Vankaya kottimeera kharam

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

4 count - brinjals

oil

To Grind:

1 medium size - Onion

15 to 18 strings - Fresh Coriander

3 - Green Chillies

1teaspoon - Dhaniya Powder

1teaspoon - Cumin Powder

2 pinches - Sugar

1/2 teaspoon - Ginger garlic paste

salt to taste

For Tadka/Poopu:

4 to 5 - Curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon - Jeera

Procedure:

1.Cut off the stems of brinjals and cut brinjals length wise.

2.Grind all the ingredients under 'to grind' section into a smooth paste (salt and green chillies can be adjusted to your taste.)

3.Heat oil in a pan, add the cut brinjals and fry them. Add a little salt. (for brinjals to cook faster)

4.Stir in regularly and take them in a bowl when they are 90% done.

5.Add little oil (you can use the same pan)

6.Add jeera and curry leaves.

7.When they splutter ,add the ground mixture.

8.Fry for sometime. (if its sticking to the pan add very little water) and add fried brinjals.

9.Cover the pan with a lid and simmer for 10 to 12 mins.

10.Switch off the heat once the oil starts to separate.

11.Serve hot.

This bhaji goes well with both rice and chapaties.

Thanks to my Friend Ramya Bandaru for sharing this recipe.

Vankaya Kharampetti Koora - Spicy Brinjal Bhaji

Ingredients:

10 count - Brinjal ( Preferably thin and tall brinjals )

1 tablespoon - Salt

1 tablespoon - Chilli Powder

1 teaspoon - Hing

1 tablespoon - cream, Optional

3 tablespoons - Oil

Procedure:

For cutting the brinjals:

1. Cut the top stem part of the brinjal.

2. Slit starting from one end of the brinjal vertically.
3. Turn over the brinjal and slit again starting from the other end of the brinjal.

Procedure for Bhaji:

1. Combine salt, chilli powder and hing.

2. Apply the above mixture inside both the slit ends the brinjal. (The quantity of mixture to use inside the brinjal depends on how spicy you would want the dish to be. Adjust accordingly.)

3. Heat oil in a pan. Put the brinjals and cover the pan with a lid for some time.

Note: Toss the brinjals in between for the brinjals to cook well and evenly. Do not use a spatula as the brinjals will fall apart. For easy tossing use a non-stick pan for this recipe.

4. Once the brinjals are cooked and roasted well, add cream and mix gently.

5. Spicy Brinjal Bhaji is ready to server.

Note: This Bhaji goes very well with rice.

Pasta

I love pasta but my husband ..umm ... not so much. Well it doesn't stop me from making it though :). I like it mainly as it is easy to prepare, filling and tasty. On a lighter note: I make this, as I am THE ONE in the kitchen and I get to make what i want to eat.. kidding ;).

Wiki: Pasta is a generic term for noodles made from an unleavened dough of wheat or buckwheat flour and water, sometimes with other ingredients such as eggs and vegetable extracts.

Serves: 2-3

Ingredients:
14.5 Oz - Pasta
1 count- Whole Capsicum chopped
1/4 th cup - Corn Kernel
1/4 th cup - Green Peas
1/4 th cup - Cut Green Beans
1/2 th cup - Cauliflower florets
4 count - Green chilles chopped
1 count - Cut Tomato -- optional
4 count - Garlic Cloves Chopped
1/2 teaspoon - Chilli Powder/Red Chilli Flakes
1/2 teaspoon - Dhaniya powder
2 tablespoon - Lemon Juice
2 teaspoon - Italian Herbs seasoning -- optional
4 leaves - Fresh Basil chopped -- optional
Salt to taste
3 teaspoon - Olive Oil/ Regular Oil
1 and half cups - Pasta Sauce
1/3 rd cup - Salsa





Note:
1. Pasta Sauce: I usually buy barilla pasta sauces.
- Barilla Tomato and Basil or
- Barilla Rosted Garlic or
- Spicy Marinara Sauce
2. Salsa: I usually buy Tostitos Chunky Medium/Hot Salsa, 24 oz
3. Pasta: Again I buy Barilla pasta. You can buy almost any variety of Pasta(Farfalle, Penne, Fusilli etc). I prefer whole wheat pasta, which generally contains more fiber and more nutrients than refined pasta.

