July 30, 2014

Veggie Macaroni Soup


I am feeling sleepy ! I am feeling drowsy ! I feel like eating hot and spicy ! I feel like slurping warm soup !

yeah ! In this monsoon, what else we utter other than these dialogues :) Only Hot and Spicy foods has the magical power of waking up our laziness in this season. And Soup is always my priority during monsoon to boost up my energy and when it is done at home with healthy ingredients, it gives immense pleasure and happiness. To make it as a complete meal, I have included Macaroni in this soup. This soup is also very special for me.... Wanna know the reason?

It goes to one of my favorite event '5 Ingredients Fix Challenge' which runs every month by an Energetic Blogger Vimala Lakshmi from "cookingclub17.blogspot.com'. Every month, 5 fixed Ingredients will be given to us along with the recipe name and Innovative dish have to be prepared. And for this July month, "Onion, Tomato, butter, Carrot and Herbs" were given as our ingredients and innovative Soup has to made, which is also perfect for this season. 

Veggie Macaroni Soup is a creamy soup with an Italian flavor which is loaded with healthy veggies and served with Macaroni to make it a complete wholesome meal. I did not strain the soup after blending since my family members loves this way. While serving, add a small piece of butter on top of the soup to make it more delicious and creamier but it is purely optional.This can also be served as breakfast or Mid-day meal with a Toasted bread or croutons.

Get ready to enjoy your monsoon with this Italian flavored creamy soup !



Ingredients :

  • 2 Tbsp Butter
  • 1 Onion, finely chopped
  • 3 Tomatoes, finely chopped 
  • 5 Garlic pods, crushed
  • 2 Carrots, Finely chopped
  • 1 Big Potato, Finely Chopped
  • 1/2 Cup Macaroni
  • 1/2 Cup Masoor dal
  • Salt to taste
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Paprika (Chilli powder can also be used)
  • 1 Tbsp Mixed Herbs ( Oregano, Basil, and Thyme )
  • 2 Cups Veg Stock

Method :

  • Wash and Soak Masoor dal before starting the cooking process.
  • Heat butter in a pan and add finely chopped Onions.
  • Saute till it turns translucent and add the chopped tomatoes.
  • Saute for 3-4 minutes in a medium flame or till it turns soft.
  • Add the Crushed garlic pods followed by the chopped carrots and potato.
  • Mix well and add paprika or chilli powder,herbs and salt.
  • Drain water from masoor dal and add it to the pan.
  • Mix well and add the measured stock.
  • Simmer and cook it for 20-30 minutes.
  • Meanwhile, cook macaroni according to the instructions and keep aside.
  • Remove soup from the flame and cool it for 10 - 15 minutes.
  • Blend it into smooth paste using blender and add it to the same pan.
  • Add Macaroni and boil it for couple of minutes.
  • Remove from the flame and serve warm.




Serving Options :

Serve warm with Toasted bread or Croutons.





Linking this recipe with  Lakshmi's "5 Ingredients Fix Challenge"




July 28, 2014

Kadhi Gole / Maharastrian Kadhi




Learning other region cuisine is always interesting and in that way, we are very lucky to have our "SNC Challenge" as our platform to learn varies North Indian recipes. Million thanks to Divya Pramil from youtoocancook.net who is brain child of this group. I have mentioned in all my post regarding the concept of this challenge but I never get tired and bored of typing this again and again..Will anyone get bored of explaining their favorite thing ? 

SNC Challenge is a challenge between two teams ( South and North Team) and every month one member from North Team challenges South Team with their authentic recipes and likewise one member from south Team challenge them with south Indian Traditional recipes. I am very happy to be part of South Team and I must say that, it is a Friendly Challenge between two teams to learn Interesting recipes.

And coming to July month Challenge... 

Prerana from "curryindian.com", a North Team member challenged us with her favorite and mom's recipe, a delicious and traditional recipe of Maharastra " Kadhi Gole ".Generally Kadhi is very popular in North India which is prepared with yogurt and besan. Lots of varieties available in kadhi such as Gujarati Kadhi, Punjabi Kadhi...etc.. Likewise, this kadhi is very famous in Maharastra and it is different from other kadhi by adding channa dal balls.

