Photos of Homemade Dishes (Aloo paratha, Carrot - French beans thoran ...)

Aloo Paratha


















Rice with Carrot - French beans Thoran and Moru kaachiyathu

Rice with Chawli sukke and Chawli humman

Creamy Egg Curry

Creamy Egg  Curry /  Masala – A very delicious creamy gravy. Best with rotis / parathas / pulao / ghee rice ..

Serves: 2

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

1 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

1 onion, thinly sliced (separate each layer)

10 cloves garlic, thinly sliced

½ - inch ginger, thinly sliced

½ teaspoon red chilli powder

1 ¼ teaspoon coriander powder

1/2 level teaspoon turmeric powder

2 tablespoon tomato puree

8 cashew nuts (soak in ¼ cup / 50 ml water / 3 tablespoon water for one hour and make a smooth paste in a small mixer bowl with soaked water) Cashew nut is the main ingredient which makes the gravy creamy and thick (like restaurant style)

¾ cup / 175 ml water (Please measure in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz)

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

½ teaspoon fennel powder (saunf powder)

2 boiled eggs (or 200 g paneer (cottage cheese) cut into cubes)

1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves (optional)

Method

Dilute red chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder in 2 tablespoon water and keep aside (spice mix).

Heat oil in a karahi / pan on medium heat. Add jeera and fry until crisp and fragrant.

Add thinly sliced onion and fry until golden color on a medium heat.

Add sliced garlic and ginger. Fry until crisp and golden color.

Add diluted spice mix and stir well on a low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until the raw smell disappears and water dries up.

Add tomato puree, cashew nut paste, salt to taste, fennel powder and ¾ cup water. Mix all the ingredients well. Cover with a  lid and cook on a medium heat for 5 – 7 minutes until the gravy boils well.

At this stage, add boiled eggs  (or paneer), cover again and cook on a low heat for another 5 – 7 minutes. 

Now the gravy is thick and creamy in consistency. Sprinkle chopped coriander leaves (optional). Serve with Indian breads / pulao / ghee rice / jeera rice … If using paneer, consume immediately.

Milagu Rasam / Pepper Rasam

Milagu Rasam / Pepper Rasam (Recipe from BBC Goodfood India magazine, August 2013 !!

Ingredients

2 teaspoon oil

1 teaspoon mustard seeds

2 teaspoon jeera powder (cumin seed powder)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

¼ teaspoon hing (asafoetida)

6 curry leaves

1 cup (200 ml / 8 oz) tamarind juice (Tamarind extract from a lemon sized tamarind)

1 ¼ cup (225 ml) water

½ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

1 tablespoon rasam powder

Method

Soak tamarind in 1 ½ cup of water for half an hour and extract 1 cup tamarind juice (strain it through a fine sieve).

Heat oil in a pan on a medium heat. Add mustard seeds. When they crackle, reduce the heat to low and add turmeric powder, cumin seed powder, hing and curry leaves. Stir well on a very low heat for 2 minutes.

Add tamarind juice, 1 ¼ cup water and adjust salt to taste. Cover and boil on a medium heat for 5  minutes.

Now add 1 tablespoon (or to taste) rasam powder and boil again for another  5 – 7 minutes. Switch off the heat. Strain this rasam through a fine iron sieve. Serve with rice.  This masala filled, fiery rasam is certain to rid you of those bad colds. Drinking it plain is a heady experience, though not for the faint of heart.

Quick Rasam Powder

How to make Quick Rasam Powder? Recipe from BBC Goodfood India Magazine, August 2012 !!

Makes: 4 level tablespoons

Ingredients

2 teaspoon black pepper

2 teaspoon coriander seeds

2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds)

6 dried red chillies

2 teaspoon tur dal

2 pinches hing (asafoetida)

Method

In an iron karahi, dry roast all the ingredients (except hing) on a medium to low heat until fragrant and crisp (approximate dry roasting time 10 – 12 minutes). Switch off the heat and mix with hing.  Keep aside to cool for 15 minutes and make a fine powder in a small mixer bowl. 1 tablespoon rasam powder is required to make 2 cups / (400 ml) rasam. Store it in an airtight container.

