Rajma Sundal

In my post on Rajma Masala I had already mentioned that my MIL brings loads of them whenever she visits us.

So Rajma sneaks into my kitchen atleast once in a week. One another form of Rajma I make is Rajma Sundal.

This easy recipe just needs a little bit of planning as you need to soak the Rajma for at least 12 Hours.

Ingredients
Rajma - 1 Cup (Soaked overnight or 12 Hours)
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Dry Red Chilly  - 2
Asafoetida - a pinch
Coconut -1 tablespoon (shredded optional, I did not use it)
Oil -1/4 Teaspoon
Salt - as per taste

Method

Cook Rajma in a pressure cooker for 8 whistles. Allow the cooker to come to room temperature on it own.

In a pan, add little oil, once the oil is warm add the Mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.

Add red chilly and asafoetida and add the cooked Rajma.

Add salt and saute for few minutes. If you want , you can add the coconut at this point.

Munch on this healthy snack.

Alo Gobi Capsicum Sabzi/Potato Cauliflower Capsicum Sabji

I am huge fan of Potato (Who is not?). I make Potato in some form at least once in a week. However, as it is not healthy I can other vegetables and add one or two Potatoes and Make Sabji.

Ingredients
Potato - 2 (Medium, Boiled)
Cauliflower - Few Florets  (Par Boiled, I used Steamer)
Capsicum - 1/2 (Medium, Chopped)
Onion - 1 (Medium, finely Chopped)
Tomato - 1 (Medium, Finely Chopped)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 1/2 Teaspoon
Chilly Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Coriander Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - A pinch
Garam masala - 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt and Oil

Method

In a pan, add a Teaspoon of oil. Once the Oil is warm add the onion and saute it well. Once the onion is cooked add the tomato and saute for a minute and then add the ginger Garlic paste. Saute it well and add the salt so the tomatoes will get cooked soon.

Now add the Masala Powder and saute it well. Do not add any water. Cook it on the low flame and keep it covered.

If you are scared that the masala may burn, then sprinkle some water.

Once the raw flavour is gone, then add the Capsicum, Potatoes and Cauliflower and saute.

Cook for 5 minutes and serve with Rotis.

Kathirikka Kondakadalai Kara Kuzhambhu/ Brinjal Black Channa Gravy

I just cannot eat Dal or Sambhar daily. So I make this karakulambu at least once in a week. It is tangy and tasty. The Brinjal and Black Channa is such a fantastic combination which takes this recipe to a different level.

Ingredients
Small Brinjal - 6 (Cut and put in water so it does not turn black.
Black Channa - 1/4 - 1/2 Cup (Boiled)
Onion - 1 (Large,chopped)
Tomato - 1 (Large , chopped)
Garlic pods - 6
Asafoetida - a pinch
Gingelly oil - 1 Teaspoon
Salt
Tamarind - Golf Size (Soak it in 1 cup of warm water, make pulp and strain and use)
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 Teaspoon
Curry leaves Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Chilly powder - 1 Tablespoon
Jaggery - 1/4 Teaspoon

Method

In a pan, heat some oil. Add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.

Then add the Fenugreek seeds, onion and Saute. Once onion is done, add the garlic and Tomatoes.

Add half salt, so the tomatoes gets cooked faster. Then add the brinjal and saute for few minutes.

Now, add the masalas (Curry Leaves Powder and Chilly powder) and saute. Put the lid on and allow the brinjal to cook.

Once the Brinjal is cooked, add the Tamarind water. Cook till the raw flavor of the Tamarind water is gone.

Then add the  cooked black channa and simmer for 5 minutes.

Add the remaining salt and Jaggery and serve with Rice and appalam or any bland Poriyal like Cabbage Poriyal with coconut.

Notes

• Add the tamarind water only when the Brinjal is cooked. As once the Tamarind water is added, the Brinjal will not get cooked. 
• If you do not have the Curry leaves powder, then add Coriander powder and Curry leaves to the recipe. However the curry leaf powder, will bring a nice aroma to the dish. 
• If you have Jaggery available in your pantry, please do add it as it will enhance the taste of this gravy
• Add judicious amount of this gravy to rice. If you add too much of gravy like Sambhar or Rasam, it may be too tangy.
• Gingelly oil is preferable as it adds more taste to this gravy. 

Spaghetti with Broccoli

Usually whenever I had Spaghetti it is usually served with Tomato Gravy/Sauce. I am not a great fan of Tomato so made Spaghetti without tomato and loads of other veggies.

