Simply Rasam ~ Ootti Charu

Ootti Charu means Rasam without dal. This one is from my mother's kitchen, another easy, very simple and flavorful recipe to make in a jiff. My Mom used to make it especially as an accompaniment when ever she cooked non-veg dishes like mutton curry, chicken kura or fish curry. She says it helps in clearing your gut after all the spicy, masala food you had and helps with digestion too! Like the way Chinese have tea after their meal!

So, if you are judging that this Ootti charu is only for those who eat non-vegetarian food!! then you are wrong, it goes very well with vegan curries too! I love making it with most of the aloo(potato) curries, vegetable fry's like okra, tindora (dondkaya aka ivy gourd), cauliflower, cabbage, berakaya (ridge gourd), green bananas and kakarakaya (bitter gourd).

This simply rasam has the fewest ingredients yet it is so tasty and full of flavor. The most important ingredient is tamarind and water; we add green chillies, tomatoes and onions, little turmeric and chilli powder with a dash of pepper and cumin powder and little tempering does it all. Here is the step by step recipe in detail.

Simply Rasam

Source: My Mother
Cuisine: Andhra Cuisine
Prep time:10 mins Cooking time: 30 mins
Serves: 6-8 people

Ingredients:
Tamarind (ping pong size ball or roughly ¼ Cup)
6 cups of water
1 medium tomato
few strands of sliced onions (two pinches)
3-4 green chillies, cut lengthwise
½ t turmeric powder
½ t chilli powder/paprika
¼ t freshly crushed black pepper
¼ t cumin powder
salt as required
for tempering/tadka/popu:
2 T cooking oil
½ t mustard seeds/rai
½ t cumin seeds/jeera
½ t split blackgram dal/urad/minapa pappu
7-8 curry leaves
1 T finely chopped onions
2-3 freshly crushed garlic
¼ C chopped cilantro

Method:

• Soak the tamarind in 1 cup of hot water. After 10 mins pulp the tamarind in the hot water, strain if needed (I use as it is!).
  
• Take a medium pot, add this tamarind pulp mixture, 5 cups of water, squeeze tomatoes with clean hands into it(first roughly chop tomato to four pieces and then squeeze). Add green chillies, sliced onions, turmeric powder, chilli powder, crushed pepper, cumin powder and salt.
  
• Cook on a medium flame and let it come to a boil, then reduce it to medium low flame and let the flavors simmer a little bit for 10-15 mins or till the green chillies/onions look cooked and not raw. Turn off the flame and temper it!
• Lastly temper it with seasoning by heating oil in a kadai/round bottom pan add the mustard, cumin seeds, urad dal/black gram dal; wait till the urad dal turns golden brown in color. Then add finely chopped onions and crushed garlic, once the onions turn golden in color add curry leaves and chopped cilantro for 30 seconds or a minute. Immediately pour this tadka/seasoning into Rasam and close with lid. Otti Charu aka Rasam is ready!

• Serve it with your favorite curry, vegetable fry's and hot steamy rice.
• This is also best when you have sore throat or cold. Clears your throat and makes you feel good.
  

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Simple Egg curry with a spice twist!!

This is very simple yet interesting curry made with hardboiled eggs, tomatoes, onions and green chillies. The simplest ingredients readily available in our kitchen across the globes. When you are stuck in the kitchen wondering what to prepare for the weeknight dinner or weekend lunch. The combination of tomatoes, onions and green chillies with a dash of the very popular "Biryani Masala" (Indian spice mix) gives out spicy, tangy hot coating to the bland eggs. This curry is best eaten with freshly cooked basmati rice. But there is no end to your imagination, you can have it with pasta too!

When you are simply very lazy to cook any fancy meal for your family then this curry come to the rescue. If you are a rice lover, you will love to have it over and over again, trust me!!

