Quick Carrot Pulav

I have always tried to make things that are easier, less time consuming and tastier too.. this recipe is a sure shot for the mothers who pack the lunch boxes for kids. Well suited for singles who their own stuffs :)

• 5                           - Medium sized orange carrots
• 1                           - Red medium sized tomato
• 1                           - Green chilly
• 1 inch                    - Ginger  ( Not mandatory)
• 2 pods                   - Garlic (Not mandatory)
• 3                           - Cloves/Kramb/loung
• 1                           - Cinnamon/Dalchini/Pattai
• 1                           - Bay leaf/Tej patha/Brinji elai
• 1 tbs                      - Fennel/Saunf/Sompu
• 1/2 tbs                   - Cumin/Jeera/Seeragam seeds
• 1 tbs                      - Clarified butter/Ghee/Nai
• 1/2 tbs                   - Garam Masala powder
• 1 tbs                      - Refined oil (Do not use any strong fragrant oil)
• 2 cup                     - Basmati Rice
• 1 to 1 1/2 cup        - Water (Depends upon which mode you are cooking)
• 2 cups                    - Water to wash and soak rice
• Salt to taste
• Green coriander to garnish

Method/Vidhiee:

1. Wash the carrots thoroughly. Cut of the ends of the carrots.

2. Roughly chop them roughly and put them into the blender.

3. Wash the tomato and roughly chop. Put it along with carrot into blender.

4. At this stage itself if you prefer ginger and garlic pods add them.

5. I preferred out of garlic and ginger.

6. Grind them into a fine paste.

7. The water in tomato is enough for the carrot to get blended but, if you feel its not getting down add some water.

8. Remember, you are making a rice dish and not a liquid juice so add water very little.

9. Meanwhile, wash the Basmati rice in 1 cup of water and soak them in another 1 cup of water for 5 mins.

10. I made it in a pressure cooker so my measurements are different when compared with electric rice cooker or open pan cooking.

11. For other modes scroll down for measurements of water and rice.

12. Pressure cooker  - 2 cup rice - 1 cup water.

      Electric cooker   - 2 cup rice - 1 to 1 1/2 cup water

      Open pan cooking - 2 cup rice  - 2 cup water

13. In the pressure cooker add ghee and oil. Heat them.

14. Add cloves,cinnamon,bay leaf,cumin,fennel and saute well.

15. Do not burn them. Once the cloves splutter add the carrot paste to it.

16. Saute well till the 3/4th of water in it evaporates.

17. Add salt and garam masala to it mix well.

18. Now drain the water from the rice and add it to the carrot paste.

19. Mix well and add water to it.

20. Close the lid and give one whistle.

21. Do not open immediately let it cool for 10 mins.

22. Slowly with soft ladle transfer into a bowl and serve hot.

23. Do not keep mixing as the rice tend to break and get mashed.

Baby Corn Manchurian Dry

Well i know i know it's festive season and you may be wondering as to why am i posting something which is out of sync ;) This was a long time pending recipe which had stored in my folder.. thought why not post non traditional.

Serves 4

• 10        - Baby Corn
• 2 tbs    - Maidha
• 2 tbs    - Cornflour
• 3 tbs    - Soya Sauce
• 1 tbs    - Red chilly/Green chilly Sauce
• 5 tbs    - Tomato sauce
• 1 tbs    - Red chilly flakes
• 4 pods - Garlic
• 1 inch  - Ginger
• 1         - Green chilly
• 3         - Spring onion with strands
• 2         - Big red tomatoes
• 1         - Green capsicum
• 2tbs     - Oil to saute
• Oil to deep fry
• Salt ( for both the batter and gravy)
• 200 ml - Water

