Pidata kinda pappu

So... It was Saturday and I went shopping for some essentials at the indian stores. I need the poha for Muharram and when I was buying that I found my old friend the puffed rice or muramuralu there

       It's been ages that I got that, so I got it- a not so very big bag for $2.5 . I remember those day back in India when we would get a small glass of puffed rice for 10 paisa which is less than 2 cents. I felt sad thinking how much those muri walas might have made per day

Anyway, wiping my tears I started to think what I can make with it and my thoughts travelled to the Vizag beach where the pidata kinda pappu would be sold. That used to be so super spicy and got me all salivating. So I made and ate it. All by myself and inside a cold lonely home

Pidata kinda pappu ( spicy mixture of puffed rice and peanuts)

Ingredients

1. 3 cups puffed rice

2.1/2 cup each of finely chopped onions and tomato and cilantro

3.1/4 cup or less as per taste lemon juice

4. 1-2 table spoons peanuts slow roasted

5. 1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

6. 1/2 teaspoon aamchur powder ( optional)

Mix all the ingredients together till well blended. Enjoy with friends 

Chili

I used to make chili on a regular basis but I don't know what happened that made me stop. When I was making chili today I realized I haven't made chili in atleast an year.

Anyway it was nice making the chili. It was like meeting. Long lost friend

Chili (meat and bean stew)

Ingredients

• 1)1 lb ground lamb or beef
• 2)1 can diced tomatoes
• 3)1 can tomato sauce
• 4)1/4 cup water
• 5)1 teaspoon salt, cayenne cumin, ground coriander
• 6)1 medium large finely chopped onions, chopped green bell pepper
• 7)2 big or 4 small garlic pods grated
• 8)2 tablespoon oil
• 9)1 can northern beans or kidney beans

In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and add cumin and fry for a minute. fry the onions till tender. Add garlic and fry for a minute. Add ground meat and fry for 5-7 minutes Add all the remaining ingredients and simmer on low heat for 50-60 minutes. Garnish with cilantro , onions and if preferred grated cheddar cheese and serve with grilled french bread

Anda dal tadka

So, this is one of the recipes which sounds weird...until you taste it. It is super delicious served with either plain rice or roti. Try it and decide for yourself

Anda dal tadka ( egg and lentils curry)

Ingredients

1. 2 eggs

2. 1/2 cup each of finely chopped onions, tomato

3. 1/4 cup each of chana dal and green masoor dal soaked in water for 30-60 minutes

4. 2 tablespoons oil divided

5. 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger-garlic paste, cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder, salt , butter and asoefitida.

Pressure cook the dal for 2 whistles and set aside. In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and make scrambled eggs with little salt. Drain and set aside

In a pan heat the remaining oil and add cumin, mustard seeds and urad dal and 2 dried chillies and fry till they start to splutter. Add onions and fry for 5 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and fry for a minute. Add tomatoes and all the powder ingredients and stir well. Add the pressure cooked dal and scrambled eggs and stir well. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with coriander and enjoy

Laal Paneer

Today being Sunday evening, I wanted to make something fast and easy because we had a looooong day. I wanted to make something with beet root. I always make beet root fry which is super fast and super delicious but today since I was in mood for a curry I.e something with some gravy. I made beet root with paneer and the paneer take on the nice pink hue from the beet root hence the name Laal ( red ) paneer

Laal paneer ( indian cottage cheese and bet root curry)

Ingredients

1. 1/2 slab of paneer about 200-250 gms cut into thin strips

2. 1 can shoe string beet root drained

3. 1 medium small tomato chopped fine

4. 1-2 cup finely chopped onions

5. 2 tablespoons oil divided

6. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, salt, turmeric, chilli powder, coriander powder

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the paneer pieces for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside. Add the remaining oil and add the cumin and fry for a minute. Add onions and fry till they start to change color. Add tomato and cook for 5 minutes. Add salt and all the other powders and stir to combine. Add drained beet root and paneer and mix well. Add 1/2 cup water and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice or paratha

Home made Khamman Dhokla

Today is Sunday and I woke up before everybody else. So I had a little bit of time to sit and decide what will be for breakfast. And better than that I had some time for waiting for the batter to get ready.
Do today's breakfast is Khamman Dhokla without Eno- the fruit salt most of the dhokla recipes call for.

