Blogging Marathon

Chettinadu Vellai Paniyaram And Milagai Chutney

January 28, 2014 By

Paniyarams are my all time favorite and I just love them with spicy chutney . Vellai paniyaram is the one am trying for the first time and I love it a lot . These are famous chettinadu spl paniyaram which are white in color and are disc shape which is different from what we do in kuzhi paniyaram pan . Vellai in tamil means white and so the paniyaram remain white even after deep frying.

For my 3 rd day of Bm under combo dishes I chose an very delicious and yummy paniyaram which srivalli suggested in the list . I have heard about this paniyaram a lot and have seen in some cookery shows too. Everything depends on the consistency of the batter if the batter is not smooth and urad dal ratio is high then it may not turn good. This paniyaram’s only tastes yummy when they are paired with the spicy milagai chutney else they are bland in taste. Any recipe when paired perfectly would sure be an excellent dish isn’t it so this paniyaram too needs the perfect pair which is milagai chutney to make them an delicious dish. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36. Now over to the recipe..

Vellai Paniyaram

Ingredients

Raw Rice – 1 cup
Urad dal – 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil to fry

Method

Wash and Soak rice and urad dal together for 3-4 hours.
Grind them with a little water at a time to a very smooth batter in a mixie or grinder.
Add sufficient water to get the dosa batter consistency. Also add salt to taste.
Heat Oil in a kadai, when it is hot simmer the flame and drop a ladle full of batter in it.
It will puff a bit , turn it and cook both the sides.
No need to fry them for long as it needs to remain white.
Using a skewer remove them from oil and transfer them on a kitchen towel.
Repeat this with rest of the batter.
Serve the warm with milgai chutney.

Milagai Chutney

Ingredients

Onion – 1 No ( chopped)
Tomato – 1 no ( chopped)
Dry Red chilli – 2 no
Garlic – 1 clove
Urad dal – 2 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Red chilli pd – 1/4 tsp
Oil – 1 tbsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Asafoetida – a pinch
Salt to taste

Method

In a blender grind onion, tomato and garlic in to a coarse paste .
In a pan heat oil add mustard seeds, cumin seeds .
After they splutter add urad dal and saute them till light brown.
Add curry leaves , then add the ground mixture .
Let the boil for a while then add red chilli pd , salt and cook them till raw smell goes off.
Serve them with paniyaram , idli or dosa .

Linking this to Tamizhar samayal Tuesday whose brain child is +nalini suresh .

Venkaya pachi pulusu And Kandi Pachadi | Andhra Spl

January 26, 2014 By

I always love andhra dishes and when we were back in chennai would never miss to taste andhra meal in restaurants. My neighbours here are mostly from andhra and I get enjoy lot of new andhra dishes from them. For this week as you all know I chose combo platter for BM I wanted to try this andhra spl combo platter from the list. This is such an yummy combo and goes so well. Pulusu is an stew prepared two way one this the cooked version another is called pachi pulusu which the uncooked version normally prepared with tamarind pulp and onion with out any cooking. Vankay pachi pulusu and kandi pachadi is an classic andhra dish which served with hot steaming rice.

I am so happy I made this and we enjoyed it a lot . I also make them as a side for dosa or idli . Vankaya( Brinjal) pachi pulusu is made with roasted brinjal being mashed and just mixed with tamarind pulp , onion and other ingredients with out any further cooking needed.You might be wondering how the raw tamarind who taste but it was a delicious outcome the jaggery does it part to balance the taste and this pachi pulusu is an delicious and quick to make dish. This pulusu and pachadi marry so well that am in love with platter. Kandi pachadi is nothing but toor dal chutney as we may call , with very less ingredients this pachadi was so yummy and be sure you grind them a bit coarse to enjoy them . So for my second day of combo platter I am up with this classic andhra dish 🙂 Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Venkaya Pachi Pulusu

