Raagi Sevai - My mom's special

This raagi sevai prepared by mom tastes really good and I started preparing it in bangalore and all my room mates enjoy this so much and this item has taken a permanent place in our week days dinner menu.

Ingredients:
Raagi sevai - 1 packet (we usually buy Anil raagi sevai which comes out well)
big onion- 1 finely chopped
green chillies- 4-5 slit (depending on your spice level)
curry leaves - chopped
mustard- 1/2 tsp
urad dhal- 1 spoon
channa dhal- 1 spoon
turmeric - 1/2 tsp
lemon juice- 2-3 spoons
coriander - finely chopped
coconut grated- 1/2 cup
Oil- 3-4spoons
salt to taste.

Method:
Soak the raagi sevai in water for 5 mins (or as per the instructions in the packet). After 5 mins drain the water completely and put this sevai on idli plates and steam it for 8- 10 mins. Remove it from the idli pan and let it cool for few minutes. when it is still warm break it and add grated coconut, lemon juice and salt required for sevai and mix it with hand carefully so that you do not mash the sevai. Now in a pan add oil when it is hot add mustard seeds when it starts to crack add the urad dhal and channa dhal , when they start to brown add the curry leaves and onions and fry until the onions are cooked, add the turmeric powder and just enough salt for onions. Now add the raagi sevai mixture(which has coconut and lemon juice) to this onions and mix well. let it get mixed well and the sevai gets heated and coconut should get lightly roasted. Switch off when the sevai is hot and the yellow color is taken by sevai and finally add coriander.


Note: Serving tips - Add ghee to this hot sevai and have it with pickle it will taste good. Also you can have it with curd and pickle.

Passion fruit and Sun melon and brussel sprouts

  

I picked these when I had been to Puttaparthi, tasted passion fruit for the first time it was awesome, and the Sun melon too very sweet.

Baking obsession

I was so obsessed with baking, that I was baking something or the other every day which involved butter.I was consuming more and more calories and I had put on weight noticeably. So I went on a diet program , stopped baking for few weeks now. But now this baking obsession is back that I am going to bake something today. Looking for something eggless this time

While making Dum Biriyani..........

Biriyani Salna recipe from Viki's kitchen-link posted under my favorite blogs

Fresno Red Chilli Pickle

Before adding Salt

I would use this for sandwiches and Pizzas. Just cut the chillies add salt and close it tightly and keep in room temperature for a day and store it in the fridge.

Mutton Pepperoni Pizza- just before baking

Recipe for 1 small Pizza
Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Pizza base
1 Capsicum- Thinly sliced
1 Big Onion - Thinly Sliced
1 tomato - made into slices
Frezno Red Chillies/Jalapenos - sliced into round pieces
Pizza sauce/Pasta sauce- I have a big bottle of pasta sauce, I use it for any italian dish I make, I used the same sauce here.
Mutton pepperoni - I got frozen mutton pepperoni
Cream Cheese- 2-3 spoons thawed
thawed plain cheese - grated 3-4 spoons
Pizza seasoning - 1 spoon
Red chiili flakes - 1/2 spoon
Pepper 
Salt to taste
Oil Oil - 3-4 spoons.

Method:
   In a pan heat Olive oil and fry separately Onions, tomatoes, capsicum, red chillies with little salt and keep them aside. In the same pan without oil put the mutton peproni pieces and fry until brown. On a tawa toast  the Pizza with very less oil on both side. On the Pizza now apply the pizza sauce (dont add more , it will make the Pizza soggy). Then put the cream cheese(spread it around). Then add the onions, capsicum , tomato , frezno red chillies/Jalapenos,mutton pepperoni pieces, sprinkle the pizza seasoning, red chilli flakes and pepper (optional) and sprinkle the grated cheese and put the pizza into the oven and wait to 5 mins toast it on low heat as it would get burnt. when the cheese on top starts melting take the Pizza out and serve hot.

Note: You can change the topics based on your taste. Like mushrooms, paneer etc

Chicken liver fry

Ingredients:
Chicken Liver - 250 gms - I was going to buy Lamb liver but it was over so ended up buying chicken liver
Onion - 1 big finely chopped.
ginger/garlic paste - 1 spoon
Chilli powder- 1-2 spoon(adjust as per your spice level)
corrainder powder- twice as chilli powder
Garam masala- 1 tsp
pepper powder- 1 spoon
corriander - finely chooped
Curry leaves - 10 
mustard- 1 tsp
Oil - 2 spoons
salt to taste

method:
Was the liver with turmeric powder and salt , so the smell goes off to some extend. Then cut it into small pieces. Add oil in a pan and when it is hot add mustard seeds and when it cracks, add the curry leaves and add the onions and fry , add the ginger garlic paste and fry, Add the liver pieces with chilli powder, corrainder powder, salt, pepper powder and garam masala, the liver pieces would start sticking to the pan...so add water cover and let it cook for 10-15 minutes..the liver pieces turns color when it is cooked. and let the water evoporate till you get a gravy consistency or you can make it even dry, add the corriander leaves and finish it.

Note:
 You can reduce chilli powder and add more pepper powder if you like pepper taste.

From my kitchen

 

Jam Drop biscuits

Indianised Pasta - Recipe from my team mate Manjula

My team mate Manjula used to get this for her lunch box. And when ever she gets it we used to taste it again and again. Its such a delicious pasta that she gets. At one point she started getting 2 boxes , one for us in the team. I got this recipe from her and made it at my place and this is a hit. My room mates simply love this pasta and in our monthly groceries list we always have this pasta packets in list.
I know that there is a name for each shape of the pasta. But I am not specific here.
We can use ribbon, shell or elbow shaped pasta/macroni.

Ingredients:
I use MTR macroni - 1 packet
1 big onion - finely chopped
1 tomato- chopped
1 capsicum- chopped
corriander leaves- chopped
pepper - 1/2 spoon(adjust to taste)
red chilli flakes- 1 tsp (adjust to taste)
salt to taste
pizza seasoning- 1 spn
 Oil- 2 -3 spns.

Method:
Boil the macaroni in a vessel with excess water with a spoon of oil for 10 minutes or less. Check the texture it should be just cooked , boiling it for long will make it mushy. After it is cooked drain the water and add cold water and drain it and do this twice until the heat goes off  and drain all the water and keep it aside. In a pan heat oil and add the chopped onions and fry until they are cooked, add the chilly flakes pepper salt , add the tomatoes and when tomatoes are cooked add the capsicum and cook for a while(do not add water) , when the capsicum is cooked add the pasta and mix it well. Add the pizza seasoning and coriander leaves and when the macaroni takes all the spices and veges taste switch off.

An italian touch to this:
I took a portion of the above prepared pasta and gave an Italian touch to it. heat half a spoon of oil in a pan and add 2-3 spoons of pasta sauce and cream cheese and heat well, when it bubbles add the above cooked pasta and mix it well and switch off the flame. you can add more salt or pepper taste.

Idiyappam-Kadala curry