Procedure:
For Pasta:
1. Bring a pot of water to a boil.
2. Add Pasta and salt to the boiled water. Cook the pasta according to package directions.
3. Once the pasta is cooked, drain the water.
4. Optional:
4a. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a skillet.
4b. Add 1 teaspoon of Italian Herbs seasoning and chopped basil leaves.
4c. Add pasta and sauté.

For Sauce:
1. Take 2 teaspoons of oil in a pan.
2. Add 1 teaspoon of Italian Herbs seasoning.
3. Add chopped garlic, green chilles and saute them.
4. Add dhaniya powder and chilli powder or chilli flakes.
5. Add tomatoes and other vegetables and cook them for some time.
6. Add pasta sauce, Salsa, salt and mix it well.
7. Add 1/4th cup of water if required. Add salt to taste, keep in mind pasta sauce and salsa already have some amount of salt.
8. Bring this to a boil.






9. At the end add the above prepared pasta and lemon juice to the sauce and mix well.
10. Serve hot. You can also garnish this with grated Parmigiano cheese .

Rasam Powder - Instant

Ingredients:
2 table spoon - Dhaniya
2 table spoon - Jeera
2 table spoon - Whole Black Pepper
2 table spoon - Fenugreek seeds
2 table spoon - Chana dal
6 count - Red chilles
Oil

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a pan and fry all the ingredients.
2. Grind the ingredients and Rasam powder is ready for one time use.

Rasam Powder

Ingredients:
3 cups - Dhaniya
3/4th cup - Jeera
1 1/4 cup - Whole Black Pepper
2 table spoons - Fenugreek seeds
15 - Red chillies
1/2 cup - Chanadal
2 tea spoon - Oil

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a pan. Add red chilles, fry them and keep them aside.
2. To the same pan, add rest of the ingredients and fry them.
3. Let them cool and grind the ingredients.

Sambar Powder - Recipe 2

Ingredients:
3 tea spoons - Chana dal
5 tea spoons - Dhaniya
1/2 tea spoon - Fenugreek Seeds (Menthulu)
11 count - Red chillies
6 tea spoons - coconut
1 and 1/2 table spoon - Oil

Serves - 4 people

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in pan.
2. Fry red chilles and keep them aside.
3. To the same oil add chanadal, dhaniya, fenugreek seeds and fry them.
4. At the end add dry coconut and saute for a minute.
5. Let them cool and later grind the ingredients.

Phali Podi (Peanut Powder)

Ingredients:
2 Cups - Peanuts
8-10 count - Red Chillies
1 TeaSpoon - Cumin Seeds
5 - Garlic
1 TableSpoon - Salt (Or adjust to your taste)
1 TeaSpoon - Oil






Procedure:
1. Dry fry Peanuts and keep them aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan , fry red chilles and keep them aside.

 3. Grind all the ingredients along with raw garlic and cumin seeds into a coarse powder.

Note: This powder can be stored in a container for 1 month.

Sambar Powder - Recipe 1

Ingredients:
4 and half table spoons - Chana dal
2 table spoons - Urad dal
6-10 count - Fenugreek seeds (Menthulu)
1 tea spoon - Mustard seeds
1/2 tea spoon - Jeera
6 count - Red chillies
6 table spoons - Dhaniya
3 small pieces - Hing
Small piece - Cinnamon stick
1/4th cup - Dry coconut
1/2 tea spoon - Oil
Note: You can use dry coconut while preparing sambar powder or use fresh/wet coconut while preparing sambar.

Procedure:
1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add chanadal, uraddal, fenugreek seeds, mustard seeds, Jeera, red chillies, hing and saute them.
3. At last add dhaniya, cinnamon stick and saute again.
4. Let the ingredients cool down and grind them into smooth powder.
5. Add dry coconut and pulse the ingredients.
Note: You can add few grains of rice while frying the ingredients(during step 3), this acts as a thickening agent while preparing sambar.

