Slice & Spice

Risotto with roasted Vegetables

2011-05-24T12:34:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Olive oil - 1 tbsp
Butter - 3 tbsp
Onion - 1 finely chopped
Rice - 2 cups
Roasted Vegetables - chunks of skinned potatoes, bell peppers, sweet hot peppers, eggplant
Garlic - 2 cloves finely chopped
Fresh ginger - small chunk finely chopped
Ground black pepper, Salt and Italian seasoning - per taste

Method:

1. Brush the vegetable chunks with a tbsp of olive oil, salt and Italian seasoning. Mix well and roast them until the skin becomes tender and golden. Keep aside.
2. Heat butter in a deep pan and add onions, garlic, and ginger. Cook until the onion becomes soft and starts to turn golden brown.
3. Add the rice to the pot and mix to coat in butter until translucent.
4. Gradually add the water and stir in until the rice is more than half cooked.
5. Add salt and a part of the roasted veggies to the rice, mix well and cook until the rice is soft and done.
6. Remove the risotto from heat, add some more butter, fresh ground black pepper, seasoning and salt if required.
7. Serve onto plates garnish with the remaining roasted vegetables and fresh cut cilantro.

Maavidikaya Turumu Pacchadi

2011-05-15T12:12:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Raw Mango - 1
Dry Red Chilli - 4
Mustard seeds - 1 tb spoon
Methi seeds - 1 tb spoon
Black pepper - 1/2 tb spoon
Sesame seeds - 1/2 tb spoon
salt - taste

Seasoning: oil, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, asafoetida, urad dal

Preperation:
Peel and shred the raw mango, keep aside.
Dry roast the red chilli, mustard seeds, black pepper, methi seeds and sesame seeds.
Let it cool and make it into powder.
Mix the masala powder with the shredded mango, top it off with seasoning.

Vegetable Lasagna

2011-04-29T12:52:00.000-07:00

Ingredients

Lasagna noodles - 9

Marinara sauce - 1 jar

Parmesan cheese - 3 cups

Shredded mozzarella cheese - 2 cups

Broccoli florets

Carrots - cut into thin slices

Bell peppers - cut into long slices

Sweet peppers - cut into long slices

Tomatoes - round cut

Jalapeño peppers (I just added for a tangy hot taste) - cut into thin slices

You may add vegetables per your taste .. like Eggplant, zucchini, spinach etc

Seasoning:

Olive oil - 2-3 tablespoons

Garlic - 2-3 minced

Ground black pepper

Salt - per taste

Italian herbs

Sweet Basil

Method:

Mix the Parmesan cheese and shredded Mozzarella cheese in a bowl and keep aside.

Toss all the vegetables in a big bowl, add olive oil, salt, spices and minced garlic. Mix well.

Preheat the oven to 425F and start making the baking dish ready.

Take a baking pan brush it with olive oil and start spreading the marinara sauce, topped with three lasagna noodles, spread cheese mixture, vegetables and marinara sauce.

Repeat layering while leaving lasagna noodles on top. Spread the remaining marinara sauce and cheese on the noodles.

Now tightly wrap the baking dish with two layers of aluminium foil. Place the baking dish in the oven and bake for 60 minutes.

Let the lasagna stand for 10 minutes before unwrapping the foil.

Daddojanam (Yogurt rice)

2009-11-23T18:41:00.000-08:00

Ingredients:

Rice - 2 cups
Yogurt - 2 cups
Green chilly - 2
Cilantro - 1/2 bunch finely chopped
Salt - per taste

Seasoning:

Vegetable oil - depends on the usage (I usually use close to 1/4th cup of oil)
Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon
Mustard seeds 1/2 table spoon
Urad dal / while lentils (minapappu) - 2 table sppons
Dried red chilly - 2 nos, broken into pieces
Cashew nuts / peanuts - handful
Curry leaves - 10 (approx)
Asafoetida - a pinch

Method:

1. Cook rice, let it cool for a while and mash it lightly. Keep it aside.
2. Beat the yogurt finely, add salt and some water. This makes yogurt light and easy to mix with rice.
3. Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, cashew nuts, and urad dal. Toss lightly and fry until the cashew nuts turn golden brown.
4. Add green chilly, red chilly and curry leaves to the seasoning topping it off with a pinch of asafoetida. Fry for a minute and keep it aside.
5. Add the yogurt to rice and mix well. The rice has to be slightly mashed and juicy, you may add little water to make it juicy.
6. To the rice add and mix the seasoning thats kept aside.

