Poori Potato Koora, a lazy Sunday morning brunch

Poori Potato Curry is everyone's favorite and is a regular in almost every home. Here is our version.



For Potato Curry you will need

Ingredients:-
Potatoes- 4 large
Onion- 1
Tomato- 1
Green chillies- 2
Besan(senaga pindi)- 1 1/2 Tsp
Chilli powder- 1 1/4 Tsp
Salt- to taste

For Tadka (seasoning)
Oil- 2 Tbsp
Whole red chilli- 1
Mustard seeds- 1/4 Tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/4 Tsp
Turmeric- 1 pinch
Curry leaves- 1 spring

Procedure:-
1. Start by chopping onions, tomatoes and potatoes. To a pressure cooker, add oil and turn the heat on. Once the oil is hot, add the whole red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and wait until they start popping. Now add curry leaves and add onions and green chillies. Let the onion become translucent and then add tomato. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add potato pieces, mix every thing and add Chilli powder and salt. Add 2 cups of water. Now close the lid and pressure cook. Wait for the first whistle and turn the heat to low once you hear the whistle. Turn the heat off in 5 minutes.

2. Once the pressure is released, open the lid and turn the heat on. Now in a small bowl mix 1 1/2 Tsp of Besan to 2 Tsp of water. See that there are no lumps. Add this besan mix to the curry and stir. Cook for 5 minutes. Soon the gravy will thicken. Look for the required consistency of the gravy. If it is too thick, add some more water for desired consistency. Potato curry is now ready to be served with poories.

Bread Halwa

Bread halwa is a very old dish; I think may be as old as bread itself. It might have been someone's intelligent idea to use up the bread which otherwise be wasted. What do you know the last 4 slices which go into garbage otherwise converted into this mouthwatering yummy desert. Lets thank the unknown inventor of this desert.






Ingredients:-
Bread- 4 slices
Pure ghee- 3 Tbsp
Milk- 4 cups
Cardamom powder- 1 pinch
Sugar- 1/2 cup( or according to taste)
Cashews- 2 Tbsp
Raisins- 1 Tbsp

Procedure:-
1. In a pan, add 1 1/2 Tbsp ghee and fry cashews and raisins. Keep them aside.

2. Now tear the bread into pieces and add them to the same pan. Fry them in the left over ghee. Once they are nice and light golden brown, add milk and cardamom powder. When the milks starts boiling, add the sugar and let the mix reduce to desired consistency.

3. Add the remaining ghee at the end. Mix in the fried cashews and raisins and serve.

Bread halwa tastes good when served warm.

Nimmakaya Pulihora (Lemon Rice)

For holi, I made Nimmakaya Pulihora (Lemon Rice) and Bread Halwa. I made these super easy dishes which are very classic and traditional for festivals. These dishes are super easy and very time saving so, I can enjoy the festival with my family and friends instead of sitting in kitchen cooking all day! So, the Holi fun begins with these



Ingredients:-
For cooking rice:-
Rice (uncooked)- 3 cups (I used basmati but you can also use Sona masori)
Water- 6 cups
Oil- 1 Tsp
Turmeric- 1/2 Tsp

For Tadka (seasoning):-
Oil- 4 Tbsp
Asafoetida- 1 pinch
Whole red chilli- 3
Mustard seeds- 1/4 Tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/4 Tsp
Channa dal- 2 Tbsp
Urad dal- 1 Tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1 pinch
Ginger- 1 inch(chopped or grated fine)
Green chillies- 6
Curry leaves- 1 spring
Peanuts- 1/3 cup
Cashews- 1/3 cup
Lime or lemon juice- 1 cup
salt- to taste

Procedure:-
1. Start by adding rice, water, oil and turmeric to the rice cooker. Cook the rice and let it cool down. You might want to tranfer the rice into a tray to cool down if you are in a hurry.

