Aloo matar

I love aloo matar -it is a curry type dish,My kid has it -only aloos & no matar.I am surprised that kids nowadays rarely eat peas.I still eat peas while I am opening the pea pods.They are so tender & fresh -so juicy !

Ingredients : 2-3 large potatoes.1/2 cup peas,2-3 tomatoes, 1 small carrot, 1 medium onion,1-2 green chillies, 1/2 inch ginger,1 sprig of  kadipatta,1 tsp dhania powder, 1/2 tsp jeera, 1/4 tsp pepper powder ( optional ),1/ 4  tsp garam masala powder( optional ) ,1/4 tsp haldi,1/4 tsp hing,1 tbsp oil,salt to taste.

Method : Cut onions ,green chillies,ginger Blend them in a mixer .In a pressure cooker or  pressure pan  , take oil.Heat up the oil.add jeera. When they splutter, add the green chillies-ginger-onion mix.Let it be on slow gas.

Dice the carrot into small pieces.Add diced carrot pieces in mixer.Run the mixer.The carrot will get diced into smaller pieces.Add roughly chopped tomatoes & run mixer again .After 2-3 grinding in mixer, there will be smooth carrot tomato puree.Meanwhile the smell of raw onions would have gone away from the pressure pan  where the green chilli onion ginger mix is getting heated.Add this carrot tomato puree to the pressure pan .Mix nicely.Add dhania powder.If adding black pepper powder, please add at this stage.Mix nicely.Add haldi powder.Mix.Add salt .Mix. By this time,smell of raw tomatoes would have gone away. Please keep gas on slow mode.

Add washed peas to the pressure pan Cut potatoes .Add these potatoes to the pressure pan.Mix all ingredients nicely in pressure pan.Add 1/2 to 3/4 cup water water to mixer grinder .so that whatever puree is sticking to grinder insides is mixed with water.Add this water to pressure pan.If adding garam masala powder, please add in end ....just before closing the pan with lid & whistle. Put on lid of pressure pan with whistle.Increase gas to high mode.Pressure cook for 1 whistle .Then lower the heat ( make gas on slow mode ) & cook for 10-15 minutes on slow gas.Put off gas.After cooker cools,remove lid.The aloo matar is ready to be served.

Remove lid.All matar curry is ready to be served-garnished with grated cheese and or fresh dhania.

If a thinner curry is desired ,then more  water can be added to the pressure pan before pressure cooking.In the alternative, if the curry is thick after opening lid of pan ,add water & bring it to boil once.

If curry has got very thin, 1/4 tsp flax sed powder or more ( not more than 1 tsp ) can be added & mixed. After 15-20 minutes, curry wil get thicker. Or one can add roasted gram powder to curry. Mix nicely so that no lumps remain. Bring curry to a boil by stirring occasionally so that no lumps are formed. Alternatively, one can add 1 tbsp chickpea flour ( chana dal flour ) to thicken the curry. Bring curry to boil while stirring so that no lumps get formed.

For those who do not eat onions, skip adding the onions.

Eggless strawberry bread

I had strawberries &I had made strawberry cake before,I needed a new recipe.I came caross this strawberry bread @ http://priyaeasyntastyrecipes.blogspot.in/2011/06/eggless-whole-wheat-strawberry-bread.html

I made some changes & baked it !

Ingredients : 1 cup multigrain atta ( I used Pillsbury ),1/4 tsp baking soda,1/4 tsp baking powder,a pinch of salt,
1/2 cup sugar, 1/3 cup strawberry puree,1/3 cup dahi,1/2 tbsp vinegar,1 tbsp oil,some strawberries to line the bottom of the bread( optional ).

Method : Pureesome strawberries in a blender.Add  sugar & blend again.Keep aside in abowl Add vinegar & dahi & oil.Mix again.Keep aside.

Mix  multigrain atta,baking powder,baking soda & salt nicely.Make awell in the centre of this mixture.Pour the strawberry puree mix into this well.Whiskthis all so that no lumps remain.The batter must have drop down consistency.If batter is thick ,add some more dahi.Mix agian. Keep aside.

