Lentil spinach curry

Lentil Spinach Curry or my enemy for the life time?

To be honest I hate lentils my childhood days onwards ,this is the one dish my father love the most and mom prepares on a regular basis, means at least 5 times a week. During my school days it was an inevitable item in my tiffin box and almost all my text books is decorated by the yellow shades of the soup. When I entered into a wedlock I thought I will be able to escape from this lentil soup torture.


But fate has a different plan for me.After the 30th day of the wedlock we started our life together in a new environment,new country,new climate and everything new ,so as the kitchen. As I am a good cook I tried hard to find a good website which gives me some insight into how to prepare tea and coffee. As a result of my experiments Praveen decided to take over the control of kitchen for few days. And he prepared his fvrt dish that is the lentil spinach soup for 3 continuous days.

That was the provocation..sorry..inspiration for me to strat cooking. After two and half years of trial and error, I think I am nearly there. Of-course in friendly terms with lentil soup too bcoz I gave deepas version to the lentil Curry.

Here we go:



1. Toor Dal – 1 cup
2. Spinach – 1 bunch chopped.
3.Butter- 1/2spoon
4. Grated Coconut – 1/2 cup
5.Pepper powder-1/4 tsp
6. Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
7. Onion (thinly sliced) – 1 med
8. Dry Red Chilly – 3
9. Cumin Seeds – 1/2 tsp
10. Green Chillies(Sliced) – 2
11. Kunjulli (Shallots) – 4 or 5

12.Tomato (sliced)-1

13. Oil – 3 tbsp
14. Garlic – 3 or 4 pods
15. Chilly Powder – 1sp
16. Salt – As required
17. Water – As required
18.Musturd seeds – 1/2 tsp
19. Curry Leaves – A sprig
Method:
1. Pressure cook the Dal with Water, Salt, Turmeric Powder,tomato and Butter .
2.Grind coconut, chilly powder, jeera, green chillies and kunjulli with little water and keep it aside.
3. Heat half portion of oi in a pan. When it is hot add onions, garlic and red chillies and saute till the onions are golden.
4. Add the spinach and pinch of salt and saute for a few minutes till it is cooked now add the cooked dal to this and bring it a boil stirring frequently.
5.Add the coconut paste to the dal and cook it for a few minutes till the curry is thick.

8. Finally season the curry with Mustard Seeds and Curry Leaves sauteed in 1 tbsp oil.

Now it is ready for you...Happy to meet so many amazing bloggers around..love u all..u all are so talented.

Sweet and sour Masala Pasta

Worlds Greatest Pasta Recipes (Book #2)...182 PAGES of the best Pasta Recipes on the web!!
Sweet and sour Masala Pasta, originally uploaded by {deepapraveen}.

My comfort-zone in cooking is Indian dishes. The masalas,spices, dry nuts, rice,coconut, cant think about a dish with out one of them. But I love to experiment food from other side of the world. Don"t know whether it is a strong point or weak point I do ended up in adding spices to it. (So now a days before cooking I lock my spice tins in a safe place for happy and original cooking.)

This is my version of a pasta dish.

Cooking instructions.
-We are cooking pasta and the sauce same time. And going to mix it.
-For me cooking pasta takes around 15-to 20mnts(that depends on pasta).
-For the sauce I need 10 mnts or so. (So u can adjust time accordingly).

Pasta=200gm.
Crushed /ground mixed spices= cinnamon+ /or,coriander+/or,cloves,cardamom.
Salt= According to your taste.
Oil=few drops.
Orange zest= few.
Lemon juice= Few drops optional (It will prevent the pasta from sticking to one another)
Water= Enough to cover the pasta and bit more. (I use 2 1/2 cups).
Allow water to boil, then add mixed spice,salt,oil and orange zest. Mix well. Add pasta. Make sure it is covered with water. Bring heat to medium. Check and stir in between and make sure pasta is covered with water. If not, add boiling water to it. Normally it will be ready between 12-18mnts.
Sauce:
Boiled mixed beans+chickpeas=3/4cup.
Big onion =1 1/2.
Ginger garlic paste=1/2tsp.
Soya sauce=1/2tsp.
Greenchilli=1.
Mild chilli powder=1 tsp.
Garam masala=1/2tsp.
Dobule creame or coconut milk=2 tsp.
Fresh orange juice= From half an orange Or any sweet dessert wine.
Parmesan=freshly grated 2tbsp
Any greens,leaves only, finely chopped( I use curry leaves).
Olive or Veg oil=1 tbsp.
Salt= Your taste

1. Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the sliced onion,salt,greenchilli (sliced) ginger garlic paste and the leaves you choose for 5 minutes until crisp and golden brown.
Now mix the masalas and chilli in soya sauce and make a cream. Add this to the onion mixture and stir well.
2. Add mixed beans+chickpeas mixture. Stir well for 2mnts.
Heat medium.
3. Take 1/4 water from your boiling pasta and add that to this. Cover it with a lid and in slow flame let it cook for next 5-7 minutes.
4.Drain the pasta by removing the water to another container, we need this water. So keep it aside.
5.Add pasta to the chikpea masala mixture stir well.
6.This is not a dry pasta so we are going to add 4/3 cup of water which we used for boiling pasta.
7.Heat to low. Add double cream or coconut cream. Mix well or another 2-3mnts. Add grated Parmesan cheese.
8. Squeeze half a lemon on top of it or add your dessert wine few tsps. Cover it with a lid
9.Remove from heat. Allow it to set the for few more minutes.
Sweet and sour masala pasta ready.

Some good books for reference :
The Complete Book of Pasta and Noodles
CR Gibson Al Dente Pocket Page Recipe Book
Worlds Greatest Pasta Recipes (Book #2)...182 PAGES of the best Pasta Recipes on the web!!
The Essential Pasta Cookbook
Cookin': A Musical Cookbook
Grilldog Presents: Episodes 44 - 47
Grandmas Favorite Pasta Recipes (Book #3)...179 PAGES of Grandmas best Pasta Recipes on the web!!.

Potato cheese omelette...another day of terror for Praveen.

Our Christmas week end, we enjoyed having paracetamol and few other capsules for cold and fever. Praveen tried to prove his excellence in kitchen but as usual ended up in the usual stuff ,rice soup( we call it kanji) and pickle. So for a change i ,decided to go for something simple and different.

So here comes the Potato Cheese omelet..for a change!!!!!!!!
( P.S : Wont recommend this for fever of cold victims ,but if your partner provokes you with their cooking experiments,vouch for sure, you can try this)
Cheese,grated: 50 gm

Potato (medium one)- boiled and mashed or grated.
Big onion half-sliced.
Green chili-one -finely chopped.
Garam masala optional-1/4 tsp.
Butter- 1 tsp.
Egg- 2nos.
Black pepper powder-1/4tsp.
Salt- As required.
Parsley or Curry leaves-  Few.

Method:



Heat pan with butter in medium heat,add sliced onion,green chili and bit salt stir well add garam masala(optional)now add  mashed potato stir for two to three minutes keep it aside.


Beat egg well, with bit salt and pepper.
Heat  your non stick pan(medium heat), add the remaining butter and add your egg mixture. Stir it gently using the edge of an wooden spoon,as egg begins to set, run spatula under edge of omelet, lifting cooked portion and allowing uncooked portion to spread to bottom of pan, tilting pan as necessary.
Now put your potato mixture in the middle of this omelet as a line. Put grated cheese on top of it. now gently turn the sides of your omelet to this middle portion from both sides.
Keep it in that pan for bit more time, just for that cheese to melt. If you are an expert cook ,you can turn the omelet upside down and allow other side to cook. What i do is i heat another non stick pan and put the omelet to that one from the current pan. Simple.
Omelet is ready. You can serve with green salad