2. Squeeze the juice out of the limes and add salt, mix and keep it aside.

3. In a pan add the 4 Tbsp oil and turn the heat on. Add the red chillies which are broken into pieces. Let them fry for a minute. Then add asafoetida,mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa dal, urad dal, turmeric, peanuts, cashews and let the dal fry. Once the nuts and dal get light golden brown, add ginger and green chillies (which are slit length wise). Fry green chillies for a minute and add curry leaves at the very end and turn the heat off.

4. Now add the Tadka to rice. Also add the lemon juice. Mix every thing well and serve.

Holi Hai !!!

Happy Holi everyone! It's Holi, the most colorful, cheerful festival of early Spring! May all the bright colors of this festival give all of us enormous joy and good luck for this whole year! Enjoy everyone!

Poppucharu (Lentils soup), an everyday recipe without the spices of Sambar

I like making Poppucharu, which doesn't have so much spice like sambhar for everyday. This doesn't mean I am not a fan of sambhar or anything like that but poppucharu goes easy on tummy with all the goodness of protein and veggies in less spice. My Idea of everyday food. Of course sambhar is there for those special days :-)



Ingredients:-
Toor Dal- 1 cup
Onion- 1 medium sized (onions here in US are bigger in size compared to India. So, you might want to use large onion in India)
Tomatoes- 2
Green Chillies- 3 to 4
Tamarind paste- 1 Tbsp
Chilli powder- 1 Tsp(optional)
Salt- 2 1/4 Tsp( or to taste)
Cilantro- for garnishing

For Tadka(Seasoning)
Oil- 1 Tbsp
Whole red chilli- 1
Cumin seeds- 1 Tsp
Mustard seeds- 1 Tsp
Turmeric- 1/4 Tsp
Garlic pod- 1 chopped fine


Procedure:-
1. In a pressure cooker cook the toor dal adding 2 cups of water to 1 cup dal along with 2 pinches of turmeric. When the first whistle comes, turn the heat to the lowest possible setting and set the timer for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, turn thr heat off.
When the pressure releases, open the lid and mash the dal with a ladle until the dal turns nice and smooth. This should be done right after the pressure releases when the dal is still hot. Once the dal becomes cold, mashing would be hard.

2. Add 30 Oz of water to the dal. Also this is the time to add sliced onions, chopped tomatoes, greenchillies which are slit lengthwise. Add salt and chilli powder and give a good stir. Turn the heat on medium, do not cover. When you get first boil, reduce heat and add tamarind paste. Cook until all the veggies are cooked.

3. To a seperate pan, add oil. Turn the heat on to medium and add broken whole red chilli, cumin seeds,mustard seeds, turmeric powder. Let the mustard seeds pop and add chopped garlic fry for a second and add curry leaves and pour over the poppucharu. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.

Beautiful Blooms

Whenever I drive around, I see these beautiful purple color blooms are everywhere around this time of season. They make me so happy and give enormous energy to bear the remaining winter with ease! So, I thought that I would capture these beautiful colors in my camera and share the joy with my friends and readers. Happy Holi everyone!

Chakara Pongali (Sweet Pongali) made easy!

Chakara Pongali (Sweet Pongali) is a classic dish which is usually made on very special occasions in our family. But yesterday I was craving to eat it so much. I have a very sweet tooth, more than anyone in my home:-). So, sometimes in order to satisfy my cravings,I go a little extra mile even on weekdays. But I don't want to over eat. So, I made just the right amount not too much or not too less! Yes of couse you can eat sweets sometimes and still stay healthy and fit! The key is eating in moderation! Now for the recipe




Ingredients:-
Rice- 1/2 cup (I used basmati)
Moong Dal- 1/4 cup
Water- 1 1/2 cups

For the sugar syrup
Sugar- 1 cup (you can increase or decrease according to taste)
Water- 1/4 cup
Cardamom powder- 1/4 Tsp

For seasoning
Pure ghee- 3 Tbsp
Coconut- 1 1/2 Tbsp grated (if using coconut pieces use 1/4 cup)
Cashews- 10
Raisins- 1 Tbsp

Procedure:-
1. First start by pressure cooking the rice and moong dal adding 1 1/2 cups of water. When the first whistle comes, reduce the heat to lowest heat setting and keep the timer for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat after 5 minutes.

