Carrot tomato rasam

Rasam is one of the comforting foods in every kitchen. In some parts of south, no meal is done without rasam. Instead of having a plain rasam, let us make it more healthy by adding carrot and make it a more kid friendly rasam with that hint of sweet from carrot.

Ingredients

• Carrots peeled and roughly chopped
• Tomato ( Vine ripe tomatoes or any heirloom variety that is tangy) roughly chopped.
• 3 cups Water
• 1 inch Tamarind(Puli) or 1 tsp Tamarind pulp
• 1 tsp Rasam powder
• 1 tsp Pepper powder
• salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing
• 1 tsp sugar / jaggery

For seasoning

• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1/2 tsp ghee (optional)
• 1 tsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tsp Cumin seeds(Jeera)
• 3 garlic cloves (crushed)
• 5- 6 Curry leaves
• 1 Dry red chilly

Directions

1)In a pressure cooker, add tomatoes, carrot, salt, 3 cups water and let it cook for 2 whistles.
2) Heat oil and ghee in a sauce pan. When the oil is heated, add garlic and saute it for a min. add mustard seeds, when they splutter, add cumin, curry leaves, red chilly and cook on medium flame for 2 mins.
3) While the tempering is cooking. open the pressure cooker and with a hand blender, make a smooth sauce of tomato and carrot.

4) Add this smooth sauce to the tempering. Add tamarind paste, rasam powder and pepper powder. Adjust the taste as needed, add sugar or jaggery and let it cook for a good boil.

5) Once the rasam started to boil. Turn off the heat and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and close the lid to let all the aromas stay in accord.

Serve it with steam rice, mudda pappu ( plain boiled dal) and papad on the side. Simply delicious and very comforting during winter or on a cold flu day. With Added carrot, it has more nutrition than a regular rasam.

Carrot tomato rasam

Puffed Poori

Ask any Indian Kid for their favorite break fast item, I bet, most of them start with Poori, dosa and on goes the list. My generation had grown up on this as a favorite and now it is my kids  generation favorite too…It is amazing how recipes stay favorite as they travel generations and generations. Kudos to who ever came up with the recipe.

I used to cook it infrequently before having kids. But now, I cook it at least once every week or every other week.

If any one notice, making poori is much easier and faster than chapathi. The skill is all in kneading the dough and having the right temp of the oil to make them puff. The dough should not stick to your hands but should be comfortable enough to work. If the dough sticks to hands then it is little soft and will sip some unwanted extra oil. Dust some more flour and knead it until it is no more sticky. If it is too tight , it will be flaky and will be real hard to work through, just sprinkle 1/2 tsp at a time of water/milk and work through for the right consistency.

TIP- When doing deep fries, Add a little salt to hot oil, it will prevent foods from absorbing oil. Make sure that the salt doesn’t stick to pooris otherwise they will be salty.

Ingredients

• 2 cups chapathi/wheat/aata flour
• 1/2 cup water/milk
• 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

1. Take flour in a big comfortable mixing bowl. Add salt and mix it well.
2. Add water / milk and mix it well to form a non sticky dough (if it is too tough, it will be flaky and will be hard to work with, just sprinkle 1/2 tsp of milk and knead)
3. Rest the dough for at least 15 min.
4. Make small key lemon size balls out of the dough. keep covered to prevent from forming a cake.
5. Add 2 drops oil on the rolling pin.
6. Take a ball and roll it with the pin to form a thin even disc.
7. Note-If the dough is too soft, it will stick to the rolling pin. If it is too hard, just rub couple drops of oil on it and start kneading.
8. In the mean time, add oil to a deep frying pan (never deep fry in non stick pans, it will release toxins) and put it on a medium high heat as we are working with the dough.
9. Once all the dough is rolled up. It is time to do pooris.
10. Make sure the oil is hot enough (when the oil is hot, we see little strikes moving at the bottom. now, drop a small dough, it will sink and should rise right upwards. If it takes a few sec to rise, oil is not hot enough. When the oil is not hot enough, pooris don’t puff up) and add one rolled out dough.
11. When the pooris are raising to the top, with a slotted spoon, gently push them downward to create little pressure which will make them puff. When one side is light gold color, turn them to the other side and fry till the other side.
12. With a slotted spoon take the fried puffed poori out and continue with the process with all the remaining dough.
13. Enjoy it with punjabi chole or Andhra poori koora that I will post latter.

