Grated Carrot and Mung Sprouts Salad
Hey All, I'm back from my long vacation to India. I really had a great time enjoying Indian food, the recipe I shared here is very easy and healthy. I have used the uncooked Sprouted mung, my mom is so against of cooking or just steaming the sprouted mung and she claims that 90% of the good quality will die in that process. I have added a spoon of lemon juice to get the 'Zing effect', if you are allergic to lemon, replace it with vinegar.

Ingredients:
Grated Carrot - 1 cup
Sprouted Mung- 1 cup
Grated Coconut- 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 2 tsp
Salt - a pinch
Oil- 1 tbsp
Curry leaves-5
Cumin- 1 tbsp

Method:
Heat oil, add the cumin and curry leaves, keep aside.
Mix the grated carrot, coconut, sprouted mung with lemon juice and salt.
Add the cumin and curry leaves, gently mix well.
That's it! ready to munch.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009 | Category: | 1 Foodies Review

Vegetable Biriyani
Vegetable Biriyani - The most exotic, rich and delicious dish found in all parts of India, but with a different version! The biriyani calls for any dry vegetables you have in hand, adding a pinch of saffron at the end really completes this dish. But many won't prefer to use saffron including my mom :) Presenting my version of vegetable biriyani.
Ingredients:
Vegetables - Any(carrots,beans,potato, cauliflower)
Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch
Fennel Seeds - 1tbsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2tbsp
Shallots - 10
Onion - 2
Tomato -1
Green/red chillies- 3
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Salt
Ghee- 2tbsp
Aniseed - 1tbsp
Basmati rice - 2 cups
Bay leaf - 1
Yogurt - 2tbsp
Cloves- 3
Biriyani powder - 1 tbsp(optional)
Cinnamon- 1 stick
Cardamon- 2
Preparation:
Grind the shallots, ginger garlic, mint, coriander, chillies, 2 cloves, aniseed,half cinnamon stick, tomato to fine paste.
Wash and dry the rice, heat ghee in a pan, fry the rice for 3 mins and keep aside.
heat oil in a heavy bottom pan, add the remaining cinnamon stick, bay leaves,cloves,cardamon and onion, fry till the onion turns to slight golden brown.
Mix the vegetables and add salt, biriyani powder(optional), turmeric, coat the vegetables with all spices, let it cook for 5 mins.
Introduce the ground paste and yogurt,mix well with all vegetables for 2 mins.
Add the fried rice and 4 cups of warm water.
You can add saffron at this point.
Close the pan lid and let it cook for 8 mins in medium heat.
Yumm!! Biriyani is ready :)
Note: Cooking time varies from rice to rice, you can add more water and increase the cooking time as per your choice.
Friday, November 21, 2008 | Category: | 0 Foodies Review

Yogurt Curry
Yogurt Curry or Moor Kuzhambu is the most soothing curry, specially in summer. I like to make this curry even in freezy winter too :)
It can be prepared with or without vegetables(okra, snake gourd or bottle gourd...etc)

Ingredients:
Yogurt - 2 cups
Channa dhal- handful
Yellow lentils - handful
Garlic - 3
Ginger - 2 spoons
Cumin - 1tbsp
Grated coconut - 2tbsp
Chopped Onions - handful
Shallots - 6
Mustard seeds - 1tbsp
Red Chilly - 1
Pepper - 1 tbsp
Green chillies - 2
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Salt

Preparation:
Soak the channa dhal and yellow lentil in hot water for an hour.
Grind the lentils, garlic, grated coconut, chopped onions, chillies, whole peppers to fine paste.
Heat oil in a pan, add cumin, mustard seeds, red chilly, shallots fry till the onion turns golden brown.
Add any vegetable and fry till it gets cooked.
Mix the ground paste and add turmeric and salt, fry till the raw smell subsides.
Add the Sour yogurt and remove from heat after one minute.
Serve with Rice and spicy potato fry.
Monday, November 17, 2008 | Category: | 1 Foodies Review

Metoo - Metoo
Let me share a Joke, which I read in Baltimore metro today's news paper . Okay, I said it's JOKE.. so you gotta laugh!! Ha ha ha...
Wednesday, October 29, 2008 | Category: | 0 Foodies Review

Okra Curry
It's been a while since I made Okra curry, so I thought of making it for today's lunch.

Ingredients:
Okra chopped - 2 cups
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green chillies - 1
Garlic - 5
Red chilly powder- tbsp
Coriander powder- 1 tbsp
Cumin powder- 1 tbsp
Garam masala - 1 tbsp
Turmeric powder- 1tsp
Curry leaves- 5
Tamarind Paste- 1tbsp
Cilantro - bunch

Preparation:
Heat oil in a pan, add green chillies, chopped garlic, curry leaves, onion and fry till onion turns golden brown.
Mix the chopped tomato, and salt. let it cook for 2 mins.
Add the spices and chopped okra. Mix gently to coat the okra in all the spices.
Add some water if its too thick, and tamarind paste. Let it Cook for 10 mins.
Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice :)
Monday, October 27, 2008 | Category: | 2 Foodies Review

Vegetable Pattie
This vegetable Pattie is very simple and can be made in 25 mins with any sort of vegetables :)) In India, it's called as Vegetable Cutlet. It can be taken as a snack or as a breakfast with burger buns. I just love this with ketchup.
Ingredients:
Fresh bread slices - 2
Egg - 1 (optional)
Milk or Water- 1 tbsp
Boiled Vegetable - 2 cups (I used potatoes, peas, beans)
Cumin - 1tsp
Red Chilly powder - 1 tsp
salt
Ginger garlic paste - 1tbsp
turmeric powder - 1tsp
Fennel seeds- 1 tsp (optional)
Garam masala - 1 tbsp
Pepper powder - 1tsp

Preparation:
Mix the fresh bread pieces with egg and milk or water. Let it soak for few mins and mash it in to paste.
Add the spices(cumin, fennel seeds, red chilly, turmeric,salt,pepper powder,garam masala, ginger garlic paste) in to the boiled vegetables.
Mash it well.
Mix the mashed vegetables and mashed breads together well.
Take a spoonful and place it in hot skillet greased with oil.
After a minute turn around to other side, heat till it turns just golden yellow.

AND.... the hot patties/cutlets are ready to eat. Enjoy with Ketchup.
Saturday, October 25, 2008 | Category: | 1 Foodies Review