Bisibela bath

I should say this is a famous recipe of karnataka,only then brought to all other places(i think so!!! :-).For sure the traditional taste differs from ours due to the spices and proportions.Now i'm posting the tamil nadu version here.This is my hubby's favorite,he often says that his mom's preparation is the best than anyone else's.Of course,she does this very well,each time the taste and texture remains the same.I got the measures from her and posting it on my blog!!

Ingredients:

1.Rice(sona masoori)-  1 cup

2.Thoor Dhal - 1/2 cup

3.Tamarind - a medium lemon size

4.Gingely oil(sesame oil) - 4 spoons

5.Salt to taste.

6.Coriander leaves a little.

7.Asafotida - 1 pinch

8.Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon

To grind:

1.Dry chilli - 8 to 10 nos

2.Channa dhal - 1 1/4 Spoon

3.Coriander seeds - 1 1/4 spoon

4.Menthya/fenu greek seeds  - 1 spoon

5.Dried coconut (shredded) / thick coconut (shredded) - 1 1/2 cup

Procedure :

1.Fry all the "To grind" ingredients with half spoon of oil except the coconut.Grind fried items with coconut to a paste form,with little water.

2.Mix rice and dhal and boil them with 4 cups of water.

3.Soak tamarind for 1/2 hr and squeeze juice out of it.Make 2 to 2 1/2cups of juice.

4.Add turmeric powder,asfoetida,salt and coriander leaves to the tamarind juice and allow this to boil on a low flame until the raw smell leaves.

5.Later add the grounded paste and let it boil for another 10 minutes.

6.Now add in the cooked rice-dhal and mix well for 10 more minutes in a low flame.Keep on stirring to avoid blackening.

7.In the mean time,heat oil in a kadai,add mustard seeds and splutter,fry cashew with this.Add this to the bisibela bath.

8.Mix well and serve hot with simple carrot raita or rich tasty avial,even appalam goes well sometimes.

Note:

If raita is the side dish,then add boiled veggies like carrot,beans,peas,drumstick,potato etc before adding the grounded paste.The bath will now be balanced with healthy veggies and dhal .



Literally this was little tedious to do for the first time,but the outcome was so pleasing.Try this out once and do give some comments.

Ashoka Halwa /Moong dhal Halwa

Ashoka halwa is one of my fav sweet,n i will proudly say that my mom is an expert in doing this.The measures & method are given by her(not me).So even a beginner can make it easily.I bet u that,the texture n taste will be great.Try it out once.

Successfully did halwa yesterday.Halwa came out very well and here i've posted the snaps!!

Ingredients:

1.Moong dhal - 1 cup(say 150 gms)

2.Sugar - 2 cups(300 gms)

3.Ghee - 1 1/2 cups

4.Cardamon powder - 1 tsp

5.Fried cashew nuts - 15 - 20 nos

6.Food color - any(optional) dissolve 1/2 a pinch of color in water.

7.4 tbsps of wheat flour(roast the flour thoroughly till the color changes lightly).

Method / Procedure:

1.Firstly,fry the moong dhal dryly until it becomes light golden yellow.

2.Soak it for 15 mins.Steam cook this with 3 cups of water.Switch off the flame,once it is done.

3.Add all the sugar to the steam cooked dhal.Mix it fastly.Dhal mashes well n sugar dissolves immediately due to heat.

4.Now place a thick bottomed kadai on flame,add a spoon of ghee,pour in the dhal-sugar mixture and keep on stirring.If u want u can add any food color(water solved)after a while.

5.Keep on adding ghee,in a 5 mins interval.Always do it in a low flame.

6.Almost after 15 minutes,the mixture becomes non-sticky.At this stage add cardamon powder n fried cashew nuts.

7.U don hav to wait until the ghee separates out.The non-stickyness is the halwa's right consistency,the halwa has to come like a ball,when it is rolled between ur thumb n fore finger.So switch off the flame at the right time.

8.Transfer the halwa to a greased plate.

9.Have it hot / cold.

This is little time consuming,but the taste really worth it :-) !!!

This is a famous recipe/sweet of thanjavur district(tamil nadu).Also,this wont be ghee dripping,like the other halwas we purchase outside.Consume it with in 3 to 4 days.Can be stored in refrigerator.Enjoy this protein rich sweet n have a gr8 day!!

Vegetable Cutlet

I guess,i was doing my 6th standard,when i tasted cutlet for the first time.But,I didnt like the taste and the color.It was horrible as it was over cooked n cold.So i never loved to eat it anywhere.But during my college days,my friends took me to "the sangeetha restaurant" trichy(one of my fav hotels in trichy) for a birthday party.Party went well,there cutlet was served as the starter,again after a long gap i had to eat it,but to my surprise,it tasted very delicious,texture n taste was tempting too.Then whenever i visit any chat corner,i started ordering for it.My friend used to prepare this in a very simple way,and here i'm sharing the yummy recipe with u all......

Ingredients:

Makes 8 medium sized cutlets

1.Bread(whole wheat/maida) - 4

2.Boiled n mashed potato - 3/4 cups

3.Boiled green peas - 1/4 cup

4.Half cooked chopped carrot - 1/4 cup

5.Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup

6.Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp

7.Salt to taste

8.Oil for frying.

9.Coriander leaves,sliced carrot,sliced onion for presentation.