Poori Served With Chole

Bambino/Semya Pulihora

Simple recipes are something I so look forward during week days as they are a jiffy to make and stands top in the lunch box menu list. Feels light and energetic at work. we can have this as breakfast,Brunch,lazy/quick/light Meal.

Ingredients-

• 1 cup Semiya (Bambino/ vermicelli)
• 1 big Lemon
• 1 tbsp salt
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsps ground nuts
• 5 cashew nuts
• 2 tbsps bengal gram
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp mustard seeds
• 2 dry red chilies
• 4 green chilies
• 1 stalk of curry leaves
• pinch of asafoetida
• 2 tbsp oil

Directions-

1. Squeeze lemon juice into a small bowl and add 1 tsp of salt to avoid any bitter taste from lemon.
2. Take 4 cups of water in a bowl and boil it. When the water starts boiling add 1/4tsp salt and 1/2 tsp oil. After a min, add Bambino/ Semiya /Vermicelli.
3. When semiya gets boiled ( 3- 5mins) switch off and strain it. After straining pour plenty of cool water on it to avoid further cooking. Also add ¼ tsp of oil and toss it to prevent any sticking.
4. Heat a non stick skillet when the oil is hot enough, add mustard seeds, when they crack, add jeera, urad dal (Mina pappu), Bengal gram (senaga pappu), ground nuts, cashews, dry red chilly, and asafetida. Fy them till the lentils turn little brown.
5. Add Curry leaves and turmeric. Fry them for few seconds.
6. Add the strained semiya (vermicelli) to the tadka and immediately add squeezed lemon juice, salt (if needed) and mix well.
7. Serve hot or at warm.

Veggie Manchurian

Todays recipe is my family favorite that is loved at anytime of the day and a popular party appetizer that is loved by all. After the  holiday season, I am back to my regular schedule. we have an  Indo-Chinese delight today. What we have is Veggie Manchurian, where all the veggies complement each other to bring out the unique flavour with their friendly combinations. What a delight it is! Just perfect to serve as a starter or as a side dish along with noodles or fried rice or a simple steamed rice  and see your family being bowled over by this sensational Indo-Chinese delight!

Veggie Manchurian for lunch

Ingredients

• 1 cup finely diced Cabbage
• 1 cup finely diced Carrots
• 1 cup finely chopped green beans
• 1 bell pepper diced (optional)
• 1 Chopped Spring Onion
• 2 Chopped Green Chilies
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 3-4 Crushed Garlic Flakes
• 2 tbsp Corn Starch
• Oil for deep frying
• 1 tbsp Soya Sauce
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp Pepper Powder
• Few curry leaves
• 3-4 Green chilies

Veggie Manchurian process

Directions

• Mix all the veggies in a bowl and microwave for 3 min with the lid covered .
• In a bowl take all the boiled veggies (some squeeze the water out of the boiled veggies, I don’t prefer that way since we will loose all the nutrients, instead I add some cooked rice to the veggie mix so that the rice will absorb the moisture), mix 1 tbsp corn starch, soya sauce, salt and black pepper
• Make small balls (like koftas) of the mixture .
• Heat oil in a kadhai and deep fry the balls till golden brown, drain and keep aside.
• In a separate pan heat 2 tbsp oil. Sauté onion, garlic, green chilies, curry leaves and spring onions.
• Add water, salt, pepper powder, sugar and soya sauce. Bring it to a boil.
• Mix 1 tbsp corn four with half of a cup of cold water and stir into it. Gently add the fried balls to the gravy.
• Cook the vegetable Manchurian for 3-4 minutes and serve hot garnished with chopped coriander.
  

  Veggie Manchurian served with steam rice

Dondakaaya (Tindora) mukkala pachadi

My mom taught this recipe, it is almost an instant recipe and with very little cooking and ofcourse less cooking more healthy. Most Andhra people know about Cucumber (Dosakaya mukkala) Pachadi. This recipe is of the same version. When I first heard about the recipe, I was little skeptical to try, but my mom keep encouraging me to try and kept saying, that it wont disappoint me, so I gave it a shot and it surprised me as to such a simple dish can make a huge difference on the plate and is so quick to present. I made this at a get together to share with my friends and they all loved it.

