Vazhapoo / Banana flower / Banana blosom Vada

Vazhapoo Vada*

Vazhapoo/ Banana flower is very good for stomach. Lot of dishes can be made with this flower like vada, poriyal, kootu, usili. Try out this tasty and healthy dish.

Ingredients

serve 3 person

1 small vazhapoo

{clean and cut them into small pieces}

1/2 cup channa dal/BG dal

{soak for 2 hrs and grind into course paste}

3/4 onion, finely chopped

3 green chillies

4 curry leaves

salt, coriander leaves

oil to deep fry

Preparation

Boil 2 cups of water in a bowl. Add 1/8 turmeric powder , flower to it. Cook for 4 mints then strain water and set cooked flower aside.

Now mix onion, chillies, salt, cooked flower , curry leaves, coriander leaves, grounded course paste to it and mix well. Take a small portion and roll into small balls. Make it flat and deep fry them in oil. Repeat the same for the rest of the mix. serve hot.

Mushroom Gravy

I am not a big fan of mushroom dishes but when I tried this thick gravy I found it tasty. This gravy is thick so it goes great when mixed with rice or as a side dish for roti/ chapathi. Taste it then..!

Ingredients

Serve 2 to 3

Mushroom, Wipe with clean towel then cut into 4 quarters measure 3 cups

2 medium onions, finely cut

1 tomatoes , finely cut

1/2 cup pudhina, roughly chopped

1/2 tbs finely chopped ginger

1/2 tbs finely chopped garlic

3/4 tbs Red chilly powder

3/4 spoon coriander powder

1/8 tbs turmeric powder

1/2 cup coriander leaves

Salt

For Seasoning

1/8 tbs mustard

1/8 tbs jeera

1/8 tbs sombu/flannel seeds

curry leaves

olive oil

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add seasoning ingredients , when splutters add onion, pudhina, ginger, garlic to it. Fry well then add tomatoes and all other powder ingredients. Fry till they blend well and oil separates, next add mushrooms ,salt and stir well. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Then taste it, garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Paneer Kothu Chapathi

I found this kothu chapathi/ parata concept in Tv then though of trying it at home adding little touch to it. I've added shredded paneer in the masala, for different flavour it can be substituted with veggies too. Try out then ..! Ingredients
Serve 2 to 3

5 chapathi/roti , Cut them into very small pieces
1/2 cup shredded paneer
2 onion ,finely chopped
3/4 tomatoes , finely chopped
1/2 spoon jeera powder
1/4 spoon chilly powder
2 green chillies, 2 red chillies
1/4 spoon ginger, finely chopped
1/4 spoon garlic, finely chopped
1/2 tbs garam masala
coriander leaves to garnish

For seasoning
1/8 tbs mustard
1/8 tbs jeera
curry leaves
2 tbs Olive oil

Method
Heat oil in the pan. Add seasoning ingredients to it. When it splutters add onion, ginger, garlic to it. Fry well till they turn translucent then add paneer, tomatoes , powder spices , Fry for some time next add chapathi pieces and salt to it. Cover and cook in simmer to blend in the spices with chapathi. Garnish with coriander leavs ,Stir well and serve hot.

Variation:""Veg kothu chapathi"" can be done the same way by adding any vegetable ( cook and add it when onions fry) instead of paneer.Try kothu parata with same recipe using stuffed parata's.

Coriander Rice Served with Raw Plantain Fry

Isn't this looks simple and yummy. An easy way.......got this idea from my friend. Though to try adding little touch to it. Tried it for the first time ......tasted great. The preparation time is almost nil compared to other variety dishes........try it out then !

