Fresh Corn Chevdo

This is my mom's one of the best recipe. She won first prize for this one in a side dish competition. This is a spicy corn dish. The inspiration for this was dry corn chevda available in market. As much as I love dry corn chevda, it is a little unhealthy because fried dried corn flakes. I use white corn but one can use sweet yellow corn as well. With sweet corn, there is no need for sugar. I think white corn gives it it better taste though.

Highlights of this dish are Sev and Milk. The milk make this side dish smooth, creamy, and helps it to cook fast. Sev helps in turning down heat from chevdo.

Ingredients:-

• 6 Fresh White Corn, grated
  
• 3 Medium potato, grated
  
• 4 tbsp Green Garlic, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Ginger-Chilli Paste
  
• 1/4 tsp Sugar(Optional)
  
• 1 cup Milk
  
• 5-6 tbsp Oil
  
• 1/4 Mustard Seeds
  
• Pinch of Turmeric
  
• Salt to taste
  
• Sev
  
• Lemon Wedge
  
• Cilatro, chopped
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add grated potatoes.

2. Cover pan with lid and let the potatoes cook for 3-4 minutes on mediun heat.

3. Add corn, ginger-chilli paste, salt, milk, and turmeric. Mix well.

4. Cover pan with lid again and cook chevdo for 10-15 minutes on medium heat. Stir frequently.

5. When chevdo is completely cooked, add sugar and mix well. Turn down the heat on low and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.

6. Take out chevdo in serving platter and sprinkle sev on top of chevdo.

7. Serve hot with lemon.

Enjoy...

This is my entry to Visual Treat Event hosted by Sanyukta.

Spinach Tomato Dal

This is simple, tasty, and healthy dal recipe. It is high in vitamin c (tomato) , protein (lentil), and fiber(spinach) from this dal. This item is very good for the pregnant women. I used cherry tomatoes, which infuses the unique sweetness to the dal. I grilled cherry tomatoes a little for serving. It is a simple thing but will look very trendy and will add more a little more flavor to the dal.

Ingredients:-

1 cup Moong Dal
2 cups Spinach, chopped
1/2 cup Cherry Tomatoes, chopped plus extra for grilling.
1/4 tsp Turmeric
1/4 tsp Asafetida
1 tsp Red Chili Powder
1/2 Ginger-Garlic Paste
1/2 tsp lemon Juice
Salt to taste
Cilantro, chopped

-- For Tadka

2 tbsp oil
1/2 Mustard Seeds
3-4 Curry leaves
2 Dry Whole Red Chilli
Pinch of Asafetida



Method:-

1. Cook moong dal in 2 cups of water with spinach, and tomatoes in pressure cook.

2. Whisk lightly after cooked.

2. In cooked dal, add more water and all the other ingredients.

3. Boil for 4-5 minutes.

-- For Tadka

1. Heat oil, add mustard seeds. When they crackle, add
curry leaves.

2. Turn down the heat. Now add whole red chili and pinch of Asafetida.

3. Pour tadka in the dal.

3. Sprinkle chopped cilantro and serve piping hot.

Serving Tip :-

1. Heat little oil in flat pan and grill halves of cheery tomatoes. Serve this tomatoes on top of the dal for more exotic look and flavor.

Enjoy...

Hariyali Paratha

First of all, I have news to share with all of you. I and my DH blessed with baby boy last month.. This will explain my prolonged absence from blog world. I hope to resume to active duty with this new blog entry. So lets us get to it right away.

This is healthy and flavor-full paratha recipe, however the taste is very different from regular paratha. The Green and Pigeon peas together make it a unique in texture, color, and taste. The texture is very soft, the color is green with tinge of regular parathas.

Ingredients:-

• 2 cups Wheat Flour
  
• 1 cup Pigeon Peas, boiled
  
• 1/2 cup Green Peas, boiled
  
• 1/4 cup Cilantro and Mint
  
• 3-4 Green Chilli
  
• 1 Small peace of Ginger
  
• 1 tbsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 1 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• Pinch of Asotida
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Mix Pigeon peas, green peas, cilantro, mint, ginger, green chilli, dhania-jeera powder, asefotida, salt and lemon juice in blender to make it a puree.

2. Mix all the ingredients into the large bowl.

3. Knead the soft dough using little water. Keep aside for 1 hour.

4. Make lemon-sized balls from the dough.

5. Roll them with rolling pin.

6. Heat non stick skillet on medium-high heat.

7. Cook paratha on hot non-stick skillet.

8. Flip the thepla after one side is cooked a little bit, apply little oil on it.

9. Then flip to the other side and apply little more oil on that side, cook both sides until cooked.

Enjoy...

Tip: Use cooking spray to control the amount of oil which goes into it.

Microwave Tandoori Aloo

Recently I was cooking potato in microwave and experienced that red potatoes are easy to cook this way than any other type of potato because of less starch content. One another very good quality about red potato is that they hold their shape very well after they are cooked. Being from South Gujarat, I grew up eating "Matla Undhiyu." Matla Undhiyu has host of ingredients, some of which are very hard to find here in US. So I thought of this recipe which will suffice my craving for Matla Undhiyu without some of the ingredients. This is very quick and easy recipe and can be served as snack in the afternoon or side dish for any meal.