Jeera Dal (Pressure cooker method)

Jeera Dal (Pressure cooker method) – Dal is a popular dish in North Indian cuisine. This less spicy dal goes well with chapatis, phulkas, jeera rice , pulao ..

Serves:  4

For the  dal:

Ingredients

1 cup / 200 ml tur dal (or 1 cup / 200 ml masoor dal (pink color dal) or moong dal( Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity ))

3 cups / 600 ml water

1/2 teaspoon oil

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 medium size tomato, chopped

3 green chillies, slit lengthwise

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

For the  dal:

Wash and soak dal  in a pressure cooker for thirty minutes. Water level should be 1 – inch above dal. Add  oil, turmeric powder, chopped tomato, slit green chillies, salt  and pressure cook for 20 minutes or until done / soft (reduce the heat to medium after 2nd whistle and cook for 15 minute). Switch off the heat. Allow the cooker to cool naturally. Open the lid. Remove slit green chillies. Gently mash dal with the base of a ladle.

Add extra ½ cup  - ¾  cup (100 ml – 150 ml)  hot water and adjust the consistency (medium thick, medium thin or thin) of dal. Adjust salt to taste. Cover with a normal lid (do not use pressure cooker lid) and cook on a low to medium heat for another 10 minutes.

For the tadka (seasoning):

2 teaspoon ghee / oil

1 ½  teaspoon cumin seeds

Method

In a pan, heat oil or ghee. Add cumin seeds.  Fry on a low heat for 1 -  2  minutes until  crisp and fragrant. Pour the seasoning over cooked dal and mix well.. Serve with rice or rotis.

How to make Chapatis?

How to make Chapatis? – Chapati is  a popular bread in Indian cuisine. Best  combo with dal / korma / veg or non veg gravy dishes !!

Makes:  12 - 14 chapatis

Ingredients

2 cups ( 400 ml ) whole wheat flour ( gehun ka atta ) Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon oil

165 to 180 ml warm water

Extra flour

Chapati board

Rolling pin

5 - 6 teaspoon oil or ghee

Method

For the  dough:

Combine the flour and salt and knead into soft and pliable dough with sufficient warm water ( 165 to 180 ml ) . Adding warm water when kneading the dough will make chapatis soft.

Add the oil and knead again till the dough is smooth and elastic.

Cover and keep aside in an airtight container (or in a refrigerator) for one hour.

Method

Preparation of chapatti:

Divide the dough into 12 - 14 equal parts and make it into round balls.

Use a little flour to roll each portion into circles of approximately 150 mm ( 6 - inch ) diameter.

Heat roti tawa / flat frying pan on a medium heat. 

Dust off any excess dry flour and place the roti on a hot roti tawa ( griddle ) / flat frying pan.

Cook rolled roti until small blisters appears on the top of the roti surface.

Turn and cook the other side for a few more seconds until light brown blisters appear on the surface. Apply ½ teaspoon oil / ghee on both the sides when cooking. Repeat to make 11 - 13 more chapatis. 

How to store chapatis?  Line the container with a soft cotton  kitchen towel to keep the Chapati warm, soft and free from moisture (Cover chapatis with kitchen towel and keep aside).

Serve hot with any gravy dishes or dal or kebabs of your choice.

Cake Sandwich

Cake Sandwich – A delicious  cake sandwich , goes well with tea / coffee or serve as a plain evening snack !!

Makes: 6 small size sandwich

Ingredients

For the  cake:

Please use same measuring cup to measure powdered sugar and flour.

3 free-range eggs (approximate weight 150 g)

1 teaspoon butter

75g / 3oz / 1/3 cup (Indian standard measuring cup) golden caster sugar (or normal powdered sugar)

75g /3oz / 1/3 cup self-raising flour (If not using self rising flour, sieve normal plain flour (maida) with ¼ teaspoon + 2 pinches baking powder)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the filling:

3 tablespoon  mixed fruit jam (or any jam of your choice or any whipped cream /  Nutella / chocolate filling ...)

For the outer covering:

½  cup  or 3 tablespoon powdered sugar (caster sugar)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 * C/ 400 *F/ Gas 6.

Grease a Swiss roll baking dish (25 cm in length and 16 cm in width) with 1 teaspoon butter and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of all purpose flour. Gently shake the Swiss roll tin to coat the flour well and shake the excess flour.

Sprinkle large sheet of greaseproof paper with caster sugar.