Take a glass vessel & line the bottom  with butter paper.On the botter paper ,line with thin slices of fresh strawberries in any fashion as you please.Pour the batter into the glass vessel lined with strawberries .Bake in  microwave for 8 minutes.Put off microwave.Let it cool.

After 10 minutes,remove vessel from microwave. Prick the cake with fork or knife.If it comes out clean,cake is done.If not bake for 1-2 minutes more.Cool.

After the vessel is out of microwave,let it cool for 15 minutes.Then put the vessel upside down on to a plate. The cake will drop down on to the plate.Remove the vessel.Let the cake cool for 5 more minutes.Now cut into desired shapes & serve.

The bottom slices of strawberries was not a good idea.They had become mushy.The sugar ,I used was of a very sweet taste- of some prasada ( temple offering ). The only strawberry taste, I detected, was from the thin slices of strawberry at the bottom of the cake.At the next attempt,I must add more strawberry puree to cake batter & maybe ordinary or even brown sugar.

Banana jaggery bread

I had tried making banana bread with jaggery & it had turned out well.So ,I googled for the recipe & came across one @http://panchamrutham.blogspot.in/2011/02/eggless-banana-bread-with-jaggery.html

I made some changes & here is my recipe.

Ingredients: 1 cup multi grain atta ,1 tspbaking powder ,1/4 tsp,baking soda,1/4 tsp cardamaom  powder,1/3 cup powdered jaggery,1 tbsp oil ,2 over ripe bananas, 1/4 cup dahi ( yoghurt ),a pinch of salt.

Method : Mix multi grain flour with baking soda & baking poder nicely.Add cardamaom powder.Mix nicely.Keep aside.

Peel off the banana skin & mash the bananas.Add powdered or grated jaggery to mashed bananas.Blend this mix in mixer or blender.Add dahi.Blend. Add oil & blend again.

Now ,add this banana puree to the multigrain  mix .Mix nicely with whisk.No lumps must remain.

Take a bowl or bread vessel ( a rectangular glass container ) & line it with butter paper.Pour the batter on to the butter paper .Bake in microwave for 8 minutes.Let it cool.Prick the bread with toothpik .If the toothpik is clean ,then bread is ready.Otherwise bake for 1-2 minutes.Cool for 5 minutes after putting off microwave.

Cool bread out of the microwave for another 15 minutes.Now put the vessel upside down on to a plate.The bread will drop down.If butter paper is sticking to bread ,please remove carefully.Cut into desired shapes & serve.

This turned out to be on the drier side-rubbery texture.Next time around ,I will add more dahi. Maybe, add 1/4 cup dahi more,making a total of 1/2 cup dahi so that consistency will be drop down consistency.This is because for microwave baking ,consistency has to be thinner than for electric oven.

Badam halwa.

I came across this sweet @http://www.talimpu.com/2012/10/01/almond-kova/
I made it in my own way.It turned out awesome & my kid devoured it !

This is very simple recipe.

Ingredients : 1 cup malai removed from milk & stored in freezer,1/3 cup sugar,20 almonds,2-3 kesar strands.

Method : I remove malai & keep in freezer daily.When it amounts to 1 cup.I de freeze it.

Powder sugar & almonds in mixer .Keep aside.

Heat the malai in a kadhai till it starts thickening .Add 2-3 strands of kesar.Add almond sugar powder to the thickening malai.

Stir while all get mixed up & become more thick.Put off gas.Serve in bowl.

The sweetness is just right.If you are fond of more sweetness,please increase the amount of sugar to be added.

My daughter just gobbles it up, in one sitting !

Til barfi

Sesame seeds are full of calcium.They are a rich source of iron too.Til sweets are a must at Makar Sankranti.

I have learnt this from my Atya ,a very simple recipe of Til barfi.

Ingredients: 1 cup unpolished white sesame seeds,1 cup chikki  jaggery,a tsp of ghee,1 /2 tsp cardamom powder ( optional ).
Unpolished white sesame seeds look brownish in colour.

