Don't judge the book by its cover

Guzaarish.....directed by Mr. Sanjay Leela Bhansali, the movie was rubbished by critics and was not doing well in the box office. As with many other people, I too went ahead to conclude that the movie must be boring.But, when I did watch the movie, I realised that the movie did not get the recognition that it deserved. Once again I reminded myself that "All that is good may not be successful and all that is successful, need not be good".The movie touched me in a way that is inexplicable.

Tomato Pulav

Ingredients:
Cloves -4
Cinnamon -2 sticks
Fennel seeds - few
Onion - 1/4
Tomato - 1.5
Ginger garlic paste - 3/4 teaspoon
Garlic - 1 pod
Mint leaves - a few
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder
Green chillies - 7
Red chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Basmati rice - 1 glass (for 2 people)
Water - 1.75 glass (Little less than double amount of rice)
Garam masala powder - a pinch
Lemon juice from half lemon
Oil- 5 teaspoons
Salt to taste

Simple, quick and yummy cup cake

End to end preparation time is about 12 min

Ingredients:
2 tablespoon All purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar + 1 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
2 teaspoon cocoa powder
A pinch of salt
2 tablespoon milk
1/4 teaspoon vanilla essence
3/4 teaspoon oil
Almond pieces for garnishing

Tomato - garlic Thokku

This is lovely side dish that I came across on the net for idli and dosa. It is simple to make and tastes great.

Ingredients:

Red chillies
Fenugreek seeds - few
Cumin seeds
Mustard seeds- few
Oil
Tomato puree - (Use 3 or 4 tomatoes for a serving of 2 people)
Tamarind - small piece
Onion - Finely chopped (1/2 if its small, 1/4 if its big)(Optional)
Garlic pods ( 5 or 6) - finely chopped
Garam masala powder - a pinch
Asafoetida - a pinch
Red chilly powder - 1 tspn (Optional)
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - chopped (Optional)

Kadai Paneer

This dish mentioned below is slightly modified than the original,only to taste better :)

Ingredients:

Paneer cubes
Capsicum - slit lengthwise
Oil
Onion (1/2 finely chopped)
Garlic pods ( 2) - finely chopped
Tomato puree of 2 tomatoes
Fenugreek leaves ( Kasuri Methi dry also is fine) - a few
Curry leaves - chopped
Green chillies - finely chopped
Red chilly powder
Dhania powder
Garam masala - a pinch
Chole masala - 1/2 teaspoon
Curd - 1 tablespoon (Optional)
Cumin seeds
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric a pinch
Salt to taste

Today's letter "Q"

1. Quack (2 meanings):
A. Duck's harsh cry
B. Person who falsely claims to have medical skill or remedies

2. Quadrennial:
Happening every fourth year, lasting four years

3. Quagmire:
Bog, Marsh

4. Quay:
Landing place built for ships to load and unload

5. Quell:
Suppress

6. Quiescent:
Inactive, quiet

Today's letter: R

Runt:
Undersized person or animal

Recuperate:
Recover (health, strength or losses)

Ragamuffin:
Person in ragged dirty clothes

Repose (2 meanings) :
A. Rest, sleep, tranquillity
B. Place (trust etc.) in

RSVP :
Abbr. French - Repondez S'il Vous plait which means Please Reply

Ructions:
Protests and noisy arguments, a row

Tindli dry fry

Tindli fry with curd rice, was a hit with my friends in college. My friend's mom would cook it and poor girl she would get to eat only 3 to 4 spoons of her own food. Once I started cooking, I was waiting to try this out. And one fine day I was able to get my hands on it. The kind of dish that I make with tindli uses a wee bit more of oil. However, the results are amazing.

Bread Upma

Scene: Its a Sunday. Got up very late. Husband has to go to his tennis practice in 20 min. I am feeling lazy and totally confused on what to make for breakfast so quickly. Like those saints who have a vision, the bread that I had at home helped me to look up for some quickies. That is my story of how I ended up making the bread upma and the comment I received from my hubby "This looks interesting. Good you started making new stuff". I was happy that I did not tell him about the scene part of this blog ;-)

Ragi Dosa

Dishes made of Ragi are very healthy. The easiest to make would be Ragi Dosa. When I wanted to make this dish, I was apprehensive on how it might taste - bland?. But, I must agree I was pleasantly surprised at how crispy and good it tasted.The preparation time for the dish would be 20 min end to end. Yes, its that simple!

