Fried Rice

Ingredients

Long grain rice	11/2cup
Spring onions	1bunch
Carrot	1
Cabbage	1 small cup
Capsicum	1
Beans	6
Onions	2
Soya sauce	1tsp
Chili sauce	1tsp
Pepper powder	1tsp
Salt	2tsp
Oil	3tbs
Ajinomoto	A pinch
Green chili	1

Method
1.Soak the rice for 30 minutes and cook it in the rice cooker with 1:13/4 proportion water.
2.slice vegetables thin and slightly long.Chop spring onions white and green part separately.
3.Heat oil in a big wide pan fry onions and spring onions.
4.Add rest of the vegetables and fry in high flame because the veggies have to be crisp.
5.Add salt,ajinomoto,pepper powder, and chili sauce.
6.Mix with the cooked rice and serve with any Manchurian or sauce.

Potato Onion curry

Ingredients

Potato	500gms
Onions	350gms
Salt	To taste
Turmeric powder	1/2tsp
Chilli powder	1tsp
Oil	3tbs
Mustard seeds	1tsp
Urad dal	1tsp
Curry leaves	few

Method
1.Boil potatoes and mash slightly.chop onions.
2.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds when it crackles add urad dal.
3.when the dal becomes brown add onions and fry till golden brown.
4.Add salt,turmeric powder,chilli powder and the potato.
5.Fry till crisp and garnish with curry leaves.

Notes

• It is an accompaniment to most of the south indian gravies.
• You can add tomatoes,ginger,coriander leaves if you prefer.
• You can add garam masala powder and have it with roti too.
• You can stuff it in the bread and grill to make a sandwich.

Baby Corn Subzi

This subzi is somewhat my own recipe.It is quiet easy and simple that is why i have not given any step wise pictures.Just cut all the vegetables lenghtwise and stir fry with some masalas.You can have it with rotis and phulkas.

Ingredients

Baby corn	250gms
Onions	2
Tomato	1
Capsicum	1
Carrot	1
Beans	8
Salt	11/2tsp
Turmeric powder	1/4tsp
Chili powder	1/2tsp
Garam masala powder	1tsp
Coriander powder	1/4tsp
Jeera powder	1/4tsp
Oil	2tbs
Cumin seeds	1tsp
Coriander leaves	2tbs

Method
1.Chop all the vegetables lenghtwise.
2.Boil beans,carrot and baby corn in hot water(let it be crisp and not become too soft).
3.Heat oil in a pan add cumin seeds and fry the onions till golden brown.
4.Add tomatoes and salt fry for a minute and then add rest of the vegetables and all the powders.
5.Stir fry for few minutes and garnish with coriander leaves.

Notes

• You can add vegetables of your own choice like cauliflower.
• Paneer is a good choice it goes well with corn and capsicum.
• I have added carrot and beans to increase the fibre content.
• You can either boil or stir fry the vegetables,keep it aside and then use it later.

Vadu Mangai

I saw fresh maavadu's in mada street mylapore,got tempted and bought a small quantity.I always refer to meenakshi ammal"cook and see"book for a lot of recipes especially this because it stays for a long time.so tried to do the way she had written,of course i adjusted the salt and chillies according to my quantity.

Ingredients

Mini  mangoes(maavadu)	35nos
Mustard seeds	1tsp
Red chillies	12
Salt	1small cup
Castor oil	1/2tsp

Method
1.Wash the maavadus and wipe with a clean cloth and dry it for an hour.While choosing the vadu buy it with the stem,round (rumani vadu's) are appropriate for vadu mangai.Apply castrol oil over the vadus.

2.Dissolve one small cup of salt in one cup of water heat it up and allow it to evaporate into half the volume.cool it and keep it aside.Grind the mustard seeds and red chillies.

3.Grind into a smooth paste.

4.Take a dry vessel put the cleaned mangoes,the ground paste and the salt water.

5.Let it soak for few days.Every day once just mix it with a dry spoon.The vadu will shrink like shown in the picture to absorb the salt and chilli.Then it is ready.

NOTES

• Boiling the salt water method helps the pickle stay for a longer time.
• Adjust the salt and chillies according to your taste.
• It is heavenly when had with curd rice.

Rawa upma

INGREDIENTS

Rawa	1cup
Oil	2tbs
Mustard seeds	1tsp
Channa dal	1tsp
Ginger	Small piece
Green chillies	2
Curry leaves	few
Onion	1
Tomatoes	2
Peas(shelled)	1/4cup
water	2cups
salt	11/2tsp
Carrot	1

METHOD

1.Dry roast the rawa.

