Shrimp in Coconut Masala

The fresh ground masala gives this Shrimp dish a very fresh and different taste than the regular ones. Whole red chillies, Cinnamon, cloves, cumin, Coriander seeds and coconut are ground to a smooth paste and shrimp are cooked in this yummy masala. Let's see how to prepare this flavorful dish.




Ingredients:-
For Masala paste:-
Cinnamon stick- 1 inch
Cloves- 5
Whole red chillies- 3
Cumin- 1 Tsp
Coriander seeds- 1 1/2 Tbsp
Grated Coconut- 2 Tbsp


For the Curry:-
Oil- 3 Tbsp
Shrimp- about 1 1/2 cups(I am using frozen Salad Shrimp here. You can use fresh ones also instead)
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 1/2 Tsp
Turmeric- a pinch
Salt- to taste

Procedure:-
1. Take all the whole spices in a hot pan and dry roast them until you get a nice aroma.
Now pour them into a blender and make a fine powder. To this powder, in the same jar of the blender, add grated coconut and also some water to make a fine paste.



2. To a hot pan, add oil and add ginger-garlic paste. Fry for a minute and add the ground masala. Fry the masala for a minute and add 1/2 cup of water. Add turmeric powder and salt. Now add the shrimp to the masala. Let the shrimp cook in the gravy.Look for the desired consistency of gravy. You can serve this dish with roti or rice. Serves 2 to 3 people.

Tip- You can increase or decrease the whole red chillies according to your spice level. I like to use the frozen salad shrimp Kirkland brand from Costco. They are small shrimp and a product of Thailand which give a similar flavor of Indian small shrimp.

Bisibele Bhaat from One Hot Stove as an entry for Monthly Blog Bites

Today I made Quick Bisibele Bhaat from Nupur's blog One Hot Stove as an entry for Monthly Blog Bites# Pressure Cooker on her blog.





I should say this is the most easiest and tastiest Bisibele Bhaat ever! Thank you Nupur for sharing this dish with us. Today I have so many chores to complete so I made this Bisibele Bhaat for brunch.




I used what ever veggies I found in the refrigerator and used MTR Bisibele Bhaat mix and followed Nupur's Recipe exactly except I used Toor Dal instead of Moong Dal. That is the only variation.

Triple Berry Blast and Banana Smoothie

Breakfast always goes in express lane with smoothies and if we get so much nutrition from just one tall glass of smoothie then why not? Berries are full of so many antioxidants along with vitamins, minerals and fiber! So,Smoothie is the most healthy option for breakfast in my view.




Can you imagine eating a bowlful of berries and banana along a half cup of yogurt and a half cup of milk early in the morning? Well not me. We won't even know we ate so much even in one glass of smoothie.

Ingredients for this super easy smoothie:-
Frozen triple berries- 1 1/2 cups (I am using Raspberries, Blueberries and Marion berries) You can even use fresh berries of your choice.
Banana- 1
Yogurt- 1/2 cup (I am using plain but you can use vanilla or flavored also)
Milk- 1/2 cup (I am using milk but you can also use any juice of your choice)
Sugar- 1 tsp optional(I don't add sugar to mine because the berries are sweet enough for me)

Procedure:-
Just add the ingredients to a blender and run it on low speed for 30 seconds. Then on high speed for 2 minutes until smooth. Serve in tall glasses.
Serves 2 people.
You can try any combination of fruits of your choice.

Vankaya Pakodi Koora (Eggplant with Onion Pakoda)

Vankaya Pakodi Koora (Eggplant with Onion Pakoda) is a traditional Andhra special. This spicy and crunchy dish is one of my favorites. Crunchy onion pakoda is added to eggplant which is cooked to perfection along with other spices.



Ingredients for making onion pakoda:-
Onion- 2 medium sized
Besan- 1 1/2 cups
Rice flour- 2 Tbsp
Water- 3/4 cup
Chilli powder- 1 Tsp
Salt- to taste
Oil- for frying

Procedure-
1. Slice the onions, add salt and chilli powder and mix.
2. Now add rice flour, besan and mix.
3. Add water little by little so that the batter is tight. Look in the picture below for a rough idea.






4. Now add the onion little by little and fry. Drain the pakoda on paper towels and serve. We will need about 2 cups of broken pakoda for the following dish. This recipe will yield you more pakoda than you need. Whenever I make pakoda it is hard to resist eating some so, I make some extra for eating as a snack. So, don't forget to save some pakoda for the recipe:-)











Ingredients for Vankaya Pakodi Koora (Eggplant with Onion Pakoda):-
Eggplant- 2 big (Japanese Eggplant)
onion pakoda- 2 cups(broken into pieces)
Onion- 1 medium
Green Chillies- 2
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 1/2 Tsp
Chilli powder- 1 1/4 Tsp
Salt- to taste
Mustard seeds- 1/4 Tsp
Cumin seeds- 1/4 Tsp
Turmeric- 1 pinch
Whole red chilli- 1
Curry leaves- 1 spring
Oli- 2Tbsp

Procedure:-
Add oil to a heated pan and add whole red chilli, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, turmeric and curry leaves. Wait until the mustard seeds pop. Add chopped onion and sliced green chillies. Cook for 5 minutes and add ginger-garlic paste. Cook for a minute and add chopped eggplant. Also add salt, cover and cook for ten minutes. Take the lid off and cook until done. Add chilli powder and mix. Add the onion pakoda, mix and cook for 2 to 3 minutes and serve.
You can serve this dish with rice or roti.

