Eggless Pineapple Cake

Ingredients

1-1/4 cup all purpose flour/maida
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cardamom powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 can (7oz) condense milk (sweetened)
1/2 cup butter (melted)
1 20 oz can crushed pineapple (Drained and save the juice)

Method

1. Preheat the oven at 325 degrees F
2. Grease 9 inches round cake pan
3. Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cardamom powder and salt in a bowl. Add 1/2 cup crushed pineapple, 1/2 cup pineapple juice, condensed milk, butter and gently fold everything together.
4. Pour the mixture in the cake pan and Bake for 30 mins or until the knife inserted comes out clean.
5. Remove the cake from Oven and let it cool for couple of mins. Keep a plate on top of the cake pan and turn the cake to transfer onto the plate. Prick the cake with fork and brush with remaining pineapple juice(while the cake is still hot).

Mushroom-Matar (peas) Curry

Ingredients

2 cups of sliced mushrooms
1 cup green peas
1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 tsp grated ginger
2 Tbsps chopped fenugreek leaves or dry fenugreek leaves
1 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp cumin seeds
Pinch of turmeric powder
½ tsp lemon juice (optional)
Salt to taste

Method

1) Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds. Once they crack add turmeric powder, grated ginger, chopped tomatoes, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt and cook for 4-5 mins or until tomatoes are soft and reduce to half.

2) Add mushrooms and peas and add fenugreek leaves after mushrooms are half cooked and cook until mushrooms are cooked. Turn off the heat.

3) Add lemon juice at the end and serve hot with Steamed rice or Roti

Bobbatlu-Poli

I made bobbtlu for sri ramanavami and brought them to work to create a festive environment here. Everyone liked them very much. It is quite a time consuming process but it is worth the effort. here is the recipe

Ingredients
1 cup Chana dal(bengal gram Dal)
1 cup Jaggery or sugar(adjust to your taste)
1 1/4 cups maida/all purpose flour
1 tbsp clarified butter/ghee
1/2 tsp cardamom powder
3 to 4 Tbsps fresh grated coconut (optional)
salt to taste
Oil
Method
1) Mix the maida/all purpose flour with pinch of salt and enough water to make a very soft and sticky dough. add 1 -2 Tbsps oil and knead the dough well, cover and keep aside.

2) Pressure Cook the chana Dal until soft. Drain water and cool. Grind the Dal with Jaggery or Sugar to a smooth paste. In a heavy bottemed wok, cook this paste at low heat so that the paste becomes hard enough to make into a ball. Remove from heat, mix the cardamom powder, grated coconut, pinch of salt and combine well. Make a small lemon sized balls and keep aside.

3) Take a plastic sheet (I used a ziploc cover) grease it with a little oil and use it to shape the bobbatlu. Grease your fingers with oil and take a small portion of the dough (smaller than a lemon size) and expand it little bit, keep the Chana-Jaggery ball and cover it with the dough and press again to form a circle shape of about 6 inches diameter.

4) Roast both sides in a Tawa/flat Pan until brown spots appear.

Serve warm with Ghee (Clarified Butter). Some people mix this with milk also and eat.

You can store them in air tight container in refrigerator upto 1 week.

Sending this to Mithai Mela Hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 all seasons.

Brinjal Podi Curry

Ingredients

10 medium sized brinjals (eggplant) cut into 4 pieces (if you have long brinjals cut them into 1 inch pieces lengthwise)

for powder
4 to 5 red chillies
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
3 Tablespoons chana dal (split bengal gram dal)
1 teaspoon oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
curry leaves
pinch of asafoetida (optional)
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
salt to taste
Method

1) Dry roast all the ingredients for powder and grind them to powder (do not grind too smooth to maintain the texture of the powder)

2) Heat 1 teaspoon oil and splutter mustard seeds, add pinch of asafoetida, curry leaves and turmeric powder and fry for 30 seconds

3) Add brinjals and stir-fry, cover and cook until they are tender.

