Navratan Palak

Ingredients :


Spinach – 2 bunches
Carrot – 1 ( Chopped into small pieces )
Potato – 1 ( Chopped into small cubes )
Tomato  - 2 ( pureed )
Capsicum – 1 ( chopped )
Asofoetida / Hing – 1 tsp
Paneer – 10 to 12 ( cubed pieces )
Ghee – 2 tsp
Ginger - 1 tsp ( chopped )
Raisins and Cashew nuts - handful
Turmeric – 1 tsp
Coriander powder – 2 tsp
Red chilly powder – ½ tsp
Garam masala powder – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – 1tsp
Pepper  powder – 1 tsp


Method :

Chop the spinach and cook in the pressure cooker for one whistle.

Take a pan, heat ghee. Add raisins , cashew nuts , ginger and  fry it for 2 minutes. Add paneer and sauté for a while. Add palak , carrot , potato , capsicum pieces and salt. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tomato puree and cumin powder , coriander powder , red chilly powder , turmeric powder and garam masala powder. Cook till most of the liquid is absorbed.

Serve hot with rotis / chapatis / pooris. 

Mushroom , Baby-corn and Capsicum Masala

Ingredients :


Mushrooms – 250 gms
Tomatoes – 3 ( finely chopped ) or tomato puree
Onion – 1 , chopped
Baby- corn – 100 gms ( halved )
Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tsp
Green chillies – 2 , chopped
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Garam Masala powder – ½ tsp
Cumin powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Salt – To taste
Spring onion / Green onion – 3 to 4 strands ( finely chopped ) or Coriander leaves - little, finely chopped
Oil – 1 tbsp
Ghee – little


Method :


Cook mushrooms and baby-corn till they become tender . Keep aside .
Heat oil in a pan and fry onion till golden browned . Add ginger-garlic paste, sauté and allow it to cook on low flame for 2 minutes . Add tomato puree, green chillies , red chilly powder and mix evenly . Add salt , garam masala powder and turmeric powder and saute . Add cooked mushrooms + baby-corn and capsicum pieces. Stir evenly for 5 minutes . Garnish with finely chopped spring onions .
Serve hot as a side dish with roti / chapattis or with white rice .

Palak Mushroom

Ingredients :

Spinach – 1 bunch
Button Mushrooms – 200 gms
Onions – 2 medium 
Tomato - 1
Green chilies - 2 
Ginger – 1 inch 
Garlic – 4 cloves

Cloves - 2
Green Cardamoms- 2
Black pepper corns – 4 to 5
Cinnamon stick – ½ inch
Cumin ( Jeera ) powder -1/2 tsp

Salt to taste
Red Chili powder – ½ tsp 
Coriander powder – 1 tsp 

Turmeric powder -1/2 tsp

Water - 1 cup

Method :

Wash the spinach leaves thoroughly cut one of the onions and tomato in quarters. Steam the Spinach, quartered onion and tomato. Cool. Chop the other onion and fry in little oil till they are golden brown. Remove and drain on paper towel.

Once the Spinach Mix and fried onions are cooled to room temperature, grind them along with green chillies + black peppercorns + ginger + garlic + cinnamon + green cardamoms + cloves.

Heat water in a saucepan,add the mushrooms and cook for about 5 minutes till done and water evaporates. Drain the remaining water. Keep aside.

In the kadai , heat oil. Add the coriander powder , turmeric powder , Cumin powder and red chili powder .Cook for a minute. Add the ground mixture . Cover immediately and cook on low flame till the oil separates, stirring occasionally. Add the mushrooms. Keep covered till it stops spluttering. Add salt and extra water ( if required ) according to the required consistency. Cook for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat.

 Serve hot with Naan /roti/ Chapati

Indo-Mexican Corn Tortilla

Ingredients :

Corn Flour / Cornmeal ( Makke ka atta ) -  1 cup

Maida – ¾ cup

Salt – to taste

Oil  - few drops

Lukewarm water – ¼ cup

Baking soda – a pinch

Method :

Add all the ingredients in a mixing bowl and mix evenly . Prepare a dough and set it aside for 10 minutes . Then, make round lemon-sized balls from dough and prepare a roti/ Tortilla either as usual ( press slightly when rollong ) or by using roti / tortilla maker ( by dusting maida ) .

