Vegetable Kolhapuri Curry, and Ganesh Chaturdi

I know this Kolhapuri recipe is no where linked with Ganesh festival, but today I feel like sharing my way of celebrating Ganesh Chaturdi with my family as the festival is approaching near by. I was born in Ganesh Navaratri's and co-incidentally my favorite God is also Ganesha. I like all his stories and qualities, his love towards parents, siddhi and buddhi. I am from Hyderabad, the metropolitan  multicultural and multilingual city. Here, every festival is celebrated with wonderful colors, and lights. At every main street, you can see vendors selling Ganesha's statues and Pathri (Leafs and flowers offerd to God). Kids of our colony used to collect the funds to put their own "Bala Ganesha", where as older people used to keep the bigger Ganesha "Siddi Vinayaka" decorated with lights and flowers. There used to be heavy devotional music, poojas and very important part prasad (Food offerings to God) all day.

On first day of Ganesha festival, me and my father used to go bare foot (of course on a vehicle) to bring Ganesha Idol and Patri. I used to love the small umbrellas, for Lord Ganesha very much. Later we come home, and decorate house with flowers and "Mamidi Thoranam" a special garland made with Mango leaves and tied to every door in house and gate. Later  we used to decorate pooja mandhir with Ganesha statue and all patri and flowers. My mom who is a wonderful cook, used to make many dishes along with a special dish "undralla Payasam" which is a must food for this festival. Now, here I did not mention about my bro, you might be wondering what he is doing, he is asleep now. As soon as we start our prayer he wakes up, takes bath and come to pooja room at aarthi time and eat all prepared food (Very smart, right!!! :)). I love my bro, even now he is the same. I know after reading all this story you relate the same beautiful things happening at your home too. I miss my parents and bro a lot. I hope that Lord Ganesha Blessings stay on my family and your family life long.

Now coming to the recipe, I make this Kolhapuri vegetable curry when I have all the chunks of left over vegetables in my home. This is one of my favorite too!

Ingredients:
Cauliflower-1cup
chopped carrot-1/2cup
Green capsicum chopped-1/2cup
green peas-1/4cup
onion paste-1cup
tomato puree 1cup
Any other vegetables like potato, brinjal etc., (if you wish)-1 cup
Garam masala-1/4tea spoon
Ginger garlic paste
Cloves-2
cardamom-2
cinnamon stick 1
bay leaf-1
salt to taste
chili powder-1/2tbsp (to taste)
coriander powder-1/2tbsp
cumin powder-1/2tbsp
yogurt/curd-2tbsp
curry leaf-1 spring
cilantro/coriander leaf-10 springs finely chopped

Method:
Fry all vegetables separately in some oil till semi cooked and keep aside. Now take a thick bottom pan and add 2tbsp of oil and heat. Add clove, cardamom, cinnamon and bay leaf and saute for 30sec. Remember always the pan should be on a medium heat. Add onion paste & ginger garlic paste and wait till it turns golden brown, stir in between. Now, add all the spice powders coriander. cumin, garam masala, chili powder and salt mix well and immediately add tomato puree and mix well. When the tomato puree is cooked add yogurt and stir. When all the raw flavor of yogurt is gone, toss in all the vegetables and curry leaf. Stir well and add water if the gravy is too thick. Close the pan with lid and cook in simmer for 5min, finally check for taste and garnish with cilantro.

Yummy Kolhapuri vegetable curry is ready to serve. Serve with some masala green pea rice which is awesome combination for this recipe/

Double ka meeta- Special Hyderabadi Dessert

Double ka meeta is one of the famous Hyderabadi dessert that makes you irresistible to eat. It tastes like soft gulab jamun's with lots of nuts. The bread when caramelised with milk and sugar syrup acquires an amazing taste and the dry nuts fried in ghee gives a crunchy effect.This dessert is named so because in Hyderabad bread is called as "double roti" , meeta means "Sweet" and hence the name. This sweet is served as a main dessert in many of Hyderabadi marriages and other celebrations. No Hyderabadi function is complete with out double ka meeta. I was having a packet full of bread and the expiry date was just today, so I used the entire packet to prepare this recipe(Kind of Saving!!!!hahaha :)).

