Saturday, December 24, 2011

Authentic South Indian Mysore Sambar Powder


South Indian sambar is a globally relished dish. The taste of sambar lies in its vital ingredient i.e sambar powder. Here is an authentic sambar powder recipe.  

Ingredients:
  1. Chana Dal – (split dehusked black chick peas)- ½ cup 
  2. Coriander seeds (dhania) – 1 cup 
  3. Cinnamon – 1 inch 
  4. Red chillies (broken) – ½ cup 
  5. Curry leaves – ¼ cup 
  6. Methi (fenugreek seeds)- ¼ tea spoon 
  7. Poppy seeds – ½ spoon 
  8. Dry coconut- 2 cups Asafetida – 1 pinch 

Method of preparation: Place a kadahi (wok) on stove. Roast each ingredient separately till they turn golden brown. Mix all ingredients in a plate and allow them to cool down to room temperature. Powder everything together in blender and store this fine powder in an airtight container.

Friday, November 25, 2011

Soya - Baby Corn Masala


Ingredients:
Soya chunks – 1 cup
Baby corn – 6-8 ( roundly cut)
Grated coconut (raw) - 1 cup
Cream – ½ cup
Cashew nuts – ¼ cup
Onion medium size – 2 (finely chopped)
Garlic – 2 cloves
Ginger – 1” grated
Green chillies – 2 (finely chopped)
Cumin seeds (jeera) – ½ tea spoon
Cumin seed (jeera) powder – 1 tea spoon
Coriander seed (dhania) powder – 1 tea spoon
Garam masala – 1 tea spoon
Finely chopped Coriander leaves – ¼ cup
Water – quantity required
Oil – 1 ½ table spoon
Salt to taste

Method:

Soak soy in water for 15 minutes.

Soak cashew nuts for 1 hour and grind it to make paste.

Grind grated coconut with little water in a blender and squeeze the milk. This process has to be repeated twice or thrice to extract milk completely from coconut. (Do not waste coconut residue. This can be kept in freezer and reused for sambar or chutney )

Grind chopped onions, green chillies, ginger and garlic into smooth paste.

Heat a pressure pan and put oil into it. Put cumin seeds (jeera) into heated oil. When the cumin seeds splutter pour ground onion, garlic, ginger and chilly paste to it. Fry this onion, garlic, ginger and chillypaste till it turns golden brown. Now squeeze soya chunks and add to it. Add baby corns too. Turn this well and leave this on low heat for five minutes. Add 1 cup of water and close the lid. Pressure cook this for 1 whistle. When cooker cools take out the lid add coconut milk, cream and cashew paste. Stir well and bring it to boil. Add salt when it starts boiling. Transfer this to a serving bowl and garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with, rotis, nans or pulavs.

Soya bean is a good source of protein. It is considered as complete protein. It is popular among vegetarians, vegans and people who want to reduce meat. Soya bean is rich in fiber, calcium, and magnesium. It has high biological value as it contains all essential amino acids. But soy has to be cooked in warm water to make it suitable for human consumption.

Baby Corn is a good source of folate and vitamin B. It is rich in several other nutrients such as potassium, vitamin B6, riboflavin, vitamin C and fiber.

Milk contains nutrients like protein, fat, mineral matter, water and lactose. It is rich in calcium and vitamins. It is the natural food of all young mammals. Milk is a reservoir of nutrients and forms an important ingredient of a balanced diet. As it is rich in calcium it makes our bones and teeth strong. It helps to nourish the body with high quality proteins and vitamins.

Coconuts are rich in lauric acid. Lauric acid is known for its antiviral, antibacterial and antifungal properties. Coconuts help to boost immune system. Coconuts and coconut oil help to lose weight and reduce risk of heart diseases. It helps to lower cholesterol and help in chronic fatigue. The health condition of persons who suffer from diabetes improve with the use of coconut. The coconut oil helps to rejuvenate skin and prevents wrinkles.

