Hello Blogging world (Sweet modakam/vella kozhukattai)

Good to be back on my toes again- with so much going on, I had to take a temporary leave from blogging. I missed it terribly :( Now I am  back.... There is a religious tradition that I love observing called "Sankata hara chaturthi". This is a fasting ritual for Lord Ganesha who will drive away your worries. A good way to please my ganesha is to prepare his all time favorite delicacy- Modak! More than lord Ganesha, I am fond of this sweet and have the tendency to gorge on it shamelessly :P (all in god's name..). It is a simple preparation made out of Jaggery, rice flour and coconut. If you haven't tried it so far, you have no idea what you are missing!!!

Small little sweet modaks (vella kozhukattai/vella kolukattai) 


Steamed sweet dumplings-:

Ingredients-

Rice flour - 2 cups
Jaggery - 1 cup
Grated coconut- 1 cup
Cardamom powder (dash of it for flavoring)

Preparation-

Dough preparation-

• Boil two cups of water in a wok. As it begins to boil, add one spoon vegetable oil and switch off your gas.
• Remove the boiling water from your stove and stir in the rice flour slowly.
• Keep mixing the flour with water till it becomes a smooth dough.
• If your dough is too watery and sticky, add a bit of flour to achieve consistency. Alternatively, if your dough is too dry, add a bit of water to achieve good consistency.

Filling preparation-

• Usually we get jaggery in blocks or chunks from store. Crush them with a rolling pin to a powder consistency.
• On a low flame, melt the jaggery in a pan.
• As it starts to melt, add grated coconut and cardamom. Mix thoroughly till the coconut gets incorporated into jaggery.

Final preparation- 

• Take a small ball of rice flour and flatten it with your hand.
• With your fingers press the middle portion of the flattened dough so that it resembles a small cup.
• Fill about half a spoon of the filling in middle.
• Close the dough with the filling in middle and shape the top to a small pointed dome.
• Prepare the rest of the dough the same way (with filling in middle).
• Steam them for about 8-10 minutes- Enjoy!

No fuss, flavorful couscous salad

I am not a salad person. Sad, but true... However, I am trying to work on my salad eating skills! Yesterday, for lunch, I got a bowl of ready-to-go couscous salad from the store. I loved the flavors and what caught my attention was the combination of couscous and chickpeas. Really delicious....I then recreated the salad with a hint of cumin and coriander spices and it gave a magical touch to my salad. Working with couscous is so easy. No fuss at all!

Ingredients-

couscous - 1 cup

1 small red onion- chopped finely

chick peas -1/2 cup

carrot - 1/2 cup shredded

parsley - 1 tbsp

1/2 cup shredded celery

garlic- 2 cloves (finely chopped)

ginger - grated, 1/2 tsp

salt (according to taste)

cumin seeds - 1 tsp (crushed lightly)

coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

lemon juice - 2 tbsp

olive oil - 3 tbsp

crushed black pepper- 1/2 tsp

Preparation-

Place couscous in a large bowl. Bring around 1 1/2 cups of water to boil. As the water starts boiling, remove from fire and pour it over couscous and cover the bowl. Allow it to steam for five minutes. Couscous will absorb the water and soften. After five minutes, gently separate the couscous grains with a fork and ensure they are not sticky. Add carrots, onion, garlic, ginger, parsley, chickpeas and celery. Toss the couscous well with the vegetables and chickpeas. In a separate bowl, mix lemon juice, olive oil, coriander powder, crushed cumin seeds, black pepper and salt. Combine well, till the spices are incorporated in the oil. Pour this oil mixture to couscous and mix them thoroughly. Serve and enjoy your salad!

Raw banana curry/poriyal

I love raw bananas- My mom is an absolute genius when it comes to making something delicious out of them! I have literally grown up gorging on the stir fry she would make of raw bananas. Funny thing is, my husband hates them :( - He abhors raw bananas and I seldom cook them. The other day, I was shopping and found these gorgeous looking green bananas. I don't like to cook for myself but then I decided to treat myself with a stir fry that would make my mom proud. So, this dish is just for my taste buds and boy did they feel pampered :) - When was the last time you cooked to pamper your own taste buds???

