Hema's recipe: Sambhar Powder

This is my mom's version of sambhar podi. This is her unique way of doing this podi which is quite different. She does it once in 3 months and stores it.

It hardly takes 10 minutes to do this powder if you have all ingredients with you.


Ingredients:

1) Toor dal - 200 gms
2) Channa dal - 150 gms
3) Pepper - 50 gms
4) Mustard - 50 gms
5) Fenugreek seeds - 50 gms
6) Chilli powder - 400 gms
7) Coriander powder - 200 gms
8) Turmeric powder - 100 gms

Method:

1)Heat a kadai and dry roast the ingredients 1-5.
2)Each one should be added separately and roasted separately until a nice aroma comes.
3)Be careful with mustard & pepper as it will sputter.
4)Take all the roasted items in a plate and let it cool for sometime.
5)Grind these items in a blender to a nice powder.
6)Now take a large bowl. Add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder and add these grinded powder to this bowl.
7)Now take a big spoon and mix them well.
8)Store it in an airtight container.
9)This will remain fresh for 3 months.

Hema's recipe: Banana-walnut muffins

I have never eaten muffins untill I came to US. Here, in my hotel they keep muffins and I just love them. Just thought why don't I give a try baking these cupcakes by myself.

So I just tried it with banana and to make it crunchy I just added walnuts. It came out really well and the plates in which I had kept muffins were empty in a minute.


Ingredients:


1) Allpurpose flour - 1 cup
2) Medium bananas - 2
3) Baking powder - 1 tsp
4) Baking soda - 1tsp
5) Salt - 1/8 tsp
6) Light brown sugar - 1/3 cup
7) Melted butter - 1/3 cup
8) chopped walnuts - 1/2 cup(Reserve a few for sprinkling on top)



Method:

1)Preheat the oven to 350 F.
2)Sift together allpurpose flour,baking powder,baking soda and salt.
3)Mash bananas and add the brown sugar and melted butter.
4)Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and slightly mix till they incorporate well.
5)Fold in the chopped walnuts.
6)Pour the batter into the muffin tray till three-fourths. Sprinkle a few walnuts on top of each muffin.
7)Bake them for 20-25 minutes. Check with a fork or tooth-pick and it should come out clean.
8)Remove the muffin tray from the oven and let it cool off for few minutes.
9)Serve the delicious muffins.

Madhu's recipe: Methi Malai Mutter

Ingredients:

1) 1 bunch of methi leaves
2) 1/2 cup mutter/peas
3) 1 onion (finely chopped)
4) 1 tomato (finely chopped)
5) 1.5 tspn coriander powder
6) 1 tspn chilli powder
7) 1 tspn cumin seeds
8) 1/4th tspn turmeric powder
9) 1/2 tspn ginger gralic paste
10) fresh cream 1 tblspn
11) 1 tspn garam masala
12) Salt to taste

Method:

1. Clean methi leaves , soak them in water with little salt for 10 min. This will take out the bitterness from the leaves.
2. In a pan add oil, once its hot, add cumin seeds, fry for few seconds, then add chopped onions. fry till onions are translucent.
3. Now add ginger garlic paste, fry for few seconds, then add tomatoes. Cook till tomatoes are cooked.
4. Now add coriander powder, chilli powder, turmeric powder, garam masala powder, fry for few seconds. Add enough water and cover it and cook it for 10 min.
5. Now once the raw smell disappears, add peas, methi leaves, enough salt, cook it for further 3-5 min.
6. Finally garnish with fresh cream on top. Serve hot with roti/paratha.


Please note: If Frozen peas is used, it can be directly added to the gravy as mentioned above.
If fresh peas is used, it has to be pressure cooked first, then add it to the gravy as mentioned.

Hema's recipe: Kondakadalai/chickpeas sambhar

Chickpeas/kondakadalai is rich in proteins and are considered more nutritious. It forms a healthy food for diabetic patients.

I frequently soak channa overnight and in the morning I put it in an airtight container and keep it in the freezer and it remains fresh for more than 15 days.

When I told this to my neighbour, Chitra, she gave me the idea of doing Kondakadalai sambhar. I heard it for the first time and tried her recipe. It came out so well that I thought of posting it in the blog.

when there is shortage of any vegetables this sambhar comes handy.

Thank you chitra for giving me this recipe and here goes the recipe.


INGREDIENTS:

1) Chickpeas/kondakadalai - 1/2 cup
2) Onion - 1
3) Tomato - 1
4) Musatrd - 1/2 tsp
5) jeera - 1 tsp
6) Green chilli - 3 nos.
7) Sambhar powder - 1 tsp.
8) Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
9) Coconut - 3 tsp
10) Salt to taste
11) Curry leaves - a few
12) Water - as required
13) Coriander leaves - a few


METHOD:

1) Soak chickpeas in water overnight and pressure cook it.
2) Grind coconut, jeera, greenchilli to a fine paste and keep it aside.
3) Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard & jeera and when it sputters add onion and fry them till translucent.
4) Now add tomatoes and fry them for sometime.
5) Add sambhar powder and salt and mix them well.
6) Now add water and when it comes to a boil add chickpeas. Let it boil until the raw smell goes off.
7) Finally add that grounded coconut paste and keep for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
8) Garnish with coriander leaves and serve the delicious sambhar with rice.

Hema's recipe: Papdi chaat

Chaat is one of the most popular snacks and generally sold by street vendors all over India.

Papdi chaat is a crispy snack garnished & served with spices and tangy chutney along with yoghurt which makes you crave for more and more papdis.

A unique feature of papdi is that you can store the papdis in airtight container for a month.

Me and my husband enjoys eating papdis and I often make it for evening snacks.


INGREDIENTS:

For Papdi:

1) Maida - 1 cup
2) Rava/sooji - 1/4 cup
3) Salt - 1/2 tsp4) Oil - for frying
5) Water to knead the dough



For garnishing the papdi:

1) Potato – 1 medium(boiled, peeled & diced)
2) Chickpeas/kondakadalai - 1/4 cup
3) Yoghurt - 3/4 cup (beaten)
4) Chaat masala - to garnish
5) Red chilli powder - to taste
6) Tamarind chutney - to taste
7) Salt - as required
8) Thin sev - 1/2 cup


METHOD:
How to make papdi:

1)In a bowl add the maida, rava, salt and oil(2 tsp) and make it like a chapathi dough by gradually adding water.
2)Cover the dough and it should rest aside for few minutes.
3)Now take one lemon sized ball from the dough and roll it like chapathi.
4)Make 3-4 long strips from the rolled dough and cut into square shaped pieces with the help of a knife.
5)Prick square shaped papdi pieces with fork so that it does not gets puffed up.
6)Heat oil in a pan and fry these papdis. Fry till they are golden brown on both sides.
7)Now the papdi is ready.

How to serve with garnishing:

1)Arrange the papdis in a plate.
2)Mash the chickpeas and add salt to the beaten yoghurt.
3)Place a slice of potato on each papdi and chickpeas on top of these potatoes.
4)Add yoghurt over them.
5)srinkle chaat masala powder, red chilli powder on them.
6)Add Tamarind chutney on top of it.
7)Finally sprinkle sev and serve immediately.


Variations:

1)Papdis can be cut into your desired shapes round, diamonds etc.
2)Cilantro chutney can also be added to papdis.
3)Roasted cumin powder can also be added.

Hema's recipe: Coriander Rice/Kothamali saadam

I just love to eat variety rice. I always like to try different variety of rice. As I made Carrot rice I was searching in the net for some other rice.

I came across this coriander rice from sailusfood. I liked it and gave it a try. It was awesome!!!!!! The grated coconut added when grinding gives a nice flavour and taste.
I just loved it. But I changed the recipe a little according to my taste.

Here goes the recipe.




INGREDIENTS:

1) Rice - 1 cup(preferably basmati rice)
2) Coriander leaves - 1 big bunch
3) Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
4) Green chillis - 3 nos.
5) Cloves - 3 nos.
6) Cinnamon - 1" piece
7) Cardamom - 2 nos.
8) Bay leaf - 1 no.
9) Ginger - 1" piece
10) Jeera - 1/2 tbsp
11) Ghee - 2 tbsp



METHOD:

1) Wash and soak the rice in water for half an hour.
2) Wash the coriander leaves and chop them.
3) Grind the coconut, ginger, jeera, greenchilli along with chopped coriander into a fine paste.
4) Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add cloves,cinnamon,cardamom,bay leaf and fry for few seconds.
5) Add the grounded coriander paste and fry for few minutes.
6) Then add rice and mix well. Now add salt.
7) Add 2 cups water, srinkle lime juice and pressure cook it for 2 whistles.
8) Serve it with any raita.



Variations:

1)According to your spice, adjust the green chillies.
2)you can also add tomatoes or peas in this rice. But I like to eat it as plain green rice & did not add anything.
3)Lime juice is added so that the rice grains remain separate and fluffy.

Hema's recipe: Semiya Payasam

Semiya payasam is a traditional south Indian dessert made on all special occasions. It is very easy and simple to make. It is prepared with milk and vermicilli.

This is my most favourite payasam.

INGREDIENTS:

1) Semiya/vermicilli - 1 cup
2) Milk - 1 cup
3) sugar - 1 cup
4) Cashews - few nos.
5) Raisins - 1 tbsp
6) Cardamom powder - 1 tsp.
6) Ghee for frying

METHOD:

1)Take a pan heat ghee and fry cashews & raisins until golden brown and keep it aside.
2)In the same pan add semiya and fry until golden brown.
3)Take a vessel and boil little water and add this fried semiya. Let it boil for sometime. Stir well with spoon. To know whether it is boiled or not take 1 piece and see. If it breaks into two then it is cooked.
4)Add sugar and stir well. Adjust sugar according to your taste.
4)Now add milk and keep for 5 mins.
5)Finally add cashews, raisins & cardamom powder and serve.