Whisk the eggs,  1 teaspoon butter and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Please use electric beater.

Fold in the flour.  Add vanilla essence and mix well until a smooth cake batter without any lumps. Pour this batter into greased Swiss roll tin evenly  and bake in the oven at 200*C or 400 * F for 7-10 minutes, or until light and springy to the touch. Remove from the oven and turn the cake out onto another piece of greaseproof paper with caster sugar.

For the filling, spread the jam onto the cake evenly  and  leaving a small gap around the edges.

Divide this cake equally. Place one portion over the other (like sandwich) and press it gently. Cut it into desired shape and size. Dust with leftover caster sugar if required  on the top. Serve with tea / coffee..

Vellayappam

Vellayappam – A tasty breakfast dish, goes well stew or  veg and non vegetarian gravy dishes. Recipe and shape of vellayappam may varies from place to place in Kerala.

Ingredients

Please use same measuring cup to measure rice and grated coconut.

2  cups raw rice ( good quality pachari ) (Please measure in Indian standard measuring cup of 200 ml / 8 oz capacity)

2 tablespoon sago (sabudana)

3 cups water (to soak rice)

2 tablespoon leftover cooked and cooled rice

1 cup grated coconut

1/2 teaspoon jeera (cumin seeds) optional

4 cloves garlic (optional)

½ teaspoon salt

To prepare Appam batter:

Wash and clean  rice and sago. Soak   raw  rice and sago (sabudana)  in 3 cups water for 5 hours. Drain out water.

 Grind soaked  raw rice – sago,  cooked rice, jeera, garlic cloves (optional) and grated coconut  together in a mixer in 3 batches.  Batter should not be too watery. One can add 1/4 cup water  (3/4th level of rice and other ingredients)  when grinding.

Transfer this batter into another vessel and mix  with it salt.  Stir the batter nicely with a thick ladle. 

Fermentation of vellayappam batter can be done in 3 different methods. That’s with yeast, Eno fruit salt and cooking soda (appamsoda). Please select either of the method.

1, With yeast (To prepare yeast solution)

1 teaspoon dry yeast

Warm water -1/4 cup (3 tablespoon / 50 ml)

Sugar – 2 teaspoon

Mix sugar and warm water. Add yeast and keep aside for 10-15 minutes or until a froth appears on the surface / yeast granules are dissolved and well risen (Always use fresh yeast with latest manufacturing date. Yeast solution will be double in size after 20 minutes. If the yeast solution is not fermenting well, get a new pacxk of yeast and start  it again).

Well fermented yeast

Mix yeast solution and  velleyappam batter. Cover and keep aside to  fermenting for 6 - 8 hours or overnight. Appam batter will be double in size after fermenting. Appam batter should be of pouring consistency. Finally adjust with little water if required. Do not refrigerate appam batter during fermenting.

2, With Eno Fruit Salt:

A sachet (4.6 g)  Eno Fruit salt (available at medical stores and supermarkets. It’s an antacid and good for digestion). Eno fruit salt is used to make Dhokla (Gujarati snack). It helps the batter to rise well.

Once the velleyappam batter is ready, cover and keep aside for 5 – 6 hours or overnight. Then mix it with a sachet of Eno fruit salt and 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover again and keep aside for half an hour. Vellayappam batter is ready now.

3, With cooking soda (appam soda):

It’s easily available @ supermarkets. Once the velleyappam batter is ready,  cover and  keep aside for  5 – 6 hours or overnight. Then mix with ½ teaspoon cooking soda and 1 teaspoon sugar. Cover again and keep aside for another half hour. Vellayappam batter is ready now.

Final procedure of vellayappam:

 Heat a  dosa tawa / griddle / pan on a medium heat and  grease  with little oil.

 Pour 1 full ladleful  of appam batter. Do not make circles (5 – inches in width  and bigger than a puri).

 Close  with a lid and cook on a medium heat till the upper side is cooked well and light golden color on underside. Do not turn other side. Gently remove from the tawa with the help of a flat spatula. It's very soft and silky in texture. Traditionally this is eaten with Stew / veg or non-vegetarian gravy dishes / egg roast ...

Onion and Garlic Stew – A delicious main dish with Appam (Hoppers) & Idiyappam (String hoppers) !!