Rava Idli

Rava idli is one of the easiest dishes that I know of and is a saviour when guests surprise you with their visit. Its simple, delicious and quick to make.

Ingredients:
Rava
Curds
Baking soda - a pinch
Cumin seeds
Mint leaves - few
Carrot - grated
Pepper - few pods
Ginger - a small piece ,chopped finely
Asafoetida
Coriander leaves - chopped
Salt to taste

What to do:
1. In a bowl, take some curd ( curd should not be too thin). In a spoon of water mix a pinch of baking soda until it dissolves and add it to the curd.Set it aside
2. Heat 2 teaspoons of oil in a Wok.Fry Cumin seeds, pepper pods, mint leaves and then roast the Rava in it
3. Add a pinch of asafoetida to it . Allow it to cool
5. Add the roasted rava mixture to the curds and add salt as per taste. Add Coriander leaves. Make sure the batter is not too liquid.
6. Set this aside for 10 minutes or so
7. Use the idli steamer to make wonderful , fluffy idlis

I usually retain the idlis' in the steamer for 10 min. Rava idli goes well with mint chutney. Try it and enjoy !

Egg- pepper curry

Egg pepper Curry

Ingredients:
Boiled eggs
Pepper
Cumin seeds - few
Corriander powder
Coconut - little
Garlic - 2 or 3 pods
Onion
Salt to taste

What to do:

1. Add a teaspoon of oil and fry all the ingredients except for coconut. Once done, grind it with coconut into a paste
2. Heat Wok, add a teaspoon of oil, fry the pepper paste in oil and add the boiled eggs and salt

Simple and tasty curry. I just loved it. Suitable for eating with chapati or rice and sambar

Beans - peanut fry

I wanted to try something new with beans other than the normal "onion + tomato + chilli powder + beans" fry. Hence Made my mind to check the beans and peanuts combo. I must say it tasted good.This dish will be a super-hit with curd rice.

Ingredients:
Beans - thinly sliced (cooks faster)
Onion- quarter
Cumin seeds
Peanuts
Garlic
Red chillies
Salt

Mushroom biryani

I have already mentioned in my previous post that mushroom is not a very favourite veg of mine. However, overwhelmed by its nutritional constituencies, I convinced myself to try them.My husband now loves this dish.The recipe was shared thru' a messenger by my cousin. Thanks to her for sharing it with me.

Note: The ingredients below will result in hot and spicy biryani. If you wish it to be less spicy, reduce the number of green chillies and red chillies as per your requirement.

Ingredients:
Mushroom - about 10
Basmati rice
Peas
Cinnamon
Cloves
Saunf
Mint leaves
Onion
Tomato
Coriander leaves
Coconut - 2 or 3 pieces (optional)
Red Chillies-2 long
Green chillies-7 small
Garlic
Ginger
salt
Lemon juice - little

Coriander Thokku - side dish for dosa

I was kinda bored of eating mint chutney and onion-tomato chutney along with dosa. I started hunting for a new side dish. That is when I came across this dish on the net. I liked the idea. The one I mention below is just one of the ways in which it can be done. There are other variations of the same dish available on the Net.

Ingredients:
Coriander
Few mint leaves
Tamarind
Salt
Green chillies
Onion - thinly sliced

For seasoning:
Oil
Mustard seeds
Cumin seeds
Urad dal
Curry leaves

Bitter gourd sweet and sour curry

Bitter gourd is one of the most healthy vegetables to consume. However people are averse to it due to its bitter taste. I did make a venture into this dish after being asserted by a friend's mom that the below dish will make sure its bitter taste is hidden from the taste buds and it sure did :). This is a very simple dish to make.

Ingredients:

1. Bitter gourd
2. Onion
3. Cumin seeds
4. Asafoetida
5. Salt
6. Turmeric
7. Chilli powder
8. Tamarind
9. Jaggery
10. Pepper powder

How I made:

1. Cut bitter gourd into tiny pieces. Add some salt and turmeric and mix .Leave it aside for an hour or two.
2. When ready to prepare the dish, wash the bitter gourd thoroughly.
3. In a wok add oil and fry the bitter gourd + SALT+Asafoetida, until it turns brown
4. Now add cumin seeds and Onion and fry.
5. When the onion is being cooked, mix some tamarind, chilli powder, pinch of pepper powder and jaggery in a bowl
6. Once the onion is cooked, add the tamarind mixture and allow it to boil for 10 - 12 min.

