RM#2 : Day 17 Onion Pakodas

Onion Pakodas are very famous in India. Each and every street will have a shop making bajjis and pakodas. Pakodas and bhajjis are every ones favourite. My mother used to make these every saturday for my us and my father.

Onion pakodas on a cold winter evening will taste like heaven.

Ingredients
Onions - 2 big
(Chop it lengthwise)
Gram Flour - 1/4 cup
Rice Flour - 4 tb.sp
Red Chilli Powder - 2 t.sp
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - optional

Method
Mix all the ingredients together. Keep on kneading it till the onion leaves out water. If you feel you need more water add very little. Heat oil in a pan. And put the onion mix in the oil in a sprinkling fashion. (I mean do not put the onions like big big lumps). Fry till it is done. Serve hot.

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

24)Karuna

25)Roochi

RM#2 : Day 16 Grilled Corn

My children like Corns very much. I always cook it in the pressure cooker with some salt water and give it to them. Then after coming here I saw these people add butter to it. Then I came across this in a magazine here and thought of trying it. It came out very well and the children liked it very much.

Ingredients
Corn - 1
Honey - 1 t.sp
Dried herbs - 1/2 t.sp
Salt
butter - 1 t.sp
chopped green chillies - 1/2 t.sp

Method
Cook the corn with salt water till it becomes soft. Let it cool down. Keep it in an aluminium foil and strew all the other ingredients over it. Wrap it. And keep it in preheated grill for about 10 min. Eat hot.

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

24)Karuna

25)Roochi

RM#2 : Day 15 Carrot Poriyal

Carrot poriyal is one of the very common dish I prepare in my home, once in a week.

Ingredients
Carrot - 1/4 kg
Onion - 1 big (chopped)
green chillies - 2
Grated Coconut - 4 tb.sp
Mustard seeds - 1 t.sp
Urad dal - 1 t.sp

Method
Peel and grate the carrots in a big grater. I like to cut it small, but it takes time. Microwave the carrot mixed with 2 to 3 tb.sp of water and 1 t.sp of salt for about 5 minutes. Heat oil in a kadai. Splutter the mustard seeds and urad dal. Add curry leaves. Add onion and green chillies and saute till the onions become translucent. Add the cooked carrot and salt. And cook for about 2 min. Add the grated coconut and mix well. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve with rice or chapathi.

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

24)Karuna

25)Roochi

RM#2 : Day 14 German Feld Salad & Award Times.

Feld Salad also called as Corn Salad/Lambs Lettuce. This is a new leaf to me. Saw it first time after coming here. And I tasted it when my neighbour gave me a salad made with it. Since then I also make this salad very often for my children. Their favourite. Though used raw, this leaf has a special taste, which makes a good salad. Googled for it in Wikipedia and found the names of it in other languages too.
ENGLISH : Common corn salad, Cornsalad, European cornsalad, Field salad, Lamb's lettuce, Milk grass, Smooth-fruited milk grass.
FRENCH : Douchette, Mâche, Mâche potagère, Valérianelle.
GERMAN : Ackersalat, Echter Feldsalat, Gewöhnlicher Feldsalat, Nüsslisalat (Switzerland), Nüsslisalat Feldsalat , Rapunzel, Salat-Rapünzchen, Sonnenwirbele, Vogerlsalat (Austria).
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corn_salad

So here is the recipe for the healthy salad
Ingredients
Feld Salad - 250 gms
Juice of 1 Lemon
Salt
Sugar
Olive Oil - 1 t.sp
Method
Pluck them from their stems. Wash the leaves. And dry them with a cloth. Prepare the dressing. Add all the other ingredients. And shake well. Add it to the cleaned leaves and mix well. The salad is ready to be served.

Lets see what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

24)Karuna

25)Roochi

It has been raining awards for sometime here.
Purva Desai of Purva's Daawat has honoured me with the Hard Working Award and The Inspiration Award
Ramya of Ramya's Kitchen Corner has honoured me with the Friendship Award
Priya of Priya's Easy N Tasty Recipes has honoured me with the Friendship Award, Kreativ Blogger Award, and Great Buddy Award

Divya of Divyaseasyrecipes and Priya have tagged me for Meme. Will do it soon dears.
So you see I feel so very very honoured. I am feeling like I am souring very high up in the sky out of happiness. Thanks to all of you. These awards mean a lot me.

I would like to pass these awards to

Mahimaa of Indian Vegeterian Kitchen.

Harini of Tougueticklers.

