Bhindi Masala / Okra Masala

Bhindi masala is a North Indian dish made with Okra which is a dish mainly eaten along with Roti or Chapatis. It has tomato in it for the tanginess and its also spicy enough for the second rounds :-)
I made it today and had with Rice and i really don't know why people restrict it to Rotis or Chapatis alone. It tasted good with Rice too
Maybe you can give it a try with Rice and let me know whether you liked it

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Okra chopped- 150 gms
Cumin - 1 tsp
Onion chopped lengthwise - 1/2 onion
Tomato chopped- 1 medium
Turmeric - a pinch
Salt
Chilly Powder - 1 tspn
Curry Leaves - few
Oil - 2 tbsp

Heat oil in a pan and splutter the Cumin seeds.
Now add the onion and salt and saute it. Now add the tomato along with turmeric and saute it till the tomato is cooked.
Now add the chilly powder and saute till the raw smell goes (around 1 min). Do a taste test and add the okra pieces and mix into the prepared spice mixture and cook it closed in medium heat till the okra gets cooked
Keep stirring in between.

Serve with hot rice or with Chapati

Happy Eating!!!

Salmon Fry / Fish Fry

This is somehing that i have been doing for a long time now. Even though i get bored of cooking it, he doesnt get bored of eating it :-)
We get Salmon fillets here individually packed, so there is no worries of fish going bad. As they are already cleaned am One Happy woman :-)
This fish fry is taste with minimal ingredients

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Fish - 200 gms
Small Onion - 2 nos
Turmeric - a small pinch
Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Salt
Oil - For frying
Curry Leaves - few

Grind the onion along with turmeric, chilly powder and salt and keep aside. Add 2 tbspn of water if the mixture is too thick
Now marinate the fish in this mixture and keep aside for 30 mins
Heat the oil in a pan and add the curry leaves and fry the fish pieces till its well done on both the sides
Don't keep on moving the fish pieces as we want a nice layer of the Masala on both sides.

Serve with Hot Rice

Happy Eating guys!!!

Onion Tomato Chutney

Well bored of having Sambar or Coconut Chutney again and again? Try this then
Its a simple one using Onion and Tomato

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Big Onion chopped - 1
Tomato chopped- 1
Salt
Chilly Powder - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Curry Leaves

Heat oil in a Pan and add the curry leaves.
Add the onion and saute them well. Once its done add the tomato pieces and salt and saute it
Once its almost done, add the chilly powder and saute till the raw smell goes.
Take it off heat and once cooled a bit, grind it till you get a smooth paste.
Do not add water

Serve it with Dosa or Idli

Happy Dipping!!!

Sambar

I have been thinking about making this type of Sambar for a long time. I always prepare sambar with just sambar powder without using Coconut  It started because I was lazy but as Raj liked that way, i sticked to it for almost 2 years now. So today i just did it and was amazed. I am happy that i tried this as it tasted very good and i was able to taste it with our every time favorite Idli itself.

Ingredients (Serves 4)
Toor Dal - 1/2 cup (Soak in water for minimum 30 mins)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Small Onion - 4-5
Potato - 2 medium cubed (300 gms)
Drumstick - 150 gms
Okra - 50 gms
Oil - 1/2 tspn
Tamarind pulp - 25 gms
Water - 4 cups
Tomato - 1 medium

For Dry Roasting
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Small Onion - 1
Curry Leaves - few
Sambar Masala - 3 tbsp (I use Brahmins Sambar Powder)

Chilly Powder - 1 tsp
Hing - 1 tsp

For Seasoning
Dry Red Chilly - 4-5
Curry Leaves - few
Mustard - 1 tsp

Oil - 1 tbsp

Pressure cook the Dal, small onion, potato, drumstick with turmeric, salt and  water (should be just a bit above your veggies) for max 2 whistles
Fry Okra in a 1/2 tspn of oil till it changes the color and the stickiness is gone.
Dry roast the coconut, small onion and curry leaves in the same pan till the coconut browns little
Add the Sambar Masala and dry roast again till the raw smell is gone. Grind it with little water and keep aside.

Now add tamarind extracted water into the cooked dal- veggies.
Add the fried Okra and sliced Tomato and let it boil
Now add the ground Masala, Chilly Powder and Hing.  Do a taste test. Take it off from heat when the tomato is cooked and you get the desired consistency.

Heat Oil in a pan and splutter the Mustard, add curry leaves and dried chilly and pour this seasoning into the prepared curry. Mix well

Enjoy Over Hot Rice, Idli or Dosa :-)

Happy Eating!!!

