Christmas Dinner

We had a potluck dinner at my place on Christmas night. We made Haleem, Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani, Double-ka-meetha and Egg Less Fruit Cake. 

                 Our friends brought Chilli Chicken, Prawn Curry, Sambhar/s (two actually), Cucumber Raita, Carrot Halwa (Oh!my my) and Jilebi.

Dinner went very well, until.............. we tasted the carrot halwa!

We felt it a bit salty when we tasted and initially we thought we just imagining things.
One of our friends asked if I made it, and I said nope.
Felt bit weird why he was asking me the question and I tasted it to check whats wrong. It looked very good to me, but after tasting I said it has salt in it.... every one laughed! Yup... itseems when he is making the dessert he mistakenly jazzed it up with salt. Poor guy!
Any how, because of his little misadventure, we had a good laugh and Many thanks to my friend for make us remember god! AMEN!!! hihi...........

























© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Rawa Dosa

" No Grinding, it's just easy peasy."

Rawa Dosa

Ingredients:

Semolina - 500 g

Plain flour - handful

Rice flour - 1/4th cup

Plain Yoghurt - 10 tbsp

Luke warm water - as needed

Salt to taste

Oil - 1 tsp for each dosa

Proceed:

Add semolina in a large bowl, add plain flour mix, add yoghurt mix, add luke warm water mix again, it should be of dosa consitency and be careful not to form any lumps. Add salt to taste and leave this for 2 hrs.

Heat a non-stick tawa or skillet on high, pour first 2 and 1/2 ladleful of dosa mixture and spread like dosa pancake.
Wait until it's cooked and pour tsp oil around cook for few secs more, now lift it up and turn.

Cook for 1 min and serve.

Notes:

1)Batter should be of thick pouring consistency.

2)To have good dosas initially do small pancake on tawa, yup it won't come nice. But don't worry second ones come perfect.

3)While doing dosas it's good to mix up the batter every time when u do dosas, otherwise the water and batter are seperated.

4) Here left over sour yoghurt can be used to get that soury taste.

Serve it with Mixed Dal Chutney or Ginger Pickle or Cabbage Pachadi.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Corn Roti

Ingredients:

*Cream style corn Tin - 1 rice cup

Grind in to fine paste to remove chunky bits,

*Chapati flour - 2 cups (heaped) + extra
*Salt - 3 pinch
*Oil - 1 tbsp
*Cayenne pepper - 1/4 th - 1/2 tsp
*Water (kettle boiled water) - as needed

Proceed:

Take a large bowl add salt, chilli powder and oil, mix.

To that add c.flour and combine.

Add corn paste and mix well. Add water small amount and mix well to form a soft plaible dough, knead it well and roll into lemon size balls.






Roll these balls into round circle. Dusting with flour when needed.











Heat a tawa on medium high and keep this rolled dough on tawa and cook until small bubbles appear on top.








Turn it over and cook for just few secs.

Turn again and with the help of cloth press it lightly on all sides.








Turn again and do the same, remove and wrap it in a cloth or in a roti basket and serve.

Serve with Paneer dishes or any gravy curry or Mirchi Bhagmati
and Yoghurt on side.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Mirchi Ka Salan

Ingredients:

*Large Banana peppers - 6 no.

wash the peppers, clean and dry with paper towel. Cut each length ways with out cutting chilli in to two.

Roast:

*Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp

*Cumin seeds - 1 and 1/2 tsp

*Sesame seeds - 2 and 1/2 tbsp

roast them altogether with out oil and keep aside in a coffee jar.

*Red Chillies - 2 no.

add redchillies to above.

*Peanuts - 1/2 cup

roast peanuts and add it above and cool, grind roasted ingredients into powder.

*Onion - 1 m (chopped finely)

*Ginger and Garlic paste - 1 tsp

*Turmeric - 3/4 tsp
*Chilli powder - 1 tsp

*Water - 1 cup

*Salt to taste
*Tamarind paste - 2 tbsp (mix with half cup water)

*Oil - 3 tbsp + 3 tbsp

Seasoning:

*Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
*Nigella seeds (onion seeds or kalonji) - 2 pinch
*Curry Leaves - a few


Proceed:

1) In a flat non-stick pan add 3tbsp oil keep it on medium heat. when it is hot lay out the chillies flat and covered and cook for 10mins or so and reduce the heat and turn the chillies to the other side and increase the heat to medium and cover and cook again until roasted on all sides. do not over cook the chillies. keep aside.