Ingredients-

500 gms Raw bananas
mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
1 green chilli (chopped)
1 dry red chilli broken into two
turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
salt according to taste
curry leaves (couple of leaves, to enhance flavor)
cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Preparation-

Steam the raw bananas (with their skin) till they become soft and tender. Peel the outer skin and discard it.   Chop the inner pulp into cubes or slightly mash them (depending upon the extent to which they have been steamed). In a wok, add oil. Once the oil is hot, add mustard seeds and allow them to sputter. Add red chilli pieces, green chilli pieces and curry leaves. Cook for a couple of seconds before adding the chopped/mashed raw banana pulp. Toss well. Add turmeric powder and adjust salt according to taste. Cook the bananas till light golden brown. Serve with hot steaming rice!

Cardamom buns!

If I had to chose a flavor, I might be very confused between cinnamon and cardamom! I loveeeeeeeee both and can't get enough of them :) - Both are versatile and can be used in sweet bakery items and can simply enhance an Indian gravy. I love cinnamon in my coffee and always drink my milk with cardamom pods in them. This time, instead of using the usual cinnamon, I tried my hand with cardamom and boy, the buns were awesome. Before I start off again with my ramblings on cardamom and cinnamon, here is my recipe for cardamom buns! Enjoy-

Ingredients-

500 gms all purpose flour

50 gms sugar

pinch of salt

30 gms butter (melted)

12 gms dry yeast

2 tsp cardamom powder

1 egg yolk

250 ml warm milk
1/2 cup raisins

Preparation- 

Activate the yeast by mixing it in a small cup of warm water and a tsp of sugar. Set it aside for five minutes. In a separate bowl, mix flour with salt, sugar, raisins and cardamom powder. Start mixing the flour with the help of yeast mixture. Slowly, blend in the egg yolk, melted butter and warm milk. Knead the flour with your hands for five minutes till it gets a good texture. Place the dough in a separate bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to raise for an hour.

Once the dough has risen, knead it for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface. Divide the dough into medium sized balls. Take one dough ball and roll it into a strip. Tie the strip into a knot. Work in a similar fashion on the rest of the dough. Line a greaseproof paper on a baking tray and place your buns on the tray. Cover the tray with a damp cloth and allow the buns to raise a bit for 10-15 minutes. Coat each bun with a bit of butter and pop them in a preheated oven for baking (@ 200 degree celsius). Bake the buns till golden brown. Enjoy!!!

Chilli naan with spicy paneer butter masala

Such a comforting food- naan with paneer gravy. Makes you forget all your worries and simply indulge in the exotic flavorful spices. Most of the people I know love paneer (cottage cheese)- You will love it more when it comes in a rich, spicy tomato gravy- dunk the coriander and chilli naan in this gravy and enjoy an exquisite taste of flavors!

Chilli & Coriander naan-

Ingredients-

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

warm water to knead the dough 

1 1/2 tbsp yoghurt

1/2 tsp sugar

1/2 tsp salt

pinch of baking soda

1 tsp yeast

chopped coriander leaves (1 cup)

finely chopped green chilli pieces (about a tsp) 

Preparation- 

• Dissolve yeast in a small cup of warm water with sugar. Set it aside for five minutes (allow it to froth)
• In a large bowl, mix salt, baking soda and flour. 
• Add yoghurt and start mixing the dough with the help of yeast water. 
• Add warm water and work on the dough for 5 to 10 minutes- Knead till it becomes soft and elastic.
• Place the dough in a clean bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Put it in a warm place and allow the dough to double in size (should take an hour)
• Once the dough has risen, knead it gently for few minutes on a lightly floured surface.
• Divide the dough into medium sized balls.
• Take one dough ball and flatten it to a small circle- sprinkle coriander and chilli pieces in middle and fold the dough into a pouch (with filling in middle).
• Flatten this pouch on a lightly floured surface into a teardrop shape or oval shape.
• Work on the rest of the dough in a similar fashion and place it on a baking tray.
• Brush it lightly with butter and pop them in a pre-heated oven for baking.
• Bake till it is puffy and golden brown in color (@200 degree celsius)

