Semiya Kesari/ Vermicelli Kesari

A Variation of Kesari / Sooji Ka Halwa

 Ingredients

Semiya/Vermicelli: 1 Cup
Sugar: 1/2 Cup
Ghee: 5 Table Spoon
Milk: 3 Cups (Or 2 cup milk + 1 Cup Water)
Cardamom powder: 1 pinch
Cashew nuts/Raisins: For Garnish

Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Method

Pour ghee to a pan, fry cashew nuts and raisins and keep aside
To the same pan add semiya and fry for about 5 to 8 minutes on medium flame
Boil milk and water and add it to the semiya
Add sugar and cardamom powder
Stir well and let it boil.  Once it boils well reduce the flame to medium
Keep on string till the whole liquid is absorbed and semiya kesari gets thick
Grease the setting tray with little ghee
Pour the mixture to the setting tray and layer it well
Once it cools cut  to the desired shape using a knife and place the cashew nuts and raisins on top and serve

Note:
If you wish to make it more sweet increase the amount of sugar or add little condensed milk

Easy Tomato Rice

An easy Lunch Box Item!!!

Ingredients

CookedWhite Rice/Basmati Rice: 1 Cup
Tomato: 2
Green Chilly: 3
Crushed Ginger & Garlic: 1 Table Spoon
Oil/Ghee: 2 Table Spoon
Bay Leaf: 1
Cloves: 2-3
Cinnamon Stick: 1 Piece
Garam Masala Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Salt
Coriander Leaves

Cooking Time :10 minutes
Method

Heat oil/ghee in a pan and add bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon.  Saute for a minute and add crushed ginger, garlic and green chilly
Saute on low flame for 2 minutes
To this add chopped tomatoes and salt.  Cook till tomato becomes mushy
Now add the cooked rice and sprinkle the garam masala powder and mix well
Add a few chopped coriander leaves and serve hot with raita

Note: 
This is not a spicy dish.  If you wish to make it spicy increase the amount of green chilly or add red chilly powder

Simple Tomato Chutney

Simple N Delicious!!!

 Ingredients

Ripe Tomatoes: 2
Ginger: 1 Small Piece
Split Urud Dal: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Dried Red Chilly: 3
Salt
For Seasoning
Oil: 1 Table Spoon
Mustard Seeds: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Dried Red Chilly:2
Curry leaves

Cooking Time: 5 minutes
Method

To a pan pour 2 table spoon of oil and add urud dal.
Saute on low flame till it starts to change color. Then add dried red chilly and chopped ginger
Saute for a few more seconds and then add chopped tomato and salt
Saute till the tomatoes are soft and then switch off the flame and let it cool
Once cooled grind it to a fine paste
For seasoning, to a pan pour oil and add mustard seeds.
Once it crackles add dried red chilly and curry leaves. Saute for a minute and then add the chutney
Mix well and serve with pakodas, dosa, idli etc..

Note:
Increase the amount of dried red chilly if you want it to make it spicy

Chicken Shawarma

For all those who love Arabic food.. Lets try making it at home....

Ingredients

Boneless Chicken: 500 gm
Pita Bread/Kubboos/Shawarma Bread: 8
For Salad
Chopped Cucumber: 2 small
Chopped Lettuce:  1/2
Sliced Carrots: 1 big
Chopped Tomato: 1 big
Pickled Carrots/Cucumber: Optional
For Marination
Thick Yogurt: 2 Table Spoon
Garlic paste: 1 Table Spoon
Vinegar: 1 Tea Spoon
Pepper Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Mixed Spice Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Lime juice: 1/2 Tea Spoon
Cardamon Powder: 1/4 Tea Spoon
Olive Oil: 2 Table Spoon
Salt
For Sauce
Tahineh/Tahini (Sesame Seeds Paste): 2 Table Spoon
Thick Yogurt: 4 Table Spoon
Garlic Paste: 1 Tea Spoon
Lime Juice: 1 Table Spoon
Salt

Preparation Time: Over Night
Cooking Time: 45 minutes
Method

Put the cleaned chicken pieces to a bowl and add all the ingredients mentioned under for marination and combine well

Cover and keep in fridge over night or minimum 8 to 9 hours (Do not freeze)
After the said time take the chicken from fridge and keep it out for 5 minutes
Preheat the oven to 180 C
Place the chicken pieces on an oven safe tray and bake for 30 to 35 minutes.

Flip sides regularly and brush little olive oil each time
Once the chicken is done take it out of the oven.
Pour a table spoon of olive oil to a pan and fry the chicken for a minute or two so that the outer part of the chicken will become light brown in color.  (If you don't have an oven you can cook the chicken in a pan by drizzling oil as required in medium heat)

In the mean time combine all the ingredients mentioned under for sauce and keep it aside

In a bowl mix chopped cucumber, lettuce, carrots and tomato and make the salad

Once the chicken cools a bit chop it to bite size pieces

Now lets combine everything and make shawarma roll

Take a pita bread and spread some sauce on it.
Take a portion of the chicken and salad mix and keep it on the pita bread

If using pickled cucumber or carrots keep 1 or 2 pieces
Now roll it carefully and cover with aluminium foil or butter paper
Serve right away

Note:

Baking time may vary depending on the oven so keep a close eye
You can add any vegetable of your choice to make the salad
To make Tahineh/Tahini (Sesame Seeds Paste) at home 
Take 1 cup of white sesame seeds and dry roast it for some time.  Allow it to cool and then put this to a food processor. Take 1/4 Cup of olive oil. Add 2 to 3 tables spoons of oil at first and grind the sesame seeds and make it a paste. gradually keep adding the oil so that it achieves a liquid consistency.  You can pour it to a air tight container and store in the refrigerator

Feta Cheese and Chickpea Salad

Salad Time!!!