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Finely chop spring onion green separately and onions separately.
2. Also finely chop off tomatoes,garlic,ginger. green chilly, green capsicum.
3. Peel off the outer husks and hair of the baby corn.
4. Take the baby corn slit them into two halves and cut them into two to three parts.
5. Grind 1 tbs of garlic,ginger and green chilly sauce in a blender to make a paste.
6. In a bowl add maidha,cornflour, paste that was ground, salt needed for the batter, 1 tbs soya sauce.
7. Add enough water to make a thick consistency batter.
8. Meanwhile, heat oil in a fry pan so as to fry the corns.
9. Dip each portion of baby corn into batter slide in one by one into the hot oil.
10. Remember do not drop in the coated baby corn before the oil gets heated up well otherwise it would get soggy and oily.
11. Fry all the baby corns after coating into the batter. Drain them and put on a tissue paper.
12. For the gravy : Add the 2 tbs of hot oil in a pan.
13. Add in the remaining garlic chopped, only onions and saute well.
14. Once the onion turns transparent add in the green chilly, capsicum and tomato.
15. Saute well and add the remaining soya sauce.
16. Add in the tomato sauce and salt.
17. Add in the greens of spring onions and saute again for a minute.
18. Pour in sufficient amount water. remember this is a dry gravy and not liquid
19. If, you have the remaining batter add 1 tbs of it into the gravy.
20. Lower the flame and stir well and add in the deep fried baby corns.
21. Coat them well in the gravy.
Garnish with green coriander.
Serve hot as a starter or as an side dish for any bread variety.

Adhirasam - South Indian Jaggery Pancake

Happy Navarathri to all.. Sorry that i really not able to put any of Navarathri recipes. Thought sundal recipes are all over and why not i start on pre- planning posting for Diwali. And here it goes people.

ADHIRASAMS - One of the oldest sweet delicacy. Have seen my grad mother being perfect on it. Its a art to make this sweet. Each time you make it you tend to learn new nuances of this recipe. It's one of the important sweet during "Diwali" down south. The first Diwali or called the "Thallai Diwali" is unfinished without this sweet being offered by the brides parents :)

So here it goes the step by step process.

• 300 gms - Rice flour
• 200 gms - Jaggery/Vellam/Gudd
• 250 ml - Water
• 2 pods - Cardamom/Elaichi/Elakai
• 2 tbs - Clarified butter/Ghee
• 2 tbs - Oil
• 1/2 lt - Refined oil
• 2 - Banana leaf / Plastic sheets

Vidhiee/Method:

Making of rice flour

1. Rice flour as such you can buy from any store or i make it by soaking it for 1/2 hr in water.

2. Drain water and dry them on a muslin cloth.

3. Dry it for at least an hour.

4. Powder them and sieve them thoroughly. Remember there should not be any lumps or water in it.

Making of the Adhirasams.

1. Dissolve the jaggery in 250 ml of water. Boil it and strain of the impurities. 

2. Powder the cardamom and add the same to the jaggery mixture.

3. Bring it to boil until it comes to string consistency.

4. Remove from heat.

5. Slowly start adding rice flour using a ladle. Mix with a ladle to make a dough.

6. Once the mixture turns bit tight use your hands to tight them.

7. Do not dip your hands when the jaggery is hot.

8. Add ghee damp and mix them well.

9. Set them aside in a plastic cover in room temperature for a day. 

10. This is done so that the mixture gets fermented and tasty.

11. More immediately you make more the chances of jaggery dissolving.

Next Day

1. Take of the plastic sheet. Knead the dough and you can feel the softness of it.

2. Make medium size balls.

3. Take the banana leaf keep the ball in center and press it flat with you palm.

4. You can grease oil into your hands and press it in order to avoid stickiness.

5. Heat oil in a pan for deep frying the Adhirasams.

6. Once the oil is hot slide in one pressed dough into oil from sideways. 

7. Do not drop from center on to oil. Oil would splutter all over your body.

8. Take out the Adhirasams once they turn golden brown.

9. Drain excess oil by having two flat heavy round medium plates ( preferably wooden)

10. Gush out excess oil.

11. Again keep them on a tissue paper.

Serve hot or cold.. 

Happy Diwali in advance.. More to come keep clicking the blog :)

FIFTH AWARD :)


Thanks to  Gauri  – from Runnergirlinthekitchen  who shared'One Lovely Blog Award' with me. 

