Kheema / Minced meet curry

My deeply flavoured kheema is an all time favourite of my family. I have used lamb meat mince to make a nutritious, hearty and iron-rich meal. Unlike other non-veg recipes, be cautious in using oil as the minced meat itself oozes out more oil.

Ingredients:
Minced Meat – ¼ kg
Onion – 2 medium
Tomato – 1 large
Green chilli - 2 cut lengthwiseGinger + Garlic Paste – 1 tsp
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Chilli Powder – ½ tsp
Yoghurt – ½ cup
Garam Masala – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – ½ tsp
Cumin Powder – ¼ tsp
Salt
Oil – 1 tbsp

Method:

Heat a pan with oil. Add the minced meat and fry it until it looses the raw colour.

Remove it and keep it aside.
In the same pan add another 1 tbsp of oil.
Add onion and pinch of salt and fry for a while.

Now add Ginger garlic paste and turmeric.  Fry for another minute.

Now add the semi cooked minced meat. Mix everything.

Add tomatoes, green chilli and yoghurt. Stir and cover the pan.

10 minutes after, add chilli powder, cumin powder, coriander powder and garam masala and cook for another 20 minutes or until the meat is tender.

Kheema curry

Sprinkle some chopped coriander and remove from fire.

Coconut Macaroons

Coconut Macaroons have a wonderfully sweet coconut flavor with a crispy exterior and a soft and chewy. A very simple recipe that can me prepared in just few clicks. 

Coconut Macaroons

Ingredients:
Eggs - 3
Coconut – 3 cups
Sugar – 1 cup
Salt – 1 pinch
Plain Flour – 1/2 cup
Vanilla extract - 1/4 tsp

Method:

Beat eggs until frothy.

Add salt, vanilla or almond extract, sugar and whisk everything.
Add coconut and mix everything.

Scoop small amounts onto baking sheet

Bake them for 14 – 18 minutes in a pre-heated oven at 1500 C.

Tip:
You can top them up with glazed cherries or tutti frutti.

Stuffed Okra

Okra is vegetable that changes its texture depending on the way we cook. It is very tricky to get the crispy / dry texture. The secret is adding the sourness in any form will avoid the stickiness.

Ingredients:

Medium size Okra – 250 gms

Onion – 1

Oil – 1 tbsp

Stuffing masala

For stuffing masala - 

Urad daal – 1 tsp 

Chana daal – 1 tbsp

Red Chilli – 5-6

Cumin – 1 tsp

Coriander seeds – 1 tbsp

Aamchur Powder – ½ tsp

Salt

Roast everything except aamchur  powder and grind into a coarse powder

Now to this add salt, aamchur powder and required amount of water to make it into a thick paste.

Cut the heads and tails of okra and make a slit so that the end bit is still intact.

Stuff each okra with the spicy mix and keep it ready.

Heat a wide bottomed pan with oil.

Now slowly place the okras without over lapping each other.

Allow them to cook under medium flame. Turn in between to get cooked evenly.

When they are half done add the sliced onion and sprinkle some salt.

Continue cooking under medium flame until the okras are well fried.

This can be served as a side dish in the mail meal.

Home Deco

Changing the objects location in my home is never ending. Replacing an object with another can change the mood of the rooms in a subtle manner. I have placed my son's Thabala in front of the fire place and covered it with my bright red pallu which played as a typical background. Money plant next to the Thabala has added grace.

Set Dosa

Dosa may be one of the most common South Indian dishes but it is also one of the most glorious recipe. This is another variety of dosa with spongy texture and smaller in size that the usual dosa and most importantly this is served as set of 3 or 4.

Set Dosa

Ingredients:
Rice flakes – 1 cup
Urad daal – 1 cup
Rice – 4 cups
Salt
Baking soda

Method:

Wash and soak everything for about 6 hours

Grind it into smooth paste and allow it to get fermented

Mix the batter with salt and a pinch of baking soda. The batter should be bit watery than usual.

Heat a pan. Pour 1 ladle of the batter and spread it little bit, so that it will be bit thick and forms about a 5 inch disc. Sprinkle oil deliberately. Cook only on one side. 

You can serve it with any of your favourite chutney.

Kulphi

A healthy and tasty treat for the fussy kids. An ice loaded with lots of nuts. This is a short cut to the lengthy condensing process. I have used condensed milk.