And to all OUR RM#2 Runners 

RM#2 : Day 13 Nool kol chutney (ganth gobhi chutney)

Nool kol or Ganth Gobhi is one type of turnip. It is my father's favourite veg. In India I never used it much other than to make sambhar. It is a seasonal vegetable in India and available for a very short period. I don't know if all of you know what it is. So I searched for it in Wikipedia and got the names for it in other languages too.
Assamese "Olkobi" , Bengali "ওলকপি" (Olkopi), Hindi "गांठ-गोभी" (ganth-gobhi), Kannada "Navil Kos", Marathi "Naval Kol / khaval ", Punjabi/dogri "Kadam" , Tamil "Nool Kol".

Here we get it very commonly. So I keep experimenting with this. Here I came up with a chutney made from Nool Kol. 

 

Ingredients

Nool Kol (Ganth Gobi) - 1 big

Onion - 2 big

Tamarind - lemon size

Mustard - 1 t.sp

Red chilli - 4 to 5 

Channa dal - 1 tb.sp

Urad dal - 1 tb.sp

Tomato - 1 big (optional)

Coconut - 2 tb.sp

Coriander Leaves - a little (optional)

Curry leaves (optional)

Method

Peel the skin of the nool kol and cut them into small cubes. Chop the onions and tomatoes (if you are using it, I did not use tomatoes here). Heat about 1 t.sp of oil in a kadai. Splutter the mustard and then add the urad dal, channa dal, red chilli, curry leaves. Keep it aside. Then again heat 1 tb.sp oil in the same kadai and add onions and fry till translucent. Add tomatoes and cook till soft and then add the diced nool kol. And salt and cook till becomes soft on medium. Then add the coconut and coriander leaves and mix it well. Now let this mixture. After it cools down, put the veg mix in the mixer and make a smooth paste of it. When it becomes a smooth paste then add the dal - chilli mix which we had let to cool and run the mixer again. See to it that it should not become a smooth paste again. It should be little coarse. Eat it with idli/dosa.

Don't forget to see what the RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga

20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

24)Karuna

25)Roochi

RM#2 : Day 12 Pav Bhaaji

Pav Bhaji is a bombay special. My husband loves it. Whenever we visit my mom's place in Mumbai my husband insists on going to hotel for Pav Bhaaji. Otherwise we like to have home-made Pav Bhaaji. I make it very often, twice a month. Pav-bhaaji is one of the very few dishes that has no clash of likes and dislikes in our house. Otherwise it is always one says "i like this" and then the other one will "I like that".

All have their own version of making Pav-Bhaaji. So here I present my version.

Pav-Bhaaji
Ingredients
Potato - 1/4 kg
(Boiled, peeled and smashed)
Boiled Veggies - 1 cup (Cauliflower, beans, carrot, green peas, beetroot etc)
(the veggies are your choice and what you have in ur fridge)
Tomato - 4 big (pureed)
Capsicum - 1 big
Red Chilli Powder - 1 1/2 t.sp
Pav Bhaaji Masala - 1 1/2 t.sp
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 t.sp
Salt to taste
Butter/Oil
Finely Chopped Onion for garnishing.
Lemons cut into half
Method
While boiling the veggies add salt to the water. Don't throw of the cooked water, use it when you need to add water. Smash all the veggies and keep aside. Heat butter/oil in a kadai. Put the ginger-garlic paste in the hot oil and fry for a min. Add the onions and fry till translucent. Toss in the diced capsicum and saute for a minute. Pour in the tomato puree and add salt, red chilli powder. Mix well and let the mixture boil. Once the raw smell of tomato is gone add the boiled and smashed veggies and stir for a minute. Then add the smashed(without lumps) potato, stir the mixture and let it boil. Add water if required. Add the pav-bhaaji masala let it boil for sometime about 2 to 3 min. Serve hot with Toasted Butter Pavs and with onion and lemon.

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

RM#2 : Day 11 Thakkali Uruzhaikilangu Thirakkal (Tomato Potato Dish)

We normally make this for Rava idlis, kuzhi paniyaram etc. I like it very much. My mother makes this very often. She also includes brinjals. but since my husband does not like brinjals I avoid them. She is very specific about the shape the potato and the brinjals are cut for this dish. She says the shape of them also matters a lot. So here we go.