Ingredients

Spaghetti - 1 Cup (Cooked to Al Dente )
Chilli Flakes - For Seasoning
Italian Seasoning - For Seasoning
Cheddar Cheese - as much or as little as you like
Garlic - 5 pods (Crushed)
Mushroom/Broccoli -  5 (Cut into quarters)
Olive Oil - 1 Tablespoon
Tomato Ketchup - 1 Tablespoon
Oregano - For Seasoining
Basil - For Seasoning
Salt.

Method

• In a pan, add the olive oil and garlic and after 30 second add the Mushroom/Broccoli/Peas and toss for 3-4 Minutes.
• Then add the tomato ketchup,Italian Seasoning,chilli flakes,herbs and toss.
• Then add the pasta and salt and toss.
• Add shredded cheese, chilli flakes and serve hot.

Badusha/Balushahi

I Just cant believe that this is my 100th Post. About 4 years before, if someone would have asked about my cooking skills I would laughed but now it is a different story.

Navarathri is just getting over, and plan Diwali has already started. With few weeks left for Diwali, I have started to make the test batch for Diwali Snacks and savoury. The first Sweet I did for Badusha, as it is my favorite. It is quite easy to make, all that is required to make this is lot patience as the frying of Badusha has to be done slowly on the low flame.

The moment I searched for the recipe, there are a zillion methods explained in different blogs. I used the best of all techniques and made this. 

The Badusha that I made was crunchy outside and soft and flaky inside. 

Ingredients

All Purpose Flour/maida - 1.5 Cups
Butter - 1/4 Cup (Melted)
Oil - 1/8 Cup
Sugar - 1/2 Teaspoon
Cooking Soda - 1/8th Teaspoon
Fresh Curd - 1.5 Tablespoon.
Oil - For frying

For the Sugar Syrup
Sugar - 1/2 Cup
Water - To immerse the sugar
Lemon - 1/2 Teaspoon

Elachi powder - a pinch (Optional)

Method

In a bowl, Add butter,1/8th Cup of oil,Curd,Sugar, Cooking Soda and mix well it  it is frothy and foamy. 

To this add the Maida and mix well into a soft Dough. Dont Knead it too much. 

Cover and rest it for 20 minutes.

Divide into 12 equal portions and shape into a ball. Make a slight indentation in the center of the ball. 

Heat sufficient oil in a kadai and when it is medium hot, add the prepared dough balls and deep fry on very low heat.

Gradually the Badusha will start floating to the top. Turn gently and fry on the other side till golden. The entire process of frying has to be done on a very low flame.

Once the badusha is golden Brown, drain the excess oil and transfer it into the warm sugar syrup* and leave it for a minute and then arrange in a greased tray. 

*For the Sugar Syrup

In a heavy bottomed pan, place 1/2 cup of sugar and add just enough water to dissolve the sugar.Boil it till you get one string consistency

One string consistency is when you pull the sugar syrup between your thumb and index finger one fine thread has to be formed Before touching the sugar syrup to check for this consistency wet your fingers in water and be cautious as the sugar syrup will be hot

Squeeze lemon once the sugar syrup has come to the one string consistency. 

Herbed Bread Sticks

Last week when I went shopping to a supermarket, in the bakery section I saw the soup sticks. From that very moment I wanted to make these at Home. So I browsed through couple of blog for the recipe and found a fantastic recipe from priya's space here. So immediately made it and they were fantastic and it was fabulous with Spaghetti Pasta I made that day. 

Ingredients

All purpose flour/Madia - 2 Cups
Wheat Flour/Atta - 1 Cup
Dry yeast - 1 Tablespoon
Sugar - 1 Teaspoon
Salt - 1 Teaspoon
Luke warm Milk - 1/2 Cup 
Olive Oil - 2 Tablespoon
Coriander Leaves - 2 Tablespoon (Freshly Chopped)
Red Chilly Flakes - 1 teaspoon
Oregano - 1 Tablespoon
Thyme - 1 Tablespoon

Method
Add the yeast,sugar and salt to the luke warm milk and keep aside until the yeast turns foamy.

Take the flours in a bowl with chopped coriander leaves,red chilly flakes,dry oregano and dry thyme leaves,add gradually the foamy yeast,olive oil . I added Thyme,Oregano,Coriander as I had stock of them. Depending on your taste and availability you can add or skip any of these herbs. Knead as a soft and smooth dough,cover the bowl and keep the dough in a warm place for an hour. 
Once they doubled their size,punch down the dough,dust the dough with flour and roll them as a medium size long rope like strips.
Arrange the rolled breadsticks over a baking sheet lined over the baking tray.

