Veggie Soup

Soups can be a heavenly alternative to tasteless foods during dieting..I learnt a simple recipe for veggie soup from my mother..It is super easy and has the benefits of vegetables too...That's what I call a good recipe... :)

That's all the ingredients you need and ofcourse some spices to add more flavour....

Measurements

* 2 big Onions

*1 big tomato

* 1 green chilli slit 

* Carrot - 1

* Beans - 5 to 6 chopped

* Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

* Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

* Cumin powder - 1 tsp

* Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

* Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

* Water - 5 cups

* Salt - to taste

* Oil - as required 

Recipe as follows : 

* Heat oil in a pan, add chilli,onion and tomato..

* After tomato gets cooked add the spices along with ginger garlic paste..

* Add beans and carrot and let them cook well..

*Add 5 cups of water and boil the soup well..

* Garnish with corainder leaves and serve...

Tips

* You can also add veggies like radish,cauliflower,corn,peas,beetroot etc..

* If you want the soup to be more spicy increase the amount of green chillies used or pepper powder..

* This soup can also be eaten alongside rice and noodles..

Sweet poha...

If Indians are made of and mad about something that's definitely : Rice..

There is however a delicacy recipe that I learnt when I was in grade 3...Its made up of flattened rice also known as Poha...

Measurements : 

Flattened rice or poha - 2 cup

Split roasted gram (pottukadalai) - 1/2 cup

Jaggery - to taste

Shredded coconut - 1/2 cup

Recipe as follows :

* Soak flattened rice in water for about 1/2 hour..

* In a pan mix the soaked flattened rice,jaggery,coconut and split roasted gram and mix well..

* Settle it aside for about 5 minutes..

* Enjoy with family and friends !!!!

Note : For a much more sweet adventure, top up the dessert with roasted nuts,dried fruits and honey..

Idli Upma

The most common and celebrated food item for south Indians appears to be : Idli

Idli Upma can be made with merely 2 ingredients or lavishly with more than 10 ingredients..It all depends on how you want to treat your senses that day...

So I shall give the simplest recipe I usually make and also shall brief about how one can add more detailing to the upma..

Recipe as follows :

* For the upma you can either cut the idli into small cubes or you can just break them down with bare hands..Depends entirely upon your taste..

* In a pan,heat oil and add cumin about 1 tsp..

* Add about 1/4th tsp of turmeric powder..

* Toss in the idli crumbles and mix well..

* Serve hot with your favourite chutney...

Complicated recipe :

* In oil instead of jeera you can also use mustard seeds..

* You can add onions and fry until they are transparent..

* Add chopped green chillies,curry leaves.. 

* Veggies like chopped beans,chopped carrot,peas,boiled potato cubes can be added..

* If you require a little more spicy version try adding 1/2tsp of pepper powder..

* If you are a masala lover like most Indians, add 1/2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tsp garam masala..

* If you are a lazy masala lover, then just try adding 1/2 tsp of sambar powder for taste..

* Garnish with corainder leaves and roasted coconut shreds...

Happiee Cooking...!!!

Badam Kheer...

The first ever drink that I learnt to make was : Badam kheer...

It may and maybe be considered as a drink but surely does taste delicious and is simple as hell...

It also has immense health benefits..

Recipe as follows :

* Take 5-6 badams (almonds) and soak them in hot water for about 10 minutes..

* Peel off the almonds and grind them along with 2 tsps of milk in a mixer..

* Heat milk and add the grinded almond paste along with some sugar and saffron and boil the milk..

*Serve the badam kheer topped with sliced almonds cold or hot..

Happiee Cooking !!!!

Simple upma...

Though cooking being one of my favourite pass time activity to do, I have never really liked complex recipes with heavenly complicated measurements of ingredients...What I like the best is to cook from heart and cook something simple..One such recipe would definitely be making an UPMA...

In short its a recipe that brings back the homely atmosphere giving oneself the comfort of good old days and its a recipe that both the beginner and the expert always love and cherish....

So I thought of sharing broken wheat upma recipe...

Recipe as follows :

* In a pan,add oil,mustard seeds,curry leaves and onion..Fry until the onion turns transparent..

* Add required amount of water..The ratio of wheat : onion is 1:2

* Add required amount of salt..

*Mix the ingredients until the water level gets completely reduced and the upma begins to thickens.

* Serve the upma with chutney or sugar as per your wish...

Simple dish that satisfies the heart .....

Happiee Cooking !!!!

Note : I have used roasted broken wheat...

Cabbage Carrot Fry

This is one of my favourite recipes because its so simple and great...And I just love making side dishes and never the main course...So here's the recipe with a few tips on the go :

INGREDIENTS

Cabbage - shredded

Carrot - shredded

Onion - finely chopped

Chilli

Oil

Mustard seeds

Turmeric powder - 1tsp

Pepper - crushed

Curry leaves

Corainder

THE MAKING

• Slit the chilli right in the middle..
• In a pan,add oil,mustard seeds,chilli,curry leaves.
• Add onion and cook till they have the glassy texture.
• Add turmeric powder,crushed pepper and salt.
• Add the cabbage,carrot. Stir on till the veggies have cooked well.
• Add corainder and serve...

TIPS

• Well cooked cabbage would become very soft,and have the glassy appearance.
• You can add red chilli flakes or chilli powder to this but fresh chillies are a better option.
• Crushed pepper gives more taste than pepper powder,so its your choice which one to use.
• You can also make cauliflower fry with this same recipe...

Yummy Indian Cake....

 The world's best food is obviously what our mom makes...Ohh God,let it even be a soup,the aroma of it is so great that there's no match for it in the whole wide world...So how special would be my mom's special cake which is so damn rich and soft and lingers down your throat so smoothly that you keep eating it until someone else snatches the plate from you...So here's the awesome recipe : 

INGREDIENTS

 Milk - 2 cup

Eggs -4

Sugar - 1cup

Badam or Almond - 25

Cashewnut - 25

Coconut -1tbsp

Ghee - 1tsp

Cardamom powder - a pinch

THE MAKING

• Boil the milk very well that its quantity reduces into half the original.
• Grind together almonds,cashewnuts and coconut.
• Beat together eggs and sugar.
• Now mix in the three of the above and add cardamom powder.
• Take a vessel and apply ghee on it.Pour the mixture.
• And now in pressure cooker fill water and place the vessel above and cook it until 4 whistles.
• Serve it either hot or cold..It doesnt matter since its taste is fab...!!!!