Goat Liver Masala

Everyone in my family will definitely know my husband's favourite Sunday breakfast, "Poori with Goat liver masala". Only after coming here, he couldn't have them regularly. But when he was in India he used to enjoy his Sunday breakfast so much and would never miss them for anything:) Since he absolutely loved them, his mom would get the "Goat Liver" first thing on Sunday mornings and prepare them for breakfast. Since I used to be a vegetarian my mom-in-law used to make special side dish for me:)

Before marriage even my mom always used to insists us to eat the Goat liver. She used to say that it has lots of vitamins and irons and is very good for the health. But in my family everyone used to prefer seafood and so my mom would make them only once in a while. My mom usually makes them as a dry curry, I would post that recipe soon.

This is my mom-in-law's style. Even before my marriage I learnt this recipe from her. Probably this was the first recipe I learnt from her. This masala goes very well with Poori /Roti/Dosa/Idly but we had never tried with rice.

Warning: Poori with this masala is really addictive....if you have it once then you cannot stop thinking about the taste.

Ingredients:

1 lb Goat liver washed and chopped into bite sized pieces
1 medium sized onion sliced
1 tomato chopped
2 green chillies slitted
5 to 6 garlic cloves peeled
2 1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
2 cloves, 1 big piece of cinnamon, 2 cardamom pods, 2 bay leaves
salt to taste

Heat oil in a medium sized pan. When the oil is hot enough add the fennel seeds and whole garam masalas. When the garam masala start to splutter add the onions, garlic and green chillies. Saute till the onions turn transparent. Then add the chopped tomatoes and cook till the oil start leaving the sides. Now add the goat liver, salt, turmeric powder and all the spices and mix. Add 3 cups of water to this masala and close the pan. Let it simmer for 20 to 25 mins or until the goat liver gets cooked completely. Meanwhile grind the coconut into a smooth paste by adding little water. Add this coconut paste to the cooked liver masala and cook for another 10 mins. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve hot.

Spinach Wheat Pinwheel Rolls

I am a big fan of Popeye and so a big fan of Spinach. During pregnancy I used to make spinach twice a week. I could eat spinach in any form. But to make him eat spinach....hmmmmmmmm...
I usually bribe him with chicken whenever I make spinach or else I would sneak some spinach in his favourite snacks like cutlets, pizza, lasagna or pakoda:) This is one such way to make him eat spinach.






Ingredients:
(Yields 6 rolls)


1/2 packet of 7g /14oz rapid rise yeast
3/4 cup Whole wheat flour
1 1/2 cup of all purpose flour
3/4 cup warm water (110F to 120F)
3/4 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp butter


For the filling
2 cups washed and chopped spinach(You can use frozen spinach also)
1/2 tsp red chilli flakes
1 tsp pepper powder
2 garlic minced
salt to taste
1 tsp olive oil
1/4 cup mozzarella cheese


To prepare the filling:

In a pan heat the olive oil, when the oil is hot enough add the minced garlic. Saute the garlic for 2 mins at low flame. Then add the red chilli flakes and saute for a minute. Now add the chopped spinach(squeeze out the water completely), salt and pepper. Cook till all the water from the spinach is absorbed.

To prepare the rolls:

In a large bowl, dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Add the sugar, butter, salt and 1/2 cup of all purpose flour and beat until smooth. Now stir in the remaining all purpose flour and wheat flour to form a soft dough.

Turn this onto a floured surface and knead for about 6 mins to get a smooth, elastic dough. Apply some oil on the surface of the dough. Cover and let it rise in a warm place until doubled for about 30 mins. Punch dough down. Turn this dough into a floured surface and roll into a rectangle(approx. 6-in x 5-in). Now top this with the filling leaving 1/2 inches on each side. Sprinkle the cheese over it. Roll up like jelly-roll style, starting with a long side; pinch the seam side to seal. Then cut this into 6 rolls. Place rolls cut side up on a baking pan. Cover and let rise until doubled for about 15 mins. Bake at 350F for 25 to 30 mins or until golden. Let it cool completely before serving.

