Saturday, September 4, 2010

Spiced Chilly powder(ಮಸಾಲಿ ಖಾರಾ)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,
As everyone knows, North Karnataka people love to have very spicy food. We keep searching for the ways to make our food really spicy and tasty at the same time.
This chilly powder is among those ways to get the proper North Karnataka taste.This is a very basic powder which is kept in every home. You can store it for a year also.
I love to have this with oil and one day old rotti with raw onion!!!
But the fact is it takes lot of time to prepare it. You need patience to fry all the things, grind it and mix it with the chilly powder.
Usually we take more than 1 Kilo Red chilly powder to make as it is easy to prepare for more quantity and we can store also for more time. My mom makes for her sisters also and give them.
But here I made only for 250 gm of chilly powder. Giving the recipe for the same.
                                       
                               
STEP 1 :
Red dry chilly powder - 250 gm
Salt to taste - about 1/2 cup
STEP 2 :
KEEP READY:
Garlic - 30 cloves(the normal Indian one), peeled
Ginger- 50 gm, cleaned and chopped
Fresh Coriander - 2 big bunch, Cleaned, washed and chopped(Not in the photo)
STEP 3 :
For frying :
Oil - 2 tbsp
Onion - 12 to 15 medium, cleaned, chopped
Dry Coriander seeds - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1/8 cup
Maratha Moggu - 15 to 20
Black cardamom - 1 big
Star anise(chakra phool)- 1 
Shahi jeera - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - 2 cups
Use thick bottomed vessel or kadai to fry the onions in 2 tbsp oil till golden brown, take care not to burn the onions.
Transfer the onions in a plate or bowl. 
In the same kadai, fry all other dry masala till you get nice aroma.
Fry the curry leaves also.
Keep aside till cool.
STEP 4:
Take onion, garlic, ginger and fresh coriander in a blender or grinder and make a fine paste.
Keep it aside.
STEP 5 :
Take all the dry masalas and make into a fine powder with dry grinder or any other tool in your kitchen.
STEP 6 :
Mix both the dry and wet ingredients in a big plate. Add half of the salt.
STEP 7:
Go on adding the chilli powder slowly to the mix. 
After half powder is added again check the salt taste. Adjust according to the taste. Keep in mind that  still half the chilly powder is there to add.
STEP 8 :
Once the chilly powder is over, mix everything properly so that everything blends well to get even taste.
Keep it out for sometime before storing in a glass or plastic jar. (Avoid steel boxes as there is a chance for chilly powder to get spoiled)


Use it for korma, dal, curry or best for Non Vegetarian food.

Sending this to the event Announcing Back To Basics  
by aqua of Served with love 
 which was started by Jaya.
Keep Smiling,

Friday, September 3, 2010

What I want from New technology(post for Indiblogger contest)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,
When Indi Blogger announced "MY DEMAND" contest, first thing came into my mind was food!!
You might think its a crazy idea but I want a technology
Which allows us to taste a piece of food shown in video on YouTube or any other source. 
But then I really thought for some time, some thing which really can help us.

The second idea came to my mind was:
If we scan the photo of any person and feed it to the server, the technology should find out that person's whereabout. 
It is very helpful to trace the soldiers who are missing for long time and easy to trace the terrorists  place also. 
Please click the link to vote for me(if you like my ideas)


http://www.indiblogger.in/indipost.php?post=31257 

Keep Smiling,

DETAILS OF THE EVENT "CELEBRATE SWEETS"

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,
Its a long time pending job which was very essential to promote the event started by me. I am happy that my friends are ready to host it and continue the series. Thank you every one for the support, all who are ready to host the event and each one who is interested in participating in the event.
And a special thanks to Priya Yallapantula of  "Mharo Rajasthan's Recipes - Rajasthan A State in Western India" who helped me to draft this post.           

