Strawberry Jam

Ingredients:
------------
Fresh strawberries - 1 pound
sugar - 3 cups
water - 1/4 cup



Method:
-------
1. Wash and clean all the strawberries and keep aside.
2. Trim off the the leaves and chop them.
3. Add 2tbsp of water and blend them to a chunky mixture.
4. Now in a heavy bottom pan add remaining water and sugar and form a syrup base [that is a one string ]over a medium heat.
5.Then add the pureed strawberries to the sugar syrup and keep stirring till it attains a jelly like consistancy .When the edges starts to solidify and the colour deppens .you can stop and remove from the stove top.
6.Allow it to cool completely before filling it to a airtight jar.It will stay in frige for about 6-8 months.

same thing can be done with plums,blue berries or mix berries.enjoy...

Sorrekai Thambuli [ bottle gourd side dish]

This is a simple dish with minimal ingredients.Its a side dish which we south Indian begin our lunch or dinner with.This is a very good side dish to have when you are sick and have no appitite.The best part is that its made out of the part which is often thrown away.The middle pith with the seeds and connective tissue

Ingredients:
------------
seeds and the connectivetissue - of 1 big bottle gourd

fresh coconut grates - 1.5 tbsp

sour buttermilk - 2 cups

salt - as per taste
ghee - 1tsp
oil/ghee - 1tsp
jeera[cumin] - 1 tsp
water - 1 cup



Method :
--------
1. Scoop up the center pith Of bottle gourd the white soft part with the
seeds and keep aside.

2.Take about a spoon full of ghee and then saute the scooped portion of the bottle gourd and keep mixing for around 5 mins or until they turn light cream and cook well.

3. Allow it to cool.Then blend it with 2 tbsp of fresh coconut grates to a fine smooth paste.

4.Now mix the sour buttermilk salt and water to the coconut mixture.Add salt as per taste and mix everything well.

5.Now in a small pan add 1 tps of oil/ ghee for tempering.Then add a tsp of cumin and wait till it splutters .Then add it to the liquid mixture and stir it .

6.Can be served with hot boiled or white rice as desired.

Info:
-----
BOttle gourd is rich in iron content,high in protiens and good for liver.

Has a very good medicinal value in the treatment of jaundice and other liver disorders.

Its used in different diet in patients suffering form different liver disorder.

Palak Rotti

This is a quick easy way to prepare spinach rotti. Very healthy and tastes awesome. It remains soft for the whole day. Makes a great main dish,breakfast or simple brunch too. Requires minimal ingredients and very simple to prepare .You will never go wrong.



Ingredients:-
----------
Spinach - 1 bunch
Rice flour - 2- 3 cups
Salt - 2 tsp or as per taste
Green chillies - 2-3 finely chopped
Water - 6-7 cups of hot water
Oil - for smearing
cumin - 2 tsp



Method:-
-------
1.Take a heavy bottomed pan add 1 tsp of oil and add cumin seeds when it starts to splutter add rice flour ,salt and water and keep mixing.
2.Clean and chop spinach finely and cook in microwave for 3-4 mins and keep aside.
3.Keep stirring the rice flour mixture as it gets lumpy very quickly.Just when it starts getting thicker add spinach to it and continue to stir until the entire mixture comes together as a single mass.
4.Now remove from the heat and keep it aside for cooling.
5.Grease 2 square plastic cover and keep ready.
6.Prepare small balls out of the mixture or the dough and press them just as you prepare the ubbu rotti.[Refer there]
7.Heat up the pan and cook this rotti after removing from the plastic paper till they get roasted brown on both sides.
8.Grease them with oil or ghee as desired.
9.Enjoy with hot chutney or spicy long bean curry as sides.

Chakkuli

This is very famous snack to much on in south India. Looks great and can be store for 2-3 weeks in an airtight container.Very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:-
-----------
Rice powder - 3 cups
Urad dal - 1.25 cups
Butter - 1 stick [3-4 tsp]
salt - as per taste
Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
water - to mix
Oil - for deep frying



Method:-
-------
1.First in a pan dry roast the urad Dal until it turns brown .It should not be too dark.It will start releasing nice smell thus you will know.
2.Keep it aside.Then allow it to cool down.Then powder it to a smooth powder and keep ready.
3.Now melt a stick of butter and take in a bowl.to this add powdered urad dal,salt,cumin seeds,rice powder and prepare a soft dough adding enough water.This should be dry .so add water little by little.
4.Now fill it into the machine or a pastry bag and make chakkuli over wax paper or normal paper and keep ready
5.Preheat the oil and when the temperature is appropriate drop this chakkuli one by one and fry till they turn brown and crisp.
6.Enjoy when its hot.It tastes good even after cooling.
7.Store it in airtight container only after its cooled down completely.

