Paravaannam - Rice Kheer/Payasam

Today is first Friday of Sravanamaasam. I made Paravaannam - Rice Kheer/Payasam. It's also called Annam Payasam or Paramannam. Whatever the name is...It's the most yummy and easiest sweet liked by everyone in my family. This is offered as Naivedyam to Perumal and Thayar during most of our festivals. Here is the recipe for my version of Paravaannam.

Ingredients:
100 gms Raw Rice
1 ltr Milk
3/4 Cup Grated Jaggery
3 Tbsp Ghee
1/2 Cup Nuts n Raisins
1 Tbsp Cardamom Powder

Paravaannam Ready for Naivedyam

Process:

1. Heat a Pressure Cooker, add 1 Tbsp Ghee and fry Nuts n Raisins and keep them aside. Add remaining Ghee, add washed Rice and fry till brown color stirring occasionally.
2. Add 3/4 ltr Milk to the Rice and bring to a boil on medium flame. Reduce the flame to low and cook up to 3 whistles.
3. Once the pressure is escaped, turn on the flame to low and add the remaining Milk. Bring it to boil by stirring occasionally and once the Milk is almost reduced to 1/4 turn off the flame and add grated Jaggery. Mix well and keep the flame on low and cook further till the jaggery completely melts.
4. Add Nuts n Raisins and Cardamom Powder and mix well.
5. Paravaannam - Rice Kheer/Payasam is ready to offer as Naivedyam. Serve hot or warm.

Paravaannam Ready to Serve

PS: To avoid Milk from splitting after adding Jaggery, add a pinch of Cooking Soda and mix well.

Happy Cooking!
Signing Off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Aloo Mutter (Potato Green Peas Gravy)

Aloo Mutter is our family's most favorite sabzi. Potatoes and Green Peas cooked in tangy Tomato gravy with mild spices is a perfect gravy curry. It's very easy to make. Try it out!

Ingredients:
2  Big Potatoes
2 Tomatoes Chopped
1/2 Tomato Puree
1/2 Cup Green Peas (I used Safal Frozen Green Peas)
1 Small Carrot(Optional)
1 Tbsp Jeera
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
3 Green Chillies (Slit Long)
1 Inch Ginger (Grated)
1 Tsp Jeera Powder
1 Tbsp Coriander Powder
1 Tsp Garam Masala Powder
1/2 Tsp Red Chilly Powder
Few Curry Leaves
2 Tbsp Chopped Coriander
1/4 Tsp Turmeric Powder
Salt to Taste
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil

Aloo Mutter

Process:
1. Wash, peel and cut Potatoes into cubes. Pressure Cook Potato cubes, Tomatoes, finely chopped Carrot,  Green Peas with a pinch of Turmeric Powder up to 2 Whistles.
2. Take a Non-Stick Kadai or wok, add Cooking Oil, Jeera, Mustard Seeds, slit Green Chillies, grated Ginger and fry for 2 mins. Add fresh Curry Leaves and fry for one more minute.
3. Now add Tomato puree, Coriander Powder, Jeera Powder, Garam Masala and cook for 2-3 mins stirring occassionally.
4. Once the pressure is escaped from cooker, transfer the cooked vegetables into the wok and mix well.
5. Add Red Chilly Powder and cook further for 2-3 mins with covered lid. Stir occasionally.
6. Once the gravy is cooked to the desired consistency, add chopped Coriander leaves and serve hot with Phulkas or Chapatis.

Happy Cooking!
Signing Off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Instant Dosakaya Pacchadi (Malabar Cucumber Chutney)

Ingredients:

1 Medium Sized Dosakaya (Malabar Cucumber)
1/2 Cup Urad Dal (Minapappu)
1/4 Cup Mustard Seeds (Avalu)
1/4 Cup Jeera
1/2 Tbsp Fenugreek Seeds (Menthulu)
15-20 Dry Red Chillies (Adjust spice according to your choice)
1 Tbsp Tamarind Pulp
1 Tbps Asafoetida (Ingua/Hing)
1/2 Tbsp Turmeric Powder
1/2 Cup Cooking Oil
1/4 Cup Fresh Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

Instant Dosakaya Pacchadi

Process:

1. Wash, peel and deseed Malabar Cucumber and chop it into fine pieces and keep it aside.
2. Take a Kadai, add 2 tablespoons oil. Once the oil is hot, reduce the flame to low and add  Urad dal, Mustard Seeds, Fenugreek Seeds and Dry Red Chillies and fry till Urad dal turns to golden brown.
3. Turn off the flame and immediately add Jeera and Hing and mix well. Now add Curry leaves and let the seasoning cool at room temperature.
4. Add Tamarind paste to the seasoning and grind it to coarse paste.
5. Add this paste to Malabar Cucumber pieces along with turmeric and salt and mix well. Finally add remaining oil, mix well and store it in an air tight container.
6. Serve it with Steamed Rice and Ghee.

