Pappaya / Omakka/ Kaplanga thoran

Pappaya / Omakka / Kapplanga is an easily available vegetable in most of the houses in India.  It is very healthy vegetable too. It is very easy to prepare a thoran with pappaya.  The recipe is in Kerala style along with coconut.  We are using raw pappaya for this recipe. Hope you will enjoy the easy to prepare, healthy and tasty thoran in your kitchen. Let's start!!!

Ingredients:

Pappaya/ Kaplanga / Omakka   - 1 small or 1/2 of medium sized (finely chopped/ grated)

Big onion                                   - 1/2 (finely chopped)

Green chilly                               - 3-4 (sliced diagonally)

Curry leaves                               - 2 sprigs

Grated coconut                          - 1/2 to 3/4 cup

Turmeric powder                       - 1/4 tsp

Mustard                                      - 1/2 tsp

Oil                                              - as per requirement

Salt                                             -  to taste

Preparation:

> Chop raw pappaya finely (either you can use food processor to grate or use vegetable grater)

> Mix the grated pappaya, chopped onion, sliced green chilly, curry leaves, grated coconut, salt and turmeric powder using fingers

> Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard and then add the pappaya mixture.

> Mix well and cover the lid and wait for 5 minutes

> Then open the lid and stir fry until dry

> Our healthy and tasty pappaya thoran is ready to serve

> Serve with rice


Hope you enjoyed the easy pappaya thoran. Write your feedback in the comment box.  Your words are my inspiration.. Thank you

Easy Chicken Kuruma

Now we are going to prepare a tasty chicken kuruma.  I wish to introduce this simple but yummy recipe for all chicken curry lovers.  Here we go!!

Ingredients:

Chicken                     - 1 kg (cut into small curry pieces)

Coconut oil                - as per requirement

Big onion                   - 200 gm (finely chopped)

Ginger                       - 1 inch length pieces (finely chopped)

Green chilli               - 5-8 (chopped) (as per spice requirement adjust the number)

Garlic                        - 7-8 cloves (finely chopped)

Garam masala           - 1 table spoon

Tomato                      - 2 (finely chopped)

Salt                            - as per requirement

Curd                          - 1/2 cup (not so sour)

Cashew nuts              - 10 (powdered)

Coriander leaves        - for garnishing

Preparation:

> Wash the chicken well and keep it aside

> Heat a pan and pour oil

> Add big onion, ginger, green chilly, garlic, tomato and salt and saute well for 5 minutes

> Add garam masala and saute well

> Switch off the stove and make the mixture cool and grind in a mixi and make a fine paste

> Take the chicken in a pan and add the paste (which we prepared) and salt and mix well and keep it aside for 30 minutes

> After 30 minutes, keep the pan in stove and allow the chicken to cook (half cooked), stir in between

> When the chicken is half cooked, add curd and cashew nut powder and cook well for some more time

> Chicken kuruma is ready to serve

> In a serving dish, take the chicken kuruma and garnish with coriander leaves



Hope you enjoyed the chicken kuruma. Write your feedback in the comment box.  Your words are my inspiration....

Shahi Tukda (North Indian Sweet)

Shahi Tukda is a popular sweet dish in Northern part of India. This is a royal treat to taste buds at anytime.  We can make it with bread and condensed milk. Today i am going to give a simple and very easy method of preparing Shahi Tukda in our own kitchen..

Ingredients:

Bread                               - 4 white bread (triangle shaped, one bread slice into 4 pieces)

Milk                                - 2 1/2 cup

Condensed milk             - 1/4 cup (milk maid)

Sugar                              - 1 tbsp

Corn flour                       - 1 tbsp

Cardamom powder         - 1/4 tsp

Ghee                               - 2 to 3 tbsp (for shallow frying bread)

Cashew nuts                   - 1/2 tbsp (chopped)

Almonds                        - 1/2 tbsp (chopped)

Saffron strands              - 4-5

Preparation

> Cut the bread slices into pieces

> Fry them in ghee in a pan, with ghee evenly on both sides of the pieces and fry till golden brown and stiff. Keep it aside

> Mix milk, sweet condensed milk, sugar and saffron strands in a thick bottomed pan and bring it to a boil on medium flame

> When it starts boiling, reduce flame to low and boil until the mixture turns thick and reduces to around 1 1/2 cups, for around 10-15 minutes.  Stir occasionally in between to prevent sticking.

> Add corn flour and cardamom powder and mix well

> Turn off the flame and let the mixture cool down to room temperature.

> Then in a serving dish take the fried bread pieces and pour the mixture over it.