Paneer Butter Masala- (restaurant style)

Ingredients-

250 gms paneer (cut into cubes)

Butter (for cooking)

** Tip- You can fry paneer before mixing it with the gravy. Normally, I use it raw.
If your store paneer is hard and rubbery, chop them in cubes and put them in hot water for a couple of minutes, allow it to soften- then use them in cooking.

For the gravy-

Bay leaf-1

Clove-1

Cinnamon stick -1 (about one inch)

Broken dried red chilli pieces-1

Coriander seeds crushed (1 tbsp)

Chopped tomatoes (3)

One medium sized onion (chopped)

Crushed and chopped garlic - 1 tsp

Grated ginger - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp

Red chilli powder- 1/2 tsp

Fresh cream- 1 tbsp

Kasoori methi leaves crushed (1/2 tsp)

Preparation- 

Heat 3 tbsp butter in a frying pan. Add bay leaf, clove, cinnamon, red chilli pieces and crushed coriander seeds. Fry them for a minute. Add onions, garlic and ginger. Saute them for few seconds. Add tomatoes with red chilli powder and coriander powder. Cook the ingredients till oil leaves the masala. Puree the mixture. Heat about a tbsp of butter in another pan. Add the pureed mixture and cook for a couple of minutes. Add paneer pieces and salt. Add a cup of water and cook the paneer on a low flame for 5-8 minutes. Add kasoori methi and cook the paneer mixture for couple of minutes. Remove from heat and mix in the cream. Serve hot with naan!

Apple & Cinnamon rolls

My baking story begins in a super market- I spot a big sale on apples and buy them without thinking. The burden of impulsive purchase lies heavily on my heart and I try to eat my apples everyday. So, here I am, eating apples in the morning, noon and night- Now, I am sick and tired of eating them. After a week of indulging in apples, I don't even want to look at them. Luckily, there are only three apples left and I don't feel like eating them anymore. They are sitting on my table in a bowl and glaring at me...Finally, I am thinking of using them in a pie? cake? - Guess what happened to my apples??

Viola, Apple Cinnamon rolls-

Ingredients- (for the base)


2 cups flour
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup raisin
1/2 cup milk (warm)
1/4 cup warm honey
1/4 cup melted butter
1 egg
2 1/2 tsp yeast

Ingredients- (for the filling)

1 cup chopped apples (chopped to tiny bits)
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup melted butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup chopped nuts (I used almonds- can use walnuts/pecan nuts)
1/2 tsp cardamom 

Preparation- dough

In a bowl, dissolve yeast in milk, honey and melted butter. Set it aside for five minutes. In another bowl, mix salt and raisins with flour. Pour in the yeast liquid with egg. Slowly, start kneading the flour- Dump the contents on a lightly floured surface and patiently work on the flour for 10 to 15 minutes. Once kneaded, the flour should be smooth and silky. Place it in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel. Allow the dough to raise for an hour.

Preparation- filling

In a bowl, mix apples with cinnamon, cardamom, butter, sugar and nuts. Blend well and keep it aside.

Final preparation- 

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch out the air and knead it gently on a lightly floured surface. With a rolling pin, start rolling out the dough into a flat square. Brush melted butter on the dough. Dump the apple filling in middle and spread it gently on the dough (all around the flat square). Start rolling the dough along the long edge till it is completely rolled up into a big log. You have to do it gently and ensure that the apple filling does not fall out. Slice the dough into equal sized pieces and place it on a baking tray. Cover it with a damp cloth and allow it to raise for 15-20 minutes. Give it a quick egg wash (egg beaten with milk or water). Bake them in a preheated oven @ 175 degree celsius till golden brown. Enjoy!

