Beetroot Potato Upperi

A colourful yet interesting one.
In each bite you will feel softness through potato whereas the hardness comes from Beetroot.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Beetroot - 350 gms chopped
Potato - 200 gms chopped
Green chilly - 3-4
Oil - 2 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - few

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard.
Now add urad dal,curry leaves and green chilly. Let the urad dal brown a little
Now add beetroot and then potato on top of it.
Now reduce the heat and close with a lid and cook for sometime.
Keep stirring in between till the beetroot is cooked. Potato will be cooked by that time.
Do a taste test and take it off from heat

Serve with Rice.

Enjoy!!!

Drumstick / Muringayila Thoran

Earlier i posted a curry that you can make with these Leaves, but why stop there?
This is a very common dish in our place as Drumstick leaves grow in our backyards and its just very common to make them.
The only downside that i see is the time and manual work needed to take them off from the stem. If you are ready to see ahead of that then you will sure love this

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Leaves - 125 gms
Grated Coconut - 1/4 - 1/2 cup
Salt
Shallots - 2-3
Red Chilly Pdr - 3/4 tsp
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp

Grind the coconut, shallots, red chilly pdr and turmeric pdr and keep aside (Dont use water)

Heat oil in a pan and splutter Mustard seeds
Now add the ground mixture and fry it for 2-3 mins
Add the leaves, salt and mix it with the coconut mixture and cook with closed lid till the leaves wilt
Do a taste test and take it off heat

Serve with Rice

Happy Eating Guys!!!

Sausage Gravy

This type of gravy is a common item for breakfast when people make Biscuits in America.
You can make gravy's of many kinds, this one is Sausage gravy which i made to accompany the Buttermilk Biscuits that i made this weekend.
When we used to have this from Restaurants i thought it was made of cream or cheese because they were really very creamy in look. So Raj always tried to limit me while having these. While Raj is a fan of Sausage Gravy, i tend to like the Mushroom Gravy.
Here goes the recipe of Sausage Gravy

Ingredients Serves 2
Ground Sausage - 1/3 pound (I used Jimmy Dean)
All Purpose flour -2 tbsp
Milk - 1 1/3 cup
Salt
Pepper - 2+ tbsp (according to your taste level)


First heat your Iron Skillet and break the sausage into small pieces like this and cook it in medium heat till it reached this color as shown in Picture 2

1

2

3

4

Now add the All purpose flour into this and keep stirring till the sausage dries out as shown in Picture 3
Then add the milk, salt and pepper (Picture 4) and keep stirring it till it thickens to your desired consistency (Picture 5)

5 - The Final Step

This should be the desired consistency of your gravy.

Do a taste test and take it off heat.

If your gravy thickens before you serve, then add 1-2 tbsp of milk and mix it.
It should help.





Happy Dunking Guys!!!

Drop Biscuits

Biscuits with Jam

Biscuits and Gravy is one of our favorite comfort food. There is a restaurant "Pine State Biscuits" here in Portland where we get super delicious Biscuits and gravy. They have numerous variations to do with Biscuit, but our favorite is the one with gravy.
We need cookie cutter to get round sha    ped biscuits, but you can make this drop Biscuits if you dont have a cookie cutter with you.

Ingredients Makes 12 Drop Biscuits
All Purpose flour - 1 cup
Baking Powder - 3/4 tsp
Salt - a small pinch
Cold Butter - 4 tbsp (1/2 stick)
ButterMilk - 1/2 cup

Mix in all purpose flour, salt and baking powder.
Now add the butter.
Break the butter into small pieces as seen here and mix it into the flour mixture using your hands slowly breaking the butter peices further.

Once its mixed well, it should look like crumbs as seen here.

Now add the butter milk and mix it into the mixture.

Preheat your oven to 400 degree F.

Meanwhile drop the biscuit mixture onto the baking sheet.
Now bake them for 16-17 mins till you get a light brown color on the top and your Biscuit is done.

 You can have the Biscuits along with Gravy, Jam or Butter and Honey.

Biscuits with Sausage Gravy

Happy Munching guys!!!

