BRINJAL CURRY | KATHRIKKAI CURRY| EGGPLANT STIR FRY RECIPE

  Eggplant | brinjal| kathrikkai whatever you call is one of my favorite veggie and especially this curry which my mom makes with the big eggplant which we use for Baingan bharta is my most favorite one. I still remember wheni was pregnant with my second kid, i used to ask my mom to make this alteast 3-4 times a week. This will taste awesome when we mix with hot rice and eat with papad(my mouthwaters!!)
Also check out my

1. Stuffed brinjal curry
2. Kathirikkai podi curry

INGREDIENTS:

BRINJAL | EGGPLANT	1 (BIG)
ONION	2
SAMBAR POWDER	1 AND 1/2 TSP
TURMERIC POWDER	1/4 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
COOKING OIL	1-2 TBLSP
CURRY LEAVES	FEW
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP

METHOD:

• Cut the brinjals into cubes. Slice the onions thinly.

• In a pan add oil and throw in the mustard seeds and curry leaves. When it crackles add the thinly sliced onions and saute for 2 minutes.
• Add the cubed  brinjals and throw in the sambar powder, turmeric powder and salt.

• Saute them  in a medium flame till the brinjals become tender and cooked nicely.

• When the color changes to dark brown, switch of the flame.
• Serve hot with plain rice or enjoy with simple Tomato Rasam and rice.

Note:

• You can use small brinjals or the green color brinjals too.
• Sambar powder can be replaced with red chilli powder too.

EGGLESS VANILLA SPONGE CAKE RECIPE | BASIC CAKE RECIPE | NO EGG NO BUTTER RECIPE

  Few days back when i was talking to my friend who recently got a baking oven, asked me a recipe of a basic cake recipe. I suggested a few eggless baking recipes from my blog . But i wanted to try a a basic eggless vanilla sponge cake too. I already tried this Vanilla sponge cake from here and i thought i will make it again and blog the recipe too.
This cake turned out super soft and moist. I wanted to bake it in a loaf pan, but ended up baking in a round spring foam pan only. I added little tutti fruitty to the cake. You can skip that and bake a plain cake too.
While uploading the pictures i realized that this is my 300th post too.
Thanks Sharmi for the perfect recipe. We enjoyed the cake very much.



INGREDIENTS:

ALL PURPOSE FLOUR(MAIDA)	1 AND 1/2 CUP
YOGURT	1 CUP
SUGAR	3/4 CUP
BAKING SODA	1/2 TSP
BAKING POWDER	1 AND 1/2 TSP
COOKING OIL	1/2 CUP
VANILLA ESSENCE	1 AND 1/2 TSP
MILK	1 TSP
TUTTI FRUITY	1 TBLSP(Optional)

METHOD:

• Cream sugar and yogurt ( use yogurt in room temperature) till the sugar gets dissolved.

• Add baking powder and baking soda to this mixture and mix well.
• Keep it aside for 5 minutes.
• Add vanilla essence.
• Add oil to this.

• In a wide bowl add the flour and slowly add the wet mixture to the flour.

• Mix well to get a creamy texture.
• Add tutti fruity to this and mix well.( if using)

• Pre heat the oven to 180 degree C for 10 minutes.
• Grease the baking pan and dust it with flour.
• Transfer the cake mixture to the baking tin.
• Bake it for 35 –40 minutes at 180 degrees C till the center gets completely cooked. Check it by inserting a tooth pick in the center. If it comes out clean then it is cooked.

• After 20 minutes just brush the top of the cake with milk to get a glaze.
• when it is completely cooled keep it in the refrigerator for 3 hours and cut the cake.
• This step will make it to get perfect pieces without crumbles.
• But i didn’t do as i have to click soon as the weather was getting bad and it was about to rain. (Natural light will work out best for pictures)

Note:

• Never allow the batter to sit for a long time as this will make the cake hard.
• 3/4 th cup of sugar is normally perfect but  i prefer to have little extra and so you can make it as 1 cup also.
• The taste of yogurt will not be felt in the cake so you can move on to try out this recipe without any second thought.