Ingredients

4 medium brinjals
1 onion, finely chopped
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
1 1/2 tbsp grated / Powdered jaggery ( As needed)
1 tbsp Chopped coriander leaves
small lemon sized tamarind (soaked in 1 cup of warm water for 10 mins, extract a thick pulp)
1 1/2 cups water
salt to taste

For Tempering

1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 No Dry red chillis
1/2 tsp Urad dal
1/4 tsp asafoetida
1 sprig curry leaves

Method

Grease the brinjal with oil and roast them either on a low flame in a stove or You can do as I did microwave then for 10 – 12mins.
Then peel the skin and mash the pulp.
In a bowl take the mashed brinjal pulp, add chopped onions, green chillis, tamarind extract, jaggery and salt. Mix them well and add water to get a flowing consistency.
The jaggery must dissolve completely.
Heat oil a pan, add the mustard seeds , cumin seeds and let them splutter.
Then add urad dal , cook till the dal turns slight brown. Add the red chillis, hing and curry leaves.
Transfer this tempering to the prepared pachadi.
Garnish them with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve with hot steamed rice.

Kandi Pachadi

Ingredients

1/2 cup Toor dal

1/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 clove garlic

A small lemon size tamaraind

2 tsp Oil

1 tsp urad dal

salt to taste

For tempering

1/4 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp Urad dal

1 sprig Curry leaves

1 tsp Oil

Method

Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the toor dal and roast it on low to flame till they turn slight brown in color .
Then switch off the flame and remove from pan,. Keep it aside.
In the same pan add another tsp of oil, add cumin seeds and roast them for a mt, add the split gram dal and stir fry .
Then add red chillis and saute them on low heat. Remove from pan and cool them.
Once cool, grind the roasted ingredients, Toor dal, garlic, tamarind and salt to a coarse paste by adding very little water .
For tempering heat oil in a pan. Add the mustard seeds and let them splutter. Then add the urad dal and saute them till light brown.
Add the curry leaves .
Transfer the tempering to the ground pachadi.
Serve them with steamed rice and ghee .

Halwa Poori Chole | Breakfast Recipe

January 24, 2014 By

Halwa Poori chole is an famous breakfast combo which is so filling and nothing can be packed with nutrients in the morning than this breakfast. Halwa poori chole is normalla prepared at navratri time by most of the North Indians. This combo is also a very famous breakfast in pakistan even and said to be as the most loved breakfast. It is also had by muslim for ramadan festival. This might sound an elaborate meal but it is very easy and simple to make.

This combo platter comprises of halwa made with rava / sooji like the rava kesari we make in south , poori which the puffed up wheat indian bread, and chole is the spicy curry made with chickpea. This combo go well so nicely and I have become a fan of it. This is combo can be enjoyed for any course but they are made traditionally for breakfast and brunch. This is a sure hit combo in all homes and no one can resist to have this combo for breakfast .Thanks to srivalli for suggesting some combo platter recipes. For the 4 week 1st day of BM am here with is delicious combo platter. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Halwa

Ingredients

1 cup semolina
1 cup sugar
2 – 3 tbsp ghee
2 cups Whole milk
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
pinch of color and/or saffron (optional)
Chopped Nuts and Raisins Few
Charmagaz / dried melon seeds for Garnish

Method

Heat ghee in a pan, add the chopped nut and raisins adfter they turn light brown add semolina and fry on low heat until color starts to change and it gives a nice aroma.
Keep on stirring often so that they don’t brown to much .
Once semolina is roasted well , slowly add the milk and stir constantly , even add color at this stage so that the halwa is evenly colored .
Once all the milk get evaporated add sugar , cardamom , stir well and cook them till the halwa leaves the sides of the pan.
Switch off the flame and garnish the halwa with charmagaz.

Poori

Ingredients

Wheat Flour 1 cup

salt to taste

water as needed to make a stiff dough.