Egg Curry with Biryani Masala

Source: My Own
Cuisine: Andhra Cuisine
Prep time:20 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Serves: 4

Ingredients:

4 Hardboiled Eggs

1 C red onions, finely chopped

2 green chillies, cut lengthwise

2 C grapevine tomatoes, finely chopped

½ t turmeric powder (haldi)

1 t red chilli powder(reduce to your spice level)

1 t paprika powder for color

1 t Aachi biryani masala powder

1 t ginger garlic paste

2 t cooking oil, I use olive or canola oil

salt as per your taste

½ C water

non-stick pan or kadai for cooking

2 T chopped cilantro, for garnish

Method:

• Boil 4 eggs in 3 cups of water or till the eggs are submerged fully in water. For eggs to be removed easily from its shell, check this procedure: Boil eggs for 10 mins on medium high and turn off the flame. Let it stand in the boiled water for 5 more minutes and then cool them in cold water for 3 minutes. Following this method will give you a bright yellow, firm egg yolk and a clean eggwhites, easy to remove shell instead of the chipped ones. You can do this for deviled eggs too.
• For the curry, heat oil in a kadai or pan. Let it heat through and start adding curry leaves first and then red onions. Add a pinch of salt to let the juices from onions come out and fry till they turn pinkish in color.
• Add ginger garlic paste, green chillies and chopped tomatoes and saute it for 10 minutes. Tomatoes should turn into gravy consistency then add all the spices and powders like turmeric powder, chilli powder, paprika powder, biryani masala and salt. Fry for another minute or two and then add ½ cup water. Now close with a tight lid and let the curry cook.
• Meanwhile make slits on the hardboiled eggs with a paring knife so that way the curry get into the eggs halfway. Add these eggs tot he curry and cook for another 5 mins or so.
• Check for salt and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with cooked rice or pasta.

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Our Breakfast on a Lazy Sunday!

French toast with a glass of orange juice and fresh nectarines

Everyone has those lazy days 'quota' at least once in a while if not often, knocking at our door. Probably sleeping overtime makes us feel more lazy and specially if it is weekend without plans (no traveling) or late night sleep or watching movies. This is a day when we ought not feel to do anything. On such moments I miss India badly, if I don't feel anything to cook, i can simply go for the street food that is readily available and fills your stomach and makes you wanting more cuddling in that comfy cozy sofa.

At times I feel my feet forcefully dragging me into the kitchen and my misty eyes staring at my refrigerator and wondering what to make something in jiff and something which is filling. One breakfast recipe comes to rescue me is "French Toast" I keep going again n again and never lets me down.

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The recipe goes like this:
All you need is 4 slices of whole wheat bread , a pair each for both of us. Three eggs, dash of half and half , cinnamon and few tablespoons of granulated sugar. Thats it! and the breakfast is ready.

Beat the eggs, add a dash of half and half/light cream/milk or you can skip completely if not available. Add a teaspoon of cinnamon powder and 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar. Whisk and dip the bread into this mixture and arrange it on a hot oil-sprayed frying pan or griddle. Toast the bread on both sides and your French toasts are ready.

We had our breakfast with a glass of orange juice and fresh nectarines.

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Super Fast curry recipe ~ Boondi Kura

Boondi Curry! Am I sounding weird? no in fact I am not!!! you read it right I am talking about Boondi Kura/Curry. I was lucky enough to taste this wonderful recipe at my cousin sister's place in Vizag. The curry was moist and tasting so delicious. I never in my dreams would have imagine that we can make curry out of Boondi.

Boondi or Boondhi is a Indian Snack. There are two varieties sweet and salted variant called Khara. To prepare boondi, Gram flour batter is made into small balls using a ladle with holes. These balls are then deep fried in vegetable oil.To make boondi Laddu (indian sweet)fried boondi is then dipped in sugar syrup. Plain boondi is eaten along with payasam in South India or is used to prepare Laddu. In preparing Khara boondi, the batter is mixed with spices and salt before frying. Khara boondi is eaten as such or is added to Indian-mixture. Info source: Boondi

I simply loved the idea of making curry out of Boondi apart from our regular stuff. What an innovative idea, thanks to my Akka!