Jalebi Recipe

It is time for some sweets... another easy indian sweetdish..hot Jalebi and pistachio ice cream are best combination fordinner party desserts.Jalebi is an an Arabian sweet but it is so popular in India. Now it is a celebration sweet of India. The picture is an Indian rather Kerala version of the original recipe. It is a food+ medicine in Pakistan (wiki says so). For headache it is placed in boiling milk and placed standstill before eating. We can see the reference of this sweet dish in some early classics :)-
Recipe:#
1. Maida flour( all purpose flour)=1 cup.2. rice flour= 2 Tsp 3.baking powder= a bit 4. curd= 1tsp or bit less(optional)5. warm water or warm milk=4/3 cup (if you are using curd avoid milk) 6. sugar=1 1/2 cup7.water =1 cup8. cardamom powder=bit or crushed cardamom 3. 9. Food colour-orange or red few drops.10 Ghee or vegetable oil for frying
Method:1.Mix maida flour, rice flour, baking powder, curd and mix well by adding water to get a thick cream.2.Let it ferment for a day..at least 4 to 6 hours then whisk again.3.Dissolve sugar in 2 water and boil till it becomes a syrup of one thread consistency. 4. Transfer the thick cream to resealable food and freezer bag then pierce it from the bottom. I use a coconut shell with a hole in one of those three eyes of coconut.5.Heat oil or ghee in a pan. 6.Allow the batter to fall into continuous double circles as shown in the picture(not necessary if u fancy some other design you can follow that).7.Deep fry them,allow the jalebis to set and then turn over once, once it is golden in color and crisp all over remove from heat and transfer to sugar syrup let it immerse in the sugar syrup. 8. After some time say few minutes remove from the syrup.
Jalebi is ready for u.

Potato Curry/Indian potato curry/Easy potato curry

Thanks dear friends for helping me to re-live those moments with my Tulip dragon Fly. Nice to know that you enjoyed it. Special thanks for your personal mails.Decided to give u my thanks by way of a recipe. (oh,yes yet another one from me.)A friend of mine asked me the other day, why can"t you give us a recipe with our national vegetable potato(:P) So here comes a Potato cury, the Indian way.
It is a mild cury, can go with bread, as a topping for pasta, chappati, even inbetween sandwiches.potatoes=4Salt = as per taste.Onion(sliced)=1 big and I small.Garlic=2 Cloves.(crushed) you can use paste too.Ginger(grated)= 2cm piece. (according to your taste).Turmeric= 1tspvegetable oil= 2tsp.1 tsp mustard seeds.Green chilli=1 (chopped) with or with out seed-as per your taste. Black pepper powder =half tsp.ground cumin powder=1tspOptionals:Garam masala=1/4 tspMint/ curry leaves or any other similar fresh greens= finely chopped one tsp.Double cream=4 tsp.orococonut powder=3tsp. (Add to 1/2 glass of hot water and stir well)
Method:1. Cut the potatos and cook in boiling salted water for 6-8 minutes, until just tender, then drain and set aside.2.Heat oil in a large saucepan, add mustard seeds and fry til they begin to pop.3.Add onion and fry til soft but not brown with bit salt. (may take 2 to 3mnts).4.Add cuminseed powder, greenchilli,ginger,garlic,black pepper and stir well.If you have garam masala add that to when this things done.5.Add potatos stir well.6.Cook, covered, for around 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until potatoes are very tender and coated with spices.7.Now add your double cream or coconut milk and stir for 1 now turned the gass off, add the greens, cover it with a lid and let it be there for couple of more mnts.
Yes the yummy mild Potato curry is ready for you.