Kadhi Gole is a delicious curry in which channa balls are cooked in buttermilk & besan mixture and tempered with spices.This is served with Roti and Rice. Thanks to Divya Pramil and Prerana for giving us such an opportunity to learn Maharastrian traditional recipe.



Ingredients :
  • 1 Cup Channa dal, soaked over night or 5-6 hrs in water
  • 3 Garlic, cloves
  • 1/2 inch Ginger
  • 2 Green chillies
  • 2 Cups Yogurt 
  • 2 Cups Water
  • 3 Tbsp Besan Flour / Gram Flour
  • 2 Tsp Sugar
  • 1/2 Inch Ginger, grated
  • 3 Tbsp Oil
  • Few Curry leaves
  • 1 Tsp Mustard seeds
  • 4 Tsp Chilli powder
  • 3 Tsp Coriander Powder
  • 1 Tsp Turmeric powder
  • A pinch of Hing
  • Salt to taste
Method :
  • Wash and drain water from the soaked channa dal and keep aside.
  • Add garlic, ginger and green chillies to the dal and grind it coarsely.
  • Add salt, mix and keep aside.
  • Take yogurt in a bowl, whisk well and add the measured water to prepare buttermilk.
  • Add Besan Flour and mix well to avoid the formation of lumps.
  • Add salt and sugar. Mix well and transfer it to the heavy bottomed pan.
  • Place the pan in a stove and simmer the flame.
  • When it starts boiling,add the grated ginger and cook it for another 5 minutes.
  • Now make small balls from channa dal mixture and drop it slowly in the kadhi.
  • Do not mix at this stage and drop the balls only after the kadhi starts boiling.
  • Close and cook it for 15-20 minutes or till the channa balls gets cooked.
  • Meanwhile, heat oil in a small pan or kadai and add mustard seeds.
  • Once, it starts spluttering, add curry leaves followed by chilli powder, coriander powder, Turmeric powder and hing.
  • Switch off the flame and add it to the kadhi. 
  • Mix well and adjust salt,if necessary.
  • Serve hot.




Serving Options :

Serve hot with Roti and Rice.










Sending this recipe to SNC Challenge - July Month 2014.
















July 26, 2014

Kerala Style Egg Curry


Here comes my one of my favorite cuisine recipe... Yes, I love Kerala cuisines and the aroma from their curry makes my mind fresh. I learnt this from my neighbor during my stay in Kerala and though it has the same ingredients which we prepare for Tamil Nadu egg curry, the preparation method and fresh sliced ginger heads it to a different cuisine. I prepared this curry by adding coconut oil to get its authentic taste but can also prepared using regular cooking oil. The fresh ginger not only enhances the flavor of curry but also gives a lovely aroma while cooking. This flavorful curry is served with Appam and Puttu, which is a very famous food in Kerala but I served it with Roti and Rice in which I loved the taste and flavor when eaten with rice. Simmer the flame after adding eggs,so that the essence from the curry gets absorbed in eggs and gives very delicious taste. Coconut milk can be also added in this curry.



Ingredients :

  • 4 Boiled Eggs
  • 3 Big Onions, sliced
  • 1 Big Tomato, chopped
  • 3 Green chillies,sliced
  • 1 inch ginger, sliced 
  • Handful of Curry leaves
  • 2Tsp Chilli powder
  • 11/2 Tsp Coriander powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 Tsp Garam Masala
  • Salt to taste
  • Water, as needed
  • 2 Tbsp oil (coconut oil or vegetable oil)

Method :

  • Boil eggs and keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a pan or kadai and add curry leaves followed by ginger.
  • Saute for half a minute and add the sliced onions.
  • Saute the onions till the color changes to light brown and add the chopped tomatoes.
  • Mix well and saute for a minute.
  • Add chilli powder followed by coriander powder, Turmeric powder and salt. Mix well and cook it for a minute.
  • Now add water (approx 1cup) and let it cook for 5 minutes in a medium flame.
  • Add garam masala at this stage and mix well.
  • Cook for another 3-4 minutes and meanwhile, cut the eggs one side or prick it with the fork.
  • Place the eggs in curry ,slowly mix it and place the cut portion of eggs in the bottom so that eggs absorbs the essence from the curry.
  • Simmer the flame and cook for 3 minutes.
  • Switch of the flame and let it set for 5 - 10 minutes for extra flavor.
  • Remove and serve hot.