Ingredients:
Serves 2
Ghee(Clarified Butter)-enough for deep fry of bread
Large Bread slices-6 (I used oat meal bread, it is optional you can use any bread you have)
Milk-30ml(I used almond milk, you can use any milk)
For syrup:
5tbsp of milk and 10tbsp of water boiled for 5min on high flame.

Method:
If you are calorie conscious and you do not want to fry your bread in large amount of ghee, here is the great idea. Take your bread piece, spread the ghee(at room temperature) on to the bread, heat a pan and add 1tbsp of ghee and spread all over. Now place the bread that is spread with ghee and fry it on both sides till it is brown. Repeat the process for all bread pieces.

Boil milk. Now take the bread dip it in the sugar syrup on both sides and again dip in milk and place it in a serving bowl. Repeat the process for all bread slices and stack them on top of each other(like a stack of coins or pan cakes) by sprinkling nuts in between. After you are done with all slices, cut them in to 4 parts and serve them after chilling in refrigerator or serve as it is!!!

Hope you like my recipe!!!!!btw I made this recipe for my hubby on valentines day, you can also try this yummy recipe and surprise your loved ones!!!!! :)

semiya spring rolls-Great idea with leftovers

Semiya is Indian Vermicelli made of durum wheat, it is free of egg. Like upma this serves as an easy making breakfast in the busy mornings. You can make this in several variations. I made with mushroom and tofu. Now a days people are taking lot of care on their diet, I am sure that you will also check for the nutrition label before you eat anything. Cultivating these food habits in your daily life is very important, make sure that what ever you eat you know the consequences of it on your health. So, friends eat healthy and stay fit. But I also suggest you not be so strict on your diet, sometimes it is OK to have kind of unhealthy fatty foods. I would like to have jilabi, any time. My all sensory neurons will stop working and only olfactory (Smell) neurons will work at that time, if I'm in front of Jilebi. Don't worry if you skip your strict diet on one day. After all you should enjoy all the pleasures to your life.

Now this recipe is made from leftover semiya upma, seasoned and modified. I already posted the recipe of upma on this blog you can click here to find it.

Ingredients:
Spring roll sheets-6
Mushrooms chopped-1cup
Onion finely chopped-1/4cup
Lemon juice-2tbsp
oil-2tbsp and for deep fry.
Mix 2tbsp of all purpose flour with 2tbsp of water.

Method:

Heat 2tbsp of oil in a pan and add onions. When the onions are tender add mushrooms and keep sauteing them till they are well cooked. Then add leftover semiya/vermicelli. Mix well and turn off the stove. Now take the spring roll sheets, put one tbsp of semiyo on one corner and start rolling. stick the edge of the spring roll with maida/All purpose flour paste. Heat oil for deep fry in a pan and fry them under medium flame. Enjoy with tomato ketchup/green chutney.

Hope you like my recipe.

Utappam Omlete- Super fast breakfast & Diwali celebrations at my home

Hope you had a great Diwali!!!!
I'm postion pics of diwali celebration @my home.
Now a days people are very busy that they do not like spend much time for cooking. I am trying to make easy and tasty recipes that we can prepare in minutes on our busy days and from last few months I have been posting different kinds of easy and tasty recipes. you can have a look. I like this yummy utappam with omelet on top, this is the first attempt for me and I am happy that my hubby loved it. i would like to make it again and again. No need of any side dish for this breakfast such as chutney or sugar etc., I also love this recipe because it is made out of left over Idli batter. I feel this is the best way to use the left over batter. Hope you like it too!!!

