Dill Pakoda.

Dill is a great herb! I think spring is the season for some fresh Dill available in abundance.
I as a child could not stand the smell of Dill... But these days I just love the herb. It has a beautiful sweet smell and taste.
I have posted a Dill-pulao recipe in my blog some time ago.. So this is a new recipe even for me.
I just had an abundance of Dill at home, somewhere during my childhood I remember having
"bonda" a South Indian recipe having Dill in it, I have recreated this recipe from that.

Ingredients:
Fresh Dill Bunch- 1.
Medium size Onion-1.
Chilly-1.
Red Chilli powder- 1 tsp.
Besan flour- 1/ 2 cup.
Rice flour- 2 tsp.
Water.
Salt.
Oil to fry.

Method:
In a large bowl, take finely chopped Dill, Onion and Chilli.
To this mixture add besan and rice flour followed by red chilli powder.
Salt to taste.
Combine the ingredients well by adding water, little at a time, to make a thick batter.
In the mean time heat oil in a pan to deep fry this batter.
Once the oil is hot, test by dropping a small piece of batter into the oil, if it raises to the top immediately then the oil is ready to fry.
Drop a spoon full of batter into the hot oil to make one pakoda ( depending on the quantity of oil fry few pakodas at a time do not overcrowd the pan).
Fry them on medium high flame turning them now and then to cook evenly on all sides.
Once they are golden brown they are ready to come out.
Drain the excess oil using a paper towel, the pakodas are ready.
Eat them as is or serve them with ketchup.

Butterfly pasta!

Pasta is a dish which is filling, yummy and pleases kids and adults alike. I have tried different shapes of pasta, but was not sure what to do with the butterfly pasta.. There was this one box of butterfly pasta lying around for a long time. I came across this recipe on a website and it seemed to be really interesting. Tried it and was yummy!!!

Ingredients:
Butterfly pasta- 1 box.
Broccoli - 1 large cup, finely chopped
Red onion- 1 small.
Bell pepper- 1 small.
Olive oil-2 table spoon.
Chili flakes- 1 tsp( adjust per taste).
Garlic - 1 pod.( crushed)
Parmesan cheese( as per taste).
Salt and Pepper.

Method:
Chop the veggies, and keep them ready. Cook the pasta in salted boiling water till they are aldente, drain and keep aside.
 Simultaneously when the pasta is cooking, in another large pan, add olive oil, once the oil is hot add the pepper flakes, garlic and onions into the hot oil and fry them for 2 mins. Then add the chopped slices of bell pepper and fry for another 2 mins.
Finally  add the chopped broccoli and fry for 6-8 mins. Season them with salt and pepper.
To this fried mixture add the cooked pasta and mix well, check for seasoning. Grate some cheese and mix well.
This pasta can be served hot or cold.
Enjoy!!!

Chocolate cup cake, with chocolate butter cream frosting(eggless).

Wishing all my readers a very happy new year. Starting off the new year with a sweet recipe.
Cup cakes are kids and adults favorite alike. I have tried this recipe with different types of frostings, since my kids love chocolate, I have made chocolate cup cake with chocolate frosting.
Here is the recipe.

Ingredients: For cake.
Dry Ingredients:
All purpose flour- 1-1/2 cup.
Granulated sugar- 1 cup.
Unsweetened coco powder-1/3 cup.
Baking soda- 1/2 teaspoon.
Salt-1/2 teaspoon.

Wet ingredients:
Canola oil- 1/2 cup.
Water- 1 cup.
Apple cider vinegar-1 table spoon.
Vanilla extract- 1 teaspoon.

Method:
First, pre-heat the oven to 350°F.
Mix the dry ingredients with wet ingredients to form a smooth batter.
Coat the paper cups with non stick spray or oil for smooth removal of the cup cakes.  Add the batter into the cup cake molds, do not fill the mold till brim, leave room for the cakes to rise, fill up to 3/4 of the mold.
Place the molds into the oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
Check for done, by sticking a tooth pick in the centre of the cake, if it comes out clean, cup cakes are ready to come out.
Allow them to cool completely and frost.

Ingredients for frosting:
Butter( softened): 2 sticks (1 Cup).
Confectionary Sugar: 1cup.
Chocolate chips-3/4 cup.
Vanilla extract-1 teaspoon.

Method:
In a large bowl, take softened butter, and whisk using a hand beater or spatula. Melt the chocolate chips in the microwave, takes about 2 minutes (keep checking for every 30 seconds and mix), let it cool.
Once the butter is in a creamy consistency add sugar, vanilla extract, melted/cooled chocolate and mix to form a smooth cream. If the frosting is too soft leave it in the fridge for sometime.
Using a spatula or any decorative frosting pipes, frost the cup cakes.
Yummy cup cakes are ready!!!

Note: Use any cooking oil of your choice, avoid strong flavored ones.

Refer:
http://www.spiceupthecurry.com/chocolate-cupcakes-egg-less/

Masala Macaroni.

We all are familiar with the kids extreme fondness of Mac and cheese... keeping this in mind and trying to make it more fun and nutritious ended up trying this masala macaroni!!!!
Thanks to my kids and their friends for trying it the first time I made this recipe, they really liked it.






Ingredients:
Macaroni pasta- 2 cups.( cooked to andante)
1 small onion.
1 large tomato.
1 small cup of frozen mixed veggies of corn,carrots, and peas.
1 tsp tomato paste.
1 tsp chili flakes.
1 tsp Italian seasoning.
1 large green chilli(optional).
Salt.
Oil.