Rosemary Focaccia

Also known as Italian flat bread, Focaccia is one of my personal favorite. You can mix and match different ingredients and come up with something spectacular.  I got to work again with my favorite herb- rosemary and my whole house smelt so good after baking this :)

Ingredients-

3 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp dry yeast

luke warm water

olive oil

1 small red onion (sliced)
3-4 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped fine)

rosemary leaves

salt (1/2 tsp)
5-6 Black olives (optional)

Preparation-

• Sift the flour and salt in a large mixing bowl. Add in the yeast.
• Pour in warm water, crushed/chopped garlic, olive oil and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface (for good 10 minutes)
• The dough should be smooth and elastic.
• Once done, place the dough in a greased bowl and cover it with a damp tea towel.
• Leave it in a warm place for an hour till it doubles in volume.
• After an hour (when the dough has doubled up), punch the air and knead the dough again for 2-3 minutes.
• Roll out the dough to a large circle (about 1 cm thick)and transfer to a greased baking tray.
• Brush the dough generously with olive oil.
• Sprinkle the sliced onions, chopped rosemary and some salt on the dough (generally sea salt is used- I just used the regular salt) - Press them gently on the dough so that they stick and get embedded.
• Using a finger, make deep indentations in the dough- stick the black olives in a pattern.
• Cover the dough with a plastic wrap and leave it to rise for 30 minutes. 
• After 30 minutes, when the dough has risen a bit, pop it in a preheated oven and bake it for 25-30 minutes (220 degree celsius)
• Serve warm with salad/soup.

Stuffed n Spicy Okra!

Allow me to introduce the slimiest of em' all- Okra (aka lady's finger)! Don't read this the wrong way...It is gooey and when cut has a bit of slimy substance oozing out. If you are put off by its appearance then you are missing one of the tastiest and healthiest green vegetable- Okra contains vitamin A & C and is a good source of iron and calcium. I have always loved okra and it tastes amazing with Indian spices. You can chop them in pieces and stir fry them with Indian spices or you can pamper your taste buds by slitting and filling them with Indian spices and frying them. Also known as 'bharwa bhindi' which literally translates to stuffed okra, it is a very popular Indian dish- Enjoy!

Ingredients-

500 gms Okra
Oil for cooking
Onions- 1 cup (sliced)

Spices required for stuffing-

2 tbsp Coriander powder
2 tbsp Red chilli powder
1 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tbsp Cumin powder
2 tbsp Dry mango powder (amchur)
Salt (according to taste)

Preparation-

• Wash the okra and pat them completely dry. If it is soggy or wet, preparing the dish is difficult.
• Cut the edges from both ends and slit each okra in the middle.
• In a separate bowl mix all the ingredients listed under spices.
• With the help of your fingers or a small spoon stuff the spices in the slitted okra- it is a tedious job and requires a good 20 minutes to carefully stuff the spices inside okra.
• Retain the left over spices separately.
• In a frying pan, heat some oil.
• Add the sliced onions and cook for a minute.
• Add the stuffed okra to the pan.
• Cover the pan and cook on a low heat (stir occasionally)
• When okra is half cooked, add the rest of the spices.
• Cook on a low flame till the okra is deep fried and well cooked.

Mushroom Mattar Paneer

Thick, rich gravy based dish with peas, mushroom and cottage cheese- Who wouldn't love it? It is really flavorful and works great with rice/roti.

