Green peas in cream curry

       Green peas are available in India normally during winters and I remember as a child, my mum would sit us down around a huge pile and we would shell them and the nice soft tender sweet ones found themselves into our tummies.Now with super markets, we get frozen too and so they find place in our everyday menu too.Here in Germany, I find the peas absolutely sweet and so tender that you can actually eat the frozen ones without cooking.The dish is ready within a few minutes.I tried this for the first time and I found this recipe absolutely delicious. Would go very well with toast and soup too besides as a side dish with rotis and parathas.
 Serves : 4
Ingredients
Green peas frozen or boiled                        2 cups/500gms
Chopped onions                                         1 no
Chopped garlic                                           1 tbsp
Oil                                                              1 tbsp
Cumin seeds                                               1/2 tsp
Cream                                                         1/2 cup
Coriander powder                                       1 tsp
Chilli powder                                              1/2 tsp
Amchur powder                                          1/2 tsp
salt to taste
Method
Heat oil and add cumin,let them splutter.
Add chopped garlic and saute.
Put in chopped onions and let them cook for 3-4 mins.
Now add salt,chilli powder and coriander powder.Let them color, do not burn.
Add cream and cook for 2 mins on high heat and mix continuously and let the water evaporate.
Add peas and mix well.Cook on high heat.Cook till almost dry.
Add amchur powder and mix well.
Top with chopped coriander and serve hot.

Spicy beetroot curry

       Beetroot is a vegetables where one has really be very creative to use.It has this strong color due to which using it in combination with anything else is not easy.So I thought besides salad which other way could I make it and this curry seemed just too good.My entire family liked it.I served it with piping hot rotis.
SERVES : 4-6 people
Ingredients
Boiled and chopped beetroots                       4 nos
Chopped potatoes                                         1 nos
Green peas                                                    1/2 bowl
Chopped chillies                                           2 nos
Chopped onions                                           1 no
Chopped garlic                                             1 tbsp
chopped tomatoes                                         3 nos
chilli powder                                                1/2 tsp
oil                                                                 1 tbsp
Cumin                                                          1/2 tsp
Hing                                                             1/5 tsp
Coriander powder                                        1 tsp
haldi                                                            1/2 tsp
amchur powder                                           1/2 tsp
Lime juice                                                    1 tsp
Salt to taste
Method
Heat oil, add hing and cumin and let them crackle.
Add chopped garlic, chillies and then onions and let them saute for 3-4 mins.
Add chopped potatoes and cover to cook them till slightly golden and are half cooked.
Add all the spices and chopped tomatoes and cook through till all comes together.
Add beetrrot and green peas and cover to cook for 5 mins.
Add lime juice and serve hot topped with chopped coriander.
Add 

Spicy mixed dal dosa with potatoes

        Dosas are one of the most loved delicacies.Apart from them being tasty, they are filling , nutritious and can be eaten any time to kill those hunger pangs.I keep trying out various kinds and this time thought should try out something more exciting.So a bit of twist and we had a lovely crisp spicy fare for our dinner.Of course served with potatoes and chutney made with.....peanut butter !!Yummm!
Makes about 16-18 dosas
Ingredients
Chana dal                                  1/2 cup
Rice                                           1/2 cup
Moong dal                                 1/4 cup
Red masoor                               1/4 cup
For a paste
Grated coconut                          1/4 piece
Ginger                                       1"piece
Hing                                          1/4 tsp
Roasted chana dal                     1 tbsp
Red chillies                               3-4 nos
Dhaniya seeds                          1 tbsp
oil                                            1 tbsp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Method
Wash and soak the rice and dals and keep for 4-5 hrs.
Heat oil and roast coconut,roasted dal,red chillies, hing,dhaniya seeds and ginger and cool.
Add this to the dal and rice mixture and grind all this to a fine paste.
Add salt, curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves.
Heat and grease tava/skillet and spread a ladle full of the mixture and spread into a big dosa.You can also spread chopped onions on this too.
Put a bit of oil and let it cook till golden.
Turn and cook on the other side.
Serve hot with potatoes and peanut chutney .Instead of peanuts, I added peanut butter.

