TummyKhush taking a break...

TummyKhush is taking a break . Embarking on a culinary journey to Kerela. Promise to be back with lots of pics and recipes of course. Wish me luck guys :D

#ALOO METHI KI SABZI

I love the sight of fresh green leafy vegetables sold by road side vendors in Bangalore. Sometimes they are so fresh that you can find the damp earth still stuck to the roots. And they always inspire me to try something new. The most commonly made dish in Andhra Pradesh using greens would be dal (Palak dal , Methi dal etc). So I am constantly on the lookout for new recipes using greens. They are not only healthy but also taste good. My most favorite dishes using greens are palak paneer and palak kofta which remind me very much of mom’s cooking. Today when I had methi in the fridge, I decided to make a simple and quick aloo methi sabzi. So here I am sharing the recipe with you.


This recipe would serve 3-4 people.

Here is what you would require:

Methi greens/ menthi kura - 1 big bunch
Potatoes medium sized - 3 to 4.
Oil- for shallow frying potatoes
Jeera/cumin seeds – 1 tsp
Asafetida /hing – 1 pinch
Turmeric- a pinch
Garlic pods – 5 to 6
Green chillies - 2 to 3 chopped to one inch pieces
Curry leaves – 6 to 8
Dhania powder – ¾ tsp (optional)
Salt- to taste
Chilli powder- ½ tsp or according to taste
Coriander leaves – for garnishing.

Heat oil in a pan. Add the cumin seeds. When they splutter add the hing and stir. When aroma of the hing starts emanating, add slightly crushed garlic pods, green chillies and fry. Now add chopped potatoes to it and fry for sometime till they are slightly cooked.

If you are health conscious like me and prefer to use less oil, here is your way out. Boil the potatoes and keep aside before you start the process of cooking. Peel the potatoes and chop into pieces. Add these pieces after garlic and fry. I find this a healthier alternative. It is tasty too.

Once the potatoes are cooked, add the chopped methi leaves to the potatoes and stir. Be careful while stirring as we do not want to mash the potatoes. The pieces need to stay intact.(You can try the chef style of tossing the contents of the pan in the air too. But please be sure not to throw everything down. Else there would be no curry left to eat. Try at your own risk :P)

Add curry leaves and close the pan with a lid. Allow the curry to cook in its own steam for sometime so that all the aromas get infused. You can add little water if necessary. You can also add the dhania powder and turmeric at this stage.

Once you see that the greens have cooked to your satisfaction, add salt, chilli powder and mix well. Check seasoning.

Just before switching off the stove, add chopped coriander.

This dish tastes best with roti or puri but can be eaten with rice too.

Hubby's b'day special lunch pics

What better way to celebrate hubby's birthday than surprise him with a meal of his favourite dishes at home.. So here are the uploaded pics. Couldnt resist taking pics and uploading them... :P . Please do tell me what you think.

First course: Tomato soup with potato chips

2nd course: Puris with Butter Paneer masala and side of roasted papads

 
 
3rd course :Andhra style tempered curd rice with a side of mixed pickle - THE combination
 
 
 
 

Dessert: Custard

 
 

OGGANI BAJJI-BREAKFAST/SNACK DISH

Every region in India has its unique eating habits and recipes depending on the area, region cultural background and other factors. Whenever I go to visit a new place I try to find out the recipes unique to those places. So when we went to hubby’s friends marriage, I found that they had a very unique breakfast recipe which I hadn’t heard of before. Its made using puffed rice and whats more it is eaten with mirchi bajji. Mirchi bajji… first thing in the morning….I don’t know why they don’t get acidity problems. Jokes apart, I tried making that recipe with hubby dear’s help and it came out pretty well and can be safely eaten as an evening snack (even as a breakfast if you are adventurous enough). This breakfast dish is prepared in rayalaseema area of Andhra Pradesh, which is incidentally also famous for its local bomb manufacturing. That probably explains their preference for eating something as spicy as a bomb first thing in the morning.

Oggani Bajji:

This breakfast dish is called oggani bajji…. Oggani referring to the tempered puffed rice and the bajji… well obviously the mirchi bajji. If you love spicy food, this one is definitely for you. This recipe would serve around 3 people.

