Recipes From My Kitchen

Rava Idlis are a super fast alternative to the traditional rice/daal idlis. Since there is no soaking, grinding or fermenting involved, you can enjoy these idlis at any time without the pre-planning. Many prefer to buy the permixed pack from MTR.  I made this from scratch. I also read reviews about adding ENO to make the idli light and soft. I have not used. I thought the idlis came out very soft and tasty just without the ENO. If you want a very light and spongy idli, then for sure adding 1-2 tsp of ENO just before you pour the batter in the mould will make a lot of difference. Makes 12 idlis Ingredients: 2 cups rava or semolina , 1 cup curd , beaten, 2-3 green chillies , chopped finely, 1-2 tbsp green coriander , finely chopped, Salt as per taste For Tempering: 1 tbsp ghee , 1 tsp chana dal , 1 tsp mustard seeds , 8-10 curry leaves , Method: In a heavy bottomed pan, add the ghee. Once it reaches the smoking point, add the chana dal ad allow it ...

Here's a round up of all the treats usually prepared in the Indian homes during the festival season. Authentic sweet and savory dishes from all over India, this is your cheat sheet to all the festive treats.                      These are just some of the varieties that I have posted on my blog. I will be adding a lot more to this post as and when possible. Click on the images to view the recipes. Enjoy :-)

Though there are umpteen number of recipes one can prepare this salad, I simply go with the preparation of this salad with basic ingredients. A good dash of butter gives it a beautiful lingering taste. Serves 4 Ingredients: 200 gms sweet corn , boiled, drained, 1 medium onion , sliced, 1 tsp green chillies , finely chopped, 1-2 tsp lemon juice , 1 tbsp melted butter , Salt to taste, Green coriander for garnish Method: In a bowl, mix all the ingredients together. Serve chilled. You could add small pieces of boiled chicken, egg, or shrimps. It would taste good as well. If you want to make it spicy and tangy, you could add chat masala and red chilli powder. Small variations make a big difference. This is my entry to my event Soups and Salads hosted by  Foodie In Me  and  Escapades . Read more about the event and participation details  here .

Why I didn't make sour cream at home earlier, is beyond me. Most likely because I didn't realize how easy it was to do it at home. Sometimes it seems difficult to find a quality sour cream at the local grocery store. Organic sour cream is rare in many parts of the country and even if you can find an organic option, often it has been ultra-pasteurized or has added stabilizers to thicken the product. Thankfully, making sour cream at home is easy. To make sour cream you will need cream and a starter culture. While making sour cream takes only a few minutes of prep time, allow up to 24 hours for the sour cream to culture and cool prior to serving. Choosing a Cream The first step to making sour cream is choosing an appropriate cream. There are several factors to consider: Whipping cream will yield the thickest sour cream. Half-and-half can be used but the sour cream will have a thinner consistency than if whipping cream is used. Dry milk powder can be added ...

There are countless versions of a potato salad: mustardy, sweet, mayonnaise, olive oil, jalapenos, yogurt and the list goes on. However, I like it with sour cream. I love sour cream . Also you could use a variety of herbs to perk up the recipe - mint, coriander or a combination of both. I decided to use dill this time. You can get experimental with the herbs of your choice as anything will taste as good as this one with dill does. Must mention about the wine. Its delicious. A slight bitterness just at the end of very bite, makes it so drool worthy. Serves 4 Ingredients: 200 gms baby potatoes , boiled in salted water, peeled, 1/2 cup sour cream , 6-8 cloves of garlic , diced, 1 tbsp olive oil , 2-3 tbsp  white wine or vodka (optional) 1 tbsp chopped dill , Method: In a pan, heat olive oil. Add the chopped garlic and saute. Add the potatoes and saute for some time. Remove from fire and add the wine or vodka and mix well. Put it back on low flame. Be caref...

This simple chicken salad is the perfect salad for a lunch or dinner. The hard-cooked eggs give it nice flavor and texture, and the lemon juice and honey add the tang and sweetness to the salad. This is a cold salad and tastes best when chilled. Make sure you have all the ingredients refrigerated before you start. Serves 4 Ingredients: 1 cup boneless chicken , boiled, 10-12 cherry tomatoes , 3 boiled eggs , A handful of lettuce leaves , 1 tsp soya sauce , 1 tsp worcestershire sauce , 1 tsp olive oil , For the dressing: 1 tbsp honey , 1 tbsp mustard sauce , 1 tbsp lemon juice , 1 tbsp olive oil , Salt and pepper as per taste, Method: Shred the chicken into small pieces. Heat oil in a pan. Add the shredded chicken and toss well. Add the soya sauce and worcestershire sauce and mix well. Allow it to chill. Mix all the ingredients for the dressing and set it aside to chill. Cut the boiled eggs and set it aside to chill. In a serving bowl or p...

