- Very healthy recipes from the kitchen to the table in minutes

A mess free and super easy way to making pal payasam is using your oven. You can make it for a family of 4 or for  a party. Its all the sa...

How To Make Rice Kheer/ Pal Payasam In The Oven?

A mess free and super easy way to making pal payasam is using your oven. You can make it for a family of 4 or for  a party. Its all the same effort. No mess, no worries wondering if the milk would spill and over flow. It is super easy and is fool proof. This is the second time I have tried this recipe and I am loving it. The kheer remains white, the rice is uniformly cooked and the aroma of the payasam is perfect. I made two versions of the payasam. One with condensed milk and the other with sugar. The payasam tasted delicious either way. Next time if you want to prepare payasam the stress free method, give this method a try.



Gadgets: 

Baking Dish ( Make sure you have at least 3 quart pan)
Measuring Cup
Tea Filter
Oven
Aluminum Foil

Ingredients: 

Serves 5

Whole Milk / 2 % Milk - 4 cups
Sugar - 1/2 - 3/4 cup  or Condensed Milk - 1/2 cup
Rice - 1/4 cup
Water - To rinse rice
Saffron - a pinch


Preparation:

1. Set the oven to 375 degrees F.

2. Add rice to a tea filter and rinse the rice well.

3. Add Milk and rice to a baking pan, cover with foil  and place in the oven. Bake it for 40 minutes.

4. Add the sugar or condensed milk cover with foil and bake for another 20 minutes. Remove, add saffron and serve it hot or allow it to reach room temperature, chill in the fridge and serve.

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Panini sandwiches is what we order when we eat out. I am not a big fan of non stick pans or appliances. But during the Thanksgiving sale m...

Panini Pesto Tortilla Sandwich

Panini sandwiches is what we order when we eat out. I am not a big fan of non stick pans or appliances. But during the Thanksgiving sale my sister influenced me to check out the panini maker and I decided to buy one after all. Ever since it had entered our kitchen, we have been making full use of the panini maker. We have been making so many variations of the panini sandwiches the last few months. My favorite is the recipe posted below. Just a bunch of vegetables, cheese, spread on a tortilla. Personally, I love the way the panini maker toasts the tortilla, making it crunchy and light. If  I am not in the mood to cook, my family is very happy to settle for these pesto tortillas. In fat, secretly they look forward to it.


Gadgets:

Panini Maker or One grill pan and one heavy pan
Cutting board
Knife
Measuring Spoons

Ingredients:

Vegetables - Spinach, Onions, Tomato, Olive
Pesto - 3 tsp
Mozzarella Cheese - a few slices or as per taste
Ricotta Cheese - 3 tsp
Sun Dried Tomatoes - 1 tbsp


Preparation:

1. Heat the tortilla a little to remove any raw areas. Working on one half of the tortilla spread the pesto, add mozzarella cheese then stack up the veggies, ricotta and sun dried tomatoes. Cover the tortilla with the other half and place it on the panini grill. Grill until its done and serve them hot.

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With the seasoning podi ready, for dinner we enjoyed vazhakkai curry. The poriyal or curry recipe is my mother-in-law's and she makes...

Vazhakkai Podi Curry / Raw Plantain With Seasoning Powder

With the seasoning podi ready, for dinner we enjoyed vazhakkai curry. The poriyal or curry recipe is my mother-in-law's and she makes it so well. The challenge with raw plantain is that, it tends to get dry in spite of cooking it well, especially when it cools. When vazhakkai  is over cooked it get mushy and it does not look very appetizing but might taste fine. It is therefore best when its served hot off the store. By adding podi/ powder to an veggie that is prone to dry up fast it gets kind of tricky for me. But this time, I must say I managed to keep it moist, with the vazhakkai still holding its form.


Gadgets:

Frying Pan
Spatula
Stock Pot
Cutting Board
Knife
Colander
Measuring Spoons

Ingredients:

Serves 4 

Vazhakkai/ Raw Banana - 4 pealed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Water - Enough to soak and cook the raw banana
Salt
Oil - 2 tbsps
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Red Dry Chillies - 2 ( add more for more spice)
Udad Dal - 1 tsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coconut ( optional)- 2 tbsp


Preparation:

1. Cut the vazhakkai and add it to a bowl of cold water. 

2. Boil water in a stock pot and add the vazhakkai and salt and cook until its done. This will be done fast so keep an eye. 

