CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

Hi friends since I was commited with some works for past 4 days and also will be bit busy for another 5 days. I will be missing all your posts and me too very slow in posting. I will catch all your lovely post once I am back with full swing.. Keep tuned with my blog.

Chocolate truffles I know this is everyones favourite particularly for all chocolate lovers. So easy to make and melts in your mouth hah...Enjoy this.........



Ingredients :

Heavy cream - 1/4 cup
Semi sweet chocolate chips - 1 cup
Chocolate bar( chopped) - 1/2 (Any brand I used Hersheys)
Vanilla essence - 1/4 tsp (optional)
Chocolate powder for Dusting - 1/2 cup (I used Hersheys)
Roasted Walnuts finely chopped - 1/2 cup for nuts coating

Method :

1. Melt the chocolate chips, bar and cream in the double boiler.
2. Transfer the melted one to the bowl and add the vanilla essence.
3.Cool in the refrigerator for sometime.
4. Remove and let it be in room temperature for sometime so that it has to be easily moldable to balls.
5. Place the cocoa powder in a dish, make small balls using the chocolate mixture and dust in the cocoa powder. Continue with remaining mixture.
6. Same way you can coat with finely chopped nuts of ur choice. I used walnuts.
7. Serve chilled.
8. Store it in air tight container.




Note :

1. While making balls it will be sticky so use finger tips.
2. Make the balls in one stretch and drop it in their coating things.
3. Once all the balls are done wash hands and dust or coat it with ur clean hand.

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SPICY DAL (KAARAM PAPPU)

Preparation of this dal is very much different from other dal preparation. This can be made spicy according to your spice level. This can be served with rice, regular dosa, uttappam.  I particularly love this and make as a side dish with curd dosa and also with rice.  It is one of our family favourite recipe( my grandmom recipe).


Ingredients :

Toor dal - 3/4 cup

For Tadka :

Ghee - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard - 1 tsp
Curry leaves few
Coriander for garnishing
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp




Spice paste :

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp
Cummin seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilli - 4
Garlic - 3 pods
Pepper - 1/4 tsp
Shallots - 3
Coconut - 2 tbsp scrapped
Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
oil and salt

Method :

1. Pressure cook dal with tsp of oil and turmeric powder.
2. Heat a tsp of oil in a frying pan fry all the spices one by one until they turn slight brown.
3. Then fry the shallots and garlic until light brown add the coconut saute and switch of the gas.
4. Grind it to fine paste adding water.
5. In a vessel add the cooked dal, ground paste. Add little water and check for salt.
6. Let it cook for 5 minutes.  Temper the dal with Ghee, mustard and curry leaves.
7. Garnish with coriander leaves. Ready to serve with rice or dosas.



Note:

1. Coconut is optional adding little will give good taste.

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CURD DOSA(PERUGU DOSA)

This is another interesting Dosa which we make often at our home, its so crispy and delicious. Adding onion, channa dhal and coriander to this makes more tasty and crunchy in every bite. This is one of our favorite dosa and we serve with spicy dal(kaaram pappu) ( grandma's recipe).  you can serve with coconut chutney too The dosa by its own has wonderful flavor. Check out spicy dal which is unique and a great side dish for this dosa.

Ingredients :

Idli Rice (Boiled rice) - 1 cup

Raw rice (pacharisi) - 1 cup

Fenugreek seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1/4 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup

Green chilli - 2

Red chilli -2

Curry leaves few

Cummin seeds - 2 tsp

Asafoetida - 1 tsp

Addition to dosa :

Onion - 1 chopped very finely

Channa dal - 1/4 cup soaked in water

Coriander leaves - 1/4 bunch chopped finely

Mustard for seasoning

curry leaves few chopped

Method :

1. Soak rice and dal for few hours and grind with all other ingredients and salt to fine batter.

2. Ferment it overnight. The next day.

3. Adjust the batter consistency  like rava dosa.

4. Add the onion, soaked channa dal, coriander leaves, Season with mustard and curry leaves. Mix well.

5. Heat the skillet and pour a ladle full of batter starting from the edges in circular way.

6. Since the batter is loose it automatically fills the middle part , unfilled part just fill it with ladle.

7. Add 1 tsp oil, when it turns slight brown in the edges flip it over and make crisp on other side too.

8. Serve it with dal or chutney.. Serve hot .

Note :

1. While making each dosa mix batter well becos the onion and channa daal will settle at the bottom. 

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CORIANDER RICE

Coriander rice is our favorite one which I often do. The double fragrance from basmati and coriande is treat to our taste buds. This time I made this coriander rice from the leaves where I picked from the farm, oh my that was really fragrant.   I never add any spices to enjoy full flavor of the coriander.. So here is the recipe and picture for your treat...

