Taste of Saras

Vendakkai Kara Kuzhambu (Spicy Bendi Gravy) Recently I'm experimenting cooking methods in preparing South Indian Cuisines to the taste bud of my hubby's. My hubby likes to have a lots of ginger,garlic and green chillies in any food. Sometime he ask me too much question whether I have added enough ginger,garlic,green chillie and the list goes on and on. At times I would be tempted to add add them to his cup of coffee or tea or even cold beverage. I wanted to share my another success in preparing Vendakkai Kuzhambu- something which differs from the ones prepared by my MIL . Ingredients Serving Size:4 To be roasted and grind Paste: 1 cup chopped shallots 1/2 cup chopped tomatoes 3 garlic cloves minced 1tbsp fenugreek 1tbsp coriander seeds 3 dried chillies 1/2 cup tamarind pulp juice 1tbsp vathal kulambu powder 1tbsp roasted groundnuts 1tbsp white sesame seeds 1tsp chillie powder 1/4 tsp turmeric powder few curry leaves Add 1tbsp oil and roast all the ingredients mentioned abov

Rava Iddlies Idlis and dosas have being dominating the kitchens of South India for centuries.Having the routine of eating same food at the usual environment is always a kinda of boring stuff especially for the kids like mine . Despite of having food at home- temptation to explore restaurant menus are always there during weekends. A day away from the kitchen helps me to clear my mind and pamper myself with different variety of delicacy. Last weekend I wanted to have some pure South India Meal for dinner instead of some fast-food. We went to Taj Chat House and I was longing to have Rav Onion Dosi for a very long time- making these at home is rather hazard as I don't own a very large tava like those in the restaurant. As I was looking through the menu Rava Iddlies got my attention and order a plate for the kids but they both refused to have a bite as they have their all time favorite Paper Roast with Sambar. It was really very tasty and filling too. I thought of give it a try

Fried Mushroom Tofu Noddles Ingredients Serving Size: 5 2 cups boiled noddles 1 cup chopped onions 3 garlic cloves minced 1tbsp dark soya sauce 1tsp grama masala 1 cup diced tofu 1 cup sliced button mushrooms 1/4 cup blenched beans sprouts chopped coriander leaves sliced spring onions 2tbsp hot sauce mixed with 2tbsp light soya sauce salt and pepper to taste Preparation Methods: Heat a heavy wok with 2tbsp oil on medium flame and add the minced garlic cloves.Fry garlic till it becomes little brown and then add the chopped onions. Once they turned brown add all the beans sprouts,mushroom and tofu with salt ,pepper,dark soy sauce and gram masala. Saute till all the vegetables become tender and then add soy sauce and hot sauce mixture.Reduce the flame to low and add boiled noodles and mix well.Stir-fry for 1-2 minutes and adjust seasoning as per your taste. Add spring onions and chopped coriander leaves. Remove from flame and transfer to a serving platter.

Cabbage-Stir-Fry A very simple way in preparing this dish..A healthy way to enjoy all the nutrients found in cabbage. Ingredients Serving Size:4 1 small cabbage shredded 1 red onion chopped 1 garlic clove minced 1 green chillie chopped finely 1/2tsp mustard seeds 1/2tsp cumin seeds 1tsp channa dhal 1tsp ural dhall 1tsp pepper powder a pinch of hing chopped coriander leaves chopped spring onions few sprig curry leaves Preparation Methods: Heat a skillet on medium flame with 2tbsp oil and splutter curry leaves,mustard ,the dhals and cumin seeds followed by chopped onions,minced garlic and green chillie. As the onions turn slightly brown add the shredded cabbage and salt. Saute for 2 minutes and cover the skillet with a lid until the cabbage becomes tender. Remove the lid and add the pepper power and adjust the leave of salt. Add the chopped coriander leaves and spring onions. Give one really good mix and transfer to a serving bowl.A very good side-dish for fried rice or even ghee rice.

Bachelor's cooking are always very simple and sweet as they don't really buy all the ingredients for cooking like we do -just the necessary to cook something for their tummy. Well when we all went to visit old friends in Owassso my hubby's friend Ramkummar made these wonderful very spicy briyani .He prepared the briyani with whatever he had in his fridge that day. We just brought the chicken.I'm planning to share some of the recipe that normally prepared by bachelors like my hubby when I was in India before coming here.Hope this will be useful for everyone who needs to fix something for the tummy quick and fast without add too many spices or ingredients to have a decent meal for the day. Ingredients Serving Size:5 3 cup rice 1lb chicken chopped 5 medium tomatoes chopped 2 medium red onions chopped 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste 5 green chillie slit into halve 2.5 tbsp coriander powder 1tsp chilli powder 1/4tsp turmeric powder 3tbsp shredded fresh coconut 1tbsp chicken cur