3. Using a colander drain the water well and set the boiled veggies aside.

4. Add oil to a frying pan. Add asafetida, mustard seeds and let it pop. Then add udad dal, red chillies and curry leaves. 

5. Add the boiled veggies and add it to the frying pan and gently mix. Add the seasoning powder and turmeric powder, coconut and mix well so that he vegetable gets coated with the podi. Check to see if more salt is required. 

5. Cover and cook on medium and allow them flavors to blend. Sprinkle some water to allow the podi to stick to the veggie.Serve with mor kozhambu or sambar or rasam or curd rice. 

Note: If the vegetable cools, sprinkle some water and heat it up in the microwave or on stove top. It makes it fluffy and fresh.

12 Comments:

This recipe comes from my new recipe book. In my last trip to India, I bought myself a note book from the local grocery stores which was j...

Poriyal Podi/ Vegetable Seasoning Powder

This recipe comes from my new recipe book. In my last trip to India, I bought myself a note book from the local grocery stores which was just to document my mother-in-law's recipes. She is an awesome cook and often her menu for lunch will be very interesting. The combination of food presented would be very different from what I am used to, but it will all go well together and taste delicious. I am always open to learning and have learnt a lot from her. This podi/ powder recipe is very versatile. She makes this powder and uses them in various dishes. This powder is the basis and additional ingredients can be added to change the taste of any preparation. I made a bottle of this podi so that I can try them in various recipes.


Gadgets:

Frying Pan
Spatula
Measuring Cup and Spoon
Blender

Ingredients:

Channa Dal - 1/4 cup
Udad Dal - 1/4 cup
Coriander Seeds - 1/4 cup
Dry Red Chillies - 2 
Asafetida - a small bit
Oil - 1 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Heat the pan with oil on medium heat. Fry the asafetida in it. Remove the bit and add to the blender.

2. Roast the chillies, channa and udad dal in that oil. Allow it to mix well in the oil then add coriander seeds. Roast until you get a good flavor from the seed and the dal looks well roasted to golden brown. 

3. Cool and blend into a powder. I tend to make it a little coarse because I love the texture it creates in the dish its added to, but you can make it into a fine powder. Transfer to a bottle and store it in you pantry.







7 Comments:

For a month and a half, I have been indulging in the aloo chaat pockets sold at Trader Joes. Its been so perfect for a quick snack. I want...

Baked Aloo Chaat Pockets

For a month and a half, I have been indulging in the aloo chaat pockets sold at Trader Joes. Its been so perfect for a quick snack. I wanted to recreate something similar.I had some leftover boiled potatoes and garbanzo beans in my fridge. For an after school snack, I made the aloo chaat pockets today. I wanted to use mint chutney in the chaat, but instead used fresh mint and cilantro. Served with tamarind sweet chutney, you can enjoy these pockets with a hot cup of chai. 


Gadgets:

Bowl
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Frying Pan
Spatula
Cutting Board
Knife
Rolling Pin
Board
Foil
Baking Tray

Ingredients:

For Making 4 Pockets:

Stuffing Ingredients:

Boiled Potatoes - 2 roughly broken with hands
Garbanzo Beans - 1 cup cooked
Salt
Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1 tsp 
Chaat Masala Powder - 1/2 tsp 
Garlic - 3 cloves minced
Ginger- 1 inch minced
Onion - 1 finely diced
Green Chillies - 1 finely diced ( omit seeds if you do not want extra spice)
Mint Leaves - 1/4 cup
Sweet Tamarind Chutney - 1/3 cup
Cilantro - 1/4 cup
Lemon Juice - a dash
Oil - 1 tbsp plus extra for coating the pockets.

Dough For Pockets:


Bread Flour - 1 cup
Ajwan Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil - 1 tbsp
Ghee- 1 tbsp
Baking Soda - 1/8 tsp
Water - 1/4 cup plus  2 tbsp 


Preparation:

1.Heat a frying pan with oil. Add turmeric, cumin seeds and chilli powder. When the cumin starts to toast add garlic, onion and ginger and give it a toss and allow for the onions to cook.


2. Add salt and garbanzo beans, mix well. Add 1/3 cup sweet tamarind chutney. Then add the mint, chillies, cilantro and mix before adding the potatoes. Add the chaat masala powder and mix well. Allow for the mix to cook for a few minutes. Add some lemon juice. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

3. Set the oven to 425 degrees F. Mix the flour, salt, baking soda and ajwan seeds in a bowl. 

4. Add oil and ghee, rub well into the flour to blend them well with the flour. Then add the water and make a very hard dough. Divide the dough into 4 portions.