Italian Roasted Potatoes

Potato is one vegetable most of us eat without complaining about the taste. If we invite our friends for dinner, we would make at least one potato dish. This is one such dish that is very simple to make for your guests. The aroma of the potatoes and the herbs baking in the oven would really make your guests hungry:)



Ingredients:
(Serves 2 to 3)

1lb small red potatoes.
1tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp Italian seasoning
1/2tsp garlic powder
1tsp pepper
salt to taste

Wash and cut the potatoes into big chunks. Place them in a big bowl and drizzle with the oil. Sprinkle the seasoning, salt, garlic powder and pepper over the potatoes and toast to coat evenly. Transfer the potatoes to a baking pan and bake at 400F for 30 mins. Stir them once and bake again at 350F for another 10 mins or until they turn golden. Serve hot.

Whenever we eat in Olive Garden, I just love the potatoes that they give us a side. This is one such version of mine. So when I saw the "It's A Vegan World: A Food Event" hosted by Vaishali, I didn't even want to think. I just decided this must be the one I should be sending. I am sending this to the "It's A Vegan World: A Food Event".

Poha and Moong dal payasam

I had some left over of thick variety poha, that has been sitting in my pantry for a long time now. When I saw it today I thought I should make something with that and finish it. I was so in a mood for something sweet and I thought I would make poha payasam. But there was not enough to make for 2 people, so I just added some moong dal along with it. It came out real good. Even my husband who normally eats very little payasam liked it.

Ingredients:

(Serves 2)

1/2 cup yellow moong dal

1/2 cup thick variety poha

1 cup grated jaggery

1/2 cup coconut milk

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1 tbsp broken cashew nut

1 tbsp golden raisins

1 tbsp sliced coconut

3 1/2 cups water

1 tsp ghee

Wash and soak poha in water for 15 mins. Meanwhile in a small pan fry the moong dal in 1/2 tsp ghee on medium flame till golden. In a separate pan boil the water. When it comes to a rolling boil add the moong dal and cook. When the moong dal is 3/4 cook, add the poha and cook for another 10 mins on medium flame. Then add the jaggery and coconut milk. Cook till the jaggery is completely dissolved. Now fry the cashew, raisins and coconut slices with the remaining ghee and garnish the payasam. Serve hot.

You can increase the amount of ghee for richness.

Pepper chicken

There is nothing like a good non-veg meal on a Sunday afternoon. Today we had Eggplant sambhar and pepper chicken. This yummy chicken is adopted from my mother-in-law's mutton recipe. She usually make this with mutton. Since I buy mutton only once in a while, I usually make this with chicken. Its very simple and takes less than 10 mins for preparation and 20 mins for cooking.



Ingredients:

1 lb chicken cut into bit size pieces(I used boneless skinless chicken breasts)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp salt(adjust according to your taste)
2 tbsp oil

To grind into a coarse paste:
8 to 10 red pearl onions/sambhar onions(washed and peeled)
2 garlic cloves peeled
1 small green chilli chopped
1 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp fennel seeds
3 cloves
1 inch cinnamon piece

Wash and marinate the chicken with the turmeric powder and salt. Let the chicken sit in the refrigerator for 15 to 20 mins. Meanwhile grind the above ingredients with little water into a coarse paste, don't grind them into a smooth paste as that would change the taste. Take a non-stick pan(or traditional kadai which we use in India) and heat the oil. When the oil is hot enough add the chicken pieces and cook on medium heat for 5 mins. Now add the ground masala and mix it well with the chicken. Close the pan with the lid and let it simmer for 15 to 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked completely. Don't add water to the chicken while cooking. By the time the chicken is ready all the chicken pieces would have been completely coated with the masala. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and serve.



This chicken goes very well with sambhar, rasam, korma, moor kuzhambu or just plain curd rice. Do try this Pepper chicken and let me know your comments.

Cauliflower and Peas pulao

You cannot always make elaborate meals. Sometimes you might be out of veggies or time or ideas. On any such occasion you could make this. A quick fix that would definitely score. Its also a good choice if you want to pack lunch for someone.

