Aloo Vankaya Curry

I came very late to home and was so hungry. I wanted to make something real quick, tasty and less spicy and ofcourse with less oil. Here is the recipe that I tried and came out really good. I enjoyed my dinner with phulkas. This can go well with hot rice too. Here you go:
Ingredients:
Aloo or White Potatoes – 2
Vankaya or Brinjal –3
Ginger – Half inch piece, sliced very thin pieces
Tomatoes – 1 (sliced into small pieces)
Onion – 1 small piece (1/4th of a big onion)
Coriander Powder – 1 spoon
Oil – 2 spoon
Turmeric – a pinch
Red chilli powder – 1 spoon (As per taste)
For Seasoning or Tadka or Popu:
Chana dal – ½ tsps
Urad Dal – ½ tsps
Mustard Seeds – ½ tsps
Jeera seeds – ½ tsps
Curry leaves – 2 to 3

Recipe:
Take a bowl of water, put some salt in it. Cut the brinjals into 4 pieces and put in salt water. Peel the potatoes and cut into small cubes. Take a pan, heat the oil. Add Chana Dal, Urad Dal, jeera seeds and mustard seeds for Tadka and let it turn golden brown. Add curry leaves and Onions, and sliced Ginger pieces. let it turn brown. Add brinjal and potatoes (without water) and add salt, turmeric into it. Mix well, close the lid and cook on medium heat for 10 mins. Add a small glass of water, and coriander powder, red chilli powder, and sliced tomato. Mix well and cook for 10 more mins. This will be good with Roti or Hot rice.

Beans & Carrots Fry

This is a very simple and common recipe which can be used with frozen carrots and beans. Generally if it is really urgent then only I prefer frozen vegetables. As I prefer going to Farmers market for fresh vegetables. I love the freshness and colors of Vegetables. This takes little longer than the frozen vegetables, but still I like making this way because of its taste. You can also try once if you have some time to explore the taste of GREEN And RED colors :)



Ingredients:

Beans - 0.5 lbs
Carrots - 3
Dry Coconut - 1 small piece
Pappulu / Bhua Chana - 2 spoons
Garlic - 1 clove

Redchilli powder - 1 or 1/2 tsps
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsps
Salt to Taste
Oil - 2 tsps

For Seasoning / Tadka:
Mustard Seeds - little bit, 1/4 tsp
Jeera seeds - 1/4 tsp
urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Curry Leaves - 5

Preparation:

Cut the Beans into half inch pieces. Cut the Carrots into half inch pieces. Boil the water and cook Beans and Carrots for 5 mins. Drain the water and keep Carrots and Beans aside. Grind the Dry coconut, pappulu (Bhua Chana) and garlic into coarse powder and keep it aside. Take a pan and heat the oil. Fry mustard seeds, jeera seeds, urad dal and curry leaves. Add Carrots and Beans, add salt and a pinch of turmeric. Fry the vegetables till the water completely goes out. Add red chilli powder and add the ground coconut powder, mix well and close the lid. cook it for 5 mins on low medium heat. Serve hot.This will be a perfect side dish with Rice or Roti.

Cauliflower - Tomato Curry

Most of the times, I am very busy with my hectic schedules at work. But some how I am not very fond of eating outside. I prefer cooking in the morning for my lunch and going to work with lunch box (I call it as my dabba :)). so generally I prefer reciepes with less time consumption with more healthy options. And ofcourse with less calories too :) This is one of fastest and tastiest receipe with 15 mins of preparation time.




Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 Medium
Ginger - 1" Small piece
Tomato - 2 medium

Red Chilli Powder - 1 or 1 1/2 spoons
Jeera Powder - 1/2 tsps ( I prefer Shan Jeera Powder)
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tsps (I prefer Shan Garam Masala)
Turmeric Powder
Salt to Taste
Oil - 2 tsps

For Seasoning / Tadka:
Mustard Seeds - little bit, 1/4 tsps
Chana dal - 1/2 tsps
urad dal - 1/2 tsps
Curry Leaves - 5
Coriander Leaves - 5

Preparation:

Cut the Cauliflower florets and rinse with cold water. Chop the Ginger into small pieces. Cut tomatos into medium pieces. Heat the oil in a pan and fry mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal and curry leaves. Add Cauliflower florets to the pan and add salt and turmeric. Mix well, close the lid and cook for 10 mins on medium heat. Stir occassionally. Add Tomottoes, jeera powder, garam masala powder, Red chilli powder. Mix well and cook on medium heat for 5 mins. Remove heat and garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot. This curry will go with Rice or Roti.

