil (til oil) - 1/4 cup ( this adds the unique taste in the recipe)

Chop up the celery and saute it with cilantro in about 1-2 tbsp of oil for 4-5 minutes. Set aside. Next heat up another tbsp of oil and add chopped chillies, hing and ginger. Let this cook for 5 minutes. Put this and the celery in the blender and grind to a fine paste. Heat up about 6-7 tbsp of the oil. Add mustard seeds and once they splutter, add the paste. Add salt and turmeric and keep cooking till the oil leaves the sides of the pan. This step takes a while. The thokku should have a thick paste like consistency. ( reproduced from veg concoctions)

Health Vegetable #1- Bitter Gourd

2008-05-27T14:35:00.007-04:00

I love to use 'health vegetables' in my cooking and bitter gourd is among my Top 5 health vegetables. Bitter gourd also known as bitter melon or karela or kakarakaya is very good for your health as it contains Vitamins A, B1, B2 and C and also contains ample amounts of calcium, iron and potassium. The vegetable helps to purify our blood, stimulates the liver and enhances digestion.

My mother used to cook it regularly as she strongly believed in its ability to kill worms and purify your blood. Growing up I didn't have any difficulty finding a group of 'Bittergourd-haters' - almost everyone in my family was in it- my cousins, sisters, brothers and even grand moms. My mother always insisted we eat bitter gourd 2 times a months. She cooked it as a curry or as a pitla (with lentils). Somehow, it always tasted bitter!

I picked up a couple of bitter gourds last weekend when I was grocery shopping. I wanted to cook a not so bitter dish and that way I can use bitter gourds more often. I searched the Internet and came up with a version for Stuffed Bitter Gourd.

The dish tasted very good. It was tangy, sweet and retained very little characteristic bitterness from the gourd. Here is the recipe

Bitter gourd
Amchur powder
Chopped Onions
Ginger- garlic paste
Salt
Chopped cilantro leaves
Cumin Seeds
Sugar
Red chilli powder

Method:
1. To prepare bitter gourd for cooking, wash thoroughly, then slit in half lengthwise (not completely as we have to stuff it) and scrape out the seeds.

2. In a saucepan, heat 3 teaspoons of oil, add cumin seeds and when roasted, add onions.

3. Fry the onions in the oil. The onions should be soft and tender and should taste sweet (this is important as it is going to offset the bitterness).

4. Add ginger garlic paste, add salt, red chilli powder and finally add 2 teaspoons of amchur powder.

5. Add cilantro leaves and saute one more time. Allow the mixture to cool down.

6. Carefully stuff the mixture in the bitter gourd. You can use a small string to tie the stuffed bitter gourd so that the filling doesn't come out when frying.

7. Add 5 teaspoons of oil, turn the heat to medium and drop the stuffed bitter gourd. Fry in slow heat, covered and changing the sides every 3 minutes.

8. Serve hot with rotis or rice.

I love this blog!

2008-04-28T17:46:00.002-04:00

I simply love the recipes in this blog.

Blog address: http://fatfreevegan.com/

The recipes are simple, fat free (reduced fat) and above all completely vegan!

Check out the blog!

Chole Batura

2008-04-22T16:27:00.003-04:00

I got this recipe for Chole Batura from Tarla Dalal- Contributed recipes. I have tried it earlier and the batura comes out soft and the taste is awesome! I think it is the potato which we add to the flour. So far, this is the best recipe for Chole Batura.

P.S: The recipe appears under Breakfast recipes in Tarla Dalal. I just can't imagine deep fried baturas for breakfast! Do you dare?