Ingredients
Left over IDli batter-1 cup
Egg-1
Milk-2tbsp
Onions sliced-1/4cup
Pepper powder-1/4tbsp
salt to taste
water as required

Method:
Take the batter in a bowl and add water if required to make in to a dosa batter consistency. In another bowl break open the egg and add pepper powder, milk, onions, salt and beat well. Now heat a non stick pan, if your pan is not in a good condition do not worry, cut open an Onions and rub the cut surface on the pan. In this way you coat the pan with onion juice and pan becomes non stick. Take a laddle full of batter and pour it on the center of the pan and spread it in clockwise or anti clockwise direction to make it flat disc shape. you can add oil from side of it, while cooking , it is completely optional. If your tawa/pan is good then it will work woth out adding oil. If not oil is must, otherwise the batter will stick to pan.when the utappam is half cooked add the egg mix in top and spread all over it. When the utappam is turning to golden brown on bottom flip and cook it on the other side till it turns golden brown. Enjoy!!!!please leave your comments and follow my blog. hope to see you again.

Gunta ponganalu with left over Idli Batter

When I posted gunta ponganalu with dosa batter many asked me wether we can do with idli batter or not. I tried with idli batter several times, but failed. when I added rice flour and little baking soda they came really good and theytasted much better than that are done with dosa batter. Ponganalu are like baked cup cakes, but they are crispy out side and spongy inside. It is the yummy recipe is made with left over dosa batter. It is very simple and easy to prepare snack. kids will love it. To make this recipe you will need a mould/ special skillet. They are available in Indian stores.
Ingredients:
Idli batter- 2cups
Rice Flour-2tbsp
Baking Soda-pinch

salt to tase
Cumin seeds -1/4ts
Green chili finely chopped-1ts
coriander/ cilantro finely chopped-10 springs
Onions finely chopped-1/2cup
Carrot grated- 2ts(optional)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together. Heat the special skillet and add 2drops of oil in each mould and pour batter into mould up to 2/3rd and cover with lid. When bottom turns brown, turn the other side and close the lid, when the other side is well cooked remove them and serve with chutney you wish. I prefer ground nut chutney/coconut chutney.
Hope you like my recipe.

Tomato Rice

If you are in a hurry, wanna try some quick, special, yummy and easy recipe, then this is the best one. I prepare this when my hubby gets bore with lemon rice. I feel this is the great way of using the left over rice. The rice no more looks like a left over one, they get steamed in the tomato puree and acquires and tangy and fresh flavor. Looks wonderful. Tomato bath is different from tomato rice. In tomato bath we cook the raw rice in the tomato puree where as in tomato rice we fry the cooked rice in tomato puree. 

Ingredients:

Cooked rice-4 cups(Measured with 160ml cup)

Tomato puree- 1 cup(160ml)

Onions finely chopped-1/2cup

Cumin seeds-1/2tbsp

Green peas-1/4cup

Ginger- finely grated-1/2tbsp

Garlic- finely grated-1 tbsp

Green chili-chopped-2 big(depending on the heat you require in the rice)

Salt to taste

pepper powder-1/2tbsp

Curry leaf-5 in number(optional)

Cilantro/coriander-10 springs chopped

Bay leaf-2

Cinnamon stick-1 inch

cardamom -2 cloves

Dhaniya powder/coriander powder-1/2tbsp

oil/butter-2tbsp(I prefer butter,because it gives good flavor)

turmeric-pinch

Directions:

First prepare a curry paste with tomatos+Chili by grinding them together. Take a pan and add 2ts of oil/butter and heat it, to the oil add cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and bay leaves.  when all the spices get baked add onions, curry leaf, ginger,garlic,little turmeric, and green peas and fry until the onions are finely cooked. Now, add the first grinded paste coriander powder and cook until the raw flavor of tomato vanishes. Add cooked rice and mix them. close the lid and cook in simmer for 2min. Finally garnish with cilantro and the delicious dish is ready. 