Ingredients
Tomato - 2 big
Potato - 1 big
Onion - 1 big
grated coconut - 2 tb.sp
red chilli powder - 11/2 t.sp
salt to taste

For the seasoning
Mustard seeds - 1 t.sp
Urad dal - 1 t.sp
Fennel Seeds (Sombu) - 1 t.sp
Curry leaves

Method
Chop the onions. Peel the potatos and chop them little and long fine. They should not be cubes. Wash the tomatoes and chop them. Grind the tomatoes, coconut and red chilli powder together to a fine paste. Heat oil in a pressure pan. Add the items for seasoning and then add the onions. Once the onion becomes translucent add the chopped potatoes. Cook for about 1 or 2 min. Add the grinded mixture and keep stirring for about 2 to 3 min. Now close the pressure pan and let one whistle come. Then you can turn off the gas and let the pressure come out on its own. Serve it hot.


So I think it was very easy and tastes good too.


Dear Mahimaa, for your question about the cake it is coming soon. I was trying to schedule the posts yesterday but somehow it got posted. And so I removed it. By the way if someone knows how to schedule posts for the future, please do let me know. I have typed them and saved it in drafts. I will be not here in the last week of Nov. and so want the posts to be scheduled.


Let us check out what my other co-runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

RM#2 : Day 10 Kudaimilagai Pachadi (Bell Pepper Dal)

I make it very often for Rice or Chapathis. It is one of the favourites of my father and my husband. Very easy and jatpat recipe. The main ingredient being capsicum enhances the smell as well as the flavor of the pachadi (dal).

Kudaimilagai Pachadi (Bell Pepper Dal)
Ingredients

Thuvar Dal - 1 cup
Chopped Bell Pepper - 1/2 cup
Onion -  1 big (chopped)

Tomato - 2 medium (chopped)
Thick tamarind extract - 1 to 2 tb.sp

Sambhar Powder - 2 tb.sp
Salt to taste

For the seasoning
Mustard - 1 t.sp
Urad Dal - 1 t.sp
Asafoetida - 1/2 t.sp
Curry Leaves

Method
Cook the thuvar dal till it is little soft but crunchy. It should not become too soft. Heat oil in a kadai. Add the items for seasoning. And when the mustards have finished spluttering add the onion and tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes become till soft. Add the chopped capsicum (bell pepper) cook for a minute or two. Add salt, tamarind, sambhar powder and the cooked salt. Once the mixture starts boiling, simmer, cover and let it cook for few minutes, about 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer to a bowl, garnish with coriander and serve hot with Rice or Chapathis.

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

RM#2 : Day 9 Peanut Kuzhambu (Kadalai Kuzhambu)

I normally prepare this Peanut Kuzhambu when I am bored and we seem to be needing a change in food. And also when I am short of fresh veg. We all like this for Rice. The kuzhambu and crunchiness of peanuts go together very well.

Peanut Kuzhambu
Ingredients
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
(soaked the previous night and pressure cooked with little salt till it becomes soft)
Chopped Onion - 1 big
Chopped Garlic - 5 to 6
Tomato - 1
Thick Tamarind extract - 3 to 4 tb.sp
(soak the tamarind in water, take a thick extract of it)
Sambar Powder - 2 tb.sp
Salt to taste
Oil
Freshly grated Coconut - 2 tb.sp
Cumin seeds - 11/2 t.sp

For tempering
Mustard seeds - 1 t.sp
Urad dal - 1 t.sp
Fenugreek seed - 1/2 t.sp
Asafoetida - 1/2 t.sp
Curry Leaves


Method
Heat oil in Kadai. Add all the items given tempering. Once the crackling of the curry leaves has stopped add the chopped onion and garlic. Saute for a minute or two. Then add the chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes have become soft. Add sambhar powder and salt. Add a little water, tamarind extract and cooked peanuts. Cover and cook for about 10 min. stirring in between. Grind the coconut and cumin seeds and add to the kuzhambu. Serve hot with rice.

So now lets see what our other RM runners are cooking today.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

RM#2 : Day 8 Sothi (Side Dish for Idiyappam)

Sothi is a very famous South Indian Side Dish. It is very easy and quick to prepare it. It was one among the 1st dishes I made for about 20 guests first time after marriage. They were the 1st guests to our house, 20 of them at the same time. And I had conceived by then and was vomiting a lot. With all my vomitings I cooked the first guests of our house.
The menu on that day was Idiyappam with Sothi, sambhar, Veg. Cutlets, Kavuni Arisi. At that time it was too much for me (not a much experienced cook). Why I am doing all this blaa, blaa is to say that Sodhi is one of the easiest recipe I learnt.

