Ghee Rice

Among variety of rice items in India,this is the simplest and easiest one. It can be prepared very easily and very tasty also. It can be served with any vegetarian or non vegetarian spiced curry or simply raita and papad.


Preparation Time:5 min
Cooking time:30 min

• Basmati rice - 1 cup
• Ghee - 
• Onion(finely sliced) - half
• Cashew Nuts - 10
• Raisins - 5-6
• Cardamom - 1 inch stick
• Cloves - 2-3
• Bay leaf - 1
• Crushed Pepper or Green chillies (Optional) 
• Salt -  To taste

Preparations:

1. Wash and soak the rice for 20 min and set aside.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add Cashew nuts. Fry till golden brown.
3. Fry raisins until it puffs up. Keep both aside.
4. Now add onion to the same ghee and fry till caramelized. It will take 10-12 mins. Keep it aside.
5. Then add cardamom,cloves,cinnamon and bay leaf to the same pan and allow it to splutter.
6. Now add the drained rice to it and fry for 2-3 mins.
7. Add 1 and 3/4  cup of hot water to it and allow it to boil.
8. Don't forget to add salt.
9. When rice is done fluff it with a fork and mix it with fried cashew nuts,raisins and caramelized onion.
10. Garnish with some fresh coriander leaves if you like.

Notes:

• If you want it spicy add crushed pepper or green chilli as per your spice level. I always omit this step.

Mango Salsa

Preparation Time:15 min
Cooking time:2 min

Ingredients needed:

• Ripe mango (Diced) -1 cup
• Bell peppers(Chopped) -1/2 cup
• Onion(Chopped) - 4 tbsp
• Jalapeno pepper(Chopped) - 2 tbsp or as per your taste
• Cilantro or coriander leaves (Chopped finely) - 2 tbsp or as per your taste
• Salt - to taste
• lime (juiced) - 1
• Tomato(Optional - chopped)  -1/2 cup

Preparation:

1. Mix and toss all the above ingredients together.
2. Let it stand for 10 min in refrigerator before serving.
3. Serve with tortilla chips or fried fish or chicken.

Notes:

• To give it an Indian touch you can also add a pinch of grounded cumin or chaat masala.
• Let it stands for at least 10 minutes to get the best flavours.

Vanilla Sponge Cake

Preparation Time:15 min
Cooking time:35 min

Ingredients needed:

• All Purpose Flour - 1 and 1/2 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp
• salt - a pinch
• Butter -1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Eggs - 2
• Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp
• Milk - 1 cup

Method:

1. Mix the dry ingredients(flour,baking powder and salt) and set aside.
2. Cream butter and sugar together in a separate bowl using a hand mixer or whisk.
3. Add eggs to it and mix well.
4. Now add vanilla extract  and milk and mix well.
5. Now gradually add the flour to it and mix well.
6. Our cake batter is ready.
7. Take a baking tray and grease the tray with butter and dust with flour.
8. Pour the prepared batter to the greased tray .
9. Place it in the preheated oven at 375F
10. Bake it for 35 minutes or until top turns golden brown.

Notes:

• U can sieve together the dry ingredients to give a better mix.
• I used only a whisk , u can also use a hand mixer to make the job better.
• Add eggs 1 at a time.
• Greasing the baking tray is important to unmold the cake.
• Unmold and cut the cake only after it cool down.

Cabbage Thoran or Cabbage stir fry

Cabbage thoran is the easiest dry accompany for rice in Kerala. It is very less spicy and easy to make.

Ingredients needed:

• Cabbage - 2 cup Finely chopped
• Shallots - 2 to 3
• Mustard - 1/2
• Dry red chilli - 1 for seasoning
• Curry leaves
• green chilli - 2 or as per taste
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Grated coconut - 3 tbsp(Optional)
• Salt - To taste
• Coconut oil - 1 tbsp

Method:

1. Finely chop shallots and green chilli and set aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. .when it splits add dry red chilli and curry leaves.
3. Then add Cabbage, turmeric powder ,green chilli and salt and mix well.
4. sprinkle with little water and cook with closed lid on low flame with stirring occasionally until cabbage become soft.
5. Add grated coconut mix well and switch off the flame.

Cabbage thoran is ready.

Potato Bajji - How to make potato bajji

Bajji is the easiest snack which can be prepared under 15 minutes. When its raining, watching rain with bajji and tea is such a nostalgic thing for each and everyone. Bajji can be prepared with plantain(vazhakka), potato, onion or any vegetable you like. So here is my recipe for potato bajji.

Preparation Time:10 min
Cooking time:10 min

Ingredients Needed:

• Potato - 1 large
• Gram flour or besan - 1 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - for deep frying

Preparation:

Wash and pat dry the potatoes to remove water from it.
Then peel off the skin of potatoes.
Cut potatoes into thin slices. Set aside.

Method:

In a bowl mix all the ingredients above except potato and oil and make it a thick batter without any lumps.
Heat oil in a kadai.
Dip each potato slice in the batter, coat well with the batter on both sides.
Carefully transfer the battered potato slices to the heated oil.
Fry the bajjis until golden brown on both sides.
Remove from oil and put it in a paper towel to drain excess oil.

Serve hot with coconut chutney and tea....

Notes:

• If the potato slices are too thick then it will not get cooked properly inside the batter. So make sure to cut thin slices.
• If the batter become runny then it will not get well coated on the potato slices,
• You can also add cooking soda to the batter to make the bajji more fluffy.

Semiya Payasam

I would like to start my blog with the easiest payasam(pudding), semiya or vermicelli payasam.
It is one of my favourite payasam which can be prepared with very few ingredients.

Ingredients Needed:

• Vermicelli - 1/2 cup
• Sugar - 1/2 cup or as per your taste
• Milk - 3 cups
• Cashew Nuts - 6 to 8
• Raisins - 8 to 10
• Cardamom powder - a pinch
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat ghee in a heavy bottom pan and add Cashew nuts. Fry till golden brown.
Fry raisins until it puffs up. Keep both aside.
Roast vermicelli in the same ghee until golden brown in color and keep it aside.
Then boil the milk and add roasted vermicelli to the boiling milk and cook well.
Keep stirring until the vermicelli become soften.
Add sugar and stir until it dissolve.
Then add cardamom powder ,cashew nuts and raisins.
semiya payasam is ready to be served.

Notes:

• Semiya payasam can be served hot or chilled. Both way it tastes good.
• As it cools down the payasam will get little thick.
• You can add milk or water before serving to adjust the consistency.