Ground rules for the event
  • Post the recipe in your blog from ......
  • Send it to my email id nivedita.mt@gmail.com with "CELEBRATE SWEETS~         " as a subject.
  • You can send as many entries as you wish.
  • For archived posts,
  • o If the recipe is posted within two months, just update the post and link back to my event.
  • o If the recipe is posted earlier, please update, repost and link bank it to my event.
  • Placing the logo will be highly appreciated as it will be easy to spread the news about this event.
  • Non bloggers can send their entries to my email.


Below is a list of past and future hosts.
I know its not visible here, please click above to read. (I could not make it better to fit in this to be visible)

If you are interested in hosting the event for a future month (which is still not booked and in the future too), please feel free to email me @ nivedita.mt@gmail.com with the month and sweet you will be interested in.

(Success is the ability to go from one failure to another with no loss of enthusiasm - Sir Winston Churchill)
Keep Smiling,

I clicked TOSHA (Sweet Flour Rolls) for COOK and CLICK-3,

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 
Hi All,
Here are the clicks for Tosha(Sweet Flour Rolls) which I prepared today and were not seen in the box after little while!!!



I used half the quantity only and I got 25 Toshas of small bites.  Click TOSHA (Sweet Flour Rolls) for COOK and CLICK-3 for the recipe.


                               
My verdict : I prepared these Toshas after 12 years. The taste was very good. Toshas very soft and sweet and crispy from outside.
Follow the recipe, and give time for syrup to get thick consistency.  Best and quick sweet for everyone for all the occasions.
Try it  to believe it.

This is for my event  
And 
Aparna's 
 (and linking it to   Jennifer’s SHF page)

Keep Smiling,

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Microwave Easy Cooking - FRUITS, Event Announcement

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 
Hi All,

When Valli mailed me to check whether I can host her MEC event for this month, I was happy. Few months back , she had given me the chance to host it. But I was not so much confident to handle any event. Now I am!(Am I? you all should tell me!) 
Thank you Srivalli for giving me a chance to host this event. 
I had few options in my mind for the theme. Finally, I chose FRUITS.
I love the color, the texture, shape and everything about  the fruits. Not to forget at all about the nutrition and the energy!(I am eating Banana while writing this).Nature is so kind for gifting fruits to us.


Are you ready to try new dishes with fruits cooked in Microwave?

As this event is in blog world since 2 years, all our old friends know the rules. But here are the rules again for newbies and for me!
  1. Cook any Vegetarian/ Non vegetarian food with FRUIT as a main ingredient  in the MICROWAVE  and post it in this month in your blog.
  2. Please note that the cooking process has to be done fully in the MICROWAVE. You can use blenders / food processors but NO use of other measures  to cook.
  3. Make a link back to this announcement and Srivalli MEC announcement page
  4. Use of  logo is mandatory, as it is easier to spread about the event.
  5. Multiple entries are allowed.
  6. Recipes from archives can be accepted ONLY if updated as current posts.
  7. Recipes submitted to other events are also permitted.
  8. Non bloggers are always welcome.
  9. The deadline is September 30, 2010
  10. Once the posting is done, mail the following details to nivedita.mt@gmail.com with the subject  MEC-FRUITS
  • Your name :
  • Blog name :
  • Name of the recipe :
  • URL of the recipe :
  • Name of the fruit used :
  • A picture of your creation. :
Be creative and try new dishes with fruits and bake, cook, steam or anything but ONLY IN MICROWAVE.

Keep Smiling,

Tuesday, August 31, 2010

M/W Paneer Matar in Coconut milk (No Onion, No Garlic)

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 
Hi All,
Paneer is my all time favorite and I keep trying different recipes with it.
This one is in microwave and I thought of not using Onion and Garlic and give it a try. I was not sure about the taste. But it came out really tasty.

Recipe :
Paneer - 200 gm (I took ready Paneer from the stores), cut in to desired shape, I like the long strips
Shelled peas - 50 gm (you can use frozen also)
Tomato - 1 big, grated to get the juice or puree
Ginger - 1/2", cleaned and crushed
Oil - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Cardamom - 1
Clove - 1
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Salt to taste
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Fresh cream - 1 tbsp

Coconut powder - 2 tbsp
Water - 1/2 cup
Mix the coconut powder in water to get thick milk. Adjust according to the liquid. If it becomes thick add some more water and if its watery add some more powder.