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Rasam With Dry coconut


Ingredients:


  • Grated Dry coconut (copra)- ¼ cup
  • Milk - 250 ml
  • Water – 350 ml
  • Cumin seeds (jeera) – 1 tea spoon
  • Coriander seeds (dhania) – 1 tea spoon
  • Mustard seeds – ¼ spoon
  • Black pepper – ¼ spoon
  • Black gram – 1 tea spoon
  • Dry Red chilli – 4 (according to taste)
  • Asafetida – 1 pinch
  • Curry leaves – 10-15
  • Finely chopped Coriander leaves – ¼ cup
  • Jaggery - ½ lemon size
    Turmeric- 1 pinch
  • Pure ghee – 2 tea spoon
  • Salt to taste

    Method:

    Heat a small wok. Put ½ tea spoon of ghee to it. Fry black gram, ¾ tea spoon cumin seeds (jeera), 1 spoon coriander seeds (dhania), dry red chillies and pepper, in low flame till black gram turns golden brown in color. Allow this to cool.
    Transfer the fried ingredients to small mixer jar, add grated dry coconut and blend this to a smooth paste adding water.

    Now place a thick bottomed vessel on stove and heat it. Pour remaining ghee to it. Add ¼ tea spoon jeera, ¼ spoon mustard seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and asafetida to warmed ghee. When jeera and mustard seeds splutter, add prepared dry coconut masala paste to this and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add water to fried masala and stir well to avoid lumping. Add jaggery and simmer the flame.

    When it starts boiling, pour milk and stir . Allow the rasam to boil. Add salt and coriander leaves when milk mixed rasam boils well.

    This rasam can be eaten with rice or can be used as soup in winter season.
    Persons who are on weight loss program can use sunflower oil instead of ghee.

    Precaution: Add salt only when the whole rasam along with milk boils well. Or else the milk will get curdled.
  • Sunday, November 13, 2011

    Cucumber Raita: (cucumber yogurt dip)


    Ingredients:
    Tender cucumber : 1 in number
    Curd – 1 ½ cup
    Coriander leaves- ¼ cup finely chopped
    Green chilli – finely chopped (optional)
    Salt to taste
    Sugar- 1 pinch

    Method:
    Wash the cucumber and peel its skin. Grate it with the help of a grater on the side with large holes. Add curd, chopped coriander leaves, green chilli, salt and sugar. Mix it well with a spoon. Serve it with hot parathas , pulav or tomato rice

    Raita is a very healthy recipe. The curd helps to replenish friendly bacteria of intestine. The water content of cucumber increases the moistness of body tissues. As this does not contain oil, obese persons who are on a weight loss program can liberally use it. It keeps the body cool in summer. People who suffer from acidity can prepare this recipe without green chilly.

    Saturday, November 12, 2011

    Easy Tomato Rice or (Tomato bhath). Variation 1



    (serves 4)
    Ingredients:



  • Rice - 2 cups (basmati or sona masoori)
  • Tomato: 4 cut into small square pieces.(Buy country variety as its sourness adds taste)
  • Onion-2 cut into thin long slices
  • Ginger garlic paste- ½ tea spoon
  • Garam Masala powder - 1 ½ spoon
  • Green chilly – 3
  • Coriander leaves – finely chopped ¼ cup
  • Sunflower oil – 3 table spoon (if you are using non stick wok or kadai 2 table spoons of oil is enough)
  • For seasoning – cumin seeds (jeera)- 1 tea spoon,
  • Salt – according to taste
  • Sugar – ½ tea spoon


    Preparartion

    Step1 : Cook rice in a pressure cooker. If you are cooking basmati rice the proportion for rice and water should be 1:1 ½ respectively (take precaution to take the cooker off flame after 1 whistle). For sona masoori add water in the ratio of 1:2 (take cooker off flame after 5 whistles).

    Step2: Heat a wok (kadai) on stove. Pour oil into it. When it is heated moderately add cumin seeds. When the cumin seeds start crackling add the chopped chilies and onions and roast them till the onions turn golden brown in color. Also add the ginger garlic paste and fry it till it turns golden brown. Add diced tomato and turmeric. Sauté till tomatoes get cooked. Add garam masala powder when tomato onion mixture starts leaving oil. Add precooked rice, salt and sugar. Turn everything well so that the rice gets completely mixed with the tomato onion masala. Sprinkle finely chopped coriander leaves and serve with cucumber raita.