Ingredients:

1 cup Basmathi rice

1/2 cup chopped cauliflower florets

1/4 cup frozen peas

4 to 5 garlic cloves

1 inch ginger

2 green chillies

1/4 cup chopped onions

1 tsp salt(according to your taste)

1 tbsp oil

1/2 tsp ghee

1 tsp cumin seeds

little pepper and cumin powder

Wash and soak the rice for 30 mins. Cook the rice with half the salt separately(Use water as per your rice, I use 1 1/2 cups of water). Meanwhile soak the cauliflower florets in hot water for 5 mins. Grind the ginger, garlic and green chillies into a paste. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil is hot enough, add the cumin seeds. Then add the chopped onions. Saute for 2 mins and add the ginger garlic and green chilli paste. Saute for 3 mins. Now add the cauliflower and saute till they are half done. Then add the frozen peas and cook till the veggies are done. Add the remaining salt, ghee and the cooked rice. Mix them carefully with the veggies without breaking the rice. Finally sprinkle some pepper and cumin powder and mix. Serve with any curry or just with plain raitha. A yummy meal with less effort:)

Instead of the ginger, garlic and green chilli paste, you can use stored bought ginger garlic paste and finely chopped green chillies.

Walnut and Raisin Bars

Eating walnuts were always an challenge in India. Breaking them and eating them was a difficult task. I don't know if they sell the nuts alone there without the shells. As we always bought them with the shells, whenever we buy them there would be a war between us and the walnuts. It has an unique taste among all the other nuts. When we were kids we used to even have a competition to see how many one can break and eat:)

After coming here my job was made easy. When I was pregnant with my little one, someone told me that walnuts are a good source of Omega3. So I used to get lots of those chopped walnuts from the stores and eat them regularly:) If there is someone who could tell you all the possible ways to use walnuts I might be the best person. Since I decided to eat them regularly, I used to toast them and sprinkle a lot in my ice cream, cake, sweet puttu, carrot halwa(I had a sweet tooth during by pregnancy)...I used to make banana nut muffins very often(as I was also that eating banana regularly is also good during pregnancy).

So when I saw the event "Announcing Lets Go Nuts: walnuts and pecans " I thought I should definitely send something. So I made these bars. This is a healthy bar with the goodness of the oats, walnuts and raisins. It is a very simple and easy recipe which you can make at any time. It takes very less time to prepare and bake.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Quick cooking oats

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/4 cup golden raisins(you can use any raisins)

1/3 cup Dark brown sugar

3 tbsp honey

2 tbsp canola oil

2 tbsp butter

1/2 tsp cinnamon powder

Preheat the oven to 350F. Meanwhile melt the butter in a pan on the stove. Once the butter is completely melted remove from the heat and quickly stir in the oil and honey. Mix them completely. Add the oats, sugar, walnuts, raisins and the cinnamon powder to this and mix until all the ingredients blend together. It should be a little crumbly but if it is too dry then add few drops of oil to the mixture. Now pour this mixture in a 8x8 inch square baking pan. Press the mixture tightly with the back of the spoon. Now bake them in the preheated oven for 20 mins. Cut them into squares when they are still warm(Don't remove them from the baking pan as they have to cool to hold the shape). Cool them on a wire rack. Munch them whenever you like:)

I am sending this as an entry for the "Announcing Lets Go Nuts: walnuts and pecans " .
Since they also fit into the healthy and easy to gran and go as a snack, I am sending them to the "Sunday snacks - Grab n Go" event hosted by Pallavi.

Bread Omelette - Quick and easy

Well when you are really lazy to cook breakfast or a snack then you could try this. We used to eat this very often in a juice shop near my home. It tastes really yummy....and a better way to substitute whole wheat bread instead of the regular white bread. For kids reduce the amount of chillies. For a quicker version use store bought salsa instead of the chutney.

I have tried to explain the procedure with pics for better understanding. Do try this recipe and let me know your comments:)

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

4 slices of any kind of sandwich bread (I used whole wheat bread)

1/2 onion chopped finely

pinch of turmeric powder

salt and pepper to taste

few drops of extra light olive oil

(you can use butter/ghee/cooking oil instead of olive oil)

Chutney/Spread:

1 1/2 cup washed and chopped coriander leaves

1 inch of ginger

1/4 cup roasted channa dal

2 green chillies(adjust according to your spice level)

salt to taste

Grind the chutney using a blender. Toast all the bread slices slightly on one side until it turns little golden in color. Spread the chutney on the toasted side as shown below.



In a bowl take few drops of water and add the turmeric powder, salt and pepper and mix them completely(this will make the turmeric, salt and pepper to mix with the egg completely). Now break the eggs and add to this. Whisk the egg using a spoon/fork. Add the chopped onions and blend this with the egg mixture. Heat oil in the pan and spread half the mixture to make one omelette.

When the egg is almost done place 2 bread slices on the egg with the chutney side down. Let the egg cook completely.