Nice and mild Daddojanam is ready! Serve with a tangy pickle :-)

Aloo Ragada/ Ragada Patties... The Yummy Indian Street Food

2009-10-29T16:44:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

For Potato Cutlets:

Potatoes - 3 boiled, peeled and mashed
Turmeric - 1/4 table spoon
Chaat Masala - 1/4 table spoon
Coriander Powder - 1/4 table spoon
Flour - 1/2 cup (to hold the cutlet)
Salt - per taste

For Ragada:
Chickpeas - 1 can (or) soak chickpeas in water for 8 hours, wash them and boil before use
Tamarind pulp - 1/2 cup
Jaggery juice - 1/2 cup
Mint chutney - 1 table spoon
Chaat Masala - 2 table spoons
Coriander Powder - 2 table spoons
Onion - 1 chopped
Tomato - 1 chopped

Method:

1. Add the turmeric, coriander powder, flour, chat masala and salt to the mashed potato. Mix well and divide the mixture into small balls, press them in between the palms to make patties.
2. Deep fry all the patties in oil until golden brown. Remove and keep aside.
3. Fry onions and tomatoes for 3 minutes.
4. Add chickpeas, tamarind pulp, jaggery juice. Cook for 10-15 minutes, until the chickpeas absorb the tangy taste.
5. Add mint chutney, chaat masala, coriander powder and salt.
6. Cook for another 3 minutes and serve hot with the aloo patties.

Vegetable Biryani ~ My Style!

2009-09-29T17:10:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 200g (washed, drained and kept aside)
Carrots - 2 (thinly sliced)
Potato - 2 big cut into medium sized cubes
Green Beans - about 10 ends chipped off and cut into long pieces (PS: I did not have green beans at home, so cooked without them this time!)
Onion - 1 big sliced
Ginger paste - 2 table spoons (freshly made)
Green chilly - 4 (freshly made into a paste)
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Cashew nuts - handful

Seasoning:

Cumin seeds - 1 table spoon
Cloves - 4 or 5
Cardamom - 3 or 4 crushed
Coconut powder - 3 table spoons
Fenugreek powder - 3/4 table spoon
Cinnamon powder - 1/4 table spoon
Coriander powder - 1 table spoon
Salt - per your taste
Vegetable Oil - 1/2 cup to fry all the vegetables well!

Method:

1. Heat oil in a shallow pan, add cloves, cumin seeds, cardamom and cashew. Fry until cashews turn golden brown.

2. Add cut onion, and ginger - chilli paste, stir and cook for few mins.

3. As onions start turning light brown, add carrots and potatoes.

4. Add cinnamon powder, fenugreek powder, coriander powder, salt and stir well.

5. Add yogurt and mix well so that the vegetables are coated uniformly.

6. Lavishly spread the coconut powder on top, simmer and cook for few minutes.

7. Now, add the washed basmati rice to the vegetables and stir.

8. Transfer the contents into a rice cooker and cook.

(PS: No need to add extra water for the vegetables as the yogurt is moist to cook them all! I usually add 1.5 cups of water for 1 cup of basmati rice.)

Serve the Biryani with Raita - a splendid combo! Happy eating!

Will share my Raita recipe soon :)

Allam Pachadi (Ginger Chutney)

2009-09-28T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:

Ginger - a big piece or 100g
Tamarind
Jaggery
Dried Red Chillies - 5
Asafoetida - a pinch
Fenugreek powder - 1/2 table spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 table spoon
Seasoning - with cumin seeds and mustard seeds
Salt - per your taste

Method:

1. Peel and grate the Ginger. Keep it aside.

2. Soak tamarind and jaggery in hot water for a while to squeeze syrup of both.

3. Make rough powder of the dried red chillies (Hint- if you fry the chillies on a tawa for few mins without oil, they can be smashed by hand into rough powder. Please wait until they cool down, lest you burn your hands!)