Ingredients

Feta Cheese: 100 gm
White chickpea: 1/2 Cup
Cucumber: 1
Carrot:1
Lettuce: 1/2 of a medium size one
Tomato: 1 Small
Spring onion: 4
Olive oil: 2 Table Spoon
Lime juice: 1 Table Spoon
Olives: 5 to 6
Salt

Cooking Time: 10 minutes
Method

Wash and soak chickpea overnight in enough water
Cook the chickpea well
Chop cucumber, carrot, lettuce, tomato, spring onion, olives and feta cheese
Put everything in a bowl and drizzle olive oil, lime juice and salt
Give a good toss and serve

Note:
Cheese is salty, so add salt accordingly
You can even add some chopped mint leaves

Sweet Corn and Chicken Soup

Lets have some hot Soup!!!!!!!

Ingredients

Chicken Stock: 3 Cups

Sweet Corn: 250gms

Cooked chicken: 250gms

Egg: 1

Soya Sauce: 1/2 Tea Spoon

Corn flour: 1 Table Spoon

Pepper Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon

Spring onion

Salt

For making Stock

Chicken: 250gms

Onion: 1

Garlic: 4 - 5 Cloves

Bay leaf: 2

Cloves: 2- 3

Pepper Corns: 10

Celery: 1 stick

Water: 4 Cups

Salt

Cooking time: 45 minutes

Method

First lets make chicken stock

To a deep bottom vessel add all the ingredients mentioned under to make stock and combine well and let it boil

Once it boils you can see white foam on top.  Remove it and reduce the flame and allow the stock to boil for another 20 to 30 minutes

Mix corn flour in little water and keep aside

Beat the egg well and keep aside

Strain the stock and keep it back on stove

Take the garlic and mash it well and add it to the stock

Take the chicken pieces and remove all the bones and chop it to bite size pieces

Once the stock boils add sweet corn kernels and let it boil for 5 to 6 minutes

Now add the cooked chicken.  (Before adding chicken if you wish to you can take out some of the corn kernels and grind it to a paste and add it to the soup)

Reduce the flame and add corn flour mix to it

Add the beaten egg through a strainer (Its important to add it through a strainer, else it will become chunky)

Add soya sauce and let it boil for another 2 or 3 minutes

Add pepper powder and check the salt, if required add more. (Remember you have added salt while making stock)

Add chopped spring onion and serve hot

Note:

Adjust the spice levels accordingly.  I have used white pepper powder.  But its not mandatory.  You can use normal pepper powder

This is not a thick soup, the consistency is medium.  If you need a thick soup increase the amount of corn flour.  

You can make vegetable soup the same way by adding carrots, beans etc instead of chicken 

If you want to make more stock and store it for future use, after preparing the stock, strain it and let it cool completely and pour in the ice tray and let it freeze. Once it freezes can remove from ice tray and store in zip lock covers  in freezer.  

I use chicken breast piece to make the stock and use the same chicken to make the soup.  But you can use any piece as per the availability

Instant Oats Dosa

Another Oats recipe ...

Ingredients

Oats: 1 Cup
Wheat flour: 3 Table Spoon
Salt
Water

Cooking Time: 5 minutes for 1 dosa
Method

Soak 1 cup oats in 1 cup of water for 5 minutes
Then grind this to a fine paste adding more water if required
To this add wheat flour and required salt and blend in well

The batter should be pouring consistency.  It should not be too thick or thin.

Heat a non stick or iron tawa, 

If using an iron tawa  add a drop of oil and rub on it. 

Once the tawa is heated, bring the flame to medium and pour a ladle of batter in the center.

Using the back of the ladle, spread the batter in a circular motion and make the dosa 
When one side is cooked well flip over and cook the other side too.  If you wish to you can drizzle little ghee or oil to make the dosa crispy
Serve hot with sambhar,  coconut chutney or any chutney of your choice

Note:
You can also powder the oats first and then make the batter by adding water
If the batter is thick or too thin you wont be able to make perfect dosas

Simple Moong Dal (Cherupayar Parippu) Tadka

Simple and humble dal curry!!!!

Ingredients

Moong Dal: 1/2 Cup

Onion:1

Tomato: 1

Ginger: 1 inch piece

Cumin/Jeera: 1/4 Tea Spoon

Red Chilly Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon + 1/4 Tea Spoon

Turmeric Powder: 1/2 Tea Spoon

Asafoetida: 2 pinch

Garam masala powder: 2 pinch

Garlic: 4 - 5 Cloves

Green Chilly: 3 - 4

Ghee/Oil: 3 Table Spoon

Salt

Water

Curry Leaves

Cooking Time: 25 minutes

Method

Finely chop onion, tomato, ginger, garlic and green chilly

Cook moong dal in enough water along with onion, tomato, ginger, 1/2 tea spoon red chilly powder and turmeric powder.

Once it cooks add required salt and let it boil for some time.  Check the consistency of the dal.  If required add more water and let it boil and switch off the flame  (Dal should not be too thick)

To a pan add oil and crackle the cumin seeds.  Then add chopped garlic, curry leaves and green chilly and saute for 2 minutes

Switch off the flame and add 1/4 tea spoon red chilly powder, asafoetida and garam masala powder

Stir well and pour this to the curry

Mix well and serve hot with rice along with pappad , pickle or raita