Method : Dry roast sesame seeds till they start spluttering.Put off gas.Keep turning the seeds with a ladle even though gas is off.Keep aside.

In a pan ,heat the chikki  jagerry till it melts completely.Be careful as this chikki jaggery melts fast.If it gets overheated,it will get hard.Put off gas.

Add the roasted sesame seeds.Add cardamom powder.Mix nicely till all seeds are coated with jaggery. Take a plate to which ghee has been applied all over on the surface.Now remove  the semisolid jaggery sesome mixture with ladle & on to a plate.Roll the mixture with a chappati rolling pin to spread the mixture evenly.Then cut into desired shapes.

After the spread has been made uniform.Wait for 5-10 minutes.Cut into desired shapes.If left on plate,it will become hard.Then ,one may have to warm the plate so that the barfis can be removed smoothly without breaking into uneven shapes.If it has hardened ,while it is in pan,it can be warmed slightly to make it soft.

Nowadays I have started using ordinary jaggery in place of chikki jaggery & it turns out equally good ! And following Sangeeta Khanna's recipe, I use  1 cup til & half a cup jaggery. The idea is to make it less sweet & more nutritious !

Pomegranate raita

This is one of my atya's favourite raita.Raitas are wonderful-  green cooking meaning absolutely no cooking or in exceptional cases,minimal cooking is needed.Raiats are ready in a jiffy & make use of raw ingredients. Riatas are in effect fruits and or veggies in combination with dahi ! A complete health food.A complete meal in itself.If it has fruit ,it is also the dessert !

Ingredients : 1 pomegranate,2 tbsp dahi,1/2 tsp roasted cumin powder,1/2 tsp pepper powder,salt to taste.

Method : Wash pomegranate.Remove the peel of the fruit & deseed it.Put all the seeds in a plate.Keep aside.

In a bowl ,take dahi & beat it till it has paste consistency.Add the pomegranate seeds & mix.Now add the roasted jeera powder & pepper powder & mix.Add salt & mix again.

The raita is ready -so colorful & healthy !

Puliogare rice

Puliogare is offered as prasadam in many temples in South India.It has sourness , sweetness,saltiness as also pungency of chillies.Tamarind paste can be kept for  days as it has a good shelf life.In Chennai ,this paste is available in the Grand Sweets & in other shops.Just buy a bottle & keep.Whenever ,one feels too tired,just cook rice.Mix with this paste with rice & eat it by mouthfuls.Then gulp down a glass of buttermilk to soothe the tongue.

I have learnt to make this paste at home.Please check out the recipe for tamarind paste here.

Ingredients :1 cup  rice,1 lemon ball of tamarind, 2 tbsps oil,1-2 green chillies,1-2 red chillies ( byadgi mirchi ),1 tbsp jaggery,1 tbsp rasam powder ,1/4 tsp red chilli powder,1/4 tsp fenugreek powder ( dry roast fenugreek seeds & pound them in mixer ),1 tsp mustard seeds,1 tsp urad dal,1 tsp chana dal,1 tbsp peanuts,a few sprigs of curry leaves,1/4 tsp hing,1/2 tsp haldi,salt to taste.

Method :Pressure cook rice.Keep aside.

In a small thick bottomed vessel ,take the tamarind & add 1 cup water.Heat it & bring to boil.Drain the thick water containing tamarind pulp.Take the tamarind pulp taste,add fenugreek powder,  rasam powder ,red chilli powder & jaggery.Boil the pulp some more time till it becomes paste consistency.Keep aside.

In another vessel ,prepare seasoning.Add oil & heat it.Add mustard seeds.When they splutter add urad dal followed by chana dal.When they become golden brown ,add peanuts.After peanuts change colour ,add green chillies & curry leaves.Lastly add red chillies & hing & haldi.Put off the gas.

Spread the cooked rice on to a plate.Add the tamarind paste & the seasoning & salt.Mix nicely all rice & the tamarind paste & seasoning.The lip smacking puliogare is ready !