talk with friends and family but not while cooking,.;-)

Have you guys ever tried cooking while talking on phone
if not tried in the midst of cooking ever answered a call
or in other words cooked and talked at the same time
i did yesterday and this is what happened
Mishap
forgot to add lentil to the Khichdi and the result u guys can imagine
had to reopen the pressure cooker to add the lentils and by then rice was done
so the rice was overdone just because i had to cook the lentils.
but then i had to add lentils because i was preparing khichdi
( hope hubby is not reading this , i was too embarrased to tell him )
so yesterdays lesson - never to talk on phone while cooking and if the call is important just turn off the flame and speak ,or i wont know what i am cooking and what i have added or not added while talking .
Coming back to todays post this one is simple meal,doesnt require much cooking,prepared this with leftover rice for tomorrows lunch,this one is bit spicy but i liked it ,we call this onion fried rice,reminds me of childhood.
Recipe Name Egg and Onion Fried Rice
Ingredient
Leftover rice one cup
onion one chopped
green chili one chopped
cumin seeds half tsp
salt as per taste
egg one
oil one tsp
garam masala powder half tsp
Procedure
Heat oil in wok,once once oil is hot lower the flame
add cumin seeds and once it starts spluttering
add chopped onion and green chili
increase the flame ,onions should turn brown

lower the flame again and add rice,salt and garam masala
mix and remove from flame.
In non stick pan add few drops of oil and prepare fried egg
mix fried egg with the onion rice.

Serve warm,this dish doesnt need any side dish,i liked the taste of crispy onions with green chili.

thats all friends,wish you all happy weekend,

for glimpse of my kitchen please click here

cee u all soon,tk care and happy blogging.

Thali with some traditional recipes and some new one :-)

Yesterday morning when i got hurt by dresser drawer and broke a mug i had this thought in mind how the whole day gonna be,had lotz to do,some shopping,lotz of cooking and in between running after Advay,but i guess god heard my prayers, Advay slept after his lunch so i had ample time to do the cooking .
It took me five hours to prepare the spread ,the first thing i did in the morning was to plan Menu.

Must prepare items were Fara,Thekua, Sooji Halwa and Poori and i was going to prepare Fara,Thekua and Sooji Halwa for the first time,

so u guys can imagine my condition,i had recipe,thanks to my mother and mil but both  the recipes need different technique.I just closed my eyes ,took a deep breath and went ahead with the preparation.
The below pic has Dahi wada,Sooji Halwa and Coconut Barfi which hubby prepared for my Sargi.

For the karwa chauth thali i preparedpoori, paneer kofta,pudina chutney ,dahi wada by six pm i was dead tired.

After winding up cooking i started with the preparation for Karwa Chauth Pooja.

Chowk is prepared to place the Karwas.

In the earthen karwa water and batasha is kept
In the steel karwa poori,thekua,halwa and beaten rice is kept
seven sticks are kept in each karwa.

On a betel leaf Gaur and Ganesha are kept

On another betel leaf sun and moon shape is kept prepared from rice dough

After reading Karwa Chauth story ,

water is offered  to moon and fast is broken.

Recipes link

Fara recipe blogged here and here

Thekua recipe blogged here

Dahi wada recipe blogged here

Pudina chutney recipe blogged here

For Sooji Halwa/Semolina Halwa

Ingredient needed

Sooji one cup

sugar as per tase

ghee three tbsp

saffron strands a pinch

Procedure

Heat ghee in non stick wok

lower the flame and roast the rava

once it starts changing colour

add water and keep stirring

add sugar and saffron strands

 and keep stirring

till water is absorbed .

remove from flame and

serve warm.

Mehendi which i applied for Karwa Chauth can be viewed here

Event Entry

Fara and Thekua are off for CFK - Festive Foods 

Festive Karwachauth thali is off for Only Festive Event,

 started by Pari and hosted this month by Khaugiri

Thats all friends,cee u all soon

happy blogging.

