Beerakaya - Paalu koora ( Ridge gourd & Milk curry ) !

Again, this is one of my favorites that my mom cooks..but, I still wonder how this combination of Beerakaya (Ridge gourd) & Paalu (Milk) ever came up…whatever but this mellow recipe is a must to try…

Beerakaya - Paalu koora

Ingredients :

Ridge Gourd - 1 or 2 ( depends on the size)
Chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Chopped green chili - 1 table spoon
Urad dal / cumino seeds / moon dal / split chickpea / mustard seeds (seasoning mix) - 1 table spoon
Red chili powder -1 table spoon
Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5
Boiled milk - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1 to 2 table spoons
Salt - As per the taste

Preparation :

- I used one big / long ridge gourd but if you are using medium sized, you might need 2 of them.
- Wash and slightly peel off the Ridge gourd & chop them into small pieces.

Beerakaya - Paalu koora

- Heat the oil in the pan and add the seasoning mix, once splutter add curry leaves, chopped onions & green chili and let them fry for few minutes.

Beerakaya - Paalu Koora

- Add the chopped Ridge Gourd pieces to the pan and give a quick stir, also add little salt which helps pieces to cook faster. Cover the pan with a lid and cook under low heat.

Beerakaya - Paalu Koora

- DON'T ADD EXTRA WATER, as the ridge gourd is a watery vegetable.

Beerakaya - Paalu Koora

- Once pieces are slightly cooked, add the red chili powder & turmeric powder, stir once and let it cook for few more minutes under low heat.

Beerakaya - Paalu Koora

- It might take 5 to 7 minutes, to cook completely,

Beerakaya - Paalu Koora

- Keep the heat to the lowest, add 1/4 cup of boiled milk to the curry and stir once & leave it to cook for another 5 minutes.

Beerakaya - Paalu koora

- Once done, turn off the heat..there it is..Beerakaya - Paalu Koora,

Beerakaya - Paalu Koora

Vangi Bath / Eggplant Rice !

After a long time we brought these tiny green eggplants and the only recipe on my mind looking at them was,…"Vangi Bath" / Brinjal Rice which is one of the delicious recipes from the Indian state of Karnataka.

Vangi Bath

Ingredients :

Cooked Rice - 3 cups
Eggplants - (chopped / sliced) about 3 cups
Turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
Curry Leaves - 1 spring
Peanuts - 1 table spoon
Cashews - 1 table (OPTIONAL)
Oil - 2 to 3 table spoons
Salt - As per the taste

Ingredients for Vangi Bath powder :

Urad dal - 2 table spoons
Split chickpea / chanadal - 2 table spoons
Dry red chili - 4 to 5
Dry coconut shred - 2 table spoons
Coriander seeds - 1 table spoon
Sesame seeds - 1/2 table spoon
cinnamon stick - 1 inch stick
cloves - 2
Cardamom / Elaichi - 1
Hing / Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Preparation :
Part 1:

We need to prepare the Vangi bath powder.

Vangi bath powder

- Dry roast the vangi bath powder ingredients EXCEPT cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, hing & dry coconut shred.

- After dry roasting the ingredients turn off the heat and then add the dry coconut shred to the pan and sauté it for few seconds.

Vangi Bath powder

- Grind all the ingredients of Vangi Bath powder into fine powder & keep it aside.

Vangi Bath powder

Part 2  :

- Heat the oil in the pan and add the cumin seeds & mustard seeds and splutter them and add the chopped oinions, peanuts, cashew & curry leaves and fry them.

Vangi Bath

- Add the sliced eggplants and fry them along.

Vangi Bath

- Add turmeric powder and salt to the eggplant and let all the masala be fried under low to medium heat.

Vangi Bath

- Once the, eggplant pieces are fried well add all the vangi bath powder to the pan and mix well with the eggplant.

Vangi Bath

- Make sure to reduce the heat after adding the vangi bath powder and let it cook for another 3 to 4 minutes under low heat, also adjust the salt if required.