Method:
Start by preparing all the veggies-chop onion and tomato and slit the chilli into two.
Cook the macaroni pasta to aldante(in salted water).
In a large pan, heat oil and once the oil is hot, add chilli flakes followed by onion. Fry till onion turns translucent.
Add the chopped tomatoes and frozen veggies and continue frying till the veggies turn soft, lastly add tomato paste and Italian seasoning. Fry till the mixture looks like a gravy.
Finally add the cooked macaroni and mix well, adjust the salt and serve hot.
Good to eat on a cold day.

Beets(Beetroot) Biryani!

            I had very few recipes to try with beets, generally made a dry curry or kootu. Beets are rich in their nutritive value and it is good to use them frequently in our diets. This recipe really comes in handy, and it tastes good. I have tried this recipe a couple of times. Do try it.

Ingredients:
Beets- 2( medium size beets).

Onion- 1 medium.

Tomatoes - 1 large.

Cilantro- 1 cup, finely chopped.

Mint- 1 cup, finely chopped.

Green chili- 2 nos.

Chilli powder- 1 tsp.

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp.

Peas- 1 cup.

2-3 pieces of the following spices- Cinnamon,Clove, bay
/Pulao leaves.

1 spoon each of cumin, somp and coriander seeds.

Cardamom- 1.

Curd- 1/2 cup.

Rice- 2 cups.

Oil- 5-6 tbsp.

Salt.

Water.

 

Method:          

Prep the vegetables.

First of all chop the beets into 1 inch cubes and keep aside. Rough Chop the mint and cilantro leaves. Slice the onion and chop the tomatoes. Slit the chillies into two.

To cook use a pressure cooker.

Heat oil in a cooker, and add all the dry masalas one after the other, be careful as they may pop.
 

Next add onions and fry them, followed by beets, tomatoes, and peas.

Continue to fry by adding the ginger garlic paste, followed by mint and cilantro. 

Add the chilli powder and finally the curd. Mix well.

To make the rice really fluffy soak the rice in water for 10-20 minutes before cooking.

I have used sona masoori rice, you can also try the basmati rice. Add the rice to the cooker  and stir so that all the    ingredients coat the rice well.  

Add 2 cups of water( or less if you want it fluffy) and cook for 2-3 whistles. 

Allow the cooker to cool down completely.  Beets Biryani is ready to serve with Raita. 

Note:
Adjust the chilli powder according to your taste.
Pressure cookers have different cooking time to make the rice fluffy so cook accordingly.

Cashew Burfi.

Happy Dassara to all my readers! Festive season means, lot of yummy dishes and many get-togethers with family and friends. It is a tradition during Dassara to make prasadam and offer it to God and distribute it to everyone who visits us that day. One such recipe was this Cashew Burfi.
It is a quick n easy dessert which requires very less time, and minimum ingredients.

Ingredients:
Cashew nuts: 1 cup.
Sugar: 1 cup.
Ghee:1-2 spoons.
Saffron threads: 2-4.
Parchment paper.

Method:
Take a cup of cashews, and grind it into a fine powder, take care not to over grind the cashews as it may turn oily and sticky.
In a heavy bottom pan, dissolve sugar and make it into a syrup.(does not have to get any string consistency).
Once the sugar is dissolved, add the cashew powder and mix well.
Allow the mixture to cook and get thick, make sure to keep stirring so it does not burn at the base. Now its time to add the saffron threads.
 After a few minutes the mixture would slowly get thicker and start leaving the sides of the pan. At this point, add ghee and transfer onto the parchment paper. Allow the mixture to cool for few minutes. Cover the mixture completely with parchment and press using a rolling pin to make a thin sheet.
Cut the sheet into desired shape, and decorate it with edible silver foil or cashew bits.
Cashew Burfi is ready to serve.

Crispy, Spicy Nipattu/ Thattai.

Weather and food always go hand in hand, our food habits change as seasons change. After all the cold salads, smoothies and ice creams for the summer months, we are slowly moving to Fall. The days are short followed by long cold nights. I would love to have a crispy Nipattu with a cup of hot coffee for the evening snack....

To make these nipattus, we need:

 

 Ingredients:
Rice flour: 1 cup
Peanut: 1/2 cup (coarsly ground)
Fried Bengal gram: 1/2 cup
Red chilli powder: 1 tsp
Salt
Hot oil: 1 tbsp
Oil to fry
Water as required

Method:
To begin, take 1/2 cup of fried Bengal gram and grind it into a fine powder. In the same mixer add the peanuts and just give a pulse so that the peanuts are ground into a chunky powder.

Heat oil to deep fry.

In a mixing bowl, take 1 cup of rice flour, the ground mixture, chilli powder, salt and mix well.
To this add 1 table spoon of hot oil, mix well with the flour mixture.

Add required quantity of water to make a stiff dough. The dough should not be too hard or watery, it should not stick to the fingers. Once the dough is mixed add more oil to the surface to keep it moist.

Take a sheet of plastic or a banana leaf and grease it well. Take a lemon size ball of dough and spread the dough using the fingers into small discs, make a hole in the centre and carefully drop them into hot oil, deep fry till golden brown on a medim flame.
Crispy nipattus are ready. These nipattus can be stored for a few weeks in an air tight container and enjoyed.