I am great fan of chinese cuisine(VEG though). But I like only in authentic chinese restaurants. At times I will try out something at home. Both me and my husband work in the same office. Everyday before leaving home, I will be bugging him to decide the menu for the dinner. But yesterday I was too lazy to prepare anything for dinner. So I decided my comfortable menu, which is quite a strange combo. I had some idlies prepared for breakfast and a noodles packet. So I made idly upma and then this noodles. These are the ones which you can finish it off within 10 mins and vacate the kitchen soon. Thinking that I will go to bed soon, I went home and prepared the same dinner. But my bad luck, my son was playing for a long time and I had to accompany him. So all my plan went flop :(

Ok coming to the recipe...

Ingredients:

Hakka Noodles Packet - 1

Cut Vegetables - 1 cup (I used capsicum, carrot, beans)

Onion - 1 big

Green Chillies - 2 split

Ching's Manchurian sauce - 1 tbsp

Salt - little

Method

Cut the vegetables and onion. 

Cook the noodles and wash it in cold water. Keep it aside. 

In a kadai, heat a tsp of oil and add the onions and vegetables. 

Saute well, till they becomes soft. 

Add the Chings manchurian sauce and salt. Add the noodles and mix well. Close with a lid for a min and serve hot. 

Both Idly upma and this noodle can be done within 15 mins so am sending this to the 15 minutes cooking event conducted by Mahimaa. 

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Curry leaves is the one which turns an ordinary dish into an aromatic dish. This helps a lot in digestion and many diseases related to food can be cured with the help of this small herb. Almost all of the Indian dishes use it while seasoning. We can also consume it with buttermilk, by crushing it into the buttermilk. Especially for women, it helps a lot in hair growth. 

This time my mom got a lot of fresh curry leaves from the garden. It was so fresh and hence i didn't want to waste by storing it for a long time in the fridge. Hence the thought of preparing karuveppilai thuvaiyal flashed my mind. 

Ingredients:

Curry Leaves - 1 cup

Red Chillies - 2

Green Chillies - 2

Urad Dhal - 1 tbsp

Tamarind - gooseberry sized

Coconut - 2 tbsp

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Method:

In a kadai, heat 1 tsp of oil. Add the urad dhal and roast it till it turns golden brown.

Add the ginger and tamarind and saute well. Then add the chillies and saute for a min. 

Add the curry leaves and saute well. 

In a mixer add all the roasted ingredients, salt and coconut. Grind it to a smooth paste. 

This curry leaves will increase the body temperature. So if you want you can replace the tamarind with lemon juice. 

Serve this chutney with hot rice and a some ghee, if you are feeding your kids. It also goes well with idly/dosa. 

I am sending this to SWC - Cooking with Greens event hosted by Sowmya

What are you going to gift your mother earth, on this earth day? She's nurtured us. She's given it her all and now its time for us to do something in return. Today's caption everywhere will be "Go Greener", but I say "Go Greener with Organic Fertilizers". Nowadays the synthetic fertilizers are spoiling the earth soil, with their poisonous chemicals. These organic fertilizers in turn helps the soil to retain more nutrients and moisture, as they are made of natural products such as seashells, canola oil, seabird guano, worm castings etc. Safer Brand gives you a wide variety of Garden care, natural lawn care and Pest control products. They are the world leaders in the organic insect control, organic plant disease control and organic gardening categories! All of their products are OMRI listed. 

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For all these years, people have kept on inventing new dishes out of all possible veggies. This dish is one such kind and I have wondered so many times, who would have invented this and how come they could have got such a thought ;) Coming to the recipe, its a delicious vada you can have. It goes well with Mor Kulambu and also with sambar. If you have patience(to sort the veggie), you deserve a great treat.