Ingredients :

Basmathi rice - 2 cups

Coriander - 2 bunches washed and drained

Garlic - 1 pod (1 flake)

Onion - 2 sliced

Tomato - 1 small

Coconut - 2 tbsp or 1/2 cup coconut milk

Green chilli - 6 or as required

Water - 3 cups (boiling water)

Salt and oil as required

Method:

1. Wash and soak the rice in water for half an hour.

2. Grind the coriander, garlic, coconut and green chilli to fine paste.

3. Heat oil in pressure pan or any vessel in which you do rice varieties.

4. Add the onion and saute till slight brown and add the tomato.

5. Now add the ground paste saute till all the moisture are absorbed. And oil comes out.

6. Now add the measured boiling water and rice check for salt.

7. Close with the lid and keep in low flame for 10 minutes or until all the water is absorbed.

8. Enjoy the lovely green fragrant rice with any veggie raita. For this I made turnip, carrot onion raita since rice has no veggies it can be served like this. Even serve with Boiled eggs.

CARROT TURNIP RAITA :

Ingredients :

Yogurt - 1 cup

Carrot - 1 grated

Onion - 1/2 cup finely chopped

Turnip - 1/4 cup finely chopped

Green chilli - 1 sliced

Salt

Method :

Mix the vegetables with yoghurt add salt and chilli . Mix well and garish with coriander leaves.

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VEGETABLE CHAPPATHI NOODLES

I know everybody will be confused with the name what is this chappathi, noodles.. whether is chappathi or noodles. Yes it is left over chappathi made like noodles. Absolutely the above picture is chappathi julienned  into thin strips and made like chinese vegetable noodles. So healthy with wheat and lovely colored vegetables with loades of vitamins. I am sure nobody can find out it is made of chapathi.. you can surprise them.. When I tried this for first time it was big hit so from that time if I have left over chapathi dough I use to make this. I know this will take time for cutting but do chappathi and when u find leisure time cut with kitchen scissors. Yah cooking is a art right so we need to cut and paste different things ... so Surely ur effort will reflect in your outcome.

For cutting to strips :

Take a chappathi cut to four quaters stack it and cut like thin strips. For each persons atleast you should have a bowl of stripped chappathi. For 3 person you should have 10 chappathi.

Ingredients :

Chappathi strips - 3 bowl

Beans - 1/4 cup chop like strips

Carrot- 1/4 cup julienned

Capsicum - 1/4 cup julienned

Cabbage - 1/2 cup stripped

Onion - 1/4 sliced

Garlic - 2 pod grated
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp

Soya sauce - 1 tbsp

Green Chilli sauce - 1/2 tbsp

Vinegar - 2 tsp

Salt , white pepper powder , black pepper - as required

oil for frying

spring onion for garnishing

Method :

1. Heat oil in a wok , add the beans first saute well followed by garlic, onion, carrot, capsicum, cabbage.

2. All this has to be done in high flame do not saute for long time because they will loose the crunchiness.

3. Add the chappathi strips and add salt, pepper powders, sauce, vinegar according to ur taste.

4. Toss well and garnish with spring onion.

5.Serve hot with tomato ketchup. Even if u like to add ketchup u can add while tossing. But i like to serve separately.

Note :

1. Make chappathi bit stiff, do not make so soft.

2. Tossing has to done while the time of serving. It takes just 5 minutes.

3. Serve hot..

4. If you do not have the chappathi use multigrain tortillas too for making this.

5. If no vegetables just add only tomato, onion and normal seasonings..i will be posting that version too.

Update :

Now a days I am adding 1/2 finely chopped tomato as well. Saute along with other veggies.  