Ingredients:-

• 7-8 Baby Red Potato
  
• 3-4 Garlic Cloves
  
• 1 Small Piece of Ginger
  
• 1/4 tsp Ajwain
  
• 1-1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1 tsp Dhania-Jeera Powder
  
• 1 tsp Kasuri Methi
  
• 1 tsp Chat Masala
  
• Pinch of Hing
  
• 3 tbsp Oil
  
• 2-3 tbsp Cilantro, chopped
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Wash potatoes and let them dry.

2. Pierce the potatoes 2-3 times with fork.

3. Place bowl of water in the middle of the microwave.

4. Arrange all the potatoes around the bowl on the microwave plate. If you have microwave without glass plate, place the bowl of water in a microwave-safe serving plate and potatoes around it.

5. Cook the potatoes for 5-6 minutes or until they are soft and cooked.

6. Cut the potatoes into halves.

7. In the mean time, blend all the other ingredients into the smooth paste using little water or oil.

8. Heat oil in microwave-safe bowl for 30 seconds.

9. Mix paste into the oil and heat for 30-40 seconds.

10. Stir and add potatoes into the bowl and cook 2-3 minutes.

11. Mix one more time and serve hot with lemon wage.

Enjoy...

Pizza Bianca

Pizza Bianca is thin crusted pizza dough with herb, sea salt, and cheese. It is usually served as an appetizer or a side dish. Italians loves pizza bianca with their sea-food stew. It's perfect with any kind of soup as well. This is semi-home made, since I bought the pizza-dough from store. It saves a lot of time for parties.

Ingredients:-

• Pizza Dough, store bought
  
• 1 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
  
• 1 tsp Sea Salt
  
• 1 tsp Herbes de Provence
  
• 3 tbsp Parmesan Cheese, grated
  
• 3 tbsp Cheddar Cheese, grated
  

Method:-

1. Preheat oven on 450 degree F.

2. Roll out the dough on flat floured surface to thin crust.

3, Transfer dough to the cookie sheet. Pierce the dough all over with fork.

4. Apply olive oil, salt, and Herbs De Provence.

5. Sprinkle Parmesan and cheddar cheese on top of pizza.

6. Bake until it's golden.

7. Serve with your favorite soup.



Enjoy...

-- p.s.: Here are some of the soups that I tried with it.

Garbanzo and Zucchini Soup.

Bistro Style Tomato Soup

Navy Bean And Pasta Soup

Carrot Raita

I love to try different side dishes. I love all kind of raitas, pickles, and salads, and this carrot raita is one of my favorite along with cucumber raita. This is my family's favorite too since my mom used to make it many times in the winter months. It tastes very well with most subjis, but according to me, It goes along perfectly with Kadhi-Rice and/or with Khaman.

This particular recipe has a perfect balance of sweet and sour. The sweetness of Carrot very nicely balances sourness from yogurt and tomato. The roasted chana/daliya gives it a wonderful smoky flavor.

Ingredients:-

• 3 Carrots, grated
  
• 1 Small Tomato, finally chopped
  
• 3 tbsp Daliya/Spit Roasted Chana
  
• 1/2 cup Yogurt
  
• 1/2 tsp Red Chilli Powder
  
• 1 Small Green Chilli, chopped
  
• Cilantro, chopped
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Roast daliya in pan until little golden brown. Keep aside and let it cool completely.

2. After cooling daliya, grind them coarse.

3. Mix all the ingredients in the bowl. Taste and adjust seasoning.

4. Serve with your favorite meal.

Enjoy...

Pulav Tadka

The pulav is usually made without Tadka. I tried to twist it a little without too many spice or ingredients. This is very light Pulav recipe. It is a combination of Jeera Rice and Pulav. This is the best way to use leftover rice, and its very different taste wise.

Ingredients:-

• 3 cups Rice, boiled
  
• 2 Shallots, thinly sliced
  
• 1 cup Mix Vegetables, boiled (Corn, Peas, Carrot, Green Beans etc)
  
• 3 Garlic Cloves, chopped
  
• 1/2 tsp Ginger, grated
  
• 2 Green Chillies, chopped
  
• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds
  
• 1 tsp Dhania- Jeera powder
  
• 2 Cloves
  
• 1 Bay Leaf
  
• 2 tbsp Oil
  
• 1 tsp Ghee
  
• Cilantro and Mint, chopped
  
• 2 tbsp Lemon Juice
  
• Salt to taste
  

Method:-

1. Heat oil and ghee in the pan. Add cloves, bay leaf and roast them for minute.

2. Add cumin seeds. When they start to brown, add shallots, garlic, ginger, green chilli, vegetables, and salt.

3. Mix well and cook for 2-3 minutes.

4. Add boiled rice and mix well. Cover pan with lid and cook for another 3-4 minutes on medium-low heat.

5. Add lemon juice, cilantro and mint. Mix well.

6. Serve hot with raita, dal or kadhi.

Enjoy...

My Dear friend Uma passed me this beautiful award. I am really happy to recieve this award. Thank you sa much Uma :))




The award states that-These blogs are exceedingly charming. These kind bloggers aim to find and be friends. They are not interested in self-aggrandizement (? big word, lol). Our hope is that when the ribbons of these prizes are cut, even more friendships are propagated. Please give more attention to these writers. Deliver this award to eight bloggers who must choose eight more and include this cleverly-written text into the body of their award.


I am sending these to Namratha, Subha, Chandani, Mahima, Ramya, Pallavi, Laavanya, and AnuSriram. Enjoy your award gals!!!