Abinaya's Favorite Dishes I cannot really believe that kids grow very fast. My daughter is 3 year old today. When I first came to USA she just celebrated her first birthday in Pollachi with her grandparents - now she's entering her 3rd stepping stone. We are planning to celebrate her birthday on 27 August as today is working day. for a chance this time I'm planning not to cook anything at home as my health is not in good shape and there's isn't much help as I used to have before so we all have decided to have a small celebration without cutting cake with her favorite recipes like vadai,murukku,fried rice and stir fried chicken for lunch. For the sweet item I have decide to make Semiya Pa yasm a . It's being a very long time since I have prepared payasam at home. I have done all the things she have asked me as I want her to be happy always. I had a very difficult delivery when she was born and have to take care of my son as well as my health as my MIL left to

Kara Vathal Kulambu- Version 2 Vathal-Dried vegetable, which can be preserved for a long time. Dried Vathals like Sundakai vathal, Manathakali vathals and many more varieties are used to make this Kara Vathal Kuzhambu Version 1 which is my hubby's favorite as well as mine, I have already post a recipe using Vathal in my previous post Vatha Kulambu. This is another version of Vathal Kulambu which happens to be my first MIL's recipe-that's my hubby's Periappa Wife Jayalakshmi. She's a very good cook and this recipe happens to be my MIL's favorite. She taught me how to prepare them when I was in back in India before coming here. I have made few changes to adjust to my hubby's taste as she never add garlic and tomatoes for a recipe. Believe me every-time I make these.There's wouldn't be any kulambu left by the time I have my food. Kara Vathal Kulambu Ingredients Serving size:4 To be roasted and grind Paste: 1 cup chopped shallots 1/2 cup chopped tomat

Bombay Toast Today breakfast for my kids was Bombay Toast.What's that many would ask? Well it nothing but the same French Toast -the South Indian version which is salted rather than sweet. The egg is beaten with milk, salt, green chili and chopped onion,tomatoes,coriander leaves and spice like turmeric powder,garam masala ect.. Bread is dunked into this mixture and is deep fried in butter or cooking oil. It is served with ketchup.I remember having these in Chennai a very long back while visiting our relative.If it's right it Hotel Chandra where I tastes these toast for breakfast and when asked they it's Bombay Toast-our hotel's superficiality.Instead of making the sweet version I decided to make these for my son . You can see that I'm posting the recipe immediately. Normally recipes would be sleeping in my laptop for quite sometime before I find time to post them. As for now I have a about 20 recipes laying there begging to be posted:D Ingredients Serving Size: 5

My Son: Oh man!!!! Amma why are you always making these dull boring iddlies . I don't like them. Make me paper roast with sambar now now now. These were the words my son would always say whenever I make iddlies for breakfast or dinner..It's always a big chaos at my home whenever I make iddles. I have prepare somethings else for my son to eat.This has been going on since he was a baby I wasn't able to make eat iddles at all until one of my friend's wife served Kanchipura Iddies at one of our outings.My son just love them and had about 4 iddles with mint chutney.I was happy that at last my son has started to have iddles and came up many different version of iddles like Wheat Umpa Iddly , Moon Dhal Iddly , Dhal Iddly With Stuffed Mint Chutney and my latest version is Tomato Iddlies.I had many ripe tomatoes laying in my fridge for quite some time Ingredients: Serving Size:5 1 cup chopped tomatoes 1tsp fennal seeds few curry leaves 1tbsp ginger garlic paste 2 dried chil

French Toast What's the most tempting breakfast better than French toast on weekends? Just image thick slices of old bread soaked in mixture of beaten eggs with milk and cinnamon, toasted in a frying pan, and served with butter and maple syrup,which is the quickest and easiest breakfast especially for kids.To make the good French toast -the bread slices should be thickly sliced or else it tends to get mushy and fall apart when soaked in milk mixture if it's thinly sliced.I normally like to have bread for breakfast and French toast is my favorite. Whenever I feel hungry these toast will be what I would be munching away shamelessly.Now these have become the favorite of both my kids and we all enjoy making these in weekends for breakfast but the worst part is when I have to clean the kitchen-a messy kitchen would take me more than 30 minutes to clean but making these toast is much easier..with kids in kitchen it's always headache. Don't u guys agree with me?? Ingredient

Tofu Sambal Facts are taken from Wikipedia: A Sambal can be a condiment, an ingredient or a dish which will always contain a large amount of chilis. The word is of Indonesian and Malaysian origin. Sambals are popular in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, the southern Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as in the Netherlands and in Suriname through Indonesian influence. It is typically made from a variety of peppers, although chili peppers are the most common. Sambal is used as a condiment and as an ingredient for a variety of dishes. It is sometimes a substitute for fresh chilis. It can be extremely spicy for the uninitiated. Some ready-made sambals are available at exotic food markets or gourmet departments in supermarkets in many countries. A sambal can also be a pungent dish of its own in which a large amount of chili peppers is used.A Malay style sambal. Fresh chilis are pounded together with toasted shrimp paste (belacan) in a stone mortar to which sugar and lime juice are added. Toma