Serving Options :

Serve with Appam, Puttu, Idiyappam and Rice.







July 25, 2014

Chicken Biryani


Weekends are incomplete without non-veg feast (I guess that all non- veg lovers accepts this) and especially biryani holds the royal crown at majority house. Biryani is a single pot meal which is cooked under a slow flame with loads of spices and masalas and can be prepared with veggies or meat. Though it is a single pot meal, care should be taken while preparing to get the right consistency/texture. Varies kind of biryanis can be prepared with varieties of techniques and each variety has its own unique n yummy taste. Mostly Biryani is prepared using Basmati rice but some specialty biryani tastes very delicious when prepared with Jeeraga samba rice. Generally, biryani is served with Raita and brinjal gravy and again it all depends upon the region where hyderabad biryani is served with salan and kerala briyani is served with pickles along with raita.

And coming to my Today's recipe.... This is one of the style which I follow for chicken biryani and it tastes really delicious and flavorful. Personally I believe that marination does the major role in biryani ,So I used to marinate the chicken with yogurt and masala for atleast half an hour to one hour. It enhances the flavor in briyani and chicken. This can also be prepared using pressure cooker but I love cooking it with the below mentioned way as its a no flop method :) 

Are you ready to try this flavorful biryani for weekend? Here comes....


Ingredients : 
  • 2 Cups Basmati Rice ( approx. 400 gms)
  • 500 Gms Chicken, cleaned and cut into pieces
For Marination :
  • 1 Tsp Ginger Garlic paste
  • 1 Tsp Chilli Powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 Tbsp Yogurt / Curd
To Grind :
  • 1 Cup Mint Leaves / Pudina 
  • 10 Garlic pods
  • 1 inch ginger 
For Biryani :

  • 3 Tbsp Oil + 1 Tbsp Gingelly Oil ( Gingelly oil is optional )
  • 2 Bay leaves
  • 2 Star anise
  • 2 Elachi
  • 1 Inch Cinnamon
  • 250 gms Onions, sliced
  • 125-150 gms Tomatoes, sliced
  • 4 Green chillies, sliced
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
  • 2 Tsp Chilli powder
  • 1 Tsp Coriander powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 4 Cups Water
  • 1 Tsp Lemon Juice or Juice from half lemon
  • Mint Leaves, for garnishing 
Method :
  • Marinate chicken with the ingredients given above for half an hour to 1 hour.
  • Meanwhile, wash and soak basmati rice in water.
  • Grind the ingredients given in "To Grind" by adding little water. 
  • Grind into fine paste and keep aside.
  • Slice the onion, tomatoes and chillies, keep aside.
  • Heat oil in a thick bottomed pan and add bay leaves followed by cinnamon, elachi and star anise in a medium flame.
  • Add the sliced onions and sliced green chillies. Saute well.
  • Now add the ground Mint - ginger- garlic paste and saute till the raw smells goes off. 
  • Add the sliced Tomatoes and saute for a minute.
  • Add all the masala powder ( Chilli powder, Turmeric powder and Coriander powder), saute for a minute and add the marinated chicken.
  • Mix well and cook it for 5 minutes in a medium flame.
  • Add the measured water,lemon juice and salt to the chicken masala.
  • Drain water in the rice and add it to the pan when it starts boiling.
  • Mix well and simmer the flame.
  • Close it with the lid and place iron dosa pan on top of it.
  • Cook it for 20 minutes or till the rice gets cooked.
  • Remove the lid and slowly mix without breaking the rice.
  • Garnish with mint leaves and serve hot.