Oil for deep frying

Method

Mix wheat flour and salt , add water as needed and make as stiff dough.
Divide the dough in to equal part and roll then with a rolling pin as we do for roti but reduce the size.
Heat oil in a kadai , when they are hot enough fry the rolled poories by sliding it slowly in the oil and pressing them gently towards the edgesusing the spatula for puffing.
Once it is completely puffed up turn to the other side and fry the poori till light brown in color.
Once don transfer it on a kitchen towel so that execss oil is being absorbed.
Repeat the same for the rest of the poori dough.

Chole

Ingredients

2 cups boiled chickpeas / Kabuli channa ( Soak the kabuli channa over nite and cook them pressure cooker for 2-3 whitles with salt )
4 tbsp oil
1″ inch piece Cinnamon stick
2 Nos Clove
2 Nos Cardamom
2-3 Curry leaves, chopped
1 tsp Ginger garlic paste
1 large Tomato ( Chopped)
1 large Onion ( Sliced)
2 Nos Green chillies, chopped
1/2 tsp Cumin pd
1/4 tsp Turmeric pd
1 tsp Coriander pd
1 tsp Red chilli pd
salt to taste
chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Method

In a pan heat 1 tbsp of oil , put greenc chillies and sliced onion and saute till onions turn translucent.
Then add chopped tomato and cook them till they turn mushy .
Switch of the flame and let them cool a bit, after the cool down transfer it to a blender and blender to a puree.
Now In a kadai or a sauce pan heat the rest of the oil , add cinnamon stick , clove and cardamom after the slputter add the ginger garlic paste and saute for few seconds .
Now add the prepared puree and bring it to a boil .
Add turmeric pd , Red chilli pd, coriander pd , Salt and cumin pd to the boiling puree and mix them well .
Cook them in simmer for few minutes till the raw smell goes of , then add the cooked channa/ chickpea to till add water if needed to make the gravy thin . .
Cover and cook it for 5- 10 mins so that the flavor goes into the channa well.
Cook them till you can see oil being separated in the sides of the gravy.
Garnish with coriander leaves and serve them warm with poories.

Vegetable Pongal

January 21, 2014 By

When I was a kid I loved to to have Raw veggies like cabbage , long beans , french beans, even ladies finger but My kid is totally opposite she never likes veggies only cheese . Am sure many mom’s might be worrying about it and trying something different to attract kids and indulge them in having more veggies in their diet. So when I was thinking about how I can give her the veggies she doesn’t like to have them in raw form I made this delicious pongal for her lunch and she liked it a lot with some color peeping there and she had no clue what they were and enjoyed them . For my BM 3 day of pongal series I made this yummy kid friendly pongal. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Vegetable pongal is mainly made with rice and moong dal as we make ven pongal but adding veggies to it increases the nutrients and makes it more healthy. I used ghee to make this pongal as kids love the flavor of ghee and tastes yummy. Pressure cooker makes it easy but if you don’t want the veggies to mash up then you can cook the rice and lentils separately in pressure cooker and then saute the veggies separately till they are turn , then transfer the veggies to the cooked and mashed rice and lentil . I served this with the Tri color capsicum thogayal but any chutney and sambhar can go with this. Any method you do it will taste good. So with any ado lets move the recipe..

Ingredients

Rice – 1 cup
Green Gram Dhal / Moong dal ( yellow one) –1/2 cup
Chopped vegetables – 2 cups (I used carrot and frozen peas)
Curry leaves – few
Green chillies – 2 No
Fresh ginger – a small piece
Asafotida – A pinch
Black Pepper pd – 1/4 tsp
Urad dal / Black gram dal – 1 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Cashew nuts – few
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Water – 4 1/2 cups
Salt to taste

Method

In a pressure cooker heat ghee add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and then curry leaves.
Wait till they splutter and then add urad dal and saute till they turn light brown.
Add green chillies,ginger,Asafoetida, chopped vegetables and saute for a while.
Then add washed and drained rice and moong dal .
Mix well and then add water, pepper pd, salt.
Close the pressure cooker lid and cook them for 3-4 whistles .
Mean while heat 1 tsp ghee and Roast the cashews till light brown. Keep them aside.
After 3-4 whitles switch off the flame and wait till the pressure subsides.
Open the lid and give the pongal a quick mix .
Add the roasted cashew to the pongal and mix them.
Serve them warm with any chutney and sambhar.