Potato curry
Boiled potatoes                              1/2 kg
Sliced onions                                 2 nos
Curry leaves                                  10-12 nos
Urad dal                                        1 tsp
Hing                                              1/4 tsp
Mustard seeds                               1/2 tsp
Tumeric powder                           1/4 tsp
Oil                                                1 tbsp
salt to taste

Heat oil and add hing,mustard seeds and let them crackle.
add urad dal and let it color.Put in curry leaves,salt and haldi.
Now put in sliced onions and cook for 2-3 mins.
Add chopped potatoes and mix well.
Put 1/2 cup water and cover and cook for 5 mins.Serve with dosas.
                 

Green peas paratha

        This is one of my favorite parathas,stuffed with the most moist and aromatic filling of green peas and spices blended together.Ones does not need any other accompaniment as they are so full of flavors but one could enjoy it with a blob of butter and curd flavored with cumin.I also this filling for kachoris.They come out awesome too.
Makes about 8
Ingredients
Green peas boiled/frozen                     500gms
Grated ginger                                      1 Tbsp
Crushed garlic                                     1 tbsp
Chopped green chillies                        1-2 nos
Oil                                                      1 Tbsp
Cumin seeds                                       1 tsp
Hing                                                    1/4 tsp
Coriander seeds                                  1 tsp
chilli powder                                      1/2 tsp
Tumeric powder                                 1/4 tsp
Amchur powder                                 1 tsp
Lime juice                                          1 tsp
Sugar                                                 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
For the dough:-
Wheat flour                                        2 cups
Salt                                                    1 tsp
Oil                                                     1 tbsp                            
Method
Knead the the dough with the flour, oil and warm water to a soft pliable dough.
For the filling, heat oil in a pan.Add cumin and hing, let them crackle.
Add the crushed garlic, chopped chillies and ginger and let them saute for 2-3 mins.
Add the crushed peas and mix well.
Add all the spices into the mixture and cook for all the water to evaporate.
Add the lime juice and sugar and cook further.
Cool the stuffing.
Make a 8 balls of the dough, roll and put some generous stuffing into it.Put all the sides together and roll into a 7" circle.
Put it on the griddle/tava and cook with oil on both sides till golden brown.
Serve hot with choice of accompaniments.   

Vegetable strata

        I had never heard of a strata and when I came across it, the very next thing I was doing is cooking it up with the hard bio multigrain bread that lay in my bread basket.Looked up at all the things that lay in my kitchen.Then I had to try this without eggs as husband does not eat them.Strata is an Italian delicacy and is eaten mainly as a breakfast dish.It has bread, vegetables, meat,milk, eggs and cheese.The best part of the dish is that it is prepared at night and baked next day.I tried my own mixture and I did have good results. Now I have a great recipe in which I can old bread or breads I do not like  :) And my family gets all the nutrition they deserve in a one pot baked dish.

Serves- 4 people
Ingredients
Bread chopped                           6-8 slices
Broccoli florets                          300 gms
Bell peppers chopped                1 no
chopped tomatoes                      2 nos
sliced mushrooms                      100 gms
Chopped onions                        1 no
Chopped garlic                          1 tbsp
Cream spinach                           400 gms
(or Spinach crushed+cream)
Milk                                          1 cup
Italian seasonings                      1 tsp
Chilli flakes                               1 tsp
Olive oil                                    2 tbsp
Cornflour/flour                         1 tbsp
Cheese grated                           200 gms
Salt to taste

                             
Method
Grease a 12"x10" pan with butter.
Put the chopped bread pieces on it.
Heat oil, add the garlic, saute and add the chilli flakes and onions and saute.
Put in the vegetables and Italian seasoning.
Put these on the bread and spread well.
Mix milk ,cream spinach ,cornflour/flour and 50 gms cheese well.Pour it on to the dish.
Cover and keep in the refrigerator overnight.
Next morning, cover with more cheese and bake in a pre heated oven at 200 deg for 30-40 mins till the cheese has turned golden brown and the dish looks cooked.
Cool for 10 mins.Cut into 4 big pieces and serve immediately.
Enjoy hot and cheesy vegetable starta.