Instant Dosakaya Pacchadi (Malabar Cucumber Chutney)

PS: This instant Dosakaya Pacchadi can be preserved in Refrigerator for 3-4 days.

Signing Off...
Happy Cooking!
Your Favorite Chef

Hot n Sweet Bread Fry - Simple n Quick Evening/Breakfast Snack

Ingredients:

6 Whole Wheat Bread Slices
2 Green Chillies
2 Tbsp Tomato Ketchup
1/2 Tsp Mustard
1 Tbsp Cooking Oil
Pinch of Turmeric Powder

Process:

1. Cut Whole Wheat Bread  into small pieces and keep it aside.
2. Heat a Kadai or Non-Stick pan add Cooking Oil, Mustard and once they splutter, add finely chopped Green Chillies and fry for one min.
3. Add a pinch of Turmeric Powder, Bread pieces and mix well. Keep the flame on low and keep stirring occasionally. Fry for 2-3 mins and add Tomato Ketchup (I used Maggi No Onion No Garlic Tomato Ketchup) and mix well.
5. Stir fry for 2 more mins on medium flame and serve hot.

PS:
1. No need to add salt as Whole Wheat Bread already has salt.
2. You may use fresh Bread or left over Bread(2 days old).
3. You may garnish with finely Chopped Coriander too.

Signing Off...
Happy Cooking!
Your Favorite Chef!

Eggless Chocolate Fruit n Nut Cake

Today is my darling's Birthday (Anuradha Suri)...so planned some surprise for her at Bandipur. I baked this cake @ 5:00 am as we were headed to our road trip around 6:00 am. This is a very simple and yummy recipe.

Ingredients:

1 & 1/2 Cups All Purpose Flour/Maida
1/2 Cup Butter
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Coco Powder
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Cup Yogurt
1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tbsp Baking Soda (Cooking Soda)
1 Tbsp Vanilla Essence
1/2 Cup Nuts & Tutti Frutti (I used Almonds, Cashew nuts, Walnuts, Raisins & Tutti Frutti)

Eggless Chocolate Fruit n Nut Cake

Process:
1. Sieve All Purpose Flour (Maida) and Coco Powder together twice and keep it aside.
2. Add Sugar to Yogurt and beat till the Sugar dissolves completely. Add Baking Powder, Baking Soda and Vanilla essence and mix well. Leave it for 3 mins, you will notice bubbles. Add melted Butter and mix well.

3. Add Flour mixture in little quantities to the wet ingredients and fold it gently.

4. Once the batter is ready, add Nuts and Tutti-Fruti and mix well. Grease a baking tray and pour the batter and microwave it for 6 mins. Let it stand in the oven for 2 mins before taking it out.

5. Cool it for 10 mins (do not refrigerate) and then overturn on to a plate. Yummy Egg less Chocolate Fruit n Nut cake is ready to eat!

Signing Off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Raw Banana (Aratikaya Vepudu/Plantain) Fry - Just in 5 mins

One of my friends was asking me to post some recipes with low calorie...So I came up with this recipe. Raw Banana Fry is a very simple and quick recipe. It's healthy too because it's made in less oil. Try it out!

Ingredients:

1 Raw Banana
1/2 Tbsp Cooking Oil
1/2 Tbsp Jeera/Cumin Seeds
Pinch of Turmeric Powder
1/2 Tbsp Red Chilly Powder
Salt to taste

Raw Banana Fry

Procedure:

1. Wash, peel and cut Raw Banana into small cubes.
2. Take a Microwavable dish and put the Raw Banana and all of the above ingredients and mix well.
3. Sprinkle some water, cover it with a lid and cook for 5 mins in Microwave mode.
4. If you want the fry to be crispy, remove the lid and keep it in the same mode for 1 min 30 seconds.
5. Yummy Raw Banana Fry is ready to serve. Serve it with steamed Rice and Ghee.

Happy Cooking!
Signing Off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Eggless Chocolate Walnut Cookies

Baking Time!!!! I was so bored yesterday, the weather was so dull and lousy... I wanted to do something... but what?? I had no idea and suddenly  I realized that my hubby was wanting to eat Cookies from a long time. So I decided to bake some cookies by the time he comes back from his office...I looked for some egg-less recipes on the web but to my disappointment I could not find a simple recipe, everything was so complicated...then I decided that I should try baking cookies in my own style :) Here I come with my simple yet yummy Egg-less Chocolate Walnut Cookies recipe...

