Peas Masala

Peas Masala is a winning combination of Tomatoes, Potatoes & Peas. Having the luscious Red of tangy tomatoes and flavored mildly with cinnamon and cloves , enriched with the complex carbs from the potatoes, the peas lend their vibrant color and texture , this dish is certain to warm the cockles of your heart tummy !





Ingredients

Peas - 1 cup
Tomatoes- 1/2 Kg
Potatoes - 1/4 kg
Ghee - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1 ''
Cloves - 2
Chilly powder - 1 tsp
Jaggery / sugar - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste

Method

Blanch the Tomatoes , puree and pass the juice through a sieve.
Pressure cook the potato, remove the jackets, and crush it roughly with your hands.
Cook the peas .
Powder finely the Cinnamon & cloves.

Heat ghee in a pan, put off the fire & add stir in the cinnamon & clove powder . I take this precaution , to keep the powder from charring.
Switch on the gas again and pour in the Tomato puree, toss in the peas and bring it a boil.
Add the prepared potatoes , chilly Powder , salt and sugar.
Add water to adjust consistency and bring it to a simmer .
Flavorful Peas masala is all ready for you to devour.

Sending this to The MLLA Event host by Manju, brainchild of Susan.

Dum Gobi

In this season, Creamy White Cauliflowers , in all their glory, allure the shoppers to pick them up, being available at unresistable prices. Of course, fresh Peas are also in season, commanding their usual premium rates ! Dum Gobi , is a very tasty side dish prepared combining both these veggies. Try it and I'm sure you will agree with me.
We use a spice called Marati Moggu in the south, and you can spot them in the picture. Generally, I have not come across many recipes , using this particular spice. We usually combine this with cinnamon in most of our masalas.





Ingredients

Cauliflower - 1 large, chopped into bite size florets
Onion - 2 cup , sliced
Peas - 2 cups
Oil - 3 tbsps
Grind :
Red chilly - 14 no.s ( both guntur & byadigi mixed )
Cinnamon - 4" piece
Marati Moggu /capers - 10 no.s
Dhania ( coriander seeds ) - 1 tbsp
Jeera ( cumin seeds ) - 1 tsps
Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp, toasted lightly
Cashew - 1 tbsp
Coconut - 1/2 cup , scraped
Copra - 2 tbsps , scraped
Onions - 1 large , chopped roughly
Salt - to taste

Method

Heat the oil in a big pan, tumble in the onion, peas & cauliflower florets. Stir cook for sometime & add little water if the vegetables are sticking at the bottom of the pan.Cover & cook till the cauliflower stems are just cooked / Al dente & the peas are done.
Grind the masala into a fine paste with water.
Stir fry this masala in some oil till it changes colour & leaves the sides of the pan.
Mix the vegetables & the masala , till both blend, taking care to see that the cauliflower does not get too disintegrated. When done , take off from heat.
Serve with Roti/ parata/ chapathi.

Sending this to Srilekha's EFM series.

And also to the CWS Event hosted by RV, which was started by Priya.

Biyam atukulu

Biyam is rice and atukulu is poha in telugu. Though prepared with rice, this dish gives the feel and taste of poha. This is my friend Vani's recipe who is from Mysore & I guess this is a traditional dish of this region. This dish calls for the regular pantry staples in the Indian kitchens and can be prepared in a jiffy and enjoyed at any time, breakfast , lunch or dinner.





Ingredients

Rice - 1 cup , pan roasted on medium fire till color changes
Onion - 2 large , diced big
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Water - 3 cups
Grind-
Red chilly - 7 ( byadigi and guntur )
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Tamarind - 1 tbsp , soaked & extract the juice
Jaggery - 1 tbsp
Tempering -
Oil - 2 to 3 tbsps
Mustard, bengal gram dal, curry leaves, Red chillies - 2 ( broken ), hing

Method

Dry roast the rice for at least 10 mins till the color changes .
In a pressure cooker, take oil & do the tempering. Add the turmeric powder also.
Tip in the onions & stir a couple of times.
Grind the masala using the measured water & tip it into the onions.
Add the rice.
Pour in the rest of the water also.
Pressure cook for 3 whistles.
Open after the pressure is down & enjoy spicy , tangy Rice poha.

cauliflower parota

This is yet another of the parotas we prepare regularly. For me parotas are the saviors , when I can't zero in on any side dishes to go with the chapathis. The filling can be prepared before hand and stacked away in the fridge . This comes in handy to put together a meal in when in a hurry.
Presenting the two flowers of a different kind ! One a visual treat & the other a gastrnomical one.