Thekua and Fara for Karwa Chauth

Tomorrow is Karwa Chauth,today whole evening i spent doing preparation for tomorrows vrat,
Fara and Thekua are prepared for naivedyam/prasadam

Recipe Name Fara
Recipe source mils recipe
Ingredient
rice flour
warm water to knead the dough
For the filling
half cup chana dal  soaked for 12 hrs
half cup urad dal soaked for 12 hrs
grated ginger half tsp
green chili one
garam masala powder one tsp
salt as per taste
coriander leaves chopped one tsp
Preparation
make smooth paste of the soaked dals
mix all the ingredients listed above
keep aside.
knead smooth dough of rice flour with warm water
keep aside.
Procedure
divide the dough into equal sized balls
flatten each ball into small disc
with help of hands enlarge the disc
keep filling in the centre and fold into semicircle shape
join the ends together
and steam for 10 mins.
Thekua recipe is blogged here

Thats all friends,cee u all tomorrow..:-)

tk cre and happy blogging.

Its that time of the year again ,..

Its that time of the year again when women get decked up and fast for their husband,

 When basket full of gifts known as Baina is given to daughter by her  parents

 When predawn meal known as Sargi is prepared by mother in law for the daughter in law
 When from sunrise to moonrise women fast without water  for the wellbeing of their husband

When evening is spent preparing Fara and Thekua for the Pooja

and fast is broken with a platter like this

ya friends this day is just like festival for us,i am talking about Karwa Chauth which is on 26th of october,..;-)
more to come stay tuned,..wish you all happy weekend ;-)




 

From one pot meal of 2008 to Chicken Biryani 2010

Way back in March 2008 I prepared this simple one pot meal of chicken and rice
March 2009 hooked me to  Andhra cuisine and i learnt to prepare
Hyderabadi Chicken Biryani and Hyderabadi Mutton Biryani
June 2009 so many things  made me go for this meal
Parsi style chicken biryani
Winters of November 2009 made me prepare this
 Egg Biryani with Goan Curry Powder and
 Mutton Biryani with vindallo paste
October 2010,Singapore
so yesterday evening when i thought of preparing chicken biryani for dinner , i didnt follow any recipe ,
i just experimented with the ingredients i had in my pantry and came up with this recipe,
and i felt so elated when Advay told me Thankyou Mummy when he had the first bite,he saw what all i had to do to prepare the meal,he saw me deskinning the chicken,how i struggled to cut the whole chicken(this part is done by hubby but as he was late yesterday) i had to do( i should have referred to this post before cutting chicken )
he didnt move though his eyes were watering because of the onions,he even held my hand while i was struggling to chop the chicken pieces( i never gonna forget this) Thanks Advay for understanding the efforts which i put in preparing everyday meal,..the way you said thankyou i will always remember.

Recipe Name Chicken Biryani
Recipe source kitchen experiment
preparation time one hr
cooking time one hr
Ingredient for chicken marinade for 400gm chicken
green chili three
garlic clove three
ginger half inch
curd two tbsp
salt as per taste
chicken masala two tbsp
mix everything together in a mixing bowl.
marinate chicken pieces and keep in fridge.
Ingredient for curried chicken
chopped onions two (big one)
chopped tomato one
bay leaves crushed three
dried red chili three
cumin seeds one tsp
star anise two
cinnamon stick crushed one
clove two
black pepper four
ghee or oil to cook( i have used ghee for this recipe)
marinated chicken
Procedure
heat oil in non stick wok
add the whole masala listed above
lower the flame and add chopped onions
keep frying till the onions are half done
add chopped tomatoes and fry further
once the tomatoes turn mushy
add marinated chicken pieces
keep frying ,cover and cook for sometime
till the chicken is done.