Method:

1.Dip bread slices one by one in water,squeeze out the water from the bread and keep this damp bread aside.

Note: Don cut down the edges of the bread,bcoz it has high nutritional value.

2.Heat kadai,pour 3 spoons of oil,add onion once heated.

Once the onion is cooked,add red chilli powder,salt,carrot,peas n mashed potato.

3.Mix it well,Switch off the flame.Mix the damp bread to the veg mixture,mix it well and let it cool down.

4.Now take a lil portion of it,roll it on a greased plate to any shape(food moulds help u here,to get variety of shapes).Dough should be thick enough,so that they look like a cutlet,at the same time,it should stay together when they r deep fried.

5.In the mean time heat oil,on a deep frying pan.Fry cutlets one by one,so that they are not broken at any point.

6.Fry till golden brown.Serve it hot with sliced veggies,hot chilli sauce and tangy tomato sauce.

Have this spicy cutlet with hot masala tea on a weekend evening.Ohh!! that will be so enjoying :-)

Vegetable Pulav

Ingredients: 


Serving 2 persons


Step1:

1.All cut vegetables like carrot,beans,cauli flower,green peas,potatoes,bell pepper(yellow,green and red)(avoid beet root,otherwise the dish would look full red) - 2 cups
2.Chopped Onion-2 big
3.cardamon-3
4.Sounf-1tea spoon
5.Cinnamon sticks(pattai)-1 inch(1) (optional)
6.Cloves-5
7.Sunflower oil- 4 to 5 full spoons
8.Ghee-2 spoons
9.Curd-2 spoons
10.Basmati rice-1 cup
11. water-2 1/2 cups.
12.Green chillies-4 or 6
13.Cashew nuts - 10 no

Step2 :To grind:

1.Mint leaves-1 cup
2.Cilantro-1/2 cup
3.Ginger-1 inch
4.Garlic-5 nos

In mixer make a fine paste with all the step2 ingredients.

Procedure:

1.Soak basmati rice for 10 mins.Drain it and keep it aside.

2.Heat 3 spoons of oil,add sounf,cardamon,cinnamon sticks & cloves.

3.Then add chopped onion,green chillies and a little salt,to avoid browning.Fry it for 5 mins till it turns to a pinkish color.

4.Add the grounded paste to the fried onion,fry this for 10 mins(till the raw smell goes off).

5.Now add curd.After 2 mins,add all the cut vegetables to this mixture.Mix well, so that the spices spread evenly.

6.Switch off the flame after 5 mins.

7.Now in an electric cooker add rice,water,salt&veggie mix.

8.Add 1 spoon full of ghee.Close the lid.

9.Once the pulav is done,add fried cashew & chopped cilantro on top.

10.Serve this SPICY PULAV with RAITA,SLICED CUCUMBER AND CARROT.

Note:

This pulav will have a greenish texture due to cilantro and mint paste.If u want a white pulav as shown in the photograph,chop cilantro&mint instead of grinding.And fry it with ginger-garlic paste.

Carrot - Apple Shake

Carrot - apple shake is my new invention and i've done it in my own style n taste.As always my husband was my testing machine that day :-)...but he said that it tasted too good.So today,i'm posting it for u all.

Recipe ingredients:

Serving 2 persons

Half boiled carrots - 2

Apple - 1/2

Badam-3 or 5 nos

Sugar/honey  for taste

Milk - 3/4 cup

Procedure:

1.Half boil the medium sized carrrots(pressure cooking is the best choice to save the vits n minerals).

2.Mash it in blender.

3.Grate apple n badam.Add the mashed carrot,grated apple n badam in a container.

4.Add sugar n milk.Mix well.

5.Serve it chilled.This will look like a smoothy with less milk,so if u like,have it in a cup "with a big scoop of ice cream" on top.Ohh it wud taste yummy....

Healthy Sprouts SALAD

Ingredients:

Sprouted Moong beans - 1/2 cup

Sprouted black channa - 1/4 cup

Grated carrot - 1/2 cup

Grated beet root - 1/4 cup

Finely chopped cucumber - 1/2 cup

Finely chopped onion - 1/4 cup

Finely chopped tomato - 1/4 cup

Finely chopped cilantro and coriander leaves  - 1/4 cup

Lime juice - 2 spoons

Black pepper - 1/2 spoon

Salt to taste.

Procedure:

1.The procedure is so simple,mix all the ingredients together...the salad is ready!!!Need no gas :-) !!

2.This salad has all the goodness like protein,minerals,keratin etc.Have this tasty salad twice a week.Make life healthy.Gud day!!!

Coconut Rice

Ingredients:
Serving 2 persons

1.Cooked Rice..........2 cups

2.Grated Coconut ........1 cup

3.Oil..........3 - 5 spoons

4.Mustard seeds.....1 spoon

5.Coriander leaves...... a little

6.(Chopped) Green chillies........2

7.Cashew nuts and channa dhal(split).........2 spoon each

8.Salt to taste

Procedure:

1.Place a kadai on flame,heat oil,add mustard seeds and wait till it splutter.

2.Now add channa dhal and cashew nuts and fry till it get golden yellow.

3.Then add green chillies,coriander leaves and grated coconut.Fry for 2 minutes.

4.Now add cooked rice and needed salt.Mix well.Now the coconut rice is ready to serve.

5.Serve hot with any curry, papad or even with pickle.