Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Raitha

It must seem funny at first glance to find a recipe for "raitha". This common accompaniment to a rice or pulav  is a simple mixture of tomatoes, cucumbers or onions with curd. I had recently been to India  visiting  parents and in-laws and a learnt a new take on this age old recipe from my mom-in-law.

Tomatoes - 2 chopped
Bell Pepper - 2 chopped fine ( any kind will do)
Curd - 3 cups

Powders:
Salt
Aam chur - 2tsp
Garam masala - 2tsp

How to:
1.Mix tomatoes , peppers , powders with 2 Tbl of water.
2. Microwave for about 4 min. 
3.Allow to cool.
4. Mix in the curds.
5.Serve with any rice or pulav 

PS: The aam chur addition was my contribution but it definitely adds a dimension to the recipe.

Tuesday, December 30, 2008

Manchurian gravy

This is simple gravy that goes well with the fried rice. 

Capsicum - 1 chopped fine
garlic - 10 cloves minced
Spring onion - 1 bunch chopped ( seperate the green and white parts)
olive oil - 1Tbl

Powders:

Salt - to taste
corn meal - 1Tbl mixed with water to make a paste ( corn flour can be substituted)


Sauces:

Soy - 2Tbl
Chilli - 2Tbl
Tomato Garlic Sauce -1Tbl ( or any tomato ketchup)


How to:
  1. Add the olive oil to a sauce pan. 
  2. After a few min add the ginger and garlic. Fry till garlic turns light brown.
  3. Add the capsicum and spring onions (white part). Fry till capsicum turns tender.
  4. Add the sauces  and salt and fry for few min.
  5. Add 2 - 3 cups of water. Bring to boil.
  6. Now add the corn meal paste. Allow it to reduce.
  7. Remove from fire and garnish with  spring onions ( green part)
  8. Serve with fried rice or noodles.



Vegetable Fried Rice

Basmathi Rice - 2 cups

Vegetables ( carrot, beans,peas,cabbage) - 2 cups chopped

Onion - 1 chopped
Garlic - 8 cloves minced
Ginger - 1 inch piece minced
Spring onions - 1 bunch chopped
Ghee -1Tbl
Olive oil - 2Tbl

Powders:

Salt -as required
Chilli flakes - 2 TBL

Sauces:
Soy - 1/2 tsp
chilli - 1Tsp

How to:
  1. Soak basmathi rice in water for about half an hour. Strain till water is completely removed.
  2. Add ghee to a skillet. After about 1 min add the chopped spring onions. Fry for about 3-4 min.
  3. Add the  basmathi rice  and salt and  fry for 5 min. Set aside and allow to cool.
  4. Heat a skillet and add the olive oil.
  5. After few min , add the ginger and garlic. Fry till ginger turns light brown
  6. Add onion and allow it to turn brown.
  7. Now add the sauces and fry for a few min.
  8. Add the vegetables, salt and chilli flakes.
  9. Once the vegetables are semicooked, remove from fire
  10. Mix in the uncooked basmathi rice.
  11. Add the basmathi and vegetable mixture to a microwave vessel and add 2 and half cups of water ( 2 cups for the basmathi and half cup for the  vegetables)
  12. Cook in microwave for 18 min.
  13. After the first 10 min. pause the microwave and stir the contents and put it back in.
  14. Serve hot with a manchurian gravy

Semiya (Semolina Vermicelli) Uppma

Semiya - 3 cups
Vegetables - 3 cups ( I used the frozen Mixed vegetable - Carrots, Beans,Corn,Peas)
Onion - 1 chopped fine
Garlic - 6 cloves chopped fine
Coriander - handful, chopped coarse
Ghee (Clarified Butter) -1Tbl
Olive Oil - 2 Tbl + 1tsp

Powders:
Salt - as required
Aamchur - 1 and half tsp
Pepper- 2 tsp

Paste :
Ginger - 2 tsp

How to:
1. Add the ghee to a hot skillet. Add the semiya and fry till it turns light brown. Remove from fire and allow it to cool down.
2.Boil about 6 cups of water with salt and 1 tsp olive oil. Once it comes to boil, add the semiya and allow it to cook for 10 min. Then strain the water and allow it to cool.
3.Add the 2TBl olive oil to the skillet. After 5 min, add the chopped garlic and ginger paste. Fry till garlic turns light brown.
4. Add the chopped coriander and onion. Fry for 6 min, till onion becomes tender (Onions need not brown up)
5.In the meanwhile microwave the vegetables for about 4-5 min.
6.Once the onion is done, add the vegetables and the powders.
7. Fry for 5 min. Then turn off the fire.
8. Add the cooled cooked semiya and mix well.
9. Serve with ketchup or pickle.




Why I started this blog??



10 months ago I got married and came to the US. It was huge shift for me and suddenly I was given a brand new responsibility. I had to COOK. I was not a "cooking" illiterate by any means but the times I cooked were far and few and did not qualify me to cook on my own. My mom ever so diligently wrote down a few important recipes ( like the parrupu kozhambu or the elimichchai saathamudhu) and bought a lot of mallika badrinath recipe books to supplement. And so I started cooking. After a couple of months of  trial I felt good about my cooking.I started experimenting. People liked it , my husband definitely did and even my " expert sis" approved of my cooking. I felt good. I had one basic mantra , add vegetables, spice powders and spice pastes ( chilli,garlic,ginger,coriander,mint) to make a recipe work. By powders I mean everything I can possibly find in an Indian kitchen. Turmeric, chilli, coriander, garam masala, aam chur, pepper were always present and the chat masala  was added depending on my mood. Till  two months ago I thought I was a great cook. Most things I made turned out good. But then one fateful day I started analyzing my cooking. I realized my cooking was nothing more than a bunch of masalas. I had no idea what each masala did. I had no idea How it would taste if I left out one of the masalas. I had no idea how different would it be to add fresh garlic instead of a paste or vice verse. I decided that from that day onwards my policy was "less is more". Making sure I added few things but make the dish taste great. I am on a voyage and would put up recipes as and when I try them. Hopefully you like it.