Ingredients-

250 gms cottage cheese (cubed)

1 cup frozen peas (thawed)

1 medium sized onion (chopped fine)

1 tomato chopped

1/2 cup mushrooms (sliced)

1/2 tsp grated ginger

3 garlic cloves (crushed and chopped)

1/4 cup cream

Salt (according to taste)

Oil for cooking

Green chilli (1 chopped)

Spices used for flavor-

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1/2 tsp coriander powder

dash of fenugreek leaves

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

1/4 tsp cardamom powder

1 small bay leaf

1/2 piece cinnamon stick

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Coriander leaves chopped (for garnishing- according to taste)

Preparation-

• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds. Fry for a couple of seconds (they will start to sputter). Add cinnamon & bay leaf- allow the oil to absorb the flavor.
• Add garlic, ginger and green chilli pieces- fry for a couple of minutes.
• Mix onions and cook them till they begin to turn golden brown.
• Add tomatoes and cook on a low flame till they become mushy.
• Mix chilli powder, coriander powder, dash of cardamom, garam masala and fenugreek leaves.
• Continue cooking on a medium flame till the oil separates.
• Add a bit of water to make it a bit saucy.
• Add mushrooms, peas to the sauce and adjust salt according to taste.
• After 5 minutes of cooking, add cottage cheese and blend well.
• Pour in the fresh cream and mix well.

Garlic & herb Rolls

This recipe has been adapted from the lovely blogs- Sprinkles of parsley & Torviewtoronto - I just added my own twist to the original recipe. It was a mega success and within minutes all the rolls vanished. You can be super-creative with the recipe and try using different ingredients- I used a combination of Italian herbs, dash of pepper and crushed garlic for the filling- So here goes my version....

Ingredients for the base- (Makes about 8-10 rolls)

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tbsp yeast (dry active yeast)
2 tbsp luke warm water
olive oil (about a tbsp)
1/2 tsp salt
luke warm water for kneading dough

For the filling

4-5 garlic pods minced
5 tbsp unsalted butter (room temperature)
dash of pepper
salt (according to taste)
Italian herb mix- 1 tsp(oregano, basil, thyme, rosemary mix)

Preparation


Combine yeast and sugar in a tablespoon of luke warm water and set it aside for five minutes. The yeast becomes active and froths up. In a separate bowl, mix flour and salt. Add the yeast liquid, olive oil and start kneading the dough with luke warm water. After five minutes of kneading the dough should become smooth and silky. Roll it into a ball and keep it in a clean bowl- cover it with a cling wrap. Allow the dough to raise for an hour. In the meanwhile, we must get our filling ready. In a bowl, combine garlic, pepper, Italian herbs and salt with butter. Mix well and keep it aside. After an hour when the dough doubles up in size, punch the air out and knead it for a couple of minutes on a lightly floured surface.  Roll your dough in a long rectangle and spread the garlic-butter mixture evenly on it. Roll it up along the long edge till it forms into one big roll. Slice the roll into equal sized pieces and place it on a baking tray. Cover it with a damp cloth and allow it to raise for 10 to 15 minutes. Brush the rolls with melted butter. Pre heat the oven to 200 degree Celsius and bake the rolls for 20 to 25 minutes till golden brown. Give enough space for the rolls and don't cramp them. Enjoy!

The perfect coffee companion - Apple n Carrot muffins :)

Carrot and raisin muffins with a steaming cup of coffee tastes heavenly. I still have the taste lingering in my mouth... I am not an avid baker and seldom indulge in baking. Occasionally, I get super inspired to bake and in the heat of the moment, I do some good work ;) Here is one such recipe- it's got em' all- carrot, apple, raisin & nuts (super moist) muffins-

What do we need?

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup yogurt
1/3 cup melted butter
1 medium apple peeled and chopped finely
1/2 cup raisins
1/4 cup chopped cashew nuts
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp cinnamon
dash of cardamom powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
3 eggs

How did I do it?


In a large bowl, mix the flour, salt, baking powder, baking soda and cinnamon. In a separate bowl, beat the eggs together with sugar and slowly mix in the yogurt, apple, carrot, raisins, melted butter, vanilla and nuts. Add the flour to this mixture and blend in the cardamom powder. Stir till it has blended well. Using a spoon, fill in the greased muffin cups with the batter. Bake for around 25-30 minutes in a pre-heated oven @ 175 degree celsius. Once cooled, they taste divine with a steaming cup of coffee. Yum!
(Dust the muffins with powdered sugar-optional)

Beans Paruppu Usili - healthy south Indian dish...