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Source: My Cousin
Cuisine: South Indian, Andhra Cuisine
Prep time: 3 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
2 cups Boondi-plain/masala (store bought or home-made)
1 tomato, chopped finely
1 onion, chopped
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
½ tsp ginger paste (if using plain boondi)
½ tsp garlic paste (if using plain boondi)
½ tsp turmeric powder/haldi/pasupu
1 tsp red chilli powder/mirchi powder/karam podi
1 cup milk
½ cup water
salt as per taste
for tempering/tadka/poppu:
1 tbps cooking oil
1 tsp cumin/jeera/jeelakara
4-5 fresh curry leaves/kadipata/karvepaku
pinch of asafeotida/hing/inguva

Method:

• Heat oil in a kadai/medium pan. Add cumin and sauté for a minute.
  
• Add onions, tomato and green chillies and sauté for a min, add ginger paste, garlic paste, turmeric, red chilli powder and salt. Stir so that all ingredients are mixed well together.
  
• Add water, cover and let it cook for 5-9 minutes.Once all the water is evaporated, check if onions and tomatoes are cooked.
• Add boondi and milk, mix well., cover and let it cook for 2-3 mins approx.
• Serve with hot steamed rice and rasam or dal.
  

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Paneer Bhurji

Paneer is often referred to as Indian Cottage cheese and there are numerous way to cook them. Paneer is a type of cheese. It is the Indian name for cottage cheese. Paneer, unlike other cheeses, Paneer has not been matured and it is rather bland. It is a high protein food; it is often substituted for meat in many vegetarian entrees of Indian cuisine. It is commonly used in curried dishes. Paneer is quite easy to make at home.

How to make paneer at home
Bring 1 Gallon/3.5 liters of fresh whole milk to the boil. Add 2 table spoons of vinegar or lemon juice or curd and stir well. Put aside. After the milk has curdled, wrap it in a clean muslin cloth, rinse with fresh water and drain well. Form a ball and place it under a heavy saucepan for approx. 20 minutes 12 oz/350g approx of paneer is ready to use. While making paneer from milk, don't throw away the paneer water. This nutritious water can be used for making soft dough for chapatis, rotis or can be used to cook dals.

It contains reasonably good amounts of fat and cholesterol. It would be better to avoid it for those with hypertension and diabetes due to its high fat content. It can however be used in small quantities for such patients one or twice a week. It is suitable for all age groups.We often use paneer to make curries, appetizers or a side dish to accompany with rice, rotis/Indian flat bread.

My recent encounter with this fabulously tasting Paneer Bhurji was at a local restaurant named "Sai Krupa" in Kalyan. After a whole day of exhaustive shopping we got to order from one of those eating joints. Since the taste is still ticking in my mind, I made an attempt to cook this at home and I can say it was not that bad! A pat on my back, please!


Here is my recipe to make Paneer Bhurji

Source: My Own
Cuisine: Indian
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 15 mins
Serves: 4-5
Ingredients:
½ pound of fresh paneer, grated
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 medium tomatoes, chopped finely or
4 T of canned crushed tomatoes.
¼ C green peas, fresh or frozen
1-2 green chillies, finely chopped
¼ t garam masala powder
½ t cayenne pepper/chilli powder
1 t sugar (optional)
½ t carum seeds/ ajwain/vaamu
Pinch of hing/asafeotida
freshly grounded black pepper
½ t cumin/jeera
salt to taste
1 T cooking oil of your choice.
freshly chopped cilantro for garnish

Method:

• Chop onions, tomatoes and green chillies and keep aside.
• Take large sauté pan or kadai, heat oil, add cumin/jeera and fry for a minute. Add hing/asafeotida and carum seeds/ajwain seeds. Let the aroma of hing fill your kitchen.
• Add chopped onion and green chilles, add little salt and cook till the onions are translucent or 6-7 minutes approx.
• Add green peas, chopped tomatoes or if you have crushed tomatoes, your dish will be ready in minutes.
• Add freshly ground black pepper, garam masala and chilli powder. Stir and let the tomatoes cook till the tomatoes leave oil from its sides or for another 6 minutes approx. Add sugar and taste the gravy for salt, add if required.
• Meanwhile grate the paneer and add this to the onion-tomato mixture. Keep stirring continuously till all the flavours are blended together.
• Garnish with fresh cilantro and serve hot with rice or rotis/chapatti or any Indian Flat bread.

Variation: You can add ½ cup of whole milk or heavy cream to make some gravy. I personally like the dry one.