Khaman Dhokla wihout Eno (Steam cooked spiced chickpea cake)
Ingredients:

1. 11/2 cup chick pea flour (besan)
2. 1/2 cup warm water
3. 1/4 cup well beaten plain yogurt
4. 2 teaspoons sugar
5. 1 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of citric acid, baking soda, turmeric
7. 1 tablespoon oil + oil for applying to the pan
8. 1 tablespoon fineley chopped cilantro and 1 green chillie finely chopped

For tempering:

1. 1 tablespoon oil
2. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, asafoetida (hing)
3. 2 dried red chillies broken
4. few curry leaves

Mix the besan with sugar, salt, citric acid and baking soda. Add the well beaten yogurt and warm water and mix well until the batter is the consistency of pancake batter. Set it aside for 20 minutes. Add the chillies and cilantro and turmeric and mix well.

Boil some water in a wide pan. Put a base plate like a small plate or an omelette rind. Apply some oil to an 8 inch pie pan. When the water boils put the pan inside the big pan with boiling water and add the batter. Cover it and simmer for 25 minutes.

In a pan heat the oil and add the items for tempering. When they start to splutter add the hing and add this oil to the dhokla which has been overturned onto a plate. Cut it into cubes and enjoy

Bell pepper Rice

There has been a change in the circumstances at home, because of which I am cooking twice a day instead of just once. Today, I was not expecting company so didn't plan anything. But I had company, so had to make something quick.

I made Red Capsicum pulao and mmm yum yum. It was super declicious. I just fried up the Salmon patty you get in costco to go with it. So in no time (as long as it takes to cook rice in the rice cooker) and a little bit more lunch was ready.

Bell Pepper Pilaf (Rice mixed with spices and bell pepper)

Bell Pepper rice

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rice cooked and cooled a bit
2. 1 capsicum/bell pepper/ shimla mirch cut into medium chunks (I used red)
3. 1 medium small onion chopped fine
4. 1 large tomato chopped fine
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, salt, turmeric
7. 1 tablespoon vanghi bath powder or Sambar powder
8. small marble sized tamarind soaked in 1/4 cup water or lemon juice from half a lemon

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin till they start to splatter. Add the onions and cook till they start to change color. Add tomato and capsicum . Add salt and turmeric mix well and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add tamarind juice if using and cook uncovered for 5 more minutes. Add sambar powder and mix well. Add rice and stir to combine. Cover and simmer for 3 minutes. If tamarind juice was not used, now is the time to add lemon juice and stir and simmer for 2 more minutes. Serve 

Lamb chops with pilaf

Long time ago I got lamb chops from one if the halal markets and I made them. Boy! Did they fly

After that I never got them again because they were so expensive . This time I went to get the meat and there were lamb chops pre packaged, expensive of course but I got them. And man do they taste good

To serve them I made a simple salad and Mediterranean pilaf with about 1/4 cup wheat. Those wheat gave the pilaf anice chewy   texture. Loved it. So here is the recipes

Lamb chops

Ingredients

• 1. 2 lbs lamb chops (about 12)
• 2.1 table spoon plain yogurt
• 3. 2 table spoons oil
• 4. 1 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger garlic paste
• 5. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric, garam masala

Directions

Mix all the ingredients together except oil and marinate the chops 1 hr to overnight. In a cooker heat one table spoon oil, add the chops and 1/8 cup water and cook for three whistles. Let the steam escape and open the cooker.  

This is to make the chops a little less tough because I am serving them to kids with loose teeth.

Heat the remaining oil in a flat pan and dump all the contents of the cooker to it. Fry the chops till the water evaporates and then they become dark in color. Serve with lemon wedges. Enjoy