Kaadaikkanni Pongal / Oats Pongal

January 19, 2014 By

Its weekend and its a busy day for all I hope.. If you are looking for a delicious and a quick breakfast which is perfectly healthy then this must be a option. Oats is rich in fibre rich and a gluten free option to be included in diet of all ages . So thinking of preparing some healthy and delicious breakfast i ended up making this yummy oats pongal. Pongal is always my family favorite breakfast , instead of making them rice i made it with oats and they turned out so gud .

Oats pongal is a quick to make tiffin which needed very less time of cooking and more over if you make it in pressure it can be made in jiffy. Many people include oats in their diet for is nutrient content and most probably it gluten free. As pongal is an very traditional South Indian dish giving it a twist was very interesting.. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36. So make this healthy and yummy oats pongal and enjoy !!

Ingredients

Oats – 1/2 cup ( I used Old fashioned )
Moong dal / Green gram dal – 1/4 cup
Ginger – a small piece
pepper corn – 2-3 NO or pepper pd – 1/4 tsp
cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Green chillies -2 No
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Oil – 1 tbsp ( I used olive oil )

Method

In a pressure cooker heat oil , add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, curry leaves .
After they splutter add ginger, green chillies saute for a while.
Then add 4 1/2 cups of water, salt , pepper corn and let it boil .
After it boil add oats , and dal and mix them well.
Close the lid and cook them till 3-4 whistles .
Switch of the flame and wait till the pressure subsides.
Open the lid and give them a mix .
Serve this healthy pongal with any chutney and sambhar for breakfast or tiffin .

Godhumai Rava Pongal / Crackled Wheat Pongal

January 17, 2014 By

Am sure all would have enjoyed pongal festival , am here today with a very healthy pongal recipe. I love ven pongal for breakfast a lot and used to enjoy them with chutney and sambhar. As many people were asking me to share some healthy recipes here is a healthy pongal recipe with out using rice. As we all know too much intake of rice lead to increase in weight , so diet conscious people generally try to avoid taking rice in their diet first . If you seriously want to loose some weight you should first stop taking lots of rice . So if not rice what can be the other substitute for it – crackled wheat , semolina, oats, Barley, ragi etc there are so many options i can keep on going.

Godhumai rava / crackled wheat is a very healthy option for diabetic patience and can be made in several diffrent delicious ways . One such way to make a tasty dish is pongal. Crackled taste yummy when included with lentils and I tried making this pongal for our breakfast. They taste so delicious and they are very healthy. If you are looking for recipes to skip rice then this is a very nice option . Kids too will enjoy this delicious pongal .For this weeks blogging marathon I have chosen pongal varities so 2 more pongal to come stay tuned..Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.. Now lets quickly move to the recipe..

Ingredients

Crackled Wheat / Godhumai rava – 1 cup
Moong dal – 1/2 cup
Pepper corn – 3-4 Nos or Pepper pd – 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds – 1/4 tsp
Turmeric pd – 1/4 tsp
Urad dal / black gram dal – 1 tsp
Green chilli – 2 nos
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tsp
Ghee – 2 tbsp
Cashew – 4-5 No ( lightly roasted in ghee)
Salt to taste

Method

In a pressure cooker heat ghee , add Mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves , urad dal.
After they splutter, urad dal turns slight brown add ginger garlic paste and saute them .
Now add green chillies and saute them .
Add the crackled and saute for a while .Then add moong dal , to this add 4 1/2 cups of water
Add the pepper corn / pepper pd, turmeric pd and salt . Mix them well and close them with lid.
Put the whistle on and cook for 3-4 whitles.
After 3-4 whistles switch off the flame and wait till the pressure subsides.
Open the lid and mix them well.
Granish them with roasted cashew and drizzle some ghee on top.
Serve this healthy pongal with an chutney and sambhar.