2) In the same pan add 3 tbsp oil, do seasoning. Add onions and fry until golden brown. add ginger and garlic paste and fry well. add turmeric, chillipowder and fry well.add roasted powders and fry well.

3) Add 1cup water and reduce the heat to low and cover and cook for 10mins.

4) Add tamarind water, salt to taste mix well and add point 1 and cook cover for 10 mins until oil floats on top. Switch off.

Serve with Fried rice or Hyderabadi Chicken Biriyani

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Orange Cake

"This recipe is from Trade me. It is tasty and very easy to make."

Orange Cake

Ingredients and Proceed:

*Whole Orange - 1 no. (only tip and ends are removed, and with out pip inside)

  Washed and processed to a pulp.

*Melted butter - 125 g
*Sugar - 1 cup
*Eggs - 2 m - large
*Self-raising Flour - 1 and 1/2 cups



Mix together the melted butter and sugar. Add eggs     then orange pulp. Stir to combine then fold in sifted  SR Flour.

Pour in to lined Loaf tin and bake in preheated oven at 180 d' C for approximately 35 - 40 mins or ready when tested with skewer.

Doubled the recipe - it makes ring tin cake.

Note:

1) I would prefer only Loaf.

2) Don't get alarmed with not adding any essence in them. Here orange skin is added to remove any eggy smell.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment Food

Today I have tried "Panasathonalu" from "krishnaarjuna" blog. They look as if they are difficult to make, but when u actually make them they are very simple. Do try them for festivals or just treat yourself.

Thank u Krishna Arjuna for your tasty recipe.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Fish Fry

Marinate boneless fish fillets with turmeric, chillipowder, ginger and garlic paste, little red orange colour, lemon juice and salt for 2hrs.

keep a small non-stick skillet add 1tbsp oil and shallow fry on both sides until cooked. Do frying in batches.

Serve it with lemon on side.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment Food

For dinner I made Egg puff. Yup they are tasty, quick and filling. Tried from "srefoodblog" by Shyamala. Do try them they are awesome.


Thank u Shyamala for your wonderful and tasty recipes.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Vankaya Chikkudu Ginjala Kura/ Eggplant Lilva Curry

Vankaya Chikkudu Ginjala Kura

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 m.no. (Chopped finely)

Eggplant/ Vankaya - 1 no. (large fat Eggplant, diced and keep in warm water)

Chikkudu ginjalu/ Lilva - 1 cup or little less

*Chintakayalu / Raw Tamarind - 5 no. (whole)

Wash them properly. add lots of water in a small pan and boil the Chintakayalu until skin is removed easily and cooked, switch off. Remove Chintakayalu from water and keep the water seperately until needed. Now remove skin of the Chintakayalu and remove seed too by smashing lightly and removing it. Gather the pulp and keep aside.

*Green Chillies - 13 - 15 no.

Smashed in pestle, into smooth.

Oil - 2 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Salt to taste

Seasoning:

Oil - 4 tbsp, Garlic - 1 bulb (remove each flake and smashed lightly), Urad Dal - 2 tsp, Curry leaves - 1 sprig and Red Chillies - 4 no.(slit them in half)

Proceed:

1) Heat a deep flat non-stick pan, add oil heat it up. Add onions and fry until light golden colour.

2) Add chikkudu ginjalu and fry for 1 min.

3) Add eggplant pieces and fry for 3 min.

4) Add 1 cup of water from reserved liquid, mix well. Cover and cook until eggplant are mushy and ginjalu are cooked, stirring in between. Cook until all the water evaporated (you can use more water if it is not cooked).

5) Add salt and turmeric.

6) Add chintakaya paste and green chilli paste and cook for 5 mins. Remove everything in a plate.

7) Do seasoning: in the same dish by heating first, add oil, once heated. Add urad dal and red chillies fry until lightly brown add garlic and curry leaves fry until light golden color.

