Beetroot Pachadi/Raita (Beetroot Dip)!

Beetroot Pachadi/Raita : This dish is usually prepared during Onam, in Kerala. A raita is a simple preparation made by adding fruits, vegetables or any other thing to beaten curd. Most Indian families enjoy curd either plain or in the form of delicious raitas as an accompaniment with lunch or dinner. Raitas are unique because they are cool and spicy at the same time. Today, we want to share one such raita recipe with you all, traditionally made with coconut, but this recipe is minus coconut and an effort to keep it equally yummy.  

Ingredients: 

• Grated beetroot : 1 medium size
• Beaten curd : 2cup
• Green chillies : 7 nos
• Mustard seeds : 4 tsp (1 tsp for tempering rest powdered or crushed)
• Ginger : 1/2 inch piece
• Cumin seeds: 1/4 tsp
• Salt : as needed
• Oil : 1 tbsp
• Curry leaves : 2 sprig
• Dry Red chilly - 2 Nos.

Cooking Method :

1. Clean the beetroot, grate it and keep aside.
2. In a pan cook the grated beetroot, salt, Green Chillies, water with lid closed and saute in between.
3. Meanwhile in a mixer, grind 3 tsp mustard seeds, cumin seeds, and ginger and green chillies into a paste form by adding few drops of water.
4. Once the beetroot is cooked well, take a pan put some oil and add the paste along with beetroot. Let the mixture cook for 5 mins.
5. Meanwhile beat the curd in a bowl and keep it aside.
6. Now turn the flame off and add the beetroot mixture into the curd, it'll form a nice pink colour
7. Splutter mustard seeds  with oil, dry red chilly and curry leaves and pour it to curd and beetroot raita/pachadi.

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Tomato Chutney (Tamatar ki Chutney)

Tomato Chutney - Chopped tomatoes cooked with various spices. Served with Chapati, Idli, dosa and vadas. 

Ingredients:

• 5 medium sized tomatoes, chopped 
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 Onion Chopped
• 2 Green Chillies
• 1 tsp ginger, chopped
• 1 tsp oil
• 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1-2 tsp sugar
• Salt- to taste
  
• Cooking Method:

In a wok (kadhai) add oil. Add mustard seeds, onions chopped, green chilles and ginger.

Once cooked, add tomatoes. Let the tomatoes cook for 5 minutes.

Now add sugar, salt, red chilli powder.

Cook this till the tomatoes are soft and squishy.

Serve with Chapati, idli, dosa or vada.

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Mushroom & Pepper Fry! Starters for your House Party

Mushroom & Pepper Fry - Now, for all your house parties, try this simple mushroom starter. Delicious and quick fix starter, which can also be served as a side dish. 

Ingredients:

• 30 Nos. Button Mushroom

• 1/2 cup curd

• 1 tsp Jeera powder (Cumin powder)

• 1 tsp Red Chilly Powder

• 2 tsp Black Pepper Powder 

• 1 tsp Ginger garlic paste

• 1 Onion 

• 1 Capsicum

• Oil for cooking

• Salt to taste

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• For Marination - Clean the mushrooms and dice them into quarters, you can remove or keep the steam. In a bowl put the diced mushrooms and mix it with Curd, salt, ginger-garlic paste,jeera powder, red chilly powder and black pepper powder. 

• Keep the mushrooms marinated for 10mins.

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• Cooking Method:

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1. In a Pan heat the cooking oil,then add the marinated mushrooms.
2. Let it cook for sometime, the mushrooms will start releasing water, let it cook on medium flame till the water dries up.
3. Now add chopped capsicum and onions, in the pan. Let it cook along with mushrooms for few mins, if required add salt to taste.
4. Once the water dries up completely, turn the burner off.
5. Cover the pan for 2-3 mints and serve it hot.

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Spinach & Eggplant Fry

Spinach & Eggplant Fry: Spinach always remind me of Popeye the Sailor and his Power Food. The way he was crazy about spinach, I though was never until I came across this dish; which was introduced to me by my lovely friend Sumi. This is not just an easy to prepare dish but also a very tasty one. Sumi's delicacy I now pass on to you, do try this out. :D 

"I'm Popeye the Sailor Man, I'm strong to the finich, 'Cause I eats me spinach.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoon Cooking oil

3 or 4 Eggplant medium size

2 bunches spinach - cleaned and finely chopped
1 Onion finely chopped 
1 tsp Ginger Garlic paste
2 green chillies
1 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp cumin powder

Salt

Cooking Method:

Cut spinach leaves into fine pieces and the eggplant into small cubes.

Heat oil in the pan and then saute the eggplant cubes for 3-4 minutes. Once half done turn the heat off.

Heat another Pan or you can use the same,add the finely chopped onions, green chillies and ginger garlic paste. Once the onions turn soft, put the Spinach and sprinkle little salt and mix it gently.

Cook the spinach till it releases all the water. Then add the fried eggplant cubes, followed by turmeric, cumin powder and salt if required.

Mix it well, keep the lid on and let it cook for 5 mins or till the excess water is dried.

You can relish this dish with Chapati/roti.

So, do try this quick and easy dish and let us know your feedback.

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Beetroot & Carrot Soup !! Quick & Healthy

Beetroot & Carrot Soup - Beetroots are known for its rich nutritional value. According to a research, a daily dose of 250ml of beetroot juice or 1 to 2 cooked beetroot (approx. 100g) can help dramatically reduce blood pressure and its associated risks. There are a lot of interesting beetroot recipes, one that we would like to share with you today is Beetroot & Carrot Soup. A very simply, healthy and quick to make soup for your loved ones.

Ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 medium onion, chopped

• 3 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tbsp ginger, minced

• 3 medium beetroots, peeled and diced

• 3 carrots, peeled and diced

• 6 cup vegetable stock

• salt and freshly ground black pepper

Cooking Method:

Warm olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Stir in onions, ginger and garlic; cook until soft but not browned, for about 5 minutes. Stir in diced beetroot and Carrot, and cook for 2 minute.

Stir in the vegetable stock and season with salt and pepper. Bring to the boil; cover and simmer until the beetroots and carrots are tender, for about 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In batches, add soup to a food processor or hand blender and pulse until it becomes smooth. Return soup to saucepan and gently heat through. Ladle into bowls and garnish.

Serve it hot or cold.

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Pumpkin Halwa .. Quick n Yummy Dessert !!!

Pumpkin Halwa - A sweet treat. Very easy and quick to make, this delicacy is often seen doing rounds during Diwali celebrations. For that matter you can always relish it anytime and especially when you have excess pumpkin lying in your fridge. Like what I did today. So, here's sharing with you Pumpkin Halwa:

Ingredients:

• Diced Pumpkin - 2&1/2 cups
• Milk -1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup
• Cardamom - 5
• Cashew nuts - 10
• Raisins - 10
• Ghee - 1/4 cup (melted butter), on your taste I used very less.

Cooking Method:

Put water and place the pumpkin in a saucepan . Cover and cook until tender. Drain and mash the pumpkin. 

In a large pan, heat Ghee or Oil. 

Add the pumpkin and then milk stirring, continuously. 

Allow the puree to reduce and thicken and darken, for about 10 minutes. 

Stir in enough sugar to sweeten. Be careful while adding sugar as pumpkin is naturally a little sweet. Continue cooking until the Halwa reduces, now add powdered cardamom. 

Spoon into a serving dish & serve hot or cold, decorated with raisins and cashew nuts.

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Oats & Soya Granules Tikki (Cutlet) , Healthy Snack!!

Oats & Soya Granules Tikki (Cutlet) -  Oats, no introduction required as we all know it is one of the most healthy cereal grain and also a boring cereal that we encounter in breakfast. For a change from the mundane oats bowl, we came across a healthy snack last evening. Which turned to be quite interesting and this image makeover of Oats was well relished !. Now, we share it with you this quick and easy healthy evening snack. 

Ingredients:

Plain Oats (I used Quaker Oats) - 1 cup
Soya Granules - 1/2 cp
Onions finely chopped - 1 
Green Chillies - 2
Carrots grated - 1/4 cup
Green Peas - 1/4 cup
Potatoes Boiled and Mashed - 2 medium size
Egg White - 1
Chat Masala - 1tbsp
Red Chilly Powder - 1tbsp
Jeera Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1/2 tbsp
Bread Crumbs
Salt
Oil for shallow frying

Cooking Method: 

• Soak the Soya granules and Oats in warm water for 3 mins. Ensure you don't pour out too much water otherwise it'll get sticky and will be difficult to roll out.
• Mash the boiled potatoes and mix finely chopped onions, green chillies, carrot and green peas in a bowl.
• Add the soaked soya granules and oats into the mixture, followed by sprinkling all the masalas mentioned and salt to taste.
• Mix all the ingredients well.
• Nicely wet hands and roll out tikkis (Cutlets) from the mixture.
• Dip them in the egg white and then coat it with the bread crumbs.
• Place them on a hot frying pan/griddle and shallow fry it till golden brown from both the sides.
• Now, serve it hot with your choice of Chutney or salad.

Do enjoy this snack with your family and let us know their feedback.

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Prawn Mango Curry

Prawn Mango Curry is a Kerala cuisine, making it yummylicious is Ma kay haath ka jaadoo. Me n Ma love prawns and thus it becomes our first recipe to be shared. :)

Ingredients :

Prawn / chemmen - 250 gm

Raw Mango diced - 1 medium

Onion or shallots sliced - 1/4 cup

Ginger - a small piece

Garlic - 2-3

Green chillies - 3-4 nos 

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Coriander Powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Thick coconut milk - 1/2 cup

Salt to taste

Mustard seeds

oil ( Preferably Coconut )

Curry leaves

Cooking Method:

We cook sea food in an earthen clay pot in Kerala, this gives a different flavour to the curry. 

It's optional you can also use your regular Kadhai for cooking prawn.

Heat the clay pot or kadhai, add few tbs of oil, for mallu food lovers you can use Coconut Oil. 

Add mustard seeds, when it splutters add Onion, green chilly, ginger and garlic.

Once the onions are translucent, add diced Mango and pour some water, let it boil for few mins.

Once boiled, add Prawns, Coriander Powder,Red Chilly Powder,Turmeric Power and Salt to taste. Mix it well cover the lid and let it cook on medium flame for 5-6 mins till the Prawns are done.

Now take off the lid and pour the Coconut milk, mix it well and let it simmer for another 5 mins.

Now, your Prawns are done, before taking it off, heat 2 tbs of Coconut oil in your Tadka pan, put few mustard seeds n curry leaves, then pour this tadka on the curry.

You Done :) Serve it hot with Steamed rice and enjoy this Kerala delicacy.

Prawn Mango Curry

Happy Eating!!!

Do let us know your feedback. :)