Ingredients-

• 20 Tindora (Dondakaya / Ivy Gourd)
• 6 Green chilies or according to taste
• Hand full of Cilantro  (Kothimera)
• Marble size tamarind (soak it in warm water for 5 min)
• 3 Garlic cloves
• 1 dry red chili
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp jeera
• few curry leaves
• Salt to taste

Directions-

1. Clean dondakaaya (Tindora) and trim the ends. Cut them into very small pieces.
2. Fry green chilies. In a blender, add soaked tamarind, green chilies, jeera, 2 garlic cloves and cilantro leaves and blend them into a paste. Add 2 tbsp of chopped dondakaya to the blender and blend it coarsely with some salt. Adjust the taste if needed.
3. Take the whole mixture and add it to the finley chopped dondakaaya (Tinodra) pieces. Mix well.
4. Heat oil in a small pan and add mustard seeds, when they crack, add jeera, red chilies, garlic and curry leaves. Sauté until garlic starts to turn light brown on the edges. Add this Popu (tadka) to dondakaaya (Tinodra) pieces mixture and mix well.
5. Serve with steam hot rice and any dal.

Donda mukkala pachadi

Brussel stir fry

Many of us don’t know how to cook brussel sprouts till I dared to cook it today. I was little skeptical initially but gave it a shot anway and we enjoyed it very much. I usually use seasonal American vegetables during winter season, but I been little sensitive to this brussel sprouts. Every one describes them as mini cabbages and I don’t disagree with them. Infact I would add a point to it saying they are mini cabbges with a deep flavor. Add less spices to enjoy its taste. It goes very well as a side to rasam or sambar or any dal dish.
Brussels sprouts can be cooked in many ways, like stir frying, boilied or roasted.

Ingredients-

• 12-15 Brussels sprouts (Frozen or Fresh)
• 1 medium onion, diced thinly
• salt as per taste
• 11/2 tbsp red chili powder
• 1 tsp cumin/jeera/jeelakara
• 1 tsp mustard seeds/rai/avaallu
• 2-3 dried red chillies, roughly torn into two pieces
• 3-4 curry leaves
• 2 garlic cloves roughly chopped
• 2 tbsps roasted chick pea powder (Senagapodi) / Roasted spiced peanut powder

Brussel stir fry

Directions

1. Clean the brussels sprouts, remove any loose leaves, chop them into bite size and boil them in microwave for 5 min with lid covered.
2. Heat 2 tbsps oil in a heavy bottom pan, add mustard and jeera. When they splutter, add garlic, red chilies and curry leaves.
3. Add onions and a dash of salt to sweat them. When they turn little pink, add boiled brussel sprouts.
4. Sauté for about 3 minutes. Add salt and chili powder, sauté it for another 2 mins. Sprinkle some water, cover and cook it further till the brussel sprouts are well cooked.
5. Lastly add roasted chick pea powder (Senagapodi) / Roasted spiced peanut powder
   and cook for another two minute until it is mixed well.
6. Enjoy with steam rice with rasam or dal or roti.

Brussel sprouts stir fry

Crunchy munchy Spring Rolls

Any Crunchy-munchy snack or appetizer is welcome on these cold and holiday season. Here is my delicious and super-easy to make spring roll recipe! The filling is made up of lots of fresh healthy vegetables and is one of the best craved vegetarian appetizers. Get your kids to help with rolling them up – it’s fun to do. But even if you’re making them solo, you’ll find these spring rolls quick and easy to make. Excellent as an appetizer, ENJOY!