Potato / Aloo Bonda

A favorite tea time snack , doesnt need any introduction ryt? This was my favorite when i was in college. Everyday i used to have atleast one from our College canteen :-)

Ingredients - Makes 11 medium sized Bondas
For filling
Potato - 250 gms
Onion - 40 gms
Green Chilly - 3 nos
Ginger - a very small piece minced
Turmeric - a pinch
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves - few
Cilantro - few chopped

For Batter
Besan - 1/4 cup
Rice Powder - 1/8 cup
Hing - a small pinch
Turmeric - a small pinh
Cooking Soda - a small pinch
Salt
Red Chilly Pdr - 1/4 tsp
Water - 6 tbsp

Oil - for frying

Pressure cook the potato with little water for 2-3 whistles and keep aside.
Once cooled, peel and mash it

Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard, add urad dal and let it brown
Add Onion,salt, green chilly, curry leaves,ginger and saute it.
Now add turmeric and mix it well.
Add the mashed potato and mix it well and let it heat through.

Once this mixture cools off, make small balls out of them and keep aside.

Now mix all the ingredients under 'For Batter' and keep aside

Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and once its hot enough for frying, dip each potato balls in the batter and fry till they get a golden brown color.

Serve hot with Coconut Chutney and tea :-)

Happy Snacking Guys!!!

Cauliflower / Gobi Manchurian Dry

Gobi Manchurian is one of my Favorite Indo-Chinese dish. Here I tried in many restaurants but never got one that resembled the ones that we used to have from India. So i thought its better that i make it myself :-)
I would like to dedicate this post to my Office cafeteria moments with my dear friend Anu. We have had lots of Gobi Manchurian and Fried Rice during those late night work hours in our Office.
I really do miss that life. It was really awesome.
So here i go to the recipe
Mine was a bit tangy as the spice level was low. Do use Chili Sauce if you like a bit spicy Manchurian

Ingredients(Serves 3)
Cauliflower florets - 200 gms

For Batter
Maida - 5tbsp
Corn Starch - 3 tbsp
Salt
Red Chilly pdr - 1/2 tsp
Water - 3/4 cup

Oil - for frying

For the Sauce
Oil - 2 tbsp
Onion minced - 125 gms
Green Bell Pepper minced - 100 gms
Green  Chilly chopped - 4 nos
Green Onion - 5 stalks
Garlic - 4 large cloves minced (around 15 gms)
Soy Sauce - 4 tsp
White Vinegar - 2 tsp
Ketchup - 4 tbsp (I used Heinz Red Chili Sauce, Its not spicy)
Salt - Optional (I didn't use salt for sauce as it was not needed)
Water - 4 tbsp
Corn Starch - 2 tsp

Mix in all the Ingredients in For Batter and mix the cauliflower florets in it and coat with the batter well.
The batter consistency should be not too thick nor too watery.
Heat the oil for frying and fry all the batter coated Cauliflower florets and keep aside.

Sauce
Meanwhile heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onion and saute it well.
Add Bell Pepper, Green chilly, Green Onion and Garlic and saute them well.
Now add the Soy Sauce, white Vinegar and ketchup and cook for a minute.
Now add the water and once its heated, add the corn starch and mix well with the water and let it cook
Do a taste test and add salt if required.
Once the gravy reached your expected consistency, add the fried cauliflower and mix it so that it gets coated with the sauce.
Now garnish with the Green Onion.

Serve it as it is or you can have it with Fried Rice too

Happy Munching Guys!!!

Easy Veg Fried Rice

I love to call this Easy Fried rice. Usually its very simple and easy to make Fried Rice.
This simplicity and my love to Indo-Chinese, forces me to make this more often. You can cook fresh rice or use the left over rice while making this. Both goes very well.
I use Rice cooker to cook the rice while making Fried Rice as it gives me the correct texture

Ingredients(Serves 2)
Basmati Rice - 1 cup (uncooked)
Water  - 1.5 cups (to cook Rice)
Mixed Vegetables chopped - 240 gms (its best to chop it in very small pieces)
I used Green Beans, Green and Red Bell Pepper and Carrot
Soy Sauce - 1 tbsp
Salt
Green Onion - 4-5 stalks
Oil - 2 tbsp

Cook the Rice along with the water and salt and once its cooked, remove it and spread it into a big flat plate (I use my Baking sheet) and keep it in your fridge till its ready to be added  into your vegetables (Min 20-25 mins).