Now fold the slices carefully with the omelette sandwiched. You can scrape the eggs on the sides of the bread and stuff them in the center. Cook till the bottom slice turns golden.

Then flip the bread omelette so that the other slice gets toasted. When the other slice also gets golden, remove from the pan. Now repeat the same procedure with the remaining egg mixture and the other two slices. Serve hot with ketchup:)

Healthy Wheat Pizza - Eat guilt free

I would have already mentioned that I am always conscious about what I eat. But I never avoid any kind of food. Wherever possible I would try to make an healthier version of the food and enjoy them without guilt. One such food is pizza.

I make a healthier version of it replacing half the quantity of all-purpose-flour with whole wheat flour,using less amount of cheese and adding as much of veggies as possible. We both enjoy this in the evenings after he comes home and have a very light dinner. It is very easy to bake them at home. I have tried to explain the procedure step by step with the pictures, but if you have any questions please feel free to contact me.









Ingredients:
(Serves 4)

For the dough:
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose-flour(you might need extra flour for dusting)
3/4 to 1 cup warm water(not too hot but just about 120F)
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp sugar
2 tbsp and 1 tsp of extra light olive oil
1 packet of quick rising yeast(I use Fleischmann's RapidRise 7g packet)

For the topping:
1/3 cup Pizza sauce(store bought)
1 cup veggies your choice(I used chunks of onion, green pepper, red pepper and pineapple)
1/3 cup part skimmed mozzarella cheese
red chilli flakes and pepper to taste

Combine the salt, sugar, yeast and water in a bowl. Whisk them with a wire whisk or spoon so that the yeast gets completely dissolved. Leave it for 5 mins. Then add the 2 tbsp oil, wheat and all-purpose-flour to this yeast mixture. Knead the flour and when it comes together as a dough transfer the dough to a dusted surface and knead them into a smooth elastic dough. Add flour if it still sticks to your hands. Keep this in a bowl and sprinkle little oil on the dough so that it doesn't get dry. Cover it with a wet cloth and keep it in a warm place for 20 to 30 mins.

The dough will rise as shown below.





Transfer the dough into the working surface dusted with flour. Punch them hard with your hands(dust your hands with little flour). Then roll the dough into a circle with either a rolling pin or just with your hands. You can roll them to any desired thickness..however you like them...as some go for thin crust and some for thick. I make thicker crust as that is what he likes.





Then spread the pizza sauce and sprinkle the pepper and red chilli flakes.




Top them with the veggies.





Sprinkle the cheese above the veggies.




Bake them in a preheated oven at 500F for 8 to 10 mins or until the cheese turns golden. Go ahead, slice and serve them hot.




I am sending this to the "Sandwich event" hosted by Sindhura.

Egg Briyani

Briyani is an all time favourite of my husband. He used to always make fun of me saying that he proposed to me just for my briyani. Before marriage I used to make only the traditional Virudhunagar briyani. But after coming here I learnt to make the layered briyani which is very easy to make for a crowd.

Egg comes very handy in case I don't have sufficient meat or seafood to cook. Egg briyani has an unique flavour and taste. Last week we invited few of our friends for dinner. There were both non vegetarians and few vegetarians who take only eggs. So I made this Egg briyani for them. It was a big hit and finally there was nothing left for us to eat. So immediately my husband asked me if I could make some again this week. So as promised, today I made them just for us:)

Ingredients: >
1 1/2 cups Basmathi rice(washed and soaked for at least 30 mins)
3 Eggs (boiled, peeled and cut into halves)
1 cup onion sliced
1 tomato chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp mint leaves(washed and chopped roughly)
1/4 cup and 1 tbsp coriander leaves(washed and chopped)
2 green chillies (seeds removed and slit)
1/4 cup yogurt
2 tsp briyani masala (any brand, I use Shan)
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/4 tsp red chilli powder(optional for extra hot)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1 1/4 tsp salt(according to your taste)
pinch of food color/saffron threads (if using saffron, soak them in hot water for some time)
3 tbsp oil
1 tbsp ghee
3 bay leafs
3 cinnamon sticks
5 cloves
2 black cardamom pods
2 green cardamom pods
1 tsp fried onions (optional)

Heat the oil and 1/2 tbsp ghee in a pan, when the oil is hot enough add 2 bay leafs, 3 cloves, 1 black cardamom, 2 cinnamon sticks and 1 green cardamom pod. Then add the onions and green chillies. Saute them till the onions turn golden color. Then add the ginger garlic paste and when the raw smell disappears add the 1/4 cup of mint and the coriander leaves and saute. Finally add the tomatoes and cook till all the tomatoes are mashed. Now add the yogurt, 1 tsp of salt, turmeric powder and the spices. Cook till the oil separates and all the masalas are combined. Switch off the stove and add the eggs. Mix them carefully so that the eggs get completely coated with the masala without breaking.