You would require:

Puffed rice: 4 cups

For tempering:

Oil: 2-3 tbsp
Onion:1 medium chopped finely
Bengal gram dal/senaga pappu/chana dal : 1 tsp
Urad dal/minappa pappu :1 tsp
Mustard seeds/ avalu : ½ tsp
Cumin seeds/jeera : 1 tsp
Dry red chillies : 3-4
Hing/asafetida : ½ tsp
Green chillies : 4-5 or according to taste
Curry leaves : few.
Garlic pods: 5-6(optional)
Turmeric: ½ tsp.
Lemon-1 medium sized
Salt : to taste.
Chutney powder or curry powder of your choice.

Soak the puffed rice in water in which salt has been added for 15-20 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside.

Heat oil in a vessel. You can use any normal steel vessel for this purpose.

Once the oil heats up, add the Bengal gram dal, urad dal, mustard seeds, jeera and hing. Keep stirring.

Add the garlic pods and stir for a minute. Now add the chopped onions and fry for a minute. Add the green chillies and fry.

Add the curry leaves ,turmeric and juice of half a lemon. Add salt to taste. (You can also add lemon juice after adding the onions. This will make the onions crisper)

Now add the drained puff rice, and keep stirring on low flame for 4-5 minutes to make sure that the puffed rice absorbs all the flavours of the tempering and spices.

Check seasoning and add the coriander leaves just before switching off the stove.

Serve with chutney powder of curry powder of your choice and mirchi bajji.

(Looking for a nice mirchi bajji recipe? Watch out this space for a yummy mirchi bajji recipe :P….Coming soon……)

A TRIBUTE

Today I am moving out of my regular turf of writing food blogs to pay my tributes to the victims of Bhopal Gas disaster that shook whole of India and is considered the worst ever industrial disaster. Today it is 25 years since this tragedy struck Bhopal and it is cynical that the subsequent governments havent done anything to support or rehabilitate the victims. The whole are where the disaster occured is completely polluted with chemical residues and the people living there still have to rely on the polluted ground water having no access to other sources of water supply. The victims and their subsequent generations have been disabled with traces of the toxins still found newly born infants. All this happened the culprits who are responsible for this tragedy are roaming free with no action being taken on them. The groups which are fighting for justice are running from pillar to post trying to get some justice for the victims. Lets hope that the victims get justice at some point and the culprits are punished for their acts of cruelty and inhumanity.

My blog today is dedicated to the victims of this tragedy, to pay homage and respects to those who lost their lives and those who are still struggling to live a normal life after being affected by the disaster.... the consequence of the negligence of a few.

May God be with them and help them recover both physically and psychologically.

(Image courtesy:  http://newsx.com/files/images/Bhopal%20Gas%20Tragedy%20-%201.jpg)

#FLAVOURS OF RURAL INDIA

In our pursuit and love for everything fast… fast food…. fast life and everything else we tend to neglect our very roots, our culture and the way in which our parents lived. The elaborate processes involved in making everything from curries to chutneys and powders using motor and pestle… the aromas that wafted in the house when the grinding took place in motor and pestle or other traditional methods. Todays modernization has probably made life easier and quicker but the taste and flavor is never the same. And being born in India, a country with a rich culture, history and heriatage, I am extremely possessive about everything Indian. And so when I got a chance to attend dear hubby’s friend’s wedding in a small town in Andhra Pradesh (a state in India for those who aren’t aware) I was super excited. And then the friend belongs to a small village. So I didn’t miss the chance of capturing typical village scenes in our camera, courtesy my husband. This blog today is more a reflection of the scents and smells of a typical Indian village which still uses age old methods in everyday life in today’s fast and crazy life. Hope you will enjoy this. Please do leave your comments to let me know what you think of this attempt.

An instrument used in farming

getting ready to cook the afternoon lunch for the guests

Making DAL

Making chutney in the tried and tested traditional methods

Band bajas (orchestra) at the marriage

A village house

Indegenous method to drive away mosquitoes... the villager sets fire to some dry grass to create smoke to drive away flies and mosquitoes from his cattle shed.

Election campaigning on the walll hehe

(meaning vote for mr.mallkarjun reddy, symbol gas stove)

#ANDHRA STYLE BRINJAL CHUTNEY/VANKAYA PACHADI

I have been getting a lot of requests for Andhra style chutneys pickles and sweets. So I thought I’d start off with my all time favourite brinjal chutney. It is spicy and tangy and goes well with rice.

