Easy Sambhar

Sambhar as you all know is a typical South Indian dish and is a everyday staple food in every household in South India.Sambhar is mixture of lentils and vegetables cooked with spices and tamarind.Each state in the South prepares it with a typical variation, adapted to its taste and environment.There are so many variations and methods to prepare sambhar,but I find this method very easy ,quick and tasty...You can use any veggies of your choice or you can prepare only any one or two vegetables together like doodhi,ridgegourd,drumstick,Snakegourd,potatoes with onions to name a few. You can use as much as veggies you like.


Ingredients:
Toor Dal/Tuvar/Togari bele-1cup
Turmeric-1/4 tsp
Green Chilles-2,slited
Sambhar powder-1 1/2tsp( any brand, I use Mtr sambhar powder)
Tamarind-small lemon sized
Tomato-1 big
Onion-1,sliced
Few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste
Fresh or desicated coconut-1tbsp
Jaggery-1tsp(optional)
Oil-1tsp
Drumstick-1,peeled and chopped into 3inch pieces
Carrot-1,cut into roundels
Indian Brinjal-2,cut into lenthwise pieces
Okra-2(optional)
Potato-1medium sized
Beans-5-6,cot into 2halves
For tempering:
Oil/Ghee-2tsp
Dry red chillies-2
Hing-1/4tsp
Methi seeds-4-5 seeds
Mustard-1/2tsp
Curry leaves-few

Method:
1.Chop all the vegetables into chunky size pieces.Wash and rinse tamarind in warm water for 15minutes,squeeze the juice from pulp and keep it aside.Wash toordal and rinse for 15-20minutes in water.
2.Boil 2/1/2cup -3cups of water in a pressure cooker pan,when it begin to boil add rinsed toordal,turmeric and all the above ingredients including vegetables,tamarind juice and sambhar powder,close the lid and whistle,pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.Wait for pressure to release.Open the lid and add jaggery and boil for
few minutes.
3.Heat oil or ghee in a small tadka pan,add mustard,wait until it splutters then add methi,hing,dry chillies and curry leaves fry for second and add this to sambhar.
This sambhar goes well with steaming rice,dosa,idli or vada.

Godhi/Whole Wheat Laadoo For Ugadi

I got this ladoo recipe from my friend Vani,this is  very easy and tasty ladoo recipe,It will keep for 3-4 days in air tight container,proportion of the sugar you can adjust to your taste.Perfect for any occassions and festivals. 

Happy UGADI to all my fellow bloggers and visitors!

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour-1cup(I used pilsbury atta)
Sugar-1/3cup
Elachi/cardamom-2-3
Ghee-4tbsp
Handful of raisins and cashewnuts

Method:
1.Powder the sugar along with cardamom and keep it aside.
2.roast the wheat flour with tbsp of ghee until the rawness of the flour is gone and until nice aroma comes.
3.Fry dry fruits with little ghee and keep it aside.
4.Take out of the heat,mix powdered sugar,ghee and fried dry fruits to the roasted flour and mixwell.
5.Take a hand ful of mixture and make them into round shaped balls,if you are not getting them into balls add more melted ghee and try.

Spicy Mexican Bean Burritos

Ingredients:
Canned beans(kidney beans)- 2 400g tin
Garlic-2 cloves
Olive oil-2tsp
Chilli flakes-1tsp
Salt to taste
To serve:
Sour cream -4 tbsp or as required
Tomato salsa
Tortillas-6
Method:
Heat oil in a pan, add chopped garlic saute until soft then add drained, washed and lightly
mashed beans,seasoned with chilliflakes and salt.

Tomato Salsa
Ingredients:
Tomatoes-4big,ripen but firm ones,
Green chilli-1(optional)
Pickled jalapenos-2
Red onion-1 small
Olive oil-2tsp
Lemon juice-1tbsp
Coriander-2tbsp
Salt to taste
Method:
Chop all the vegetables finely and mix everything in a bowl and season according to taste.