Pongal savoury

      We are very fond of South Indian cuisine and often I try out various recipes and make some changes according to my requirements and enjoy this very lovely cuisine.So this week it was pongal time and not knowing how my family would enjoy it, I teamed it with kohlrabi sambhar.And it was a hit ! So one more variety on our plate.  :)
Ingredients
Rice                                               1 cup
yellow moong dal                          1/2 cup
Ghee                                              2 tbsp
Bay leaf                                         1 no
Pepper corns                                 6-7 nos
cashewnuts broken                        6-8 nos
chopped ginger                              1 tbsp
cumin seeds                                   1/2 tsp
haldi powder                                  1/2 tsp
Hing                                               1/4 tsp
Curry leaves a few
Salt to taste.
Method
Put dal in a pan and roast till golden brown.
Wash the rice and dal together.
Put about 4.5 cups of water in a pot, add rice and dal,salt and tumeric and cook till the whole mixture is soft but not mashy.There would be a lovely aroma to it by then.
Heat ghee in a pan, add hing, all the spices,cumin and cashewnuts.Saute till golden.
Add the ginger and curry leaves and saute.
Pour it on the pongal , mix and serve hot with ghee if you like.

Rawa idli

       I had my first rawa idli at MTR in Bangalore. They served it with potato curry, for me that was very surprising.But I loved the taste of these fluffy idlis and the best part is you do not have to do the grinding and fermenting part which is a very major part of idli making.Over the years I have made many versions with vegetables grated, peanuts and also plain .All the times it has been a hit with everyone who ate them.They make for a good snack,lunch or lunch box recipe. One just needs an hours notice to prepare them. I serve them with sambhar, chutney or even potato gravy,and it always satisfies the mood for good food.I have used baking powder as baking soda was not available, but the recipe was as good. Enjoy this recipe.This makes about 30 idlis.

Ingredients
Roasted semolina/suji                                  300 gms
Sour curd                                                    200 ml
roughly crushed roasted peanuts                 3 tbsp
Oil                                                              2 tbsp
chopped chillies                                          1-2 nos
chopped ginger                                           1 tbsp
curry leaves                                                 handful
Chana dal                                                    1 tbsp
urad dal                                                       1 tbsp
mustard seeds                                              1 tsp
hing                                                             1/4 tsp
Flax seeds crushed(optional)                       1 tbsp
baking powder                                            15gms
Chopped coriander                                      1/4 cup
salt to taste                            
Method
Take the roasted semolina/sooji in a bowl and add the curd in it.
Mix the flax seeds (like to add as its healthy).Add more water to make it into a thick batter.
Add salt and keep for 30 mins.
The mixture would have thickened and so adjust the consistency with water and make it like the idli batter or cake batter.
Heat oil, add hing.Add mustard seeds and let them splutter.
Now put in the dals and let them color.
Add ginger and green chillies and curry leaves.
Pour into the batter and mix well.Add the peanuts and coriander and keep this mixture for 10 mins.
Put the baking powder and mix well.
Grease the idli stand .Pour spoonfuls in each plate and put the stand in the steamer or a pressure cooker in which some water is being heated.
Close and steam without the whistle for 6 -7 mins and keep aside.
Ope the cooker/steamer and take out the stand and with a wet spoon,spoon out the hot idlis.
Serve with chutney,sambhar or rasam.

Tips
You can add grated carrots, shredded cabbage,sauteed chopped onions,coconut pieces, grated coconut,green peas, chopped capsicum, raisins,sauteed cashewnut etc to give it variety.It would always be a hit.