5. Roll each portions out into oblong shape. Add sufficient portion of the aloo stuffing to one half of the circle. 

6. Cover the stuffing with the other half. Tightly pinch the corners to seal the pocket. Pat them and try to shape into rectangular log. 

7. Spread some oil all over the pocket and place in a foil lined baking tray.  Bake the pockets for 20 - 25 minutes until the pockets look golden brown. Serve them hot with sweet tamarind chutney.





8 Comments:

Whoever created the kootu recipe, needs great credit.  I can have it everyday and never get bored with it. There are different ways in whi...

Poosanikai Kootu/ White Pumpkin In Coconut Gravy

Whoever created the kootu recipe, needs great credit.  I can have it everyday and never get bored with it. There are different ways in which the kootu can be prepared. It all depends on what you feel like preparing on a particular day. Yesterday I made poosinikai kootu which my husband and I enjoyed a lot.  The cooking time for white pumpkin is very short and hence we can make it easily In this kootu, it is very important to add channa dal. This replaces the need to add other dals.


Gadgets:

Blender
Cutting Board 
Knife
Frying Pan
Spatula
Pan


Ingredients:

White Pumpkin - 3 cups cut into 1/2 inch cubes
Water - 3/4 cup plus 1/4 cup extra
Fresh Coconut - 3 tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 1 
Oil - 2 tbsp
Channa dal - 3 tbsp
Udad dal - 2 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/8th tsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Red Dry Chillies - 1 
Turmeric - 1/4 tsp 
Salt

Preparation:


1. Add pumpkin, 3/4 cup water, salt and turmeric to a pan and cook the pumpkin until it gets transparent. 

2. Blend coconut, cumin seeds and green chillies in a blender. When the pumpkin gets cooked add this paste to the pan.

3. Add some oil to the frying pan. Add asafoetida, mustard seeds, red chillies and allow for the mustard seeds to pop before adding curry leaves, channa and udad dhal. 

4. Add this to the kootu mix and cook on low heat for a few minutes. Garnish with curry leaves. Serve hot with rice, sambar, rasam or curd. 






8 Comments:

These days when you want to grab some lunch on the go, bagel sandwiches are available in most places and they are very delicious. This aft...

Bagel Deli Sandwich

These days when you want to grab some lunch on the go, bagel sandwiches are available in most places and they are very delicious. This afternoon for lunch I made myself a bagel sandwich in less than it takes to place an order of the same at the bagel shop. You can custom make the sandwich and use all your home made chutneys, dressing or butter and have a delicious and healthy sandwich.  Costco now sells Einstein bagels that store very well. I keep them handy for creating a sandwich for lunch or for an after school snack.



Gadgets:

Cutting Board
Knife
Toaster

Ingredients:

Bagel - 1
Spread - Chutney/ Cream Cheese/ Butter/ Balsamic Vinegar/ Cheese
Veggies - Tomatoes/ Avocado/ Spinach/ Lettuce/ Olives/ Onion
Seasoning - Pepper/ Salt/ Italian Seasoning

My pick was cream cheese with spinach, tomatoes, spinach, onion and avocado, seasoned with salt and pepper.


Preparation:

1. Slice the bagel into 2 halves and  toast them.

2. Spread Cream cheese on one half and top them with tomatoes, avocados, onions and spinach.

3. Season with pepper and salt and cover with the other bagel half .

4. Lightly press the bagel and cut the bagel into 2 halves. Enjoy them.

9 Comments:

 I seem to encounter a lot more people suffering from acidity. To get a quick relief from acidity or heart burn or excess gas, the ba...

Few Minute Remedies For Acidity With Baking Soda


 I seem to encounter a lot more people suffering from acidity. To get a quick relief from acidity or heart burn or excess gas, the baking soda in water is a good remedy.The baking soda which is a base will react with the acid in your body and give fast relief. I have tried it many times and it helps a lot especially if acidity is caused by consuming oily, acidic, spicy food or drinking excess tea or coffee.
This is a home remedy and is not a medical advice. 



Gadget:

Glass
Measuring spoon

Ingredients:

Warm Water- 1 cup
Baking Soda - 1/2 tsp

Preparation:

1. Mix the baking soda in the water and drink.








10 Comments:

If you shop at Trader Joe's you might have noticed the 10 minute barley packets on the shelves. I got some last week and decided to ma...