Choco Fill Choco Cookies

January 14, 2014 By

I had Bookmarked these cookies for so long and here I got chance to try this yummy and very very addictive cookies bcoz of BM theme. As you all know this week I had chosen cookies theme and these yummy and awesome cookies I had bookmarked from the most popular chef in blogosphere viji . Only recently she had got her own domain so I dedicate this treat as an virtual appreciation to Viji of Viruthu unna vanga. Congratz on your new domain viji , keep rocking. So coming to the cookies I chose viji’s replica of Sunfeast Dark fantasy choco fill cookies which tempted me a lot I had to make it. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Am so thankful to viji for the amazing recipe they tastes yummy . Becoz of cold weather here my choco filling got set the other day but I warmed them again in oven for a couple of mins and then enjoyed them.They are seriously very addictive do try it . It was hard for me to just stop myself by having a cookie , very tempting one. .Without any further ado I will move on to the recipe ..

Recipe Source : Viruthu Unna Vanga

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour/Maida – 11/4 Cup
Cocoa powder – 2 Tbsp
Unsalted Butter – 1/2 Cup
Powder sugar – 3/4 Cup
Vanilla Essence – 1 Tsp
Broken Chocolate Chunks (dairy milk / any cooking chocolate) – 4 Tbsp ( As required to stuff)
Egg Substitute – 2 Tbsp of water + 1 Tbsp of oil + 2 Tsp of Baking Powder = 1 egg
Add all the ingredients together in a bowl in the same order and beat it well till comes frothy.

Method

In a bowl add butter and powder sugar beat it till smooth creamy.
Now prepare the egg substitute add 2 Tbsp from the mixture to the butter and beat it well.
Add vanilla essence and mix it well.
Preheat the oven at 180 C for 10 minutes.
Sieve the maida and cocoa powder together and add to the wet ingredients and fold it well.
If the dough is sticky thats ok bcoz we are going to transfer the dough to the plastic cover and keep it in refrigerator for 30 minutes.
After 30 mins take the dough from the refrigerator and divide into small balls, you can take 1 Tbsp of dough for uniform size.
Line the cookie tray using parchment paper or lightly grease them.

Flat the cookie dough, keep the broken cooking chocolates in the center and cover it and roll the once and slightly press them in disc shape. The cookies will spread slightly so leave enough gap in between each cookie
Bake the cookies for 15-20 minutes.

Tips

I tried candy melts also for the filling but they set faster so cooking chocolate is best for this recipe.
If you have them warm they taste more yummier and the chocolate lava comes out from the cookies very well.
It is absolutely ok if you get slight cracks .

Custard Powder Cookies

January 14, 2014 By

For this week of BM I had chosen Cookies and have already shared a french short bread cookie for day one .. For day to I made a delicious custard cookies , I always wanted to try this custard pd cookies and I at last tried my own recipe and it turned out yummy. Cookies are favorites tea time or pass time snack for us. I am sure all might be having cookies with a cup of tea or coffee most of the kids love the crispy cookies and one such cookies is these custard cookies . As we know custard pd is made with corn flour in it gives these cookies a slight crunchy outer part and soft from in , they are very flavorful and yummy .Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

My H enjoyed them with a glass of milk and he was so attracted by the color the custard pd gives . These are perfect to serve to your guest with a cup of tea / coffee . My friend sangee of Spicy Treats is hosting a new event named ” Love 2 bake” am so happy to be apart of it and these cookies will be my first entry for the event. Lets move to the quick and easy cookies recipe..