Plum and berry cake

    Yesterday my son turned 15 and I was in a fix when Prisha asked me to bake a cake for him.The regular cakes were too boring for me and then the sight of fresh plums excited me. He too seemed more keen on that and so this lovely cake was made which had things I just threw in.But it was the softest, spongiest eggless cake I had ever baked.The kids couldn't have enough of it. So here goes the recipe.
Ingredients
Flour                                                   2 cups
Oil                                                      1/2 cup
Butter                                                 50 gms
Sugar                                                  1 cup
thick sour curd                                    1 cup
Baking powder                                    15 gms/2 tsp
orange/mixed fruit juice                        3/4 cup
Flax seed powder                                3 tbsp
split plums                                          250 gms
Frozen/fresh mixed berries                   200 gms
Sugar to sprinkle
Method
In a mixer,blend we together oil, butter, curd and sugar.
Now add the flax seeds,flour,baking powder, and the juice.Blend for about 4 mins.
Grease a 12 inch baking tin and dust with flour.
Pour in the batter.
Top with plums and the berries.
Sprinkle sugar and put into a pre-heated oven at 180 deg. in the middle rack.
After about 15 mins turn down heat to 150 deg and bake further.It would take about 45-50 mins to really bake well.
Now put in a dry needle to check if the cake has baked through well.If not , keep it for more time.
Check if the sides of the cake are leaving the tin a bit too.
Cool on a rack for about 1 hour.
Remove from the tin and serve with whipped cream,custard and coffee.

Broccoli and cheese rice casserole

     I had been thinking of making a good one pot rice dish which had strong flavors. After a lot of lazing around,today I decided to make one with 2 broccolis staring at my face.My son'd birthday gave me one good incentive to be innovative and make a dish JUST for him. He loved it and I has thrilled. So here I share it on my blog.
Ingredients
Boiled rice                                     2 cups
Broccoli cut into chunks                1 no
Sliced onions                                1 no
Chopped garlic                             2 tbsp
crushed red chillies                       1/2 tsp
Chopped olives                            1/2 bowl
Prepared white sauce                    400 ml
Italian herbs                                  1 tsp
Pepper powder                             1/4 tsp
olive oil                                        1 tbsp
Grated cheese                              100 gms
salt to taste                          
Method
Heat oil in a pan and add chopped garlic and saute.
Add the onions and saute further till translucent.Put in the crushed chillies.
Put in the broccoli and salt and cook for 3-4 mins.Leave them crunchy.
Add the spices and pepper powder.
Put in the white sauce and mix well.
Put in the rice now.Make sure the rice is not overcooked, should be a bit underdone.
Mix well and spread in a buttered dish.
Cover it all with generous helping of grated cheese.
Bake in a hot oven at 200 deg till the cheese turns golden.Serve hot with a good summer salad.

Potato and vegetable grill sandwich

       Grilled sandwiches are really good as a meal and also when you are in a mood for a snack.One can use any combination and enjoy with coffee or a nice drink.I made this and it was a hit with us all.It has potatoes which the kids just love and other vegetables and cheese too.

Ingredients
Whole wheat bread of choice                 4 nos
Boiled  and mashed potatoes                  2 nos
sliced onions                                          1 no
sliced red bell peppers                            1/2 no
slices of cucumbers                                10 nos
tomato slices                                          6-8 nos
chopped olives                                       as per taste
curry powder/chaat masala                     as needed
Pepper powder                                      1/2 tsp
olive oil                                                 1 tsp
Cheese slices                                         2 nos
Butter as per taste
salt to taste                                            
Method
Heat oil and add the slices of onions.Saute till translucent.
Add mashed potatoes ,pepper and salt.
Put in the bell peppers and mix well.
Butter the slices of bread.Put the potato mixture. Sprinkle curry powder/chaat masala.
Layer up with chopped olives,tomatoes and cucumbers.
Put a cheese slice and put in a pre-heated grill till golden brown.
Apply some butter and serve with ketch up and mayonnaise.