Meanwhile in a separate vessel take 6 cups of water and add add the remaining whole garam masalas, 1/4 tsp salt and 1 tbsp mint leaves and coriander leaves. Bring them to a rolling boil and add the rice. Cook the rice for 5 mins(or until 3/4 done). Drain the rice immediately and fluff it off with a fork.

In a oven safe dish layer the egg masala in the bottom. Then top them with the cooked rice. Sprinkle the remaining ghee, food color/saffron soaked water, fried onions and few mint and coriander leaves. Cover and cook in a preheated oven at 250F for 30 to 35 mins or until the rice is done.

The picture above shows the briyani hot from the oven ready to be mixed and served. Before serving just mix the rice using fork or the back of a spatula without breaking them. Serve hot with raita or any curry.

We had them with shrimp curry:)

Tandoori Chicken

Me and my husband can eat chicken at any time. He used to like Chicken 65 so much and so after our marriage I used to make it every week. But since it is deep fried, I was looking for a healthy alternative. When we went for an Indian restaurant here, we had the Tandoori chicken and it was good except for the spice level. After coming home I thought I could give it a try. And then after so many trial and error methods I finally started making them perfectly.

Crispy and juicy Tandoori chicken with rasam rice is our favourite combo. But we have them along with Briyani and sambhar rice also. This time we had them with Chicken briyani(one of our friends made the briyani and she makes it really good). This recipe requires very minimal effort but you need to marinate them for a long time for better taste.





Ingredients:
6 Chicken leg pieces (Skin and fat removed)
1/4 cup curd
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric> <>>1/4 tsp amchoor powder
1/2 tsp pepper powderIV>

1 tsp chilli powder (you can add less for mild, we like it hot)
1 tbsp any Tandoori powder (I use Shan)
2 tbsp Olive oil
1 tsp Salt or according to your taste


Wash the chicken pieces. Make slits on the sides of the chicken with knife and also slightly pierce them with fork so that the masala could penetrate. In a big bowl make the marinade with all the ingredients listed above. Add the chicken pieces to the marinade and coat them well with the marinade, you can even apply some marinade through the silts in the chicken using the fork. Cover and refrigerate overnight(You can even marinate for just 4 or 5 hrs). Now preheat the oven to 425F. Arrange the chicken pieces in a baking tray and bake them for 30 to 40 mins or until tender(depends on the size of the chicken pieces and your oven). Then keep them under broil for 3 to 5mins(this gives the outer layer extra crispiness you can omit this step if you want them soft). Keep and eye when you broil them as it would bet burned easily. Garnish with raw onion rings, sliced carrots and lemon wedges and serve.




This makes a perfect party food for guests. Everyone just loves it and it takes less effort while you are cooking for a big crowd. So next time you invite someone just give this a try and it will be a sure hit:)

Whole Masoor Dal Curry

When we visited our friend's place two years back, they made this curry for dinner. We both had never tasted masoor dal before, but had no choice then. But the moment we tasted this we both knew that it is definitely a keeper. It had a nice texture and a unique taste. I got the recipe from her immediately. I adjusted the spice and flavourings to suit our taste. This is a very simple and easy recipe that goes very well with plain basmathi rice, roti, pulao etc.,


You can get this dal labeled as "Lentils" in small packets in any American or Mexican grocery shops. I make this curry regularly as it is tasty, healthy and also very appetizing. I had very little oil as it tastes good even without too much of oil.





