Bottlegourd curry (Surakkai)

Bottlegourd curry

This curry is very simple to make and taste yummy. It is very good for the people who are diabetic and also for the people who are on diet. It goes very well with rotis and rice.

Ingredients:

1. Bottlegourd - 1 cup

2. Onion - 1 

3. Greenchilly - 2

4. Turmeric powder - 1 tsp

5. Mustard and Jeera - 1 tsp

How to Prepare:

Chop the onion, green chillies and the bottlegourd. Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add jeera followed by chopped onion and green chillies. Saute it well. Add the chopped bottlegourd and cook for 5 minutes.Dont add water as the vergetable itself contains water. Cover it with a lid and cook on a medium flame. Once it is half cooked, add turmeric powder and salt and let it cook for 7-8 more minutes. Once the gravy becomes thick switch off the stove. Serve with roti or rice.

Pictorial:

Chop the onions and green chillies                       Chop the bottlegourd

Heat oil and add mustard, jeera                                  Add onion, green chilly and bottlegourd

Add turmeric powder                                                 Cook well

Serve it with roti or rice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carrot Halwa

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

1. Carrot (grated) - 1 cup

2. Sugar - 3/4 cup

3. Milk - 1/2 cup

4. Cashewnut - 2 tbsp

5. Ghee - 1 tbsp

How to Prepare:

Wash the carrots and grate it nicely. I used a food processor. Keep it aside. Heat ghee in a pan and add the cashewnuts and fry them. Keep it aside. In the same ghee add the grated carrots and saute well. Add sugar and stir well till it melts. Add milk and continuously stir it until it becomes thick and leaves the sides of the pan. Add cashewnuts and mix well. Serve it hot or cold.

Pictorial:

Wash the carrots                                                          Cut into pieces

Grate it using food processor                                        In ghee, fry the cashewnuts

Keep it aside                                                                Add the carrots in the same ghee

Add sugar                                                                    Stir it till the sugar melts

Add milk                                                                      Stir it well

Stir it until it becomes thick and leaves the sides.

Yummy carrot halwa is ready!!!!!!!!!!!

Thayir Vadai (Dahi Vada)

Thayir Vadai

Ingredients:

1. Urad Dhal - 1 cup
2.Green chilly - 1
3. Curd - 1 1/2cups
4. Milk - 1/2 cup
5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
6. Jeera Powder - 1 tsp
7. Coriander leaves - few
8. Oil - for frying
9. Boondi - for Garnishing

 

How to prepare:

Soak the urad dhal in hot water for 4 hours. Grind it to a thick paste and add salt and green chilly. Mix it well and keep it aside.  Beat the curd well and add the milk and add salt and jeera powder. In a kadai add little oil and add mustard seeds. Once it splutters add it to the curd mix. Keep it aside. Heat oil in kadai and fry the vadas. Put it in the curd mixture. Garnish it with coriander leaves . Add boondi only while serving, otherwise it will lose its crispiness. Add a pinch of red chilly powder. Serve hot or cold.

Pictorial:

 Beat curd and add milk                                              Add mustard seeds

Grind the urad dhal to a thick paste                            Make vadas and fry them

Vadas are ready                                                          Soak the vadas in the curd mixture

Garnish it with a pinch of red chilly powder, coriander leaves and boondi!!!!!!!!!!! 



Vegetable Biriyani

Vegetable Biriyani

Biriyani is always my favorite either it is vegetable or chicken. Vegetable biriyani can be done in different ways. This version is very simple and very less time consuming. I have not used the masala powders in this version. Chilly powder is replaced by dry chillies and the masala powder is replaced by the whole garam masala. Its not very spicy, if you need more spice then you can add more dried red chillies.



 Ingredients:

1. Basmati Rice - 1 cup
2. Onion - 1
3. Tomato - 1
4. Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
5. Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
6. Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1tbsp
7. Dried Red chilly - 5
8. Vegetables (carrot,beans,green peas)
9. Bay leaves - 2
10. Clove - 1tsp
11. cardamom - 1tsp
12. Cinnamin - 1 stick
13. Saunf - 1tsp
14. Pepper (crushed) - 1 tsp
15. Ghee - 2 tbsp
16. Water - 1 cup

How to Prepare:

Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Soak the dried red chilly in the hot water for 15 minutes. Chop the onions and tomatoes. Keep ready mint leaves and coriander leaves and the garam masalas. Heat ghee in a  pressure cooker and add the bay leaves, cloves, cardamon, cinnamon and saunf. Fry them. Add the chopped onions and saute well . Add the ginger-garlic paste and saute well till the raw smell goes off. Add the chopped tomatoes. In the mean time grind the soaked red chilles to a smooth paste. Grind the mint leaves and coriander leaves to a smooth paste. Once the tomoates get mushy add the grinded red chilly, coriander and mint leaves and mix well. Let it cook for 5 minutes. Add the vegetables (I used the frozen vegetables) and cook well. Add the rice and saute for a minute. Add the water and salt and presure cook it for 2 whistles and switch it off. When the pressure completely settles transfer to the bowl and serve hot with raita and pappad.

Pictorial:

Chop the onion and tomatoes                                      Chop the mint and coriander leaves

Keep the garam masala ready                                     Heat ghee and add the garam masalas

                                 

                                

                                                                                      

  Add the onions                                                         Add the ginger garlic paste

   Add the tomatoes                                                      Add the dried soaked grinded red chillies

                                                  

   Add the vegetables                                                   Add the grinded mint and coriander leaves

  Add the rice                                                                  Add water

    Pressure cook for 2 whistles. It looks like below. Once the pressure completely goes off, transfer to     a bowl.

Serve hot with raita and pappad!!!!!

Ragi Vermicilli Upma

Ragi Vermicilli Upma

Vermicilli upma is a very common breakfast in chennai. But when I saw this ragi vemicilli packet, I just grabbed it and curious to know how it will taste. But believe me, it tasted very good and ragi is good for health. Basically I dont like ragi since it has a bland taste, but this upma version I liked it and it is very good for kids. You can add vegetables like carrot and peas also to this upma.

Ingredients:

1. Ragi vermicilli - 1 packet

2. Onion - 1

3.Tomato - 1

4. Green Chilly -1

5. Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

6. Oil & Salt 

7. Water - 1 cup (tea cup)

8. Coriander leaves - few

How to Prepare:

Roast the vermicilli and keep it aside. Heat oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add the chopped onions, green chilly and saute well. Then add the chopped tomatoes and saute well. Add the vermicilli and salt and mix well. Add water and cook it covered in a low flame for 10 minutes. In between open the lid and stir well.

Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Pictorial:

Ragi Vermicilli

Heat oil and add mustard seeds                                  Add the chopped onion and green chilly

Add the chopped tomatoes. Add the roasted vermicilli. Close it with lid and cook for 10 minutes.

  Garnish it with coriander leaves!!!!