Coriander Rice Served with Raw Plantain Fry*

Coriander Rice
Ingredients
Serve 2

1 and a half cup sonamasoori rice ( Any rice variety)

To fry
2 cup coriander leaves, washed
1/4 mint, washed
1/4 curry leaves, washed
4 green chilly
1 inch piece ginger
3 , 1 inch piece coconut
1/4 spoon tamarind paste

For Seasoning
1/8 spoon mustard
1 spoon urad dal
1 spoon cashew nuts
1 spoon ground nuts
1/2 spoon channa dal
4 curry leaves
4 spoon finely chopped onions
1/8 spoon jeera

Prep
Wash rice for 3 change of water. Cook separately, spread in a plate and keep it inside the fridge (chiller) for 20 to 30 minutes.
Now heat 1 spoon oil in a pan. Add the ingredients given to fry except tamarind paste. Fry for 3 minutes and grind it in the mixer adding 1/2 cup water and tamarind paste to it.
Now heat 2 and a half spoon oil in a deep bottomed pan. Add seasoning ingredients to it. Fry them well next add the grounded mixture, salt to it. Reduce the flame to Low. Keep stirring for sometime then add rice to it. Mix well until masala and rice incorporates well. Serve hot with any crispy side dish.

Raw Plantain Fry
Ingredients
Serve 2

1 Raw plantain , remove skin, slice into thin pieces
2 spoon basin powder
1 spoon chilly powder
2 curry leaves, chop finely
salt.

Preparation
Take a bowl and add all the ingredients given above. Mix well. Now dribble little water and mix well set aside. Heat a tava and pour enough oil to shallow fry them. Place one by one on the tava and fry till golden brown. Now turn other side and repeat the same. Serve hot.

Diwali Lunch Menu

Here it is .......Very simply but yummy !!!

1. Drumstick Sambar (South Indian's Special)

2. Prawn or Shrimp Fry

3. Pepper Rasam ( South Indian Soup)

* Drumstick Sambar

Ingredients

Serve 4 person

To Boil

Toor Dal -1/2 cup

Tomatoes -3/4 (Roughly chopped)

Turmeric Powder -1/8 spoon

Oil -1/8 spoon

Hing -2 dash

To Fry

Onion -1/2 {Straight Cut}

Drumstick -5 to 6 2 inch pieces

Sambar powder -1 and a half spoon (prefer homemade)

Salt

For Seasoning

Mustard -1/8 spoon

Jeera -1/8 spoon

Fenugreek - 5

Curry leaves -4

Small onion -2 {Finely chopped}

Heat 2 spoon oil in a pan. Add all the ingredients given above. When the mustard splutters switch off the stove and set the pan aside.

Coriander to Garnish

Tamarind Paste -2 Spoon

Preparation: Wash Dal for 3 change of water. Transfer it to pressure cooker. Add all other ingredients given to boil in it. Add 2 cup water and cook for about 2 to 3 whistle. Now drain water from dal. Reserve drained water. Smash dal with mathu or wooden stick used for smashing. Set aside.

Now Heat a spoon oil in a pan. Add onions and fry well then add drumstick and dal water to it. If dal water is not sufficient add little water to it. Leave it to cook for about 4 minutes approx. Now add smashed dal to it. Leave it to boil for 2 more minutes. Next add sambar powder, salt. Reduce the flame to low-medium. After 1 minute add tamarind paste. After 1 minute add seasoning to it. Leave it to boil for few seconds with lid. Garnish with coriander. Sambar is ready to serve with rice , Idli, Dosa , Vada.

*Prawn OR Shrimp Fry

Ingredients

Serve 2

Prawn or Shrimp - 1/2 Cup

{Prefer smaller size for better taste}

Ginger - 1 spoon finely chopped

Garlic -1 and a half spoon finely chopped

{Try not to add gg paste}

Onion -1 finely chopped

Tomatoes - 1 small , finely chopped

Red Chilly Powder -3/4 spoon (Add according to spicy level)

Coriander Powder -3/4 spoon

Turmeric Powder -1/8 spoon

Olive oil, salt to taste

Masala -Cinnamon sticks, cloves

Method

First clean and wash the prawn for 2 to 3 change of water. Set aside.

Now heat a deep bottomed pan. Add 3 to 4 spoon oil to it. Add masala ingredients to it. Next Add onions , finely chopped ginger, garlic and fry till golden brown. Next add tomatoes, powder ingredients to it. Fry till oil separates from it. Now add 1/2 cup water and leave it to boil for 2 minutes. Next add prawn to it. Fry till it forms a thick gravy. Serve hot with any rice dish.