Serving Options :

Serve hot with Onion Raita, Brinjal gravy and salna.



Notes :
  • Coriander leaves can also be included while grinding ginger and garlic.
  • Simmer the flame after adding rice to avoid getting burnt at the bottom of the pan.



July 23, 2014

Haleem Dosa


I never get bored of trying interesting recipes from the leftover foods. The variations in food gives an immense pleasure while tasting it. And today's post is about my recent dosa which is topped with leftover Haleem. 

Haleem is a very popular dish which is prepared during Ramzan season and it is basically an Arabic dish. This is mostly served in the evening as it gives an instant energy during fasting. Haleem is a high calorie dish which is made of meat/ chicken / beef but nowadays lots of improvisation is done and varieties of haleem is available in markets like Veg haleem, Emu haleem and Fish Haleem. 

As it contains loads of ghee in it, I feel very heavy and completing a bowl of haleem is a big task for me. So, I wanted to try them in a different n easy way to complete my leftover Haleem and ended up with preparing Haleem Dosa. Very easy to prepare and as it contains ghee, the dosa was crispy and tasty. Sprinkled pepper on top of dosa to make it spicy. Personally I enjoyed eating this delicious dosa as such with no side dish and It was yum yum for me :) It can also be served with chicken or mutton curry.

Do you have leftover Haleem at home ?
Rush into kitchen and try this flavorful crispy Dosas ! I was very generous in spreading the haleem on top of dosa, So prepared 4 dosas with the given measurements. Haleem Dosa can also be improvised by adding tomatoes, onions, coriander leaves...etc... 



Ingredients :

  • 2 Cups Haleem
  • 4 Eggs
  • Dosa Batter, as needed
  • 2 Tbsp Pepper powder
  • Oil, to smear 

Method :

  • Heat Dosa pan and take one ladle of dosa batter.
  • Spread it in a circular motion and spread 1 - 1/2 tbsp of haleem on top of it in a simmer flame.
  • Meanwhile, break one egg and beat it with a fork.
  • Pour the beaten egg over the haleem and sprinkle pepper powder on it.
  • Cook it for couple of minutes and then slowly flip the other side to cook.
  • Once done, remove from the flame and repeat the process for remaining Haleem.
  • Serve Hot.




Serving Options :

Serve hot with chicken curry or Mutton curry.





July 22, 2014

Eastern Products Review !


Well, I am excited to write my first Review on food products from Eastern Condiments. Eastern products are very famous for its "spice and masala powders". I must admit that my cooking Journey started with a store bought spice powders and eastern product was one of them.  I had tried lots of  spice powders from this brand during my stay in god's own country and being a non veg lover, chicken and fish masala was on my grocery list every month. Everyone has their own perspective on the texture, spiciness & flavor of the masala powders and I personally believe that Eastern product satisfies my kind of taste. 

There's a saying that " cooking is an art " ! Very true and along with that I feel Tasting is also an art which gives the best compliment for the recipe.The pleasure of tasting a recipe is immeasurable for me and it not only gives happiness and satisfaction,it brings back all our beautiful memories in every bite. But it completely depends upon the correct blend of spices in the masala powders. A light variation in the spices has the power of ruining the recipe.So to get the authentic taste in our recipes, masalas really does a wonder !

I guess, its my time to upgrade my spice powders in my rack to ethnic range of Eastern products ! It is a Joyous moment for a food lover and blogger to try and taste these new launch products. And that too, when you are given a chance to review your favorite authentic south Indian cuisine, its a double treat  ! Let me thank again for giving such a beautiful opportunity to try karnataka special Masala "Puliogare", "Vangi Bhath" and "Bisibele Bhath". 

My first trial was based on my family choice who loves puliogare alot ! Here's my review....