Ingredients:

1 cup of Whole masoor dal
4 cups of water
1/2 tsp garam masala
1 tsp red chili powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1 tsp crushed kasoori methi
1 medium sized onion sliced
1 small tomato chopped
1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil


In a pressure cooker add the dal, water along with the salt, spices and kasoori methi and cook for 4 whistles or until it becomes soft but not mushy. In a separate pan heat the oil. When the oil is hot enough add the cumin seeds. Then add the onions and saute till they turn transparent. Now add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 to 3 mins. Then add the chopped tomatoes and saute till all the tomatoes gets cooked and oil starts oozing out. Finally add the cooked dal to this and simmer for another 10 mins. Switch off the stove and serve hot with roti or rice.

Ashwini of "Ashwini's Spicy Cuisine" is hosting the Lentils Mela. Do check the link given below to see the details, she has provided lots of information on the health benefits of various lentils.

This is my entry for the "Lentils Mela" hosted by Ashwini.

Methi Pulao

If I have to fix a quick lunch and could find fresh methi leaves in my fridge then immediately I will make this methi pulao. It has a nice aroma and is very delicious. You can have this with any curry or simply with raita or just with plain potato chips.








Ingredients:

1 cup Basmathi rice
1/2 fresh methi leaves chopped
1/2 cup diced green and red bell pepper
1/2 medium sized onion sliced
2 small green chillies(remove the seeds and slit)
1 tsp grated ginger
1 tsp grated garlic
1/2 tsp fennel
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 1/2 cups of water
salt to taste

Heat oil in a pressure cooker, when the oil is hot enough add the fennel seeds. Then add the onions and green chillies. When the onion turns transparent, add ginger and garlic and saute for 2 to 3 mins. Then add the methi leaves and bell peppers and saute for another 2 mins. Now add the washed basmathi rice and saute. Add the salt, garam masala, coriander powder and water. Close the lid and cook for 2 whistles(or 10 mins after you put the weight on the cooker).

Masala Tea and Crunchy Butter biscuits/cookies

After a long day of work, when he is very tired he needs nothing but a cup of tea. But he knew that he would scare me off if he ask me, so he either wouldn't ask for it or he would silently enter the kitchen and make his own cup. Since I had never tasted tea or coffee in my life (till now) I used to be really scared that I would never come up with a decent cup of tea. At least coffee I had the courage to make as there were instructions given on the label. But tea!!!!! how would I know which goes first, water or milk. I know that I could have asked my mom or mother-in-law but I was really embarrassed....even before marriage everyone used to say that I am a good cook. I used to try different cuisines but 'tea' never...it was like I had sworn against tea.

Finally I decided that if there is one person whom I could ask without spoiling my image then it would me my husband. So I asked him for a class room session. He was very happy to teach me (a chance to boss around). In the beginning it used to turn slightly bitter. I was really frustrated about the keep trying concept with this, but he neither complained about my attitude nor wasted the tea I made but gave honest feedback. Then slowly I started improving with time.

Now I am so proud and happy to say that he really loves my tea. I started with plain tea, then tried flavoured like cardamom tea, ginger tea and now its always the masala tea. Even though I have not tasted this I could really see that people loved this whenever they have it at my place.

Ingredients:
(for 1 cup)

1 cup water
1/2 tsp whole black pepper
3 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
2 cardamom pods(slightly crushed)
1 inch ginger(grated)
1 1/4 tsp of sugar
1/2 cup milk
3/4 tsp tea leaves(any brand)

Boil the water in a pan. When it starts boiling add pepper, cloves, cinnamon, cardamom and ginger. Wait till the water reduces to half the quantity. Then add the tea leaves and let it boil for 2 mins. Then add the sugar and milk. Wait till it comes to a rolling boil. Switch off the stove and filter this using a tea filter. Serve hot with biscuits/cookies.

I may not know how the tea taste but I definitely know the taste of the butter biscuits that I serve along with this tea. When I used to be a kid we used to always get these biscuits and stock them. It will be served along with tea or coffee to the unexpected guests. There is a place near my home where they make these biscuits fresh and pack them for distributing to other shops. We used to get them hot from the oven. They taste heavenly especially during rainy season.

Butter biscuits

Ingredients:
(Yields 6 biscuits)

1/4 vegetable shortening
1/4 sugar
1/2 cup All purpose flour
pinch of salt and baking soda

Cream the sugar and shortening using a wire whisk. Then add the salt and baking soda and then start adding the flour little by little to make a dough. Then divide them into 6 small balls. Flatten them using your palm. Bake them in a preheated oven at 350F for 12 to 15 mins or till they turn golden brown. Munch these with a cup of tea or coffee and enjoy.
Note: You may wonder why there is no butter in these biscuits:) I seriously don't know why they call this "Butter biscuit" since they use only "Dalda"(Hydrogenated vegetable oil) to make them in our place.