2. For the sugar syrup, add the sugar in a sauce pan add the 1/4 cup water. Now turn the heat on while stirring to melt all the sugar. When the sugar is melted, turn the heat up a little bit and add the cardamom powder,and wait until you get just the first boil. At this time the sugar syrup seems to be getting clear. Turn the heat off and pour the syrup in the rice mixture. Put the heat on medium for the rice syrup. Now you need to stir it continuously until the consistency of the rice mixture thickens. When you think it is thick enough, add 1 Tbsp ghee.

3. To a separate pan, add the remaining 2 Tbsp ghee and turn the heat on. Once the ghee starts melting, add the cashews and raisins and fry them. Once fried, keep them aside. Now add the coconut and fry for a minute or two. Add the fried coconut along with ghee to the rice. Also add the fried cashews and raisins and serve hot.

Serves 4 if eating in moderation or else serves 2.

Tip- The traditional recipe calls for more sugar and ghee but I wanted to cut down on fat and calories.

Chakara Pongali (Sweet Pongali) made easy!

Coming up tomorrow Chakara Pongali (Sweet Pongali) made easy! I will show you an easy way to make this classic dish.

Baked Garlic French Fries

Yesterday after I picked up my kids from school, it was really cold. It was raining all day and the temperature was in 50s I guess. So, I made hot French Fries and Chakara Pongali (Sweet Pongali) to warm them up. Looks like Spring is still far away but until then, nice hot food gives some comfort on these cold winter days!

My son had a cooking elective last year in school. They cook a wide variety of foods ranging from breakfast to pizzas to desserts. Nice life skill right! So, on his dad's birthday, he gave a very precious gift to dad. Can you guess what? Yes, you are right he made a nice snack for him after work; French Fries. We can not forget that day forever. Like they say," Yesterday is always a memory". Special days like this are always sweet memories and they last for a lifetime! So today I will share that recipe with you.







Ingredients:-
Big Potatoes- 5
Oil- 4 tbsp
Garlic powder- 1 tsp
Salt- to taste

You will need 2 or 3 "greased" cookie sheets to spread the potatoes.

Process:-
Peel the potatoes and cut them into 3/4 inch thick strips. Once done cutting all of them, coat the strips with the oil nicely in a bowl. Preheat the oven to 400Deg F. Arrange the fries flatly on the cookie sheet one after the other. Pour any remaining oil on top of the fries after arranging them. Look at the picture below for a better idea on how to arrange them.



Bake at 400 Fahrenheit. Cooking time 25 minutes.

After baking for 15 minutes, take the cookie sheets out and sprinkle garlic powder and keep them back in. Once done, take the cookie sheets out and sprinkle salt. Let them cool down for 5 minutes before you take the fries out of the cookie sheet.

Kaya Stew (Mixed Vegetable Stew)

Kaya Stew (Mixed vegetable Stew) is a rich coconut based dish. Vegetables are cooked in coconut milk which gives this dish a very unique flavor. We used to eat this Kaya Stew along with Aapam in our favorite restaurant long time back when we used to live in Vizag. It makes my mouth water when ever I think of it even now. So,I made up my own version of Kaya Stew.





Ingredients:-
Cauliflower- 1 medium sized
Carrots- 1 large
Tomato- 2
Onion- 1
Coconut milk- 1 cup( I am using canned coconut milk which is quite thick and rich)
Green Chillies- 2
Ginger- garlic paste- 1 tsp
Chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Salt- to taste
Cilantro- for garnishing

For Tadka( Seasoning)
Oil-2 tbsp
Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Turmeric- 1 pinch
Curry leaves- 1 spring


Procedure:-
To a heated pan add oil, cumin seeds, mustard seeds, turmeric and wait until they start spluttering. Now add Curry leaves and add chopped onion,green chillies. Let the onion turn translucent and ginger-garlic paste. Let it cook for a couple of minutes and then add Chopped Cauliflower, long strips of Carrot and let them cook for a minute. Now add tomato pieces and cook for one more minute. Add one cup of water to the veggies now. Add chilli powder and salt to the veggies now add let the veggies cook in the water partially covered until three-fourths done. At this point add the coconut milk to the veggies and let them cook until done. Also look for enough gravy. Don't let all the milk dry up. If dried up, add some more coconut milk or water. Garnish with chopped Coriander leaves and serve.