Here is how I make it:

You would require:

Brinjals – ½ kg

To be ground coarsely:

Oil: 2-3 tbsp
Bengal gram dal/senaga pappu/chana dal : 2tsp
Urad dal/minappa pappu :2 tsp
Mustard seeds/ avalu : ½ tsp
Cumin seeds/jeera : 1 ½ tsp
Methi seeds/fenugreek seeds/menthulu :1/4 tsp.
Dry red chillies : 3-4
Hing/asafetida : ¼ tsp
Green chillies : 3-4 or according to taste
Curry leaves : few.
Tamarind : size of a small lemon.
Garlic pods: 3-4(optional)
Turmeric: ½ tsp.
Salt : to taste.

For tempering:

Oil : 1-2 tbsp
Jeera : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1/2 tsp
Hing : ¼ tsp
Curry leaves : few

The making of this chutney can be broken down into three phases for easier understanding and remembering.

Phase 1:

The first step involves chopping the brinjals into small pieces and then frying them in a pan. I have used the round large brinjal for this purpose. I chopped the brinjal into 1” cubes. I then put some oil in a non stick pan, added the brinjal pieces once the oil was warm, covered and then cooked the pieces on low heat stirring occasionally. The idea is to see that the pieces get softened due to the heat inside the pan and the moisture inside from the brinjal pieces.

Once the pieces turn soft and change colour, remove the pieces from the pan and set them aside to cool

Phase 2:

The second phase would be making the coarse chutney powder.

Heat oil in a pan. As the oil turns hot add the chana dal and udad dal. Keep frying till the seeds change colour slightly. Now add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and red chillies. Keep stirring to ensure that nothing burns as it would turn the chuney bitter. Now add the hing and stir. Add the garlic pods, green chillies, curry leaves and turmeric. Mix everything well.

Allow this mixture to cool. Add the tamarind piece and grind it into a coarse paste. Make sure that there are no seeds in the tamarind. Alternately you can make a paste out of the tamarind by soaking it in lukewarm water and use that. (We are making a coarse powder because we would further grind after adding the brinjal pieces.)

To this coarse powder, add the brinjal pieces and salt and grind further. You can add red chilli powder also at this stage for extra heat. It depends on your personal choices and taste.

Remove the ground chutney and keep it aside.

Phase 3:

Prepare some tempering with jeera, mustard seeds hing and curry leaves and pour it over the chutney. Add some chopped coriander for garnishing. Mix well. Serve with rice.

If you want to be a bit more adventurous, you can try it with rotis and pulkas too. :P

#SIMPLE PLANTAIN STIR FRY

SIMPLE PLANTAIN STIR FRY

Plantain also known as “Aratikaya” in telugu is a widely used vegetable in South Indian cooking. It is used in making a variety of dishes ranging from simple fries with basic tempering to curries, gravies and even snacks like bajjis and pakoras. Here is a simple plantain stir fry that goes well with rice

Here’s what you would require to make the plantain stir fry:

Plantains  :2
Turmeric :1/4 tsp.

For the tempering:

Jeera : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : ¼ tsp
Dry red chillies (endu mirchi): 2-3
Asaefotieda/hing/inguva : a pinch
Curry leaves:7-8
Ginger : 1 inch piece grated finely
Green chillies : 3 to 4 or according to taste chopped to 1 inch pieces
Dhania /coriander powder : ½ tsp (optional)
Turmeric : ¼ tsp
Salt : to taste
Lemon - 1

Chopped coriander leaves : for garnish

Chop plantains to 1 inch cubes. Boil the pieces in water with turmeric until the pieces turn soft. (The fork should be able to pierce through the piece)

Drain the water and set aside.

Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the mustard seeds. When they start spluttering add the jeera. When it starts to fry a bit red chillies and stir. Now add the hing and fry till a nice aroma starts coming out. Then add the ginger and green chillies and fry for few more seconds. Now add the dhania powder (optional) and turmeric. Keep stirring. Add the turmeric.

Now add the plantain pieces and salt and stir evenly to coat all the pieces will the tempering.
Cover and cook for about 4-5 minutes on low heat. Check the seasoning.