Vangi Bath

- Once done, turn off the heat and Vangi Bath masala is ready to mix with the cooked rice…

Vangi Bath

Gently mix the Vangi Bath masala with the cooked rice and garnish with chopped coriander leaves…

The tasty Vangi Bath is ready to be served….with onion - tomato bajji / coconut chutney…

Vangi Bath

Aloo Ko Achar / Spicy Potato Salad

Aloo ko Achar / Spicy Potato Salad - this I learnt from my roommate who is from Nepal. The preparation is superb easy and it tastes great…a must to try…

Aloo Ko Achar

Ingredients :

Potatoes - 3 medium sized

Chopped carrot - 1/4 cup (OPTIONAL)

Chopped zucchini - 1/4 cup (OPTIONAL)

Chopped green chilli - 1 table spoon

Sesame seeds - 1 table spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 table spoon

Chopped coriander leaves - 1/4 cup

Red chili powder - 1 table spoon ( you can reduce the quantity if you prefer less hot)

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Oil - 1 table spoon

Salt - about 1/4 table spoon / As per the taste

Water / Lemon juice - 1 table spoon

Preparation :

- Boil the potatoes & peel off the skin and gently mash them.

Aloo ko Achar

- Dry roast the sesame seeds & grind them into fine powder.

- In a mixing bowl add the chopped carrot, zucchini, chopped green chili, coriander leaves, red chili powder, turmeric powder, ground roasted sesame powder, salt & a table spoon of water or lemon juice to the mashed potatoes and mix well.

Aloo Ko Achar

- Heat the oil in the pan and splutter the mustard seeds & add to the potato salad.

Aloo Ko Achar

And that is all…. Aloo Ko Achar or Spicy Potato Salad is ready and tastes great with Roti.

Try this…you would love it.

Aloo Ko Achar

Banana Ice cream ..with just ONE ingredient !!

...well…myself, too was so surprised to hear that..' just one ingredient Ice cream ??!!! '…No milk, no cream, no flour, no sugar…yes absolutely..all you need is just one or two well ripe bananas…

This is a great way to stay away from Ice cream but still indulge into sinful sweet cravings…let's get started…

One ingredient Banana Ice cream

Ingredients :

Banana - 1 or 2

Preparation:

- Choose well ripe bananas.

- slice them into small pieces & take them into a ziplock cover & leave them in freezer for an hour or two, or just over night.

One ingredient Banana Ice cream

- Take the banana out from the freezer & you see them well frozen and hard..so they are ready to go straight into your blender.

One ingredient Banana Ice cream

- While grinding the hard & frozen banana your blender might scare you for first few seconds..but don't worry..it would get you a creamy & frothy ..great textured Banana Ice cream ☺!!!

One ingredient Banana Ice cream

- well look at that…creamy banana Ice cream almost on it's way !!

- Keep it back in the freezer until you are going to serve it.

One ingredient Banana Ice cream

-  The 'Banana Ice cream' with Just one Ingredient is ready to be served..get creative..serve it with plenty of fruits & some hot chocolate…..Binge into this delicious Banana Ice cream !!!

Banana Ice crea

Sorakaya Perugu Pachadi !

A must summer southindian recipe..perugu pachadi…and if you make this with Bottle gourd (sorakaya) or  Snake gourd (potlakaya)…this tastes still more delicious. Try this recipe..Sorakaya Perugu Pachadi !

Sorakaya perugu pachadi

Ingredients :

Chopped Bottle gourd pieces - about 2 cups

Yogurt - 1to 1 & 1/2 cup

Shredded coconut (fresh / wet preferably) - 2 table spoons

Green chili - 2

Chopped Ginger - 1 table spoon

Water - 1/2 cup

Salt - As per the taste

For Seasoning :

Oil - 1 table spoon

Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon

Dry red chilli - 1

Curry leaves - 2 to 3

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation:

- Peel off the bottle gourd & cut into small pieces. I have used half of the bottle gourd only, it makes approximately 2 cups of pieces.

- Add the water to the pieces and let them cook well.

Sorakaya perugu pachadi

- Meanwhile, grind the shredded coconut, green chillies & ginger into paste.

Sorakaya perugu pachadi

Note : preferably use the wet / fresh shredded coconut, but not dry coconut powder…taste might differ incase of dry coconut powder.

- In about 7 to 10 minutes, the gourd pieces must have been well cooked, add the ground coconut mix to the pieces and also add some salt and mix well.

Sorakaya perugu pachadi

- Add little water if required and let this cook under low heat for 10 minutes, make sure it won't be too dry.

- Meanwhile beat the yogurt without any lumps and keep it ready, once the pieces are well cooked with coconut mix, add the beaten yogurt to the pachadi and give it a quick mix.

Sorakaya perugu pachadi

- While this is cooking, prepare the seasoning.

- Heat the oil in the pan and add all the seasoning ingredients one by one and fry. 

Sorakaya perugu pachadi

- Once done turn off the heat and add the turmeric powder to the seasoning.