Heat oil on a Tava / griddle . Roast the prepared tortillas one-by-one for 2 minutes.

Note : The tortilla should be medium thick. i.e not too thick and not too thin.

Mushroom Tava Masala

Ingredients :

Button Mushrooms – 150 grams

Onions – 3 medium ( pureed )

Tomato – 2 ,pureed

Capsicum – 1 , chopped

Cashewnuts – 6 to 7.

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tbsp

Jeera – 1 tsp

Cumin powder – 1 tsp

Coriander powder – 1 tsp

Garam masala powder – 1 tsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Red chilly powder – 1 tsp

Kasuri methi – 1 tsp

Salt – to taste

Oil – 2 tsp

Coriander leaves – little , finely chopped

Method :

Wash mushrooms thoroughly . Cut them into 2 pieces .

In a kadai , heat oil . Add cumin seeds , turmeric powder , red chilly powder . Saute for a while. Then , add ginger-garlic paste and saute . Add onion paste and cashewnuts . Saute till golden brown in colour . Add tomato puree and cook . Then , add coriander powder , cumin powder , kasuri-methi , garam masala powder and salt . Mix evenly .

Now add mushrooms and capsicum pieces . Cover and cook over medium low heat till mushrooms get cooked . Garnish with coriander leaves . Serve hot with rotis .

Thick Rava Crispy Rottis

Ingredients :

Thick Rava ( thoru rulavu ) – 2 cup

Wheat flour – 2 cup

Green chillies – 7 to 8 ( Finely chopped )

Red chilly powder – 2 tbsp

Curry leaves – ½ cup ( Finely chopped )

Grated coconut – 2 tbsp

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida – 1tsp ( diluted in 1 ½ tsp water )

Salt – To taste

Oil – 2 cup + 1 tsp

Method :

In a mixing bowl , add green chilly pieces + red chilly powder + salt + chopped curry leaves + grated coconut + Diluted asafoetida . Smash and mix evenly . Then , add thick rava and wheat flour. Meanwhile , in a seasoning laddle , add 1 tsp oil and mustard seeds. When it begins to crackle , add the seasoning to the mixing bowl which contains thick rava, wheat flour and other ingredients . Mix them and prepare a dough ( like poori dough ) by adding water as required . Make lemon sized balls of the prepared dough . Then prepare rottis ( poori ) from the dough balls.

In a deep bottomed kadai , heat oil . Finally , deep fry the rottis.

Serve as snack with tea or coffee .


This recipe is submitted for Winter Carnival event @ Tickling Palates.

Rajma Masala

Ingredients :

Rajma – 1 cup

Tomato – 2 small

Onion –1 big ( chopped into thin 1 inch pieces )

Red chilly – 2

Red chilly powder – 1 tbsp

Turmeric powder – ½ tsp

Coriander powder – ¾ tsp

Asafoetida ( Hing ) powder – ½ tsp

Garam masala powder – ½ tsp

Ginger – Garlic paste – 2 tsp

Bay leaf – 1

Cumin ( Jeera ) – ½ tsp

Salt – To taste

Butter – 2 tbsp or Oil – 2 tsp

Lemon juice – 1 tbsp

Coriander leaves – little ( finely chopped )

Method :

Wash and soak rajma overnight . Pressure cook until soft . ( Do not drain the water. It is to be added while cooking ) .

Prepare a fine paste of tomato + red chilly . Keep aside .

Heat butter or oil in a thick bottomed kadai . Add jeera , bayleaf , asafoetida and allow to crackle . Add onion pieces and saute till golden browned . Add ginger-garlic paste and fry. Add the ground paste to it and cook until oil seperates .

Add turmeric powder , coriander powder , red chilly powder , garam masala powder and salt . Mix evenly. Add 1 cup of water and cook covered for 3 minutes . Add cooked rajma alongwith the stock. Mix evenly . Cook on low flame for 5 minutes . When masala gets thick consistency , remove kadai from flame .