Just before switching off the stove add lemon juice according to taste and coriander leaves.

Serve hot with rice.

VARIATION:

In the above recipe you can skip the dhania powder and lemon juice. Instead of lemon juice you can add 2-3 tbsp of grated coconut at the end. Just make sure to turn off the gas soon after adding the grated coconut or else it will lose its flavor.

#QUICKIE RAJMAH

QUICKIE RAJMAH

I am a great fan of North Indian dishes. My first ever introduction to north Indian food was the naan and palak paneer combo thanks to my sister who was at that time staying in Rajkot, Gujarat and I have never stopped since then. And it still remains my most fave north Indian food. Sadly, I don’t find good quality north Indian food at many hotels. Sadly they are too spicy and overloaded with oil taking away the actually flvour of the palak and tha paneer. Worst still colour is added in many hotels and you aren’t sure if it is approved food colour or not. So I’d rather cook these dishes at home rather than eat out. Atleast you know what s going into it. The sad thing though with some north Indian dishes is that the process is elaborate and time consuming with so many pastes that have to be made like onion paste ginger garlic paste etc (if you want it to taste fresh i.e. :P. I don’t use packed pastes for ginger garlic n stuff)

The other day I had decided to make Rajmah and jeera rice combo. My husband does really love it :D. and when I was pondering how to make it more quickly and then I decided to make a paste of all the masalas together though I wasn’t really sure how it would taste. Now that I have made it and it didn’t really taste that bad after all… (ahem!!trying to be a bit modest..it did really taste good) I decided to put the recipe into the blog.

This is how I made it: (to serve 2 people approximately)

Rajmah (kidney beans) : 1 cup

Soak the kidney beans overnight in water if you are making it for lunch or soak them for the whole day if you are making it for the dinner.

To be made into a paste:

Onions : 2 medium sized cut into cubes
Chillies : 3-4 or according to taste
Garlic pods : 6-7
Ginger : 1’ piece
Dhania/coriander seeds: 1 tsp
Jeera/cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Turmeric : ½ tsp
Salt : according to taste
Rajmah masala : 2 tbsp (or as mentioned on the packaging)
(chilli powder can also be added for colour and flavor according to requirement if you like the dish hot)
Coriander leaves few.

Other ingredients:

Tomatoes : 2 medium sized
Bay leaf : 1(optional)
Cinnamon stick : 1 inch piece(optional)
Cloves : 2-3(optional)
Pepper : 2-3(optional)

Pressure cook the rajmah and set aside. Do not drain the water. Keep it aside for later use as gravy.
Make a paste of the ingredients to be made into a paste and set aside.
Blanch the tomatoes. This means add the tomatoes to boiling water for a minute and remove them. Now run them under cold water to stop the cooking . this process is called blanching. Now puree/ grind the tomatoes in a mixie and keep it aside.
Heat oil in a kadhai. Add the masala ingredients i.e., bayleaf, cinnamon stick, loves and pepper to the hot oil and let them fry till an aroma emanates.( You can remove the masalas one you are sure that they are fried if you are not too comfortable will the smell of strong masalas at this point or retain them in the oil as per your choice).
Add the ground masala paste to the oil. Keep stirring for a minute. You would find the raw smell of the masala disappearing and the masala leaving oil from the sides.
Add this stage add the tomato puree. Keep stirring until you get a fragnant smell from the masalas.
Add rajmah masala and stir for one more minute
Add the rajmah minus the water at this stage and allow it to fry along with the masalas stirring continuously.
Now add the water and let it cook for some more time. Check seasoning and adjust accordingly.
Just before removing from the stove, add the coriander leaves for decoration.

Rajmah is best served with jeera rice. It can also be had with chapattis or phulkas.

You can also top off the dish with butter for extra taste.

#YUMMY DAL FRY

Cooking for a single person can be a daunting task, specially when hubby dear is out of town and you have to cook for yourself. Most of us tend to skip our lunches/dinners and even worse, snack on some junk stuff. I keep looking for some simple and easy to make recipes so that I don’t have to starve when my husband is away or when I don’t have anything interesting to make. I borrowed this recipe from my sister and believe me it is finger licking good. You would require very basic ingredients for this dal that can be found in any kitchen. A very important point to note though…please do not make this dal if even a single item in the ingredient list is missing from your kitchen :P It would change the taste of the dal completely.