Stir fried veggies

I just love vegetables in any form.The varities and the lovely colours all are so wonderful.I always try to find some new ways of eating them .This winter its so cold out i feel this is really a quick and easy way to warm up with the crunchy veggies and thier
colors are complimenting the simple dish.

Ingredients:
---------
Broccoli - 1 cup
Snap peas - 1 cup
Carrots - 1 cup
Potatoes - 1 cup
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Bell peppers- 1 cup
Onion - 1 large
Garlic - 4-5 pears
Green beans- 1/2 cup
Basil/ cilantro- 1-2 tsp
sesame seeds - 1.5 tsp

Soya sauce - 2 tsp
Brown sugar - 2 tsp
Chilly flakes - 1 tsp
Corn starch - 1 tsp
water - 1.5 tbsp

Salt & pepper - as per taste
Olive oil - to saute



Method:-
-------
1. Mix soya sauce ,brown sugar,chilly flakes and corn starch adding water and keep aside.
2. Now chop up the vegetables into almost similar sides. Take the carrots , potatoes and cook in microwave for 3 mins.
3. Now take a little olive oil in a pan and saute onions till they turn transparent. Then add garlics and saute it.
4. Now add carrots and other veggies and season with salt and pepper . Then add the mixture of soya sauce and see that each vegetable is coated well.
5. Continue to saute untill the moixture thickens and adhears to each vegetable.
6. Now remove the the veggies in a bowl.
7. Toast up some white sesame seeds and top the veggies with finely toasted seeds

Ubbu Rotti And Alasande Bendhi

This is a traditional recipe which we have been relishing since we were born. Really a finger licking recipe i say.This dish should be enjoyed with a spicy curry made out of long beans or chineese spinach itself. Just an irresistable taste and satisfying one to the soul.Hmm......just the simple discription of this rotti makes my saliva to dribble down.I just had 3-4 rotti just now in the afternoon and still feel like having some more although there is not space left in my belly.Well lemme just come down to the ingredients and method with some mouthwatering pictures of this delightful dish.


UBBU ROTTI:
========

Ingredients:-
---------
White rice - 1 cup
Boiled rice - 2 cups
Jeera - 1 tbsp
Salt - as per taste

Method:-
_________
1.Soak the raw rice in hot water overnight.

2.Now grind this adding no water or very little water into a smooth batter.As i had no grinder i used normal 12 speed blender.Hence i had to add a little bit of water.


3.Hint:- if your dough becomes water then no problem just empty it into a pan and keep it in a stove and keep stirring untill the mixture becomes some what hard so that small ball can be rolled out from it.

4.
Now roll out small lemon sized balls and press in into small poori sized roti by keeping between two greased plastic sheets and pressing with a flat plate.
5.Bake them over a hot pan until they are semi cooked , then put them over direct heat if you have burners in your stove or else do as you do to cook a phulka.

6.Now collect the rottis in a dish placed with a thick tissue or a cloth.
7.Good to relish when its very hot with the long beans bendhi


Bendhi:
======


Ingredients:
---------
Long beans - 1 bundle
Black eye beans- 1 cup[ cooked],optional
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1 tsp
Cumin - 1tsp
Shot red chillies - 6-7[as per your taste]
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Chilly powder - ''
Coconut grates - 1/2 cup
Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp



Method:-
-----
1.Chop up the long beans into 1.5 inch big pieces ,add little water , a pinch of salt,chilly powder and turmeric powder and cook them till they turn tender.
2.Take 1-2 drops of oil in a small pan and roast the chillies,then add coriander,urad dhal,cumin to it a dry roast them for 1 min.
3.Add them to a blender with 1/2 cup of coconut grates and tamarind and blend them into paste form adding little water.
4.Now add this paste to the cooked long beans and add already cooked black eye beans and season with enough salt and jaggery and bring to a boil.
5.Now take about 1/2 tsp of oil in a small pan add mustard seeds and just when it stats to splutter add curry leaves and pour it to the curry .Again bring the curry to a boil after thorough stirring.

Enjoy hot hot ubbu rotti with this bendhi on this cold winter.

I Am back Again

Dear Blogger friends ,

I am really sorry for not replying to your comments .I had been to India for a short vacation which turned out to be an extended vacation.Well had lots and lots of fun.After all those lovely time with my family and relatives i am back again into the stream of blogging.Well find that you all have so much in your blogs well i feel like it will take me lot of time to cover up .Thanks for all your concern and wishes.

Soumya.