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Egg Muffins with Feta, Basil and Green onions

Egg Muffins with Feta, Basil and green onions

Egg Muffins, or more simpler called as mini egg cakes are great for breakfast and brunch. JB always loves this and insists on egg muffins over plain omelette for our Sunday breakfast. He is more happy if I don't use oil in it, innocently satisfied that it is fat free (from oil at least!)

I was hooked ever since I saw them at Kalyn's Kitchen. Man she has some of the awesome varieties in her blog with great choice of veggies that can go in. I suggest you do take some time and check in those muffins. I wanted to blog this post much before, it was sitting in my drafts for more than four months now. The ingredients used in this are simple and easy to find like basil, green onions, your choice of cheese and milk. You can play with the ingredients by adding mushrooms, carrots, broccoli, red peppers, asparagus, cooked meat like turkey, chicken etc.

Source: adapted from Kalyn's Kitchen
Cuisine: American, International
Prep time: 5 mins
Bake time: 20 mins
Makes: 2 people
Ingredients:
4 eggs
2 T whole milk
1/3 C feta cheese (goat cheese),crumbled
2 T fresh basil, chopped
1 bunch green onions, chopped
1/2 t garam masala powder or any spice mix of your choice
1/2 t cayenne pepper/chilli powder
freshly grounded black pepper
salt to taste
oil to spray the muffin tray
Method:

• Preheat oven to 375 degrees F/185 degrees C and oil spray the muffin tray.
  
• Crack the eggs in a bowl, beat it so that the yolks are mixed well with the egg whites.
• Add milk, garam masala, freshly ground black pepper, cayenne pepper and salt and stir well.
• Add the green onions, basil and feta cheese. Mix well and pour in the muffin tray, I filled it half only but you can go ahead and fill fully. So that muffins will be fluffy and bigger in size. Mine was dwarfish :(
  
• Bake for 25-30 minutes until slightly browned and cooked.
• Makes 8-9 small muffins. Serve hot with your favorite bread or simply eat with tomato ketchup.
  

The feta cheese flavor burst like butter in your mouth. For healthy option try with egg beaters or only egg whites. These freeze well, so you can freeze it for later use, if you have excess. Store it in ziploc bag and for best results, thaw it in refrigerator before microwaving it. Wrap in a paper towel while reheating it in microwave as sometimes they release liquid. For more tips visit Kalyn's Kitchen.

More Egg recipes from my blog:
Stuffed Egg bread potlis
Brunch-O-melette

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Alasandalu kura ~ Black-eyed peas curry

Alasandalu kura ~ Black-eyed peas curry

Alasandalu ~ Black-eyed peas or cow peas in English, also known as Bobbarlu in Telugu, Karamani in Tamil, Lobia in Hindi, Chavli in Marathi and Alasande in Kannada. Cow peas are a good source of Calcium, Folate and Vitamin A apart from protein and fiber, hence it is very useful to kids and, pregnant women also.


Preparation, uses, and tips: Before cooking dried peas, soak them for four hours, then pressure cook for ten minutes, or simmer on the stove for one hour or till tender. 1 cup dried black-eyed peas yields approximately 2 1/2 cups of cooked peas. Cooked black-eyed peas can be puréed into a delicious spread for sandwiches or crackers. There are varieties of dishes in India, made by using black-eyed peas as main ingredient. One such simple recipe is the curry which goes well with any bread, rice and nans, phulkas, rotis/indian flat bread. For more on the nutritional value of black-eyed peas click here

Alasandalu Kura

Source: Myself
Cuisine: South Indian, Andhra
Prep time: 7 mins
Cooking time: 20 mins
Soaking time: 4 hrs or overnight
Makes: 4-5 people
Ingredients:
1 C alasandalu/black-eyed peas,raw
2 C water for boiling the peas
1 medium onion white or red, finely chopped
1 large tomato, finely chopped
2 green chillies, halve them n chop finely
3-4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1 T tamarind pulp/chintapandu pulupu
6-7 curry leaves
1 T fresh cilantro, chopped
1 T cayenne pepper, chilli powder (adjust accordingly)
a pinch of turmeric powder
1 t each of cumin/jeera and mustard/rai seeds
1T any cooking oil
salt as per taste
1/2 C water