Preheat the oven to 200C.
Bake the Breadsticks for 20-30 minutes at 200C. Brush them with butter once they are out of the oven (I did not do this step)

Once it is completely cooled off, store in a air tight box. Once the sticks have cooled down, they tend to become chewy. So serve them warm so they are crunchy.

To warm, use the Toast mode in your OTG and toast for 5-7 minutes. 

Kabuli Channa Masala

I am great fan of Channa Masala. It goes great with everything, Rice or Roti or Poori. I have tried cooking it in different ways and this way that I am sharing gives the amazing flavor in the channa as well as the curry.

Ingredients

Kabuli Channa - 1 Cup (Washed and Soaked for 12 hours or overnight)
Kasoori Methi or Dried Fenugreek Leaves - A pinch (Optional)
Coriander Leaves - For Garnishing
Yogurt - 1/2 Tablespoon (Optional)
Oil and Salt

To Grind into a paste:
Onion - 1  (Roughly chopped)
Tomato - 1 (Roughly chopped)
Green Chilly - 1 (Roughly Chopped)
Chilly Powder - 1 Teaspoon
Coriander Powder - 1 teaspoon
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 Teaspoon
Kitchen King - 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Teaspoon
Amchur Powder or Chat Masala - 1/2 Teaspoon
Ginger - 1 Inch
Garlic - 8 -1 0 pods

Method

Take all the Ingredients under 'To grind into a paste' in a mixer jar and grind into a smooth paste. Add little water if necessary.

Heat a Prssure cooker with a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is warm add the Paste to it and saute. Cover it with a lid and cook for 8-10 minutes, stirring it in a interval of 1 minute.

Drain the water from the soaked channa and add the drained Channa to the Cooker. Saute for 3-4 Minutes. Add 1/4th of the salt required for this recipe and saute. Now add the drained water into the cooker. Cover the Pressure cooker and put the whistle on.

Cook it on medium flame for 6-7 whistles. Switch off the stove and allow the Pressure to go off naturally. Once the Pressure is released, open the lid of the cooker and switch the stove on.

Once the mixture starts boiling add the salt, crush the Kasoori Methi between your palms and add it to the channa. Switch off the flame and add the Yogurt and stir it well. Add the Coriander Leaves.

Ready to be served with Rice or Roti. 

Ammini Kozhukattai

One more recipe of Kozhukattai,which is very easy to make. it is a savoury version so I love this a lot. We usually make this a lot during Navaratri and Ganesh Chathurthi. 

Ingredients

Processed Rice Flour/Idiyappam Flour - 1 Cup
Water - As required (I needed about 2.5 Cups)
Salt - As required
Idly Milagai Podi - 1 Tablespoon
Coconut - 2 Tablespoon (Shredded)
Mustard Seeds - 1/4 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves - 4 Nos
Dry Red Chilli - 2 (Optional)
Oil - 1 Teaspoon (Preferably Coconut or Sesame Oil)

Method

 In a vessel add the rice flour,Salt. To this, add the boiling water and mix well using a wooden Spatula. Make a soft dough.

Once it is warm enough for you handle it knead it well. Smear some oil on your hands if required.

Cover with a wet muslin cloth so the dough does not dry up and crack.

Using this dough, make small balls. The smaller the better.

While making these balls, ensure that you take a little quantity at a time and rest of the dough is covered with the wet towel.

Steam these in a greased Idly Pot for 10 minutes on a medium flame.

Heat a pan, with a tablespoon of oil and once it is hot add the mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. 

Then add the Curry Leaves and Red Chilli. Add the steamed Balls,Idly Milagai Podi and Coconut and gently toss them.

You can adjust Milagai Podi and Coconut to suit your Taste. 

Pal Kozhukattai/Paal Kozhukattai with Jaggery

In my post on Vella Kondakadalai Sundal, I had mentioned about the Paal Kozhukattai with Jaggery. This is more tasty and Yummy than the Pal Kozhukattai.

ingredients

Processed Rice Flour - 1 Cup (I used Store bought)
Milk - 1/2 Cup
Coconut Milk - 1/2 Cup (Thick Milk)+2 cup (Thin Milk)
Water - 1 Cup + to mke the Jaggery Syrup
Ghee - a Teaspoon
Jaggery - 1/2-3/4 Cup (As per your taste and colour of your Jaggery)
Cardamom Powder - as required
Salt - a pinch

Method:

In a pan, add the 1/2 cup of milk,1 cup of water and a teaspoon of Ghee and allow it to become warm.Once it is warm add the Processed Rice flour and mix it well.

Cook it till the mixture comes to a dough consistency.

Now remove the mixture from the stove and knead it well. Smear some oil on your hands if required.

Cover with a wet muslin cloth so the dough does not dry up and crack.