Tip:- Because of the fat content of coconut milk I sometimes substitute coconut milk with 2% milk. But coconut milk gives unique flavor to the dish. I use canned coconut milk because it is convenient for me. If you are interested in making your own coconut milk make sure it is really rich.

Kaya Stew can be served with Aapam or Dosa or Roti or Rice.

Vankaya Tomato Chutney (Eggplant Tomato Chutney)

I love chutneys so much! Not only me, everyone in my family has a very soft corner for it. And I don't have to mention about my daughter, if it is chutney then she is very happy. If not she says,"Mom you are not making my favorite these days". In fact I don't know anyone who is not fond of chutneys. Vankaya Tomato Chutney is an ages old traditional chutney.





Ingredients:-
Vankaya (eggplant)- 2 nos (I am using Japanese eggplant which are medium size which may be big in Indian standard)
Tomato- 2 large
Green chillies- 3 nos(adjust according to taste might want to use less if making for kids)
Garlic- 1 pod
Cumin- 1 tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 tsp

For Tadka(Seasoning)
Oil- 2 tsp
Whole red chilli- 1 broken into pieces
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/4 tsp
Channa dal- 1 tsp
Urad dal- 1 tsp
Turmeric- one pinch
Curry leaves- 1 spring


Procedure:-
Start by adding 2 teaspoons of oil to the heated pan. Now add diced vankaya (eggplant), Tomato, green chillies to the pan add salt and cover. Let it cook on medium heat stirring occasionally until they are cooked. Let them cool and add garlic pod, 1 teaspoon cumin seeds. Now in a food processor, grind it to make a paste.
Take 2 teaspoons oil in a heated pan for tadka now and add whole red chilli pieces first. After they fry for a second add all the other tadka ingredients except curry leaves. When the dals get a little brown, add curry leaves and pour the tadka over the chutney. Your chutney is now ready and you can serve it with rice or roti or even use it as a dip. Enjoy!

Tip:- In our home we eat less spicy food. So, the spice level might be low for people who like their chutneys. So, adjust heat according to your taste.

Corn and spinach Fingers

Corn and spinach are mixed in to a creamy sauce along with rice, cheese and spices and rolled into fingers and coated with bread crumbs. They are then fried to give this mouth watering snack a crunchy golden brown coating. Corn and spinach finger are very crispy on the outside and very rich and creamy in the inside. An absolute burst of flavors when you put them in your mouth.(A good way to use leftover rice.)







Ingredients:-
Corn- 3/4 cup
Spinach(finely chopped)- 1 1/2 cups
Rice cooked- 2 cups
Grated mozzarella cheese- 1/2 cup
Chilli powder- to taste
Salt- to taste
Oil for deep frying


For making the sauce
Butter- 2tbsp
Maida(flour)- 2 1/2 tbsp
Milk- 1 1/2 cups


For coating the fingers
Flour- 1/4 cup
Water- 1/2 cup
Bread crumbs






Procedure:-
1. Add the butter to the heated pan, once it's melted now add the flour and let it fry for a minute with out forming lumps. Now add the milk and keep whisking it to see no lumps are formed. Now let it thicken for few minutes. When you think it's really thick, turn the heat off. Add corn, spinach, rice,cheese, salt and chilli powder and mix it well. Wait until it cools and roll into the shape you like.

2. Mix 1/4 cup of flour with 1/2 cup water in a bowl. Take bread crumbs in a small plate.

3.Now dip each ball in the flour batter and roll in the bread crumbs and deep fry them until golden brown.

Tip:- Corn and spinach fingers can be shallow fried instead of deep frying.

Grilled Veggie Sandwich

This Grilled Veggie Sandwich is crunchy on the outside and soft and gooey in the inside. It's an absolute melt in the mouth, so easy to make everyone should give it a try.