Method:

• Soak alasandalu/black-eyed peas overnight or minimum for four hours. Wash them thoroughly and pressure cook them with two cups of water and a pinch of salt. Drain and keep aside.
• In a large pot or kadai, heat oil and add the seasoning: cumin and mustard seeds. Let it fry for a min and then add curry leaves and chopped garlic. Fry till the aroma of garlic fills the room.
• Add onions and salt to sweat them. Fry till the onions are translucent or turn pink for about 3 mins then add chopped tomatoes, green chillies and let them cook for 6-7 mins or till the tomatoes turn mushy mushy and starts to leave the oil. Lastly add the cooked black eyes peas/ alasandalu and stir well till as the ingredients are mixed well.
  
• Add turmeric and chilli powder and tamarind pulp/chintapandu pulupu to it. Check for salt, add half cup water and let it simmer on low flame till all flavors blend well.
  
• Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or rotis/indian flat bread or any bread. We had ours with Jonna rotti~ Bhakri

I am sending this to Cooking 4 all seasons for Curry Mela hosted by Srivalli. Hope this qualifies!

Other peas/beans curries from my kitchen:

Chole
Avarekaalu Usli

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Aloo Poha ~ Atukulu Upma

Atukulu Upma ~ Savoury Rice Flakes

Its been a long time again.... I posting on my blog, my laptop has given up on me :( and was left with no choice than to depend on my friend's laptop for surfing and stuff . So I was not able to blog anything so far. One more thing I wanted to share is I am going to India for a vacation in March. Pretty much excited about the whole trip, I am going to my Desh (country) after a span of 3.3yrs and my feet are really not on ground right now. My laptop is here and wanted to blog few of my favorite recipes before I become busy with my trip preps, shopping, packing..

Aloo Poha is one of my favorite breakfast/snack and is a very easy to make recipe. I can have this anytime in substitution for my lunch or dinner, it makes me so full, obviously because its made of rice. I think this is great breakfast for bachelors who have limited resources and minimum experience in cooking. During my hostel days we had this on the menu daily and honestly, I got bored eating that daily there :) but again its my favo.... Am I contradicting? do you think so? But anyways here is my mother's recipe which she learned from one of her Maharashtrian friend.

Source: My Mother

Cuisine: Indian~Maharashtrian

Prep time: 10 mins

Cooking time: 15 mins

Serves: 4 people

Ingredients:
2.5 C thick Poha/flattened rice flakes
(from Indian groceries)

1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 large potato, thinly diced or boiled ones
3-4 green chillies, cut into small pieces
Handful of frozen green peas (optional)
Handful of peanuts
small bunch of cilantro, chopped finely
4-5 curry leaves
Juice of 1 small lemon/lime
grated coconut of garnishing (optional)
pinch of haldi/turmeric powder
1t jeera/cumin
1t mustard seeds
1t urad dal/black gram
1t chana dal/bengal gram
2T cooking oil
salt as per taste

Method:

1. Wash the rice flakes/atukulu thoroughly only once in cold water, drain immediately to avoid sogginess and keep aside for few mins. You will notice that the flakes becomes plumpy as they absorb any excess water. Chop onions, green chillies, potato.
2. Heat oil in a wide pan and add the mustard, let it splutter for a min and then add urad dal/black gram and cumin/jeera, chana dal/bengal gram and curry leaves. Let it fry for a min and add the raw peanuts. Fry till it they are brown in color.
3. Meanwhile mix some salt in the soaked poha and mix well with your hands. Dont use spoon/spatula it may break the flakes.
   
4. Add onions, diced potato, green peas and green chillies to the pan . Let it cook for few mins or till the potatoes are done if you are taking the fresh one instead of boiled one. Add turmeric and mix well and then add the salted poha to it.
   
5. Mix well and let it sit on the flame for 3 more mins. Add the lime/lemon juice and chopped cilantro and mix well so that the juice is evenly distributed.
   
6. Before serving garnish with freshly grated coconut.

Thanks to Asha for reminding about two events related to potato going on in food blogosphere. I am sending this entry to Sia host of Ode to Potato and to Dhivya host of The Potato Fe(a)st.