4) Add the powder and salt, mix well so that the brinjals are completely fried and coated with powder

This goes well with rice or chapathi (Roti)

Potato Pulusu

Ingredients

4 to 5 medium potatoes boiled, peeled and cubed into bite size pieces
1 large onion finely chopped or make a paste
2 tomatoes (finely chopped or make a paste)
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
pinch of turmeric powder
lemon sized tamarind (extract juice) / 1 -2 Tbsp tamarind paste

1 Tbsp oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida (optional)
3-4 crushed garlic cloves
3-4 dry red chillies
few curry leaves (optional)

fresh chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Method

1) Heat oil in a pan splutter cumin seeds, add asafoetida, crushed garlic. dry red chillies, curry leaves and fry for few seconds

2) Add finley chopped onions and fry until they turn golden color and then add chilli, coriander, cumin and turmeric powder and mix, add chopped tomatoes or tomato paste and cook until oil seperates from the mixture.

3) Add cubed potatoes, salt, tamarind paste, 1 cup of water. Cover and cook in medium heat for about 10 minutes.

Garnish with coriander leaves and server hot with steamed rice or Roti

Broken Wheat Pongal

Ingredients

1 cup broken wheat (dry roasted)
1/2 cup split yellow moong Dal
2 cups fresh chopped spinach
1 tsp oil/Ghee
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp pepper corns
1 tsp grated ginger
1 to 2 green/dry red chillies (Adjust to your taste)
pinch of asafoetida
1 Tbsp cashew nuts (optional)
few curry leaves (optional)
salt to taste
Method

1) Wash Broken sheat and Moong Dal with water, drain and keep aside.
2) Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and once they crack add pepper corns, cashew nuts and fry for few seconds. if you have roasted caswhews you can add them at the end.

3) Add green chillies, grated ginger, asafoetida, curry leaves and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add chopped spinach and fry for another 2 mins.

4) Add the Wheat and Dal Mixture, salt and 4 cups of water and cook until it is completely cooked. You can cook also use the pressure cooker to cook this.

Server Hot with any pickle/Yogurt

Banana Muffins - Eggless

Ingredients

4-5 Riped large bananas
1 cup all purpose flour/maida
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon powder
3/4 cup sugar

1/3 cup unsalted butter, melted
2 tbsps yogurt
1 tsp vanilla essence
1/2 cup chocolate chips (optional)

Any Nuts of your choice for topping

I used walnuts and pine nuts
Method

1) In a Bowl Mix the flours, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt,cinnamon powder, chocolate chips and keep aside

2) In another bowl Mash the bananas and mix with butter, vanilla essence, Yogurt until they are combined well.

3) Add the banana mix to the dry mix and combine well.

4) Preheat the Oven to 350F. Arrange the Muffin liners in the muffin pan and fill them until 3/4th, Bake for 25 mins to 30 mins are until the knife inserted comes out clean.

Eggless Date Cake

Ingredients

Around 20 Dates(Kharjoor)
1 cup all purpose flour or maida
1 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup oil (I use Olive oil)
2 Tbsp crushed walnuts or any nuts of your choice(optional)
Method

If you are using a seeded hard dates then soak them in milk overnight and remove seeds. I use soft dates so i just remove the seeds and don't soak.

1) Blend Dates, Sugar and milk into smooth paste, add oil and mix.
2) Mix the all purpose flour and baking soda,add to the above paste slowly and mix.
3) Preheat oven at 350F for 5 mins.
4) Grease the cake pan and pour this mix and shake to form a flat surface and spread nuts on top.
5) Bake the cake in oven upto 40 mins or until the knife inserted in the cake comes out clean.

Notes: You can make this cake without oil too if you want a low calorie version.

Ginger-Coriander Chutney

Ingredients

2 cups of coriander leaves (chopped)
around 2 inch ginger peeled and cut into small pieces
1 tbsp black gram dal (urad Dal/minapa pappu)
2 -3 dry red chillies
1 tsp coriander seeds
2 Tbsp tamarind paste (Adjust to your taste)
1-2 Tbsps jaggery (adjust yo your taste)
1 tsp Oil
salt to taste

For seasoning/tempering/poppu/tadka

1 tsp oil or ghee(clarified butter)
few curry leaves
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida
1/2 tsp black gram dal (urad dal)
Method

1) In a pan heat 1 tsp oil, add black gram dal and fry until it turns light brown. Add coriander seeds and red chillies and fry for few seconds. Do not burn them

2) Add cut ginger pieces and fry for 2 to 3 minutes till they turn light brown and add coriander leaves and saute for a min. Remove and cool.

3) Grind the roasted ingredients into coarse paste by adding jaggery, tamarind paste, salt and little water.