  • Heat oil in M/W Safe bowl on HIGH for 1 minute
  • Add the whole garam masala and again heat HIGH for 30 seconds
  • Now add crushed ginger and again heat on HIGH for 30 seconds
  • Add tomato puree, mix well and cook on HIGH for 2 minutes. Stirring in between after 1 minute.
  • Add Salt, red chilly powder and peas.
  • Cook on HIGH for a minute.
  • Add coconut milk, Paneer and little water.
  • Mix well and COOK on HIGH for  3 to 5 minutes stirring in between. Please check the timing as each M/W has different settings. Mine is 800 as HIGH.
  • Add Fresh cream, mix well.
  • Allow to stand for few minutes.

Paneer Matar is ready to serve.

Sending this to 

Srivalli's 






Keep Smiling,

TOSHA (Sweet Flour Rolls) for COOK and CLICK-3,

Tried and tasted by Nivedita 
Hi All,
Here is my THIRD recipe for the event   "Cook and Click" . This is for SEPTEMBER 1ST to SEPTEMBER 10TH. (I was supposed to post it yesterday itself, but from last night till today morning there was no power. 10pm to 10am!)
Al the festivals are in queue, the sweets are more the merrier. Here is one sweet, which is a Sindhi sweet. This is very easy, quick and can be stored for many days. Its perfect for kids snack box also.
I am taking this recipe from SINDHI COOKING by Anita Raheja, whose recipes I am following since my marriage.
I am giving as the recipe is written in the book.
You can reduce the quantity as per your need.
Serves - 30 Toshas
Cooking Time - 45 minutes

INGREDIENTS
For the Toshas
All purpose flour or maida - 250 gm
Cooking Soda - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 cup(or little less)
Salt  - 1/2 tsp
Curd - 1/2 cup

For the Syrup
Sugar - 2 1/2 cups
Water - 3 cups

Method
Sieve the plain flour. Add salt and soda. Now alternatively add a spoonful of oil and curd in to the mixture and knead into a stiff dough. Make long thin rolls like kababs. Heat some oil, taking care not to overhear the oil. Slip in the rolls and fry them on a slow flame till golden in color.
For the Syrup:
Dissolve the sugar in water and boil the syrup till it thickens in consistency(it should be such that when the sugar syrup settles on the Toshas you immediately get a white sugary coating) Put a few Toshas at a time into the vessel and stir them in the syrup. Remove, cool and store in airtight containers.

Send the following details before SEPTEMBER 10TH to nivedita.mt@gmail.com with subject "COOK AND CLICK" :
your name, 
blog name, 
url of the link  and 
the photo attached.
Non bloggers can send the details to my mail.
NO need to retype the recipe. Just link back this one in your post. 
Please share your experience about this dish.
If you already got this recipe in your archive, share the experience.

Any suggestions, new ideas are welcome. 
(If you have any special recipe which you want cook with others here, you can send it to me. I will add it in the event with your details, whenever possible)

Keep Smiling,

Sunday, August 29, 2010

Urad Dal Vada, Repentance and a contest for this story.

Tried and tasted by Nivedita
Hi All,
My trial to polish myself and check whether I can write a fiction. I tried last month also and was successful with real story. This time it is a fiction with my imagination.I hope you all will like it and encourage me to write in the future also.