Ingredients:

Vazhaipoo(Plaintain Flower) - 1 sorted

Bengal Gram Dhal - 2 cups 

Red Chillies - 6

Raw Rice - 1 tbsp

Green Chillies - 2

Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel Seeds - 2 tsp

Garlic - 4 pods

Ginger - 1/2 inch piece

Aesfoetida - 1/4 tsp

Salt

Onion - 1 

Green Chillies - 2 minced finely

Curry Leaves and Coriander Leaves - minced finely

Method

Soak the dhal and rice seperately for an hour. 

Sort out the plaintain flower, wash it and cut it roughly to grind. 

In a mixer, add the rice, chillies, cumin seeds, fennel seeds garlic and ginger. Girnd it to a smooth paste by adding little water. 

Then add the flower and grind it coarsely. Finally add the dhal and grind it coarsely(as you do for masal vada)

Add the minced onion, chillies, leaves and salt. Mix well. 

In a kadai, heat required oil for frying. 

Take a small ball of batter, flatten it and fry it in oil. 

This vada wont be too crispy as masal vada. It will be soft only and crispier outside alone. 

Serve hot with rice and curry. Or if you are serving as a evening snack, serve it with pudhina chutney. 

It’s not an easy job to be your own general contractor. You have to check whether the materials are arriving on time, the subordinates are coming on time and finishing off their work on time, check the perfection of the work being done and so many. Damn sure, at one point of time, you will be fed up and drop the whole plan. When it comes for building our own, it’s better to get the experienced professionals to work for us. Anyway it’s going to be our dream project and let’s get it with utmost perfection. If we seek help from San Francisco General Contractors, we can get a flawless work and we can stay hassle free. They provide the best bid not only in terms of money but also with quality. They take care of all the things such as getting building permits, delivery of supplies, subordinates work etc. When you think for hiring any general contractor we have to be sure of many things. The contractors should be licensed, reliable and satisfy customer needs. They should have a good reputation of handling many clients before.  San Francisco General Contractors are very well reputed and they have experienced professionals bonded with them.  Utilize them and get your dream home built perfect. 

First of all Happy Tamil Year to All. Its been celebrated auspiciously across tamilnadu. Any start of a new year, may it be Jan 1st or Apr 14 or my Bday, I love them all. I feel afresh all these days and energize me with new hopes. I wish everything would go well throughout the year. As far as today, we had a festive brunch(No holiday here :(). Had many discussions and finalized with the menu as Drumstick Sambar, Yam Fry, Sweet Pongal, Urad Dhal Vada and Appalam. As I was running behind my kid to feed him and rushing to office, I couldn't manage to get a snap of my festive food. So I got a snap from my MIL's menu in Chennai through mail.

She prepared Sambar, Aviyal, Vada and Moong dhal Payasam. I just wanted to share how we offer for pooja. The Festive food is served on a banana Leaf . Hope you too enjoyed your New Year. 

Greens are very cheap and you can make much varieties out of it like kootu, poriyal, thuvattal, kadaiyal, keerai vadai and so many. The cooking time is very less. Only time consuming process is to sort out the keerai and cleaning it. If somebody does it for me, I will prepare keerai even everyday ;) 

Ingredients for keerai kootu

Arai Keerai - 2 cups (washed, cleaned and chopped finely)

Pearl Onion - 10 minced

Green Chillies - 3 split

Tomato - 1 minced

Green Gram Dhal (Paasiparuppu) - 1/2 cup

For Seasoning

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Split Urad Dhal - 1/2 tsp

cumin seeds  - 1 tsp

Red Chillies - 3

Aesfoetida- 1 pinch

Method:

For this recipe the dhal should be less and the keerai should be more. Its good on both the health and taste front. 

In kadai, cook the dhal (don't pressure cook it). Once it is half cooked add all the ingredients to it and close it with a lid. Let it cook for some time. 

That's all season the kootu with the seasoning items. 

Serve hot with rice and potato fry. 

This is my kid's favourite during lunch time and hence I am sending this for Monthly Mingle -Kids Lunches hosted by Srivalli and originated by Meeta. I truly had a lovely lunch. 