Points to remember:

1. The bitter gourd should be light green in colour. A darker shade means you are in for a much bitter taste :)
2. Marinate the bitter gourd with salt and turmeric for 2 hours or so before cooking
3. When you cook, fry the gourd until golden brown with SALT
   

Chinese Hakka noodles

The recipe mentioned below is not an authentic Chinese dish. However it is a tasty dish to make.

Ingredients:
1 packet "Chinese Hakka noodles - VEG"
1 small capsicum
1/2 onion
1/2 cabbage
Green Beans - few
1 Carrot
Green peas - few
Red chilli sauce
Green chilli sauce
Soya Sauce
Tomato ketchup

How I made:

1. Cut all the vegetables except beans into long vertical strands. Beans can be sliced into small pieces
2. Since both me and my husband do not like the raw taste of vegetables, I cooked the vegetables (EXCEPT for CAPSICUM).Allow the water to boil. Add a pinch of salt. Add the rest of the veggies and cook for 5 min (Do Not cook it fully)
   
3. Remove the water from the cooked vegetables using a strainer. Set this aside
4. In a wok, Add about 10 cups of water + 1 spoon oil + 1 spoon SALT. Boil it. When the water starts to boil,add the hakka noodles and cook for about 5 min
5. Do not over cook the noodles. They will end up tasteless
6. When the noodles are PARTIALLY cooked, remove the wok from the stove and thoroughly WASH the noodles with COLD water.Washing noodles with cold water helps it in not becoming sticky
7. Use a strainer to remove the water from the noodles and mix a tablespoon of oil with the noodles
8. Set the noodles aside
9. In a kadaai, add oil and heat
10. Add capsicum and the rest of the cooked vegetables and saute. Make sure there is no water left
11. Add a tablespoon each of soya sauce, green chilli sauce, red chilli sauce. Add a teaspoon of tomato ketchup and saute along with veg
12. Add salt (use discretion)
13. Add the cooked hakka noodles and saute
14. If the noodles taste less spicy add red chilli sauce to adjust the taste

Things to remember:

1. The noodles taste better without ginger garlic paste
2. Add salt while partially cooking the hakka noodles
3. Wash the cooked hakka noodles with COLD water and strain the water
4. Mix a tablespoon of oil to the cooked hakka noodles
5. DO NOT fully cook the vegetables. Half cooked vegetables have a good taste
6. Add red chilli sauce to adjust the spicy taste
7. Serve HOT :)
   

Rava Dosa

Hmmm, its been long since I got this one right. I then took some time to explain the problem to my aunt ( more often than not she has become my saviour these days). She gave me a simple way to make this dish. Trust me,the results were truly amazing. Yes, my Husband was impressed . "It's very Good", he said. Now, isn't that a pretty big compliment? :)

Ingredients: ( Helps make 5 dosas')
1 cup Rava (Semolina)
3/4 cup Rice flour
3 teaspoons of Maida (All purpose flour)
1/4 Onion
Asafoetida (small pinch of it)
Green chillies - 3
Curry leaves - few
Pepper - few
Cumin seeds
Salt

How I made :

1. Add some oil in a wok. When it gets heated add the Cumin seeds and pepper. Allow it to spurt
2. Next add Onion and sauté till transparent
3. Next add green chillies, curry leaves, asafoetida and Rava
4. Roast the rava slightly in the oil ad remove the wok from the stove
5. Mix the roasted rava from the previous step with the rice flour , maida and salt
6. Add water such that the batter looks like BUTTERMILK
7. Heat the tava for about 5 min before making the dosa. When the tava is hot, SPRINKLE the batter on the tava
8. Avoid using a spatula for making the dosa. Using a spatula makes the dosa batter clog and hence you will not get a thin dosa
9. Roast the dosa on both the sides to make it crisp

Things to remember:

1. Rava dosa needs to be crisp
2. Don't add too much Maida. It takes time to roast the dosa
3. The batter HAS to be like buttermilk consistency, else the dosa will be soft
4. You can also add roasted groundnut and cashews to this dish
5. You can also fry few thinly sliced ginger pieces and add it to the batter

Simple and easy Mushroom fry recipe

Mushroom is not a very favourite veg of mine. However, I do believe in eating a variety of food so that you don't miss out on nutrients supplied by them. With this in mind, I recently bought a packet of mushrooms. Every website I read for a mushroom dish I saw them recommending not to wash mushroom with water since it absorbs water quickly. Instead, they ask it to be cleaned with a wet towel.But looking at the mushrooms in the packet I felt it better to eat clean and slightly less tasty mushrooms rather than unhygienic but tasty ones. So I washed the mushrooms well with water and squeezed them out. Don't forget to cut the edge of the stems (attached to the ground).The dish that follows is a simple one to make. Trust me I even went ahead and liked it. I was pleasantly surprised.Here's how I made it.