Ingredients:
Milk – 1 litre
Condensed milk - 1 cup
Pistachios - 1 tbsp chopped finely
Almonds - 1 tbsp skinned and chopped finely
Cardamom powder - 1 pinch

Put the milk and chopped nuts into a wide, heavy pan and bring to boil over medium heat by stirring occasionally.
Wait until the cream layers form on top and slowly add condensed milk and saffron strands.

Now lower the heat and cook the milk, stirring constantly for about 5-7 minutes.

Now add a pinch of cardamom powder, stir well and remove from the fire.

Allow it to cool down and pour the mixture into Kulfi moulds.

Freeze until set, about 6 hours.

Enjoy....

Matar Paneer / Green peas with cottage cheese

Green peas and Paneer are cooked together into a delicious gravy. This is one of the most popular curry found in all over the world.

Ingredients:
Paneer – 250 gms
Mattar / Green pea (Boiled)- ½ cup
Onion – 1 large
Tomato – 1 large
Cashews – 5-6
Turmeric – ¼ tsp
Chilli Powder – 1 tsp
Cumin Powder – ½ tsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tsp
Ginger Garlic paste – 1 tsp
Oil
Salt
Cream – ¼ cup
Garam masala Powder - 1/2 tsp
Fresh or dried methi - hand full

Method:

Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of oil

Add cashews, chopped onion, Ginger garlic paste, large pinch of salt and fry for 2 minutes.

Add tomato and cook till they turn mushy.

Allow it to cool down and grind into smooth paste.

Heat another pan with 2 tbsp of oil. Add chopped green chilli. Saute for a minute and pour the onion tomato mixture.

To this add turmeric, garam masala powder, chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and kasthuri methi. Cook for 2 minutes by sautéing continuously.

Add green pea, mix them and pour ½ cup or required amount of water and cook them for 4-5 minutes or until the peas are tender.

Add paneer and cream and cook for 4-5 minutes under reduced flame.

At the end splash some coriander and serve warm.

Delicious matar paneer

Gruha Pravesham / House warming

I would like to share these auspicious moments with you all. This is one of my dreams. Not only mine, I think every one's dream to have a dream home.

Gruha Pravesham / Griha Pravesh ceremony is performed on the day when you start living into your new house. This is a very important occasion for any family. To start living, the entry into the new house on this auspicious day is termed as the Griha Pravesh ritual. 

It is believed that the new acquisition is susceptible to evil forces and jealousy and therefore various 'safeguard' ceremonies must be performed. This ceremony aims to appease the gods and planets so that the owner of the house is blessed with good fortune.

There are lots of rituals as part of this ceremony. On the day of the ceremony, house is cleaned and decorated with a garland of mango leaves, hung across the main doorway as a protective barrier against evil. Poles are erected outside the house around which banana leaves are wound and tied. Both the mango and the banana tree are considered auspicious, since they are symbols of fertility and prosperity.

Art of making beautiful garlands. My sister in law is an expert in making these marvellous maalas.

Final look

Mandhiram decorated for Lord Sathya Naarayana Swami vratham

My co-sister helped in decorating this.

Mala of Chrysanthemum.

Initially my husband and my brother-in-law have consulted the flower decorators to decorate the whole house. After hearing the unimaginable quotation, I have decided to do it by my self. Of course, with the help of my beloved family members. Trust me it has costed me only quarter of the amount which the decorators have quoted.

I only selected two colours of  chrysanthemum. Sewed in a pattern. Came out very well. 

This is one of the effortless work that any one can make the maala with chrysanthemum. One needs to have little bit of creativity,,, and the end result is ...

Chrysanthemum looks so elegant with white back ground

Another auspicious moment... entering into the house with offerings to God

Kalasha pooja

In a Silver or Copper vessel Water is taken and this water is to be Sanctified with mantra balam , to be used in Pooja,The doer of the Pooja after decorating kalasam with Kumkum and Gandham places his hands over the Kalasam and says few mantras.

Here we are invoking or inviting (avaahanam) and think that The Mukha( face ) of kalasam is Vishnuh, 

The neck part is rudra , At the Base is Brahma, in the centre part all matruganaas,in the stomack (inner part) is all Oceans on the Earth and all seven Dweepaas (islands) and the Entire earth (bhoomaata), and all Rug, yajur, saama and adharvana vedas are here in kalasam.

