New Year Greetings!

Wish You All a Very Happy New Year!

May the Coming Year be Filled with Sweet Memories today and Always!

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Spicy Vegetable Pasta

Ingredients
Rainbow Salad Twirls Pasta-1cup
Onion(medium size)-1
Green chilli-2
1" piece of ginger
Tomatoes(small)-2
Carrot(small)-1
Beans-5
1/4th of a Capsicum
Frozen Peas-one hand full
Few curry leaves and Cilantro for garnishing
Chilli powder-1spoon
Cumin powder-1/2spoon
Coriander powder-1/4spoon
Garam masala powder-1/2spoon
Cumin Seeds-1spoon
Sugar-1/2spoon
Salt-to taste
Oil

Method
Boil 3 cups of water,add the pasta..cook for 7 minutes. Drain the pasta and rinse it with cold water and keep aside.

Chop the onion,green chillies,ginger,tomatoes. Chop the carrots and beans,cook them in Microwave for 4minutes.

Heat oil in a wide pan,add the cumin seeds,curry leaves. Add onion,g.chilli,capsicum and ginger pieces and fry for a while. Then add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft. Add the cooked veggies,frozen peas and stir everything together.

Then add salt,sugar,chilli powder,coriander and cumin powders,cook on low heat till the oil oozes out.
Add the pasta and mix everything together. cook for 5 minutes in low flame. Finally add the chopped cilantro and add in the Garam masala powder. Give a quick stir, switch off the stove.

Spicy vegetable pasta is ready to serve. Enjoy it with tomato ketch-up or plain curd.

********

I am sending the following recipes to Akila's "Dish name starts with D" event.
1.Dum Aloo
2.Dhal

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Egg Curry

Ingredients
Egg-3
Onion(medium size)-1
Green chilli-1
Few curry leaves and Cilantro(for garnishing)
Tomatoes(small)-2
Chilli powder-1spoon
Turmeric powder-1/4spoon
Mustard seeds-1/2spoon
Oil
Salt

To grind
Almond(Badam)-8
Ginger-1" piece
Garlic-3cloves

Method
Hard boil 2 eggs with little salt.Take-out the shell and keep them aside.
Soak the almonds in hot water for half an hour,peel the skin and grind it with ginger&garlic to a fine paste.
Chop the onions,green chillies and tomato.
Heat oil in a pan,add the mustard seeds and let them pop. Then add the chopped onions-green chilli and curry leaves. Fry till onion becomes transparent.
Now add the ground paste and cook for few minutes,add the tomatoes and cook till they become mushy.
Add a cup of water,enough salt and bring it to boil.(Adjust the consistency to your taste with more or less water). Cook on medium heat till the oil oozes out.
Make slits in the boiled eggs,add them into the gravy.
Break the remaining egg and add it directly into the gravy. Cook the gravy on low heat for 3-4 minutes and switch off the stove.
Garnish the Curry with Cilantro.
Spicy egg curry is ready to serve! Goes well with roti/rice. Personally I liked it very much with hot steaming rice than with roti's! :)

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I'm tagged!

Nithu tagged me with a set of questions last week. Its nice to think back and answer the questions. .Brought back some good old memories.Thanks for tagging me Nithu! She had 2 sets of questions and I chose a few questions from both the sets. Happy reading!

1. Are you a vegetarian, or have you thought about being one?

In-spite of Born,brought-up and married in a non-vegetarian family, I am an egg eating Vegetarian.

2. Do you prefer to celebrate New Year's Eve with friends and/or family, or prefer to ring in the New Year quietly, and privately, at home?

Back home,new years were quite and private..I always get a new dress for the new year. Since it comes in between the month of Markazhi , I used to go to the temple early in the morning...those are good old days!! Now we are going to see fireworks and having get-to-gathers with the friends around.

3. How will you celebrate your next birthday?

Haven't thought about it yet! Like last year it will be quite and private.:) We will go to the temple and have dinner outside.