4. Heat oil in a thick base pan, add some jeera and dried red chillie powder, as it starts to fry add the grated ginger.

5. Let it fry for a min or two until the ginger soaks in the oil.

6. In the mean time add asafoetida, fenugreek powder, turmeric and salt.

7. Add the tamarind pulp and jaggery water to the pan and stir.

8. Simmer and boil until the water evaporates for a semi thick Ginger Chutney. Add salt per your taste.

This Ginger chutney stays for almost 2 weeks when stored under dry conditions in a refrigerator. Serve it with Dosas, Idlies, and even with hot white rice!

Bitter Gourd Curry Sweet (Kakarakaya Pulusu Koora)

2008-12-27T16:30:00.000-08:00

Ingredients: bitter gourd / kakarakaya / karela - 2 cut into rounds
onion - 1 small
green chilly - 3 small
turmeric - 1 pinch
tamarind pulp - 1/4 cup
jaggery syrup - 1/4 cup or per your taste
dry red chilly - 2

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

mustard seeds - 1/4 tb spoon

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tb spoon

minapappu or urad dal - 1 tb spoons

salt - per your taste
red chilly powder - 1 tb spoon

Method:

Fry the chopped onion until golden brown. Add green chilli, salt and the seasoning to the onions. Cook the bitter gourd for about 5 minutes in microwave (this makes them tender and the curry does not consume much oil). Add the bitter gourd to the onion fry for couple of minutes. Add the jaggery syrup, tamarind pulp and red chilli powder. Mix well and cook for 5 to 10 minutes.

Vegetarian Pizza

2008-12-14T15:16:00.000-08:00

Simple vegetarian pizza for a lazy afternoon!

Ingredients:

pizza base - 1 large

red peppers / bell pepper / capsicum - 1

onion - 1 small

jalepenos - 1

tomato - 1

shredded cheese - 1 bowl (or as desired)

pizza sauce

olive oil - 1 tb spoon

Method:

Pre heat the oven at 450 degrees. Toss a tb spoon of olive oil on to the pizza base and spread the pizza sauce evenly. Top the pizza with the jalepenos, tomatoes, onions and red peppers. Lastly sprinkle the shredded cheese lavishly. Bake the pizza for eight to 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Serve with your favourite sauce.

Stuffed Potato

2008-11-26T10:01:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:

potatoes - 4 (preferably big and long)

onion - 1

tomato - 1

green chilli - 4

red chilli - 4

ginger paste - 2 spoons

cashew - handful

raisins - per your taste (only if you prefer)

cumin seeds - 1 spoon

green peas - 1/2 cup

Method:

Cut the big and long potatoes into two halves. Individually scoop out the inners of each part to make a potato shell. Save the scooped potato do not throw it away. Deep fry the potato shells for few minutes and keep them aside.

Fry the cumin seeds, onions, green chilli, red chilli and ginger paste, add salt, scooped potato and deep fry. Add tomato in the end along with salt, garam masala and coriander powder. Let the mixture cool, then blend the mixture into a fine paste.

Stuff the gravy into the potato shells and bring to boil the potatoes in the remaining gravy mix.

You can add some grated dry coconut and green peas to the gravy.

Ghee Rice with Khadi

2008-11-14T18:37:00.000-08:00

Ghee Rice Ingredients

rice - 2 cups

ghee (clarified butter) - 1/2 cup

onion - 1 thinly sliced

cinnamon - 1/2 stick

black pepper - 1 tb spoon

bay leaves - 2

cloves - 5

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

caraway seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

Ghee Rice Method

Heat ghee in a thick bottomed pan (I used a cooker to season and to cook too), as the ghee melts add the spices and fry till the aroma spreads. Add sliced onions and fry till crisp. Add the washed rice and fry for a minute. Add water and salt. Cover and cook for 15 minutes. You can transfer the contents into a pressure cooker or a rice cooker and cook accordingly.