8) Now add the above paste and mix well to combine. Check for salt and tartness and switchoff.

Serve with Plain white Rice, Ghee and Rasam on side.

Notes:

It will be easier if you keep everything ready before u start cooking.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Rasmalai

Rasmalai

Ingredients:

Full Cream Milk -1 lt (+3tbsp ) + 1 lt
Cardamom - 6 + 3 no. (husk removed and powder each seperately)
Yellow colour - few drops (or one can use saffron too)
Sugar - 3/4th cup sugar + 4 tbsp (divide this in to two parts)

Eggs - 2 no.(beaten till just blended)
Rose essence - 1/4 tsp

Whole milk powder - 100 g
Baking powder - 1 tsp

Pistachios - 1 handful (thinly sliced)

Proceed:

1) Heat 2 large flat non-stick pans simultaneously. Add 1ltr + 3tbsp milk in one non-stick pan and the other with 1ltre milk. Bring milk to boil on medium high both, stirring occasionally. Add cardamom 6no (powdered) in 1ltr + 3tbsp milk container and other with 3no (powdered) in 1litre milk and sugar in both. Stir in both till sugar is dissolved. Add yellow colour in both (to your desired colour consistency). Reduce both heat to medium and boil till milk is thickened slightly, stirring occasionally (about 10 mins) .

2) Mix eggs and essence.

3) In a seperate bowl, mix milk powder and baking powder. add eggs.essence mixture. mix. step 4 must follow immediately in (1 ltr + 3 tbsp milk).

{keep stirring the other milk pan too}

4) Quickly drop batter, 1 tsp at a time, into milk boiling inthe pan. To drop batter: scoop batter with 1tsp and push with the back of another tsp into boiling milk.

{keep stirring the other milk pan too}

5) Gently push dumplings breifly into milk with back of a perforated spoon. Boil for 2mins. remove from heat.

{keep stirring the other milk pan too and cook further 5 mins and switch off. allow it to cool and refrigerate.}

6) Sprinkle pistachios.

7) Allow to cool to room temperature, refrigerate and serve cool.


Notes:

1) Why cooking milk in two different pots, because when rasmalai are refrigerated it seeping away the milk, leaving behind only dumplings. To compensate with that we are cooking milks seperately. You can refrigerate both sepeartely, next day add plain milk to the rasmalai and serve.

2) Instead of rose essence one can use rose water, in that case add 3 tsp in egg mixture and 4 tspns of rose water in 1 litre milk. Do this way and you won't feel eggy smell in them.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Eggless Fruit Cake

Eggless Fruit Cake

Ingredients:

Mixed Fruit - 450 g or 900 g
Butter - 225 g
Water - 1 cup
White Vinegar - 1 tsp
Nutmeg - 1/2 tsp
Mixed Spice - 1/2 tsp

Baking soda - 1/2 tsp
Condensed Milk - 1 tin

Plain Flour - 2 cups

Baking Powder - 1/2 tsp
Vanilla or Almond essence - 1/2 tsp
Salt - a pinch

Proceed:

1) Put mixed fruit, butter, water,vinegar, nutmeg and mixed spice into a saucepan and bring it to boil. Keep stirring time to time.

2) Remove from heat. Now add baking soda and condensed milk. Allow to cool.

3) Now, take 2 cups of flour mix up with the above, add baking powder and essence and pinch of salt. Mix it up.

4) Bake it in preheated oven on 135 d' C for 3 hrs (it gives moisture) or 150 d' C for 1 and 1/2 hrs (it is with out moisture)

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Experiment food and Interiors

Today I made Adai served with Ulli chutney and Sambhar. They are the best combinations. The chutney and sambhar are mine though, but Adai is from "srefoodblog" by Shyamala. I made this several times never fails me. It tastes awesome. Do try them.


Interiors!



This is what I did today.

Thank you Shyamala for your nice and tasty recipe.









© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Radha's Weet-Bix Phulka

Oil - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp
Weet- Bix - 4 no. (powder it with your hand)
Water - 1 rice cup (kettle boiling water)

Mix these in deep big bowl.