REPENTANCE


He was coming to this restaurant, since 1 1/2 years for his dinner. It was his favorite place to have peaceful meals with all his favorite food. He had changed his dinner time from 9pm to 8 pm as he wanted to enjoy his dinner and the restaurant was closed at 9.  His office had a canteen and his lunch was fixed there only. But he always looked forward to have his dinner here.
The restaurant started 2 years back and it was on the main road. It was a small place and always full. People used to wait to get the seats to have their food. He never missed the Sunday breakfast here as the Set Dosa and Sagu was famous here. He always missed his mother for her delicious food. She was a great cook. Just 2 months before his marriage, his mother was no more in this world. That was the saddest day of his life.
Waiting for his turn to get the table to have his lunch, his mind traveled 3 years back.
All the preparations were done for his marriage. Mother was so happy that she is going to get a daughter-in-law and she was sure that she will welcome her daughter-in-law as a daughter. She had only one son. She always dreamed about teaching her new daughter-in-law all the cooking skills and some old secret recipes. She knew her son is fond of eating and he enjoyed the tasty food which she prepared. She wanted  her son not to get disappointed with his wife's cooking. She always worried about this and she looked for a girl who can cook well.
When they went to see Sukanya, her first question was "do you know cooking?" And Sukanya's mother had replied that her daughter can make delicious food! But the truth was, Sukanya never entered the kitchen other than taking the plate which was served.
With all other things settled, the marriage date was fixed after 3 months.
Just 2 months before his marriage, one day morning his mother did not get up from the bed. That was the end of her dreams about her daughter-in-law and her secret recipes.
Relatives forced him to get married on the fixed date only as he and his father needed a woman in the house to look after. That’s how Sukanya came in his life and both took an oath to be together and always support each other , let any thing comes. 
First two months went in visiting relative’s house with grand food. Sukanya did not get chance to show her culinary skill. She was relaxed! Some times, she prepared morning tea and it never came out well. But being still in a romantic mood with his new wife, he never took it seriously!
The trouble started only after 2 months, when Sukanya started making food everyday. She did not get much time to learn cooking and she never listened to her mother who was always behind her to learn cooking. Now she repented!
She had collected many recipe books and few tips written by her mother. But, she never got any food right!
After few days of tasting her uncooked food, more salty food, very spicy food, stone like idly, more oiled chapattis, burnt halwa.... he was very upset. His father was an old man and he did not eat much other than Ganji, and he was quite. He knew that she will learn soon.
But her husband did not have patience to wait for her to learn to cook properly. There was no way of comparing her with his mother and he was angrier with Sukanya's mother about not telling the truth.
Everyday he came home with the hope of having good food and went to sleep with anger and disappointment. It started affecting their married life. The whole day she will be thinking what to prepare, how to prepare and she stopped taking care of her also. She looked like a servant without proper dressing.
It was just six months of their marriage. That was the day! He came home and he was hungry. He wanted to have Vada. He had called from office in the after noon only to her and told her to make vadas. He thought at least she can make these as it is easy to make!! He came to the kitchen. She was standing there in a corner with tears in her eyes. She prepared the batter for Vada and it became so much watery. She could not add anything to it to adjust. She forgot to read in her recipe book that water should not be added while grinding the dal.
He could not control his anger. He started beating her and he pulled her hair, took her to his room. He packed her bag and put her out of the house. She cried for long time, and requested him to give her one more chance. His father was out of station. That’s all he knew. After that he never tried to know about her, and warned his father not to contact her or her family.
He struggled to manage the cooking for him and his father. He arranged for a cook, whose cooking was bad but was better than Sukanya's.
The waiter patted his back as the seat got empty. He enjoyed his food as usual and went home.
When this restaurant was opened, he did not go there for first few days. One day, his friend gave a small party in that hotel for him and few more friends. His friend told that the vadas are very special here. When he tasted the first bite, he remembered his wife.  He missed her many times. Other than cooking, she was a very good person. She always cared for his little things and she kept everything ready. She kept the house clean and neat. She was a very loving wife, if only that cooking was not there. He had left the party in the middle only and gone to his house with the pain in his heart.  He always thought about that evening and repented for his behavior. He should have been supported her to learn cooking.
But being a person who loved good food, his legs took him to the restaurant again. He ordered Dosa this time and enjoyed eat bite with chutney and potato sabji. From that day he started coming regularly. He always wanted to know who the main chef there is. But the cooking area was restricted and no one was allowed to peep in also. There was a small passage in between the customer area and the cooking area. Several times he asked the waiter over there, but he did not get any answer. Waiter used to just smile and go away. This made him curious to know about the chef. But he could not get any way to find it.
One day, stock checking was going on in his office and it was closed for half day. As the canteen was also closed, he came to this restaurant to have his lunch. Then, he saw a woman entering the kitchen. He was shocked. It was Sukanya. He ran to her and stopped her. She was not surprised to see him. All these years she saw him coming here and enjoying the food. She was the main chef there who controlled the cooking area. Without saying a word she went inside and the door was locked. He sat on nearby seat frozen for long time. 
He did not know when he got up and started back to his house. Then he suddenly remembered the name of that restaurant. It is SURUCHI. This was the name they both had thought of their child if the girl was born.
Sukanya entered the kitchen and started preparing the food for Evening snacks. Vada was her main snack, which she never allowed any one to make. The other assistants always wondered about this secret. But she alone knew it. While preparing the batter, she started thinking about her struggled years. 
When he did not open the door at all, she went to the bus stand and got the bus to her parent’s house. She reached home and told everything to her parents. Few days her mother was upset. She thought of going to Sukanya's husband and requesting him to take her daughter back, as she felt guilty of spoiling her own daughter's life with her single lie. But Sukanya was not ready to go back. She started helping her mother in the kitchen. She was determined to learn all the cooking. She attended a cooking class too. She learnt all the cooking and became the best cook. It took more than a year for her.
And then, she went to her father and asked for his help to open a small restaurant in her husband's town. Her parents were surprised but the father was happy to do the same. He searched for a place where Sukanya can start the business. Luckily he got a space in a complex which was previously used as a canteen. It was near her husband's house. He supervised for the renovation and Sukanya started this restaurant. She was sure that one day her husband will find her and she was confident about what to do if he sees her. And the day has come. 
She came back to the present and started making vadas. She did not bother to see whether he went or not.But she knew that he will come again. 
He came again the next day on the same time. He wanted to request her to come back into his life. He promised himself that he will never hurt her again. 
But she never came out again. 
After 10 years:
SURUCHI has become the best restaurant in the city. Sukanya took the adjacent shop also to combine both and turn the restaurant into big one.
Every day he comes to the restaurant, not for food, but, in the hope of getting her back into her life! 