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Brunch-O-melette

Brunch-O-melette

Omelette is such a comfort food, quick to make and easy to fix on lazy, starving times of day or night and most popular among bachelors/college students. Eggs are really very easy to handle specially while making omelettes, scrambled eggs, anda bhurji, half-fry, double-fry etc etc... I remember during my MBA-hostel days in Pune, we used to buy dozens of eggs and finish within a day or two consuming all at the "Anda-Party". The most wonderful thing about making omelette is you can make it plain simple or make it extravaganza by stirring any veggies, herbs, cheese and Viola! its ready within minutes.

I learned from Racheal Ray's 30 minute meals that we can do frittata by adding all our favorite veggies and cheese. Though frittata is double sided-baked omelette under the broiler. I drafted some of the ingredients from that and cooked it in a medium pan/tava. Naming my version as 'Brunch-O-melette' as this is very filling.

Brunch-O-melette

Source : My own
Cuisine: International Fusion
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 10 mins
Serves: 2 people
Ingredients:
4 Organic large eggs
2 shallots, finely chopped
2 tbsps roasted red bell pepper, finely chopped
4-5 leaves of fresh basil, chopped
2 tsp of flat leaf parsley, chopped
2 tbsp of cooked chicken, cubed (optional)
3 tbsp of half-half or whole milk
1 tsp red chilli powder/cayenne pepper
1 tbsp of grated Parmesan/sharp chedder cheese
crumbled goat cheese/feta cheese (optional for garnish)
freshly ground black pepper
salt as per taste
2 tsp oil/spray
2 whole wheat sandwich buns
Method:

1. Chop all the veggies and keep aside. We will be working in batch, 2 eggs per person
2. First mix salt, red chilli powder/cayenne pepper/black pepper and half-half. To this add two eggs and whisk it till the yolks are blended thoroughly.
3. Add the shallots, red bell pepper, basil, parsley, parmesan cheese, chicken pieces, and mix well.
4. Spray the pan/tava with oil and pour the entire content, cook on each side for 4 mins and your Bunch-O-melette is ready.
5. Serve it with your favorite bread and garnish it with parsley and feta cheese.
6. We had our Brunch-O-melette with a glass of 100% carrot juice.
   

My Kitchen Finds: Bolthouse Farms 100% Carrot Juice

Botlhouse Farms refreshing 100% carrot juice

Sending this to WBB#16-Weekend breakfast blogging event: Omelette
hosted by Kanchana of Married to a Desi,
created by Nandita of Saffron Trial.

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Apple Crumb Dessert

Apple crumb dessert

Microwave cooking is always been so simple and easy when Srivalli of 'Cooking 4 all seasons' announced Microwave easy cooking event. Cooking in microwave for me atleast was to make coffee or to reheat the leftovers from the previous day/two. My friend L moving to Denver and initially they stayed in some motel, till they hunted for an apartment over there. She used to cook in the microwave and make our daily dishes like rice, dal, curry. This was that first time I came to know how useful it can be if we dont have cooking gas/stove. Well since then I have been trying my hands on m/w cooking.

Today am gonna prepare dessert with apples, and as this is a "cook any sweet dish" event also I google'd for m/w cooking and found this incredible recipe. I made some modulations in the recipe though, so here it is....

Source: adapted from cooks.com
Cuisine: International
Prep time: 10 mins
Cooking time: 2 mins
Makes: 6 people
Ingredients:
4 cups apples, sliced (any, I used Red Delicious)
½ tsp cinnamon powder
1 cup all purpose flour/maida
½ cup sugar (I used only ¼ cup) or ¼ cup honey
¼ cup brown sugar or 1 tbsp honey
¼ tsp baking soda
1 egg or ½ cup orange juice
3 tbsp of melted butter
Method:

• Arrange apples in an 8"x8"x2" pan, sprinkle with cinnamon.

• Mix flour, sugar or honey, salt, baking soda and egg or orange juice, mix with fork until crumbly. Spoon over apples. Sprinkle with brown sugar or honey.

• Microwave butter, uncovered in 1 cup glass measure on high until melted, 30 seconds to 1 minute.
• Drizzle over apples. Microwave, uncovered on high until apples are tender, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Serve warm.
  

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