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TOMATO CHAARU (THAKKALI RASAM) - I

TOMATO RASAM


Ingredients :

Tuvar dhal cooked water - 1 1/2 cup  (see Notes)
Tomato - 1 big(sour tomato is good)
Garlic - 1 pod
Jeera - 1 1/2 tsp
Red chilli - 1
Pepper corns - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
coriander for garnishing

Seasoning :

Fenu greek seeds - 1 tsp
Red chilli -1
Oil - 1/2 tsp
Ghee - 1/2 tsp



Method :

1. Grind  tomato, jeera, peppercorns, curry leaves, garlic, red chilles to fine paste.
2. Dilute the mixture with dhal water and adjust the consistency.
3. Bring the mixture to boil once it comes to rolling boil,  temper the rasam with red chilli and fenugreek. You can use ghee or oil for tempering. Close with the lid immediately.
4. Garnish with coriander leaves.
5. Serve with hot rice, poriyal(koora), and chips or appalam.



Note :

1. If tomato is not sour add tbsp of tamarind extract.
2. Cook tuvar dhal in pressure cooker reserve the water for making rasam or use 1/8 cup of cooked tuvar dhal dilute with water and use if for making rasam.
3. You can even use normal water instead of dhal water, it tastes slightly different but still it tastes good.

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MY 100th POST

Today I am very happy to post my 100th post. November 5th 2008, the day I started my own food blog and entered the blogging world. When I started this blog I was very very slow posting dishes then I was in full swing for past 4 months. In this past 8 months I have made a lot of wonderful blogger friends. It had been really so exciting and fun in participating different events and learning new things from the others friends too. I got lots of lovely, encouraging comments from all of you " Huge thanks to all of you who came to my blog and leaving lovely comments" I appreciate it from the bottom of my heart. This really encouraged me so much and it was like a power booster. And also I must thank my hubby and my sweet son for their constant support who tolerates and waits for me and the dish until I take pictures and serve them. Next is my parents and my family members who truely appreciates and encourages me a lot.

So to celebrate my century post for a change instead of posting the recipe I am posting a visual treat of a farm where we really enjoyed picking vegetable and fruits in lovely weather. As soon as we entered the farm we were welcomed by beautiful peacock which I have never seen with a gorgeous pose..


Lovely weather



Vegetable market


These gives a finishing touch and aroma to our dish..yah herbs



Donuts in the tree he he its donut peaches



I was trying to taste those lovely rasberries....




Peaches in groups



Lovely spread of beans..

Can u see the lovely crunchy beans



Cutie squashes




Not ready for picking

Zucchini..


Will soon post interesting recipes with this lovely vegetables.....

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DRUMSTICK CURD PACHADI AND AN AWARD

Drumstick vegetable is common in India and its tender pod is used for eating. It is has the antibacterial and good cleansing properties. And the leaves, flowers and vegetable everything is edible. Everything has different medicinal properties. It is good source of Iron, fiber and minerals. This drumstick is used for making different dishes sambar, curry, kootu, koora many more and this is perugu(curd, thayir) pachadi in which we are going to use flesh for making the dish. It tastes so good with rice with combination of rasam(chaaru), spicy poriyal(koora). Even this can be had with roti, adai too. If you are drumstick as well as curd lover I assure you love this...




Ingredients :

Drumstick - 3
Coconut - 3 tbsp
Jeera - 1 tsp
Green chilli - 2
Curd (thick) - 1 cup
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Seasoning :

Mustard - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 2 tsp
Curry leaves - few
oil - 1 tsp
Coriander for garnishing



Method :

1. Steam the drumstick by sprinkling water for 2 wlhistles.
2. Cool it and remove the flesh using the back or the spoon.
3. Now blend coconut, chilli, cummin, Asafoetida to fine paste.
4. Mix flesh of drumstick, ground paste, salt to curd and mix well.
5. Garnish with coriander leaves and season with mustard, urad and curry leaves.
6. Serve with rice, roti or adai.

Note :

Drumstick can be substituted with Amla and raw mango(manga). Without cooking grind it with the coconut and mix with curd. Yummy!!!!

And its time to share my award with you friends. This lovely blog award is passed by Renu or Renu's kitchen. Thanks so much renu I am surprised and Happy to receive this.



