Tamarind rasam recipe | How to make South style imli - pulli rasam

My stay in south india introduce me to various variety of dosa,idlis,utapams,adais ,sambhars & rasams.Both of us have become fans of rasams.



I can guarantee once you taste rasam you will also fall in love with rasam rice and papad combo which is a comforting food in itself.

I have already blogged about tomato rasam,Milagau(pepper jeera) rasam ,Dal rasam.

Todays menu is tamarind rasam which is sour & spicy ie khatta meetha

You can use store bought or home made rasam powder for this .I suggest to use freshly ground rasam powder as it will be economical,hygienic & will take your rasam to a different level.

So here we go

Ingredients


Rasam Powder 2-3 tbsp
Tamarind big lemon sized ball
Tomato - 1 small optional
pinch - turmeric

To temper 
Oil- 2 tbsp
Hing - 1 tsp
2-3 garlic cloves crushed
Mustard -1 tsp
Curry leaves few
red /green chilies - 2 broken into 2 pieces


Method :

1.Soak tamarind in water for 10-15 mins and extract the pulp and dilute the tamarind pulp with approx 1- 1 1/4 cups of water.

2.Now to a pan add oil and after it heats up add hing,mustard seeds and let it splutter.Then add garlic cloves,curry leaves, red/green chillies saute for a minute.If using tomato add at this stage and saute till it softens

4. Now add salt, turmeric powder, rasam powder and saute. 

5.Now  add the tamarind water  and stir well. when you see bubbles forming on the sides (It takes just 5 minutes) of the bowl remove from flame and serve!

Garam masala recipe | Maharashtrian garam masala recipe

Garam masala is one common ingredient which you will find in Indian kitchens.

What is garam masala ? GARAM means hot & MASALA means spice blend into fine powder.
Various spices are dry roasted & then grinded to a fine powder & stored in an air tight container. Even a pinch of garam masala can bring an amazing taste to your dish.

Commonly used spices for garam masala are bayleaf (tej patta) ,star anise (badiyan),cloves(lavang) ,hari elaichi ( green cardamom),badi elaichi (black cardamom),cinamom (dalchini) ,black pepper ( kali miri), mace (javitri) ,red chilli(lal mirchi),caraway seeds (shahi jeera), cumin seeds (jeera) ,coriander seeds ( dhane),black lichen (dagad phool) etc.

The proportion & spices will differ as per region.

Every state or rather every household within the region of a state might have a different recipe of garam masala

Todays garam masala recipe is my moms & is a maharashtrian style of making garam masala .

Please check other varieties of garam masala here .



Ingredients

Dalchini(Cinnamon) - 250  gms
Black pepper -125 gms
Lavang - 125 gms
Star Anise - 4 to 5



Method:
1. Dry roast each spice separately on a tava.  keep stirring take care not to burn the spices
2. Cool them & grind to a fine powder in a mixer
3. Sieve and store in air tight container.


Tips
1.Make garam masala in small batches as it loses its fragrance after few months.
2.Dont add too much garam masala as it can spoil the taste of dish as it is very strong in flavour.
3.Always store in air tight container.
4.Normally add garam masala in the end of cooking to retain its flavour

Hyderabadi shahi murgh korma | White Chicken Kurma recipe

Hyderabad makes me nostalgic.Today sharing a mughlai chicken korma recipe which is truly royal ,fragrant rich & yes also delicious

If you are a person who likes to taste delicious food than this one is definetely for you




White Chicken Korma is one of the many dishes of the Great Hyderabadi cuisine. Hyderabadi Cuisine is slightly sour, hot and richly endowed with nuts and spices. Traditional Hyderabadi dishes are cooked in original ‘Ghee’. Cooking in low heat, in ‘Dum’ is another specialty of this cuisine, which is another cause of its rich aroma.

Ingredients:

400 gms  Bone /Boneless Chicken
1.5  cup Plain Yogurt
1   tbsp Ginger Paste
1   tbsp Garlic Paste
1/2 tbsp  Red chili powder
1/2 tbsp Turmeric Powder
1   tbsp Garam Masala
2   tbsp  Lemon juice
1 inch Cinnamon stick
2  Cloves 
2 Green Cardamom
4 Black Peppercorns
1 big pinch Saffron threads
3 Green Chilli (finely chopped)
Salt to taste
1/2 cup ( Oil+ ghee) 

Masala to be roasted & grind in mixer

2 Onions  (finely chopped)
1/2  cup  - 8-10 Ground Almonds Powder
1/2 cup/ 8-10  Cashew nuts Powder
2 tbsp  Poppy seeds (khus khus)
2 tbsp Desiccated Coconut 

For Garnish 

Coriander (finely chopped)
Mint (finely chopped)





Method

1.Wash the chicken and drain well. 

2.In a large kadhai dry Roast poppy seeds,coconut,almond, cashew nuts one by one separately  for 1 minute-or till slightly darker in colour keep aside.grind all of them to a smooth paste



3.Then dry roast the onion  till they are slightly soft and golden in colour and grind onion to a smooth paste.

onion paste left & cashewnut poppyseeds paste

4.Now marinate raw chicken with ginger and garlic paste, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, green chilli, Garam masala powder,saffron, lemon juice,Plain Yoghurt

5 now mix coriander leaves, mint leaves with chicken.

6.Cover the bowl with a plastic wrap and allow it to marinate for minimum 1/2 an hour in the refrigerator.

7. In a non-stick pan add 1/4 cup oil at medium heat minute.Add the chicken pieces and stir fry for 5- 10 minutes till chicken pieces are cooked 90% keep them aside.




8.Now in same pan add remaining oil & butter Add cinnamon stick, cardamom,black peppercorns, Cloves Let it splutter and fry

Now add onion paste prepared in step 3  & saute till oil starts to leave the sides. Add cashewnut paste after 5 minues & mix well . Next add cooked chicken pieces .Now add  1/2 cup water leave it for low heat covered with lid till the thin layer of oil appears on the bottom surface.Now add salt to taste,stir often to prevent masala burning,if required,sprinkle a little water from time to time prevent the masala from burning.


9. Do not cook on a high heat,cover the pan & let chicken cook till done.

10.Garnish with fresh coriander leaves or mint leaves,lemon wedges & onion rings

11.ServE dish with Naan , Basmati rice, Hyderabadi baghara rice or Tanduri roti

Cheese uttapam recipe | Cheese Onion uttapam

Cheese uttapa - delicious fusion of south indian & italian cuisine.
A cheesey delicious uttapam which will be an instant hit amongst your kids and elders.Making this uttapam will be an easy task if you have dosa batter left in your fridge

You can use only cheese as a topping for this uttapam or can even add even onion,capsicum ,corn or tomato in addition to cheese

I have used cheese & onions along with black pepper and mixed herbs as seasoning.
You can add sliced green chillies or even red chilli flakes for seasoning


Ingredients

Dosa batter - 1 bowl

Cheese cubes grated - 1 bowl

black pepper powder& mixed herbs : as per taste 

Sliced Onions - 1 bowl

Green chilli sliced - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Heat a non stick tava .Grate cheese with help of grater

2. With a laddle spread dosa batter about 3 inches to make an uttapam .drizzle oil from sides & allow it to cook on medium flame.

3.Now add toppings of your choice like ,onions ,tomato or corn .after 2-3 minutes when base 
is brown flip the uttapam & allow the other side also to cook  for 2-3 minutes

4. Once both sides are cooked flip the uttapam & bring side with onions /tomato
on top .nOW sprinkle grated cheese on top of uttapam & cook on slow flame for 1-2 minutes

5.Sprinkle pepper powder  or mixed herbs .Serve with tomato sauce /mayonaise dip



Tips :

1.Skip green chillis if making for kids

Microwave Dhokla recipe |How to make instant soft Nylon Khaman Dhokla in microwave

Todays recipe is khaman dhokla made in microwave.This is an instant ,easy dhokla recipe with no soaking & fermentation of batter.
Besan /gram flour /chickpea flour is used to make this dhokla


Gram flour dhokala prepared in less oil is very much liked by all. Traditionally, dhokala is made on gas or pressure cooker or in a plate placed above a stand. But gram flour dhokala made in microwave can also be prepared very easily and instantly. 

Below dhokla was made by me for my cousind during my recent Alibag trip

Ingredients

1 cup besan | chickpea flour
2 tablespoon sooji | rava | semolina
pinch turmeric powder
1/4 cup curd ( yoghurt)
3/4 cup water
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoon lemon juice
2 green chillies + 1 inch ginger grind to a coarse paste
1 teaspoon enos fruit salt
1 cup water salt to taste
1 tsp oil for greasing

Seasoning

2 tablespoon oil
1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/4 teaspoon sesame seeds
1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
10-15 curry leaves
4 green chillies , slit lengthwise & cut into halves
2 tablespoon grated fresh coconut
3 tablespoons water
a small bunch of chopped coriander leaves, for garnish
1 tsp lemon juice
1 tsp salt + 1 tsp sugar



Method:

1.Take all dry ingredients of dhokla except eno salt in a bowl and mix them well with a whisk.

2.Add water gradually to make smooth batter of pouring consistency taking care that there are no lumps present.



3 Grease a deep microwave proof dish or baking tin with 2-3 drops of oil. Add eno fruit salt to batter and whisk it for 2-3 mins to make the batter fluffy.

4.Pour the batter into to the greased dish and cover tightly with  lid. Microwave it on high for 3-4 minutes and take it out removing lid.

5.Allow it to rest for 5 minutes and then cut the khaman dhokla into square pieces. 

6.Transfer all the pieces to serving plate/bowl. Heat oil in small pan; add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add sesame seeds,curry leaves,slit chillies and asafoetida into it.Turn off the heat and add water.add sugar,salt lemon juice mix well till sugar dissolves

7.Pour this watery seasoning over all Nylon Khaman Dhokla evenly and garnish with chopped coriander& grated coconut and it's ready to serve!!!

Tips

 Citric Acid  or limbu ka phool  can be used to replace lemon juice.

