Authentic Recipes from the Kitchens of Shriya, Nithu & Arthi!

Soy Chunks Uruandai Kuzhambu / Soy Chunks Balls in Spicy Curry

Posted by on Feb 2, 2013 in Kuzhambu/Sambar, Veggie Entrees & Sides | 6 comments

My husband is a huge fan of Mutton Kola Urundai Kuzhambu but I wont cook meat. I replaced mutton by soy chunks and I tried this Soy Chunks Urundai Kuzhambu. My husband liked it very much and it was a super hit. It seems like it is a big procedure to make this urundai kuzhambu but it is actually not difficult to make. Here is the procedure for the soy chunks urundai kuzhambu… Time of Preparation : 60 minutes Spice level : 4 out of 5 No of Servings : 4 Ingredients: For Soy Chunks Balls: Soy Chunks – 1/2 cup Cinnamon stick – 1″ Cloves – 2 Cardamom – 1 Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Coriander seeds – 2 tsp Red chillies – 3 Green chillies – 2 Ginger – 1″ (chopped) Garlic...

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Mint Spread for Breads

Posted by on Jan 29, 2013 in Breakfast Menu | Comments Off on Mint Spread for Breads

I have posted Tomato Spread for Breads in my previous post and this is another simple spread made of mint. This spread is almost similar to Mint Chutney and everyone will like it. If you are searching for a quick breakfast this is the one… Time of Preparation : 15 minutes Spice level : 2 out of 5 No of Slices : 5 Ingredients: Mint leaves – 1 cup Red Chillies – 2 Urad dal – 2 tsp Coconut – 2 tbsp (grated) Oil – 1 tsp Salt – to taste Bread slices – 5 Ghee – to toast the bread slices Method of Preparation: Heat oil in a pan and add the red chillies followed by the urad dal and mint leaves. When the mint leaves shrinks, add the coconut and turn off the heat. Let it cool...

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Tomato Spread for Breads

Posted by on Jan 26, 2013 in Breakfast Menu | Comments Off on Tomato Spread for Breads

Republic Day Wishes to all our Readers… My mom used to make this Tomato spread and Mint spread for breads. I wanted to make this for a long time. It is very easy to make and we can make these as a quick snack or an easy breakfast. Kids will like these a lot. I made these spreads today and my husband and friends too liked a lot. Today I am posting the tomato spread and soon I will post the Mint spread.. Time of Preparation : 15 minutes Spice level : 2 out of 5 No of Breads : 8 to 10 Ingredients: Onions – 3/4 cup (finely chopped) Tomatoes – 2 cups (chopped) Oil – 2 tsp Red Chillies – 3 Garlic – 4 large cloves (roughly chopped) Salt – to taste Bread slices – 8 Ghee...

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Paneer Butter Masala

Posted by on Jan 25, 2013 in North Indian recipes, Paneer Recipes, Slideshow, Veggie Entrees & Sides | 32 comments

Paneer Butter Masala is one of the most popular vegetarian curries in Indian cuisine. Paneer (Indian cottage cheese cubes)  is dunked in a rich and creamy tomato gravy and served along with roti (Indian breads) or Flavored rice. It is one of the commonly found item in a restaurant menu. I am presenting a restaurant style Paneer Butter Masala with step by step instructions. This has always been a crowd pleaser. Tomato paste is the key in this recipe. I have tried using freshly made tomato puree but for some reason the sour taste in the canned tomato paste gives this dish a unique flavor. So please try to use tomato paste to achieve the right taste. Enjoy this dish and let me know your comments. Cooking time: 45 minutes No. of servings: 4 to 5 Spice level: 2.5...

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Oats Cutlet

Posted by on Jan 24, 2013 in Healthy Eats, Snacks | 5 comments

Now a days I want to try many recipes with oats. This is my first recipe with oats. I got this idea from my friend Jayanthi and I liked it. It is very easy to make and it is tasty to. It is very healthy too when compared to most of the snacks. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes Spice level : 3 out of 5 No of Pieces : 11 Ingredients: Oats – 1/2 cup Onions – 1 cup (finely chopped) Green Chillies – 6 (finely chopped) Ginger – 1 tsp (grated) Potatoes (boiled and mashed) – 2 (I have used 2 large go;den yellow potatoes) Peas – 1/3 cup (boiled) Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Sambar Powder – 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp Garam masala – 1/4 tsp Salt – to taste Bread crumbs...