Ingredients:
Margarine/ Butter, Oil, Onion ( finely chopped) , Tomato (Finely chopped), Garlic ( ginger garlic paste could also be used), pepper powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam masala , salt , cloves , cinnamon, fennel seeds (saunf)- very few, green chillies (optional since chilli powder is being used)

How to make?

• Add a mixture of (Margarine/ butter ) and oil in a kadaai and heat
• Add cloves, cinnamon. Once they start to spurt, add the fennel seeds.( only few seeds else it will make the dish sweet)
• Add onion and saute.Add garlic. Saute till the onion turns transparent
• Add the squeezed mushroom and saute for 2 min
• Now add chopped tomato
• Add a pinch of turmeric powder, chilli powder,a little over a pinch of garam masala, pepper powder, salt to taste.Saute for 2 min. Add some water ( Control the amount depending on how thick you want the gravy to be). Use a lid to close the kadaai. Allow it to fry for 3 - 4 min
• Remove the kadaai from the stove and garnish the dish with coriander leaves and fried cashews if u like it

You could also add 2-3 drops of lemon juice to bring out the sour taste in the dish.Goes well with chapathi.

Simple as I promised :)

My newly found interest in cooking

Disclaimer: The recipes you see in my blog are not my own. I have checked for these at various sites and tried them at home. These posts will also help me in checking for the dish at a later point.

Paneer Butter Masala

Ingredients:

Butter / Margarine Paneer (slightly big pieces), Tomato (grind / chop finely such that cooks quick), Onions (grind / chop finely such that cooks quick), Chilli powder (Plain chilli powder + Dhania powder), Turmeric powder ( a pinch ), Ginger garlic paste, Cloves, Cashews (optional), Cinnamon, Garam masala powder, 3 - 4 Tsp Yogurt, coriander leaves, Salt, Methi leaves (few)

Preparation:

1. Heat oil/butter/margarine, fry the paneer cubes golden brown. Keep this aside

2. Slightly fry the methi leaves. Keep it aside.These will be added at the end of the preparation.Remember too many of these could make the dish bitter in taste.

3. Grate 3 cubes of paneer and keep it aside

4. Heat oil and/or [butter/Margarine], add cinnamon and cloves. Fry onions, ginger garlic paste, till the odour goes off the paste

5. Add tomato and simmer for 5 minutes.DO NOT ADD WATER. Try to fry these with butter/oil itself

6. Add cashews, garam masala powder, salt ( Add cautiously since butter/Margarine is in use, you don't want the dish get too salty),chilli powder, turmeric powder, extra butter

7. Add yogurt and stir until gravy becomes thick. Add grated paneer and mix well. Then add fried paneer cubes, add 1/2 -1 cup water and simmer for 5 minutes , until all the flavour is absorbed into paneer

8. Finally add coriander and fried methi from step 2

Things that I did wrong:

1. Added too much of grated paneer which thickened my gravy
2. Added very little water at the end. A good half cup should do
3. Did not fry the ginger garlic paste properly in oil, so the odour kind of remained
4. Forgot to add Methi

While speaking to my aunt I got to know another set of ingredients that could be used in making this dish. That is, use milk instead of curd. And use heavy cream to thicken the curry. This is a good variant of doing this dish too. In fact she reminded me that Paneer butter masala is incomplete without the Methi leaves at the end :). Thanks aunty. I am going to try this the next time :)
I have already made a quick mention to my husband that this dish is not going to be prepared often. We can't afford to intake this amount of fat into our system at a regular basis :)

Best time in my life

This post talks of one of the best times I have had in my life.

Infosys Mysore: I must say that these were definitely some of the best days of my life. I remember the day when I entered the Infy campus in Mysore for the first time on 21st August 2006, confused and scared.It was a day of firsts.First job,first time away from home,first time away from parents. I felt my head reeling when my family left me in the campus and headed back to Bangalore. Slowly but steadily I brought myself to calm by saying that I will be seeing them every week. I will be going back to Bangalore every weekend. There are others in the same position as me. And Bangalore is after all just 3 hrs away. I can call my parents any-time. Thus started the journey of my training for 3.5 months or so. I must make a mention of my friend who had already taken up such a training in Mysore campus. Her assurance of the safety in campus helped my family in deciding to allow my stay in Mysore.