This recipe is my mom's signature dish- Authentic south Indian dish with lentils and vegetables (paruppu usili). The lentils play a lead role and taste magical with green beans. Official verdict? It's healthy and sumptuous! It is generally made at home and hard to find in hotels/restaurants...If you love lentils and green beans, this dish is a must try- Beans Paruppu Usili (Tamil name for this dish)

Ingredients-
500 gms finely chopped green beans
3 red chillies (you can go with less spice and use 2)
1 medium cup Channa dal (yellow split chickpeas without seedcoat)
1 medium cup Toor dal (yellow pigeon peas)
asafoetida powder (pinch/dash)
mustard seeds (1 tsp)
curry leaves 4-5
salt (according to taste)
oil for cooking


Preparation-
The big fuss is on lentils here- You have to soak the lentils in warm water for at least half an hour. Coarsely grind the lentils in a mixer with red chillies and asafoetida powder. Make sure you don't puree it- it has to be lumpy and not a smooth paste. Steam the lentils paste for 5-8 minutes and set it aside. Allow the lentils to cool and crumble them with your hands/spoon. Steam the chopped beans separately. Heat oil in a pan and saute mustard seeds with curry leaves. As the mustard starts to sputter, add the crumbled lentils and saute it for 5 minutes. Add the cooked beans and fry it for 5 minutes. Adjust salt according to taste and enjoy! Some add grated coconut to enhance the taste....

Comforting Tortellini soup

Instead of making my own pasta or even think of making it, I quickly ran to the super market and got a packet of frozen tortellini. A quick soup with dash of all veggies in my fridge took care of the dinner time! I have never tried a soupy tortellini. I always saute it with veggies or eat it with arabiatta sauce. If you are tired and want to spend minimum time in your kitchen with less pressure on "after-cooking" clean up then it's a perfect one-pot recipe (should I say one-pan??)- very comforting with nice flavors and a healthy way to finish your day. Read on....

Ingredients-

1 big cup mixed assortment of veggies (I used mushrooms, beans, shallots, peas, carrots, zucchini)

1 bay leaf (how cannot I use this when I have a food blog titled Flavors??)

5-6 cups of Vegetable broth

1 onion (medium sized) chopped

salt according to taste

1/2 cup crushed canned tomatoes

Frozen tortellini (used spinach and ricotta filled tortellini)

1 tsp dried basil

fresh parsley for garnishing

black pepper to taste

Olive oil to cook

3-4 crushed garlic cloves (I can't cook without my star ingredient)

Preparation-

Heat olive oil in a pot/pan. Saute onions, garlic and other veggies over medium flame (for about 8 min). Add broth, bay leaf, basil, tomatoes and salt to the pot. Bring the soup to a boil over high flame. Mix the tortellini and cook on a low flame for 5-6 minutes. Allow it to simmer well before adding pepper. Toss in the parsley for garnishing. Enjoy!

Breezy Sunday evening snack- Baked rosemary potatoes!

I recently discovered the herb Rosemary- Never had an opportunity to work with it much and when I did get an opportunity, I fell in love with this gorgeous herb! Rosemary is extremely high in Iron & Calcium- so all the more good reasons for me to get pally with this herb :)  Baby potatoes work great with rosemary and bring in the garlic and shallot twist to make an easy peasy snack!

Ingredients-

500 gms baby potatoes (unpeeled)
5 peeled shallots cut in slices or wedges
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
5-6 crushed garlic cloves
salt & pepper according to taste

How did I make it?

Preheat oven to 200 degree celsius. Throughly wash the baby potatoes and mix them with onions, olive oil, rosemary, vinegar and garlic. Toss well till the vegetables are well coated. Grease a baking pan and place the potatoes in the pan. Bake them for about 30 to 35 minutes till the potatoes are completely cooked. Once cooked, remove them from oven and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot with chilli sauce!