 Dont keep batter out after adding eno ,microwave it immediately

Beetroot Chocolate cake |Chocolate beet microwave cake - Eggless wholewheat + No butter

I was surfing on net for eggless cake recipes when I came across this eggless beetroot chocolate cake.

I was excited with the idea of adding beets as it would make the cake healthy & one should include beets in their diet because of the innumerable health benefits

I tried this cake in my Whirlpool Magicook Microwave .So tHis is my first cake baked in microwave

Now coming to the taste .OMG it was out of the world delicious,chocolaty,fudgy & moist. I had kept in fridge for next 2 days (cake got over on third day itself) but still the cake tasted delicious and was soft & moist.And nope - you cannot taste the beetroot flavor at all.. So it is a win-win situation where you get your moist cake as well minus beetroot flavor.


Its definitely a recipe which I will recommend as one its made from whole wheat flour (chapati ata) and second beetroots are added to it


Recipe source :Lovefoodeat 


Ingredients:

Dry

1 ¼ cup whole wheat flour
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1 tsp baking soda
½ tsp baking powder
¼ tsp salt

Wet

1 tbsp vanilla essence
¼ cup fresh butter/ oil (I had used saffola oil)
½ to ¾ cup  sugar
1 cup fresh buttermilk
½ cup boiled and pureed beets

Garnish

Chopped walnuts & cashewnuts (2 tbsp)


Method :

1 Peel beets and cut them into pieces & boil them in water or microwave till they become soft.Let them cool & puree them in mixer & keep aside.

2.Sieve the dry ingredients atleast twice.Greasa a six inch mould with butter / ghee ,sprinkle 1 tbsp flour tap it & throw away excess flour.

3. Dissolve the sugar completely in oil with help of a whisk.Add buttermilk & whisk for another minute .add vanilla essence & mix lightly.



4.Now add beetroot puree & mix gently.Pre heat microwave at 180C for 10 minutes.



5.Now add dry ingredients (sieved in step 2) part by part slowly & mix the batter.Our batter is ready.



6 Now pour batter about three fourth height of cake mould .Sprinkle dryfruits of your choice . Tap the cake mould before putting in microwave.



7. Bake for  30 -35 minutes or till the toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean at 180 C in convection mode .( Timing will vary depending on your microwave).

8. Let the cake cool completely before slicing


Tips

1.1.If you do not have buttermilk, you can simply use 1 cup milk + 1 tsp vinegar in the recipe.

Egg biryani in pressure cooker

Last wednesday was tired ,and not in a mood to cook entire food ,but still had desire to eat something delicious when I came across this EASY EGG BIRYANI on swasthis site

It was an instant hit in my house & my husband too commented that biryani is very delicious.I am a person who normally makes dum biryanis but being short of time I tried this and I must say that end result was delicious.I give ten out of 10 stars for this recipe

I had used home made hyderabadi garam masala but you can use store brought too.

But i will suggest to try it with freshly ground homemade masala as first its hygienic and secondly its economical & any dish made with fresh grinded masala is always tasty.

This biryani is made in pressure cooker or you can even try it on stove top.I have followed the original recipe as it is and used green capsicum and potatoes to fill up the veggie quota


Ingredients

1 cup of basmathi rice or lOng grain rice
2 cups water
1.5 tsp. Ginger garlic paste
½ cubed capsicums 
1 large potato cut into wedges (optional)
1 large onion thinly sliced
2 green chilies slit or minced
3 to 4 boiled eggs (prick with a fork randomly)
1 medium tomato chopped
1/4 tsp. ground turmeric
1/2 tsp. red chili powder
1 tsp cumin coriander powder
1 to 1 ½ tsp. Biryani masala powder (adjust)
Handful of mint and coriander leaves chopped
Salt to taste
half cup fresh yogurt / curd 
2 ½ cups water
2 tbsp (oil+ ghee)

Khada masala for seasoning

1 star anise
1 bay leaf
½ tsp. shahi jeera / black cumin
4 green cardamoms
4 to 5 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
1 strand of mace


Method

1.Soak rice for atleast 20 to 30 mins. Drain water and set the rice aside 

2.Boil eggs and deshell them  and prick randomly with a fork and Set aside.

3.Heat a pressure pan or a kadhai with oil add capsicums if using and fry on high for 2 to 3 mins till crisp.



4.Add the dry spices and allow them to splutter.next add sliced onions and fry till golden brown.Add ginger garlic paste and fry till the raw smell goes off.



5.Add tomatoes, mint leaves, red chili powder, cumin coriander powder ,turmeric, salt and yogurt. Cook until the tomatoes turn mushy.Add eggs, potatoes (if using) and biryani masala powder and fry till the mixture thickens.now add rice & mix well .Pour water and add salt as needed. Bring it to a boil



6.Cook rice in  till very little water is left. Lower the flame, cover and cook till the rice is done.

7. If using pressure cooker, after boil in water close the lid and pressure cook it for 1 whistle . after 1 whistle remove from flame ,release extra pressure from cooker .open cooker lid & fluff rice with fork & allow it to cool.do not keep cooker lid closed or your biryani will become soft & mushy

8.Serve hot with tomato onion raita & salad