Pitla / Kootu

Ingredients:

For Pitla:
ToorDal - 1 Cup
Peanuts - 3/4th Cup
Tamarind
Salt
Vegetables
- Karli (Bitter Guard) - 1 karli cut circles
- White Pumpkin - 3/4th cup, cut big chunks/cubes
- Potato - 1 potato, cut into cubes
- Beans - 1/2th cup
- Gawar Beans (Mattikayalu/Goru chikkudu) - 1/2 cup
Note: We can either use all the above vegetables for this dish or use single vegetable in more quantity.

For Masala:
Chanadal - 2 tsp
Uraddal - 1 1/2 tsp
Whole Black Pepper - 1tsp
Red Chillies - 6
Dry Coconut
Oil

For Tadka/Poopu:
Oil
Mustard Seeds
Karvepak
Hing
turmeric

Procedure:

Masala Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a pan.
2. Add all the masala ingredients except coconut and fry them till they turn golden brown.
3. Take them out in a plate and put the coconut in the pan and fry it for few seconds.
4. Grind all the masala ingredients.
5. Add water for grinding if required.

Pitla Preparation:

1. In two seperate vessels, Pressure cook Toordal and all the vegetables(except karli)
   Optional: Deep fry karli in oil and keep it aside.
2. Take a vessel and add few tea spoons of oil for tadka.
3. Add mustard seeds, once they start spluttering add hing, karvepak and turmeric.
4. Add tamarind water to tadka.
5. Once tamarind water starts to boil: add Dal, above prepared Masala and salt. Mix well
6. Let it boil well.
7. Pitla is now ready to serve.

Minty Mango Delight

Ingredients
1/3 cup - Sugar
1 cup - Raw Mangoes (peeled and cubed)
6 to 8 - Mint leaves (Pudina)
1 cup - Crushed ice

For The Garnish
4 sprigs of mint leaves (Pudina)

Procedure:

• Combine the sugar with ½ cup of water in a sauce pan, mix well and cook on a medium flame till the sugar dissolves, while stirring continuously.
• Add raw mangoes and cook on a medium flame till the mangoes are tender, while stirring twice in between. Keep aside to cool.
• Combine the cooked mangoes and mint leaves in a mixer and blend till smooth.
• In each rock glass, place ¼ cup of crushed ice and pour equal quantity of the drink over it.
• Serve immediately garnished with a sprig of mint leaf.

Kaakarkaaya koora With Onions and ChanaDal

Ingredients:
6 - Karli Medium size
1 - Big Onion chopped
1/2 Cup - Chana Dal
1/2 Tea Spoon - Chilli Powder (according to your taste)
1/4th Tea Spoon - Sugar
Salt
Oil

Procedure:

1. Soak chana dal for 30 minutes.
2. Cut karli into small pieces. Add salt to it and mix it. Keep this aside.
3. After 30 minutes squeeze the karli so all the waters comes out of karli. Drain the water.
4. Clean the Karli again with water and drain the water.
5. Shallow Fry karli in oil.
6. After the karli is half cooked, add onions and soaked chana dal.
7. At the end add salt, chilli powder, sugar and mix well.

Eggless Microwave Chocolate Cake

Ingredients:

• 400 g - Sweetened Condensed Milk
• 2/3 cup - Softened Butter
• 1 3/4 cups - All purpose Flour / Maida
• 1/2 cup - Cocoa Powder / Drinking Chocolate Cadbury
• 1/2 teaspoon - Baking Soda
• 1/2 teaspoon - Baking Powder
• 1/4 teaspoon - Vanilla Essence
• 1/2 cup - Sugar (if you would like a richer cake, half the sugar and use 50g of melted plain chocolate)
• 150 ml - Soda water (carbonated water) OR Mix 1 TeaSpoon Eno Fruit Salt in 150 ml of water
• Greaseproof paper, Optional

Serves: 8
Prep Time: 20 mins
Total Time: 40 mins

Procedure:

1. Grease a ROUND microwaveable cake tin / glass bowl and line with greaseproof paper.
2. Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder and bicarbonate of soda and set aside.
   
