Ingredients: Tortillas - 4 Red Bell pepper - 1/4 cup Yellow Bell pepper - 1/4 cup Orange Bell pepper - 1/4 cup Onion - 1/4 cup Basil powder - 1/4 tbsp Garlic salt - 1/4 tbsp Red chilly powder / flakes - 1/4 tbsp Black Olives - 1/4 cup Jalapeno peppers - 1/4 tbsp Oil - 1/4 tsp Butter - as required Cheddar cheese - 1 cup Method: 1) In a pan, add oil, onion, red bell pepper, yellow bell pepper, orange bell pepper and fry for around 3-4 mins. 2) Add garlic salt, red chilly flakes, basil powder, jalapeno peppers, black olives and toss them for 2 mins. Turn off the flame and keep it aside. 3) Apply butter on one side of the tortilla and place the butter smeared side on the griddle on medium flame. when its roasted, apply butter to the other side and flip over. 4) Now place the bell pepper mixture on half of the tortilla, cheese on top of it and fold it to half. 5) Roast this on both the sides. 6) Cut this into desired shape. Yummy spicy Quesadilla is ready to be served.
Note: 1) Quesadilla is pronounced as 'ka sa di ya' 2) You can add any veggies of your wish. 3) Can omit veggies and just add the cheese to make cheese Quesadilla. 4) Tossed Spinach and shredded paneer (indian cottage cheese) with some herbs would be good option too. 5) Garlic salt can be substituted with garlic powder and salt. 6) Use of butter increases the taste of the Quesadilla. 7) As i have used sundried tomato tortilla, i have not used tomatoes. When using a plain tortilla, adding diced tomatoes adds to the taste. 8) Any spices and herbs goes well.
Having loads of apple at home and for more number of days, made me get to this pickle. I used the idea of apple jam and Bitter gourd pickle and here i get another tasty pickle / Thokku. Ingredients: Apples – 4 medium sized (any variety) Sesame oil – 5 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1 tbsp Turmeric powder – 1/2 tbsp Fenugreek powder / Methi – 1 tbsp Red chili powder – 2 tbsp Jeera / cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp Asafoetida / Hing – 1/2 tbsp Salt – as needed Method: 1) Dry roast the fenugreek seeds mustard (1 tbsp) and grind it into fine powder. 2) Wash the apples, peel the skin and chop them into small pieces. 3) In a pan, add mustard, cumin seeds, Hing, turmeric powder, red chili powder, and the fenugreek and mustard powder. Fry this for sometime and then add chopped apples. 4) Mix well and cook in low flame. Cover the pan to allow the apples to cook. Keep stirring in between to avoid burning. 5) It would take about 30 - 60 mins to be cooked and soft. Open the lid and cook until it thickens and can be lifted at once with the spoon. Pickle / thokku is ready to be served. Note: 1) Sesame oil can be substituted with olive oil. 2) You can also grate the apples. I feel chopping them is comfortable and easy for me. 3) Store the pickle in a air tight container and refrigerate it for long shelf life. 4) Use dry and clean spoon every time you wanna eat the pickle. 5) Thokku can also be used to mix rice to make yummy spicy apple rice when in a hurry. 6) Thokku taste good next day when all the juices are well set in apple.
Capsicum had been always part of my diet. Some people do not eat this vegetable as it belongs to chilly family. As any other ordinary chilly, capsicum also has some medicinal values. -It is rich in lycopene that lowers stress,depression & bad cholesterol -It helps prevent heart ailments, bronchitis & osteoarthritis -It is full of capsaicin that relieves backache & joint pain Capsicum peas bath is traditional karnataka brahmin recipe. Being vegetarian, eating healthy diet rich in protein, carbohydrates, vitamins is very important. So eat healthy and stay healthy. Ingredients:
Capsicum - 2 medium batani - 1/2 cup tomato - 1 medium Red chillies - 4 / 5 jaggery Chana dal - 1/2 tbsp Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp Chakke / cinnamon - 1/4 inch Cloves / Lavanga - 2 Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp Oil - 6 tbsp Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tbsp Menthya / Fenugreek - 1/4 tbsp Dhaniya / Coriander seeds - 1/4 tbsp Curry leaves Poppy seeds - 1/4 tbsp Dry coconut - 1/2 cup Mustard - 1/4 tbsp Jeera - 1/4 tbsp Rice - 1 cup Ghee - 2 tbsp Method:
1) In a pan, add oil, hing, fenugreek seeds, chana dal, urad dal, Coriander seeds, red chillies, curry leaves, turmeric, poppy seeds and fry until golden brown. Grind this mixture into fine powder. 2) Again add some oil, dry coconut, Cinnamon, Cloves and fry for sometime and make powder separately. 3) Now in a pan, add ghee, mustard, jeera, chana dal, urad dal, capsicum and fry for sometime. then add batani and fry. 4) Add 2 cups of water followed by tomato, salt, tamarind pulp, jaggery, turmeric and washed rice. 5) Once water starts boiling add masala powder and coconut powder and allow it to cook with coriander leaves. Once rice is cooked, capsicum peas bath is ready to be served.