Heat oil in a pan and add the vegetables and the White part of the Green Onion and saute it for 2-3 mins in High Heat.
Now add the soy sauce and saute it for 1 min. Reduce the heat to medium- low
Now add the Rice and mix it slowly into the veg mixture. Take care not to break the Rice.
Heat it till the rice gets heated through. Garnish with Green Onion and serve

It tastes good with various types of Manchurian

Happy Eating Guys!!!

Banana Bread

My Second Baking Venture - Banana Bread
Even though i have had this many time, never thought of making it till recently when i had it from one of our friend's house.
I was not happy with the color of this bread, so i tried to make it better the next time, but it was not a super success even though the color came out good enough.
You should use overripe bananas for this.This is how mine looked.

Serves 4
Ingredients - Everything should be in room temperature
Wet Ingredients
Butter - 4 tbsp
Sugar - 1/2 cup (I used white but brown sugar gives a rich color)
Egg - 1 large
Vanilla Extract - 1/2 tsp

Banana Over Ripe - 1 1/2 (around 375 gms)

Dry Ingredients
Wheat flour - 1/4 cup
All Purpose flour - 3/4 cup
Baking Pdr - 3/4 tsp
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Optional Items
Nuts - 1/4 cup
Shredded Coconut - 1/4 cup
Chocolate Chips - 1/4 cup

Butter - for smearing the baking pan

 You can either use a spatula or whisker or hand mixer for mixing the ingredients

Mash the banana with a fork and keep aside.
Break the egg and keep it in a bowl.
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl very well and keep aside

Take a bowl and whisk the butter and sugar till its creamy.
Now add in the egg and whisk it well.
Add the vanilla extract and mix in
Add in the mashed banana and mix it.
Add the dry ingredients half at a time and mix it into the wet ingredients mixture.

Now using a spoon you can add the nuts, shredded coconut and chocolate chips into this mixture.

Preheat the oven to 350 degree

Now smear your baking pan with butter on all sides and pour the mixture into this.
Slightly shake so that the mixture settles well.

Now bake the same for 45-50 minutes or till a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Let it cool for 15 minutes and move to the serving dish.

You can bake for some more time if its not done by 50 mins. Mine was done perfectly by this time
The time required may vary based on your oven
The banana bread mixture should fill only till 2/3 rd of your baking pan.

Serve the Banana Bread slices with Butter or you can even make French Toast with it

Happy Baking Guys!!!

Poori masala

Well it was a Poori day, what to say, lots of kneading and rolling, finally we had Poori after some time
Its not too tough to make this so if you feel like having it, you can make it fast.

Ingredients
For the Dough - Made 13 pooris
Atta - 2 cups
Water - 15 tbsps (1 tbsp less for 1 cup)
Salt - 1/2 tsp

Atta - few tbsps  for dusting while rolling them out
Oil - for frying


Take the atta in a bowl and mis in the salt well.
Now add the water slowly and knead the dough. Take care not to add too much water.
This is how the dough looked like after kneading.

Now take them and roll them into balls.
Now take one dough ball, flat them a little with your hands .
Sprinkle with atta and slowly roll them out.

This is how they look after rolling out
Mine are not perfect rounds :-)

After you roll out all of them
Heat oil in a deep bottomed pan and fry them one by one
While frying, gently press the top of the poori with your spatula which will help them to puff.
Now flip it over and let it cook the other side.
Once its done, drain the excess oil in a kitchen towel.

Fry all of them and enjoy.

Pooris usually goes well with Potato Masala

Enjoy Guys!!!

Kadachakka / Breadfruit Upperi

Something that is available at our place so easily but very rare over here. Finally got hold of one, so here's the recipe.
Its not too spicy, but a bit sweet

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Kadachakka - 300 gms cubed
Green chilly - 2
Shallots - 3- 4
Coconut - 1/3 cup
Cury leaves - few
Oil - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - a big pinch
Mustard - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 3-4
Water - 1/4 cup
Salt

The whole cooking can be done in Medium - low heat
Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds
Now add the shallots, dry red chilly, green chilly, curry leaves, salt and saute them.
Now add the kadachakka pieces and sprinkle the water and close the pan with a lid
You can add more water later if you feel that the Kadachakka is not cooked.
Keep stirring in between till its almost cooked.
Now add the turmeric and mix it well.
Now add the grated coconut and let it sit for some time
Do a taste test and take it off heat

Serve with Rice and some Spicy Curry

Enjoy Guys!!!