Ingredients

Custard pd – 3 tbsp ( I used vanilla flavor)
Sugar – 5 tbsp
All Purpose Flour – 3/4 cup
Butter – 1/2 cup or 1 stick ( softened at room temperature)
Vanilla extract – few drops

Method

Pre heat the oven at 350 F.
Mix the softened butter till smooth add sugar and mix them well to a smooth and creamy texture.
Add all purpose flour, custard pd , vanilla extract and mix them well to form a soft dough.
Divide the dough into equal parts , roll them using your palm and flatten them a little.
Place these flatten disc in a cookie tray lined with parchment paper .
For the impression press the fork flat on on the top of the cookie slightly.
Bake the cookies at 350 F for 10 – 15 mins.
Cool them on a wire rack once done baking.

Biscuit Sablés/Eggless French Shortbread Biscuits

January 11, 2014 By

For this months HBC challenge priya aks choose an delicious collection of french recipes . This is going to be the first HBC post for the new year, starting with a eggless french cookies, I made these Biscuits Sablés and they were so yummy . Like any other short bread cookies they are super quick to whip and make . This is actually a round short bread cookies but I have given a square shape though. They are super soft and yummy cookies as any other short bread cookies. These cookies normally contains egg but Priya aks gave us this yummy eggless recipe.

Thanks to priya aks for suggesting a very very delicious list of french recipes. This cookies where so yummy and we enjoyed it a lot . Let move on to the recipe quickly !! Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Recipe Source : Priya’s Versatile Recipes

Ingredients

2+1/2 cups All purpose flour
1 cup Softened Butter
1/2 cup Powdered sugar
1/2 tsp Vanilla extract
1 tsp Milk or water

Method

Beat the butter and sugar together until they turns light and fluffy.
Add in the vanilla extract, milk or water, beat for few minutes.
Now add the flour and mix well to form a smooth dough.

Roll the dough between two ungreased baking sheets and flatten slowly with a rolling pin.
Using a cookie cutter,cut the cookies from the rolled dough.
Transfer the unbaked cookies to a baking sheet lined over a baking tray.
Transfer the unbaked cookies to a baking sheet lined over a baking tray.Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Bake in medium rack for 15-18 minutes or until set.
Cool the cookies on baking sheets. Store in a air tight container.

Ukrainian Apple Cake (Yabluchnyk)

January 5, 2014 By

For my last day post for this weeks BM I made a Ukrainian dish which is a delicious dessert easy to prepare . I was very doubtful about the outcome but it tasted so yummy with a spongy base and delicious apple topping next time am going to try this with green apple . You can even use puff pastry instead of the dough base . The addition flax seed made it super spongy and yummy , I just loved the cinnamon flavor if you wish you add + 1tsp in the given recipe.

This a super spongy and yummy cake different from any other cake and very flavorful one you would get addicted of. You can drizzle some orange sauce on it too it will taste more yummier. I had to reduce the amount of butter but still they tasted yummy and were spongy.So lets move to the recipe for Ukrainian apple cake – an European dessert. Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 36.

Recipe Source : All recipes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 cup butter ( softened at room temp)
1 tbsp Flax seeds + 3 Tbsp water (soaked for 5 mins)
1/3 cup cream
3-4 large apple ( peeled, cored and thinly sliced )

Topping

2 tbsp Cold butter
1/2 cup brown sugar ( I used Dark brown sugar)
2 tbsp flour
1 tsp ground cinnamon

Method

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F . Lightly grease the baking dish.
Sift together flour, sugar, salt, and baking powder. Cut in 1/2 cup of butter until the mixture is crumbly.
Stir together the flax seeds solution with the cream and gently mix into the flour until a soft dough has formed. Press into prepared baking dish. Layer the apples into the dish overlapping, in neat rows.
Prepare the topping by mixing the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Cut in 2 tbsp butter until the mixture is crumbly. Sprinkle over apples.
Bake in preheated oven until apples have softened, and topping has browned, about 25- 30 minutes.