PULI INJI RECIPE

When i posted the recipe of Puli Milagai few weeks back, a few readers sent me the request for puli inji recipe. Though my mom makes puli inji at home being a ardent hater of Ginger, i somehow postponed to make puli inji. But recently when i tasted this in my friend’s place i somehow liked the taste and decided to make puli inji and post the recipe. Normally it is one of the dish made in Onam Sadhya Menu.
Also check out my

• Mambazha puliserry
• Olan recipe

INGREDIENTS:

GRATED GINGER	1 CUP
SESAME OIL	4-5 TBLSP
MUSTARD SEEDS	1/4 TSP
ASAFOETIDA	1/4 TSP
TAMARIND EXTRACT	1 CUP
RED CHILLI POWDER	1 TSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
JAGGERY	1-2 TBLSP
TURMERIC POWDER	2 PINCHES

METHOD:

• In a pan add oil and throw in the mustard seeds and asafoetida.
• When the mustard splutters, add the grated ginger.( grate the ginger finely)

• Saute the ginger for 2 minutes and add the tamarind extract.
• To get the tamarind extract, soak a lemon sized tamarind in hot water and extract the water as we do for making sambar.

• Add the red chilly powder, salt, jaggery,and turmeric powder.
• Keep it in a low flame and let it come to a mass.
• this will take 10 –14 minutes.

• When the ginger gets completely cooked and the oil starts leaving the sides, switch off the flame.
• Allow this to completely cool and store it in a clean dry container.
• Use dry spoon when ever you take it for use.

Note:

• 2-3 green chilli can be added while tempering mustard seeds.
• Coconut oil can be used if you want to get authentic kerala taste.

VEGETABLE RICE RECIPE, NO ONION NO GARLIC RECIPES

This vegetable rice is an easy and ideal one to pack for lunch box . Normally i make this during Monday mornings as it is quite lazy to get back into the normal after a weekend. I think most of us have this Monday blues!!. Vegetable Rice or Vegetable Biryani ( my son calls in this way) how ever you name it, it is one of the simplest one and made in a jiffy too. The best part is no need to grind any ingredients and is a simple one pot meal to have to Sunday Brunch too.

INGREDIENTS

BASMATI RICE	1 CUP
MIXED VEGGIES	1 CUP ( I used carrot,beans and peas)
RED CHILI POWDER	1/2 TSP
GARAM MASALA	1/4 TSP
CORIANDER POWDER	1/4 TSP
CORIANDER LEAVES(CHOPPED)	2 TBLSP
SALT	AS NEEDED
WATER	1 AND 1/2 CUP
OIL | GHEE	1 TBLSP

METHOD:

• Wash the rice and soak it in 1 and 1/2 cup water for 20 minutes.
• Chop the veggies finely.

• In a pressure cooker, add oil | ghee and add the finely chopped coriander leaves.
• Saute for few seconds and add the chopped veggies.

• Now add the red chilly powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt to it.
• Mix well.

• Now add the soaked rice along with the water and close the lid of the pressure cooker.

• Pressure cook for 2 whistles.
• Once done , fluff the rice with a fork .

• Serve with any raitha .I packed the lunch box with cucumber raitha.

Note:

1. Mint leaves can be added instead of coriander leaves.
2. You can add any veggies such as potato, cauliflower etc.
3. Even sometimes i add paneer too.
4. Frozen veggies can be used if you want to make this more easy.

VEGETABLE STEW RECIPE FOR AAPAM | KERALA STYLE VEG STEW

  Aapam is a South Indian breakfast recipe which I am trying for the first time at home, though my mom makes this at home. Though i am not a big fan of aapam i like the stew which they serve in Restaurants as an accompaniment for Aapam. Recently i came across the recipe of Vegetable stew in one of my  old cook book and i find it similar to one of my bookmarked recipes from here and I slightly altered the recipe to suit my own taste. Check out my Aapam recipe,without yeast, with step by step pictures and video.  I enjoyed the stew with rotis too.
I used potato and carrots. In the original recipe they used green peas also. since i don’t have green peas in hand i didn’t add.
Also check out my

• Vegetable saagu
• Tirunelveli sodhi

INGREDIENTS:

POTATO	2
CARROT	1
ONIONS	2
GREEN CHILLI	3-4
WHOLE BLACK PEPPER	1/2 TSP
THIN COCONUT MILK	1 AND 1/41 CUP
THICK COCONUT MILK	1/2 CUP
CINNAMON	1 SMALL PIECE
GINGER	A SMAL PIECE
GARLIC	2 PODS
CLOVES	3
CURRY LEAVES	FEW
SALT	TO TASTE

METHOD:

• Boil the potatoes , peel the skin and cut them into cubes.
• Chop the onions into thin slices.
• Slit the green chillis into two.
• Peel the skin of the carrots and chop into pieces.