4) For tempering, Heat ghee in a pan, splutter mustard seeds, add black gram dal and fry until it turns light brown. Add curry leaves adn asafoetida and fry for few secs. Add this to the ground paste.

This chutney can be eaten with rice or Dosa/Idly/Upma etc

Add more water if you want to eat with Dosa/Idli and make it like a think paste to eat with rice. I made this to eat with rice so looks think here

Mango Pulihora

Ingredients

2 cups cooked rice
1 cup Raw mango(Remove skin and grated)
1 Tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp Urad Dal/Minappappu (Black gram lentil)
1 tsp Chana Dal (Bengal Gram Lentil)
2 dry red chillies
5-6 green chillies slit lengthwise
pinch of turmeric powder
pinch of asafoetida
few curry leaves
salt to taste

1/4th cup Roasted peanuts/cashew nuts
Method

1) Cook the rice in such a way that each grain is seperate and cool. basmati rice works best.

2) Heat Oil, add mustard seeds and once they splutter add Urad Dal, chana Dal and fry until they turn light brown. Now add green and red chillies, turmeric powder, asafoetida and curry leaves and fry for few seconds.

3) Add teh grated mango and fry for 3 to 4 mins. Add salt and roasted nuts and mix. Turn off Heat and mix this with the rice.

Serve hot with appalam/vadiyalu/Raita of your choice

Ginger-Garlic Paste

I make this paste and store in refrigerator which stays good upto 1 month. Similarly I also make minced garlic and minced ginger seperately and store so that we don't have to make this daily. I use a chopper to make the crushed ginger/garlic. This reduces cooking time on a daily basis.

Ingredients

1 cup Ginger (peeled and cut into pieces and wiped)
1 cup garlic peeled
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt

Method

Grind all the above ingredients into smooth paste and store in a dry air tight container and refrigerate

Ugadi Pachadi

Ingredients:

1 cup of fresh raw mango finely chopped along with skin
1 tbsp margosa flowers/leaves (Neem flowers)
1/2 cup grated jaggery
1/2 tsp red chilli powder (Adjust to your taste)
3-4 Tbsp tamarind paste
salt to taste
1 Tbsp fresh finely chopped coconut pieces (optional)


Mix all the above ingredients with little bit of water to acheive a sauce like consistancy. adjust the jaggery and salt

Okra (Ladies finger)Fry

Ingredients

1 lb fresh Okra/lady's finger/Bendakaya/Bhindi (cut into 1 inch pieces lengthwise)
1 large onion finely sliced
2 medium tomatoes
ginger-garlic paste - 1 tsp
pinch of turmeric powder
pinch of Asafoetida/Inguva/Hing
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/4 tsp Garam Masala
1 Tbsp Oil
salt to taste

chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Method

1) Heat Oil in a pan, splutter cumins seeds, add asafoetida and turmeric powder and fry for 5 to 10 secs and then add onions and fry till they turn golden color.

2) Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2 mins.Add tomatoes, chilli, coriander, cumin powders, salt and cook until oil seperates from the mix.

3) Add chopped Okra, mix well, cover and cook in low heat until they are cooked.

4) Add garam masala and mix. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Server hot with Steamed rice/roti

Pudina-Aloo

Ingredients

1 cup fresh mint/Pudina leaves (roasted in little oil and make a paste)
3-4 boiled potatoes cubed

1 Tbsp Oil
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
pinch of asafoetida
pinch of turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp dry mango powder
salt to taste
Method

1) Heat Oil, add cumin seeds, once they crack add Pudina/mint leaves paste, asafoetida, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala, dry mango powder, salt and fry for few seconds

2) Add cubed potatoes and fry for couple of minutes so that potatoes are coated with the spice mix.

Serve hot with Rotis

Cauli Flower - Tomato Curry

Last night our dinner was Cauli flower tomato curry. Easy way to make cauli flower and low fat version. Tasted good and goes well with either rice or Roti.

Here is the recipe

Ingredients

1 medium sized cauli flower(cut into bite size pieces)
1 meduim onion finely chopped
1 Tbsp minced garlic
3 to 4 medium tomatoes finely chopped
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tst coriander powder
1/4 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala
1 tsp oil
salt to taste


Chopped coriander leaves/cilantro for garnish

Method

1) Heat Oil in a pan add minced garlic and fry for a minute and then add onions and stir-fry until they turn light brown.

2) Add chopped tomatoes, chilli, coriander, cumin powders. salt and stir-fry until oil seperates from the paste.