2.Cut all the vegetables like shown in the picture.

3.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds when it crackles add channa dal(kadalai paruppu).

4.Add onions fry for few minutes,add tomatoes other vegetables,salt and close and cook for few minutes.

5.Add water allow it to boil,slowly add the roasted rawa and cook until the rawa gets cooked.

6.If required add a spoon of sugar and some lime juice to enhance the taste.

Sago Upma

Sago or javarisi upma.I learnt this recipe from my friend.As a child i have never eaten this upma.Only when I started  cooking I started exploring and looked for more variety.This is quiet a simple one except for the fact that you have to soak it for a little while.

Ingredients

Sago or javarisi	200gms
Water	To soak
Oil	2tbs
Mustard seeds	1tsp
Channa Dal	1tsp
Onion	2chopped
Turmeric powder	1/4tsp
Green chilli	2
Ginger(chopped)	Small piece
Curry leaves	few
Coriander leaves	11/2tbs
Lime juice	1lime

Method
1.Soak sago for two hours.Soak it in just enough water to immerse.

2.Put it in a strainer after two hours so that excess water runs off.Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seeds and when it crackles add Channa Dal(kadalai paruppu),onions,green chilli,ginger, curry leaves and turmeric powder.

3.Fry till onions become slightly brown.

4.Add the sago and salt mix well and depending on the sago close it for a minute or two and cook.Finally add lime juice mix well and serve.Garnish with coriander leaves.

Brinjal Thogayal

Brinjal Thogayal or sutta kathirikai thogayal with coriander leaves.We just got bored of eating our daily routine so ended up making this kathrikai thogayal and sutta appalam with steaming hot rice.

Ingredients

Egg plant or big brinjal	1
Gingelly oil	1tbs
Urad dal	11/2tbs
Red chillies	4
Asafoetida	1/2tsp
Tamarind	Small piece
Salt	To taste

Method
1.Roast the brinjal on direct fire till the whole skin becomes black.You have to keep rolling it so that all sides get cooked.

2.Once the full skin becomes black remove from fire and cool it.

3.Peel off the skin.

4.Cut off the stem and mash it up nicely.

5.Roast urad dal,red chillies in gngelly oil in a pan and when the dal becomes brown switch off the stove and add the coriander leaves and allow it to saute in that heat remaining.

6.Grind the roasted things along with tamarind,salt and asafoetida.

7.Add the mashed brinjal and just spin it for a second only otherwise it will become too mushy.

Iam sending this Recipe to HLI-Eggplant event By Kalyani

Simple Indian Food- An Easy Cooking Blog: Budding blogger: Uma

Simple Indian Food- An Easy Cooking Blog: Budding blogger: Uma

Pulao

This is my own kind of pulao.One morning when i was running short of time i tried out this method and it became a big hit.It is slightly easier than the briyani where you have to grind the masalas.It is more like a spiced rice.Let me tell you how i made this.I have used one and half cups rice which should be enough for four to five people.

Ingredients

Basmati rice	11/2cups
Onion	2
Tomato	1
Potato	1
Peas(shelled)	1/2cup
Carrots	2
Beans	8
Cauliflower	Few florets
Capsicum	1/2
Mint leaves	1/2cup
Coriander leaves	2tbs
Turmeric powder	1/2tsp
Chilli powder	1/2tsp
Pulao masala powder	1tsp
Salt	To taste
Ginger	Small piece
Garlic	3pods
Green chillies	2
Oil	3tbs
Ghee(optional)	Few tsp

To Season

Fennel seeds	1tsp
Cloves	4
Cardamom	2
Cinnamon stick	One small piece

Method
1.Cut the vegetables in diamond shape(except onion,tomato and capsicum) and boil them in water.let it be crisp and not too soft.

2.Cook rice in the rice cooker with1:13/4water ratio and cool it by spreading it on a plate so that it does not stick to each other.

3.Heat oil in a pan add the things to season.(given in the table).

4.Crush ginger and garlic.

5.Add onions and fry till crisp and then add tomatoes,green chillies,crushed ginger and garlic.

6.Add rest of the vegetables,turmeric,chilli,masala,coriander,cumin powders and salt.

7.Add washed and chopped mint leaves and cut capsicum and fry further.

8.If required close and cook for a minute.

9.Cool, add the rice slowly and  mix it well.

10.If required add some salt  and ghee while mixing with the rice.serve with Onion raita.