Pudina Pachadi / Mint Chutney

I am big fan of Aroma, especially the natural fragrance of greens. This weekend I went to Indian Groceries, I was attracted by Fresh Pudina (Mint) and I bought a biiig bunch of Pudina leaves. Thanks to India Cash n Carry. :) I recollected the taste of stone ground Pudina chutney that my mother used to do in my childhood and I tried for the same taste using a mixie. This came out well, and tastes yummy succesfully close to what my mom used to make. My sister liked it so much :) that she emptied the entire bowl of pudina chutney !!



Ingredients:

2 bunches of Pudina - Separate the leaves and rinse them thoroughly, Dry them for 5 mins on a paper to remove extra water.
Green Chilies - 6 - Cut into half
Dry Coconut Chopped into thin Slices - 1 small cup
Tamarind - 1 small lime size
1 medium Onion - Slice to big pieces.

Oil - 3 tsps
Salt to Taste


Preparation:
Clean the tamarind and Soak Tamarind in little water for 5 mins. Heat few drops of oil in a pan and fry the green chilies for 2 mins. Remove the chilies and keep in a separate plate. Fry dry chopped coconut for 1 min. Coconut burns very fast and it will change the taste. Make sure that you fry Coconut only for few seconds or min on low medium heat. Remove the coconut and keep aside. Heat 1 tsps oil, and sautee the onions for 2 mins. It will add taste to onion and will not change the texture of onions. Remove the onions from the pan and keep aside. Add 1 tsps oil, and fry Pudina leaves till it looses the water. Stir in the middle to avoid the burning. Once it is done, keep it aside.

Grind the coconut into powder. Add Chilies to coconut, and salt to taste and grind for a while. Add Pudina leaves into Coconut, add little bit of Tamarind water and grind till comes as a coarse paste. Add Sauteed Onions and mix it for a sec. Dont grind Onions, Chutney will become watery and it changes the taste. This chuntey is good with Hot rice or with Chapathis or with Dal and Potato Fry.

Dondakaya (Tindora)- Stir Fry

Ingredients:

Dondakayalu (Tindora) - 0.5 lbs or (20 to 25 in number)

For Seasoning or popu or Tadka:
mustard seeds
cumin seeds
chana dal
urad dal
curry leaves
Oil - 2 tsps
Garlic Clove- 1 Chopped (Optional)
salt to taste
Pinch of turmeric powder

Coarse Dry Coconut Powder - 1 tsps
Red Chilli Powder - 1 tsps (according to taste)


Preparation:
Wash and cut the tip ends. Slice the dondakayalu legth wise into 4 pieces. Heat the oil in a pan, and fry the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal into golden brown color. Add curry leaves and chopped garlic and stir for a second. Add sliced dondakayalu into the pan, add salt, turmeric and stir well. Close the lid and cook on medium low heat. Stir in the middle to avoid burning. Cook till Dondakayalu loose its mositen. Remove the lid and stir occassionally on medium heat till it begin to turn deeper color. Finally add the red chilli powder and coconut powder. Sautee for 5 mins on low heat.

Serve with Rice or Roti / Chapathi.

Make sure to cook the dondakayalu immediately after cutting. Clean your hands with salt after cutting the dondakayalu to avoid stains or stickiness. Remove the tips of dondakayalu before slicing into 4 pieces.

My Salute to the Indian Army/ NSG Commandos - War in Mumbai

I planned for Thanksgiving dinner and wanted to restart my cooking blog. I casually turned on TV and was shocked on watching live telecast of Mumbai Attacks in CNN. I hosted the guests as I already invited for dinner but did not enjoyed it at all. My sister turned off TV when she saw me crying. I cried because I couldnt do anything for country. I cried because our irritational, selfish, stupid, corrupt, multi millionaire politicians who are using this situation for their benefits, who wanted to divide people for their selfish needs. I cried because of our beloved stardom heros showed their cowardness and incapability in making their comments. I cried because most popular celebrities, politicians are still wanted to take advantage of caste, religion and region.
They should atleast open their eyes and learn from these simple and brave soldiers who sacrificed their lives. They did not ask or aware of which language or which caste or which region they are helping. For them its their country.