Mushroom Roast

When i was a kid, i remember my grandmother collecting Mushrooms to make a masala curry. It was really tasty and as we got them very rarely, it was a special for me always. Today mushrooms are available in stores but i dont know why i have never tried the masala curry.
Nowadays i make this more often, as they go very well with Chapatis

So here is the recipe

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Mushroom - 150 gms
Onion - 200 gms
Tomato - 200 gms
Curry Leaves - few
Coriander pdr - 1 1/2 tsp
Chilly Pdr - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp

Dice the onion lengthwise and tomato as cubes.
Dice the mushroom into quarters of each
You need only medium heat throughout this dish

Heat oil in a pan and add the curry leaves.
Now add the onion and salt and saute them well.
Now add the tomato pieces and saute them till they get mashed
Now add the coriander and chilly pdr and let it cook till the raw smell vanishes.
Now add the mushroom pieces and let it sit for 2-3 minutes.
Do not close the pan with a lid as mushroom oozes out water.
Once the mushroom shrinks a bit, fold them well into the masala and let it cook for some more time.
When the mushroom is done completely, do a taste test and take it off heat.

Serve hot with Chapatis

Enjoy!!!

Drumstick Leaves/ Muringayila Curry

Needless to say that we have to try to include leafy vegetables in our diet due to the high nutrient content in them, but did anyone say the truth? I include them in my diet to their high taste content :-)
This one is made with Drumstick Leaves/ Muringayila.
It was almost a daily item back in Kerala, but here we try to include them alteast once in a  week

Ingredients (Serves 4)
Drumstick Leaves - 75 gms
Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Water for cooking dal- 2 1/2 cups
Salt
Turmeric - a pinch
Coconut - 1/2 cup
Cumin - 1 tsp
Red Chilly Pdr - 1 tsp
Water for grinding - 1/2 cup
Oil - 1 tbsp
Small Onion - 2 nos minced
Dry Red Chilly - 3 nos

Pressure cook the Dal with salt and water for 2 whistles.
Meanwhile grind the coconut with cumin and red chilly pdr and keep aside.
Once the pressure releases, add the ground coconut mixture and let it boil.
Once it boils, add the leaves and let it boil for 5 minutes or so.
Do a test taste and take it off heat
Heat oil in a pan and add the small onion pieces and fry them till they turn into light brown color.
Now add the red chilly and add the whole mixture to the curry and mix well.

Enjoy over Hot Rice!!!

Pina Colada Popsicle

 Its really hot and this is the only thing i can think of now. I had some pineapple with me, didnt want to go with just pineapple, so came up with Pina Colada.
Pina Colada is a famous drink here. It has Pineapple and coconut in it as main ingredients.
You can serve it as it is or make some fun by turning it into a popsicle
This is very healthy as you know what is going in it and also very easy to make.

Ingredients Made 4 Popsicles
Pineapple - 350 gms
Coconut Milk - 1/3 cups
Sugar - 2 tspn (optional)
Shredded Coconut - 1 tbsp (optional)

Blend all these ingredients and filter if necessary.
Add the shredded coconut and mix well.
Now add this into the molds and let it freeze overnight.

Happy Summer guys :-)

Bittergourd / Kaypakka Fry

Bittergourd fry is an easy way to add this into our meals. Even though its bitter, you can adjust the bitterness on the the time you use to fry it. More you fry the less bitter it will be.
Mine was little bitter as i fried it only for a less amount of time

Ingredients (Serves 3)
BitterGourd - 2 medium ones sliced in thin rounds
Shallots - 4-5 nos
Salt
Chilly Pdr - 2-3 tspns
Oil - for frying

Grind and make a paste of Shallots with salt and Chilly Pdr
Marinate the Bittergourd with this paste and let it sit aside for 30 mins
Now heat the oil in a pan and add the slices one at a time in a single layer.
Flip over when one side is done.

Serve hot with Rice, It goes well with Moru Kachiyathu

Happy Eating Guys!!!