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Milagu Kuzhambu / Black Pepper Curry

Posted by on Jan 21, 2013 in Kuzhambu/Sambar, Veggie Entrees & Sides | 1 comment

Black Pepper has so much of medicinal values. I had sever cold and cough last week. I felt bored of having pepper rasam daily. I got this Milagu Kuzhambu recipe from one of my friends and I tried this. It came out so good and I felt so much relieved from my cough after having this :). Here is the recipe for this simple Milagu Kuzhambu.. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes Spice level : 4 out of 5 Ingredients: Pearl Onions – 1/2 cup Garlic – 1 whole Sesame oil – to taste Salt – to taste Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Tamarind – lemon size To Grind: Black Pepper – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1 tsp Red Chillies – 4 Coriander seeds – 1 1/2 tsp Toor dhal – 1 tsp Urad dhal – 1 tsp...

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Panner Bhurji Gravy ( Shredded Cottage Cheese in Rich Tomato Gravy )

Posted by on Jan 8, 2013 in Paneer Recipes | 3 comments

When I went to Pune some 4 years back, I tasted this amazing Paneer Bhurji in a restaurant. From then, I tried to make Paneer Bhurji with the same taste. Recently when I tried, I got almost the same taste. I made it for my niece and she too loved it. Canned tomato paste made this gravy even more richer. It is really simple to make and we can follow the same procedure for regular Paneer Butter Masala too :). Time of Preparation : 30 minutes No of Servings: 6 Spice level : 1 Ingredients: Paneer (grated) – 200 grams Onions – 1 cup (chopped) Ginger garlic paste – 1 1/2 tbsp (I have used homemade) Tomato Paste – 50 grams (I ve used 1 small can tomato paste to bring the taste like restaurant style) Green Bell Pepper...

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Chow Chow Thol Thogayal / Chayote Peel Chutney

Posted by on Dec 13, 2012 in Chutneys | 1 comment

My Grandmother used to make this chayote peel chutney. Recently one of my friends made this recipe and I remembered my Grandma’s recipe. It is very simple to make and it will be very tasty. Time of Preparation : 15 minutes Spice level : 3 out of 5 No of Servings : 2 Ingredients: Chayote peel – 1 cup Red Chillies – 4 Urad dal – 1 tbsp Ginger – 1 1/2 tsp(chopped) Coconut – 1/3 cup(grated) Oil – 1 tsp Salt – to taste For Seasoning: Oil – 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds – 1/4 tsp Curry leaves – a few Asafoetida – a pinch Method of Preparation: Heat oil in a pan and red chillies followed by urad dal. Fry till they become golden brown and add the ginger and chayote peel. Fry till they become soft and...

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White Pumpkin Gravy / Ash Gourd Gravy for Rotis

Posted by on Dec 6, 2012 in Veggie Entrees & Sides | 2 comments

I am not a huge fan of Pumpkin. My cousin made this White Pumpkin Curry for Poori. From then I started loving pumpkin :). Believe me..those who don’t like pumpkin will fall in love with this White Pumpkin Curry. This Ash Gourd Gravy will be good with Chapati, Parathas and even Poori too. Time of Preparation : 25 minutes No of Servings : 3 to 4 Spice level : 4 out of 5 Ingredients: Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Curry leaves – a few Onions – 2 cups (thinly sliced) White Pumpkin – 2 cups (thinly sliced or cut into small cubes) Tomatoes – 1 1/2 cup (finely chopped) Oil – 1 tbsp Salt – to taste Masala to Grind: Garlic – 6 cloves Cinnamon stick – 1″ Cloves – 2 Coconut – 1/4 cup Coriander seeds – 1/2...