Plain flour - 1 rice cup + more to knead

Mix this to above with big spoon and knead it with help of flour to soft plaible dough. Divide dough in to lemon size ball. Smear oil to each dough ball, cover. Roll each ball in to circle with help of flour.

Heat tawa, keep rolled circle dough on Hot tawa cook lightly on both sides first. Turn over again and press gently on all sides, turn and do it again and wrap in tea towel and serve hot.

Serve with any Dal, Chana Curry or Mealmaker Bangala dumpa Kura.












Courtesy:

Radha's weet-bix phulka, why that name because she is the only one I think that discovered weet-bix phulka. But just to remind you if you cook it other than these proportions it will become hard. So do it my way to get soft phulkas.

Thank you andi for your tip.


© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Cauliflower Vepudu/ Fry

Ingredients:

Oil - 2 tbsp
Green chillies - 4 no. (slit lengthwise)
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Onion - 1 no. (chopped finely)
Ginger and garlic paste - 1/2 tsp each

Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt to taste

Cauliflower - 1 no. small head or half large (cut in to small florets like bigger than keema pieces)

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp.
Coriander leaves - handful (chopped)

Proceed:

1) Heat oil in a wide deep non-stick pan, add green chillies and curry leaves, cover and fry.

2) Add onions and fry until golden colour.

3) Add gg paste fry little, add chilli powder, turmeric stir .

4) Add cauliflower florets and salt to taste, mix well. Cover and cook until cauliflower are cooked.

5) Add garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves and cook 5 more mins and switch off and serve.

Serve Cauliflower Vepudu with Phulka or Rice.
source:kantamani

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Phulka

For making Phulka:

*Oil - 1 tbsp
*Salt - 1 tsp

Mix these in a wide deep bowl.

*Water - 1 cup (Kettle boiled water)

Mix these to the above.

*Plain flour - 2 cup

Add flour to the above and mix with big spoon to combine, cool little and mix with your hand until soft plaible dough consistency, use little flour while kneading. Roll it in to big lemon size, smear oil on each dough ball, cover and rest for 30 mins.

Heat a tawa, now roll each ball in to circle with the help of plain flour. keep this on hot tawa and cook lightly on both sides, turn again the second time and press cooked side with a cloth, gently pressing on all sides. Turn it over and do the same. Keep each cooked phulkas inside a towel immediately and wrap or in a roti basket. Serve hot.

Serve with any curry or do it my way, I served with Cauliflower fry and yoghurt on side.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Courgette Pachadi

Courgette Pachadi

Ingredients and Proceed:

Oil - 1 tbsp
Redchillies - 15 - 20 no. (I used full of poppulu small container, mine are not hot though)
Coriander seeds - 4 tsp
Urad dal - 2 tsp

Heat a wok, add oil, once heated add above ingredients and fry until golden color. Cool a bit and powder it in mixie, do not remove from the jar.

Tamarind - 1/2 lemon size (soak these in water and microwave for 1 and 1/2 min, cool and squeeze out the pulp and keep aside.)


Onion (large) - 1/2 no. (diced)
Courgettes - 3 cups (use 250 ml cup, sliced in to half moon shape.)

Heat 3 tbsp oil in the same wok, fry courgettes pieces and add it to grinded jar.

Now add squeezed tamarind pulp, salt to taste and onion to the jar. Grind coarsely, check for salt. Transfer this to serving bowl, finish seasoning and add it on top of the chutney.

Seasoning:

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp 
Red chillies - 4 no (split in half)
Curry leaves 
Oil - 1 tbsp

Heat oil in small khadai, do seasoning in the order given, once finished, add it to above and mix well.


Serve this with Courgette Pappu/ Dal, Ghee, Rice, Poppadums and Yoghurt on side.

Meanings:

Courgettes = Zucchini

Pachadi = Chutney

Note:

Tastes just the way like Ridge gourd chutney or Beera kaya pachadi.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Courgette Pappu/ Dal

Courgette Pappu

Set 1:

Courgettes - 3 no. (cut in to half moon shape, sliced)

Onion - 1/2 no.
Kandi pappu/ Toor dal - 1 rice cup (wash them 3 times in water)
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Water - 2 & 1/2 rice cups


Seasoning:

Oil - 1 and 1/2 tbsp

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Urad dal - 1 tsp

Red chillies - 4 no.,

Garlic - 6 cloves (smashed lightly)

Curry leaves - 1 - 2 sprig.