• Crush the ginger and garlic using a mortar and pestle.
• In a pan, add oil and throw in the cloves, cinnamon, crushed ginger and garlic and green chilli.
• Now add the onions and saute for few seconds in medium flame.
• Add the whole pepper too.

• Add the carrots and saute for a minute. Be careful not to burn.

• Now add the thin coconut milk. I used the store bought coconut milk. As it was thick i diluted 1/4 of thick coconut by adding  1 cup of water.

• If adding green peas add at this stage.
• Let this boil in medium flame for about 10 to 12 minutes, till the carrots becomes soft. Add the cubed potatoes and add the thick coconut milk.

• Mix well and bring it to a boil. Switch off the flame and add curry leaves and salt.

• The gravy will be thick and if you want to make it thin add 1/2 cup of plain milk to this or if you want this to be very thick soak 7-8 pieces of cashew nuts in warm water and grind them into a smooth paste and add it in the last. Mix with the  thick coconut milk and add to the gravy.

Note:

1. Boiling potatoes before hand can be skipped and it can be peeled and cubed and added after adding onions along with carrots.
2. Using Coconut oil will enhance the flavor and taste.
3. I felt 4 green chillis was not enough as the coconut milk is slightly sweet.

BADAM HALWA RECIPE | CELEBRATING 3 YEARS OF BLOGGING

  Today my blog turns 3 and i wanted to celebrate the occasion with a sweet. Before going into the recipe, I extend my heartfelt thanks to Raji of Raks Kitchen who motivated me to start my own blog and  cleared even my silly doubts patiently in all times. When i came to Singapore 4  years back the cyber world is totally new to me and I don’t know anything other than checking of emails. Then slowly when I started searching recipes on Google I came across Rak’s Kitchen and started chatting with her. Then we exchanged phone numbers and started sharing even many things apart from food.  Slowly after a year with lot of motivation from her side I  started my own blog and moved into my own domain after 2 years of blogging.
My family is a great support to me and Suresh encourages me a lot in each and every step. During my India Trip few months back , i wanted to design a Visiting card for me and I was very surprised to see the enthusiasm in Suresh and my daughter Varsha in designing the card.  Varsha who loves variety of food and have little interest in cooking and because of her I started trying out more dishes other than Traditional South Indian Dishes. My little one Varun is slowly gaining interest in food but he always say “Baby you are an awesome cook”!!
Most of my cooking are inspired from my Mom who is an awesome cook and cooks for a huge crowd effortlessly. Many times i silently observed her the way she cooks and i have  learnt a lot from her too.
I am happy to have a good circle of friends in the blogging sphere who motivates me a lot in each and every step . I extend my heartfelt thanks to all my readers, friends and followers and all my fellow bloggers who visit my space and  try out my recipes .
So now coming to the recipe, I tried badam halwa from Raks Kitchen and it turned out so well and i loved the texture and the taste very much.
Also check out my

• Easy Godhumai halwa
• Kasi halwa

INGREDIENTS:

BADAM |ALMONDS	1/2 CUP(Heaped)
SUGAR	1/2 CUP(Heaped)
GHEE	1/4 CUP
MILK	1/4 CUP
CONDENSED MILK	3 TBLSP(OPTIONAL)
YELLOW FOOD COLOR or SAFFRON	A PINCH
CARDAMOM POWDER	A PINCH

METHOD:

• Soak the badam in hot water for an hour.
• Take out the skin and grind this into a smooth paste by adding milk to this.

• In a heavy bottomed deep vessel ( i used a non stick one) add the sugar and add 1/2 cup of water. Boil till the sugar dissolves and when it is completely dissolved lower the flame and add the ground almond paste.

• Mix this without any lumps and the condensed milk(if using) , food color and cardamom powder. If using saffron soak it in warm milk for 10 minutes and add. I didn’t use cardamom powder.

• Stir it continuously and slowly start adding ghee to this.
• When you see white colour bubbles on the sides of the pan switch off the flame and transfer it to a greased plate or bowl.
• The entire process will take 3-4  minutes. Keep the flame medium low.

• I added a dash of Everest Milk Masala at the end to enhance the flavor.
• You can store this in the refrigerator for 4 – 5 days. Just warm it up in the Microwave before eating which gives the perfect taste of badam halwa.

Note:

• Adding the right amount of ghee will give a nice texture to the halwa and so add it as per the quantity mentioned.
• Once it cools down it will be thickened, wait for a while to get the perfect texture.