Keerai Poriyal (Greens Stir Fry)

This is another healthy poriyal that can be done in a jiffy(but sure the cleaning part takes time :) )

Keerai Poriyal Recipe

Ingredients:

• Keerai - 1 small bunch (comes to 1 cup)
• Onion - 1 chopped finely
• Coconut(grated) - 2 tbsp
• Salt- to taste

To Temper :

• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies - 1
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Clean the greens and remove the root part and wash the leaves well.Keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds, urad dhal and curry leaves let it splutter. Then add green chillies, onion fry till slightly browned then add the greens with required salt. Keep in medium flame and keep stirring until the greens reduce in volume and sauted well.
3. The green will let out water so be careful in sprinkling water. Keep closed and allow the greens to cook. Once the greens become dry then finally add coconut and switch. Give a quick stir and transfer to serving bowl.

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Banana Bread Recipe (Banana Cake)

I baked this banana bread long back and this was lying in my drafts for almost an year. Yesterday when I was browsing my drafts I found this and thought this should be attended sooner :) As nags says even I felt this recipe inbetween a cake and bread, however it tasted too good and got vanished in a day :)

Banana Bread Recipe
Recipe Source : CookingandMe


Ingredients:

• Maida - 1 cup
• Banana - 1 ripe(I used moris variety as shown in the pics)
• Eggs - 2
• Sugar - 1/2 cup + 2 tbsp
• Butter - 1/2 cup
• Walnuts - 3 tbsp chopped
• Vanilla essence - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - 1/4 tsp

Method:

1. First mash the banana well and set aside. In a wide bowl cream butter(at room temperature) and sugar, beat well.
2. Once the sugar is completely blended with the butter, add the eggs and beat it well until fluffy(I just used hand whipper). Add vanilla essence, mix once.
3. Now add the mashed up banana, salt and mix well. Add the flour in portions and mix well until combined well.Finally add in the chopped walnuts.
4. Preheat the oven at 180 deg C for 10mins. Meanwhile grease the pan and after the preheating time, pour the batter into greased pan and bake it for 40-45mins.
5. Test by inserting a fork / knife in the middle of the cake, if it comes out clean then ur cake is ready. Cool completely then cut into slices and serve.

My Notes:

• I misplaced the bread loaf pan :( so baked it in a normal square pan which was a bit bigger in size so the batter didnt come even to 1/2 of the pan so looks like not raisen in height.But tastewise no compromise very soft and yummy.
• Increase sugar upto 3/4 cup as per your preference and banana variety.
• I didnt use any electric beater to beat the eggs as said in the orginal recipe.

This recipe yielded me around 10-12 slices / pieces. It tasted too good by itself but if you wish , you can add any simple frosting.

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Fish Fry (Meen Varuval) | Indian Fish Recipes

As I had mentioned in my early posts, mittu loves fish fry and its the only nonveg item she eats. Hubby is totally opposite as he doesnt like fish, but eats once in a while.

Fish Fry Recipe - Ingredients

• Fish - 5 to 6 pieces (I used Vanjiram variety)
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Lime juice - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to toast / deep fry

Method:

1. Clean fish and wash it twice to thrice. Set aside.

2. In a wide mixing bowl, add red chilli, turmeric,coriander powder, lime juice and required salt. Sprinkle little water to make it to a paste consistency.

3. Then add the fish to it and mix well. Coat the masala on all sides of the fish and marinate for atleast 30mins. Set aside.

4. Heat oil in a pan or dosa tawa and toast the fish until the fish turns dark brown color. You can alternatively deep fry too.

My Notes :

• You can serve fish with raw onions. I love it with tomato sauce :)
• Squeeze lime while serving if you like the tanginess.
• You can even add ginger garlic paste as a add on to the marinade.
• We like fish fries toasted in tawa than the deep fry.

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Filter Kaapi (South Indian Filter Coffee)

Making filter coffee isnt a big deal but to get the perfection sure comes only practise. I am totally an instant coffee lover but can have filter coffee once in a while. Filter coffee is always ammas department as she loves it and she says she cant proceed her daily chores without her morning dose :)

Filter Kaapi(Coffee) Recipe - Ingredients
For the decotion:

• Coffee Powder - 2 heaped tsp
• Water - 1 cup

For the coffee:

• Strong decotion - 1/4 cup(adjust according to the strongness you want)
• Milk - 1 cup
• Sugar - 1 tsp

This decotion can make around 2-3 cups of coffee depending on the strongness.

The below pic shows a south indian coffee filter. It has a lower container that collects the filtered coffee and upper container where the coffee powder and water is added to form the decotion.

Now lets get on to see how we prepare filter coffee:

Method:

1. First add 2 tsps of filter coffee powder. Add the top chamber of the filter filter. Allow water to boil.

2.Add the boiled water. As you see(okay this doesnt justify but still think of the decotion being dropped ;)) the decotion drops and gets collected in the lower part of the filter as shown in the 3rd pic. After adding water close and keep it undisturbed for 10mins until all the decotion drops down.

3.Add sugar in the serving tumbler. Then add decotion filling upto 1/4 cup(depends on how strong you need your coffee to be). Boil milk and then add it.

4. If its too hot then pour from the tawara to the tumbler for once or twice.

Filter coffee is ready serve it hot and frothy.We always serve filter coffee in a set of tawara tumbler as shown in the pics.