Yummy Chocolate Walnut Cookies

 Ingredients:

2 Cups Maida/All Purpose Flour   
1 Cup Chopped Walnuts
1/2 Cup Unsweetened Cocoa Powder
1 and 1/2 Cups Powdered Sugar
3/4 Cup Unsalted Butter
1/2 Tsp Baking Soda
1/2 Tsp Baking Powder
1 Tbsp Vanilla Essence
1 Tbsp Cardamom Essence (Optional)

Procedure:

1. Sieve Maida/All Purpose Flour, Powdered Sugar, Coco Powder, Baking Powder, Baking Soda and keep it aside.
2. Melt Butter and let it cook to the room temperature. Add Vanilla and Cardamom Essence and mix well.
3. Now add the Flour mixture to butter and mix gently till all the dry ingredients are completely mixed. The dough should be stiff enough to make balls.

Chocolate Dough

4. Add chopped walnuts to this mixture and mix the dough well. Keep it aside for 5 mins with a covered lid.

Chocolate Dough with Walnuts

5. Divide the dough into small portions and shape them into round balls and flatten them on your palm like tikkis. Or if you have a Cookie Cutter, use it to shape the cookies.
6. In a baking try place a butter paper or aluminum foil and place the shaped cookies with 1 &1/2 inches gap between the cookies. This is because the cookies will swell and spread during baking.
7. Place the baking tray into the oven and microwave them in pizza mode for 5 - 7 minutes. Keep an eye on the cookies so that they don't get over cooked. Once it's done. Remove them from oven and let it cool for 6 - 8 mins and then remove them carefully into a try.

Note: When hot, the cookies will be soft but once cooled the cookies will be crispy.

Yummy Chocolate Walnut Cookies

8. Yummy Egg-less Chocolate Walnut Cookies are ready to eat. Store them in a air tight container and they will stay fresh for a week.

Tip: 1.Using Cookie Cutter you can try different shapes like Heart Shape, Stars etc. I made a few heart shape cookies too...

Heart-Shaped Cookie

2. If you don't have Butter paper or Aluminum foil, directly place the cookies on the oven glass plate and microwave them.

3. If you do not have Cardamom Essence, you can add one more tablespoon of Vanilla Essence.
4. If you do not have pizza mode in your microwave oven, you can directly microwave the cookies for 1  - 2 mins and keep checking after every one minute or 30 seconds. This is a bit difficult process because you the cookies may tend to get over or under cooked. Check the various combinations in your microwave oven and try them.

Happy Cooking!!!
Signing Off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Vermicelli Dosa (Semiya Dosa)

I was bored of eating Semiya Upma for breakfast, so thought will try something different. Tried making Dosas with Semiya and they turned out good. It's easy and quick. Try it yourself...

Ingredients:

1 cup Roasted Vermicelli (Semiya)
3/4 cup Rice Flour
1/2 cup Rava
1 cup Yogurt
2 Green Chillies
1 Carrot Grated
A few Coriander Leaves
Salt to taste
2-3 Tbsp Oil for Frying Dosas

Yummy Golden Vermicelli (Semiya) Dosa

Process:

1. In a bowl, mix roasted Vermicelli, Rice Flour, Rava, grated Carrot, chopped Green Chillies, and Coriander leaves.
2. Add Salt and Yogurt and mix it to the above mixture. The batter needs to be thin, so add water if needed. Leave it for 5 mins.
3. Meanwhile, heat a Non-Stick Tawa. Pour a ladle of the batter on the tava, drizzle half a teaspoon oil on the dosa and let it cook on medium flame. Flip over and cook on the other side.
4. Serve hot with chutney or tomato pickle

Happy Cooking!
Signing off...
Your Favorite Chef!

Tangy Lemon Poha(Atukulu) - Quick Breakfast/Snack Recipe

Ingredients:

2 Cups Thick Poha/Atukulu
2 Big Lemon
2 Tbsp Peanuts
1 Tsp Mustard Seeds
1 Tsp Urad Dal
1 Tsp Chana Dal
2 Tbsp Oil
4-5 Green Chillies(Slit Long)
1/2 Tsp Turmeric Powder
Pinch of Hing/Asafoetida
Few Curry Leaves
Salt to taste

Tangy Lemon Poha

Process:

1. Wash Poha(Atukulu) twice, drain out water completely from Poha and keep it aside.
2. Heat a Kadai, add two tablespoons Oil, add peanuts, chanadal and fry for 2 mins on medium flame. Now add Urad dal, Mustard seeds, slit Green Chillies and fry till the daal turns Golden brown and now add Hing/Asafoetida and mix well. Turn off the stove.
3. Add Turmeric Powder to Poha and mix lightly.
4. Extract juice from Lemons, add salt and dissolve it completely.
5. Add Lemon juice and the seasoning to Poha and mix well. Yummy Tangy Lemon Poha is ready to eat.

Happy Cooking!
Signing off...
Your Favorite Chef