Bottle Gourd Onion Rasam

           Rasam, one of the most comforting food and its most common in all South Indian Homes. I could say that my mom's Rasam is the best and very flavorful Rasam. When i was studying higher secondary i prepared my first Paruppu Rasam and it was liked by all my family members and my Dad really appreciated me :)  I love paruppu rasam a lot and mostly i make paruppu rasam only. Later learned to make Tomato Rasam, Thattai Payir Rasam, Lemon Rasam  and this Onion Rasam. For a change i made this onion rasam with some bottle gourd chunks and to my surprise that was so good and we loved to eat Bottle gourd in this way. I made Tapioca vada and this rasam for lunch. Very yummy combo and it was a tasty and very filling meal. I was in a hurry to serve lunch for my H, so couldn't concentrate on pictures and presentation. Somehow presented and also i am bit scared to click picture of a piping hot rasam, as the hot fumes from the rasam might spoil the camera lens  n its life. Ok Now to the recipe.....

Butter Cashew Biscuits / Cookies - My Guest Post @ Good Food

         Till from my childhood days friends occupy a major part of life. I give more importance to friends n friendship than to any other relationship. I missed many of my dear friends and i didn't know anything about them but at the same time my few intimate friends are still with me and i love to share my happiness and greetings with them on all important occasions. After entering in to this vast blogging world, i happen to get so many friends virtually :) I am so lucky to have such friends in my life and one such blogger dear friend , Sobha who blogs at Good Food. She is really a lovely person and i always amazed at her healthy cooking and egg less calorie less baking.  I am so excited when she asked me to do a guest post for her Chef's Favorite Series. And am so happy she starts the great event with my post as first, Thank You Sobha for this wonderful opportunity and i feel so honored. I shared me and my kids' favourite Butter Cashew Biscuits. I tried this so many times and now this has become my family favourite. These biscuits/cookies taste similar to Good Day Cashew Biscuits and even more fresh and flavourful than the store bought ones. Good day Biscuits and Bourbon biscuits are my favourite ones. I never thought that I could make those lovely cashew biscuits at home.

Red Rice Puttu / Red Rice Flour Puttu

     Today's recipe is simple and healthy puttu using Red rice flour.We love puttu for evening snacks and for the first time i made puttu with Red rice flour. I used Store bough Red rice Flour and that was also good. This puttu was so soft and tasty than the regular rice flour. My kiddos  loved to eat this healthy n yummy snack. Fresh tender coconuts are best for Puttu and i like to add more coconut and less sugar to my puttu. This can be enjoyed as such no need for kadalai curry...healthy much for your tea time...try this...Now to the recipe..

Beets Cauliflower Cutlets

           Hope You guys had a wonderful weekend and wish u a great week ahead. Me too had a great weekend and i recovered from my illness and back to normal :) Have you ever missed your Wallet/Handbags/Mobile while shopping ?? Yep i missed all the three and luckily got it back every time. Yesterday we went to grocery store and while shopping i missed my Handbag and i didn't noticed it till we return to car.Almost 40 minutes over and i don't even remember where i lost it. I was so much tensed and nervous, my H consoled me and asked to check with Help Desk....When i asked that Lady in the counter, she questioned about my bag color etc. At last she gave my Bag and said " You must be very careful while shopping"!! Hooooo...I am so lucky to get my it back for the third time.Thank God !!! Do you have any similar experience?!, would like to hear from you.  Ok now will move to today's recipe.. Beets Cauliflower Cutlets...Few days back i made this crispy and yummy cutlets with beets n cauliflower and this combo turned out so good and we liked it a lot. I got around 10 cutlets, i pan fried for me and remaining were deep fried for H and kids. Both were delicious. The recipe as follows..

Reposting For the Event - Desserts !

         First of all I wish all my Indi-bloggers and readers a very Happy Independence Day. Today wanted to share some sweets on this great day. So re-posting few for the event.  I feel that after coming to WI me and my family are more prone to infections and often we suffer from cold and flu. Last season also we four suffered lot and 4 times went to emergency (for kids) . And again this season also for the past two months every week one or the other got sick. This week again its my turn, from yesterday suffering from severe sore throat and running nose :( Weather is also getting worst day by day. My cupboard is now completely filled with all medicines-antibiotics,tonics,tablets,vicks,Halls etc. Dunno how we are going to manage another 2-3 months. That's the reason for my absence here n on your blogs' too.

Brinjal Black Eye Peas Biryani / Brinjal Biryani

         For a change tried Biryani with Brinjal and Black eye Peas. This was really different and from our usual vegetable/ non veg biryani. Brinjal flavor was lightly dominant and also i added one small potato which enhanced the taste and flavor of biryani. I used to Electric Rice cooker to make this Biryani that was quick and easy method. And also in this way brinjals and potato didn't turn mushy and was firm enough and tender. Try this and let me know h it turns out to U. The recipe as follows...