Hope you like my recipe, please feel free to post your comments. They are very valuable for me, you can even subscribe by e-mail to my blog, the recipes will reach your inbox. ThanX for visiting my space. Please bookmark it to visit/ remember again.

Healthy Breakfast- Capsicum & Mushroom Franki

This is the flavorful recipe with the left over chapati/roti (Night dinner-Morning breakfast). You can do the same with corn/wheat tortilas. Before going to recipe, first I should tell you all about my sweet hubby, because of whom I've to try these kind of quick, easy, healthy and handy breakfast. Let me tell his best qualities,
1. He is very punctual (yeah! he will go to office at 8:15 though it is at 7:30)
2. He will get up very early (hehe!!! 7:00am)
3. He can look after his things on his own ( I'll just Iron his dress, keep it ready when he comes out of
    bathroom, brush his shoe, arrange his office files and key's),
4. He will never miss his breakfast (yeah! he will have it only on weekends!!!!, In weekdays if I make
    breakfast I'll just have to dump it!!!)
I think all the above qualities forced me to prepare these kind of handy recipes for breakfast, so that he can have it in car while driving to office. Now enough of my naughty hubby. Coming to recipe...

Ingredients:(Makes 2, serves one)
Tortilla/roti/chapati-1
Egg-1
Onions finely chopped-1/4cup
Capsicum finely chopped-1/4cup
one big Mushroom-finely chopped
Red chili powder/ pepper powder-1tea spoon
Salt to taste
Milk-2table spoons
Olive oil-1table spoon

Method:

• Heat 1tbsp of olive oil in a pan and add mushroom and capsicum and saute until they are half cooked under medium flame.
• Meanwhile take onions in a cup and break open an egg. Add red chili powder/ pepper powder, milk and whisk together gently.

• When the mushroom capsicum mixture is ready, bring the mixture to center and add egg mixture to it. Press tortilla/ roti on top of this mixture. Flip to cook on other side as well.

• Roll this franki and cut it in the middle. Serve hot by squeezing little lemon juice on top. 

Daddojanam - Curd Rice with Flattened rice (Atukulu)

Flattened rice are called Atukulu in telugu. This easily digestible form of raw rice is very popular across Nepal, India and Banglaadesh and is normally used to prepare snacks or light and easy fast food in a variety of Indian cuisine styles, some even for long-term consumption of a week or more. It is known by a variety of names: Poha (Click here for poha recipe)  or Pauwa in Hindi, Pohe in Marathi, Chindé in Bengali, Chira in Assamese, Phovu in Konkani, Chudaa in Oriya,Atukula ponai in parts of Bihar and Jharkhand , Pauaa/Paunva in Gujarat, and Chiura  in Nepal, Bhojpur and Chhattisgarh.



Click Here for source:Wikipedia


Daddojanam- Yoghurt rice is a very traditional rice recipe in southern parts of India. It is served as a holy food(prasadam) in almost all the temples. World famous richest Temple Tirumala tirupathi offers this as one of the food to God and give this food as holy food to the devotees. I personally love this prasadam. Coming to the recipe.
Ingredients:
Curd/Youghurt-100grms/1 cup
Flattened rice/poha/Atukulu-1 cup
Carrot grated finely-1/4cup
Cucumber(kheera)-grated finaly-1/4cup
Onions finaly chopped-1/4cup
For seasoning/tempering:
Cumin seeds-1/2ts+1/2ts
Mustard seeds-1/2ts
Chana dal-1/2ts
Toor dal-1/2ts
Ginger-1/2 inch
Green chili-1 or 2 depending on how much hot you want
Salt to taste
vegetable oil-2ts
red chili-1


Directions:
Note: In temples they do not use onion, cucumber, green chili & carrot. They use Black peppers instead of green chili. You can prepare the same dish with cooked rice as well.


Take a bowl and toss in curd, flattened rice, cucumber, carrot, onions $ salt to taste one by one and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water if you wish. Now keep this mixture aside. 