4. Do you time your breakfast,lunch & dinner or eat when you are hungry ?

Nope..I eat alone my breakfast and lunch. So will have it when I am hungry! :)

5. Name three things you have to use in most recipes ?

Onion,tomatoes,Channa dhal/Urad dhal for tempering.

6.You try a new recipe and it does not turn out good,what will you do ?
Cookies are the worst experiments I've ever made!! To be honest, I will keep them for some days,then force myself to throw them.:-| Didn't have courage to make something out of them edible again.;)

7. What inspired you to write a food blog ?
While browsing through the web,came across lot of cooking blogs.They inspired me a lot to start my own blogs in tamil & english..In tamil,its just not a food blog,but a special space where I store and share my recipes,experiences and memories.

I would like to pass these questions to Krishnaveni ,Menaga and Kurinji. Feel free to select your questions ladies.:)

Thanks for reading!

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Bisi Bele Bath/Karnadaka Sambar Rice

Bisi Bele Bath is a wholesome food filled with veggies,rice and dhal..Its an easy to cook recipe too..you can make it in 30 minutes and serve it with some simple chips..I got this recipe is one of my friend,who is from Bangalore.

Ingredients
Rice-3/4cup
Toor Dhal-1/4cup
Vegetables of your choice(cut into big chunks)-1cup
Tomatoes(medium size)-2
One fist full of raw peanuts
Tamarind juice-1/4cup
Turmeric powder-1/4spoon
Chilli powder-1/2spoon
MTR Sambar powder-11/2spoon
Water-21/4 cups
Salt to taste

For tempering
Oil-1spoon
Onion(medium size)-1
Bell pepper(small)-1
Few curry leaves
Cinnamon -2"stick
Cloves-2
Cumin seeds-1/2spoon
Mustard seeds-1/2spoon
Red chilli-2

Method
Wash and soak the rice&dhal together for half an hour.
Combine all the ingredients in a pressure cooker and cook it for 3 whistles.

Make the tempering with the ingredients given under "For tempering"..

Add the tempering with the rice and mix it well.

Bisi Bele Bath is ready to serve..enjoy it with chips or vadaams.


Note
I added 2brinjals,few pieces of drumstick,few chow-chow chunks,one small carrot,3-4 beans and one small potato. You can add your choice of veggies.
In the tempering I have added both yellow and red bell pepper pieces,which really enhanced the taste..so don't miss to add the capsicum.
I heard that there is a special masala powder for this recipe,but never tried making it, MTR Sambar powder works fine too. ;)

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Sprouted Soy Bean kuzhambu

Ingredients
Sprouted Soy Bean-1/2cup
Onion(medium size)-1
Green chilli-1
Tomato(big)-1
Grated Coconut-1/4cup
Tamarind Juice-1/4cup
Turmeric powder-1/4spoon
Chilli powder-11/2spoons
Salt
For tempering
Mustard seeds-1/2spoon
Dried red chillies-2
Cumin seeds-1/2spoon
Few curry leaves


Method
Cook the sprouted soy beans.
Combine the soy beans,tamarind juice,onions,green chilli,turmeric powder,chilli powder and salt.Cook till the raw smell of tamarind goes.
Meanwhile grind the tomato and coconut to a fine paste.
Add the paste with the soy bean mixture..
and add enough water to the gravy. Let it cook for 7minutes on medium heat and switch off the stove.
Heat oil in a separate pan and make the tempering,pour it over the kuzhambu and enjoy it with hot steaming rice.

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Cluster beans poriyal(kothavarangai poriyal)

Ingredients
Cluster Beans-200grams
Onion(small)-1
Green chillies-3
Few curry leaves
Dhalia(Pottu kadalai)-1tablespoon
Turmeric powder-1/4spoon
Mustard seeds-1/2spoon
Channa dhal-1spoon
Urad dhal-1spoon
Oil

Method
Chop the onions & green chillies.Grind the dhalia to fine powder.
Cut the cluster beans and pressure cook them for 2 whistles and drain the excess water.

Heat oil in a kadai,make the tempering with mustard seed,channa dhal and urad dhal. Fry the onions,green chillies,curry leaves with turmeric powder.