Add lemon juice and mix evenly .

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves .

Serve hot with chapatis / naan / white rice .

Sweet for 1st Anniversary of my blog

Curry leaf Rice ( Karibevu Chitranna )

Ingredients :


White Rice - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 1 cup
Peppercorns - 8 to 10
Cumin ( Jeera ) - 1 tbsp
Grated coconut - 2 tbsp
Tamarind - Little
Chanadal - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
Peanuts - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste
Oil - 2 tsp


Method :


Prepare rice. Then, grind grated coconut + peppercorns + jeera + coriander seeds + tamarind without adding water. 
In a pan , add oil. After it gets heated, add mustard seeds , chanadal , peanuts and little jeera . Saute for 2 minutes. Now, add ground masala and fry for 2 seconds. Finally, mix rice and salt to taste. Mix evenly.
Serve hot.

Vegetarian Kashmiri Biryani

Ingredients :


Basmati Rice - 600 gms
Potatoes - 100 gms ( chopped into small cubes )
Peas - 100 gms
French Beans - 100 gms ( cut into 1 inch pieces )
Cauliflower - 100 gms ( chopped )
Carrot - 100 gms ( chopped into small cubes + little grated finely for garnish )
Tomato - 1 small ( pureed )
Onion - 2 small ( chopped )
Green chilly - 1 ( Optional )
Cinnamon , Cardamom , Cloves - 2 each 
Bay leaf - 1
Almonds - 25 gms
Cashewnuts - 25 gms
Saffron ( Kesar ) - 10 gms ( dissolved in 1/4 cup milk )
Ginger - Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Red chilly Powder - 2 1/2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - 1 tsp
Salt - To taste
Curd - 2 tsp
Butter - As required
Coriander leaves - little ( Finely chopped for garnish )


Method :


Wash and cook rice. Keep aside
Cook the chopped vegetables till they become sufficiently soft. Keep aside.
Fry almonds and cashewnuts till light browned.
In a bowl , mix curd , ginger-garlic paste , garam masala powder , turmeric powder , red chilly powder and salt.
In a handi , fry onions till golden browned. Add curd mixture and fry for 2 to 3 minutes. Add cinnamom , cardamom , cloves , bay leaf , almonds , cashewnuts and 2 tsp of tomato puree. Fry for 4 to 5 minutes on medium flame. Add peas and mix evenly for a while. Add the cooked vegetables and a little water. Cook on low flame till the gravy is thick enough.
Remove a little gravy with some veggies from the handi to a bowl. Keep aside.
Then add 2/3 of rice to the handi which has little gravy with veggies. Spread the rice evenly as a layer. Evenly sprinkle few drops of saffron milk. Again add the removed gravy with veggies from bowl to handi. Spread evenly as a layer. Add the remaining rice to handi. Spread evenly as a layer. Sprinkle the remaining saffron milk evenly. Garnish with coriander leaves and a little grated carrot.  Finally cook by covering the handi tightly for 5 to 6 minutes so that aroma spreads evenly.
Serve hot with raita.

SPENDING MY VALUABLE TIME -Post for Surf Excel Matic #GetSmart Contest on IndiBlogger

I see many children playing various outdoor games, going out for picnic,shopping etc ..when they have free time.


I am a handicap girl. I cannot move myself independently. So, I have lot of free time.
I spend my time painting diyas, painting on plain clothes, drawing, watching T.V, playing puzzles and word games and writing on my blog .


Painting on diyas - On the occasion of Diwali- The Festival of lights , I got an interest in painting diyas with various colours. This makes me feel happy as I paint diyas on my own with joy. 
                              

                                         


Painting on plain clothes - Since I went to school, our craft teacher tought us various skills like stiching , making flowers on plain clothes by painting etc. As I cannot do stiching , I learnt to make flowers on plain clothes by painting. In the beginning, the colours faded, but after continous practising, the mistakes were somewhat corrected.