RibeyeSteak - A perfect weekend Night

What a perfect way to start your weekend :-)
Here Friday nights are always special. Its the start of weekend. On Friday nights we can hear music and laughter from most of the homes. Its party time Woooooo
And what best to have on weekends :-)
Usually we grill steaks but as its still cold enough to stand out at night, we searched and found this perfect easy way to cook your steak in Oven. Its really very easy and fast enough. 10 minutes and everything is done. By the time you start to enjoy your wine, your steak will be ready.
You will require an Iron Skillet heavy bottomed one which you can use both in your stove as well as in your Oven.

Ingredients (Serves 2)
Steak Piece - 1 pound
Canola Oil - 1 tsp
Salt  - a generous amount
Pepper - a generous amount
Steak spice - 1 tsp (I use McCormick Spicy Montreal Steak) Its Optional

Keep your oven in Broil along with your Iron Skillet in it for 20 minutes
Pat some oil using a brush on one side of the steak and sprinkle a generous amount of salt, pepper and Steak Spice.
Do the same on the other side
Use an Oven Mitt while doing it. Take care as the Iron Skillet will be heavy
Once its about 20 minute on the oven, switch on your stove with high heat and place the Iron skillet on top of it.
Now place the steak (It should sizzle) for 30 secs on each side (Total 1 minute)
Switch of the stove
Now again place the iron skillet along with the steak into the oven for the below mentioned time for each side.
Take care to use your oven mitt as it will be real hot. Please take care
Medium Rare - 2 minutes on each side
Medium - Well Done - 3 -4 minutes on each side
Once its done on one side, carefully using tongs flip the steak piece and let it cook the other side for the same time and you are done
Switch off your Oven

Happy Weekend Guys!!!

Chocolate Chip Cashew Cookies

My first ever cookie :-)
I have been watching the Food Network channel for a long time now. Been craving to make cookies and cakes from the time i started watching these chanels.
Sitting here now that is my new entertainment, watch watch watch cooking shows. It just makes you get up and make things happen in your kitchen. Been waiting for getting a mixer, so that i can go ahead with them
So now i got an electric mixer and this is the first recipe that i made from it. Its a simple chocolate chip cookie with cashew in it. I have added cashew in it to increase the richness and also i love cashew in my cookies.
You can substitute the chocolate chips and nuts to your wish. You can use dark or milk chocolate. Also you can add or change the nuts to your wish.

Ingredients (Makes 12 cookies)

All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt - 1/4 tsp
Unsalted Butter - 8 tbsp (1/2 cup)  it should be at Room Temperature
Brown Sugar - 1/2 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup
Egg - 1
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
Chocolate Chips - 1/2 cup
Cashew chopped - 1/4 cup

Mix the flour, salt and baking powder together and keep aside (Dry Ingredients)
Beat the butter, brown sugar and the sugar using an electric mixer till its blended well.
Now add in the egg and vanilla extract and blend it till everything is mixed well.
Now add half of the dry ingredients and blend it till it is mixed. Now add the remaining of the dry ingredients and blend them well.

Preheat the oven at 350 degree F.
Line the baking tray with a parchment paper and drop the dough 1 inch apart (The cookies will expand when it cooks) and cook for 13 - 14 minutes.

Once its cooked, its edges will be crisp and the middle portion will be soft to touch (Don't worry, its cooked)

Let it cool for 5 minutes in the tray and then move it to a cooling rack and let it sit for 10 mins

Note: Store it in an air tight container once its cooled

Happy Munching!!!

Chembu Moru Curry

Chembu / Taro is a root which is widely used in Kerala. Even the stem and leaves of Taro are used for making various types of curries. They are very nutritious and tasty too.
This is a Moru /Curd curry along with coconut.
As usual i got this recipe from my Mother in Law whom we all call "Pappa". I was amazed to see even small kids to the oldest person she knows call her the same. Its a short for her name "Padmavathy" :-)

Ok so to the recipe

Ingredients (Serves 4)
Chembu/ Taro Root - 400 gms (peeled and cut into cubes)
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Water - 1 1/2 cups
Salt
Curd - 1/2 cup (whisk the curd well)
Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
Cumin - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard  - 1 tsp
Dry Red Chilly - 3 nos
Fenugreek / Uluva - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - few

Pressure cook the taro root along with the water, turmeric, chilly pdr and salt for max 2 whistles. Take care not to mash the taro pieces while cooking ahead
Meanwhile grind the coconut along with cumin seeds adding little water to a smooth paste and keep aside.
Add the whisked curd to the cooked taro and let it boil in medium heat for 1-2 minutes.
Now add the coconut-cumin paste to this and let it get cooked for 4-5 mins more.
Do a taste test and take it off from heat
Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds. Add the fenugreek and let it brown a little.
Now add the dry red chillies and curry leaves.
Add the seasoning to the curry and mix well.

Serve with Hot rice

Happy Eating!!!