Spiced Cranberry Poha

     
  When it comes to breakfast I always prefer simple upma either with rava or poha. I would like to eat poha upma with some variations like Broccoli Lemon Poha,Spinach Poha,Tomato poha and so on. This time i made simple poha upma with left over Cranberry Pickle. This was fantastic and refreshing breakfast. No need for any side dishes like chutney/sambar. Poha sauted with Cranberry pickle along with some onions,ginger n cilantro itself was so filling and yummy. The recipe as follows..

The Gourmet Seven - Adventurous Journey Begins Now !

      When I started Blogging, I felt that I was left alone, none to follow, appreciate or no friends. For up to 4 months i was blogging all alone and was yearning for a single word of appreciation for my work and at least a single friend to support and encourage me. Later all my wishes were granted by the Almighty. I got appreciation for my work, awards for my space and ample of friends to support and encourage me. And also i never thought that some of those unknown faces will become close to my heart. I am so excited to see friends who are similar to me in many ways and even some could relate my life to their own. Those virtual friends now became a part of my life. I use to think about them at least once in a day for one or the other reason.
     Intially I begin my recipes with all basic south Indian Sambar,Rasam,Kootu,Poriyal, snacks etc...after sometime started experimenting myself with my known and available ingredients and many times ended with some creative/innovative fruitful recipes. And now dared to try any kind of challenging recipes.Yep, ready for the food venture at extra ordinary level and one such discussion of we like minded people ended up with the birth of "The Gourmet Seven" . We Foodies are dared to try all kind of Magical Gourmet style dishes at home and challenged to make all impossibles to possible one and to present U all the real and Original taste of Five Star Menus.
 

So Who are those Seven Gourmets ready for the Adventure...

Anusha  of  Tomato Blues
Kalyani  of  Sizzling Taste buds
Kaveri  of  Palakkad Chamayal
Radhika   of  Tickling Palates
Vardhini   of   Zesty Palatte
Veena   of  Veg Nation
Sangeetha  -  Spicy Treats

So You can Expect all exotic dishes cooked from a popular/commonly available recipe source and we will share it on every first week of the month. Our first adventure begins On February 2012 with a chocolaty Treat. Get ready for the ride in the Foodies Trail....
Stay Tuned for more........

Gobi Paratha / Cauliflower Stuffed Paratha

               Weekly once i make stuffed parathas, since its easy to feed my kids vegs / dal/ paneer in this way. They love to eat stuffed parathas, that too love Aloo Paratha a lot. Recently made gobi parathas and thought to share with you all. Stuffing gobi and rolling it was a little messy job, since cauliflower had more moisture in it so most of the time i prefer this method only. In this way you can squeeze out all excess moisture and can be made easily and quick stuffed parathas. Now to the recipe...

Baigan Masala Dosa

              Today's recipe is an interesting recipe with a left over dish. I have tried Broccoli Potato Masala Dosa,Cauliflower Masal Dosa,Tomato Masala Dosa,Mushroom masal Dosa and here comes Baigan Masala Dosa with left over Baigan Bharta. This time Eggplant which i bought was too big and i made Baigan Bharta in huge portion. After using it for lunch and dinner and i had some left over. Not willing to eat them again in same way, so wanna tried some masala dosa with Red Chutney. Really it was different and so yummy with Red chutney combo. But on that day my kids were not feeling well, so i couldn't concentrate more on the presentation n picture, Simply i clicked few shots and finished the session. Trust me,Its really worth to give a try. Now to the recipe..

Cranberry Pickle / Cranberry Instant Pickle ~ Tangy N Spicy !!

           We just love all berries a lot. We love to eat those sweet and sour blueberries and cranberries in pickle form. I have already tried instant pickle with Blueberries , kind of tempering with spices. That was also too good and i love to have them with Curd rice. This time the Cranberries were too sour,so wanna tried some quick pickle with it. This Cranberry pickle goes well with rices and rotis also. The recipe is very simple, do try this tangy and spicy Cranberry pickle @ home and enjoy. The recipe as follows,

3 In 1 Biryani ~ Spicy Treats Turns One !!!

          I am Happy to share with you all that My Very lil' space had completed one year of successful blogging. Feeling so proud and excited :) But not feeling well by both physically and mentally to celebrate this great occasion. Yet want to share with you all and also my Heart felt Thanks to everyone for your constant support and encouragement. so far i managed to share 340 posts and got so many friends/fellow bloggers.
Its really so amazing that i was blogging for the past 365 days, my very first post was Vazhaipoo Vadai, i started blogging with full passion , my curiosity was to share my known recipes to all. In the beginning i never bothered about my pictures, only 2 pictures- one far view n close up view that's it.. Dunno anything more than that. Later after getting more friends and walking through their spaces i learnt myself that pictures also play a very important role to attract,admire n appreciate their recipes. Hope at the end of one year i am good at my pictures :)

Thakkali Pattani Thokku / Tomato Peas Curry

         This is another recipe of my Mom, one of my favorite too,love it with hot rice n papad/Potato Fry. Very spicy and tangy curry cooked with peas. Garlic,Mint and whole garam masala gives you lots of flavor. We make this curry with dried peas, I used some left over soaked peas which i used after making Green Peas Cabbage Vada. The peas were sprouted and this curry turned out to be more nutritious and delicious. You can also try this with frozen/fresh peas. Plz Adjust the spice level according to your taste, mine was HOT...HOT...Now to the recipe..