In most places tea is always served with one such biscuits. I had seen so many of my friends and families dipping their biscuits in the tea and savouring them. So when I saw the 'Made for Each Other' event in Asvadha I immediately thought of this "Cute couple". A hot cup of tea with crunchy biscuits is a perfect combination and hence make a perfect pair so I am sending this entry for the 'Made for Each Other' event.

Update:

I just baked 3 batches of these biscuits for Valentines Day for all the kids around my place:)

It came too good so I couldn't resist and hence treated myself with some.

Oats Pesarattu with Garlic chutney

Pesarattu is one of my favourite tiffin. Whenever I go to a good Andhra restaurant I used to eat this. When I realized that it was a very easy recipe, I started to make them regularly. Especially during my pregnancy I used to eat pesarattu a lot. I add Oats to this pesarattu for two reasons: to make my hubby eat oats:); I also feel that oats gives a little crunchy taste to this.



Ingredients:
(Yields 7 to 8 dosas)

1 cup whole green moong dal
1/2 cup oats (quick cooking oats)
2 tblspn raw rice
1 or 2 green chillies
1 inch ginger
salt to taste

Wash and soak moong dal and rice together for 2 to 3 hrs. Then grind them along with oats, green chillies, ginger and salt adding water. The batter should be smooth and of pouring consistency. Heat a tava or griddle. Then pour a spoon full of batter on the center and spread it like you do for normal dosa. Wait until the bottom turns golden color. Sprinkle oil over the dosa and spread the oil evenly, using the back of the spatula. Now reverse the dosa and let it cook for few seconds. Serve this pesarattu with peanut chutney/ginger chutney/ garlic chutney.

Today we had them with garlic chutney.

Garlic Chutney
Ingredients

1 small garlic clove peeled
1/2 cup grated/shredded coconut
2 tblspn roasted channa dal
2 to 3 dried red chillies(adjust spice according to taste)
salt to taste

For tempering:
1 tsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp split black gram dal
few curry leaves
little asafoetida

Dry grind roasted channa dal, red chillies, garlic and salt. Then add coconut and water and grind them to a smooth paste. Heat oil in a small pan for tempering and add asafoetida, mustard seeds, split uradh dal and curry leaves. Let the mustard seeds splutter, then add this to the chutney and serve.

Stepping into my fantasy world with Reduced fat Jam Cookies/Biscuits

It feels soooo amazing to finally start my own blog. Cooking has been my passionate hobby since I was in high school. It always felt too right for me to be in the kitchen. My family was very big. Everyone had different tastes and different preferences and it used be very challenging for me to cook there. Cooking in my Mom's kitchen is the toughest job, she is a big critic and I was always scared of any disasters. After marriage I have a kitchen of my own and a guinea pig (who married me). He always encourages me to try different items and is ready to take chances:) Whatever I am blogging here are the recipes that I have tried and tested.

So from today there will be lots of fireworks in my kitchen and I hope it will be worth all the efforts:)

Whenever my sweet tooth nags me for something, immediately I will make this cookie. Believe me it is very easy to make and nothing can go wrong. I am always a little conscious about what I eat, so I use Butter blend/Butter substitutes instead of regular butter wherever possible to reduce the fat. You can use butter if you like(I had never tried them with regular butter) but trust me these cookies are really good even with the butter substitute. I like my cookies soft and chewy so here is the recipe:

Ingredients:(Yields 9 cookies)

1/4 cup Smart balance 50/50 butter blend (you can use any brand but check the label if it is suitable for baking)
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup flour
pinch of cardamom powder
2 tblspn of Jam (I have used mango Jam)

Keep the butter in room temperature for about 5 mins and cut them into small pieces. Whisk the sugar and butter together till they mix completely. Then add the cardamom powder and flour to this mixture and combine to make a dough. Meanwhile pre-heat the oven to 300F.
Make small balls out of the dough and flatten them slightly with your fingers. Press your thumb in the center and make a hollow impression. Then fill them with the jam. Place them in a cookie tray(I use the non-stick one so didn't grease them) and bake them till they start to brown around the corners.I never bake cookies in batches as we like them fresh from the oven and hence the small quantity:)