I would like to pass this award to all my blogger friends but as per the rule it has to be sent to only 10. So I am sending this award to these friends Sakshi, Sowmya, Priya Meena, Viki's Kitchen, Pinky, Pooja, Deesha, A2Z vegetarian cuisine, DoggyBloggy ,Valarmathi . Please accept this lovely award and pass it to 10 of your friends.

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POTATO,MUSHROOM CURRY WITH TOMATO CHAPPATHI

If you are having so much of coriander you can do this curry which is so tasty and goes very well with hot hot phulkas and jeera rice. Its wonderful combo of potato, mutter and mushroom. Easy to make and taste delish with aroma of butter in it . Try it out. And I usually make color chappathis by adding pureed vegetables to the dough. It gives mild flavour to chappathi and also a variation for kids.. That way this tomato chappathi goes very well with this curry. Here goes the recipe...


Ingredients :

Potato - 2 peel the skin and cut to medium cubes
Onion - 1 sliced
Mushroom - 2 cups chop into 6 pieces
Mutter - 1 cup
Coriander - 1 bunch chopped finely
Garam masala - 1 tbsp
Chilli powder - as required
Salt, oil
Butter - 1 tbsp



Method :

1. Heat oil in the frying pan. Add the onion, saute for few seconds.
2. Add the potato, mushroom, peas and add the chilli and garam masala.
3. Divide the coriander to 2 portions. one portion add to the veggies.
4. Add salt and saute it for few seconds.
5. Now add water so that the veggies should be immersed 3/4th.
6. Close with lid 3/4 th and let it cook until all the water is absorbed.
7. Now add the remaining coriander and dollop of butter serve hot with roti and rice.

Note :

1. The left over of this can be used for bread making bread sandwich..tastes great.




Tomato chappathi

Ingredients :

Wheat flour - 2 cups
Tomato - 1 big
Garlic - 1
Chilli powder and salt
water for making dough

Method:

1. Puree the tomato and garlic and strain it using strainer.
2. Add them to the flour and make dough by adding chilli powder and salt to it. Divide into equal balls.
3.Take a ball, press it in dry flour on both sides. Roll into a circle.
4. If the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly dust it with dry flour.
5.Heat the skillet . Place the chappathi over skillet. They start puffing with small bubbles now flip over another side press slightly with spatula so that it puffs well again.
6.Make chappathi and serve hot with curry or raita.



Note :

You can add chopped coriander , mint or methi to the dough.
And serve with any vegetable raitas...

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KANCHI IDLI/ KANCHIPURAM IDLI (Steamed Rice Cake)

Kanchipuram as the name suggest its a place in Tamil Nadu,  India.  This is the traditional Prasadam offered in the Varadharaja Perumal Temple.  This Idli tastes great with spices and  with the love aroma of ghee, it  gives a lovely texture to the Idli. 

KANCHI IDLI (KANCHIPURAM IDLI Steamed Rice Cake)

Ingredients :

Idli rice - 1 cup

Raw rice - 1 cup
Urad dal - 1 cup
Fenugreek -  1/2 tsp
Baking soda - 1/4 tsp 
Salt - as required
Curd - 1/2 cup


Tempering :

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dhal - 1 tsp 
Pepper corns - 1 tsp ( Coarsely powdered) 
Cumin seeds - 1 1/2 tsp (coarsely powdered) 
Ginger - 1 tsp ( finely chopped)
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Ginger powder - 1/4 tsp (Sukku podi)
Curry leaves - few
Ghee - 2 tbsp
Gingelly Oil - 2 tbsp

Method :
1. Soak rice and dhal separately for few hours.

2. Grind them separately, rice has to be like rava and urad should be fine texture.

Note : You can grind them together into coarse rava consistency too. 

3. Add salt mix everything and ferment it overnight.

4.  In the Morning or when you are ready to make Idli add the curd to the batter.   Temper with all the tempering ingredients in the given order. Pour the hot ghee oil mixture to the batter. Give it a mix.

5. Now in the big plate grease with some ghee or you can use small greased cups too. Pour the batter less than 3/4 th. 

6. Steam it for 12 to 15 minutes check by inserting knife in the middle. When cooled cut to desired shapes.

7. Serve hot hot with podi, sambar or chutney .

Note :

1. This batter can also be used for making crispy crispy dosas...add ghee while making dosas.

2.Adding fried cashews is optional.

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