Ingredient for rice
rice two cup
oil to cook'
green cardamom two
black cardamom one crushed
crushed cinnamon half stick
 3 to 4 saffron strands soaked in water one tbsp
Procedure
heat oil in pressure cooker
add crushed cardamoms and cinnamom
followed by soaked rice and saffron
add requiered amount of water
and pressure cook to one whistle.
For garnishing  fried onion and almonds.
To assemble in a deep bowl/casserole/serving dish
lay layer of rice,followed by chicken and finally the garnishing ingredient
repeat the same process.
serve warm with curd/riata.
We enjoyed the biryani with cucumber riata.

linking this post to dish name starts with C hosted by Akilas Kitchen

remember my last about life lesson,wanted to share with you all

Words to Live by ,really felt good after reading this

take care friends cee u all soon..happy blogging.

This one is about life lessons and Curried Ground Chicken

I guess everyday we learn something from life ,this is what i learnt since past three days
I learnt day before yesterday thats parents are always correct,after all they are parents,
I learnt yesterday that sometimes advice should be given a thought no matter from where its coming from
and specially when the same advice is given by three different people
and today i learnt how to brew cardamom and ginger flavour  tea with tea bag ,this came out of neccessity as i am out of tea powder  and have a box full of tea bags,plain tea is something which i can never have
so this is wht i did
How to brew cardamom and ginger flavour tea with Tea Bag
boil water in sauce pan
add sugar,crushed half tsp ginger,crushed cardamom pod
let it simmer for 5 mins
strain in a cup and add tea bag
followed by one fourth cup of warm milk
enjoy hot .
But this post is just not about brewing tea and life lessons ,,,its about something else,.
yesterday night prepared this simple chicken keema for dinner paired it with plain rice and fried egg.
This recipe is very simple,doesnt need much preparation and can be prepared within minutes

Recipe name - Chicken keema/Masala Keema/spiced minced meat/curried ground chicken
Recipe source - kitchen experiment
Ingredient
minced chicken one cup
onion two chopped finely
ginger half inch chopped
garlic clove three chopped
tomato one chopped
bay leaves three crushed
dried red chili three crushed
cumin seeds half tsp
salt as per taste
oil to cook
chicken masala one and a half tbsp(mdh or everest)
Procedure
Heat oil in non stick wok
once hot lower the flame and add cumin seeds
once it begins to splutter add dried red chili and bay leaves
add chopped ginger,garlic and onions
and keep frying till the onions are done
once the onions are done add chopped tomatoes,
salt and chicken masala.
keep frying till oil is seen along the sides
now add ground chicken
mix everything together
cover and cook.
once done serve warm with rice.

Linking this post to Dish name starts with C hosted by Akilas Kitchen.
Thats all frens,cee u all soon,happy blogging.

Spiced Puffed Rice - Churmura

For todays evening tea thought of preparing Churmura which is my favourite street food from my hometown ,since my previous posts are all related to my childhood  memories i thought i should continue the same because i know till the festival is over my mood gonna be the same.

Recipe name Churmura/Spiced puffed rice/spiced muri
Ingredient
Puffed rice/Muri  one cup
onion one small chopped
tomato one chopped
green chili one
green pea one tbsp
salt as per taste
lemon juice two tsp
coriander leaves chopped one tbsp
cumin powder half tsp
red chili powder pinch
sev one tsp
Procedure
In a mixing bowl mix everything together
serve with tea.

On a different note  thanks to my blogging friends  i got so many other interesting recipes of spiced puffed rice ,have listed them below
 bhadang recipe given by Soogran
 bhelpuri recipe given by Foodcourt
 jhalmuri recipe given by Delhibelle
 brussels sprouts borugulu by Mahanandi
 avocado borugulu by Mahanandi
 masala pori ( spiced murmura ) by cook at ease
 bhuna chana murmura (my fav.) by fast indian recipes.
 spiced puffed rice ( miryakana churmuro ) by aayis recipe
 spicy puffed rice by aayis recipe
Event entry
linking this post to Dish name starts with C hosted by Akilas Kitchen.
thats all frens,..enjoy the yummy murmura recipes,..wish u all happy weekend,..cee you all soon..