Puliogare Masala:


Puliogare is a very famous lunch box recipe and a picnic friendly recipe. The taste and preparation method differs across states. We having lived across the south of India, have tasted some of the variations. Usually in Tamilnadu, it is served as prasadham in temples and personally I love them more than the homemade version.The punch of pepper and mustard flavor in Eastern Puliogare masala, reminded me more of the temple prasadham's. The spices and tangy taste in the masala blended so well to give it an authentic taste. To my surprise, my 3 year old kid enjoyed the taste of puliogare in every spoon for the very first time. Though salt is given in its ingredients list, added little extra to satisfy our taste buds but otherwise, the masala powder itself had all the perfect blend of flavors. Being a spicy food lover, I felt the spicy level was up to our mark and we really enjoyed it.  

Serving Options : It can be served with any kind of chips and parupu thogayal ( It's a kind of chutney, we prepare especially for Tamarind rice using Coconut and dal).

My Rating : 4 on 5 and sure on my grocery list in future :) 



Vangi Baath : 


Here comes my second trial of South India’s favorite rice “Vangi Bhath’ . Cinnamon and clove flavor was little on the higher side but there is no compromise on the taste part. Spice level was perfect for our taste buds and I personally recommend to try this delicious masala with the perfect variety of brinjal, else it could spoil the taste of rice. 
The flavor and taste of vangi Bhath, made me very nostalgic and brought my old memories of my kannadiga neighbor who prepared this delicious rice and served it hot with raita. Sticking to my memories, this is best served with onion Raita. 

Serving Options : It can be served with any kind of raita.

My Rating : 3 1/2 on 5 ! ( Due to the dominance of cinnamon and clove flavor)



Bisibele Baath :


Last but not the least comes my most favorite rice “Bisibele Bhath” which is also called as “BBB” in Karnataka. I truly believe that food can do wonders and it has the magic to trigger the happiness in us. Yes, I felt the magic of happiness when I tasted my most favorite rice prepared with Eastern masala. The taste was very authentic and delectable. An extra tbsp of masala was added to adjust my spicy taste bud. The aroma completely made me drool while simmering and in a word I can say that it’s an Appetizing meal. The spices in the masala powder complimented each other to give an authentic and delicious taste. I can assure that it has the perfect blend of spices which enhances the flavor.

Serving Options : Generally, Boondi is served in Restaurants but My style of serving bisibella bhath is with a tsp of ghee on top of rice along with Mango pickle and Fried Curd Chillies.

My Rating : 4 1/2 on 5 ! No doubt, this is a "Must Buy"  !



                        Thanking eastern Condiments for sending their free samples ! 


Disclaimer : This is an honest review based on my taste and preferences Only !




July 21, 2014

Paneer Gravy / Cottage Cheese Gravy / Side dish for Indian Breads.


Are you a Paneer Lover like me? Then, this is a recipe for you to try :)

Paneer Gravy is a delicious and flavorful gravy prepared with freshly ground masala and cooked in butter to give richness to the taste. Serving it with a cube of butter enhances the taste and flavor of the gravy. Fresh cream can also be added to make it more thicker and creamier but personally I love grinding the veggies along with the gravy to add more flavor and thickness. While grinding, add few pieces of paneer too because it makes the gravy rich and creamy...

Diet watchers... Kindly omit the utterly butterly part and replace it with the normal cooking oil !

This is a perfect side dish for Indian Breads and very healthy recipe for kids. Fried paneer can also be included this recipe. The aroma of freshly ground masala with the mild flavor of capsicum cooked in butter will never let you eat less ;) 


Ingredients :

  • 250 gms Paneer, chopped
  • 1 Big Capsicum /  Bell Pepper (green), chopped
  • 4 Dry red chilli
  • 11/2 Coriander seeds 
  • 1 Tsp Jeera / Cumin seeds
  • 2 cubes Butter + 1 Cube for serving
  • 2 Onions,chopped
  • 4 Medium sized Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 Tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 1/2 -2 Tsp Chilli powder
  • 1 Tsp Dry Fenugreek leaves / Kasuri Methi
  • Salt to taste
  • Water, as needed

Method :