Ingredients for the filling -

Cauliflower - 1 medium flower
Onion - 2 medium chopped finely
Oil - 2 tbsp
Jeera - 2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 2 tsp
Dhaniya powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander - 2 tbsp, chopped
Sugar - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 1 tsp

Method

Wash the florets & pulse in the blender or grate the florets.
In a pan , heat the oil & temper with the cumin.
Stir in the onions for a couple of minutes.
Add the prepared cauliflower & cook covered, stirring now & then till the rawness goes.
Add all the powders and give it a good mix.
Garnish with the coriander.

Prepare a soft chapathi dough.
Roll out 2 small puris.
On the 1st puri, spread a tbsp of the filling , leaving a margin all around to seal the edges.

Cover with the other puri & seal the edges.
Dust a plastic sheet & roll this parota lightly.
Cook on a hot griddle on both the sides with a tsp of oil.
Tastes good by itself or with pickles & curds.

Sending this to Sri's EFM.

Saagu Junka

You can call it a saagu crossover or a Junaka crossover. Traditionally saagu is a vegetable intense dish with it's own style of masala and junaka is a gram flour based side dish. Saagu Junaka is a name coined by yours truly , because this is an integrated dish.
The boiled veggies are cooked into the gram flour gravy base. The sour curds gives a pleasant tang to the gravy.

Ingredients


Mixed vegetables - 2 cups
Sour curds - 1/2 cup
Besan gram flour - 1 tbsp
Onion - 1 large , diced
Capsicum - 1/2 cup , diced
Ginger - 1/2 '' piece, finely chopped
Garlic - 2 cloves , finely chopped ( optional )
Green chilly paste - 2 tsps
Salt
For tempering -
Oil - 1 tbsp
Mustard, Jeera, hing, curry leaves

Method

Boil vegetables of choice like carrots, beans, peas, potato, cabbage, ridge gourd etc.
Heat oil in a pan & temper. Stir in the ginger & garlic at this stage.
Saute the onion & capsicum till done.
Mix the gram flour in the sour curds . Pour this mixture into the onions & stir till you get a cooked smell.
Now add the boiled vegetables , chilly paste, salt . Add water to the required consistency. Bring it to a simmer.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve with chapathi.

Suggestion

Can use lemon juice in the end if the curds are not sour.
Garam masala powder can be added in the end.

Sending this to Sri's EFM.

Coriander Rice

This is an old recipe stacked away in the drafts. I traced this when I launched a search for Lunch Box recipes. This is a flavorful rice, mildly spiced & combined with the veggies.
When served with a cooling Raitha , it makes a satisfying & filling lunch !

Ingredients

Basmathi Rice - 1 cup
Water - 1 1/2 cup
Oil & ghee - 3 tbsps & 1 tbsp
Cinnamon - 2 ''
Cloves - 4
Cardamom - 2
Bay Leaf - 2
Onions - 2 no.s , sliced
Carrots - 1/2 cup , julienne
Beans - 1/2 cup, julienne
Peas - a handful
Lemon juice - 2 tbsps
Sugar - 1 tsp

Grind together with some water-
Coconut - 2 tbsps
Green chillies - 8
Ginger - 1 '' piece
Garlic - 6 cloves
Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp
Onion - 2 tbsps, chopped
Coriander - 3/4 - 1 cup chopped

Method

Wash & soak rice for 10 minutes.
Take oil in a pan , drop the whole spices in hot oil to release their flavors. Tip in the onions & saute for 2 minutes. Stir in the vegetables & cook covered till they wilt.
Grind the masala paste & stir it in till it becomes dry.
Drain the rice, & stir it in the masala for a couple of minutes.
Bring the measured water to a boil with sufficient salt in a Rice cooker. Transfer the rice to the boiling water & cook till the rice is done.
Squeeze some lemon juice & sprinkle some sugar to balance out the flavors.
Serve with Raitha.

Sending this to the Tiffin Box Event hosted by Radhika and Sudashna.

Strawberry Banana Milkshake

I can't be wrong if I said Strawberry milkshake is everybody's All time favorite drink. With the luscious red berries in season, the first thing one would want to do in this hot summer is to enjoy a cool milkshake. Which is certain to uplift and invigorate the heart, mind, soul and all your gastronomical senses at one shot.
Banana gives body to the the otherwise thin drink, when ice cream is not used. One could do with less ice cream if a small banana is used.
Strawberries are sometimes arranged on a bed of these leaves in transparent boxes. I liked the delicate structure of these leaves & hence used it in the presentation. I'm guessing that they must be strawberry leaves. Any take on this , anyone ?

Ingredients

Cold milk - 1 glass
Banana - 1 small fruit
Vanilla / Strawberry Ice cream - 2 scoops
Sugar - 1 tbsp

Method

Add all this in a blender & whizz it up till nice and frothy and enjoy !