To assemble:
Cook the tortillas on the tawa on both sides.Take one tortilla place 2tbsp bean mixture,tomato salsaand sour cream,roll them and cut into two halves,serve with salad.

Fruit Chaat

Fruit chaat is a very tasty and healthy way to eat fruits and encourage to add fruits to our daily diet(5 a day) regularly.You can prepare this chaat with Any fruits you like apple,banana,pear,grapes,pineapple,watermelon,papaya etc...


Ingredients:
1 bowl of mixed fruits,cut into bite size pieces(don't chop finely)
1tsp-honey
1/2tsp-chaatmasala
1/4tsp- chilli powder
1/4tsp-blackpepper powder
1/4tsp-black salt
1tsp-lemon juice


Method:
Mix every thing with fruits and serve immediately.

Peda's for Colourful Holi in Microwave

Peda is one of the familiar sweet in India,For every occasion and festivals it is a must have sweet whether you prepare at home or you buy from the sweet shop.It is liked by all age group,It comes in different flavours,shapes and colours..I came cross this very easy recipe from Show me the curry.com,they have a awesome site with lots of wonderful recipes...check it out.You can make this peda's with different flavours,here I hav used cardamom,instead of cardamom you can use saffron,vanilla essence,rose essence,cocoa
powder to name a few...Enjoy this wonderful peda's in this colourful festive season from Nammaruchi..Enjoy!!!
 Happy Holi to all my fellow bloggers and visitors!.

Ingredients:
Milk powder- 2 cups (150gm)
Sweetened Condensed Milk - 1, 14oz can (396gm)
Unsalted Butter – 113gms
Cardamom powder-1/2tsp
Chopped pistachios and almonds-1/4cup

Method:
1.In a microwave safe dish, melt the butter.
2.Add the condensed milk,milk powder and cardamom powder and mix well.
3.Cook in microwave for 3minutes,but stir it once after every minute.
4.After 3 minutes,mix it well and leave it aside to cool completely or little warm.
5.Once it is cooled, grease your hands and make balls.

6.Keep the balls between your palms press gently to give it slightly flatten shape.
7.Press the chopped nuts in the middle of the pedas.You can also decorate them with
Coloured sugar,saffron or any nuts you like.Serve warm or chilled...
Makes 40 pedas approx

White Soda Focaccia With Cheese and Herbs

This recipe is from Rachel Allen,as you know I have posted  some of her recipes especially baking recipes..This is one of them,I have made little changes to this recipe..Foccacia is a italian flat  oven baked bread flavoured with olives,olive oil and herbs,similar to pizza but not consider to be the same.It is very ideal for breakfast or as snack with tea or coffee..
Ingredients
Olive Oil for greasing and to sprinkle on top
Plain flour-450gms
Bicorbonate of soda-1tsp
Salt-1tsp
Grated cheddar cheese-1/4cup
Buttermilk-400 ml
Black olives,chopped-1tbsp
Sundried tomatoes,chopped-1tbsp
Crystal sea salt -1/2tsp
Garlic,finely chopped-1tbsp
Rosemary-1/2tsp(i used dried one you can use fresh)
Method:
Preheat an oven to 230c.
Brush a swiss roll tin or baking tray generously with olive oil.
Sieve the plain flour and the soda into a big bowl.
Add the salt,1/4cup of grated cheese and mix with your hands.
Make a well in the centre, pour in most of the buttermilk, and with one hand stiff and
your fingers spread out like a claw, start mixing in a full circle once the butter milk has
gone in. Keep mixing like this until you have a soft dough
Do not knead it but work it very gently to bring it together.

Transfer to a floured surface and roll it out and transfer it to the oiled tray.
Brush the top with some more oil and sprinkle the sea salt ,dried herb,olives,garlic and sundried tomatoes.
Put it in the oven and cook for 18-25 mins, depending on how thick it is.
Turn the oven down to 200c after 10 mins.
When cooked, it should feel firm in the centre and become golden brown.

Transfer it to a wire rack and cool for a couple of mins, then cut it into squares and serve..