Spiced Barley Salad

If you shop at Trader Joe's you might have noticed the 10 minute barley packets on the shelves. I got some last week and decided to make a warm salad this afternoon for lunch. The barley cooked fast and well. I am glad, I did not have to soak the grains overnight and go through the process. Now we can all enjoy barely in minutes. The salad turned out delicious and I enjoyed a bowl for lunch and dinner. The addition of garbanzo beans added the necessary source of protein and made the salad very filling. A great salad if you have to pack lunch and watch your portions. 





Gadgets:

3 quart stock pot
Spatulas
Frying pan
Cutting Board
Knife
Measuring cups and spoons





Ingredients:

10 Minute Barley - 1 packet
Onions - 1 diced
Garlic - 6 cloves finely minced
Ginger - 1 tsp shredded
Spinach - 2 fists full
Olives - 1/2 cup sliced
Green Chilles - 1 ( add more for extra spice)
Sun Dried Tomatoes ( soaked in oil) - 3 tbsp
Salt
Pepper - Freshly Crushed 1/2 tsp
Dill - 1/2 tsp
Garbanzo Beans - 1 can
Oil - 1 tbsp


Preparation:

1. Cook the barley as per the packet instructions. Otherwise, soak the barley overnight in plenty of water. Drain the water, add fresh water and salt and cook until they are well done. Remove from heat, drain and rinse well and place it in the colander for removing excess water.

2. Heat the frying pan with oil. Add 3 minced garlic and onions to it. Allow for the onions to turn transparent. Add salt, spinach, ginger, dill, pepper, garbanzo beans and sun dried ( remove all the excess oil form it before adding it). Give it a toss and cook on medium heat until the spinach and garbanzo beans gets mixed for 3 minutes.

3. Add chillies, ginger and 3 cloves of minced garlic and give it a toss. Remove from heat. Add barley and mix well. Taste to see if you have enough salt and spice.

P.S: Serve them warm or cool the salad and transfer into containers and store them in the fridge.


12 Comments:

Every time I visit India, one powder that I must pack in my suitcase is sambar powder. My Amma makes awesome powder and the sambar ma...

Sambar Powder : Amma' s Recipe


Every time I visit India, one powder that I must pack in my suitcase is sambar powder. My Amma makes awesome powder and the sambar made from her powder tastes delicious. Every household in south India, have their master recipe and in each house therefore the sambar tastes different, which is  a good thing. The powder is basically made from all the ingredients that u can find in the anjala potti ( spice box). The proportions vary and hence the taste varies. I used all the ingredients from my spice box to make Amma's sambar powder. The same powder can be used for making kootu, kozhambu, rasam, but a spoon of cumin powder needs to be added to the rasam. This recipe makes 3 cups of the measures used.


Gadgets:

Bowl
Measuring Cup
Dry Mix Blender/ Grinder


Ingredients:
Coriander Seeds - 1 cup
Round Red Chillies with their stem - 1 cup
Dry Curry Leaves - 1 cup
Thoor Dal - 4 Tbsp
Channa Dal- 2 Tbsp
Udad Dal - 1 tsp
Pepper- 2 Tbsp
Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds- 2 tsp
Fenugreek Seeds - 2 tsp
Verali Manjal /  Dried Turmeric - 4 sticks
Asafoetida - small marble size


Preparation:

1. Blend all the ingredients into a powder and store in airtight container or in ziploc in the freezer. 



11 Comments:

Before I write down the recipe, I think I have to share the reason as to why, I feel very nostalgic about this pepper avil. In one of my v...

Molagu Avil/ Pepper Poha/ Beaten Rice In Under 10 Minutes

Before I write down the recipe, I think I have to share the reason as to why, I feel very nostalgic about this pepper avil. In one of my visits to Chennai, my husband, daughter and I took a walk to the neighboring grocery store. We were in the store, looking at stuff and had no clue about the rain that was pouring outside. We were stunned when we stepped out and got greeted by a puddle of water ankle high. With no umbrella to protect us from the tropical rain we managed to get into an auto and reach home. My mother in law had no clue that we had stepped out in the rain, but when we reached home drenched in the down pour, she quickly asked us to dry ourselves and she disappeared into the kitchen. It is under such a cold and rainy day, I tasted the pepper avil that she served me in a bowl. It was such a perfect thing to enjoy in that weather. I enjoyed it so much that I make it often. Today, I made it for my Amma for lunch and here is the recipe that my mother in law shared with me.