Easy Tomato curry and Tomato Rice

Tomato - 4 nosTurmeric powder - 1/2 tspChilly powder - 3/4 tspSalt - As reqdWater - 3/4 cupGrated coconut - 1/2 cuporCoconut powder= 2 tspShallots - 2 nosCoconut oil - 2 tspMustard seeds - 1/4 tspCurry leaves - 10 leaves1)Place tomatoes in a vessel along with turmeric powder, chillypowder, salt and water.2)Boil it on a low flame til the tomatoes get mashed well.3)Grind together coconut and small onions along with water.If you are using coconut powder grind shallots and then add coconut powder.4)Add it to the tomato gravy.5)Allow it to boil for few more miniutes.6)Heat oil in a small pan.7)Splutter mustard seeds.8)Add curry leaves and saute for a while.9)Pour it into the tomato gravy and mix well.10) Tomato Curry is ready.Serve Tomato Curry with chapathy or rice................................................................................................................................................................You can even make a tomato rice with this.Left over rice (cooked ofcourse) = 1 small bowl.Ghee or butter= 50 gm.Tomato curry=1 Glass.1.Heat butter in a vessel.2.Add left over rice and stir for 2 minute.3.Add the curry. Mix well and stir for another few more minutes.Your tomoto rice is ready.

Paneer masala

Paneer Masala.
.....................
Paneer =250grams
Water =2 cups
Onion=1
Tomatoes=2
Green cardamom crushed= 2
Cloves =6
Black pepper powder =1 tsp.
Vegetable oil =3 tbsp.
Paste of
ginger-garlic& green chilli =1 tsp.
Turmeric Powder =1/2 tsp.
Kashmiri chilli powder =2 tsp.
Cumin seeds =1 tsp.
Coriander leaves /curry leaves=Few
Salt to taste .

Method:


1. Cut the paneer into cubes.
2. Boil tomatoes and then peel off the skin. Mash them to make a pulpy sauce.
3. Heat oil in a pan.
4. Add cumin seed first then cloves then sliced onion, once it istransperent add, ginger-garlic-green chilli paste.
5. Then add cardamom, black pepper powder, chilli powder, salt,turmeric. Stir well.
6. Add pulpy tomato sauce. Fry for few more minutes.
7. Now you can add water and boil. Let it cook on medium heat tillthe gravy becomes thick.
8. Finally add the paneer cubes. (If you have enough time u can deepfry this paneer in oil until it is golden brown)Do not cook for morethan a minute after putting paneer. Remove from heat.
P.S if you are adding curry leaves u can add them while you arecooking the onion.
Last day a friend of mine asked about this recipe for her Lunar new year celebrations,thought about sharing with her and you!!!. Happy new year to all of you.

Soya Fry/ soya masala

Soya Fry, originally uploaded by Deepa.Praveen.

Soya chunk, is one of my other fvrt friend in kitchen. IT is very hard for me to find different veg dishes for my strict veg companion. So last day decided to give a go with Soya chunk.
But it was yummy. So decided to share this with you.

Soya Chunks – 2 cups
Meat Masala/veg masala – 2 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 4/3 tsp
Big Onion (sliced) – 1 large
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Tomato (sliced) – 4/3 large
Mustard Seeds – a pinch
Green Chillies (slit) – 2
Curry Leaves – A sprig
Corriander powder-1tsp
Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
Ginger ,Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – As required
Water – As required


Step 1:
Soak the Soya chunks in hot water for around 15-30mnts minutes. With bit red chilli,turmeric and salt.

Step two:
Squeeze out the water and clean the soya chunks and drain out excess water if any.
Step 3:
Put bit water to the masala and chilli powder then rost in in low flame.
Marinate the soya pieces with the above roasted masala powders and salt,leave it there in room heat for another two mnts.
Step 4:
Heat oil and splutter mustard seeds, add sliced onions and saute till the onions change its colour.Add turmeric bit salt,green chillies, chopped tomatoes and curry leaves and saute till the tomatoes are cooked properly.
Step 5:

Add rest of the chilly powder, coriander powder, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste and stir fry for a few minutes.
Step 6:
Add the marinated soya chunks . Add some water just to cook the ingreditens.

Step 7:
Cover and cook on low flame for another 15-20 minutes.

Curry is ready.