To make this dal you would require:

To boil the dal:

Moong dal : 1 cup or as per requirement
Water : double the amount of dal or 2 cups as in this case
Turmeric : ½ tsp
Salt : 1 tsp

For the tempering:

Garlic cloves : 5-6 pounded slightly but not too much
Jeera : ½ tsp
Green chillies : 3-4 slit in the centre or chopped roughly
Curry leaves : 6-8
Oil : 2-3 tbsp
Coriander or kothimeer: chopped (lots of it :P)


Boil the moong dal along with water, turmeric and salt in a pressure cooker for a little more time than a normal dal would need. The moong dal should become more or less to a soft consistency. After you remove the dal from the cooker beat it with a spoon so that the dal gets soft.

Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds to it. When they start spluttering add garlic, let it fry a bit till you get a nice aroma. Now add the curry leaves let them fry for a bit and add the dal.

Check the seasoning and add salt if required. Also you can add more water to get your required consistency.

Let the dal boil for a minute till all the flavours infuse with each other.

Just before switching off the stove add the coriander leaves and your dal is ready.

You can top off the dal with a teaspoon of ghee for that extra kick.

This dal is fab with pulkas, rotis, rice and even jeera rice :D

VARIATION-BUTTER DAL FRY:

Use butter instead of oil for tempering and also for topping off simple. :D

#CHATPATA SANDWICH PAKODAS

 CHATPATA SANDWICH PAKODAS

My idea of a perfect winter evening???? A nice lip smacking snack with a hot cuppa chai on the terrace with hubby dear…. Ahhh!!!! How yummily romantic… :D

And with drizzling rain outside and dropped temperatures I wanted to make something special… and the result of all the brain storming?? I came up with a unique snack and I am hoping that I am the first one to come with this idea :P … yummy chatpata sandwich pakoda.

I had some left over pudina chutney in the fridge which I made use for this snack.

You would require:

Bread - 4 slices (I used brown bread…..tasty and healthy)

For the batter:

Gram flour - 1 cup
Water - approximate quantity for the
Salt - adjust according to taste
Turmeric - ¼ tsp
Chilli powder - adjust according to taste

For the green chutney:

Pudina/mint - small bunch
Coriander leaves - small bunch
Garlic pods - 4 to 5
Tamarind - small piece
Sugar - ½ tsp
Salt - adjust according to taste
Chillies - 4 to 5.

(The use of chillies would depend on how hot you like your sandwich)

How to make it:

Grind all the ingredients for the green chutney into a fine paste. Try not to add water as the bread might become soggy if the chutney is too runny. Just add enough water to make it a paste.

Take each bread slice cut it into 4 triangles and keep them aside

Mix all the ingredients for the batter. The consistency of the batter should be such that it should coat the bread well. Not too runny…not too thick.

Take one bread triangle and spread the chutney over it. Cover it with another triangle to make a sandwich.

Dip it in the batter and coat well on all sides.

Now fry this in hot oil well on both sides until crisp and fried.

Serve with tomato sauce and chips or French fries

Tips:

I have found that mixing any pakoda batter with cold water gives the pakodas a crispy texture. So you can avoid using baking soda.

Stocking on green chutney in the fridge can be helpful when you are in a hurry. It can be used in making sandwiches, as an accompaniment to snacks and also for making pudina rice.

Variations:

If you are in a hurry or cant make pudina chutney you could probably substitute it with a sauce of your choice.

#JEERA RICE IN A JIFFY

JEERA RICE IN A JIFFY

Having left over rice from the previous night or from the day's luch is a common problem in many house holds. If you are in a fix as to what to do with this rice, the simplest solution would be to make a healthy fried rice. It can be made using vegetables of your choice like carrots and beans or if you are feeling lazy just use onions and peas and you have your peas jeera rice ready in a jiffy. I always store away a pack of frozen peas in my freezer. Comes very handy at such times. Not much chopping necessary. Just open the peas thaw them and you are ready to use them.
This dish is healthy and nutritious and satifies your taste buds. Kids would love it . This recipe is especially useful when you are alone at home and not in a mood to do much of cooking but something simple and easy.