Then add the boiled cluster beans and enough salt.

Cook for a few minutes and add the powdered dhalia.
Give it a quick stir and put off the flame.

Cluster beans porial is ready. Enjoy it with any rice dishes.

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Kaara chutney-1

This is a very easy and tasty chutney which goes well with idli/dosai. The tempering makes this chutney more tastier. Less ingredients and a tasty outcome.:)

Ingredients
Onion(small)-1
Tomato(big)-2
Channa dhal-1teaspoon
Red chilli-5(adjust according to your taste)
A tiny piece of tamarind(avoid it in case you are using sour tomatoes)
Oil
Salt
For the tempering
Mustatard seed-1/2spoon
Urad dhal-1spoon
Curryleaves-1string

Method
Heat the oil and fry the channa dhal.Then add the chopped onion,redchillies,tamarind,and chopped tomatoes and fry till the raw smell goes.
Remove it from the stove and let it cool completely,grind the mixture to a fine paste with little water.
Make the tempering and pour it over the chutney.

Enjoy it with hot idlies/crispy dosa's.

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Corn Flake Jumbles with Craisins

I got a few packs of craisins(dried cranberries) with the kellogs corn flakes cereal pack.There was a tempting recipe on the cereal pack..Thought of making them for a long time, and at last prepared the cookies one day. I just followed the ingredients and method from the pack. Didn't have walnut while baking the cookies,so just skipped the nuts. Cookies turned out very yummy!!

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup butter or margarine, softened
• 1 egg
• 5 teaspoons milk
• 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
• 2/3 cup Ocean Spray Craisins
• 2 2/3 cups Kellogg's Corn Flakes cereal

Directions
In medium bowl stir together flour, baking powder, soda and salt. Set aside.
In large mixer bowl beat sugar and butter on medium speed of electric mixer until combined. Add egg, milk and vanilla.

Beat until fluffy. Add flour mixture. Mix until just combined. Stir in the craisins.
Place the crumbled Kelloggs corn flakes cereal in shallow dish. Drop rounded teaspoonfuls of dough in cereal. Roll until coated.
Place on cookie sheet and flatten them slightly.
Bake at 375°F about 12 minutes or until golden brown.
Cool completely on wire racks.
Store in airtight container & Enjoy!

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Dhal

Ingredients
Split yellow peas(pattaani paruppu/vadai paruppu)-1/4cup
Onion(small)-1
Green chilli-2
A small piece if Ginger
Turmeric powder-1/4spoon
Chilli powder-1spoon
Cumin powder-1/2spoon
Coconut milk powder/dry coconut powder(Optional)-1tablespoon
Salt
for tempering
Oil-1spoon
Cumin seeds-1/2spoon
Dried red chilli-2
A few curry leaves


Method
Chop the onion,g.chilli&ginger. Combine all the ingredients in a pressure cooker with 11/2cups of water.
Pressure cook for 2 whistles and let the pressure cool down. Open the cooker and mash the dhal lightly.
Make the tempering.
Pour the tempering over the prepared dhal.
This dhal is a simple and delicious accomplishment for roti's and rice. You can make this dish with thoor dhal/split moong dhal/channa dhal too.

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Pazha kachayam

Ingredients
Banana-1
All purpose flour-1cup
Rava-1/4cup
Sugar-1/2cup(adjust to your taste)
Elaichi-2
Oil-to deep fry

Method
Mash the banana,add all the ingredients,mix well.Add water little by little to make the batter like idli batter consistency. Keep it for an hour.

Heat the oil on medium heat. pour a (small)ladle full of batter directly into the oil.

Once thekachayam's becomes golden colour,take them out.

Alternatively,you can pour the batter in the paniyarakal and cook them.

This is a less oil version.So,you can have them guilt free.:)
pazha kachayam tastes better the next day. You can keep them for 2-3 days in room temperature.


Sending this recipe to "Healing foods -Banana" event event started by Siri & hosted in Krithi's Kitchen.

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