Going on the concept of "cooking with pressure cookers on Monthly Blog bites" of One Hot Stove

Yesterday when I was browsing through my favorite blogs, I saw that Nupur of "One Hot Stove" started blog event- Pressure Cookers. So, going on that concept, I am writing this post. I am a proud owner of 4 pressure cookers and 3 rice cookers. It is tough to imagine myself in the kitchen without them. Especially when I make Dal or Sambar or cooking some thing like Mutton and all. So, I am pretty much a big fan of cookers. Yes I still have to try one kind yet though, Crockpot. Let me show you some of my proud collection without whom I won't be here today.





I like any brand of pressure cookers whose spare parts are available easily at reasonable price. (Does not cost as much as the pressure cooker itself:-) ) I used my earlier pressure cookers for about 12 to 13 years and then changed them just last year. I like steel ones because they are easy to clean and also I can keep them in dishwasher also.(makes life easier with less cleaning)

So, Nupur I have made several recipes including a dessert and posted them on my blog using pressure cookers and rice cookers. So I am leaving links of all the recipes below.

http://homemade-south-indian-food.blogspot.com/2010/03/tomato-coconut-rice-with-potato-kurma.html

http://homemade-south-indian-food.blogspot.com/search/label/Poppucharu%20(Lentils%20soup)


http://homemade-south-indian-food.blogspot.com/search/label/Chakara%20Pongali%20(Sweet%20Pongali)

http://homemade-south-indian-food.blogspot.com/search/label/Poori%20Potato%20Koora%20(curry)

Thanks Nupur for the wonderful concept!

Banana Bread with Chocolate Chips

Recipe Source:- Food Network Kitchens
You can find the original recipe by following the link below
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/food-network-kitchens/banana-walnut-bread-recipe/index.html


Yesterday evening I made this Banana bread with chocolate chips so that we can have it for breakfast today. Breakfast times are always busy in weekdays in our home. Both my kids have to go to 2 different schools at the same time. So, everyone has to run at the same time. Sounds pretty hectic right. So this Banana bread is a good idea for us. When ever there are some ripe bananas lying around I make good use of them! Here is my picture





Only variations I made are I used Semi sweet Chocolate Chips instead of nuts and also used a bigger pan than suggested so the cooking time was 40 minutes for me. I like this recipe because it is pretty simple and very moist.

Tomato Coconut Rice with Potato Kurma (Potatoes cooked in yogurt based gravy)

Tomato Coconut Rice is a very rich rice which has very different layers of flavors. It is spicy, tangy and sweet at the same time. It is often served with spicy Potato Kurma in our home.



Ingredients for Tomato Coconut Rice:-
Basmati rice- 3 cups(uncooked)
Coconut milk- 1 cup(canned)
Onion- 1 medium
Tomato- 2
Green chillies- 3 to 4
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 Tbsp
Lime juice- 2 Tbsp
Salt- to taste
Cilantro- for garnishing

For Tadka(seasoning):-
Oil- 3 Tbsp
Bay leaf- 1 to 2
Cinnamon stick- 1
Cloves- 4
Cardamom- 1


Procedure:-
To a pan, add 3 Tbsp of oil and turn the heat on. After a minute, add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom. Fry for a minute in oil. Now add the sliced onion and green chillies. Cook the onion until it turns translucent. Add the chopped tomato pieces, cook them for a minute. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add the washed raw rice and stir fry for a minute. Transfer the rice mixture into a Rice cooker. Now add 1 cup coconut milk and 4 3/4 cups of water. Add salt, lime juice and mix. Turn the rice cooker on. As soon as the rice is cooked, garnish with cilantro and serve hot.
Tomato Coconut Rice can be served by itself or with some curry of your choice.


Ingredients for Potato Kurma:-
Potatoes- 3
Onion- 1 medium
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 Tsp
Chilli powder- 1 1/4 Tsp
Salt- to taste
Garam masala- 1
Poppy seeds (gasagasalu) - 1 Tbsp
Yogurt- 1 cup ( I am using homemade yogurt which is not too thick. If your yogurt is thick consider using 1/2 to 3/4 cup depending on yogurt's consistency)
Cilantro- for garnishing

For Tadka (seasoning):-
Oil- 2 Tbsp
Bay leaf- 1
Cinnamon stick- 1
Cloves- 3
Turmeric- 1 pinch

Procedure:-
1. First start by thinly slicing onions and keep them aside. Then peel the potatoes and cut them into half. Now slice them horizontally like shown in the picture. (You can cut them any shape you like but I usually cut them this way for this dish.) Take the poppy seeds in a small jar of the blender, add 1 Tbsp of water and make a fine paste.





2. To a pressure cooker add the oil and turn the heat on. Add the bay leaf, cinnamon stick, cloves and let them fry for a minute. Now add turmeric also add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the ginger-garlic paste and cook for a minute. Now add the potatoes fry for a minute add 2 cups of water. Add chilli powder and salt. Close the lid and cook until the first whistle comes. Once the first whistle comes, reduce the heat to low. Turn off in 5 minutes.

3. After the steam is released, open the lid and turn the heat on. Add garam masala powder, poppy seeds paste and cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the gravy thickens. Turn the heat off and then add the beaten yogurt and stir. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Tip- If the heat is not turned off, the yogurt might cuddle. So, it is btter to turn the heat off and the yogurt. Poppy seeds can also be powdered in coffee grinder but make sure before you add to the curry, to take the powder and add some water to make a paste.