Bottle Gourd Red Chori Kaara Kuzhambu / Sorakkai Kaaramani Kaara Kuzhambu

            Usually i make this kaara Kuzhambu with Brinjal and its one of my Dad's fav kuzhambu. He used to say that my Brinjal Thattaipayir kuzhambu is the best and none can compete with me. Even my mom's preparation is next to mine :) So every time when i prepare this kuzhambu i use to think about my Dad , Miss U all :( Bottle gourd also suits well for this kuzhambu and the best combination is papad/applam. You can also use Brinjal/Drumstick instead of bottle gourd. The recipe as follows,

Punjabi Aloo Jeera / Punjabi Jeera Aloo

 
   From this month Radhika's Very popular Blog Hop Wednesday entering in to the new version with simple rules and to a monthly event. Its really nice to meet more people and to know about their cooking styles and attitudes was interesting and we the blog hoppers really enjoying it. As of this month's schedule I am paired with Riddhima of Culinary Vibes. She was introduced to me thru this event only. She is new to this wonderful blogging world and shaping here blog with her style of yummy recipes. For Blog hop i tried her Punjabi Tadka - Aloo Jeera(dhaba style), as potatoes are our fav i couldn't skip this recipe and also its loaded with full n full of flavor. We loved it a lot, But i used oil, where as the traditional recipe is with ghee/butter. Now to the recipe..

Apple Pear/Asian Pear Dates Milkshake

  I want to make some healthy and simple recipes likes juices, salads and soups for New U event. Few days back I bought Apple pears/Asian Pears from Brennan's Market. I love to eat this fruit as such. Apple pears are crisp like apple and juicy like pears. For a change simply tried milkshake with apple pear and  Dates. I also added 1/4 tsp vanilla essence and honey to make it more yummy and flavorful. It tasted divine even without a scoop of ice cream. If you buy Asian Pears next time, plz do give a try you will love it. Now to the recipe...

Baingan Bharta / Bhaigan Ka Bharta Recipe

     
  Today's recipes is Punjabi Baigan bhartha which means Mashed Brinjal / Baigan means Brinjal and Bhartha means Mashed. The traditional way of this Punjabi recipe includes roasting the eggplant/brinjal in clay oven or directly roast them on fire but i used Microwave. I love this recipe a lot. I came to know about this recipe from Manjula's Kitchen. Later i started experimenting myself. I like to add peas to my baigan bharta it looks and tastes so good. The recipe as follows..

Brinjal Roast With Garlic N Fennel Seeds

       
 Recently 2-3 years back only i started eating Brinjal and now its became my fav veg. During my childhood days i am allergic to Brinjal then i stopped eating them completely. My mom's Brinjal Fry and Ennai Kathirikkai Kuzhambu is my fav and never got that taste when i tried. Garlic and Brinjal combination is really good for feeding mothers. Today's recipe one such recipe which my mom makes specially for my after my delivery. I made this roast with one full pod of garlic if u doesn't like more garlic you can reduce it too 4-5 cloves or to taste. But don't comprise with adding fennel seeds , really fennel seeds gives nice flavor n some unique taste to this Brinjal roast. This roast goes well with Sambar/Curd/Lemon rices. I loved it a lot. The recipe as follows..

Cumin Flavored Peas Rice ~ Lunch Box Special !

            Today's recipe is quick lunch box special recipe. I used the same spice masala which i used for my Aloo Paratha. To make this rice more healthy and tasty i added some finely chopped carrots and green capsicum. The end product was so yummy and flavorful, simple potato chips or papad goes best with this rice. Adjust spices to your taste and for kids serve this rice along with raitha/plain yogurt. I made this recipe for CWS- Peas event but because of my illness and holidays i couldn't able to post it in time. Any way i have some more event to share this recipe :) I think this is one of the best way to use Left Over Rice.Now to this simple and healthy recipe...

Ridge gourd Peas Stir Fry N Awards !!

         For the first time i tried this healthy and new combo, Ridge gourd and peas. I made a simple stir fry like recipe without adding any masala. This goes well with both rice and rotis. Very easy and quick recipe. As i made this in hurry for our lunch i couldn't able to take step wise pictures and also this is a very easy one with 3 steps and hope you can follow it easily. This simple recipe as follows...

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins N Giveaway Winner !!

 Hi all, hope everyone had enjoyed your holiday and celebrated the first day of 2012 with all your friends and Family. We too enjoyed the new year's day with new dresses, special menus and outing. For the past few days I was not able to post any recipe and also didn't check any other post of my blogger buddies. So sorry friends and sure will check each and every one of your recipes ASAP. And also I am bit late to announce my 300th post Giveaway