Post the Diwali hum drum, time to move on to shed some of the weight put on during the last 1 week. Starting off on the Soups And Salads Event this week. This is a humble pea soup. The main flavoring comes from the roasted garlic. Roasting the garlic takes the edge off it and gives it a sweetness which makes a great and subtle base for the rest. Ingredients: 1 whole garlic , 2 tsps olive oil , 200 gms frozen peas , 25g butter , 2 tbsps freshly grated parmesan (optional) 200 ml warm stock, 150 ml cream (I have used Amul low fat cream) Salt and pepper as per taste, Method: Slice off the top of the garlic so that you can see the tops of the cloves revealed in a cross section. Remove the cloves and spread it out in a baking tray. Add a little bit of salt and a little olive oil and grill for about 20 mins. This makes all the difference to the soup.  Cook the peas in boiling salted water. Drain and blend.  Squeeze in the soft cooked cloves of garlic. A...

Finally a sugarfree sweet which is not only tasty but healthy too. My sister shared this recipe with me a few days back. I was actually super thrilled when I found out how easy it was to make this and so healthy. Dates and nuts make a great paring. These Khajur Rolls make a healthy snack, a quick dessert and a great hiking/gyming companion. Ingredients: 500 gms seed less dates , 1/4th cup almonds , chopped, 1/4th cup almonds , slivered, 1/4th cup pistachios , chopped, 1/4th cup golden raisins , washed and clean dried, 1/4th cup pumpkin seeds , (optional, I have not used) 1/4th cup cashews , (optional, I have not used) 2-3 tbsp poppy seeds , dry roasted, 1-2 tsp ghee , Method: Chop the dates finely or run it in a food processor to make it into fine pieces. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat the ghee. Add the chopped dates and mix well. Let it simmer for 3-4 mins. Keep stirring in between. Add all the nuts and mix everything together. Remove from flame and allow ...

Vadai is basically a deep fried snack made using dal or lentil. This vadai as the name implies is made from urad dal and is on the menu for all festivals back home. As a kid I remember having this vadai on occasions like Vinayaka Chaturthi, Pongal, etc. The menu usually consisted of a sambar, potato fry, this vadai, sakkarai (sweet) pongal and payasam.  Nowadays due to hectic lifestyles, elaborate menus are not an option. Hence the simplest are the vadai and pongal to make for offering as  neivediyam  to God. Ingredients: For the batter: 1 cup  urad dal , white lentil, soaked in water for 2 hours, 1/2 tsp black pepper corns, crushed Salt  as per taste, Oil  for frying, Method: Make a fine paste of the soaked white lentil without adding water. Add very less water as you need a very thick batter.  Do not add salt until you are ready to fry them as it will make the batter runny. Add black pepper and mix well.  Heat oil...

Omapodi or khara sev as it is popularly known is usually made for Diwali snacks or savories. I love to just eat them plain by handful. It is the main ingredient that forms the major part while making the South Indian Madras Mixture. It is also used in chaats, to add more crunch either as the base or as a topping. This one is an easy recipe but since you use the super fine nozzle its slightly tedious.  The important flavour of this sev is the omam or carrom seeds or ajwain. Ingredients: 1 cup gram flour , 1/4th cup rice flour , 1 tbsp cooking butter , 1 tsp ajwain or carrom seeds , 1 tbsp hot oil , 1/4th tsp asafoetida , Salt as per taste, Oil for deep frying Method: Dry roast ajwain until a nice aroma comes. Then coarsely ground it. Add the powdered ajwain to 2-3 tbsp of warm water and set aside for a while.Then filter it and keep aside. Sieve the gram flour and rice flour and transfer this into a mixing bowl. Add the filtered ajwain water, hot oil, ...

This is my mom's specialty sweet. She makes it the best in the world. No one can match it. I love it!!! Ingredients: 1 cup  fresh grated coconut , 1- 1/2 cup  granulated sugar , 1 cup  milk , 2 tbsp pure  ghee , 1 tsp  cardamom powder, Before you start: Keep a 10 - inch steel plate or square baking tray greased with ghee ready.  Method: In a big heavy bottomed kadhai, put the grated coconut, sugar, and milk. Put it on high flame and mix well. Allow it to come to a boil.  Simmer it and leave it to cook. This will take a good 20 mins. So you have to be patient. Just keep mixing it once in while. You will see that the color of the mixture starts to become golden in color and thickens quite a bit. Add the ghee and cardamom powder and keep stirring continuously. At this stage you need to be very attentive. The mixture will start to froth and crystalize on the sides of the kadhai. Keep scrapping off the sides and stir conti...