- Add this seasoning to the sorakaya perugu pachadi. 

sorakaya perugu pachadi

- Let it cook for another 5 more minutes and once done turn off the heat.

Sorakaya perugu pachadi is ready to be served with steamed white rice !!!!

Sorakaya perugu pachadi

Lemon Pickle !

Must to confess..just two things those, I can eat on everyday without getting bored are…. Upma & Yogurt / Curd rice !!! & …..A pickle to go with curd / yogurt rice is,…..undoubtedly ….. LEMON PICKLE !!!!

Here is the recipe for the spicy lemon pickle ..for you all…

Lemon Pickle

 Ingredients :

Medium sized lemon - 6
Lemon juice - 2 table spoons
Red chili powder - 2 table spoons
Mustard  seeds - 1 table spoon
Fenugreek seeds - 1 table spoon
Garlic cloves - 3 to 4
Salt - about  1to 1  1/2 table spoon

For Seasoning :

Oil - 2 table spoons (preferably sesame oil / mustard oil)
Dry split chickpea - 1 table spoon
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/2 tea spoon
Black gram / Urad dal - 1 table spoon
Curry Leaves - 4 to 5

Preparation:

- Dry roast the mustard seeds & grind.
- Dry roast the fenugreek seeds & grind them along with garlic cloves.

Lemon Pickle

- Before using the lemon for the pickle clean them and let them be dry ( make ensure they are not wet).

- Cut the each lemon into 6 equal parts lengthwise & if you prefer smaller pieces can make upto 8 equal parts.

Lemon pickle

- In a mixing bowl ( I directly used the container that I am going to store the pickle to mix the ingredients as well) add the mustard seeds powder, fenugreek & garlic mix, chili powder and salt to the lemon pieces, and mix well to make sure all the pieces are covered with ingredients.

Lemon pickle

- Add the lemon juice to the pickle and mix well.

- Take the pickle mix in a dry container that you are going to store the pickle and close with the lid.

- Keep the pickle in the refrigerator for about 5 days, so that pickle will be well marinated with all the ingredients.

After five days, it is time to add the seasoning to the lemon pickle and by now the lemon pieces are well marinated with all the ingredients and have become softer…

- Heat the oil in the pan & preferable sesame oil / mustard oil but you can use any oil as per your preference and add the seasoning ingredients and fry.

Lemon pickle

- Add the seasoning to the pickle & mix well.

Lemon pickle

Just leave the pickle to settle down…and after that, it is all yours…. ...

Eggless Chocolate Mug Cake !!

Picture says it all ………. A chocolate cake in Coffee Mug… ☕♫♫♥♥♫♫♥ in microwave and just in 2 minutes (✿◠‿◠)

Eggless Chocolate Mug Cake

Ingredients :

Coffe Mug - about 4 to 5 inches height 

All purpose flour - 4 table spoons

Cocoa Powder - 1 & 1/2 table spoons

Sugar - 1 to 2 table spoons

Milk - 5 table spoons

Melted butter / cooking oil - 2 table spoons

Baking Powder - 1/2 tea spoon

Baking Soda - 1/4 tea spoon

Salt - a pinch

Preparation :

- Mix all the dry ingredients together.

Eggless Chocolate cake in a Mug

- I used, Organic Brown sugar & Hershey's Natural unsweetend Cocoa powder and olive oil.

- if you are using butter, make sure it is melted & cool at room temperature.

Eggless Chocolate Cake in mug

- Take the dry ingredients mix in the coffee mug & add the milk and give it a nice stir without any lumps.

Eggless Chocolate cake in mug

- Add the cooking oil / melted butter to the mix and mix thoroughly.

Eggless Chocolate cake in a mug

- Now the chocolate cake mix is all set to go into the microwave.

Eggless Chocolate Cake in a coffee mug

- Microwave the chocolate mix in the coffee mug for 2 minutes.

Eggless chocolate cake in a coffee mug 

- After 2 minutes, you see a well raised up Chocolate cake in the Coffee Mug……

If you prefer, can add chocolate chips / or any nuts to the mix. 

Eggless Chocolate cake in a coffee mug!!!

Enjoy the Chocolate Cake your way….. topping it with chocolate syrup or whip cream…or just the Chocolate cake !!!! I am on my way too….

Eggless chocolate cake in a coffee mug

Note: Between, if you are using small sized coffee cups just reduce the quantity of the ingredients to avoid overflowing of mix while in the microwave