Pasta in Tomato sauce

Ingredients

• Pasta - 2 cups
• Yellow onion - 1 (large)
• Tomato - 3
• Jalapeno pepper - 2 ( you can use green chilli)
• Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp
• Tomato ketchup - 2 tbsp (optional)
• Olive oil - 3 tbsp
• Salt and pepper - to taste

Method

1.  In a wide pan boil water and salt. Then slowly add the pasta and cook till the pasta is all done ( it should be soft but firm). Stir in between to prevent the pasta from sticking together. After it is cooked, drain it and pour cold water in it. This is done to prevent it from getting cooked further.

2. Chop the onion, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers well.

3. Heat oil in a pan, add jalapeno pepper,onion and ginger-garlic paste into it. Saute till onion starts browning.

4. Then add the chopped tomatoes, saute till the raw smell of tomato goes. Then add 2 tbsp of tomato ketchup into it. 

5. Cook it till you get the consistency. Then add cooked pasta into it. Mix it well in medium flame for 7-8 mins.

6. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve it hot.

Happy cooking......

Strawberry Smoothie

                         This is the first time I am making smoothie at home. This drink has a beautiful baby pink color and was really refreshing and very delicious. The sweetness was also perfect.

Ingredients

• Strawberry - 12 - 14
• Thick yogurt - 1 cup
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 2-3 tbsp

Method

1. Chop the strawberries into bite sized pieces and blend it with milk to a smooth paste.

2. Then add sugar and yogurt and blend it again till a creamy smoothie consistency is reached.

3. Pour into glasses and refrigerate it before you serve.

Happy cooking....

Ulunthangali / Black gram Porridge

                          Ulunthangali is a traditional sweet of Tamil Nadu made out of Jaggery, Gingely Oil and Black gram. It is highly recommended for women because of its medicinal values, the most important is it strengthens the pelvic bones and uterus of young girls. Have a look at the ingredients, urad dal which is rich in proteins, jaggery rich in iron and gingelly oil rich in Vitamin E.

Ingredients

• Black urad dal (splitted) - 1/2 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tbsp (optional)
• Jaggery - 1 cup
• Gingelly oil / Ghee - 4 tbsp
• Water - 4 cups

Method

1. Dry roast the urad dal for 2 - 3 mins and grind it with fenugreek seed to fine powder. Also dry roast the rice flour for 3 mins. Mix them together.

2. Dissolve the jaggery in one cup of water and filter it (you can use warm water).

3. Now add the remaining 3 cups of water with the jaggery water. Add the grindered powder little by little and dissolve it , avoid any lumps.

4. In a pan add Gingelly oil / Ghee and add the above dissolved mixture and stir it continuously till it reaches the semi solid state.

Happy cooking.. 

Shrimp Peas Gravy

Ingredients

• Shrimp - 15 - 20 counts
• Peas - 2 cups
• Green Capsicum - 1/2
• Red Capsicum - 1/2
• Onion - 1 (large)
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Corriander powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Rice flour - 1 tbsp

Method

1. Mix rice flour, salt and turmeric powder in a bowl. Marinate shrimp in this mixture for nearly an hour. 

2. Chop onion and capsicums lengthwise. 

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onion and capsicum into it. Saute it for 10 mins.

4. Then add the marinated shrimp into it. Cook it with required water for about 15mins.

5. Add green peas and cook it with closed lid for 10mins.

6. After it is cooked well, add salt and pepper to taste. Serve it hot with chappathi.

Happy cooking....

Tindora fry / Kovakka poriyal

                                Kovakka fry is delicious and easy to cook. It's yummy simple fry that goes well with curd rice or sambar rice. I saw this recipe in Chef Dr.Dhamu's blog. I used to do this very frequently in my home. Kovakka has lots of medicinal values too, its rich in minerals, protein and fibre and also good for diabetics.

Ingredients

• Tindora - 1/2 kg
• Onion - 1 (large)
• Tamarind - 1 lemon size ball
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Cumin seed powder - 1 tbsp
• Corriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Salt to taste
• Fennel seed - 1 tbsp

Direction

1. Chop onion well and cut tindora in lengthwise. 

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add fennel seeds into it.Then add chopped onion into it. Saute it for 2 mins. And then add the sliced tindora. Fy it till tindora starts shrinking. While frying, sprinkle some water.