Again am sending this to FIC Red+Green hosted by Neha(don't know whether it fits her tricky guidelines ;)) originated by Sunshinemom

Also when I am alone at home, I will prepare this for me and not much of cooking involved, hence sending this to  Single Serving Recipes hosted by Spicyrasam

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This is one of the delicious and hot side dish that can accompany any rice item. In this summer, it would be perfect to have curd rice with mor milagai. Here I am going to explain the procedure for preparing it. 

Ingredients:

Green Chillies - 1 kg

Thick Curd - 1 1/2 litres

Fenugreek seeds - 50 gms

Salt - adjustable

Method:

Get the chillies and wash it properly. Slightly cut in the middle and not fully. This will let the chillies absorb the curd. 

Add salt to this chillies and keep it aside for the whole day. 

For this mor milagai preparation, my mom used prepare the curd at home and wont use the store bought one. Because she will get the thick curd with much cream/butter in it, which will reduce the heat of the chillies. 

Whip the curd and get a thick buttermilk (along with the butter).

The same day night add the curd to the chillies mixed with salt.

Close the vessel with a lid for three days by mixing it inbetween at regular intervals like 6 hrs. 

After that sun dry it during the day time on a plastic sheet. And in the night time put it in the same vessel having the buttermilk. This time the chillies will absorb more buttermilk. 

This has to be done until the chillies absorb the entire buttermilk. Then for a week we have to sun dry it. It again depends on the temparature level of your city. 

Store in a container for an year. 

How to consume it?

In a kadai add 2 tbsp of oil and fry this mor milagai. Serve it with sambar/curd rice. 

My grandma still used to fry this with castor oil, inorder to reduce the heat of the chilleis we consume. 

I am republishing it for the Festive Food: Summer Treat event counducted by Priti

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Ingredients

Chicken Boneless - 1/2 kg

Onion (Big) - 2

Tomato - 2

Chilly Powder - 1/2 tbsp

Corainder Powder - 2 tbsp

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Cinnamon - 2 pieces

Clove - 2

Method:

Clean the chicken well. Mince the onion and tomato. 

In a kadai, add 2 tbsp of oil and add the cinnamon and clove. 

Then add the onion and saute till it becomes translucent. 

Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. 

Add the tomato and saute for a while. Add the chicken pieces and keep sauting for 10 mins. It will be half cooked. Add the chilly powder, coriander powder and salt. 

Add 1 cup of water, mix well and close with a lid. Allow it cook for 10 more mins. 

Once it is cooked well and reaches the required consistency switch off. Garnish it with coriander and puchina leaves. 

If you want it little gravy, you can also add coconut+khuskhus paste to it at the end. 

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This is a typical south Indian favourite. this is very common in Brahmin's families. I don't know whether I am preparing it exactly the same way as they do. But mine will also be tasty...so without any hesitation you can give it a try.  Sundaikkai - turkey berry. I think you can get this ready made vathal from all Indian grocery stores. 

Ingredients:

Sundaikkai Vathal - 1 handful

Tamarind - lemon sized

Kulambu Milagai Thool - 3 tbsp

Pearl Onion - 20

Garlic - 10 pods (slightly crushed)

Seasoning

I use vadagam for seasoning. Otherwise we can use the regular mustard urad dhal combo and curry leaves. 

Method:

Soak the tamarind in water and get the extract out of it. 

In a kadai add 3 tbsp of gingelly oil. Once heated, fry the vathal and keep it aside. 

In the same oil add the seasoning items. Once it starts spluttering, add the minced onion and garlic. 

Saute well till the raw smell goes off. Then add the milagai thool, saute carefully for a min. don't burn it. 

Then add the tamarind extract, salt and mix well. Close with a lid and allow it to boil. 

Once the it reaches the required consistency, add the fried vathal and switch off the stove. 

Serve with hot rice and roasted pappad(Sutta Appalam). 

My MIL will crush the fried vathal and add it to the kulambu as my husband and BIL's will fish it off while eating. It will be slightly bitter in taste, but i like that way too. You can try both the ways. 