Proceed:

Pressure cook set 1 ingredients, except salt until soft. I cook it for 8 whistles for my cooker.

Take a deep non-stick kadai add oil heat it up, do seasoning in the above order. After seasoning is finished add cooked dal to it along with salt mix well to combined. Switch off and serve.

Tip:

If it is thick after cooking dal add little more water, do seasoning and add dal mixture, bring to one boil.

Serve with Courgette Pachadi, Ghee, Rice, Poppadums and Yoghurt on side.

Note:

People who haven't tasted Courgette before, this tastes just the way like Ridge gourd (or beerakaya).

They are also known as:

Courgette = Zucchini

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Bread and Omelette

This one is very easy, when you are hungry and no energy to cook.

Ingredients:

Eggs - 2no. (beat them lightly)
Salt as needed
Black pepper as needed
Garam masala powder as needed
Oil - 1tbsp

Bread - 2-3slices
Margarine - smear on both sides of the bread.

Procedure:

Heat oil in a small deep non-stick skillet, pour beaten egg in the middle, cook on medium low. Sprinkle a pinch of salt, pepper and garam masala on top. cook for a while.

Turn it over sprinkle again in the above order, cook for some time. Remove and serve with toasted bread.

In the same skillet, toast bread on both sides and serve.

Serve this with sweet chilli sauce on side. Eat while still hot.

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Perugu Chutney

It is a mixture of Plain yoghurt, finely chopped red onions, finely chopped green chillies, finely chopped coriander leaves, few tbsp of fresh grated coconut and salt to taste. mix every thing well.

It should not be too thin or runny, it should be in medium consistency.

Serve it with any spicy meal.

Meanings:

Perugu = Yoghurt

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu

Aloo Kurma

Aloo Kurma with Kobbari Annam and Perugu Chutney.

Ingredients:

Potatoes - 8 no.m (cook until 1/2 done, remove skin and cut in to big pieces)
Onions - 2 no. (chopped finely)
Yoghurt - 1 big spatula
Water as needed
Oil - 3 tbsp + 1 tbsp each for frying potatoes

Whole masala:

Shahjeera - 1 tsp, bayleaves - 5 no.,(Cardamom, Whole clove, cinnamon stick, Bujju puvvu - 1 no. each)

Dry Powders:

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp
Coriander powder - 2 and 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Kashmiri chilli powder - 1 tsp
Cayenne pepper - 1/4th - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Grind in coffee machine (in to smooth powder):

Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
Fennel seeds/Sompu - 1/2 tsp
Cardamom - 3 no.

Wet grinding (grind in to paste using water):

Fresh/ Frozen Coconut - 3 tbsp
Green chillies - 5 no.
Ginger - 1 inch

Proceed:

1) Heat a small non-stick skillet add 1 tbsp oil and fry potatoes in two batches until golden brown. For the next batch add 1 tbsp again and add remaining potatoes and do the same. Keep aside.

2) Heat a deep non-stick kadai add oil , heat it up. Add whole masala and fry until aroma comes, but do not burn. Add onions and fry until light brown.

3) Add wet paste and grinded powder, fry.

4) Add all the dry powders and fry. remove from heat immediately follow point 5.

5) Add yoghurt and stir rapidly until combine. Transfer this to heat and cook until oil floats little.

6) Add fried potatoes and mix gently.

7) Add water until the potatoes are covered fully, cover with lid. Bring it to boil and simmer, stir in between gently and cook until potatoes are fully cooked, u can add water if the gravy becomes very thick and cook for some more time.

8) Add coriander leaves cook for 2mins and serve.

Serve this with Kobbari Annam and Perugu Chutney or Raita.

Meanings for:

Aloo = Potato

Kobbari Annam = Coconut Rice

Perugu = Yoghurt

© 2006 by Rajani Rayudu