Sodhi (Side Dish for Idiyappam)
Ingredients
2 Potatoes (medium sized)
Pressure cook the Potatoes and mash them.
1 cup Thick Coconut Milk
2 1/2 cup Diluted Coconut Milk
3 to 4 Green Chillies
Mustard Seed - 1/2 t.sp
1 tb.sp Lemon Juice
Salt to taste

Method

Heat about 1 t.sp oil in a kadai. Splutter the mustard seeds and add green chillies. Since I didn't have green chillies I had used 1 t.sp of Chilli Powder here. Add the diluted coconut milk. Add the mashed potatoes, salt and stir it. Let the mixture reach a boiling stage. Take the kadai away from the gas and add the thick coconut milk and lemon juice. Stir again and serve hot with Idiyappams.

So easy and so fast, isn't it.

Check out what the other RM runners are cooking today, here.
1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

Time for more awards
Divya of Divyas Easy Recipes, Viji of Vazhga Valathudan and Lubna of Yummy Food have given me the Friendship Award.

 

Lubna has also given me the Inspiration Award.

Thanks to all of you for sharing these awards with me. It is very nice of you all.

RM#2 : Day 7 Idiyappam - String Hoppers

Idiyappam or String hoppers is very common dish in TamilNadu, Kerala & Srilanka. It is made with rice flour. It can be served for both breakfast and dinner with kurma or sothi. It is very soft and easy to digest. Because of its easily digestible character it can be given to small babies (infants) who don't even have teeth. My mother usually puts some hot milk over it, adds some sugar, smashes it nicely and gives it to my children when they were babies. It can also be given to elderly persons and also to people who are ill.

There are many many versions of preparing the rice flour for this idiyappam. Here I am giving a very method which I usually follow and which never ever lets me down. And also comes super soft.

Idiyappam
Ingredients
Raw Rice - 2 cups
Boiled Rice - 11/2 cups
Salt to taste
Hot water

Method

Wash both the rices together and soak them in water for about 2 to 3 hrs. Spread them throughly on a clean cloth under hot sun. Let it dry till the rice are well dried and are sort of crispy. That is when you put them in your mouth you should feel the wetness because of soaking and also you should not feel the hardness of rice in raw stage.
So then you can either use mixer or else take it to the flour machines in India. And get it grinded to a smooth powder. Sieve it finely once and store the flour for future use.

Whenever you want to make Idiyappams. Take this flour in a bowl (better a basin, means which has broad mouth). Add some salt. For about 2 cups of this flour take about 4 cups of water. Heat the water. It should be hot, but not boiling. That is just when bubbles start coming from the bottom of the water. You can take it out pour it in the dough slowly. Keep mixing with a wooden ladle. It should come out to be a smooth dough. Check for the requirement of water, depending on the quality of rice you may require more or less water.

Now you need something called the Sevai Press or simply you can use the press we use for the ohma podi (bhujjia). Clean it and oil the inside of the press. Oil your hands and press the dough in idli plates or in just round steel plates and steam them. Cover the dough with a damp cloth so that it doesn't get dried out.

Repeat the above process for the remaining dough.

Serving Suggestions
Children's Fav
1) Keep the hot idiyappams on a plate, drizzle some drops of ghee over it. Strew about a tb.sp of sugar and freshly grated coconut
2) Pour hot milk with sugar over it.
3) Prepare some coconut milk, dissolve sugar and flavour with cardamom. Pour it over hot idiyappams.

For those who don't much of sweet
1) Serve hot with veg.kurma.
2) We normally serve with sothi. Recipe for this sothi will follow in a couple of days.

These Idiyappams are being served to
1)Saapadu Ready event hosted by Aartee of From the Kitchen
2) WYF : Kitchen Gadget event hosted by Easy Crafts of Simple Indian Food - An Easy Cooking Blog
3) Rice Mela event hosted by Srivalli of Cooking 4 All Seasons
4) Challenge event by veda murthy

and Ofcourse to my co-runners in Recipe Marathon. They are

1) DK

2) Siri

3) Srivalli

4) Ranji

5)PJ

6)Curry Leaf

7)Medha

8)Priya

9)Bhawna

10)Raaji

11)Ruchii

12)Anu

13)Kamala

14)Roopa

15)Divya Kudua

16)Rekha

17)Divya M

18)Lakshmi

19)Raaga
 
20)Sripriya

21)Viji

22)Kamalika

23)Pavani

And now time for Awards

 

Padmajha of Seduce Yours Tastebuds has awarded all the RM#2 Runners with Good Job Award. Thank you so much Padmajha

 

Sripriya of Srikar's Kitchen has also awarded all the RM#2 Runners with the Chocoholic Award and the Hard Working Food Blogger Award.

That was so sweet of you Sripriya. Thanks a lot to both of you.