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Ericha Kuzhambu (with leftover curries)

Posted by on Dec 4, 2012 in Kuzhambu/Sambar, Veggie Entrees & Sides | 1 comment

Ericha Kuzhambu is more like a thick gravy prepared from the left over sambar, rasam, kootu, kara kuzhambu and other curries. Most of the time we end up with left overs after a party or an occasion or even on a regular day. When you have a left over sambar, rasam or kootu or South Indian other curries, Ericha Kuzhambu is the solution. When you mix all these dishes and cook them it gives a unique taste and also prevents wastage of food. Ingredients: Small red onions (shallots) – 6 or 7 Oil – 2 to 3 tbsp (preferably sesame oil) Mustard seeds – 1 tsp A few curry leaves Left over sambar/rasam/kootu/kara kuzhambu Sambar powder – 2 tsp (adjust to spice level) A little salt (optional) Method of Preparation: Heat a tbsp oil in a pan and add...

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Bhindi Masala Fry / Okra Masala Fry

Posted by on Nov 29, 2012 in Veggie Entrees & Sides | 3 comments

Bhindi fry generally needs lots of oil to get good taste. But this Okra masala fry needs very little oil for frying and it definitely gives a  very different and wonderful taste. My cousin saw this recipe in a TV show and she told me about this recipe. I tried this Okra fry and it was a super hit :). Time of preparation : 40 minutes Spice level : 3 out of 5 No of servings : 2 to 3 Ingredients: Okra – 1 lb Oil – 2 tbsp Salt – to taste Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Asafoetida – a pinch Curry leaves – a few Onions – 1/4 cup (finely chopped) To Grind: Red chillies – 8 Coriander seeds – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Coconut – 3 tbsp Split Dalia – 1 tbsp Method...

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Mushroom Biryani (Version 2)

Posted by on Nov 25, 2012 in Rice dishes | 1 comment

Usually I make Mushroom Korma and I will have it with chapati. Recently I made it and I had with rice. It tasted good and I changed my korma recipe and added some ingredients so that I get a proper Biryani taste. It is very easy to make and it will taste really good. Here is the recipe for the easiest Mushroom Biryani :). Time of preparation : 35 minutes No of Servings : 2 Spice level : 3 to 4 out of 5 Ingredients: Basmathi Rice – 1 cup Butter – 1 tsp Bay leaf -1 Cinnamon stick 1″ – 1 Cloves – 2 Cardamom – 1 Onions – 2 cups (thinly sliced) Tomatoes – 1 1/2 cups (chopped) Green Chillies – 5 Ginger – 1 tbsp Garlic – 5 cloves Mushroom – 3/4 lb to 1 lb...

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Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu – Spicy Brinjal Curry

Posted by on Nov 17, 2012 in Kuzhambu/Sambar, Veggie Entrees & Sides | 1 comment

Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu or Kulambu is a delicious South Indian gravy prepared by frying brinjal or eggplant which is then cooked in a tangy and spicy gravy. You can serve it with rice, idly/dosa. Ingredients: Small or medium size brinjal or eggplants – 7 or 8 Small onions or shallots – 8 Tomato – 1 Garlic pods – 4 A few curry leaves Mustard seeds – 1tsp Urad dal – 1 tsp Cumin seeds – 1/2 tsp Fennel seeds – 1/2 tsp Methi seeds (Fenugreek) – 1/4 tsp Sesame seeds – 1 tsp Dried red chilies – 4 Turmeric powder – 1/4 tsp Sambar powder – 2 tbsp Tamarind juice – 1 and 1/2 cups (extracted from a small lime size of tamarind) Salt to taste Oil – 2 tbsp (preferably sesame oil) Masala to grind: Coriander seeds – 1 tsp...

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Potato Bread Toast

Posted by on Oct 17, 2012 in Breakfast Menu, Sandwiches | 2 comments

I usually make Potato Sandwich for breakfast. I wanted to try something different this time and I tried this Potato Bread Toast. It  tasted really good and here is the recipe for this simple and tasty bread toast.. Time of Preparation : 20 minutes Spice level : 3 out of 5 Ingredients: Bread Slices – 10 to 12 Butter – to toast Green Chutney – 1/3 cup Potato Spread For Potato Spread: Potato (medium size) – 2 (boiled and mashed) Onion (small size) – 1 (finely chopped) Green Chillies – 2 (finely chopped) Sambar powder – 1/2 tsp Cumin Powder – 1/2 tsp Salt – to taste Oil – 1 tbsp Method of Preparation: Heat oil in a pan and add the chopped onions. Add some salt and fry till they become translucent. Add the green chillies and fry...