> Then garnish with chopped cashew nuts and almonds, serve it hot or place it in a refrigerator 30 minutes before serving.  Yummy shahi tukda is ready to eat.


I am sure you loved this sweet... Write your feedback in the comment box...Enjoy!!!

Rava Kesari

A sweet and yummy kesari with rava... Everyone at home, especially your kids will love this kesari well.. Let's start the rava kesari!!!

Ingredients:

Roasted rava                - 1 cup

Sugar                           - 1 1/2 cup

Water                          -  2 cups

Saffron                       - 1/2 tsp

Ghee                          - 3 tbsp

Cardamom                 - 5 pods

Raisins and cashew fried in ghee for garnishing 

Preparation:

> Roast the rava slightly with  a small amount of ghee and keep it aside

> Boil water in a heavy bottom vessel and add saffron to it.

> Reduce the heat and add the heated rava slowly ( keep stirring while adding to avoid lumps)

> Keep stirring till rava is fully cooked ( At this time the consistency will not be too loose)

> Now add the sugar slowly, while stirring it at the same time. (Now the consistency loosening)

> Add the cardamom

> Keep stirring until the kesari thickens.  It will start sticking to the bottom

> Add the remaining ghee and stir well

> Garnish with ghee fried raisins and cashew nut

> Serve hot or at room temperature


Hope you enjoyed the kesari.......... Write your feedback in comments box....

Rava Ladoo

A sweet dish with rava, that too easy to prepare and tasty, that is rava ladoo.  Mostly rava will be available at home. If any guests come, we can prepare a ladoo with roasted rava at home to please them :-)

Here is the recipe of rava ladoo:

Ingredients:

Roasted rava                - 1 cup

Sugar                            - 1 cup

Milk                               - 1 cup

Raisins                          - 1 tbsp

cashew nuts                  - 1 tbsp (Chopped)

Ghee                             - 3 tsp

Preparation:

> In a pan, heat the Rava until it turns brown

> Add sugar, ghee and milk into the Rava

> Cook until the mixture becomes thick and sticky

> Add chopped nuts and raisins to the mixture

> Remove the pan from the stove and let it cool down

> When cools, make the dough into small balls

> Leave the laddoo balls to air dry

> Serve when it dry

Hope you enjoyed the rava laddoo recipe ...

Write your feedback in the comment box....

Biscuit Roll

This biscuit recipe is for your kids and also for the kids within you :-) This is very simple and easy to prepare home made biscuit recipe.  The ingredients are also easy available at home.. The biscuit roll is very tasty also.. 

Ingredients:

Butter                                               -  250 gm (room temperature)

Powdered sugar                               - 140 gm

Egg Yolk                                          - 1

Vanilla extract                                  - 2 tsp

Maida                                              - 300 gm

Mixed fruit jam                                 - as per requirement

Preparation:

Ø  In a bowl, beat butter and powdered sugar well

Ø  Add egg yolk and vanilla extract and beat well

Ø  Sieve maida well and add this to the mix and mix well (don’t beat)

Ø  Then mix well with hand

Ø  Take the mix and roll it fully into rectangle shape and apply jam in the same proportion

Ø  Then roll that just like swiss roll and keep it in the fridge for 1-2 hours

Ø  Cut the roll into small circles

Ø  Preheat oven to 180 degree Celsius, and bake till it cook well in the texture of biscuit

Ø  Biscuits rolls are ready to serve

·       >  You can use melted chocolate instead of jam

·       >  You can use any jam instead of mixed fruit jam

·        >  Keep an eye on the oven and take it out once it’s done

Your words are my inspiration, so write your feedback...

Raw Mango Curry (Pacha manga curry)

Raw mango curry (pacha manga curry) is tasty side dish, which we can prepare very easily at our kitchen..Let's start preparation?

Ingredients: 

Raw Mango                            - 2 numbers (250 gm)

Chilli powder                         - 2 tsp

Coriander powder                  - 4 tsp

Turmeric powder                   - 1 tsp

Fennel (perumjeerakam)       - 1 tsp

Small onion (Shallots)           - ½ cup (chopped)

Ginger                                       - ½ inch piece (finely chopped                                                                lengthwise)

Green chilli                            - 4 (chopped into two lengthwise)

Curry leaves                           - 2 springs

Coconut oil                             -  3 tbsp

Coconut milk (1^st milk)          - 2 cup (from 3 cups grated coconut)

Coconut  milk (2^nd milk)        - 2 cup

Mustard                                  - 1 tsp

Dried red chilli                       - 3 (cut into two pieces)

Preparation:

Ø  Take the mangoes and remove the outer green later and cut into 1 inch long pieces

Ø  Make a paste of red chilli powder, coriander powder, turmeric powder and fennel (perumjeerakam) and add chopped onion, ginger, green chilli and one spring curry leaves and mix well with hand

Ø  Then in a pot/ pan add the mix and add chopped mangoes and 2^nd coconut milk and half of the first coconut milk and mix well and allow the content to boil

Ø  After boiling, reduce the flame and close the pan with a lid and allow it to cook well

Ø  When the mangoes are cooked well add the remaining first coconut milk and switch off the furnace when it starts boiling

Ø  In a pan, pour coconut oil , splutter mustard and add dried red chilli and curry leaves and pour this to the mango curry

Ø  Mango curry is ready to serve

We can have this mango curry along with rice, appam, chappathi, parotta etc., Everyone will love the taste of this mango curry. 


Your words are my inspiration. Write your feedback in comment box. Thank you and visit again...

Paneer Fried Rice / Paneer and Vegetable Fried Rice

Paneer is a common fresh cheese in South Asia, especially Indian, Pakistani, Afghan, Nepali, Sri Lankan and Bangladeshi cuisines.  Paneer includes rich source of milk protein.

Today, we are going to prepare a tasty paneer fried rice. Hope you will enjoy the cuisine. Let's start preparation?

Ingredients: 

• 1 and ½ cup basmati rice – soaked in water for 15 mins

• ½ cup cottage cheese / paneer cubes – fried

• ½ cup finely chopped carrot

• ¼ tsp turmeric powder

• ½ cup finely chopped beans

• ½ cup chopped spring onion

• 1 tsp garam masala

• ½ cup capsicum – cut into thin strips

• ½ tbsp ginger-garlic paste

• 2 tsp pepper powder – as per spice requirement

• 3-4 dry red chilies

• salt to taste

• 2 tbsp cooking oil

• water as required

Preparation:

> Soak basmati rice / Jeerakasala rice in water for 15 mins. Heat 5-6 cup water in a vessel till it boils. Take the soaked rice and drain the water completely. Add rice to the boiling water. Now, add salt and 2 tsp oil. Mix well and cook it uncovered on medium flame for 10-13 mins till the rice is 90% cooked.

> Remove from the heat and drain the water completely. Spread rice on a plate and keep aside.  Heat 2 tbsp oil in a heavy bottomed kadai or wok. Add broken red chilies and saute a while.  Add chopped carrot, beans, capsicum and spring onion. Cook for 2 mins.

> Add ginger-garlic paste and saute a while. Add turmeric powder, pepper powder, garam masala and salt to taste. Stir well and let it cook for another 3-5 mins.  Add cooked rice and fried paneer cubes. Cook for 2 mins on medium flame. Check the salt and adjust it. Sprinkle chopped spring onion and serve hot with any tomato-chili sauce or any gravy of your choice.

Your words are my inspiration.  Write your comment and let me know your feedback.

Oven baked omelette Indian version

Oven baked omelette is a perfect breakfast for any day. I am introducing Indian version for the  baked omelette.  This recipe is a very easy to prepare dish in our home.  It will hardly take five minutes to prepare. You can add your own ingredients.  Just put whatever you want to.. It's actually a great dish for kids, those who are passionate to egg , but not to vegetables.  Add vegetables along with egg and bake.  Here is my easy recipe for you all... Then let's prepare oven baked omelette!!!

Ingredients: 

Egg                                - 5 numbers

Butter                            - 1 tsp

Big onion                      - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Tomato                         - 1 (finely chopped)

Coriander leaves          - 2 tbsp (finely chopped)

Cheese                         - 1/4 cup (shredded)

Bell pepper/ capsicum - 1/4 cup (chopped)

Pepper powder             - 1 tsp (as per spice required)

Salt to taste

Preparation:

> Preheat oven to 350 degree F (170 degree C).  Grease a baking dish with butter and keep it aside

>Beat eggs and add all other ingredients except cheese and stir well 

> Pour mixture into the greased baking dish

>  Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until a wooden pick comes out clean.

>  Then sprinkle cheese over the egg mixture and continue baking until cheese is melted or 2 to 3 minutes more

> Remove from oven and cool it on counter top.

>  Serve once it is warm.

Hope you enjoyed oven baked omelette.... Your words are my inspiration, give your feedback in comments... Thank you...

Amla Rice/ Nellikkai Rice

Amla (Gooseberry) is a rich source of Vitamin C. It provides remedies for various diseases.  Because of it's numeral health benefits, adding amla into our daily dishes will be an added advantage.  Today, we are going to prepare a rice with amla.  I think this recipe will be very helpful for you to prepare an easy and mouth watering amla rice in your kitchen.  Let's start...

Ingredients:

Amla/ Gooseberry / Nellikkai             - 2 - 3 (washed and grated)

Cooked rice                                         - 2 cup

Dry red chillies                                   - 4

Turmeric powder                                - 1/4 tsp

Bengal gram/ kadala parippu             - 1 tsp

Black gram                                         - 1 tsp

Mustard seeds                                    - 1 tsp

curry leaves                                        - 1 spring

salt to taste

Oil 

Preparation:

> Heat 2 - 3 tsp oil in a pan and add mustard and splutter

> Add bengal gram and black gram and saute well

> Add curry leaves and dry red chillies and saute well

> Add grated amla and turmeric powder and mix well

> Add salt to taste and cook for 3-5 minutes.  

> Add cooked rice and mix well

> Garnish with coriander leaves and serve 

> Pickle can be used as side dish

Tasty Egg Curry

Egg curry is an unavoidable side dish in breakfast, right? Today i am introducing very simple and easy to prepare egg curry, which is very tasty too... Let's start!!

Ingredients:

Egg                                                 - 4 numbers

Big onion                                      - 1 (finely sliced)

Small onion                                  - 10 - 15 numbers (sliced)

Ginger garlic paste                      - 1 tsp

Curry leaves                                  - 1 spring (optional)

chicken masala                             - 1 1/2 tbsp

coconut milk                                 - 4 tbsp

water / second milk of coconut - for boiling as per requirement

salt to taste

Oil (preferably gingelly oil)        -  3 tbsp

Preparation:

> Hard boil the eggs and remove shells and keep it aside

> Take first and second milk (1/2 to 1 cup) from coconut and keep it aside

>  In a pressure cooker, add oil and heat 

> Add sliced big oinion and small onion and saute well for a minute

> Add salt and saute well

>Add ginger garlic paste and saute for one more minute

> Add curry leaves and saute

> Add chicken masala and saute

> Add the second coconut milk or water and saute and check the spice and salt, if its correct, close the lid of the pressure cooker and keep for one whistle in high flame and 2 whistles in low flame. 

> Switch off the flame and allow to pressure goes for 3-5 minutes

> open and check the consistency require for the egg curry, if the consistency is as per your requirement, switch on the flame for a minute and add the first milk and switch off the flame (don't allow it to boil after adding the first milk)

> then add the boiled eggs without shell and serve hot in a serving bowl

> Yummy egg curry is ready to eat


Note: You can use any oil, but I prefer to use gingelly (sesame oil), as i love the taste...
you can add coriander leaves for seasoning too, if you love the flavor.

Shahi Paneer

Paneer, also known as cottage cheese, is a dairy product which is made by curdling the milk with the help of lemon or vinegar and then drain the liquid.  Paneer is very delicious as well as healthy.  In our Indian cuisines, it plays a vital role because of its health benefits like a good source of calcium, protein, etc,.

So, today we are going to prepare a dish or side dish with Paneer. Shahi paneer is a thick and delicious recipe with paneer.  Its preparation is very easy.  Let's start our preparation:

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes                                         - 200 gm
Big onion (chopped)                            - 2 numbers
Tomato (Chopped)                              - 2 numbers
Ginger                                                    - 1 small piece
Garlic                                                     - 3 flakes
Green chilly                                          - 2 numbers
Pepper powder                                     - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder                               - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder                                - 3/4 tsp
Garam masala powder                      - 1 tsp
Fresh cream                                         - 5 tbsp
Dry fruits (cashew & raisins)           - 1/4 cup
Milk                                                       - 1/2 cup
Ghee                                                      - 8-10 tbsp
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves (optional) to garnish


Preparation: 

>  Grind tomatoes, onion, ginger, garlic and green chillies in a mixer and make a fine paste

>Heat ghee in a kadhai or pan

> Fry paneer cubes over medium flame until it turns light brown and keep it aside

> Saute the dry fruits in 1 tbsp of ghee and keep it aside

>  Pour some more ghee and fry the paste until it turns golden brown and ghee starts separating.

> Add salt, red chilli powder, pepper powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder and saute for 1 to 2 minutes

> Add milk to the gravy and bring the gravy to boil

> Reduce flame and cook the contents until gravy becomes thick

> Add half of the dry fruits in gravy while it is being cooked

> Add paneer cubes and fresh cream in gravy

> Heat the contents for 5 minutes 

> Hot shahi paneer is ready to serve

> Transfer the shahi paneer into a serving dish and garnish with fresh cream, remaining dry fruits and coriander leaves. 

> Serve hot with paratha or nan or chappathi