3. Cream together butter and sugar.
4. Add the condensed milk, melted chocolate (if using it) and vanilla essence and beat well to mix.
5. Add the dry ingredients (from step 2) and mix well together.
6. Slowly pour aerated soda into the mixture and mix in well.
7. Pour the cake mixture into the prepared tin.
8. Microwave on High for 4-5 mins (depending on the power of your microwave) and on Medium 4-5 mins (bake for on Medium for the same amount of time as you did in High).
9. Hold in dish for 5-10 minutes after baking (MAKE SURE YOU DO THIS AS HOLDING IS VERY IMPORTANT).
10. Then, remove from the cake tin and place it on a wire rack to allow it to cool.
11. Decorate if desired before cutting into slices to serve.

Carrot Cake

Ingredients

• 4 eggs
• 1 1/4 cups vegetable oil
• 2 cups white sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• 3 cups grated carrots
• 1 cup chopped pecans

For Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• 4 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup chopped pecans

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease and flour a 9x13 inch pan.
2. In a large bowl, beat together eggs, oil, white sugar and 2 teaspoons vanilla. Mix in flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and cinnamon. Stir in carrots. Fold in pecans. Pour into prepared pan.
3. Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 50 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack and cool completely.
4. To Make Frosting: In a medium bowl, combine butter, cream cheese, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. Beat until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Stir in chopped pecans. Frost the cooled cake.

German Walnut Raisin Spice Cake

Ingredients:

Servings:16

• 1 1/2 cups seedless raisins
• 1 1/2 cups walnuts
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
• 1 1/2 cups boiling water
• 2 1/4 cups sifted all-purpose flour (sift before measuring)
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup butter
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 whole eggs
• 2 egg yolks
• 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Note:  Egg Substitute: 
Prepare the below 2 mixtures in 2 separate bowls and use them as a substitute for whole eggs and egg yolks in this recipe. 
- In a bowl, mix 3 tablespoons vegetable oil with 3 tablespoons water and 2 teaspoon baking powder. 
- Take another bowl and mix 1 tablespoon ground flax seed with 3 tablespoons warm water, let it stand for couple of minutes before using it.

Frosting:

• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 2/3 cup butter
• 3 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 lbs confectioners' sugar

Note: You can prepare the frosting from scratch following the below given procedure or buy frosting from a Store.

Directions:

Prep Time: 10 mins
Total Time: 40 mins


1. Preheat oven to 350°F Grease and flour lightly THREE (8-by-1 1/2-inch) round layer cake pans.
2. Chop raisins and 1 cup walnuts fine; place in a medium bowl.

3. Add baking soda; then stir in boiling water.
4. Let mixture cool 1/2 hour.
5. Sift flour with cinnamon and salt.
6. In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat 3/4 cup butter until creamy.
7. Add sugar, a little at a time, beating until light and fluffy.
8. Stop beater once or twice; scrape down side of bowl with rubber spatula.
9. Add eggs and egg yolks, one at a time.
10. Beat after each addition; scrape side of bowl with rubber spatula.
11. Beat until light and fluffy.
12. Add lemon juice and 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla.
13. With wooden spoon, beat in flour mixture, in fourths, alternately with nut mixture, in thirds; begin and end with flour mixture.

14. Pour batter into prepared pans.

15. Place in oven, leaving space between pans.
16. Bake 25 to 30 minutes, or until top springs back when lightly pressed with fingertip and cake pulls away from edge.
17. Cool on wire rack 5 minutes.
18. With small spatula, loosen edge.
19. Turn out on wire rack; turn top up; let cool completely—about 1 hour.

Note:
I use the same batter to prepare cup cakes as well, but the bake time is between 15-20 minutes for the cup cakes.

20. MAKE FROSTING: In large bowl, with electric mixer at medium speed, beat cheese with butter and vanilla until creamy.
21. Add the confectioners; sugar; beat until light and fluffy.
22. Using 1 1/2 cups frosting, put layers together.
23. Use rest of frosting to cover top and side of cake.
24. With metal spatula, make decorative swirls in frosting. Coarsely chop remaining walnuts, sprinkle on the top or sprinkle grated chocolate on the top.
25. Refrigerate until serving.
26. Makes 16 servings.