From Tarla Dalal- Contributed Recipe
Chola Batura

Preparation Time : 45 mins.
Cooking Time : 1 hour
Serves / Makes : 4

Ingredients

For the chole
1 cup chick peas (Kabuli chana), soaked overnight
1 tea bag or teaspoon tea leaves, tied in a muslin cloth (optional)
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 onion finely chopped
12 mm. (1/2") piece ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, grated
2 teaspoons chole masala (chana masala )
2 teaspoons chilli powder
2 teaspoons amchur (dry mango powder)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder (haldi)
1 tablespoon coriander (dhania) powder
1 teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera) power
2 tablespoons oil
salt to taste
For the bhature
1/2 cup plain flour (maida)
1/2 cup potato, boiled and grated
11/2 teaspoons oil
salt to taste
oil for deep frying
For serving
1 onion, sliced
4 lemon wedges

Method

For the chole
1. Pressure cook the chick peas with the tea bag for 3 whistles until they are soft . Drain and keep aside. Discard the tea bag.
2. Heat the oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds. When the seeds crackle, add the onion, ginger and garlic and sauté till the onion is golden brown.
3. Add the chole masala, chilli powder, amchur, turmeric powder, coriander powder, cumin seed powder and salt and sauté for another minute.
4. Add the chick peas and 1 cup of water and mix well. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. Keep aside
For the bhature
1. Combine the flour, potato, 1½ teaspoons of oil and salt and knead into a firm dough without using any water.
2. Knead the dough very well till it is smooth
3. Cover with a wet muslin cloth and rest the dough for 10 minutes
4. Divide the dough into 4 equal parts and roll out into circles of 125 mm. (5") diameter.
5. Deep fry in hot oil till the bhaturas puff up and both sides are golden brown.
6. Serve hot with the chole, sliced onion and lemon wedges.

User Comments & Tips

1. While frying the bhature, press the centre lightly with a frying spoon so as to help it to puff up.
2. Chole masala is a blend of spices which is readily available at most grocery stores.

From Tarla Dalal- Tandoori Gobi

2008-02-18T15:51:00.003-05:00

I like Tarla Dalal's recipes. Today, I am going to try this recipe from her website.

TANDOORI GOBI - By Tarla Dalal

Ingredients

2 cups cauliflower florets, parboiled
½ teaspoon cumin seeds (jeera)
1 cup onions, sliced
1 cup capsicum, sliced
salt to taste
1 teaspoon oil

To be mixed into a marinade

½ cup curds, beaten
1 teaspoon Bengal gram flour (besan)
1 teaspoon ginger paste
2 teaspoons garlic paste
1 teaspoon chilli powder
½ teaspoon kasoori methi (dried fenugreek leaves)
salt to taste

For the garnish

1 tablespoon chopped coriander

Method

1. Marinate the cauliflower florets in the prepared marinade for approximately 15 minutes.

2. Heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. When they crackle, add the onions and capsicum and sauté till they are translucent.

3. Add the cauliflower along with the marinade and sauté for 10 to 12 minutes till the cauliflower is cooked.

4. Adjust the salt and serve hot, garnished with the coriander.

Vermont Trip- Ice cream factory

2007-12-31T12:28:00.001-05:00

I visited the Ben & Jerry's ice cream factory in Vermont. They have so many unique flavors. I took a picture of some flavors they have. Check it out !

Milagu Chamba & Kathirikkai Kosthu

2007-12-28T12:22:00.000-05:00

My mother made this recipe whenever someone in the house was down with cold. The rice is made with peppercorns and cumin seeds. The Kathirikkai Kostu or Eggplant Kostu adds a tangy taste to the rice.

Milagu Chamba ( Peppercorn, Cumin Rice)

Method:

Warm two teaspoons of ghee in a pan and add 2 teaspoons of crushed whole peppercorns.
Add two teaspoons of cumin seeds and saute till cumin seeds turn brown
Add salt and boiled rice.
Mix well and serve with Eggplant Kosthu

Kathirikkai Kosthu ( Eggplant Kosthu)

Ingredients

Onion- 1
Small Eggplant - 2
Tomato- 2
Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
Tamarind paste - 2 teaspoons
Salt to taste

To dry roast and grind to powder:
Coriander seeds- 1 teaspoon
Asafoetida powder- 1 teaspoon
Dry red chilli - 1
Urad daal - 1 teaspoon

Method:

Add two teaspoons oil to a pan and add chopped onion and eggplant pieces.
Add turmeric powder and salt
Add finely chopped tomatoes and saute
Add the ground powder ( coriander seeds, asafoetida, urad daal, red chilli) and mix well
Add tamarind paste, water and boil for 5 minutes
Serve with milagu chamba

Vermont Food - South Burlington- Restaurant- Dobra Tea

2007-11-29T14:57:00.000-05:00

I am back from a 3 day trip to South Burlington, Vermont. It was a wonderful trip. Vermont is a beautiful place. I love the farms, the mountains, the rivers and of course, the people are so hospitable.