Take green chili+1/2ts cumin seeds+ ginger and grind it into a fine paste with hand grinder. Now prepare seasoning, for seasoning heat 2ts of oil in a pan and add cumin seeds & mustard seeds. Wait until they splatter the add chan dal & toor dal wait until they turn golden brown. Add Red chili  & green chili+cumin+ginger paste and saute until raw flavor vanishes.

 Add this seasoning to the curd mixture and mix well.

 Refrigerate it for atleast 30min. Now the Yummy daddojanam is ready to serve. 


Hope you like my recipe.

Vada with left over Idli batter- Andhra punugulu

It's rainy season in India, I wish I was there. I love having chaat/ deep fry foods in this season. I remember during my bachelors when I fish my college, me with my  gang used to rush to have street food. I don't know why? but, how many times I prepare this chaat a fresh in my home I will not get street taste. When I pose this Question to my mother she will say that street food is untidy, may be you find it tasty because of street dust in it (hehe!!! just kidding) but i love street food, I'm missing it!

Now coming to the recipe

Ingredients:

Left over Idli batter (for recipe CLICK HERE)-3cups

Onions finely sliced-1/2cup

salt to taste

baking Powder-1/2ts

Method:

Heat enough oil in a pan for deep fry. Mix all the ingredients and take small dumplings with hand and drop them in oil, fry them till they attain golden brown color.

Enjoy this rainy season with cup of tae and wonderful snack.

Andhra Gunta Ponganalu

Ponganalu are like baked cup cakes, but they are crispy out side and spongy inside. It is the yummy recipe is made with left over dosa batter. It is very simple and easy to prepare snack. kids will love it. To make this recipe you will need a mould/ special skillet. They are available in Indian stores.

Ingredients:
Dosa batter- 2cups
salt to tase
Cumin seeds -1/4ts
Green chili finely chopped-1ts
coriander/ cilantro finely chopped-10 springs
Onions finely chopped-1/2cup
Carrot grated- 2ts(optional)

Method:
Mix all the ingredients together. Heat the special skillet and add 2drops of oil in each mould and pour batter into mould up to 2/3rd and cover with lid. When bottom turns brown, turn the other side and close the lid, when the other side is well cooked remove them and serve with chutney you wish. I prefer ground nut chutney/coconut chutney.
Hope you like my recipe.

Masala Utappam with left over Idli batter & Award time :)

Utappam!!!!!
 I love having it for my breakfast /luch/dinner. This is made by different people in different ways. I though when can make masala dosa, why can't we make masala utappam? and now my experiment yielded fruitful results and my masala utappam is ready.

masala utappam

Ingredients:
Left over IDLI batter ( Click Here for IDLI recipe)
Potatos boiled and pealed and sliced-2cups
Onions chopped-1cup green peas-1cup
green chilis /pepper- chopped-2ts
Salt to taste
Cumin seeds few
Mustard seeds few
turmeric -1/8ts

utappam

Method:
For masala Curry:

• Take a skillet and heat 2ts of oil in it and add cumin + mustard seeds and wait until they crackle.
• Now add onions, green peas and green chili and saute until the onions turn transparent.
• Add turmeric and saute for 1min under medium flame.
• Add potato and mix well, finnay add cilantro (it's optional).

Masala Utappam:

• Take the left over Idli batter and add water if required, the consistency of the batter should be very soft.
• Check for salt.
• Now heat pan and scoop out one big spoon full of batter and pour it on a pan and spread the barre thin, just like you spread dosa.
• Add oil on the sides of utappam.
• Now scoop out some potato curry and add on the top of the utappam.
• cook under medium fame till the bottom of the utappam attains golden brown and turn it on the another side. Cook this side for about 1min.
• Now the utappam is ready to serve with sambar and coconut chutney.

masala utappam

ThnQ sunanda for your lovely appreciation :), i adore your blog..bcoz it's full of beautiful pics and neat presentation...i really thnk you with great respect for passing these awards to me...