Using this dough, make small balls. The smaller the better.

While making these balls, ensure that you take a little quantity at a time and rest of the dough is covered with the wet towel.

In a vessel, add the thin coconut milk and let it to boil in a low flame. Then add the balls to the coconut milk. Cook for about 5 minutes. Stir to ensure that they don't get stuck to the bottom of the vessel.

Add the cardamom powder,jaggery Syrup* and cook for 4-5 minutes.

After switching off the stove,add the Thick Coconut milk and mix well and serve. 

Tips

*Jaggery Syrup

•  Break the Jaggery into small pieces. Place the broken Jaggery Pieces on a Pan and add just enough water so the Jaggery is immersed. I needed about 1 Cup of water.
• Now turn on the stove and stir and cook till the jaggery is all melted. Filter this using a Muslin cloth or small eye filter. 
• I wanted to make Payasam consistency, so this measurements were fine. If you want it thick, reduce the Thin Coconut Milk by 1/2 or 3/4 cup. Replace that 1/2 or 3/4 cup with the Jaggery syrup that you have made. 

Curry Leaves Powder/Karruveppillai Podi

Saturday is when Alok (My hubby) does the vegetable shopping from PazhaMudhir Nilayam .In my house, we make our own Chilly powder to which we add some curry leaves. So I told him to get some curry leaves.

When we came back from shopping, we had got a huge Branch of curry leaves. They were fresh and I did not feel like wasting them so I made this powder with them.

You can add this Powder to any Sambhar,Rasam or Sabzi or simply add this to hot rice with a spoon of ghee and appalam  and it will taste amazing.

One of the great use of this powder is also it will reduce Hair fall (Much needed for me)

Ingredients

Curry Leaves - 1 Cup

Gram Dhall/Urad Dhall/Thoor Dhall - 2 Tablespoon (Each)

Pepper - 1 Tablespoon

Dry Red Chillies - 5

Salt - As per taste

Method

Wash the curry leaves and dry it in shade overnight so no moisture is left. 

In a pan, dry roast all ingredients except salt. Dry roast them individually.

Roast the Dhall till it changes color slightly. Dry roast the pepper till the nice aroma comes. Dry Roast Curry Leaves and Dry red chilly for couple of seconds.

Let all ingredients to cool to room temperature. In a Mixer, first grind all the dhall,pepper and Chillies. Then add curry leaves and grind. Mix Salt and grind.

I have made it Coarse as I plan to use to have it with Rice. If you want you can also make it a fine powder.

Chocolate Fudge

Who does not have a weakness for Chocolate? I really wanted to make a choco fudge for a while and thats when I stumbled upon this website and found this simple and yet amazing recipe for Chocolate Cashew Fudge.

I do not even know the name of the blogger but she (I assume, as hardly I know of Men food Blogger) is very sweet and patiently answered all my questions.

Ingredients

Cashewnuts - 150 Grams (Roughly Broken using a Rolling pin)
Condensed Milk - 400  Grams (I used Milkmaid)
Dark Chocolate - 350 Grams (Chopped)
Salt - A pinch
Unsalted Butter - 2 Tablespoon at Room Temperature

Method

Take a heavy Bottom pan and add the Butter,Dark Chocolate,Condensed milk and pinch of salt and stir them well till the chocolate melts. Do this whole process on low flame.

Use a whisk to stir it as it gives a smooth,silky mixture very easily.

Once the chocolate is melted, remove the mixture from the stove and stir in the cashew nuts.

Meanwhile, take a baking tray and place an aluminium foil on it. Now pour the Choco Cashew mixture on the tray.

Set this in fridge for at least 12 hours. In my house, no one was ready to wait till then so started making the pieces within 2 hours and it was little Goey.

So don't do that, allow it to set overnight or 12 hours and cut them into pieces.

Voila, you have a yummy,chewy Chocolate Fudge.

I also added some cashew on top of it. This is optional.

Vella Kondakadalai Sundal/Kabuli Channa Sundal

As Navaratri is to start I thought to share this simple recipe to make Sundal. Will try and post as many variants as possible. Apart from this in our house, we will offer Kheer,Pal Kozhukattai, Kara Kozhukattai,Mothagam,Akkaravadisal,Vada as Prasadam.

My mom also makes the Variant of Paal Kozhukattai with Jaggery, which I will post in a day or two.

Sundal is a important Prasadam offered to goddess Devi during Navaratri in TamilNadu.

This recipe needs little bit of planning as we have to soak Kondakadalai or Channa.