  • Grind the medium sized Tomatoes into fine paste and keep aside.
  • Dry roast the dry red chilli in a pan followed by coriander seeds and Jeera.
  • Remove from the flame, cool and grind into fine powder.
  • Heat 2 cubes of butter in a pan and add the ground masala.
  • Fry it for a minute in a simmer flame and add Turmeric powder followed by chilli powder,Garam Masala and Salt.
  • Saute well and add the chopped onions followed by capsicum / Bell pepper.
  • Mix well and cook it for couple of minutes.
  • Now add the Tomato paste, mix and cook for another 5 minutes in a medium flame.
  • Add the chopped paneer pieces and mix slowly. 
  • Cook it for another couple of minutes.
  • Take one ladle of gravy along with veggies and paneer and grind into fine paste.
  • Now add the ground paste to the gravy and mix well.
  • Crush the kasuri methi and add it to the gravy.
  • Cook it for the last couple of minutes and remove from the flame.
  • Place butter cube on top of the gravy and Serve hot.




Serving Options :

Serve hot with Roti, phulka and Paratha.




Note :

Grinding veggies and paneer is optional. I usually do that for my gravy to get thick and rich consistency to avoid the addition of fresh cream.




July 17, 2014

Easy Paneer Pulao / Kids Lunchbox Recipe




This recipe goes to a famous event happening in our blogger circle "Shhh cooking secretly challenge" hosted by Priya suresh from "Priya's Versatile Recipes". It is an interesting challenge in which two members/bloggers are paired every month and 2 ingredients are shared secretly...Interesting recipe should be prepared with those secret ingredient and posted every mid of month..  And for June month, I was paired with Shree Rao and she gave me "Tomato and Lemon" as my secret Ingredients. Thank you Shree Rao :)

And Coming to Today's Recipe....

Personally I feel,Cooking for kids is a big task to make them eat all veggies but I love to innovative recipes to make them eat in any form. As long it goes into their tummy,am happy and I know that all mothers feel the same. Tried these flavorful Pulao last week, for my kid who loves paneer alot but hate veggies. To add nutrition in his meal and make it more healthy, added ground veggies in this pulao. But trust me, it really enhanced the flavor of the pulao and it tasted delicious. My kid loved it and what else can make a mother happy :) 

Very simple and healthy pulao with no extra spices. Easy to make and a perfect Lunchbox Recipe.





Ingredients :

  • 50 Gms Paneer, cut into small cubes
  • 2 Big Onions, chopped
  • 2 Tomatoes, chopped
  • 1 Capsicum, chopped
  • 1 Cup Rice, Basmati
  • 2 Tbsp Oil
  • 2 Tbsp Ghee
  • 1 Bay Leaf
  • 1/2 Tsp Garam Masala
  • 1 Tsp Chilli powder
  • 1 1/2 Tsp Coriander powder
  • 1/2 Tsp Turmeric powder
  • 1 Tsp Jeera Powder
  • Salt to taste
  • 2 Tsp Lemon Juice
  • 2 Cups Water
  • Few mint leaves, for garnishing


Method :

  • Soak Rice before starting the cooking process.
  • Grind chopped onions, tomatoes and capsicum together into fine paste and keep aside.
  • Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add paneer cubes. 
  • Fry it for couple of minutes in a simmer flame or till the color change.
  • Once done, remove from the flame and keep aside.
  • Now add bay leaf in the same pan followed by the Onion-Tomato-Capsicum paste.
  • Saute well for couple of minutes or till the raw smell goes off.
  • Add Turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, Jeera powder, Garam masala and salt, mix well.
  • Add the fried paneer and cook till the oil separates from the masala.
  • Meanwhile, wash and drain the soaked rice. 
  • Add rice to the masala followed by lemon juice and mix well.
  • Add the measured water, mix and close the lid.
  • Cook in a simmer flame for 20 minutes or till the rice gets cooked.
  • Once done, mix well slowly without breaking the rice.
  • Garnish with fresh mint leaves and serve hot.




Serving Options :

Serve hot with Raita and Chips.







Sending this recipe to "100 Kids Lunch Box Recipe Book" Event !