Church Street in S.Burlington, VT is full of unique experience and unique shops.

Our best experience at Dobra Tea. We tried some amazing specialty tea in Dobra Tea. It is a vegetarian restaurant.

Dobra Tea is a warm and relaxing tea shop. At the entrance, we saw a poster of an teashop in Kerala, India. It reminded me of our "Corner Chaya Kadai". We were escorted to our seats and we got a huge menu book of the teas they serve and it also had the origins and travel diaries.

It was very difficult to choose a tea. There were so many options!

We ordered the following tea sampler. In simple words, it was a green tea, slightly brewed black tea and double brewed black tea and it tasted so wonderful. The tea was served in beautiful tea sets.

http://www.dobratea.com/index.php?toc=ourteamenu

THE MYSTERY OF THE THREE TREASURE TROVES

Three aromas, three tastes and three colors from a single tea bush in the Chinese province of Yunnan! Three representatives of the world of Chinese tea meet on a single wooden tray at Dobrá Tea:

1. GREEN - LU CHA

A green, or unfermented, tea of the Dian Lu E'Shan variety. Sorted, uniformly rolled leaves of light green color, with the grassy aroma of fresh green tea and a full, lightly astringent taste.

2. BLACK - HONG CHA

A first-class Dian Hong black tea. Fine, uniformly rolled leaves of a brownish-red color, excellent characteristic tea aroma, with a full and slightly tannic taste.

3. PU-ER - HEI CHA

A double-fermented, Pu-er tea from the South China province of Yunnan. Long, rolled, dark brown leaves with a gray gloss on the surface. This tea is well-known for its health benefits and carries the distinct earthy aroma of ancient Buddhist monasteries.

We serve these three teas in the same tea sets used by professional tea tasters throughout the world.

We also had some wonderful accompaniments to the tea. I don't remember the name of the dish we ate, but I remember the taste. It was delicious. I think we ate Mezza Red Pepper Dip Fresh Red Pepper, Pomegranate Molasses, Walnuts, Red Pepper Flakes and Olive. We had pita bread with the dip and we also had Dolma, which is a Turkish Dish.

Wikipedia definition: Dolma is a family of stuffed vegetable dishes in Turkish cuisine and the cuisines of the former Ottoman Empire and surrounding regions, including, Albania, Azerbaijan, Armenia, the Middle East, the Balkans, Greece, and Central Asia. Perhaps the best-known is the grape-leaf dolma, which is more precisely called yaprak dolma or sarma. Common vegetables to stuff include zucchini, eggplant, tomato and pepper. The stuffing may include meat or not. Meat dolma are generally served warm, often with sauce; meatless ones are generally served cold. Both can be eaten along with yoghurt.

If you planning a trip to Vermont, I recommend that you stop by at Dobra Tea at 80 Church Street, Burlington, VT.

It is an amazing tea shop, warm, inviting and has some good food.

Rating: 4.0 / 5.0

Vegetable Fried Rice

2007-11-28T16:56:00.001-05:00

This is an instant vegetable fried rice. I did not use any garam masala or other flavoring. the rice gets its flavor from the different vegetables. It is a healthy, easy-to-make recipe and tastes good too!

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice - Cooked
Mixed vegetables - Beans, Cabbage, Bell peppers, Carrots, Onions
Ghee- 3 teaspoons
Salt & Pepper- "Swad" anusaar
Cumin powder- 1 teaspoon

Method

Add ghee to pan and add the mixed vegetables and saute
Add salt, pepper and cumin powder
Saute the vegetable till soft
Add cooked rice, mix well with vegetables.
Serve with raita or yogurt.