My Notes:

• Once the decotion is added to the milk, do not overheat. If you want to heat then place the coffee tumbler inside a container which has boiling water.
• You can refrigerate the decotion for a day.
• We can take even 2 decotion by adding in little more water once the 1 st decotion is taken and used. The 2nd decotion is not very strong.
• If you use decotion stored in fridge, heat the decotion separately by placing it inside a container which has boiling water.

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Chettinad Masala Kuzhambu (Masala Gravy)

Over the past weeks, life has changed so much. I am sure when I turn back over the years, I would be happy for the decision I've made. Yes as a fulltime mother, I am enjoying life!! :) And to be true, I am more busy at home or I should say mittu is bc keeping me bc ;) Even when the opportunities are more, when it comes to my lil one, she overrules everything and her happiness is more precious than anything else...... as to any mother :)

And as a add on, sharmis passions and sharmi clicks will keep me occupied and the word boredom will be slashed out......fingers crossed :0

Now onto todays recipe : I've been wanting to post this masala kuzhambu recipe since long but something or the other took priorities everytime amma makes this. Last time when amma made , I clicked with stepwise too.

Radish Masala Gravy - Ingredients

• Radish - 3 sliced
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - 1 tsp chopped (optional)
• Salt - for taste
• Oil - 2 tsp

For grinding:

• Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Big Onion - 1 chopped roughly
• Tomato - 1 chopped roughly

To Temper:

• Bay leaf - a small piece
• Cinnamon - 1/4 inch piece
• Fennel seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Small Onions - a handful
• Garlic - 4 to 5 pearls
• Curry leaves - few

Method:

1. Heat 1/2 tsp of oil, add onion and tomato saute until nicely mushed up and raw smell tomatoes leaves. Then add this with coconut, fennel seeds and grind it.

2. The grinding should be to a fine paste, set aside. Heat remaining oil, add bayleaf, fennel seeds,cinnamon once it crackles add onion, garlic and curry leaves and saute for a minute until slightly browned.

3. Then add the sliced radish and saute for 2 mins. Then add chilli, coriander powder and saute for a minute. Add 1/2 cup water and required salt.

4. Allow it to boil for 2mins, then add the grinded paste and allow it to boil until oil separates (this may take around 10mins). Garnish with coriander leaves and switch off.

Masala kuzhambu is chettinad special and my favourite. I love it with rice and even dosas.

My Notes:

• You can add in any vegetable of you choice. Drumstick and brinjal will be apt for this curry.
• No need to roast coconut, but amma says roasting also gives a nice flavour.
• The consistency should be semi thick, but you can make it runny as per your preference.

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Chocolatey Biscuit Milkshake

Mittu used to lick the cream and keep back the biscuits alone... I've seen this with many kids. One fine day I tried this milkshake with all the leftover biscuits without cream and it tasted awesome, she too enjoyed it. So thought of making it as a post. I had some leftover icing I made for my cake pops the same day so used it up for this milkshake :)

Biscuit Milkshake Recipe


Ingredients:

• Chilled Milk - 2 cups
• Bourbon Biscuit(with cream) - 1
• Bourbon Biscuit(without cream) - 1
• Chocolate sauce / syrup - 2 tsp
• Sugar - a pinch (only if needed)

Method:

1. Add the biscuits without cream to milk and blend using the whip option in mixie. Then add the cream biscuit and blend again until its smooth and creamy.
2. Add the chocolate sauce, sugar and mix well.
3. Pour into individual serving glasses and add any topping of your choice.

My Notes:

• You can use any chocolate cream biscuit of your choice.
• You can even skip chocolate sauce and add one more cream biscuit.
• I just piped the left over butter icing as a topping, you can use whipped cream as topping too.

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Dahi Puri Recipe

Dahi Puri is my all time favourite chat. Whenever we go for chats, its either Pav Bhaji or Dahi Puri, its my staple order in chat shops :) I have used all my color ramkeins for this post, now you know how crazy I am when it comes to ramekins ;)

Here is my version of homemade dahi puri for you all....Enjoy your fav chat at home.

Dahi Puri Recipe - Ingredients

Makes 1 plate

• Puri - 6 puris
• Curd - 1/2 cup
• Sev - a handful
• Boiled Green Gram Dhal - 1/4 cup (You can use sprouted too)
• Boiled potatoes - 1/4 cup
• Green Chutney - 2 tbsp
• Dates Chutney - 2 tbsp
• Onion - 1 medium sized chopped
• Coriander leaves - 2 tbsp chopped finely
• Chat masala powder - 1 tsp
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp (optional)
• Turmeric powder - a pinch
• Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp

Method:

1. Mash the potatoes, add cumin powder, turmeric and mix well. Keep aside. Mix curd with sugar, salt and a pinch of red chilli powder. Keep aside.
2. Arrange 6 puris in a plate. Crack a hole carefully in the center of each puri. Add mashed potatoes, green gram dhal, onion, green chutney and dates chutney in each puri.
3. Then pour 1/2 cup of curd over the puris. Sprinkle red chilli powder, chat masala powder on top, then add the sev. Serve with coriander leaves garnished.

You can make the puris and chutneys the before day . Once that is ready all others can be done a while before assembling. Enjoy this easy and yummy chat at home.

My Notes:

• Use thick chilled curd, adding sugar to curd is optional.
• If you make the chutneys ready then assembling and serving dahi puri is easy.
• You can either sprout green gram or pressure cook and use it if needed instantly which is what I did.

I take the short route of buying the dates chutney ready made these days ;) It is called bhel puri chutneys and stays well for long when refrigerated. I use even for sandiwiches - its tangy, sweet, spicy with all the flavours bursting out....hmmm yummmy!

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