Serves: 2 – 3

Ingredients

1 tablespoon oil

3 onions, cubed (separate each layers)

3 green chillies, slit lengthwise

1 – inch ginger, thinly sliced

12 garlic cloves, thinly sliced

6 curry leaves

300 ml Maggi coconut milk or homemade 250 ml thin coconut milk and 50 ml thick coconut milk

¾ teaspoon salt (or to taste)

Method

If using Maggi coconut milk powder, dilute 25 g coconut milk powder with 300 ml water.

Heat oil in a deep pan / karahi on a medium heat. Add onion cubes and gently fry till pink color.

Add slit green chillies, ginger, garlic  and curry leaves. Fry on a low heat until fragrant for about 3 – 4 minutes.

Now add diluted Maggi coconut milk (or homemade 250 ml thin coconut milk) and salt to taste. Cover with a lid and cook on a medium to low heat for 10 – 12 minutes or until done / onions well cooked (If using homemade coconut milk,  final stage - add 50 ml thick coconut milk, mix well and switch off the gas. No need to boil). Serve with vellayappam /appam / idiyappam ..

Mixed Fruit Jam Swiss Roll (with eggs and no added butter)

Mixed Fruit Jam Swiss  Roll  (with egg and no added  butter) - An all time tea  favourite soft Swiss roll.  Basic recipe from BBC Goodfood !!!

Ingredients

For the Swiss roll:

3 free-range eggs (approximate weight 160 g)

75g / 3oz golden caster sugar (or normal powdered sugar)

75g /3oz self-raising flour (If not using self rising flour, sieve normal plain flour (maida) with ¼ teaspoon + 2 pinches baking powder)

1 teaspoon vanilla essence

For the filling:

3 tablespoon  mixed fruit jam (or any jam of your choice or any whipped cream / chocolate filling ...)

For the outer covering:

½  cup  or 3 tablespoon powdered sugar (caster sugar)

Method

Preheat the oven to 200 * C/ 400 *F/ Gas 6. Grease and line a 23cm x 30cm/9in x 12in Swiss roll tin (I'm recommending to grease a Swiss roll baking dish with 1 teaspoon butter and sprinkle 2 teaspoons of all purpose flour. Gently shake the Swiss roll tin to coat the flour well and shake the excess flour. I tried this method when I was preparing it the  2nd time).

Sprinkle large sheet of greaseproof paper with caster sugar.

Whisk the eggs and sugar in a bowl until pale and fluffy. Please use electric beater.

Fold in the flour. Add vanilla essence and mix well. Pour this batter into greased Swiss roll tin evenly   and bake in the oven for 7-10 minutes, or until light and springy to the touch (My suggestion - baking time is very important to make Swiss roll. If it is over baked, one cannot roll it properly / layer become hard and it may break. Stay near the oven (OTG). Remove from the oven and turn the sponge out onto another piece of greaseproof paper with caster sugar.

For the filling, spread the jam onto the sponge evenly  and  leaving a small gap around the edges.

 Roll sponge away from you, so the jam is inside the roll and the outside is covered in caster sugar (roll it very slowly). Trim edges. Keep aside to cool for half an hour later cut into desired shape and size.

Dust with leftover caster sugar if required and serve with tea.

Oven Baked Potato Wedges

Oven Baked Potato Wedges - A very tasty baked snack. Basic recipe idea BBC Goodfood India Magazine,  July 2013 !!

Serves: 2

Ingredients

2 medium potatoes, peeled and cut into wedges

1 tablespoon oil

Extra 1/2 teaspoon oil (to grease baking tray)

1 tablespoon maida (all purpose flour)

1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Wash potatoes, cut into wedges and boil in hot water for 5 minutes. Drain out water thoroughly and wipe each wedges  with a soft and clean  kitchen towel.

Grease baking tray with 1/2 teaspoon oil.

Preheat oven at 200 * C or 400 *F .

Arrange potato wedges on a greased baking tray and sprinkle red chilli powder, oil (sprinkle oil evenly) maida and salt.  Gently mix well until wedges well coated with spices and maida. Bake at 200 *C or 400 *F for 25 - 30 minutes  (turning occasionally) until golden color and crisp. Serve  hot with tomato ketchup / mayonnaise. Consume immediately.