Tomato Pulav

2007-10-19T11:30:00.000-04:00

I got this recipe from a cook. He worked at my Uncle's house and he made some yummy dishes. I love the tangy flavor the tomato adds to the pulav.

Ingredients

Basmathi rice- 1 cup
Tomatoes- 3 nos
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Cinnamon- 1 stick
Bay leaf -1
Cloves- few
Onion- 1
Turmeric powder- 1 pinch
Coriander- cumin powder- 1 teaspoon
Ginger garlic paste- 1 teaspoon
Coriander leaves
Salt

Method:

I make this rice in a pressure cooker. That way it retains the flavor and it is done in a few minutes.

Puree the tomatoes
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, bay leaves and cloves. You can also add one small cardamom. Saute.
Add the onions and saute till the onions turn pink.
Add the tomato puree, turmeric, coriander-cumin powder and salt.
Add basmati rice, 1 cup water and cook in pressure cooker.
Decorate with coriander leaves and serve with raita.

Palak Softa aka Spinach Cottage Cheese Curry

2007-10-09T13:32:00.000-04:00

Palak Softa- it is the name of my favorite curry which I tried in an Indian restaurant. It is made with spinach and cottage cheese (Paneer) and it tastes awesome.
The dish tastes like Spinach Moorkutaan which is a South Indian curry. This recipe is my version of Palak Softa made with spinach and fat free cottage cheese.

Ingredients

Spinach- 2 bunches
Tomatoes- 2
Coriander powder- 1 teaspoon
Cumin powder- 1 teaspoon
Turmeric powder- 1 teaspoon
Fat free cottage cheese- 6 spoonfuls
Salt

Cooking time: 10 minutes

Method:

Wash and cut the spinach.
Heat 1 teaspoon oil in a pan and add the spinach and saute.
Add tomatoes and curry powders- turmeric, coriander and cumin powder and add salt.
Cook till he spinach and tomatoes become mushy.
Add cottage cheese and stir for a few minutes.
Serve hot with rotis.

Vendaya Kuzhambu or Fenugreek Gravy

2007-10-06T21:23:00.000-04:00

I remember a song which goes- " Vendaya Kuzhamba, vengaya vadai ah..." ( Fenugreek gravy and onion vadai). They make a wonderful combination. Yum!

I love Fenugreek seeds aka methi mainly because of its medicinal properties. My mother would make me drink the fenugreek seeds water (seeds soaked in warm water for 4-5 hours). It is supposed to cool your body and she also used to soak Fenugreek seeds in water and make a paste out of it. It was a natural hair conditioner and it makes your hair look so shiny!

This is one of the best recipes made with fenugreek seeds. It tastes good and goes well with rice.

Ingredients:

Fenugreek seeds aka Methi seeds: few ( 6 or 7 seeds, else the gravy will taste bitter)
Onion- 1 small onion
Urad dal
Channa dal
Tamarind paste
Sambar powder

To roast and powder:
Fenugreek seeds aka methi seeds: 6-7 seeds
Urad daal- 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli- 1-2
Dry roast the above ingredients and powder in mixer

Method:

In a pan, heat 1 teaspoon oil and add urad dal, channa dal, fenugreek seeds and onions and saute till fenugreek seeds turn brown.
Add tamarind paste, water, salt, sambar powder.
Add the powder and stir the gravy.
Turn off the heat when the gravy has reached a thick consistency.

Serve hot with rice.

Bhindi Fry aka Okra Fry

2007-09-17T15:12:00.000-04:00

I always find it tricky to cook Okra. You have to make sure that you cook it well so that you don't end up in a "glue-y" mess!

I make this okra dish and it is a healthier way to cook okra without making it too deep fried and the cooking time is only 15 minutes!