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Vatana Sundal / Whole Dried White Peas Curry

Posted by on Oct 9, 2012 in Navratri Recipes, Snacks | 5 comments

Whenever we go to beach in India, we never miss this peas masala sundal.My husband asked for this beach style sundal for a long time. I tried this sundal once by trial and error method and it came out so well. We felt like having the same beach style pattani sundal. So I tried again with proper proportion of masalas and it came out so perfect.Here is the recipe.. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes No of Servings : 4 Spice level : 4 out of 5 Ingredients: Whole Dried White Peas – 1 cup Onions – 1 cup (finely chopped) Tomatoes – 1 cup (finely chopped) Fennel Seeds – 1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste – 2 tsp Green chillies – 2 Turmeric powder – 1/2 tsp Sambar Powder – 1 tsp Rasam Powder – 1/2 tsp Coriander powder...

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Bread Basket Chaat

Posted by on Oct 4, 2012 in Chaat | Comments Off on Bread Basket Chaat

If you want to try some easy snack, you can try this out. Thanks to my friend Jayanthi for this easy and tasty recipe. All we need is just bread and we can easily prepare this Bread basket chaat for any number of people in half an hour. Time of Preparation : 30 minutes Ingredients: Bread – 20 Potato (large) – 1 Chickpeas – 3 tbsp (optional) Onions – 1/2 cup (finely chopped) Tomatoes – 1/2 cup (finely chopped) Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Chaat masala – 1/2 tsp Green chutney – 1/2 cup Sweet chutney – 1/2 cup Sev – 3 tbsp (optional) Coriander – 3 tbsp (chopped) Method of Preparation: Soak the chickpeas in hot water for 3 hours and pressure cook it along with little salt. Boil the potato and mash it . Add little...

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Malai Kofta / Veg Balls in Creamy Tomato Sauce

Posted by on Sep 29, 2012 in North Indian recipes, Paneer Recipes | 1 comment

Malai Kofta is an Indian vegetarian form of meatballs where veggies along with paneer (cottage cheese) is fried and cooked in creamy tomato sauce. This Malai Kofta will be very good with naan or any kind of rotis. Here is the step by step procedure for making koftas.. Time of Preparation : 1 hour No of Servings : 4 Spice level : 2 out of 5 Ingredients: For Koftas: Carrot Peas and Beans – 1 cup (boiled and strained completely) Potato – 1 cup (boiled and mashed) Paneer – 1 cup (grated) Green Chillies – 2 (finely chopped) Red chilli powder – 1/2 tsp Coriander powder – 1/2 tsp Garam masala – 1/2 tsp Salt – to taste Coriander – 2 tbsp (chopped) Cashews – 1 tbsp (chopped) Raisins – 2 tsp (chopped) Maida / Corn flour – 2...

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Roti/Phulka – Indian Flat Bread

Posted by on Sep 23, 2012 in Indian Breads/Roti, Slideshow, Veggie Entrees & Sides | Comments Off on Roti/Phulka – Indian Flat Bread

Phulka (Fulka) or Roti is an unleavened flat-bread from South Asia and a staple diet in many homes in India.  Rotis are made from whole wheat flour dough which is rolled and cooked on a skillet and then over direct heat where it is puffed up.  Roti is generally served with dal/pappu and with so many other curries (veg and non-veg). You can also spread some butter or ghee/clarified butter which is optional. When you cook on electric stove, a metal mesh is used since the coil is not suitable. If it is gas stove you can cook the rotis over direct heat. The metal mesh is generally available in the local Indian stores in the U.S. I do not use any oil for making rotis and it stays soft. You can roll up the remaining rotis in an aluminum foil...

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