Curry to feel closer to home :-)

I dont know what you guys do when you are feeling homesick ,missing the festival fun ,parents,sisters and so many other things ,...this is what i do :-)
1) sit back and write something nostalgic
 2) to feel festive do this
 3)or i go to kitchen ( this has to be noon time when Advay is sleeping after all i am going for cooking therapy )and prepare this hot and spicy curry to feel closer to my own country and enjoy  it with dhania chutney and plain rice and remember all the good things in life and feel blessed,.:-)

Recipe name - Soya nuggets curry
Preparation time 15 mins
Cooking time 30 mins
Ingredient
 soya nuggets one cup
onion two chopped coarsely
tomato one sliced
garlic two chopped
ginger one inch chopped
green chili two chopped
whole masala
bay leaves two
dried red chili two
black pepper four
clove three
black cardamom two
cumin seeds half tsp
powdered masala
red chili powder pinch
turmeric powder one fourth tsp
coriander powder one fourth tsp
salt as per taste
oil to cook
coriander leaves for garnishing
Preparation
soak nuggets in hot water for 10 mins
drain and keep aside
in a non stick wok add one tsp oil
once hot lower the flame
fry the nuggets drain and keep aside.
p.s. i forgot to fry the nuggets :-( but it didnt had any effect on the taste
Procedure
In the same wok add one tbsp oil
add whole masala and lower the flame
add chopped onion,ginger,garlic and green chili
keep frying till the onions change their colour
add tomatoes and fry further till the onions are done
add powdered masala,salt and keep stirring
till oil is seen along the sides.
add fried nuggets to the onion tomato paste
keep frying till everything mixes together
now add one cup of water and cover and cook.
once done remove from flame and serve warm
with plain rice,onion and coriander chutney

Other recipes with soya nuggtes
soya nuggets with green pea
soya nuggets and green pea pulao
the above two recipes and Soya nuggets curry are being sent to
My Legume Love Affair 28th edition hosted this month by Divya of Dilse , event started by Susan
thats all frens,,,:-) enjoy the festival ,i will be back soon till thn happy blogging and Festival

Festive post with rangoli pics and fresh fruit salad

Inspired from Lakshmis post of Rangoli on Taste of Mysore i did some simple decorations,

Advay helped me in his own way :-)

I wanted to feel festive so decked up the entrance with Rangoli Art ;-)

This post i gonna share simple fruit salad which can be prepared in less then five minutes

,to create this yummy platter mix chopped raspberries with chopped apples,add chopped almond pieces,grated coconut and pinch of sugar.Thats all...:-)

This fruit salad can be eaten for phalahar vrat too,..:-)
have published DIY on rangoli here
enjoy feasting and fasting friends will catch up with you all soon
tk cre and happy blogging,..

This one is about those golden days which wont come back again

Sitting here in Singapore i miss the decked up chowkis
and the ramlila and ram barat and the colourful galies
i miss the arrivals of the cousins for the festival
and the frequent trip to mela,temples & mandaps
those sleepless nights in anticipation of next day
early morning we would cram in car in our night dress
Morning we would be so excited to cee the chowkis
And to eat breakfast of kachodi kachodi  sabzi and jalebi
i miss those beautiful  nine days
when we would fast ,feast and celebrate
when we would eat chaat everyday
and get excited again the next day
miss the aroma of dal poori with kaduu sabzi
and to end the platter dish of sweet sweet phirni
those were the days when we were too innocent
when our life revolved around dolls, stories and games
feel lucky and blessed to witness something
which i dont know future generation will see again
those were the days when Dusshera meant excitement for us
i am trying to do the same here in my own small way.,...