Khadi Ingredients

curd/yogurt - 2 cups

water - 2 cups

flour - 2 tb spoons (you can use any flour either besan or rice. I used rice flour)

turmeric powder - 1/2 tb spoon

salt - per taste

Making coriander paste

coriander - 1 bunch

green chillies - 3

ginger - a small piece

dried red chilli - 1

Make a paste of the above ingredients in a blender and keep aside.

Method

Finely beat the curd, water, flour, turmeric and salt. Bring it to boil while stirring continuously. Add the coriander paste, simmer and cook for 5 more minutes. Finally add the seasoning with asafoetida, cumin seeds, mustard seeds and a dry red chilli.

Aubergine Spiced Gravy (Gutti Vankaya Koora)

2008-10-24T19:53:00.000-07:00

Vegetables -

Aubergines/Brinjal/Eggplant - 5 medium sized (cut into four slices each without detaching each slice from its base)

onion - 2 chopped

tomato - 2 chopped

green chillies - 4 big finely chopped

coriander - 1 bunch

mint leaves - 1 bunch

ginger - sliced

Spices

cumin Seeds - 1 tb spoon

caraway seeds - 1 tb spoon

cloves - 3

cardamom- 3

ground black pepper - 1/4 tb spoon

dried mint leaves - 1 tb spoon (optional if you use fresh mint)

ginger paste - 1 tb spoon

bay leaf - 1

cinnamon - 1 stick

salt - per your taste

coriander powder - 2 tb spoons

Method

Gravy - Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, caraway seeds, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon, black pepper, dried mint, bay leaf and saute for 2 minutes. When the flavor starts to spread add the finely chopped onion and green chilli. Mix the spices and onion well, let it fry until onion turns golden color. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger paste. Add the chopped tomato. Let the mixture get cooked for 5 minutes until the tomatoes turn tender. Stir occasionally. Add coriander powder and salt per your taste. Let the mixture cool down and blend the entire contents to a soft paste.

Bake the Aubergines -

Slightly oil the cut aubergines and microwave them on high heat for 5 to 9 minutes or until the vegetables become tender.

Making -

Heat oil in a pan and saute the baked aubergines for 3 minutes while sauting occassionally. Add the gravy mixture. Mix the contents thoroughly and let it cook for a while. Simmer and cook for 15 to 20 min stirring occassionally. Add little water if you feel the gravy is getting dried up. Simmer and cook for 5 more minutes. Let the aubergines marinate well in the gravy so they get flavored. Add a tb spoon of ghee or butter on top. I usually watch them patiently whilst stirring occassionally so that the curry does not get charred.

Tomato Chutney

2008-10-24T18:26:00.000-07:00

Vegetables -

tomatoes - 5 ripe and big (sliced)

green chillies - 5 to 6 big (per your taste you can add or remove the chillies)

coriander - a bunch

Seasoning -

asafoetida or hing or inguva - 1/2 tb spoon

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

mustard seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tb spoon (you can use the powder if seeds are not available)

minapappu or urad dal - 2 tb spoons

salt - per your taste

Method -

Heat oil in a pan. Add the seasoning & green chillies and fry until crisp. Add the tomatoes and cook until the tomatoes turn tender. Stir occassionally. Add the coriander leaves and salt, simmer and cook for 3 more minutes. Turn the stove off and let the mixture cool. Transfer contents into a mixer jar and blend into a rough paste. Do not make a smooth paste lest it becomes a sauce rather than a chutney :)

Garnish -

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Mixed Vegetable Salad Served Fresh!

2008-10-24T17:41:00.000-07:00

Planning to make a healthy salad that tastes yummy too!