Ingredients:-
Bread slices- 4 no
Softened Butter- 1 tbsp
Mustard Paste- 1 tsp
Grated mozzarella cheese- 3 tbsp
Onion pieces- 2 tsp
Tomato- 1 no
Green Chilli- 1 no
Salt- to taste



Procedure:-
This dish can be made in a conventional oven or even in a pan on stove top.
Begin by toasting the bread slices first and keep them aside. Take the Tomato, cut it into two pieces. Now take a spoon and scoop all the seeds out and discard them. Chop the tomato and green chilli into small pieces and keep aside. In a bowl mix butter,mustard paste, cheese, onion, green chilli,tomato and salt. Now apply this mixture to the bread slices that are toasted. Put them back in the oven just until the cheese starts melting. (If using a pan on a stove top, put the sandwich covered in the pan just until cheese melts.)
Variation:- Instead of onion and tomato, you can use spinach as a variation to the above recipe.

Carrot Fry

This is a very simple Carrot Fry but it's nutritional values are high. So it's a good choice for the menu both for kids as well as adults.






Ingredients:-
Carrot- 1 pound
Onion- 1 medium
Green chilli- 1 no
Salt- to taste
Chilli powder- 1 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves- for garnishing

For Tadka(seasoning)
Oil- 3 tbsp
Whole red chilli- 1 no
Mustard seeds- 1/4 tsp
Cumin- 1/4 tsp
Channa Dal- 1 tsp
Urad Dal- 1 tsp
Turmeric- a pinch
Curry Leaves- 1 spring

Procedure:-
First start by chopping the carrot and onions finely. Heat the pan add the oil, whole red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, channa dal, urad dal and turmeric. When the mustard seeds splutter, add the onions and green chilli and curry leaves. Let the onions cook for a minute and now add carrots. Cover and cook them on medium heat. keep stirring frequently and let the carrots cook. Now add salt and chilli powder let it fry for one more minute and turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Bendakai Pulusu (Okra in Tamarind gravy)

I wanted the best Bendakai Pulusu (Okra in Tamarind gravy) for my readers so, this one is made by my mom on special request. Bendakai Pulusu reminds me of my childhood days when my mom used to serve it with hot muddapopu(cooked Toor Dal) and homemade pure ghee along with rice. It's the ultimate comfort food! Thank you mom for this ultimate recipe.





Ingredients for this recipe:-

Okra(Bendakai)- 1/2 pound
Onion- 1 medium
green chilli- 2 nos
Tamarind- 1 1/4 Tablespoon paste
Chilli powder- 1 1/4 Teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Sugar- 1 tablespoon
Coriander- for garnishing

For Tadka(seasoning)
Oil- 2 Tablespoons
Whole red chillies- 1 no
Mustard seeds- 1/4 Teaspoon
Cumin seeds- 1/4 Teaspoon
Turmeric- 1/4 Teaspoon
Curry Leaves- 1 spring

Procedure:-
Start by adding oil to the hot pan, add whole red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds and turmeric. When the mustard and cumin seeds splutter, add curry leaves.
Add the onions which are chopped finely and the green chillies which are slit length wise to this seasoning. Let the onions become translucent and then add Okra that are cut into rounds. Let the Okra cook for few minutes on medium. Now add 1 1/2 cups of water to the okra and add salt, chilli powder and sugar. Let the water come to a boil and add the tamarind paste. Now let the okra cook in this gravy. Check the taste of the gravy to see if you need to add any more salt. Now when you think okra has cooked and the gravy has thickened to the desired consistency, turn off the heat. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve it hot with rice.

Serves-4
Tip- Usually the gravy is very thin for Pulusu but if you like it a bit thick, you can add 1 teaspoon of rice flour to 1/4 cup of water and mix it to form a smooth mixture and add it to the gravy 5 minutes before you turn the heat off.

Coming up next my mom's Bendakai Pulusu(okra in tamrind gravy) and also Carrot Fry