* Rasam

South Indian Soup. Every family have their won tradition of preparing it. The following recipe is my mom's......our favorite.

Ingredients

Serve 4

To Mix

4 Red chilly

2 garlic , smashed

Tamarind Paste -4 Spoon

Tomato -1/2 , Smash it with fingers

3 cup water

little coriander leaves

1/8 spoon turmeric powder

2 dash hing

salt

For Seasoning

1/2 spoon oil

1/8 spoon mustard

1/8 fenugreek seed

1/8 spoon urad dal

4 curry leaves

1 dash hing

Pepper rasam powder (homemade) or any branded powder

Method

Take a bowl and transfer the ingredients given to mix. Smash everything in the bowl with fingers. Taste for salt and spice level. If the salt or spice level is less rasam will taste very bad.

Adjust accordingly. Set aside.

Now heat oil in a pan. Add the seasoning ingredients to it. Now transfer the mixture to the pan. Wait for the first boil. Immediately switch it off and add rasam powder. Cover with lid set aside.

Note:: If rasam boil for long time fresh smell will go off leaving different taste.

It's Diwali Special. So I planned for the following special dishes...! yummy yummy !!!

* Breakfast Special
Chow chow Baath
Wondering what it is. It's Karnataka Special. It's a combination of Kesari Baath and Masal upma. What a great combi isn't it .......Have a look at it then! Kesari Baath
Masal Upma
Masal Vada

**Kesari Baath
Ingredients
Serve 2 person

Rava(Suji) - 1/2 cup
Sugar -1/2 cup {Adjust to taste}
Salt - a pinch
Ghee -1/8 cup
cardamom -1
Food Color -1/12 spoon
Cashews & Dry Grapes -1/8 Cup
Method*
Heat a Pan. Add little ghee and rava to it. Fry well and keep it aside.
Heat a deep bottom pan. Add 1 spoon ghee and fry cashew nut and grapes. Set aside.
Now add 3/4 water , cardamom to the same pan. Leave it to boil. Now add salt, rava to it. Stir well and cover it. After 2 minutes stir well and add sugar, ghee , roasted nuts to it.
Leave the cover for some more time and stir once. Little milk can be added (Optional). Serve hot.

* Masal Upma
Recipe in breakfast section.

* Masal Vada
Ingredients
Serve 3 Person

BG Dal or Bengal Gram or Channa Dal -3/4 Cup
Green Chilly - 3 to 4 Fine chopped
Sombu -1/8 spoon
Curry leaves -4
Coriander leaves
Onion -1/2 Fine chopped
Canola oil to deep fry
Salt
Method*
First Grind dal , sombu into a course paste in a mixer. Adding very little water to it. Transfer the paste to a bowl. Add all other ingredients except oil. Mix and keep aside. Now heat oil in a deep pan. Take a small portion of the above mixture. Roll and make it flat in the palm or in a sheet. Slide slowly into the hot oil. Fry till both the sides become golden brown. Serve hot.

Happy Diwali !!!

Diwali is a major Indian festival that is very significant in Hinduism and Jainism. Known as the "Festival of Lights," it symbolizes the victory of good over evil, and lamps are lit as a sign of celebration and hope for humankind. The lights also represent the time when Rama came back from the forest, and all his village lit lamps to welcome him back home.

Celebrations focus on lights and lamps, particularly traditional dipa or deeya. Fireworks are associated with the festival. Diwali is a colloquial name used in North India, while the festival is formally called Deepavali in South India.

For Hindus it is one of the most important festivals,there are several beliefs regarding the origin of the holiday. The most repeated version is that Hindus celebrate Diwali to mark the time when Lord Rama achieved victory over Ravana. Some also view it as the day Krishna defeated the demon Narakasura or in honor of the day Bali went to rule the nether-world, obeying the order of Vishnu.

On the day of Diwali, many wear new clothes, share sweets and snacks. Some North Indian business communities start their financial year on Diwali and new account books are opened on this day. {Source wikipedia}

We wish u a very Happy & Safe Diwali. Have fun and Enjoy the festival.