Tomato Thokku

Tomato thokku can be done in so many ways. It is  been cooked from ripened tomatoe's pulp.We can serve this thokku with  anything.I prepared chapathis and this thokku goes very well with that.Give it a try . Its simple and tasty.

Ingredients:
1. Tomatoes              -  3
2.  Fenugreek seeds   -  1/2 tsp
3.  Hing                 
4.  Mustard seeds       ( For tampering)
5. Chilli pwdr           -  1 tsp
6.curry leaves

Method:
* Cook the tomatoe in microwave for 3 to 4 mins
* The skin comes out of the tomato and this is the stage to cool it off.

* Take the pulp of the tomato and grind it in a blender.Place the grinded mixture into the microwave for 3 mins, this will remove the water content from the mixture.
* Dry roast the fenugreek seeds and make it into a pwdr.

* In a heated pan add oil and temper with mustard seeds and curry leaves.Add the fenugreek seed pwdr.

* Now add the tomato pulp and mix it well.

* When it turns color, add chilli pwdr and saute untill the raw smell dissappears.

* Saute the mixture thoroughly untill it oozes out its oil content.
* Garnish it with cilantro and serve with hot chapathis.

Note:
We can also use sesame oil for this dish.
Tomato Chutney

Secrets of soft chapathis

Chapathis are staple food of India ? No, its the staple food of our family. Yes , my dad has diabetes from his 30 th age, so from then chapathi started entering slowly into our happy family and made my dad run for rescue...... ha ha ha . I am just kidding.Everyone in our family started loving it. That too my mother will make it on the flames. It wud be so soft and she wud never use much oil, but still it will be delicious. Though i cannot make chapathis like her, i am doing justice to chapathis by using some oil.

Ingredients :
1.Wheat flour or Maida flour            -  3 cups
2.Salt                                                 -  1 tbsp
3.Sugar                                              -   1 tsp
4. Oil                                                 -    3 tbsp

Method:
* Take a wide mouthed bowl. Add flour,salt and sugar into the bowl amd mix it well.80 % of oil has to be poured into the mixture in the begining itself. Pour the oil as shown.

* Knead the dough by adding a glass of hot water slowly.At th end coat the dough with some oil.
                                            

      *Cover the dough with wet tissue for half an  hour, as shown.

                             * Divide the dough into equal parts. Roll them into  small balls.

                                   * Sprinkle some flour and flatten the dough.

       * Take a rolling pin and flatten the dough further into a even circle.

    * In a tava place the chapathi ,let it  cook on one side and  get a bubble as shown.

                           * Turn it around , so that the other side gets cooked.

                       
* Slightly apply oil on both the sides.Fold it and serve it with chutney.Chicken curry will be awsome for chapathi.

Chapati

Ridge gourd skin chutney

I did ridge gourd fry today , but preserved the skin for chutney. This is my mom's recipe. Its very tasty and healthy. It can be served with rice or chapathi.When u have no time for cooking, this is ideal for those busy days.Just take a spoon ful , mix it with hot rice and increase the taste by adding sesame oil.

Ingredients :
1.Peeled skin      -   1 cup
2.Red chillies     -   4
3.Urad dal          -    1/2 tbsp
4.Tamarind         -    1 small gooseberry size.
5.salt to taste.


Method:
* Take a pan and add little oil .
* When the oil is heat enough, roast all the ingredients from 1 thru 4.

* U can also make the tamarind tender by roasting with the ridge gourd skin. This also helps in blending the tamarind with the skin.

* Grind all the ingredients nicely in a blender .

* Take a pan and temper with mustard and curry leaves ,add the grinded mixture .
* When it turns slight brown, turn off the stove.
* Store in the fridge. This can be kept for 1 week.

Ridge gourd fry

Ridge gourd has excellent cooling properties.It helps a lot in losing weight.Ridge gourd is high in dietery fibre,vitamin c.riboflavin,thiamine and low in cholestrol.I tried ridgegourd fry.

