COCONUT ALOO FRY

INGREDIENTS:

Potato--------------------------2 large ones(peeled & cubed to medium sized)

Chilli powder------------------1-1/2 tsp

Garlic pods--------------------4 chopped finely

Oil------------------------------5-7 tbp for shallow frying + 1 tsp

Salt----------------------------as required

Lemon juice-------------------1 tbp

Curry leaves------------------few

Roast and grind to fine powder:

Coriander seeds---------------1 tbp

Cumin seeds------------------1 tbp

Poppy Seeds------------------2 tbp

Dessicated Coconut-----------3 tbp

Cloves--------------------------4

Cinnamon stick---------------1"piece

Cardommon------------------3

DIRECTIONS:

1.Microwave cubed potatoes in turmeric and salt water for 6-8 mins on high.

2.Take a wide pan and on medium heat shallow fry the microwaved potato cubes in batches with 3-4 tbp of oil till slightly browned on the sides.

3.Heat 1 tsp of the oil in a kadai and add chopped garlic,curry leaves and then after a minute add the shallow fried potatoes.

4.Fry them for 2-3 mins then add enough salt,chilli powder .Mix,cook uncovered for 3-5 mins or till the potatoes are completely cooked through.

5.Turn off the heat and add the ground powder,lemon juice and mix well till incorporated.

6.Serve with roti or naan.

Sending this to eventLet's go Nuts

AVOCADO DESSERT

Have anybody tasted/tried some good recipes with avocados except for a dip???.....No,not me for sure. I see very few uses of it in cooking.....I always wonder when people buy them in bulk...what would they do with them????...Make dippings or Eat them raw or What??? .
You know what i thought this would be my 2nd post on avocado but guess what??? I made rotis with them too...How could i forget what i've cooked...Ok the coming to my 3rd post this can be reffered to as "Avocado Whip". I loved its taste when real cold.Go ahead give it a shot if you donot detest Avocado's.

INGREDIENTS:

Avocado-------------2 ripe ones

Sugar----------------1/4 cup or less depending on ur taste

Whipping cream-----1/3 cup

Lime juice-----------2-3 tbp

DIRECTIONS:

1.Wash the avocado and scoop out the flesh neatly with a spoon into a mixing bowl.

2.With the back of a spoon slowly mash the flesh into a uniform mixture.

3.Combine the rest of the ingredients and refrigerate for an hour.

4.Serve them with any syrup on the top or as you like.

DONDAKAYA/TINDORA VEPUDU WITH PEANUTS

Before going into the details of this recipe, I would like to thank each and everyone for their wishes and their caring words...That really made me feel good!!! Coming to me though am not much into cooking these days(Don't worry am eating:) ) most of the recipes that you'll come across in the coming days are quite old recipes that i have tried and tasted(some months back).

Dondakaya/Tindora is one such vegetable that people either hate it or just love it. I, for one donot belong to any of these category, but still prepare it once in awhile. This is astir fry version that requires tindoras to be crunchy in texture even after stirring it for over 25-25mins.

INGREDIENTS:

Dondakaya/Tindora/Ivy Gourds-----1/2 lb or 250gms appx of long variety(not the round ones)

Peanuts------------------------------1 tbsp

Fresh curry leaves-------------------10-12

Turmeric powder---------------------1/2 tsp
Dry Red chillies-----------------------2
Mustard seeds------------------------1/2 tsp

Oil------------------------------------2 tbp

Salt-----------------------------------to taste

To be Dry-roasted and ground to a coarse pwd:
Peanuts------------------------------2 tbp
Cumin Seeds-------------------------1 tsp

Coriander seeds----------------------1/2 tbp

Dry red chillis------------------------3-5DIRECTIONS:

1.Heat Oil in a cooking vessel and once hot add the mustard seeds and let them splutter.

2.Add the curry leaves ,stir them. Roast 1 tbp of peanuts till light brown.

3.Adjust the flame to medium-low and add the freshly lengthwise-sliced tindora or frozen ones to the peanuts.

4 .Combine well and keep sauteing on medium-low heat for 3-4 minutes then add turmeric,salt and let it cook covered for approx 15-18 minutes or until the tindora lose moisture and have a wrinkled appearance and turns to a deeper shade.

5 .Keep stirring in between and see that you dont burn or overcook them. When you see that tindoras are done with that nice wrinkled and crunchy texture add the ground coarse pwd and mix well.
6. Let them be cooked for another 3-5 minutes on medium flame.Turn off and serve hot.

BEERAKAYA PAPPU / DAL

I know that its been really like a cat-mouse game for you guys....I disappear and appear all of a sudden with some excuse. But i have been visiting all your blogs for once in awhile but couldnt leave any comments.Thats unexcusable???.. But you know sneaking thr' your blogs and all the previous posts one at a time was like a one-day batting before the final exams for me...Thats a silly comparision!!!..I finally have a news to share with you all....I want you all to guess, why i feel like sleeping for more hours,eating more of pickles,tangy fruits,last but not the least am eating for two .....

This dal is something i came up with almost like a few months back , when i had a small portion of beerakaya/ridge gourd in my fridge. I couldnt make pachadi/chutney as it wouldnt even yield a cup. I was all the way through its cooking was of the opinion that it would be a disaster as I didnt see my mom making this dal till now. But atlast i was happy that this beerakaya pappu didnt end up in the trash. It tasted quite different from the regular dals maybe due to beerakaya flavor.

INGREDIENTS:

Beerakaya/Ridge Gourd--------------1 small one washed,peeled slightly,cut in disc and halved.
Toor Dal------------------------------1/4 cup of standard measuring cup washed,soaked for 30 mins.
Tomato-------------------------------1 small one coarsely chopped
Red Onion----------------------------1 small one thinly sliced
Green chillies-------------------------3-5 depending on their spice level
Garlic---------------------------------3 pods coarsely chopped and crushed
Ginger--------------------------------1-1/2" piece crushed
Coriander powder------------------- 1 tsp
Salt,turmeric-------------------------as required

Tempering:

Oil------------------------------------2 tbp
Mustard,Cumin seeds--------------1 tsp each
Dry red chillies-----------------------3 halved
Curry leaves--------------------------8-10

DIRECTIONS:

1.In a pressure cooker vessel heat oil. Sauté the tempering ingredients until nicely fried.

2.Then add the sliced onions,green chillies,crushed ginger,crushed garlic and fry till onions are done.

3.Add chopped tomatoes,coriander powder,turmeric and cook till the tomatoes are soft.

4.Now add dal, ridge gourd and saute for a minute.Add 1/2-3/4 cup of water ,some salt and pressure cook for 2-3 whistles.

5.Turn off and let till the pressure goes off. Open the lid ,garnish with chopped coriander leaves,taste it and adjust the spices as per the taste.