Ingredients: Raagi Flour / Finger millet - 1/2 cup Gram flour - 2 tbsp Rice flour - 1 tbsp Onion - 1/4 cup , finely chopped. Ginger - 1/4 inch Garlic - 1 cloves Green chillies - 2 medium Green chilly paste - 1/4 tbsp (optional) Pudina / Mint leaves - 1/4 cup Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup Chat masala - 1/4 tsp Salt - as per taste Oil - for frying Method: 1) Mix raagi flour, gram flour, rice flour, chopped onion, ginger, garlic, pudina, coriander, green chillies, salt, chat masala, green chilly paste using enough water. 2) Heat oil. Make small balls and deep fry this in oil. Yummy pakodas are ready to eat.
Ingredients: Paneer - 2 1⁄2 Cup (shredded) Garam masala - 1 Tbsp Red chili powder - 1 Tbsp Coriander powder - 1 Tbsp Jeera powder - 1 Tbsp Tomato sauce - 1 Cup (Canned) (Optional) Green peas - 1⁄2 Cup Cilantro - 2 Tablespoon (finely chopped) Oil - 2 Tbsp Cumin seeds / Jeera - 1 Tbsp Mustard - 1 Tbsp Turmeric powder -1⁄4 Tbsp Onion - 1 Medium finely chopped Salt - As required Ginger paste - 1 Tbsp Garlic paste - 1 Tbsp Tomatoes - 1/2 cup chopped. Milk - 1/2 cup Lemon juice - 2 tbsp Coriander leaves - for garnishing Method: 1) In a pan, add oil. Once its heated add mustard, Jeera, chopped onions, ginger and garlic paste. Stir well and cook until the onions turn golden brown. 2) Now add tomatoes / Tomato sauce and mix well. Cook until the tomatoes soften. 3) Add in green peas, shredded paneer followed by turmeric, garam masala, red chili powder, coriander powder, Jeera powder and salt. Mix well and let it cook on medium low for 5 minutes. 4) Now add milk and mix well. Cook for some more time. 5) Then add lemon juice. Garnish with coriander leaves. Note: 1) You can also substitute milk with Cream. 2) Veggies like Red bell pepper, Green bell pepper can be added.
Ingredients:
Maida / All purpose flour - 1 cup Gram flour - 3 tbsp Cardamom powder - 1/4 tbsp Ghee / Clarified butter - 1 cup Cashew pieces - 1/2 cup Sugar powder - 1 cup Method:
1) Add 3 tbsp Ghee in a pan and then add maida and fry until it turns to golden brown color. Keep it aside 2) Again add 1 tbsp of Ghee and add gram flr to fry this as well. Add this to the fried maida. 3) Now add sugar powder, cardamom powder, cashew pieces and mix well. 4) Melt ghee and add little by little and form ladoo.
Instant Maida Ladoo is ready to be served. Note:
1) Adding ghee increases the flavor of the ladoo. 2) The amount of ghee used may vary as per the ladoo's you make. 3) Tried to make ladoo using milk instead of ghee, but found that the ladoo with ghee taste better than milk or water. (a) is the ladoo with ghee, and (b) is the ladoo with milk.
Ingredients: Bitter-gourds - 2 medium sized, sliced finely and de-seeded. Tamarind pulp - 2 cups Salt - as per taste Chilli powder - 3 tbsp Asafoetida powder - 1/4 tbsp Jaggery - 1/4 cup Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp Mustard seeds - 2 tbsp Fenugreek seeds - 1 tbsp Chana dal - 1/2 tbsp Curry leaves - 1/4 cup Method: 1) Take a bowl of water, add some salt, pinch of turmeric, bitter gourd pieces and allow it to soak for 2-3 hours. 2) After 3 hours, squeeze the water from the bitter gourd pieces and discard. 3) In a pan, dry roast 1 tbsp of mustard and 1 tbsp fenugreek seeds until golden brown. 4) Once mustard and fenugreek are cooled down, powder them in a dry grinder into fine powder. 5) Take a pan, add some oil followed by mustard, chana dal, curry leaves, asafoetida and then add the bitter gourd pieces. 6) When the bitter gourd is fried completely, add turmeric powder, salt, chilly powder, followed by tamarind pulp. Add water till it covers the bitter gourds. 7) Allow it to cook on a medium flame until the tamarind pulp starts to thicken. 8) At this stage, add the roasted and powdered mustard and fenugreek powder, Jaggery. 9) Let it cook again for 5-6 mins / until you get a thick paste. Bitter gourd Pickle / Thokku is ready to be served. This can be mixed with cooked rice, to make tasty bitter gourd rice / Bath. Note: 1) Dessicated coconut can be added to the rice to increase the flavour. 2) To store the pickle / thokku for more days, use 1/2 cup sesame oil for cooking. It not only increases the taste, but also the shelf life of the pickle. 3) you can also fry some onions and add to the rice
Ingredients: Badam / almonds - 1 cup Sugar - 3/4 cup Elaichi / Cardamom - 1/4 tsp Ghee - 1tbsp Milk - 1 cup Method: 1) Coarsely make powder of badam 2) Melt ghee and add the powdered badam. Stir for 2-3 mins until chrisp. 3) Now add sugar and immediately add milk. Keep stirring until the entire content comes at once to the spatula (its of b/w Halwa and burfi consistency). 4) Take required amount and make laddu. Yummy Badam Ladoo is ready to eat.