Ingredients:
1.Ridge gourd                 -  1 cup
2.Onion                           -  1
3.Tomato                         -   1
4.Green chillies               -   4
5.Chilli pwdr                   -   1 tbsp
6.Curry leaves
7.Cilantro

Tampering :
1.Mustard seeds               -  1 tsp
2.cumin seeds                   -  1 tsp

Method:
* Wash and cut the ridge gourd into cubes.
*  Chop the Onion and tomato.slit the green chillies.
* Take a pan and pour some oil.
* Tamper with mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
* Now add the onion and saute it well with green chillies.
* When the onion becomes translucent , add the tomato with little salt.

* When the tomato gets disintergrated ,add the ridge gourd and let it cook for some time. Leave it for some time until it blends into the gravy.

*  Garnish with cilantro.Serve with hot rice or chapathi.

Vegetable Sevai

My Inventory is getting over and was wondering wat to prepare for dinner.My husband gave an idea of sevai. checked my freezer and had some frozen veges. Wow, then wat stops from preparing it..........

Ingredients:
0.Mixed veges             -        1 cup
1.Vermicelli                 -        1 cup
2.Onion                         -        1/2
3.Tomato                       -         1 (small)
4.Green chillies             -         6 (small)
5.ginger garlic paste       -         1 tsp
6.cumin seeds                 -         1 tsp
7.Mustard seeds             -          1 tsp
8.Curry leaves            
9.Cilantro
Method:

* Chop the onion, tomato and slit the green chillies .

* Take a microwaveable bowl and boil the vermicelli with a spoon of oil for 4 mins , stirring every 1 min on high. Then drain the water and dry it in a plate.
* Take a pan or kadai and pour some oil .
* Splatter with cumin seeds ,curry leaves and mustard seeds.
* Add the onion and green chillies.Saute it well until it is translucent.
* Now add the G&G paste and saute it well.
* Add the mixed veges with some salt and cook it .
* At last add the tomatoes and sprinkle some salt.

* Now just add the vermicelli in a sprinkling manner. Just toss it with the mixture without mashing the shape of vermicelli.
* Serve it with chutney or pickle.

Cashew Burfi

Last Diwali, I did Cashew burfi. It was fun doing that.Its a very easy dish can be done for any occasion.
Ingredients:
1.Cashew pwdr - 2 cup
2.sugar - 1 cup
3.Cardamon pwdr - a pinch
4.Butter - 1 tbsp

Method:
* Grind the cashews in a blender and make it into pwdr.
* In a bowl add the sugar and add water till it dissolves and keep it in the stove.
* Let the water boil for 8 mins.
*Add the cashew pwdr slowly to the sugar syrup and mix it well
* Turn off the heat and knead the mixture into a dough like consistancy.
* Grease a plate with butter and flatten the dough in to the plate.
* Leave it for half an hour and cut into slices.
* Let it cool for 2 to 3 hrs or until the slices come out very well.
Khajur Burfi

Chicken 65

Chicken 65 is everybody's favourite . But our Vah chef have slightly modified the dish. Its a Indo-chinese dish. I tried out this dish for one of our pot lucks.It came out well.

Ingredients:
1.Boneless chicken - 1 pound
2.Egg - 1
3.Ginger - 1 fingure size
4.Garlic - 4 to 5 pods
5.Green chillies - 4
6.Chilli pwdr - 1 tbsp
7.Pepper pwdr - 1 tbsp
8.Ajinomotto - 1 tsp
9.Curry leaves
10.cilantro
11. corn flour - 2 tbsp
12.Red color - 1 tsp

Marinating process:
Take a mixing bowl and add the chicken,egg, corn flour, a pinch of ajinomotto ,pepper pwdr and salt.Mix it well and keep it for half an hour.

Method:
* Fry the marinaded chicken in a pan.
*Chop ginger,garlic,chillies,curry leaves and cilantro finely.
*Take another pan, pour some oil.
* Add ginger ,garlic ,green chillies,curry leaves and saute it .
*Add chilli pwdr,ajinomotto,pepper and the fried chicken.
* Mix all the ingredients thoroughly.
*Add red color into the pan and mix it well.
* Garnish it with cilantro.
Chilli Chicken