Channa Pindi Masala Serving Size: 6 Ingredients 2 cups chickpeas soaked overnight 1 large onion chopped 1 large tomato chopped 2tbsp ginger garlic chillie paste 2.5tbsp pomegranate seeds 1tbsp cumin seeds juice of half lemon 1tsp mustard seeds 4 cardamon pods 2 small cinnamon sticks 5 cloves 1tsp garam masala 3tbsp coriander powder 2tsp grounded pepper 2tbsp mango powder 1tbsp channa masala powder 2tbsp ghee chopped coriander and mint leaves. Preparation Methods: In a pan roast together pomegranate and cumin seeds. Once cooled grind to fine powder.Pressure cook the chick peas with salt,turmeric and chillie powder.Heat a heavy bottom skillet on medium flame -add ghee. Once heated sputter the mustard seeds followed by all the whole spices. Then add the chopped onion ,ginger garlic chillie paste ,grind powder and tomatoes. Once the onions and tomatoes are cooked -add all the spice powders and lemon juice. Saute till the raw smell of the spice powder are removed. Meanwhile mash half the co

Mixed Berry Muffins Blueberry cake,blueberry ice-creams,blueberry pie,blueberry juice!!!Blueberry this and that was what my son has being asking for the past few days without a stop..the worst part is that he wants me to prepare chicken curry using blueberries. Oh my god this boy is so crazy about blueberries. I was wondering where he gets these weird ideas in making use of blueberries in cooking. He even asked my hubby to get him body wash,paste and shampoo that's made of blueberries. I happened to find some really fresh blueberries,blackberries and raspberries in the Sprout Farmer's Market yesterday. I quickly grab them and decide to make muffins using all these berries for evening snack once my son's back from school. I really wanted him to get a surprise. Believe the look in his really made very happy when he saw the muffins. I hope these muffins will shut him off from talking about blueberry .Actually I keeping finger crossed...let see what happens :D Ingredients Servi

Dhal Curry ( Payatham Paruppu Kulambu ) Ingredients: Serving Size: 4 1/2 cup whole green gram ( payatham paruppu ) 1 cup finely chopped shallots 1 tomato chopped 1/4 cup tamarind juice 6 green chillies 3 cloves garlic 1tsp cumin seeds a pinch hing powder 1/4 cup grated tender coconut 1/2tsp mustard few sprig curry leaves salt to taste Preparation Methods: Make a fine paste by grinding the coconut with cumin seeds and keep aside. Then add some oil to pressure cooker-add dhal , chopped tomato, small onions, hing powder turmeric powder, garlic, green chili and add 2 cup of water. and cook for 5 whistle. Wait for the pressure to be released .Then add the grinder paste and boil well till raw smell are removed followed by the tamarind juice bring to boil. In a small skillet splutter mustard seeds,dried chillies,and curry leaves till crisp. Pour the mixture over and give a good mix . Remove and serve with steaming rice.

Shrimp In Coconut Gravy When we first came to USA we were in Owasso Ok and we celebrated my son's 4th birthday with all my hubby's colleague . One of his colleague wife Tintu -one of close friend prepare these very spicy Shrimp Curry for my son's birthday. It happens to be her grandma's recipe . I wanted to prepare them for a very long time but wasn't able to. I happened to be very free one Sunday and thought of preparing Tintu's recipe. The taste was exactly the same. The taste to this particular dish is the coconut gravy and nearly took me 1 hours to get the right color.A hearty thanks to my friend Tintu for share her grandma's recipe with me.Everyone should try them at home. Ingredients: Serving Size:5 For the coconut Gravy : 1 cup freshly grated coconut or coconut powder 1tbsp hot chilli powder 1tbsp coriander powder 3tbsp coconut oil First dry roast the coconut powder until it turns light brown in color. Then add 3tbsp of coconut oil.coriander and ch

A healthy, high-protein, low-fat breakfast provides the fuel you need to get going in the morning.A good breakfast always starts one's day and making burritos with your choice of vegetables and meat gives all the energy to need perform well any where.Burrito sized flour tortillas are available in all store for a very quick fix anytime of the day but I prefer to use these store brought tortillas for making quesadillas only.I love to make burritos using home made chapathis instead of ready made tortillas.These are hubby's great choice of fast food whenever we have the urge to have some light snack during the weekends. First shop that comes to his mind would Taco Bell..which I don't really like much compared to my burritos:) Burritos are a traditional food of Ciudad Juárez, a city in the northern Mexican state of Chihuahua, where people buy them at restaurants and roadside stands.A burrito or taco de harina, is a type of food found in Mexican and Tex-Mex cuisine. It consists