Ingredients: Almonds (badam) - 1 cup Ghee (clarified butter) - 3/4 cup Milk - 1 cup Saffron threads - 7-8 Granulated sugar - 3/4 cup Water - 3/4 cup Method: 1) Soak almonds overnight or for at least 6 hrs till the skin pops out of the almonds when you squeeze the almond with your fingers. 2) Remove the skin of almonds and grind in mixer/blender to make a thick paste with milk (adding little by little at a time). 3) Heat sugar and water till it starts boiling. Add saffron threads mixed with one tsp of warm milk to the water and sugar syrup and boil for about 1-2 mins. 4) Add the badam and milk paste to it. 5) Now add ghee little by little mixing well. Keep mixing till the mixture thickens little and there are wrinkle formations when you move your spatula in the mixture. This will take about 10-12 minutes. 6) Remove from heat and cool. The halwa will thicken more as it cools. Note: 1) You can also soak the almonds in hot water for just 30mins and you are ready to peel off the skin. 2) Boil for some more time to make pieces. that is Almond burfi. 3) Adding a lot of saffron will not only add a rich natural colour but a lovely aroma to the dessert. Use atleast 7-8 threads. 4) Using a non-stick utensil can help to make the process of mixing easy.
Tasty snack for rainy days. Small change from having chilly fritters all the time. Ingredients: Onion - 1/4 cup Green chillies - 3 jeera - 1/4 tbsp Urad dal - 1/4 cup Akki thari - 1/4 cup (Rice grounded like semolina) Somf - 1/4 tsp (Optional) Salt - as per taste Tomato chutney: Tomato - 1 medium Garlic cloves - 3-4 Red chillies - 3 Curry leaves Oil - 1 tbsp Chana dal Method: 1) Grind soaked urad dal into thick paste with minimal water. 2) Add akki thari , somf, onion, jeera, green chillies, salt. 3) Add water if needed. 4) Make small balls and deep fry in oil To make tomato chutney: 1) Fry chana dal, garlic, red chillies, curry leaves, tomato in a medium flame for sometime. 2) Once cooled grind this into chutney adding salt. Punugalu taste good with tomato chutney.
Note: 1) I have used tomato ketchup, as i ran short of tomatoes :-)
Ingredients: Unsalted Pista - 1/4 cup Cashew - 1/4 cup Drakshi / Raisin - 1/4 cup Almonds / Badami - 1/4 cup Red chillies - 4-5 White sesame - 1 tbsp Turmeic - 1/4 tsp Mustard - 1/4 tsp Dry coconut - 1/4 cup Methi - 3-4 Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp Tamarind pulp - 1 cup Salt - As required Jaggery - 3 tbsp Oil - 3 tbsp Method:
1) Add 2 tbsp of oil and roast methi, urad dal, white sesame seeds, coconut until golden brown, red chillies. 2) Grind this with some water and turmeric. 3) In a pan, add oil, mustard, tamarind pulp, turmeric, add jaggery and water followed by salt. 4) Add the grinded paste to it and boil for a while. 5) Add cashew, badami, drakshi, pista. Mix well and allow it to cook for 2-3 mins.
gojju is ready to be served with rice, roti, poori.
Note: You can add, raw mango, bitter gourd, pineapple, amla, yerlikayi, dates.
Ingredients: Eggplant - 1 Corn starch - 1/4 cup Pepper - 1/4 tsp Garlic salt - 1/4 tsp Basil leaves - 1/4 tsp Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup Method: 1) In a bowl add corn starch, garlic salt, pepper, Basil leaves and add sufficient water to make it in a thin batter form. 2) Meanwhile Preheat oven at 350 F for 5 mins. 3) Dip the eggplant slices in batter, roll it in bread crumbs and place it on a baking tray. 4) Bake for 20-25 mins. 5) Remember to flip over after 10 mins to get golden brown on both the sides.