Ingredients

Okra – 20 nos.
Tomatoes- 1
Onions-1
Amchur powder / Dry Mango powder- 1 tablespoon
Turmeric powder- 1 tablespoon
Green chillies- 2-3
Salt according to taste
Coriander leaves- to garnish
Oil- 2 teaspoons

Method

Wash the okra and dry them completely.
Slit the okra into four pieces vertically. The okra should be dry when you cut it else it becomes very slippery.
Add 2 teaspoons oil in a pan and add the okra. Add turmeric powder and amchur powder and sauté. Do not stir the okra frequently as the okra will stick to each other and it will be a mess.
When the okra is soft, remove from pan and keep aside.
Heat some oil in the pan and add onions, green chillis and tomatoes. Saute till the tomatoes become soft.
Now add salt and some water and allow the mixture to boil.
Add the okra and mix well with tomatoes and onions.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with rotis or rice.

Kerala style Kuzha Puttu and Kadala curry

2007-09-17T14:52:00.000-04:00

This is one of my favorite dishes. I got the recipe for this dish from a friend long back. As I use rice flour for making puttu this recipe takes very less time. I usually make it for dinner but it is a standard breakfast item in Kerala. So here is the recipe.

By my standards, this recipe uses a lot of coconut. So, keep out weight watchers :-)

To make puttu (steamed rice flour with coconut)

Ingredients:

· Rice flour: 1 cup.

· Shredded coconut: 1 cup

· Salt : to taste.

· Sugar : 1 teaspoon.

Method:

Dry roast the rice flour till it becomes golden in color. Let it cool. Mix the rice flour with coconut, salt and sugar and sprinkle some water on it so that the mixture is not too dry. The mix should be moist with not too much water.

Use a steamer or puttu maker and steam this mix in a pressure cooker.

Serve the puttu when it is hot.

For the Kadala (Black chick pea) Curry:

Ingredients:

· Black Chick peas / Chana: 1 cup

· Grated coconut : ½ cup

· Onions : 1 nos.

· Whole red chillis : 2

· Cilantro leaves / Coriander leaves : half a bunch

· Curry leaves- 4-5 leaves

· Garlic : 2 cloves

Method:

Soak the chana overnight, boil the soaked chana and reserve.

In a pan, add some oil and sauté the onions, red chillis, curry leaves, coriander leaves, coconut and garlic. Saute till the coconut becomes brown.

Grind the above ingredients to a fine paste.

Saute the mustard seeds, add the sliced onions and add the ground paste.

Add water and salt and allow it to boil.

Add the boiled chana/ black chick peas to the paste.

Serve hot with puttu.

Ammini Kuzhakattai - Steamed Rice balls

2007-09-10T10:48:00.000-04:00

This is my first cooking post. Most of my recipes are hand-me-downs from my mother. My mother is a wonderful cook and she makes lovely Ammini Kuzhakattai or Steamed rice balls. The traditional Ammini kuzhakattai is white. But my mother's version has cilantro and green chillies and it tastes awesome. Here is my recipe for Ammini Kuzhakattai.

Ingredients:

1 cup rice flour
1 cup water
Some cilantro / coriander leaves
3 green chillies
1 tbsp mustard seeds
a few curry leaves
Salt to taste
2 tablespoon oil

Method:

1. Grind together the coriander leaves and green chillies.
2. In a kadai, add 1 cup water, salt and ground coriander paste and bring it to boil
3. Add the rice flour slowly, constantly stirring to avoid any lumps
4. Add 2 tablespoons of oil
5. Remove the kadai once the rice flour had blended well and is thick enough to make small balls.
6. Let the rice flour mixture cool for a few minutes.
7. Make small balls from the mixture
8. Place the small balls in a steamer and steam the balls till soft.
9. Heat the 1 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds and curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Add to the steamed rice balls.

Serve with coconut chutney. Makes a small bowl of kuzhakattai's.

The Story behind Nalapagam

2007-09-06T16:30:00.000-04:00

I come from a family of hoteliers and I have been a natural cook. I enjoy cooking new varieties in food. However, I keep losing my recipes and sometimes, I end up missing a key ingredient in a lovely dish. So, I decided to put together a food blog- a collection of my recipes, my mother's recipes and the recipes from my entire family :-)
Why the name 'Nalapagam' ? King Nala is known for his culinary skills in Indian mythology. He was a wonderful cook. The food he cooked was right in all proportions- the spice and the taste.
This food blog will also be the collection of my finest recipes- with all the right proportions.