Gadgets:

Frying pan
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Spatula
Lid

Ingredients:

Poha/ Avil / Beaten Rice - 2 cups
Udad Dal - 2 tsp
Asafoetida - a small bit
Cumin Powder - 1 tsp
Freshly Ground Pepper - 1 1/2 tsp
Red Dry Chillies - 2 
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Coconut - 2 tsp
Curry Leaves - a few
Salt
Water - 4 sprinkles
Oil - 1 tbsp


Preparation:

1. Heat the frying pan with some oil. 

2. Add the avil to a colander, give it a rinse and set it on the counter.

3. Add asafoetida, allow it to fry well in the oil. 

4. Add mustard seeds, allow them to pop, add udad dal and get it lightly toasted. 

5. Add cumin and pepper powder, red dry chillies, curry leaves and coconut. Give it a toss. 

6. Add the avil and salt, give it a toss. Sprinkle 2 fists of water, cover and allow it to steam on low flame for a minute. Add 2 more sprinkles of water. 




10 Comments:

This is a salad that my Amma  made for us all the time. It was simple, tasted delicious and addition of this salad to the menu made it loo...

Carrot Tomato Salad

This is a salad that my Amma  made for us all the time. It was simple, tasted delicious and addition of this salad to the menu made it look like we were having a grand feast. I make it often these days because of its simplicity and to relive the nostalgic memories of Sunday lunch growing up. Today at the farmers market, I found pink carrots. I thought they would be pink when grated, but to my surprise, the interior was orange like a regular carrot. The farmer must have picked the produce early this morning to sell at the farmers market as they appeared very fresh. For lunch, I made this salad as a part of our meal It kind of leaves a clean and fresh taste in the mouth which I enjoy. 




Gadgets:

Cutting Board
Knife
Grater
Bowl


Ingredients:

Carrots - 3 medium grated
Red Onions - 1/4 thinly sliced
Firm Tomato - 1 diced 
Green Chillies - 1/2 thinly sliced
Cilantro - 1 tbsp minced
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Salt


Preparation:

1. Grate the organic carrots with the skin and add it to a bowl. Add red onions, tomatoes, green chilies and cilantro. 

2. Squeeze the lemon juice and give the salad a quick toss. Allow the salad to rest for 10 minutes. Just when you are ready to serve add some salt and serve. The salad will be remain crisp.

10 Comments:

Very excited to start blogging again. Changed my blog layout and I am still working on cleaning it up. Its fun to change the layout once i...

Fenugreek/ Methi/ Vendhaya Keerai Pesto/ Chutney/ Thogayal

Very excited to start blogging again. Changed my blog layout and I am still working on cleaning it up. Its fun to change the layout once in a while. While I was busy making the changes, my sister Sowmya suggested that I try making her friend Madhavi's fenugreek thogayal recipe. I was pleasantly surprised that I liked the flavor of methi in the thogayal, perfect with curd rice or rasam. Another healthy thogayal to enjoy and add to our daily diet. 

Gadgets:

Pan
Spatula
Blender or Food Processor
Measuring Cups and Spoons
Colander
Kitchen towel

Ingredients:

Fenugreek - 1 bundle ( use the leaves and if the stem is tender add them) or 2 fists full
Tamarind - small lemon size
Oil - 1 tbsp
Channa Dal - 3 tbsp
Udad Dal - 1 tbsp
Asafoetida - a small bit
Green chillies - 3 ( red chillies and green chillies can also be used in combination)
Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Pepper - 1/2 tsp
Coriander Seeds - 2 tsp
Salt
Coconut - 2 tbsp
Water - very little for grinding thogayal.



Preparation:

1. Wash the leaves, drain and dry the leaves. 

2. Heat oil in a pan. Add asafoetida, channa and udad dal. When they get lightly toasted, add the cumin, pepper, coriander chillies and roast them well. 

3. Turn the heat and add the leaves on to the pan and mix them well. The leaves will get wilted in the heat. This is very important else a raw taste will show up in the thogayal. Add in the coconut and tamarind. 

4. Grind the thogayal into a paste ( I like it to have some texture) by adding very little water. 

5. Serve with regular meals on the side.







13 Comments: