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!!!!!

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!

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!