Our armed forces are one of the best in the world, we may not have as sophisticated gadgets as the US marines have but we score over the rest of the world in terms of bravery. We are proud to have such a good army, commandos and police. I salute every person - the commandos, the police and the general public, who rescued us from the national crisis. I pay highest respects to those who bravely sacrificed their lives to save innocent people.
"May Their Souls Rest In Peace".

Aloo Stir Fry (Potato Stir Fry)

Ingredients

Potatoes - 3 medium
red chili powder - 1 tsp
turmeric - 1/4 tsps
Salt for taste

For seasoning:
Mustard, Cumin, Chana dal Urad dal and curry leaves
One chopped garlic clove (Optional)


Preparation:

Peel the skin and slice the potatoes into small cubes. In a pan, add two tsps of oil and heat on medium heat. Season (Tadka or Popu) with chana dal, urad dal, jeera and mustard seeds. Add one chopped garlic clove (optional). Add sliced potatoes to the oil, add salt, turmeric. Stir and close the lid. Cook on low medium heat for 10 mins. Add few drops of water, stir and cook on medium heat for 5 mins. Add curry leaves, red chilli powder and stir fry on medium high heat till potatoes turn to golden brown in color. Serve hot.

ThanksGiving Dinner - Stuffed Turkey

Ingredients:

Turkey Breast
Vegetable Oil - 2 tbsp

For Stuffing:

Celery - 2 to 3 tender sticks
White Onions - 1 (big)
Carrots - 2
Bread Crumbs - half cup
Salt to taste
Fresh ground Pepper
Cinnamon - 3 sticks
Cloves - 6
Garlic - 20 cloves
Fresh Ginger - 1" (chopped into long pieces)
Turmeric - pinch
Chicken Stock
Orange zest - 1 tsp
Thyme leaves
RoseMary Leaves
Parsley - 1 cup (Chopped)

Seasoning:
Butter - 2 Cubes
Salt to taste
Lime - 3 to 4

Preparation:

Make small slits in the Turkey breast with sharp knife. Marinate the turkey breast with Lime, Salt and pinch of turmeric. Make sure to spread the lime mixture in the incessions. Keep it refrigirated for 8 hours.

Stuffing Preparation: Cut the Onions, Celery and Carrots into small pieces. Take a pan and heat 2 tsps of oil. Add celery, onions and Carrots with a pinch of salt to the oil and fry for 10 - 15 minutes under medium heat. Just before it gets golden brown , add bread crumbs, Thyme leaves, Rosemary leaves and Orange Zest and fry it for 5 minutes. Add 1 small cup of chicken stock to the mixture in the pan and fry it for 5 more minutes. Add chopped Parsley to the mixture. Remove the heat and keep the stuffing aside.

Take a fresh pan , add butter cubes to the heated Pan. Keep the Turkey in the Baking Tray. Apply the melted butter to the Turkey with a brush and to the Baking tray. Now take a sppon and lift the incessions and stuff the turkey with the stuffing prepared. Sprinkle Salt , pepper, Parsley and Lime Juice on the Turkey and spread it evenly. Put the chopped ginger, garlic cloves, remaining Thyme Leaves and Rose Mary Leaves around the Turkey in the Baking tray. Now cover the Baking tray with Aluminium foil. Preheat the Oven at 350 deg for 20 mins. Carefully keep the Baking tray with the Turkey in the oven and Bake it for 90 minutes. Remove the Turkey from the oven after it is cooked and add onions and fresh Parsley for garnishing.

Thanksgiving Dinner - Mashed Potatoes

Golden Brown Potatoes - 6 no.
Garlic Cloves - 3 or 4
Bay Leaves - 2 to 3
Butter - 2 cubes
Half & Half Milk - 1/2 gallon
Heavy Cream - 1/2 to 3/4 cup
Salt
Pepper -- For Garnish
Thyme Leaves - For Garnish


Peel the potatotes and cover with water sufficient to cover in a heavy-bottomed pan. Add little Salt, garlic cloves and bay leaves to the potatoes. Cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat slightly and simmer until potatoes are fork-tender. Drain potatoes and remove the Bay leaves. Return empty pan to heat and add butter, leaving until butter melts. In a separate pan, bring cream or milk to boil. Remove from heat immediately when it starts to Boil. Mash the pototoes. Add half and half milk, heavy cream and salt untill potatoes are smooth and fluffy. Sprinkle pepper powder on Potatoes and Garnish with with Thyme Leaves.