                                                                    


















Drawing - I like drawing very much. Since my childhood, I made varieties of drawings. 
                
 One day, when i finished drawing a Micky mouse picture, I thought of filling colours in it. But before I had not tried filling colours in any of my drawings. When I started filling colours in Micky mouse drawing by using water colours, one of the bottle of paint fell on my favourite dress. As I tried to clean it with hands , the colours had become very hard as it was dried. When my mummy saw the dirty dress , she scolded me at first. Then she said me that she will try to clean it but not to paint with hurry in future.
Next day, when she washed my favourite dress which had become dirty because of faded colours, it had no marks of any colours. So , I asked her-'By which detergent did she wash my dress and other clothes?She replied that she regularly used SURF EXCEL .

Writing on my blog - Since the year 2006, I developed an interest in cooking. I cannot cook myself because of my health problem. So, I tell my mom to prepare various dishes. I click the snaps of the dishes and type the recipe instructed by her. Then, I post them in my recipe blog.

HAIR - THE RICHEST ORNAMENT FOR WOMEN ( Post for- Love is a two way street: Love your hair and it loves you back! on IndiBlogger )

                                             As I have very little hair,
                                             
                                             I always wish for long and beautiful hair.
                                             
                                             Wish that I loved my hair with great care,
                                             
                                             And not feel myself shy or to scare.
                 
                                             I wish that I washed my long hair with Dove,

                                            And nourished them with all my love.
                                           I want to make my hair smooth and shine,


                                            And click a beautiful snap of mine.
                            
When I was about 11 to 12 years old, I had dandruff problem. There was itching due to dandruff. My mom tried several remedies, but they were of no use. Finally, I applied DOVE Anti-Dandruff shampoo. After using it continuously for several days, dandruff problem is solved. Thanks to DOVE.I use DOVE Moisturizing lotion , cream and soaps. Using these products I don't have dry skin . So, in my opinion, DOVE is the best brand. I always use DOVE products . Till now I didn't have any harm effects by using Dove products.


Hair is almost like a social status, especially for women. Hair is the richest ornament for women. Hair brings our self image into focus. Long , beautiful, shiny, nourishing hair always enhances the beauty of women.  Females feel quite touchy about their hair. They think that hair is the most important part of their beauty. But now-a-days , trend is changing . Most of the girls think that they cannot maintain hair and therefor they prefer to go for a simple haircuts.
    To improve beauty of hair and to avoid hair problems like hair loss, increase of dandruff , lice etc , proper care is a must. Nutrition is most important aspect to have healthy hair. Vitamin A , Vitamin B and Vitamin E are responsible for healthy hair. Vitamin B3 , B5 ,B6  and B12 are also important. There are other ingredients too which are important for healthy hair.Hair needs to be properly cured as it always makes our head and mind feel fresh. Hair care is most important to both males and females, but its more important for females when compared with males. Modern people like to go to spa. But people who don't like to go to spa, try to maintain hair care by using home remedies or trying different brands of oils and shampoos.While you buy any shampoo, Please note that a it doesn't contain any harmful  ingredient that may cause damage or any other side-effects to your hair. 

Choosing right shampoo :

Healthy hair : Shampoo with protein is a good bet. Regular shampoos should do well for this type of hair.

Fine hair : Shampoos labeled with substantive proteins will help this type of hair. Shampoo has to be a little more acidic.This will help the cuticles become smoother and impart shine to our hair.

Oily hair : Lemon-based shampoos are the best remedy to offer. Jojoba-based shampoos help break up sebum buildup. They leave the hair dirt free and revitalize the scalp.

Hair washing :


The fact is that we can wash our hair as many times and as many days as  we want to, provided we use the right type of shampoo that suits our hair. It is purely a personal decision on the number of times we want to wash our hair. It is believed that our ancestors seldom washed their hair, but with today's pollution  and other problems , we can hardly think of following that dictum.

• It is recommended to wash our hair only when really required.
• Don't wash your hair two times in progression as this might leave your hair dryer stripping away the natural oils. 
• Choose the right type of shampoo that will suit your hair type and the conditioners in the shampoo will help the hair look a lot healthier and protect the cuticle from wear and tear too.
• If you have scheduled to wash your hair everyday then ensure that your shampoo has the right pH balance. 