Wish all the readers of Asan Khana Happy Navratri/Durga Puja
Link of Phalahar Recipes

Drink and Light Meal for Vrat

Gulabi Lassi
Malai wali Lassi
Watermelon shake with almond
Fresh Fruit Salad
Phalahar Sabudana Khichdi
Fried potato chips with tea
Aloo tikiya with curd

Phalahar Curry/Sabzi

• Phalahar Paneer Sabzi
• Phalahar Potato & Tomato Sabzi

Navami Thali /Navratri Phalahar Thali

• Thali with singhare ki poori ,phalahar aloo and makhana kheer
• Thali with buckwheat flour poori,phalahar aloo & banana milkshake
• Thali with samak rice, bottlegourd pudding,potato curry
• Thali with tea, fried makhana and peanuts,sago papad,orange and potato bhaji
  Thali with Kuttu paratha ,potato bhaji and sago kheer

Sweet Dish

Rabdi
Khurchan
Mango Shrikhand

Navratri Rangoli

Thats all frens,enjoy the festival,..:-)
cee u all soon,..

Perfect comfort food - platter of cumin rice with curried potatoes

Sometimes unconciously we prepare something which reminds us of childhood memories and moms cooking ,this simple potato curry which i paired with cumin fried rice tasted the same way my mother prepares,no i didnt ask her the recipe,prepared on my own but the taste reminded me of my mother,..:-)
this recipe needs no fancy ingredients,just the usual stuff ,i specially liked the rustic taste of the curry with rice...

Recipe Name  Potato Curry
Ingredient
Boiled potato peeled and cubed two
onion one coarsely chopped
garlic clove three chopped
ginger one inch
tomato one sliced
green chili two
salt as per taste
oil to cook
cumin seeds one tsp
black pepper five
black cardamom three
bay leaves two
turmeric powder pinch
red chili powder half tsp
coriander powder half tsp
Procedure
Heat oil in non stick wok
add cumin seeds,bay leaves,pepper seeds and black cardamom
lower the flame and add onion,ginger,garlic and green chili
keep stirring till the onions become mushy
add tomatoes followed by salt,red chili powder,coriander and turmeric powder
keep frying till oil is seen along the sides.
add few drops of water and fry for 2 to three minutes
add boiled potato and mix everyhting together
add half cup of water and let it simmer for five minutes
serve warm with rice.

I am publishing this recipe for my own refrence ,as i gonna make this again and again,specially when i need some comfort food to  feel good,.:-) Thats all guys ,cee you all soon...tk cre and happy blogging..:-)

Cooking for Advay - Crepes with fresh Raspberries

This is something which i prepared when i was too tired to prepare anything ,and real hungry,..:-)
prepared crepes and served warm with raspberry preserve and fresh raspberries

Recipe Name Crepes with fresh raspberries
Ingredient for the batter
milk one cup
egg two
half cup flour
Ingredient to serve
powdered sugar pinch
fresh raspberries six
raspberry preserve one tbsp
Preparation
In a mixing bowl sift the flour and make a well in the centre
in another bowl mix egg and milk ,add to the well
mix properly to prevent lump formation
cover with cling wrap and leave for 30 mins
Procedure
Lightly brush nonstick pan with butter and keep on medium heat
pour the batter
cook for a minute and then flip and cook the other side
fold them in triangle shape and serve with topping of choice.
prepared this platter for Advay

Advays platter joins Srivallis Kids Delight Finger Food Event
thats all frens,..will cee u all soon
tk cre and happy blogging

Ode to Food Bloggers with Raspberry Buttermilk Cake from Smitten Kitchen

Sometimes i think life wouldnt have been this beautiful

if such yummy recipes were not shared by such good people.
All thanks to people like you for sharing such awesome recipes

For making my day and evening ,.. Its because of you i dare to bake and decorate

This Raspberry Buttermilk Cake ,made my day
sweet fragrance of baked raspberries
worked like therapy for me ,..
one bite and i felt totally out of the world,..
thanks for making me feel in heaven though on earth
This one is for you guys for making my day and evening

Recipe source - Smitten Kitchen
baking temperature 100- 110 degree centigrade
preheat oven for 10 mins.
baking time 5 mins
i didnt add lemon zest and vanilla essence ,instead use raspberry essence
linking this post to Bake Off event hosted by Champa at Versatile Kitchen
enjoy,,,happy weekend ,..and ya thanks again....