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Sunday, December 14, 2008

AND THE WINNERS OF CHALLENGE ARE.......

Drum roll please..................The Winners are.....

Soma of Ecurry - Stuffed Bell Pepper in Arrabiata Sauce
Lubna Karim of Kitchen Flavors - Chocolate Banana Dessert

Since I received so many lovely entries from all my friends, selecting only 2 winners was not justified. I requested Meeta to select one more winner.

She chose Uma Priya of Telugu Ruchi - Millet Dosa

CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!to all the winners. Your Gift will be posted only in the 1st week of January as I am moving from my present residence to a different city. So will take some time to settle down and mail to you all. Please mail me your addresses in the meantime. Once I post Your prize, I will keep you informed about it. Thank you for your patience!

I am so thankful to all the other participants who joined us in this challenge. Special Thanks to Meeta of What's For Lunch Honey for carefully going through each one of the entries and coming up with the winners name. I am sure it was a hard task for her to select only 3 from so many.

Have a great week ahead all of you!

Monday, November 24, 2008

Thank you!!!!!! is what I will say from the bottom of my heart to all fellow bloggers who participated in the Challenge contest.

I am so happy seeing the number of recipes. What I really liked the most is although some of your recipes might have been rejected for a particular ingredient in the NO LIST (there I go again!!!!). This did not deter you guys from sending more recipes (I am using the term 'more' here because many of you have really tried hard to send in multiple recipes, being extra careful about the ingredients,which are also healthy and just perfect for the contest).

When I see the number of recipes from you guys, I do feel a little bit awkward that I was not able to contribute much as promised. But some unexpected things have tied me to be away from my blogging work although I have loads of rocking recipes stored on my computer to share with you all. Hopefully I will be able to post more often from January.
Even if the challenge contest is over, I will definitely include all those recipes which are extremely healthy and belong here in this group.

From here Meeta, my dear friend will do the honours. She will choose two best entries.Over to you Meeta!

So coming to the entries....

List of Participants and their Entries:

Sita from Andhra Flavors

Sweet Balls from Puffed Rice

Uma Priya from Telugu Ruchi

Instant Cucumber Pickle

Mango Pickle

Millet Dosa

Potato Pancakes

Lubna Karim from Kitchen Flavors

Apple and Lemon Sharbat

Coconut, Chocolate and Banana Dessert

Strawberry Mint Soda

Tomato Salsa

Lakshmi from Taste of Mysore

Tomato Rasam

Thin pancakes made from Mixed Flour and Veggies

Finger Millet Halwa

Sorghum Flour balls (Jowar balls)

Finger Millet balls (Ragi balls)

Steamed Rice flour Thin pancakes with Ridgegourd curry

Tangy Green Tomato Chutney

Cucumber Salad

Tomato Salad

Spicy Potatoes

Finger Millet Pancakes

Crisy Puffed Rice without Peanuts

Grilled Red pepper and Tomato soup

Sorghum and Bajra Flour thin Pancakes

Soumya (Cooking Station)

Apple pickles

Priya from Priya's Easy and Tasty Recipes

Finger Millet Puttu

Lemony Finger Millet Noodles

Herbal Juice

Zucchini Clear Soup

Drumstick Clear Soup

Fresh Cucumber Juice

Olive pickles

Steamed Finger Millet Veggie Rolls

Sushma from Savi Ruchi

Raw Jack Fruit Stir-fry

Rice Balls

Jack fruit Dosa

Divya from Divyas Easy recipes

Pearl Millet and Rice flour Puttu

Orange Punch

Rice flour (Steamed)Kolkattai

Viji from Viji's Veg Corner

Grilled and Mashed Egg plant in Tamarind Gravy

Magic Corn

Plantain Stem Salad

Alka Keswani from Sindhi Rasoi

Little Millet Flour Rotis with Potato Curry

Pavithra from Pakashale

Neeru Dosa (A combination of Rice and Coconut dosa)

Cumin (Jeera) Rice

Punched Ivy Gourd Curry (tendli)

Soma Rathore from Ecurry

Stuffed Bell Pepper In Arrabiata Sauce

Sudeshna from Bengali Cuisine

Potato - Okra Fry

Potatoes coated in Poppy seeds paste

Roochi from Roochis Blog

Smashed Brinjal Curry

Jayashree from Kailas Kitchen

Beetroot Halwa

Indrani from Appayayan

Tamarind Soup with Vegetables

Vandana Raman from Vandana's Kitchen

Potato Cubed Side Dish

Chitra from Amma's Kitchen

Finger Millet (Pizza) Aka Rice pancakes

Once again thanks to all the bloggers who participated in the Challenge. I think I have posted all the entries....but by mistake If I have Missed any of your entries, Please mail me to iyengarskitchen@gmail.com within a week. This is just to give you all ample time to check whether your entries have been put here and also to give Meeta (our judge) some time, who will have to check the entries from her busy schedule. Winners will be announced in the 2nd week of December.

So till then Happy cooking all of you!!!!!

Thursday, November 6, 2008

Aloo Gobi


This is one of the most easiest recipes I can think of when I buy cauliflower from the market. It's quick, easy and very tasty.

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 1 (cut in to florets)
Potatoes - 2 (diced)
Tomatoes- 4 Fine chopped
Onion - 1 (fine chopped)
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tspns
Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
1 green chilly (slit)
Red Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Cumin powder - 1 tspn
Garam masala - 1 tspn
Coriander powder - 1 tspn
Coriander leaves - ½ cup
Oil - 1 tbl spn
Salt to taste

Preparation:

1.Wash cauliflower as mentioned here. Heat Oil in a pan,add cumin seeds, onions, green chilly, ginger garlic paste. Fry till the raw smell goes and till the onions turn transperant. Take care not to burn them. So do this on low heat.

2. Add tomatoes, and the powders like cumin, coriander, red chilly powder, then toss in cauliflower florets and potatoes together.

3. All of the spices blend really well when you add the veggies together. Add little water for the veggies to cook. Add salt.

4. Add garam masala and coriander leaves in the end and mix well.

5. Serve hot with chapathi, phulka, Jeera rice, etc.

Actually I can send it to the Challenge event I am hosting. So this and many more will be from the host.
Also sending this recipe to Vegetarian Thanksgiving at Fun and Food cafe!

Monday, November 3, 2008

Diwali thali recipes for Sapadu ready event and Priti's Festive Food Event at Indian Khana!



For the Sapadu Ready Event, I am reposting the Diwali menu with recipes for each on the thali.

1. PLAIN RICE

2. PARAPPU OR PLAIN DHAL:
Cook 1 cup Red gram dhal (Thuar dhal/Thogari bele) in a pressure cooker. Mash it slightly. Take a small kadai or pan, Add oil, mustard, 2-3 green chillies(split), coconut, hing(a pinch), and coriander leaves all about 1 tspn. Add salt to taste and mix it. Thats done!

3. RED AMARANTH LEAVES CURRY (Kempu Dantusoppina palya):
Chop a bunch of amaranth leaves and cook in pressure cooker for only one wistle with little water. In a deep bottomed pan or Kadai, Take 1 tblspn Oil, 1 tspn mustard seeds, a pinch of Hing, 1 tspn bengal gram, 1tspn black gram, curry leaves (1 strand), 2-3 green or red chilles, and finally add the leaves without the water. You can use the water for making rasam or soup. fry for a few minutes in oil. Finally add 1 tbl spn coconut. Mix well and serve with chapathi or rice and rasam combination!

4. TOMATO RASAM:

Main ingredient is the Rasam powder. When you have this ready follow the procedure given below.

Pressure cook ½ cup Red gram dhal. In a vessel boil 1 Cup of water with fine chopped tomatoes (2 tomatoes). Add 1 tbl spn rasam powder, 1 tspn jaggery, allow it to boil for 5 minutes. Add 1 strand of curry leaves, coriander leaves (1tbl spn) after 5 mins of boiling. Add the dhal and boil for 3-4 minutes. Add the juice of soaked tamarind (about 1 tbl spn) and salt. Temper it with little Oil or ghee with mustard seeds and jeera and hing!

5. WHOLE MOONG DHAL (GREEN GRAM) SAMBHAR:

Use the same method for sambhar like rasam. Additions are to cook the green gram with the red gram dhal and add sambhar powder while boiling. recipe for sambhar powder coming up soon!

6. SOUTHEKAYI KOSAMBARI (CUCUMBER SALAD)

Fine chop 1 Cucumber in to small pieces. Add coconut (1tbl spn), green chilli (2 chopped), coriander leaves (1 tbl spn), temper it using oil, mustard seeds and hing. Add salt when you are just about to serve it.

7. SHAVIGE PAYASA (SEVAI KHEER)
Boiled Milk - 1 litre

1 Cup Sevai - Roast it in a deep bottomed pan with little ghee until it turns golden brown.

1½ Cups -Sugar

Cardamom powder - 1 tspn

Saffron - few strands

Raisins - 10

Cashewnuts - fried in little ghee (6-7)

Preparation:

a. Add roasted sevai in boiling milk. Keep stirring on a low flame.

b. Once the sevai is cooked, add sugar to the milk. Allow it to dissolve.

c. After a couple of minutes, add saffron strands, cardamom powder, Cashews and raisins.

d. Switch off the flame. Allow it to cool. Best served when chilled.

8. SAPSEEGE SOPPU AMBODE (Fried flattened balls made from a mixture of Dill leaves and soaked bengal gram)

INGREDIENTS:

To grind coarsely without adding much water:

Bengal gram - 1 cup (soaked) save 1 tbl spn for mixing with the batter

Green chillies - 2

Red chillies - 1

Hing - ½ tspn

Coconut - 2 tbl spns

Salt to taste

Once the batter is ready add Dill leaves - half a bunch (chopped) and soaked bengal gram (1tbl spn that you had saved earlier).

Heat Oil in a deep bottomed pan and take a lemon sized batter flatten it and add one by one when the oil is hot. Reduce the heat and allow it fry on both the sides till its golden brown.

Another addition to the batter is fine chopped onion. But since it takes up more oil I omitted it. You can defintely give it a try because with onions its even more tastier.

So there you go, I have posted the recipes for all the food that was on the thali for diwali at my home. Do try this at your home and let me know of your experiences!

This is heading straight to Aartee of Nalabagham for her SAPADU READY event!
I am also sending this Thali to Priti's Festive food Event at Indian Khana

Hope she likes it!

Monday, October 27, 2008

HAPPY DEEPAWALI!


A very HAPPY DIWALI to all my readers! This is the menu in my home today:-)What's special at your place?






1. Rice

2. Parpu (Plain dhal)

3. Kempu Dantusoppina palya (Red Amaranth leaves curry)

4. Tomato Rasam

5. Whole moong dhal Sambhar

6. Southekayi Kosambari (Cucumber Salad)

7. Shavige payasa (Sevai kheer)

8. Sapseege Soppu Ambode (Fried flattened balls made from a mixture of Dill leaves and soaked bengal gram)

May this Festival of lights bring you all Joy , Happiness and Prosperity in the days to come! Enjoy !

Wednesday, October 22, 2008

PHOTOS OF KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI/JAYANTHI CELEBRATIONS!!!!

Iyengars are known for their Krishna Janmashtami celebrations which is celebrated on a grand scale. As a kid I was waiting for this festival as the first thing about the festival is the decorations and the second most loved part is the food.....Well...let me make the food part first honestly....we kids used to wait as to when the elders would give us all that Paniyara (sweets and savouries prepared for lord Krishna).

There are two groups within Srivaishnava community called as Tholappar and Mannar. There are some few changes in the way they celebrate the festival. Tholappar community wait for Rohini Nakshatra(star) to appear by referring to the Hindu Almanac (Panchaanga) whereas Mannar celebrate it as Sri Krishna Jayanthi or Gokulashtami, birthday of Lord Krishna. People fast during the day and offer prayers to the lord in the evening and either have a light snack or have a heavy dinner along with paniyara.

DECORATIONS:
Decorations vary from home to home. A general way to follow is by placing an idol of baby krishna in A CRADLE decorated with flowers SINCE ITS THE BIRTH OF LORD KRISHNA. My grand ma's place had a huge checkered board hung from a certain height. Fruits and snacks were tied around the cradle of lord krishna WHICH IS CALLED PALA VASTRA. Many photos here show you a small preview about how the decorations are done .These are photos I have got from my sister, cousins celebrating at their home outside India and some from aunt's and my home in India.

PRAYERS:
Prayers are offered in the evening which starts with Saaligrama Aradhane, Panchamrutha abishekha(meaning cleansing the god with milk, curd, tender coconut, sugar, ghee..any combination of dry fruits, banana, followed by Purusha sooktha wherein we dress the lord and put him in the cradle. We recite krishna ashtothara namavali, followed by Mukundha mala shloka and Vishnu Sahasranama. After this we offer Naivedya, perform Maha mangalaarti and Shaathumorai(sing in the praise of the Lord) and Prasada vineyoga (holy water).

The next day we invite relatives, neighbours and friends who eagerly wait for the invitation. They are sent home with lots of snacks and sweets. We end the celebration with Rocking the cradle and Aarti for the lord!

FOOD:
The food that is prepared at our home on this day starts with prasada (sweet poha, a mixture of butter and sugar, and Rasayana (banana with jaggery)

The main dinner would be Anna(Rice), Saaru (Rasam) , Kosambari (Salads), Palya (vegetable), two sweets in the form of Payasam (kheer) and one dry sweet, Rice variety, Sambhar, Mor kolambu, Ambode along with paniyara prepared. Food is prepared almost whole day with so much zeal, excitement and enthusiasm.

The festival is long gone and the reason i am writing about it now is because with the write up its always nice to get a glimpse how we celebrate it with food and decor. It took some time to collect all these photos from all in the family. So here are a few for you to enjoy!

Paniyara photos:


Tenkol

Chakali











Kodbale

Kadlekayi Burfi (Groundnut)

Godhimavina Unde (Wheat flour ladoo)










Kobbari Mitayi (Coconut)

Rave Unde (Semolina laddoo)

Photos of the Paniyaram (Sweets and Savouries) sent by Mythili Srinivasan (Bangalore), Pramod and Shubha (California)







Photo courtesy: Shashi Raghuram, Bangalore

Photo Courtesy: Mythili Srinivasan, Bangalore


Our Celebration In Pune!


Our Celebration in Bangalore!


My first ever celebration in Denmark!














Photo courtesy: Bharthi Sriram, Chicago

Photo Courtesy: Sharada Ramadas, Fremont, California

Photo Courtesy: Vidya Jagannath, San jose, California

Photo Courtesy: Arjun, Bangalore

Thank you all for sending your celebration pictures!

Friday, October 17, 2008

A CHALLENGE TO MY FELLOW BLOGGERS AND FRIENDS.

After making my Fridge Magnet Event a huge success, I throw this CHALLENGE to all my fellow blogger friends and my friends who are non-bloggers too. All of you can participate and help me make this event more successful than the first one.

So whats the challenge here u ask?

You are allowed to use some products only and a majority of them that you often use in your daily cooking is not allowed!!!!!:-)Like it already. Wait! there's more to it.

Here comes the interesting part:

Your recipes will be judged by none other than Meeta of Whats For Lunch Honey? . Meeta's knowledge and passion for Food and Ingredients makes her the ideal person to judge this challenge. Thank you so much Meeta!

Winners will be judged based on Selection of the Ingredients, Description and Presentation of the dish.

There is no limit to the number of entries per person. Two best entries will be selected. Winners will get a small prize. I will get in touch with the winners for their mailing address.

So here's what you can NOT use:
Gluten - Avoid all wheat, rye and barley, and all products containing them.
No to Oats!
No milk (basically no dairy), no nuts, coffee, tea, rava (semolina), yeast, No refined sugar.
Legumes- Avoid all beans, peas, Lentils and pulses, especially soya, and all products containing them.

What you are allowed to use:
All veggies for ex: (greens in plenty), broccoli, etc.
All Fruits
Raagi (Finger millet flour)
Rice based products, corn, quinoa and a whole range of other grains/flours that are gluten-free.
Sorghum (Jowar)
Pearl millet (Bajra)
Jaggery, honey, maple syrup, Fruit sugar(fructose).

Very Limited quantity: (abt 2-3 tblspn)
Oil (obviously no deep frying), Coconut

You can come up with any recipe, whether its sweet, savory, main course, breakfasts, side dish. The list is endless.

Since mine is Veggie blog....' No to NON-VEG of any kind'
Simple Rules :
1) Post your recipe on your blogs. Please make it an exclusive post for this event and do not combine with tags, awards, etc.
2) Add a link back to this event announcement.
3) I have created a small logo for this event. You can add it in your blog too! To use the logo right click on the logo and go to properties and copy paste the url mentioned there.


4) Your entries should be mailed to iyengarskitchen@gmail.com
5) Format for sending your Entries:
a) Your name:
b) Where are you from:
c) Your post URL:
d) Subject: Challenge
e) Picture of the Dish:

6) So what if you don’t have a blog, you can still send me your recipe by emailing the picture and I will definitely include it as part of the contest! Non-bloggers also follow the same format mentioned above except point (c).

7) So what are you guys waiting for???? Go and create yummylicious recipes from the above given ingredients and mail them to iyengarskitchen@gmail.com
All your entries should reach me before the 20th of November 2008.

I am looking forward to receive some amazing tasty recipes from you all! Good luck to all of you!

Thank you Telegraph India!

A SMALL MENTION ABOUT MY BLOG IN TELEGRAPH INDIA!!!!

Congratulations to other bloggers who have been featured and mentioned too. I would like to thank RC of Red chillies for posting this article on her blog. It was a pleasant surprise for me and it made my day! I know its a small mention of my blog but I am thrilled to bits because this is my first ever step to little fame:-).

I thank every one of you for supporting me with your constant suggestions, feedback and requests for recipes! I want to mention a special thank you to my dad and mom, hubby and sisters and my extended family for all their feedbacks and suggestions to the blog!

Take a look at the below mentioned link:

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1081012/jsp/7days/story_9956303.jsp

Thanks and Regards,
Veda Murthy

Sunday, October 5, 2008

ULUNDHA OGARE



'Ulunda Ogare' is a recipe request from one of my readers. It feels fantastic if people show so much interest and want to try the recipes that I prepare at home. All the recipes I have posted here have been tried and tested first and then added here with all the details.
The method that I have posted is one of the most authentic way to prepare Ulunda Ogare. Its a recipe that has been passed from many generations i.e., from my Maternal Great Grandmother Soumyanayakamma to my Grandmother Seethamma and then to my mom and now to me. Today I am sharing it with all my family members, friends and readers staying in different countries.

Black gram(Uddina bele in kannada, Ulundha parappu in tamil, Urad dhal in hindi) is the main ingredient in this rice recipe. Thats where it gets the name Ulundha and Ogare means Rice. Before you start, I suggest you all to read the whole recipe and keep all the things ready as shown in the pictures.

Ingredients:

Rice - 3 cups ( Pressure cook rice with little oil and salt)




For grinding: (This makes about 2 and 1/2 cups of powder)

Fry all the ingredients below separately without Oil.

1. Curry Leaves- 1/2 cup
2. Black Pepper - 2 tbl spn
3. Black gram - 1 cup
4. Cashew Nuts - 1/2 cup
5. Dry Coconut (Grated) - 1 cup
Firstly grind curry leaves, cashews, black pepper and black gram and then add dry coconut and grind again to a powder consistency.

For Seasoning:

Oil - 2 tbl spns
Mustard seeds - 1 tspn
Black gram - 1 tspn
Bengal gram - 1 tspn
Curry leaves - (4-5)
Cashews - (4-5) chopped
Dry coconut - 1 tbl spn
Ground Powder - 2 cups
Salt to taste

For Garnishing:
Ghee - 2 tspns
Uddina happala (pappadam/pappad) - (1-2) break it in to pieces after deep frying.
Citron (Herale Hannu in Kannada / Nartanga in Tamil) - 2
Black gram soaked in little milk - 1/2 cup
Fresh Coconut - 1 cup

Preparation:
1. Prepare rice and allow it cool down by spreading it on a plate.
2. In a heavy bottomed pan, add oil, all the seasonings one by one.
3. Add the ground powder and mix well.
4. Add rice followed by the garnishings like fresh coconut, happala (papad) pieces, soaked black gram, ghee, salt as per taste. Mix them well. 5. Switch off the stove and add the juice of Citron (Herale Hannu / Nartanga). If Citron is not available, use lemon. Mix well and serve it with papad.
THIS ONE IS ON IT'S WAY TO SRIVALLI'S RICE MELA!!!!!!!!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

FRIDGE MAGNET- EVENT ROUND UP


When I planned to start an event, I really had a lot of apprehensions like whether it would be successful, whether people would send their entries and so on, and that too for an event which involved no cooking. But I was amazed to see the number of entries. In all I received 22 entries which i think is pretty good number for this event. It was like a stress reliever for many of my blogger friends who clearly mentioned in their mails...."this is a really a fun event to participate ...all I did was click and send". Thanks to all you guys who participated and for making this event a very successful one!

Apologies for not posting the event roundup sooner. So here they COME!


ANITHA OF DEW DROP
SANHITHA OF TASTEBUDS



HC OF HOMECOOKED
RAMYA COOKS
SIREESHA of MOM'S RECIPES


SOUMYA' s CREATIVE SAGA
LUBNA'S KITCHEN FLAVORS
EASY CRAFTS

KARUNA'S MY LUV FOR FOOD
DIVYA'S COOKBOOK
SHREYA OF AMMA'S COOKING


SIRI OF SIRI'S CORNER

SUKANYA'S MUSINGS

LAKSHMI'S TASTE OF MYSORE


VANI OF ILLATHARASI
SIREESHA'S ABHARAN
PRAGYAN'S SORISHA

RAJALEKSHMY OF ART PEARLS

VIBHAA OF VIBHAA'S WORLD
PRIYANKA'S ASANKHANA

If by any chance I have left out any of your entries please let me know. I will update it immediately. Thank you all once again!




Update!!!! This entry is from Smruthi Modi of Wrap N Bow

I somehow lost her mail for the magnet event. Sorry again Smruthi. Mistake rectified:-)))))