Hair washing tips :

• We should be gentle while we massage the shampoo into our hair.
• Too much use of shampoo will result in dry and unruly hair.
• If your hair remains oily after the shampoo wash everyday, replace it with a conditioner straight away, it helps giving great looks to your hair.
• Start shampooing from the nape of your neck and then into your scalp.
• Using a comb to distribute the conditioner is a great idea.
• Blot the water from your hair into a towel and do not rub as it is very weak when wet.
• Do not wrap your hair in a towel over a head for a long time; this will cause damage to the root of the hair.
• Try and avoid blow drying your hair as much as possible.

   

                                               

This is my post link- http://www.indiblogger.in/indipost.php?post=87759 please click the link and view my post to promote it and return back to the link and click on promote the post..hope that u will promote my post

Kumbh ( Mushroom ) Masala

Ingredients:


Mushrooms - 300 gms
Onion- 1 sliced into thin long pieces
Tomato puree - 1/2 small cup 
Ginger -Garlic paste - 2 tsps
Cashewnuts - 3
Red chilly powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Cinnamon - 1"
Cardamom - 2 pods
Cloves - 2
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Green chillies - 2 ( slit lengthwise ) - ( Optional )
Oil- 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste


Method :


Clean, wash and slice the mushrooms and keep aside.
Soak cashewnuts in lukewarm water for 15 minutes and then grind into a smooth paste.
Take a pan and heat oil.Add sliced onion and saute till they become transparent.Remove from heat and allow it to cool for sometime.Then make a paste and keep aside.
Then heat the same pan with remaining oil.Add cumin seeds, cinnamon, cardamom and cloves.When they start to crackle add the onion paste and green chillies .Saute for 2 mins, add tomato puree and again saute till the oil separates from the mixture.Then add cashewnut paste ,ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell disappears.Add chilli powder, coriander powder and turmeric powder, saute for a min.Now add sliced mushrooms, salt to taste and garam masala powder.Combine evenly and cover with a lid.Cook on low flame till the mushrooms become tender.Finally garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with rotis / chapatis.

Chole ( Chickpeas curry )

Ingredients :


White chickpeas / garbanzo beans - 1 1/2 cup
Tomato paste - 2 tbsps
Onions ( chopped ) - 3/4 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 3 to 4 tsps
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 3 to 4
Cinnamon - little
Red chilly powder - As per taste
Roasted Cumin seeds powder - 1 tbsp
Roasted Coriander seeds powder - 2 tbsp
Chole masala - 2 to 3 tsps 
Coriander leaves - chopped, for garnishing
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - to taste


Method:


Soak the chickpeas overnight/ 5-6 hrs and cook in pressure cooker for two whistles
Heat oil in a pan,add ginger- garlic paste and sauté until it turns light brown.
Add the cloves and cinnamon and stir for a while. Now add the onions and stir until it turns transparent.
Add the tomato paste and cook until the raw smell of tomato is gone.
Mix the turmeric, red chilly, jeera, coriander powder, chole masala along with a little salt and leave covered on low flame for a minute.Add more oil at this time if dry.
Add the chickpeas along with the water and continue to cook covered. Simmer for a while until the gravy blends with the beans.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Salted Jackfuit Dry curry ( Salla Upkari )

Ingredients :


Salted Jackfruit - 2 cups
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 3 ( chopped )
Oil - 2 tsps
Water - As required
Grated coconut - 2 tsps ( optional )


Method :


Remove salted jackfruit from salted water and soak it in fresh water for half an hour. Remove the jackfruit from water and discard the water. Slice the jackfruit pieces into thin 1 inch pieces.
In a kadai , heat oil.Add mustard seeds. When it crackles, add red chilly pieces and fry for 10 seconds. Add jackfruit slices and fry for 2 minutes. Sprinkle little water over it. If liked, add grated coconut finally and mix well.
Serve as a side-dish with dal and white rice.