Vegetables -

carrots - 2 sliced

green peas - 1/2 cup

sweet corn - 1/4 cup (only if you like, do not add if you want the salad to be spicy)

onion - 1/2 finely chopped

tomato - 1 finely chopped

cucumber - 1/2 finely chopped

Spices -

black pepper - 1 tb spoon (roughly ground)

pudina extract - 2 tb spoons (you can use the ready made from the store or make a fresh paste)

ginger paste - 1/4 tb spoon

butter - 1 tb spoon

Method -

Mix carrots, green peas and sweet corn in a bowl. Add a tb spoon of butter, black pepper & salt, mix well and microwave for 2 minutes. Let it cool. Add the chopped onion, tomato and cucumber. Add the pudina extract (mint extract) and mix thoroughly. Garnish with fresh cilantro.

Fresh Red Chilli Pickle (Pandu Mirapakayala Kaaram)

2008-10-24T17:19:00.000-07:00

Simplest of the Andhra pickles that can be made anywhere in the world!

Vegetables -

fresh red chillies or red peppers - 5 big chopped

Seasoning -

asafoetida or hing or inguva - 1/2 tb spoon

tamarind extract - 3 tb spoons

cumin seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

mustard seeds - 1/2 tb spoon

fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tb spoon (you can use the powder if seeds are not available)

salt - per your taste

Method -

Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Add asafoetida and saute the seasoning. Add the chopped red chillies and cook until tender. Stir occassionally. Add the tamarind extract and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and be careful not to char the contents. Turn off, let it cool and blend the contents using a mixer or blender. Do not make it a paste but let the red chillies get chopped finely. Transfer into a bowl and serve.

Capsicum Aloo Gravy

2008-10-24T16:44:00.000-07:00

This is a delightful dish for the potato and capsicum lovers!

Vegetables

onion - 1 finely chopped

tomato - 1 finely chopped

green chillies - 2 big finely chopped

capsicum - 1/2 finely chopped and 1/2 sliced

potato - two medium sized

coriander - 1 bunch

mint leaves - 1/2 bunch

ginger - long & thinly sliced

Spices

cumin Seeds - 1 tb spoon

caraway seeds - 1 tb spoon

cloves - 3

cardamom- 3

ground black pepper - 1/4 tb spoon

dried mint leaves - 1 tb spoon (optional if you use fresh mint)

tamarind extract - 2 tb spoon

ginger paste - 1 tb spoon

bay leaf - 1

Method

Gravy - Heat oil in a pan. Add cumin seeds, caraway seeds, cloves, cardamom, black pepper, dried mint, bay leaf and saute for 2 minutes. When the flavor starts spread add the finely chopped onion and green chilli. Mix the spices and onion well, let it fry until onion turns golden color. Add mint leaves, coriander leaves and ginger paste. Add the chopped capsicum, after two minutes add the chopped tomato. Let the mixture get cooked for 5 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add 2 tb spoons of tamarind extract and salt. Let the mixture cool down and blend the entire contents to a soft paste.

Baking Potatoes - Peel the potatoes and pierce each potato at several places with a fork. This lets the extra moisture drip. Slightly oil them and microwave for 5 - 9 minutes on high heat.

Making - Heat oil in a pan and saute the sliced capsicum until tender. Add the baked potato slices and stir. Wait for 3 minutes and add the gravy mixture. Mix the contents thoroughly and let it cook for a while. Simmer and cook for 15 min stirring occassionally. Add little water if you feel the gravy is getting dried up.

Garnish - Add a tb spoon of butter or ghee and garnish with the thinly sliced ginger and serve.

How it all happened....

2008-10-24T16:20:00.000-07:00

I always had this inclination towards cooking. I was occassionally making stuff, which were sometimes excellent otherwise pathetic! Somehow my dad always loved my food :) May be coz I used extra spices and chillies making the dishes hot and tangy!

I owe the credits to many, my paternal Grandmother - who makes excellent food even at the age of 80!, my Dad -I used to scowl when ever he dragged me into the kitchen, he would make us eat bland salads saying vegetables are good for health! I just cherish his memories :) My Aunt - who taught me to try cooking from magazine recipes! and last but not the least - my Mom - who can make yummy sambhar and pulihora, which I can never learn to perfection!

I am a vegetarian so you can expect anything and everything made of vegetables! I always liked to encourage vegetarianism :)