As part of the pooja we invite rivers (aavaahanam) into kalasajalam.

The Mantra is

'' GangeYcha yamunneYchaiva Godaavari Saraswati,

Narmadaa Sindhu Kaaveyri Jaley Asmin Sannidhim Kuru''

All these sacred River waters are now entered in Kalasam. Thus Kalasam is now sarva Devathaa roopam, sarva divya nadhee roopam and sarva vedha roopam.So Sacred.

Another ritual of griha pravesham - Boiling of milk till it over flows.

The family’s deities are enshrined in the Pooja Room and the lady of the house boils milk, till it overflows. The milk is shared between the family members. The Reasoning - The boiling-over of milk signifies that there will always be an (overflow) abundance of happiness, wealth and peace in the building. The sharing of milk signifies that the family should share the good and the bad always.

This ritual is done by my sister-in-law

The holy Homam

Homam is the ritual in which making offerings into a consecrated fire. The consecrated fire forms the focus of devotions

Homam - decorated by my Co-sister

Apart from the rituals we performed as part of the house warming ceremony, it is the family members who have involved in each and every part of the ceremony made our house as HOME.

Thanks to God who gave me such a wonderful family..

Thanks to one and each who made this as a memorable day...

Lastly, thanks to my nephew who captured the memorable events. Thanks Harsha

Raagi malt with butter milk

This is an immensely nutritious drink. We can prepare this as Hot or Cold and Sweet or Savoury varieties.

I prefer to have the hot / Sweet variety during moist days and love to have the cold / butter milk variety during hot summer season.  The sweet variety / porridge can be served as breakfast. 

Ingredients:

Raagi flour - 1 tbsp

Water - 2 cups

Yoghurt - 1 cup beaten into smooth paste

Salt

Cumin powder - 1 pinch (Optional)

Method:

Mix the flour in 1/4 cup of water without any lumps and keep it aside.

Heat a deep pan with water.

When the water reaches the boiling point, reduce the flame and add the flour mixture to water by stirring it constantly.

Continue stirring until the mixture is cooked well and gets consistent. 

Allow it to reach the room temperature and mix it with beaten yoghurt, salt and cumin powder.

Serve it at room temperature or chilled.

Note:

If you would like to drink this, make it bit more watery and if not make it bit thick and have it like porridge.

Drumsticks Curry / Munakkaya pulusu

A curry made from the unripe drumstick pods sauted in tomatos & onions gravy with added peanuts paste and some mild spices. The peanut paste gives the unique flavour to the curry.

Munakkaya pulusu

There are lots of medicinal values in drumsticks.

The tender drumstick pods acts as a preventive against intestinal worms.

Drumsticks other miraculous quality is,-its ability to purify water. They have been used by households for centuries. But it has only recently been tested commercially. Powdered Moringa seeds, when added to murky, bacteria-laden water, act as a coagulant, binding to the bacteria and silt and falling to the bottom of the vessel. The clean water can then be poured out.

The pods made into a soup are prescribed as a diet in sub-acute cases of enlarged liver and spleen, articular pains, tetanus, debility of nerves, paralysis, pustules, patches and leprosy.

Ingredients:

Drumsticks - 2-3 medium - Chopped into two inches pieces

Onion - 2 medium thinly sliced

Tomatoes - 3-4 medium sized

Tamarind pulp extracted from 2 lemons size tamarind.

Peanuts - 1 heaped tbsp , roasted and skinned

Grated dry coconut - 1 tbsp

Garlic pods - 2

Salt

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Curry leaves - handful

Red chilli - 2

Oil - 2 tbsp

Method:

Heat a deep pan with oil. When it is warm enough add red chilli and curry leaves followed by sliced onion.

Add some salt and saute for a moment. Then add chopped tomatoes and saute them for a while until soft.

Add the drumsticks, mix every thing and add 2 cups of water and cover it with lid.

In the mean time blend the peanuts, coconut, garlic, coriander and chilli powder into fine powder. You can even make it into fine paste by adding little bit of water.

Add the peanuts mixture into the curry along with the tamarind pulp and allow it to cook thoroughly until the drumsticks get tender.

Remove from the heat and serve it with plain rice or with Raagi sangati.