Recipe for Urad dal Vada:

Urad dal or black gram - 1 cup
Raw rice - 2 tbsp 
Or Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Ginger - 1/2" piece, cleaned and chopped
Green chilly -2 cut into two
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp (optional)
Curry leaves - few, chopped finely
Salt to taste
Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup, cut into tiny cubes
Pepper corns - 8 to 10(avoid this, if serving it to the kids)
Oil to fry

Soak the Urad dal for 2 hours (do not soak more time, as the Vada absorbs more oil). If adding raw rice, soak it with dal only.
Drain the water, add green chilly, ginger, cumin seeds, curry leaves and grind into fine paste. Do not add water at all. If you feel it’s not getting fine paste, then only add a tbsp of water.
Transfer the paste in a bowl. Add salt, rice flour (if using), coconut pieces and pepper corns.  Mix well.
Heat oil in a thick bottomed kadai. 
Take a leaf or thick plastic or aluminum foil. Sprinkle water on it. 
Take little batter (a big lemon size). Keep on the foil.
Press and make hole in the middle to give Vada shape.
Slowly transfer it into your palm, and slid it into hot oil.
Take care as if you hurry the oil will splash out and you may burn your fingers.
Vadas are ready to eat with your favorite chutney and Sambhar.

Sending this to  
Of Chalks to Chopsticks hosted by Jaya ,an event started by Aqua.

Now coming to the contest,
I am happy with the ending of this story, but I want to know about other endings also. I need you to read the story and give another ending. 
There are two options,
1.Either you take the original story till Sukanya comes to her parent's house. Give a twist to it and end it in some other way.
or
2. take the original story till he sees her in the restaurant, and continue to give some other ending.
Hope you all will think some other ending for it and send it to me. 
The contest ends on September 20th. 
Send the details to nivedita.mt@gmail.com with subject as "End of Repentance" with
Your name :
Your blog name:
url of the post :
Non bloggers are also welcome. Send the details to the above mail.

Keep Smiling,

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