P.S:Since my veg boy doesnt agree with masala cotted fry i have limited all the ingredents,so mine as seen in the pic is a much more plain one. If u follow the above method you will get a masala cotted fry...Njoy

Curd Curry/ Moru kachiyathu

Curd Curry, originally uploaded by Deepa.Praveen.

Well our sundays are busy with phone calls. Last day when i called amma (praveens mom )she said she had moru kachiyathu and upperi for lunch. I love the way she prepare this moru koottan( curd curry. Our kotttayam style moru kachiyathu is different from her palakkad style (two different places in kerela). My Curd curry is a mixture of these two styles.

Ingredients :-

Curd (well beaten) – 2 cups
Asafoetida(Kaayam) – a pinch
Fenugreek powder(Uluva) – a pinch
Salt – to taste
Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp
Oil (preferrably Coconut Oil) – 3 tsp

For Grinding :-
Grated coconut – 1/4cup
Cumin seeds (Jeerakam) – 1/4 tsp
green chilli- 1 (you can use red chilli powder 1/4 tsp aswell insted of green chilli).
Ginger : a very small portion
Step one:
Grind all the above ingredients into a fine paste and keep it aside.

For Seasoning :-
Mustard seeds – few
Shallots (kunjulli ) sliced – 1/2 tbsp
Green chillies slit – 1 or two
Red chillies – 2
Curry leaves – a sprig.

Step 1:

Mix together curd,salt and turmeric powder in a bowl.
Step 2:

Heat oil in a pan and allow mustard seeds to splutter.
Step 3:

Add shallots ,fry til it turns brown . Add green chillies ,red chillies and curry leaves.Fry for a while and remove it from oil and keep it aside.
Step 4:

Reduce the heat to low .
Add the ground paste into the same oil.Fry for 2-3 mins stirring continuously.( Dont allow coconut paste to change its color).
Step 5:

Add asafoetida and fenugreek powder and stir well.

Step 6:
Add the beaten curd mixture and stir continuosly until it is warm.Never let it boil.Remove from heat ,pour the prepared seasoning over it. Your curd curry is ready.

Enjoy.

prawn fry

prawn fry, originally uploaded by Deepa.Praveen.

What u miss the most if u are away from home?

Ofcourse yes , food prepared by your mom.

Same to me.

And as he is a strict veggi, some of my fvrt non veg things started appearing in my dreams.

If you feel something is away from u, u started thinking about it over and over.

My valluvanadan is quite ok with my non veg cooking at home. He encourges it too. Because since it is non veg he can escape from me. More over he can go back too one of his fvrt dal dish which i hate the most.

So few days back i made at attempt and here is the result.

As it looks it was not a failure. would u like to try?

Here we go
Large prawns 5( small prawns 10): deveined ,pealed and washed.
Chilli powder: 1tsp
Turmeric powder:1/4 tsp
Garam masala : 1/2 tsp
Ground Pepper powder :1/2 tsp
Lemon juice :1 1/2
cocunut oil :3-5 tbl spoon
salt : as per ur taste
Big onion: thinly sliced :1
green chilli:finely chopped:3-4
garlic:finely chopped 1 clove
ginger :1

curry leaves : 10
musturd :1/4 tsp.

Step one:
We need a marinade with all the powders ,lemon juice and prawns and one spoon oil. Apply thi to our prawns and leave it in there for half and hour.

Step two:

Shallow fry prawns. Leave it in heat for around 2-3 mnts,prawns needs little cooking time. Dont over cook.

In another pan, crack musturd in oil,apply sliced onion,bit turmeric,salt,ginger,green chilli, garlic, and curry leaves. When it turns to little golden brown add the leaft over masalas in that prawns dish to it. Reduce the heat to low and when that raw smell goes add the prawns to it. stir well for two three mints. IF u need littile gravy put less that 1/4 glass water too that masala leftover plate and apply the same to our fry leave it der another few mnts. Apply salt. stir well ur fry is ready