You would require:
Cooked rice  ---- 1 cup (or according to your appetite)
Oil ----    for seasoning
Jeera ---- 3-4 tsp
Green Chillies ---- 2-3 chopped to 1" pieces or according to taste.
The chillies can be deseeded if you dont like the heat of the chillies
Onion ---- 1 medium sliced lengthwise
Garlic ---- 3-4 pods chopped
Ginger ---- 1"piece grated
Carrots ---- 1-2 small chopped finely
Beans ---- a 2-3 chopped finely
Peas ---- 1/4 cup
Pudina leaves ---- few (optional)
Salt ---- as per taste
Chilli powder ---- optional
Turmeric powder ---- a pinch
Pepper powder ---- a pinch (optional)
Coriander leaves---- chopped, for garnishing

We start by cooking some rice. Adding some oil to the rice+water before cooking prevents the rice from sticking and the rice grains stay seperate.
Heat some oil in Kadhai or a deep bottomed pan. Add the jeera.
When it started spluttering, add the green chillies, ginger and garlic and allow them to fry.
When the raw smell of the garlic disappears, add the onions and fry till the onions turn pink colour. Add salt at this stage. This helps in the onions staying crispy and everything cooks properly.
Now turn up the heat of the stove and when the pan hwats up  add the carrots, beans and peas. Turning up the heat will help the vegetables turn crispy and cook faster  sealing the flavours of the vegetables.
The pudina leaves are added at this stage and fried till the leaves wilt and mix properly.
Add the turmeric and chilli powder mix well.
Add the rice (continue maintaining the high heat) and fry properly. Care should be taken not to burn the ingredients. So constantly stir through the process.
Add the pepper powder and coriander leaves. Mix well. Check the seasoning to make sure that the salt is enough.
This can be served with raitha of your choice.

Tips:
If you have dried herbs like oregano at home you can add it along with pepper to give the jeera fried rice a distinctive flavour.
Vegetables like capsicum can also be added according to your taste.
You can add AJINO MOTTO if you prefer.

#COOKING ISNT ROCKET SCIENCE :P

They say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach.... and I do believe this.... And that's how I stumbled upon my passion for cooking... Before marriage... being the pampered child that I was... I never was asked to cook... or take care of any other daily chores. But after marriage I shifted to a different state and a different town with a different language. Being a foody myself and then having a huge foody for a husband, I started looking out for ways to improve my cooking skills and was constantly on the lookout for new recipes. And the internet was a major boon coz this is where I explored new recipes and started trying them out..... and I realised that cooking is not that difficult after all. All you need is the passion for cooking and the right ingredients.... and ... well there is no stopping you. So, even if you are a first timer...or newly married.... there is really no need to worry. Catch hold of some good websites keep following the updates regularly..start experimenting when you have time.... and there is no stopping you.... All the best!!!!

#SPICY SCRAMBLED EGGS

SPICY SCRAMBLED EGGS

Bangalore is famous for its fresh vegetables fruits and leafy vegetables. The sight of the fresh aromatic vibrant greens with the mud from the fields still sticking to roots inspires me to get cooking. :P. The freshest greens would be usually available with the carts on the road sides. I usually prefer to buy my coriander and curry leaves with these guys coz the aroma of these greens definitely adds to the flavour of whatever you are cooking. And I cant do without fresh corinder. You would always find a bunch of coriander in a plastic container in my fridge. I find the best way to preserve coriander for a longer time is by chopping off the roots from the coriander bunch and then storing it away in an air tight container in the fridge...


The most frequently available greens is Pudina and I try to use it as much as possible in my dishes.

I am an Eggitarian and I love anything to do with eggs (except boiled eggss :P) and i keep experimenting with different ingredients to come up with the best possible scrambled eggs which is one of my all time favourites.

I came up with a good way of making a spicy scrambled egg and here is how I made it.