• 1 package spring roll wrappers (look for them in the freezer section of your any Asian/Chinese food store)
• 1 Tbsp. oil for stir-frying, + approx. 1 cup canola or other oil for frying
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1 red or green chili, minced (optional)
• 1 cup shredded cabbage
• ½ cup finely diced celery (optional)
• ½ cup shredded carrots
• 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
• 1 tsp. sugar

Spring Roll step by step process

Preparation:

1. Remove Spring roll wrappers from freezer and allow them to thaw while you prepare the filling.
2. Mix  soya sauce and sugar together in a cup. Set aside.
3. Place a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Swirl 1 Tbsp. oil around the pan, then add garlic and chili. Stir-fry 30 seconds to release the fragrance.
4. Add all the veggies and stir-fry for 2 minutes, or until cabbage has softened slightly add soya sauce and sugar mixture and mix them well until the whole mixture is dried up.
5. Peel and separate 3 spring roll wrappers at one time from the package and place on a clean, dry surface. With one of the pointy edges facing you, place about 1 heaping Tbsp. of the stir-fry in the center of the first wrapper.
6. Roll it tightly to cover the filling and Fold the sides of the wrapper over the filling, then roll up from the bottom. Pinch the center (if necessary) to create a round, sausage-like roll (not flat). Secure the end of the roll by brushing on a little water.
7. Continue rolling in this way until all the filling has been used up. As you work, place finished rolls on a plate and cover with a damp cloth to keep them from drying out.
8. Heat oil in a frying pan over med-high heat. Oil should be about 1 inch deep. When oil starts to form thin moving lines across the bottom of the pan, turn down heat slightly.
9. When oil is ready, carefully slide spring rolls in, or place them in oil with tongs. Allow to cook 1 minute (or until golden brown) then use tongs to turn and cook the other side.
10. Place cooked spring rolls on a clean cloth or paper towel to drain.

Serve hot with any Sweet Chili Sauce as a dip. I served these to my kid with ketchup and he loved it.

Spring rolls

Sour Dosa (Pulla Attu)

There are hundreds of varieties of dosas and each has its own unique taste. Dosa in any form are my family favorite. Especially, this sour dosa (Pullattu) has a very prominent place on our table. This recipe came from generations. They are so light, crispy and just right that even kids help themselves with atleast one more serving. I made this today for my 3 ½ boy and when I am done feeding, he came to me opening his mouth not realizing that his portion is done, so I gave him another and he enjoyed it with a great pleasure. This is almost an instant dosa recipeand can be served as breakfast or snack.

Ingredients-

• 1 Cup Rice Flour
• ½ cup Maida
• 1 Cup Sour curd
• 3 Green chilies finely chopped
• 1 carrot shredded
• ½ onion finely chopped
• 1 tsp Cumin / Jeera  (optional)
• Salt according to taste

Spreaded Sour Dosa on the griidle (Left),Sour Dosa Batter(Right)/ Pulla Attu

Directions-

1. Mix all the above ingredients to a pouring consistency and let it sit for atleast 30 min.
2. Heat a flat griddle (Dosa Pan) and scoop one laddle of batter and spread outside in (regular dosas we scoop batter in the middle and spread it inside out, since the batter isin puring consistency, we should pour the batter from outside in). Put some oil on the edges and in the holes that are formed on top of dosa (this dosa may not be perfectly round)
3. Let it cook till it becomes golden brown and crunchy at the edges.
4. After 2 mins reverse to the other side and fry for for 30 sec. Make sure that the heat is on Med flame for these dosas.
5. Serve hot with ginger chutney and they will be eaten in no time.

Sour Dosa (Pulla Attu) served with ginger chutney

Shrimp (prawn) fry

I love sea food, mainly shrimp (prawns / Royallu) and fish(with shrimp being my most favorite).  It is really hard to find fresh sea food here in US. For years I cooked using the frozen cooked shrimp but that did not satisfied me. After trying these “raw brown shell on shrimp” from sams, I never craved for home fresh sea food any more. It really satisfied my sea food cravings. Shrimps really cooks fast. Once they turn pinkish white, curls and turn opaque that means they are done. If your shrimps turn rubbery solid and hard to crack that means you have overcooked them! For all my Non veggie recipes, I use fresh ground garam masala powder that gives immense flavor for the whole dish. Even though shrimp is high in cholesterol, once a while pampering our self with the foods we love is ok

Ingredients:

• 25-30 shrimps, fresh or frozen
• 1 big onion diced
• 3 green chilies
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 inch cinnamon stick
• cloves
• tbsp red chili powder
• ¼ tsp turmeric/haldi
• 1 tbsp coriander (dhaniya) powder (optional)
• 1 tsp cumin (jeera) seeds
• Cilantro/kothambir,roughly chopped for garnishing
• 1tbsp garam masala powder (coriander seeds, cinnamon, cloves roasted slightly and grounded to powder)
• Salt as per taste
• 1 stalk of curry leaves
• 10 cashew nut halves (optional)

  Directions-

1. For this recipe, I used “Frozen raw brown shrimp on shell” I found in sams club. So, when using frozen shrimps thaw them at room temperature and de vein them and clean under running tap water. Add a tsp of salt, chili powder, 1 tbsp ginger-garlic paste and let it sit while we start with the recipe.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add cinnamon stick, cloves. Let it sauté for a min, then add cashew nuts, let it sauté till they turn slight brown.
3. Add onions and green chilies, add a pinch of salt to sweat the onions and then add finely chopped curry leaves. This is the main ingredient that gives flavor to this dish.
4. Add turmeric/haldi, ginger- garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell is gone.
5. Add  shrimp, crainder powder, salt, chili powder and mix well so that all spices are blended together, cover and cook for 6-7 mins on medium flame.
6. When the shrimp is almost cooked, cook it further with out the lid, so that all the water evaporates and the curry becomes almost dry. Adjust the taste if needed.
7. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and serve with steam rice or pulav.
   

   Prawns /Royyala Fry

Stuffed Egg plant (brinjal) / Guthi Vankaaya

When talking about Andhra vegetarian Cuisine, Gutti Vankaya or Stuffed eggplant cuury is the one that will surely jog your memory. It is usually made with tender, short and round egg plants (brinjal) be it a white or green or purple (your choice of color) the taste is pure fiery heaven.

There are numerous ways of making this curry, but this is my moms recipe and our family favorite.

A part from its wonderful taste, this recipe provides a very healthy meal, as  it is loaded with protein packed peanuts and calcium rich sesame seeds. A good reason to make this dish more often in every ones house.

My family likes this with simple veggie pulav.

Tip: Adding peanuts (ground nuts) and sesame seeds (nuvvulu) enhances the taste and gives a nice nutty flavor which is the key to the curry.

Ingredients-

• 12 small round egg plants (Brinjals)
• 1 large Onion diced
• 1 tbsp Ginger Garlic paste
• lemon size tamarind ( soak and extract the pulp) or 2 tbsp of Tamarind paste
• 1/2 cup roasted Peanuts (Dry Roast and grind the peanuts)
• ¼ cup Sesame Seeds / Nuvvulu (Dry Roast and grind the sesame seeds)
• ½ inch cinnamon stick
• 3 cloves
• 1 bay leaf
• 1tbsp Garam masala powder
• Salt to taste
• 4 green chilies
• 11/2 tbsp red chili powder or adjust to taste
• ¼ tsp Turmeric
• ½ tsp cumin
• 3tbsps Oil
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Note- you can grind roasted peanuts and sesame seeds together

Stuffed baby green (Thai) eggplants curry

Directions-

1. For this recipe, I use pressure cooker. I know!!! Many of you might be rolling your eyes, but I bet this method makes it very easy and you can’t find one hard uncooked piece of eggplant, cooked in this way. This method may be new to you but, it is worth a try, the results are very satisfying.
2. Wash and cut egg plants (brinjals) from the opposite side of stem. Make a slit towards stem side but not all the way through i.e slit each brinjal into four sections lengthwise without cutting off the crown. Soak the slit brinjals in salt water.
3. Heat oil in pressure cooker. Add cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaf and cumin. Sauté them for few seconds.
4. Add onions, green chilies and fry them till onion tunrs little brown, add ginger garlic paste and sauté till the raw smell is gone.
5. Add brinjals to the cooker and sauté them on medium heat for 3-5 mins (if it burning, sprinkle little water to protect from burning)
6. Add the peanut and sesame powder. Sauté it for a min. Add tamarind pulp, salt and chili powder.
7. Cover and cook them until one whistle on medium heat. Let all the pressure release by itself.
8. Open the lid, adjust the taste and cook it further for 3 mins.
9. Add garam masala powder and cook it further till oil separates.
10. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it with steamed rice or roti or pulav.
    

    Guthi Vankaaya curry served with pulav