3) Add cut cauli flower, 1/2 cup water and cook covered in low-medium heat until cauli flower is cooked by stirring inbetween.

garnish with coriander leaves and server hot with steamed rice or Roti

Happy Sri Rama Navami - Panakam-Vadapappu- Chalimidi

Happy Sri Rama Navami

Sri Rama Navami is a Hindu festival, celebrating of the birth of Lord Rama, falls on the Navami, ninth day of the Chaitra month of Hindu lunar year in 'Shukla paksha' or waxing moon, thus named Chaitra Masa Suklapaksha Navami, and marks the end of nine-day Chaitra-Navratri celebrations.The festival commemorates the birth of Rama who is remembered for his prosperous and righteous reign.

Hindus normally perform Kalyanotsavam (marriage celebration) with small murtis of Rama and Sita in their houses, and at the end of the day the deity is taken to a procession on the streets. This day also marks the end of the nine-day utsavam called Chaitra Navaratri (Maharashtra) or Vasanthothsava (Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh & Tamil Nadu) (festival of Spring), which starts with Gudi Padwa (Maharashtra)

Panakam, Vadapappu-chalimidi are the special items we prepare for this festival.

Panakam Ingredients

3 Cups Water
2 Tbsps Jaggery (adjust to your taste)
1 crushed cardamom
1/2 tsp dry ginger powder or 1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
1/2 tsp crushed pepper corns

Method

Mix water and Jaggery and let the Jaggery dissolve in water. Filter the water and add crushed cardamom, dry ginger powder and crushed pepper corns

Vada Pappu(Soaked Split yellow moong dal)

Ingredients

1 cup split yello moong dal
2-3 Tbsp grated coconut
Salt to taste.
Fresh chopped coriander/cilantro for garnish.
1 chushed green chilli
1 Tbsp lemon juice

Method

Soak the Moong Dal in water for half an hour, drain the water. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

This is not cooked and eaten raw with Chalimidi

Chalimidi

Ingredients

1 rice flour (Soak 1 cup raw rice in warm water for 3 to 4 hrs, drain and dry the rice in a dry cloth until it is completely dried and make a coarse powder)

½ cup grated jaggery or sugar.
½ tsp coarsly crushed cardamom.
2-3 Tbsp grated coconut (optional)
Water to make dough

Method

Mix the rice flour, Jaggery and crushed cardamom by adding 1 to 2 tsp water to make a soft dough.

Alternatively you can make a cooked chalimidi and this is what my mom makes at home.

Make a warm syrup of jaggery (or sugar) and add the rice flour in low heat and mix to form a soft dough. Add cardamom and coconut at the end and mix well.

Notes: You can use readymade rice flour also to make the rice flour making process easy.

Crumbled Paneer With peas

Ingredients

1 Cup Crumble paneer
1 Large tomato finely chopped
1/4th cup frozen/fresh green peas
1/2 tsp chilli powder (adjust to your taste)
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 Tbsp Dry fenugreek leaves
1/2 cup fat free milk
1 tsp oil
salt to taste

chopped coriander leaves for garnish
Method

1) Heat oil in a pan, add chopped tomatoes and peas and cook until they are tender. This may take 3 to 4 mins

2) Mix crumbled paneer, salt and cook for couple of mins and add chilli, coriander, garam masala, dried fenugreek leaves and mix well

3) Add milk and stir-fry until the desired consistency is achieved.

Garnish with coriander leaves and server hot with roti or any indian bread.

Bitter Guard (Kaakarakaaya) Fry

Ingredients

3 Cups Bitter gourd (sliced into rounds)
2 Tbsps tamarind paste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 Tbsp Oil
2 medium onions sliced
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
pinch of methi powder (fenugreek seeds powder)
salt to taste

For seasoning/tempering

1/2 tsp mustard seeds
pinch of asafoetida/Inguva
few curry leaves
Method
1) Mix tamarind paste with some water and turmeric powder and cook Bitter gourd until they are 3/4th cooked, Drain and keep aside. This may take 10 mins

2) Heat oil, splutter mustard seeds, add asafoetida, curry leaves and fry for few seconds and then add onions and fry until they turn light brown

3) Add chilli, coriander and methi powders, salt and mix well. Add the cooked bitter gourd pieces and stir-fry until they are cooked completely. Adjust s


Serve hot with Steamed rice or Rotis.