You would require:

Eggs ----- 2
Jeera(Cumin Seeds)--- 1 tsp
Onion ----- 1 medium chopped
Chilli ----- 1 medium cut to 1" sized pieces
You can also finely chop it if you like the heat of the chillies
Garlic ----- 3 pods finely chopped
Pudina leaves ------ few coarsely chopped
Turmeric ------ 1/4 tsp
Chilli powder ------ 1/4 tsp or according to taste
Salt ------ according to taste
Pepper powder ------ a pinch or according to taste
Coriander ------ few leaves finely chopped.
The stems can be used too as stems are supposed to add to the whole flavour
Oil ------ for tempering



Beat the eggs with adding the salt according to taste. I find that adding salt while beating helps in the salt dissolving properly.
Heat some cooking oil in Kadhai or a heavy bottomed pan. When the oil is suffecinetly heated add the Jeera. Allow it to splutter.
Add the garlic green chillies, fry for a minute and then add the onions. When the onions start turning translucent or pink in color add the chopped pudina leaves and fry for another minute.
Now add the turmeric powder chilli powder and fry for a few seconds. Now add the beaten eggs. The eggs should be added on high flame so that the coagulation takes place properly.
Keep stirring on high heat till you get the required consistency of scrambled egg. Just before removing from fire add the coriander and pepper powder. Check seasoning.
If the salt is less, extra seasoning can be added at this stage.

VARIATIONS:

Some people like adding Dhania/Fenugreek powder and Jeera/Cumin powder. This can be added at the stage when turmeric powder is being added
I like using dried herbs like chives and Italian seasoning in my cooking. These would be available at some big supermarkets. They can be added along with pepper powder.
Left over seasoning that are got with pizzas (oregano seasoning) is also a good option.

#HEALTHY SNACKS: PEANUT CHAT

HEALTHY SNACKS: PEANUT CHAT

Bangalore... the city with beautiful weather year round (if you enjoy winters and the rains that is :P), bustling with crowds traffic.. (traffic jams ofcourse)... and yummy street food. And when it is raining everyday like it is now, you would feel like munching something hot and spicy...And if you have a foodie for a husband (like me) you have to rake your brains for healthy tasty nutritious recipes so keep himm happy (and get those gifts you have been drooling over). A part of my blogs would be about such recipes which can be made in a jiffy and enjoyed any time of the day.. with a cup of tea/coffee or that glass of beer.... Ahhhh!...

Lets start with some easy to make chaat recipes..

PEANUT (GROUNDNUT) CHAT :

-----------
Peanuts are a major part of our cuisine and most of the kitchens would have a jar of peanuts avaiable any time of the day. The most important and commonly eaten item being peanut chutney that goes well with dosas, idlis and other South Indian snacks. You would also find road side wallas making chat out of hot steaming peanuts.. Here is my take on this lovely chat.

You would require:

Peanuts (groundnuts) --- 2 cup.
Onion --- 1 medium finely chopped
Green chilli --- 1 medium slit seeds removed and cut into 1" pieces
Chat powder --- as required
Dhania (Coriander) powder--- a pinch or as needed
Jeera (cumin) powder --- a pinch or as needed
Garam Masala ---- a pinch (optional)
Turmeric ---- a pinch or as needed
(For a tastier chat, it would be a better option to use freshly ground Dhania and Jeera powder
Oil --- for tadka or temperning or popu
Grated coconut --- 3 tbsp (optional)
Coriander --- for garnishing
Lemon juice of half a lemon


Boil the peanuts in a pressure cooker with half a teaspoon of salt and a pinch of turmeric. To get the authentic chat taste, I boil it in a vessel with water and salt for about 15-20 minutes. Once the peanuts are boiled properly, drain the water and keep them aside.

In a Kadhai, heat some oil. Add the onions, and fry for a minute, add green chillies and fry further.

When the onions change colour slightly, add the dhania powder, jeera powder,garam masala powder, chat masala, salt and turmeric powder and mix well. Add the peanuts and fry for 2 minutes. Now add the grated coconut and chopped coriander and mix well.

Just before serving add the lemon juice, mix well and serve.

Chat masala can also be added at then end instead of in between the process along with the other masalas.

Garnish with chopped coriander, lemon wedges and serve.

This is a very good accompaniment with evening tea or juices and other beverages. It is a quick fix for kids as an evening snack.

Hope you liked this snack.

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Welcome to the world of a full time house wife who loves cooking, experiments with new recipes, loves being stylish and fashionable and hates serials :P. This is my first attempt at full time blogging and through this I hope to share my recipes, thoughts and knowledge with you. Wish me a happy blogging and ..Oh yes..do send me your suggestions and feedback....