Semiyah Upma

You know...everybody agrees that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but I am pretty sure atleast half of America still skips it cause they are "too busy". So as with the rest of America even in my house special breakfast dishes are made only on the weekends. And my husband is a die-hard fan of UPMA. So one of the week-end days its usually Upma and some other breakfast on the other day. But on this Saturday I made Vermicelli  Upma. Again this has a humdred variations. Here is my take on it

Vermicelli Upma (Vermicelli with Indian flavor)

Ingredients:

1. 2  cups roasted vermicelli
2. 1 cup water
3. 1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt
4. 1/4 teaspoon mustard seeds, urad dal
5. 2 tablespoons oil
6. 1 tablespoon each of cashew, groundnuts (peanuts)
7. 2 dried red chillies, few curry leaves

In a pan heat the oil and fry the peanuts and cashews till they start changing color. Add cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, dried chillies and curry leaves and fry till they start to splutter. Add water and add salt to it. Bring to a boil and add vermicelli. Reduce the heat and simmer till all the water dries up. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot

Amazing Shrimp fry

Another of my popular recipes. This is actually not mine or my mom's recipe. This recipe if by one of the cook's who used to work for my dad. So here's the recipe

Amazing Shrimp fry (Shrimp fry curry)

Ingredients:

1. 3/4-1 lb big shrimp peeled and deveined, washed and dried on a paper towel
2. 1 big onion peeled and ground to paste
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilly powder, cumin, coriander powder
4. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, garam masala powder
5. 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
6. 2 green chillies slit
7. 3 tablespoons oil

In a non-stick pan heat the oil and add the cumin and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the onion paste and fry till it starts changing color. Now add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the shrimp and stir to combine. Add the rest of the ingredients and fry till it becomes dark brown. Take care not to burn it. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice and Khatti dal

Anda phugina and Baingan ka bharta

Here in my blog I want to enter recipes as groups. That is, as a whole set for a complete dinner or lunch. Usually when I decide I want to make some curry then my big question will be what should be the accompanement with that...in indian language-Khatta. So here on my blog you will find both of the them, which I feel is a good combination for a day

So, today's recipes are Anda Phugina (called ande ka kharaz in my house), Baingan bharta with white rice

Anda Phugina (Scrambled egg Indian style)

Ande ka kharaz

Ingredients:

1. 1 large onion chopped fine
2. 1 small green chilly chopped
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, coriander powder
4. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
5. 4 eggs beaten
6. 2 tablespoons oil
7. cilantro for garnishing

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add the rest of the ingredients except eggs and stir to combine. Now add the eggs and stir to combine. Cook till the eggs are cooked through. garnish with cilantro and enjoy


Again there are a million versions of the recipe for bhaingan ka bharta. But this is my mom's recipe. Easy and yummy
Baingan ka Bharta (Eggplant cooked in Tamarind juice)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb indian eggplant or a medium American eggplant chopped into big cubes
2. 2 cups juice from a medium lemon sized tamarind
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt
4. 1/4 teaspoon chilly powder, turmeric,  mash ki dal, cumin, mustard seeds
5. 2 tablespoons oil divided
6. 1/4 cup chopped onions
7. A couple of dried red chillies and few curry leaves

In a pressure cooker heat a tablespoon of oil and fry the onions till tender. Add the egg plan pieces and fry for a couple of minutes. Add salt, chilly powder, turmeric, tamarind juice and cook for 3 whistles. Let all the steam escape. In a pan heat the remaining oil and fry the mash, cumin, mustard seeds, red chillies and curry leaves till they start to splutter. Add the cooked egg plant and simmer till it becomes a bit thick. garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice and Ande ka kharaz (the above recipe)

Haleem

Its been raining for 3 continous days here in my city. And its been predicted it will continue so for atleast the next couple of days. So you know...when it is cold you want something warm and conforting. I didn't wanted to make any soups. Hence I made the best warm and kind of soupy thing...Haleem. My mom used to make it this way. You may not like it but there are a million versions of the same thing. You go ahead search for the version you might like and make it. But my mom's version was easy and yummy :)

Haleem (Lentils and lamb meat cooked along with cracked wheat)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb boneless lamb cut into small cubes (can be substituted with ground lamb)
2. 4 tablespoons of oil divided
3. 1/4 cup each of toor dal, masoor dal, moong dal, lentils
4. 2 cups of cracked wheat
5. 1/4 teaspoon garam masala
6. 1 teaspoon each of ginger-garlic paste, salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of red chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder
8. 1 big onion sliced thin
9. 1/2 cup chopped cilantro
10. 1 tablespoon finely chopped ginger
11. 1 tablespoon plain yougurt (optional)

Soak all the dal in 2 cups of water for 20-30 minutes. Marinate the meat with all the spices and yougurt if using. In a pressure cooker heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry about 1/4 cup of onions till golden brown. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add meat fry for 5 minutes cover and cook with  a cup of water for 3 whistles. Let the steam escape, open the cooker and add the lentils (drained) and 4 cups of water, cover and cook for 5 whistles. In the mean time fry the onions until crisp in the remaining oil, drain and set aside. Let all the steam escape, open the cooker, stir to combine. Ladel in a bowl, top with crisp onions and chopped cilanro and chopped ginger. Serve hot. Yummy in your tummy

PS: No cilantro in the photo cause I ran out of it and it was too rainy to go out and get some :D

Harees

One of my friend saw my blog the other day and she wanted me to post this recipe of haleem made with chicken. There are many many ways haleem is made and this is how my mom used to make. Long time ago I posted this recipe on Sify and I made quite a lot of online friends from many different countries. So I am happy to post this recipe on my own blog

And I will post the picture soon

Haleem (Lentils and wheat cooked with chicken)

Fried Onions

Ingredients

1. 500 gms boneless chicken
2. 3 big onions, chopped longitudinally
3. 4 chillies, slit
4. 3 lemons
5. 2 table spoon curd
6. 1 teaspoon ginger garlic paste
7. 100 gms red grams (masoor dal)
8. 100 gms lentils
9. 300 gms coursly beaten wheat
10. 1 tablespoon chilli powder
11. 3 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves
12. 3 tablespoons mint leaves
13. 6 tablespoons oil
14. 2 cloves
15. 6-8 black pepper seeds
16. pinch of turmeric
17. salt to taste
18. 4 glasses water

Cut the chicken into medium pieces along the muscle and marinate it in the curd mixed with 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilli powder and a little turmeric for 2 hours
Set aside a cup of chopped onions the rest should be deep fried till golden brown and set aside
Take the red grams and lentils and boil them with a little turmeric for about 20 minutes or till you get 4 whistles (no salt should be added else the lentils will not get boiled) and set aside
In a cooker take the oil and fry the onions till sauted and then add the slit chillies. Add 2 cloves and 6-8 black pepper seeds.After a minute add the ginger garlic paste and fry till brown. Now add the marinated chicken and the wheat and add water and the mint leaves and boil till the chicken gets totally disintegrated or for 4 whistles. Now add the boiled grams and lentils and add some more water to make a light gravy. Add salt to taste and boil it continuously stirring till you get a thick gravy and the chicken totally separates into fine pieces.
Serve hot topped with the deep fried onions , coriander and lime juice
Same dish can be made with Mutton