3. Add chilli powder, cumin powder, corriander powder and salt into it. Let it be in medium flame for 15mins.

4. Then add tamarind water into it. Let it be in low flame for 10 - 12 mins. 

Serve it hot with rice.

Happy cooking....

Chettinad style Mushroom Briyani

                                    A very popular Chettinad briyani with mushrooms, a very tasty recipe often prepared at my home. The mushrooms are marinated in spices and yogurt and then cooked along with rice. The mushrooms are like sponges and absorb all the flavors of  the spicy marinade. This is a yummy meal and  very flavorful too.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice  - 2 cups
• Mushrooms - 1/2 lb
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tbsp
• Corriander powder - 1tbsp
• Fennel powder - 2 tbsp
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Briyani masala - 1/2 tbsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tbsp
• Yogurt - 1/3 cup
• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamoms - 2
• Cinnamon stick - 1 inch
• Bay leaf - 1
• Onions - 2 (sliced)
• Tomato - 1
• Green chilli - 3 (depends on ur spice level)
• Salt - to taste
• Corriander, mint ( sliced) - for garnishing

Method

Marinate the sliced mushrooms in a mixture of yogurt, ginger garlic paste, corriander powder, fennel powder, chilli powder, garam masala, briyani masala, turmeric powder and cumin powder. Let it be marinate in 2 - 3 hours. Keep it aside.

Wash and soak rice in water for 15 mins. Drain water and cook it in pressure cooker. Keep it aside.

Heat oil in a pan, add cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon and bayleaf. Fry it up a bit. And then add the sliced onions and slitted green chillies. Let this cook, until onions are soft and golden brown. Add in the tomato and a pinch of salt. Let it be in medium flame until the tomatoes are soft. Add in the marinated mushrooms. Let the mushrooms cook along with any remaining watery marinade for atleast 10 - 15 mins. Let it be in high flame until water evaporates and the oil separate from the mushroom mixture, and the raw smell of the ginger garlic paste and the masala goes.

Transfer this gravy the rice cooker and mix it well with the rice. ( Fluff with a fork to avoid breaking of rice) Then garnish it with corriander and mint leaves and the ghee roasted onion. 

Serve hot with Raita.

Happy cooking... 

Fish Briyani

                     This is simple and delicious fish briyani recipe which has unique taste and wonderful flavor. It's great treat for seafood lovers. It makes a complete and nutritious meal.

Ingredients

• Basmati rice - 2 cups
• Fish - 1/2 kg ( you can use any kind of fish. I used Porgy fish)
• Yellow Onion - 2
• Tomato - 1
• Corriander leaves - 1/2 cup
• Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
• Ginger - 1 inch piece
• Garlic - 6 pods
• Bay leaves - 2
• Cloves - 2
• Green chilli - 3-4 ( depends on ur spice level)
• Spinach - few leaves(optional)
• Salt - to taste
• Ghee / Oil - 3 tbsp
• Lime - 1

For marination

• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Pepper - 1 tbsp
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tbsp
• Corriander powder - 1 tbsp
• Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp

Method

1. Soak basmati rice in water for 20 minutes. Drain water and cook it until the rice is 3/4 cooked. Keep it aside.

2. Mix yogurt and all spices, marinate fish in it for 2 - 3 hours.

3. Heat oil in pan for deep fry. Fry the marinated fish until it is 3/4 cooked. Drain it in an absorbent paper.

4. Chop the garlic well  and chop onions lengthwise, grind the corriander and mint leaves, grind the tomato separately.

5. Heat ghee in a pan, add bayleaves,cinnamon, cloves and then add the chopped onion and garlic into it. Fry it till onion starts browning. Then add grinded corriander and mint leaves into it. Saute it till raw smell goes.

6. Add the grinded tomato into it and add all the spices. Let it be in medium flame for about 8-10 mins.

7. Then add the fried fish into the gravy. Let it be in low flame for about 10-12 mins. You can also add spinach leaves into the gravy.

8. Put a little of cooked rice and spread 1 tbsp of lime juice over it. Put one layer of the fish masala above that and repeat the process till the rice and masala are over. Take care not to break the fish fillets. On the top layer, garnish it with corriander and mint leaves and ghee fried onion.

9. Close the lid tightly and heat on a low flame for about 10 minutes. Serve it hot with raita.

Happy cooking....