THE RULES OF THE AWARD

• Share it with 15 other friends
• Write 7 things about you
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Charishma 

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Nagalakshmi V 

Veena Theagarajan 

Smita Srivastava

Saranya Gopalan 

Deeps 

Santosh Bangar

Jay 

Margaret Murphy 

Sriya 

Madhavi 

Kavita

Deepika

7 Things about me

* Mantra of life is to smile. So you can find by my smile  ;)

* Bit lazy towards exercises but, not any more now have pushed myself :)

* Sweet, lovable, caring bit naughty person as described by people around

* I try to be perfect on any work i do. Has both negative and positive effects though :)

* Loves to experiment everyday foods and so here on bloggers park :)

* Loves to travel, know histories & enjoy nature spread :)

* Ventured into motivating people & paintings :)

Herbed Olivy Potato Veggie

Laid back Sunday evenings and hardly have interest to venture in to the kitchen. Thought process of a simple, yet yummy nuggets for the ever tempt tongue.

• 5         - Big Potatoes
• 4 tbs    - Light olive oil
• 2 tbs    - Mixed dried or fresh herbs (Rosemary,Thyme,Oregano)
• 1 tbs    - Red chilly flakes
• 1/4 tbs - Chat Masala
• 1/2 tbs - Turmeric powder
• 1/2 tbs - Lemon juice
• Salt as preferred
• Water to soak potato

Method/Vidhiee:
1. Wash off the potatoes well.
2. Cut them into Veggies. 1/2 inch thick approximately slantingly sideways.
3. Put them into water so that they don't turn black.
4. In a bowl add the turmeric powder,red chilly flakes,chat masala,dried herbs,salt.
5. Add olive oil and stir well.
6. If you prefer add fresh chopped coriander and mint leaves.
7. Finally add the lemon juice and mix well.
8. Now drain the water. Damp the potatoes with a clean cloth to avoid any moisture.
9. Add the potatoes to the olive oil herbed mixture.
10. Coat each potato with the paste made.
11. Keep them soaked for 10 mins.
12. Now spread them on to the microwaveable plate.
13. Make sure each veggie is placed separately.
14. Bake them in microwave high for approx 12 mins (Timing and degree of heat differs in each Microwave)

After 12 mins the hot semi crispy Herbed Olivy Potato Veggies are ready to be served with Tea, Coffee, Juices, even as a side compliment for a rice dish.

Muranga Keerai Peratral / Drumstick Leaves Curry

Muranga Keerai / Drumstick leaves are the rare spinach that people have. Down south of Indian in interior Tamilnadu state its been an ancient practice to make curries/rasam or soups out of this spinach. I used get fed by my mom saying that this one has so much of iron. After many years got to eat my mom's same spinach.. thought would share it along.. so credit goes to my lovely mom. :)

• 4 cups - Drumstick leaves/Muranga Keerai
• 1/2 cup - Grated fresh coconut
• 1tbs - Oil
• 1tbs - Mustard Seeds
• 1/2tbs - Asafetida/Perengayam
• 1tbs - Split Urad dal
• 1/2 cup - Thoor dal/ Thuvaram parupu
• 1 - Red dry chilly
• 1 arc - Curry leaves
• Salt to taste
• 1cup - Water

Vidhiee/Method:
1. Separate leaves from the nodes. Clean them well as they might have small insects on them.
2. Roughly chop them.
3. Meanwhile boil the thoor dal in water. Do not mash them.
3. In a pan add oil. Once it gets heated up add mustard seeds, split urad dal,dry red chilly, hing,curry leaves. Temper them.
4. Now add the drumstick leaves and saute for 1min.
5. Add 1/4 water to it and close the lid of the pan.
6. Allow the water to evaporate.
7. Once the water evaporates add salt to it and saute for a minute.
8. At end add boiled thoor dal to it and saute well.
9. At end add coconut and mix well the keerai.

Your Muranga keerai is ready to serve.