Ingredients
Vella Kondakadalai /Kabuli Channa - 1 Cup (Washed and soaked overnight)
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 Teaspoon
Dry Red Chillies - 2
Asafoetida/Hing - A pinch
Salt and Oil
Water

Method

Pressure cook the soaked Channa for 5 whistles. Add just enough water so the Channa is immersed.

I add half of salt and Asafoetida while cooking the Channa. However, you can also add it during tempering. My feel is that if I add the salt later then the channa does not seem to adsorb the salt.

In a pan, add very little oil and once the oil is hot, add the Mustard seeds and allow them to splutter, then break the Dry red chillies into 2 pieces and add that also. If you haven't added the asafoetida, you can add it now.

To this add the cooked (Drain if excess water is there)  channa and Saute for 2-3 minutes.

Healthy, tasty Sundal is ready.

Tips

•  If you want, you can add grated coconut and saute in the tempering just before adding the channa. I did not add coconut.
• If you have added more water to the channa during cooking, drain the channa before adding it to the tadka.
• Do not discard the water that you have drained from the channa as it will have lot of nutrition. You can use it to make Rasam or Sambhar.

Nutella Rolls/Butter Horns

I regularly follow Priya's and this website. This recipe is an amalgamation of recipes from both of these websites. I liked a recipe in both of these recipes, but was feeling too lazy to make them as two seperate recipe. So selected the best part of both and made this recipe.

Nutella is the filling I used, you can use any filling.

Ingredients

Luke Warm Milk - 3/4 Cup
Dry Yeast - 1/2 Teaspoon
Maida /All purpose flour - 2 Cups
Salt - 1/2 Teaspoon
Melted Butter -2 Tablespoon
Sugar - 2 Tablespoon
Nutella/Peanut Butter/Any Jam - For filling

Method

In a mixing bowl, add the Lukewarm milk, sugar and salt and mix well. To this add the yeast and give it a mix. Cover it and let it sit for 5 minutes or till frothy.

To this yeast mixture, add the Maida,Butter and Knead well in to pliable smooth Dough. It may take 8-10 minutes.

Transfer the dough to a greased vessel and keep it aside for 1 hour or till it is doubled.

Once it has doubled, take the dough and knock it down.

Divide this dough into 12-15 equal portion.

On a floured surface, place the dough and using a rolling pin spread it into a rectangular shape

Using a Pizza cutter or knife , make patterns on one side of the rectangle. On the other side, leave 1/2 inch and place the filling of your choice.

Now start rolling from the side where you have placed the filling. Place these rolls on a greased Baking Tray.

Allow them to raise for 45-60 minutes.

Pre heat the oven for 10 minutes at 200c. Bake these rolls at 200c for 12-15 minutes. Each oven is different, so keep a close eye on the 10th minute.

Once done, remove it from the oven and cool it on a cooling rack. You can grease it with butter, if you want. 

Potato Cheese Cutlets

Who does not love Potatoes? That too Potato and Cheese is a such a heavenly and sinful combination. So I decided to make this Potato Cheese Cutlet. If you have boiled potatoes it will make only couple of minutes to get this amazing snack.

Ingredients

Potato - 2 (Medium, boiled and mashed)
Green Peas - 1/4 Cup (Boiled and roughly mashed)
Cheese - 3-4 Tablespoon (I used grated Mozzarella)
Green Chillies - 2 (Finely Chopped or you can use Chilly Sauce)
Garam masala - 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt - as per taste
Oil - for Tawa Fry
Maida/Rice flour/Corn Flour - 1 Tablespoon (Anyone of these Flour)

Method

Mash the Potatoes without any lumps. In a mixing Bowl, add all ingredients except Oil and mix them well.

Slightly wet your hands, make a Lemon Sized ball of the mixture and pat into Tikki.

Meanwhile, warm the non stick Tawa and add 2 tablespoon of oil.

In the heated Tawa, arrange the tikki and cook till it is golden brown on all sides.

Serve with Tomato Ketchup or Cheesy Dip (I will post this recipe soon)

Tips

You may add any of the flour to help you get the right consistency. However, too much of the flour will spoil the taste of the Cutlet.

The trick is to reduce the moisture in the potatoes as much as possible. The best solution is use a steamer to boil your Potato, instead of cooking them in Pressure cooker.

If you are using Pressure cooker, then dont leave the potato in the cooker once it is done. Remove them immediately from the water.

Lets say, in your cooker it takes 2 whistles for the potatoes to get cooked. After 2 whistles, switch off the flame and put the pressure cooker under cold running water for few minutes, so the pressure inside is completely released.Once the pressure is completely released, Then you can open the pressure cooker and remove the potatoes from the water, peel them and mash them.