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This is a sweet tangy combo side dish. This is healthy at the same time as we are using jaggery for that. This will serve as a good side dish with sambar rice.

Ingredients:

Raw Mango - 1

Jaggery - 1 cup (Depends on how sweet you want)

Green Chillies - 2

Red Chillies - 4

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal - 1/2 Tsp

Curry Leaves

Method:

Remove the skin of the mango using a peeler. Make rough pieces of mango. I use peeler only for that.

In a kadai, add 1 tsp of oil and add the seasoning items.

Add the cut chillies and saute for a minute.

Add this mango pieces and saute for some time.

Add 1/2 cup of water, 1/2 tsp of salt and close with a lid.

Once the mango is cooked well add the crushed jaggery and mix well.

Cook it for five more minutes till the jaggery is completely melted down and mixed well with the mango.

Switch off the stove and serve hot with sambar rice.

I am reposting it for the Mango Mela conducted by Srivalli.

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I prepared this for the first time and it really came out well. And am happy as my kid liked it so much. I prepared this along with baby aloo kurma. 

Ingredients:

Jeera Rice - 2 cups

Coconut Milk - 4 cups

Ghee - 2 tbsp

Cinnamon - 2 sticks

Cardomam - 2 

Clove - 2 

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Onion - 1 sliced

Bay Leaf - 1

Pudhina Leaves - 1 handful

Method:

Extract a thick coconut milk fresh. Wash the jeera rice and drain the excess water. 

In a kadai, add 2 tbsp of ghee and add the bay leaf, cinnamon, clove and cardamom. Then add the onion and saute till it becomes translucent. 

Then add the ginger garlic paste and saute till the raw smell goes off. 

Add the rice and the coconut milk. I used microwave cooker for cooking. Microwave it till it gets cooekd well. Add the pudhina leaves at the end before serving. 

Serve hot with veg or non veg kurma. 

I am sending this to Flavoured Rice event which is an extension of COT-Powders Event hosted by Kadumanga

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Here is my next recipe for the tomato season. My mom prepared this and my only work was to shoot and eat. This one can be a side dish for rice or chappathi, serve as spicy jam for bread toasts or chutney for dosas. Too much na! You can preserve it for at least 15 days with refrigeration. Here goes the recipe. 

Ingredients:

Tomato - 1 Kg

Red Chillies - 30 - 40

Tamarind - Lemon sized

Lemon - 2

For Seasoning:

Gingelly Oil - 1/2 cup

Mustard and Urad Dhal

Curry Leaves

Aesfoetida 

Method:

Cut the tomatoes and sun dry it for a day. Also sun dry the chillies. 

In a mixer grind the red chillies first without adding water. Then add the tomatoes and tamarind and grind it to a coarse paste. 

In a kadai, add the gingelly oil and the items for seasoning. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add the ground paste and keep on stirring. 

Take care that it is not stuck to the kadai. Likewise keep stirring till the raw smell goes off. 

Switch off and store it a container for about 15days. 

I am sending this to SWC-Meals on Wheels conducted by Lakshmi

I still remember the golden days of my pregnancy. I was so novice and I didn’t know anything related to pregnancy. Also I am so shy to discuss all my doubts and fears to my gynecologist. Moreover you will be getting bundles of advices during this time. Some of them will be realistic and some may be so weird. You will be confused on which one to go for. In those cases we can better seek the help from experts through web. http://pregnancy.healthguru.com/ is one such website which you can refer for any queries related to pregnancy. The have information on when you can get conceived, how to get rid of the morning sickness, how to sleep during pregnancy and so on. This information will really help you to get rid of the unwanted fear you will have during your pregnancy. Most of the Moms-to-be will be worried of whether they will have normal or caesarian delivery. They have excellent videos which portrays different types of delivery so that you can plan for that. One should eat a healthy diet during pregnancy and you can refer the pregnancy diet from this site. It’s a complete 10 month preparation to get a healthy child. I felt this website is a one stop guide for all your queries related to pregnancy.  Make use of this and enjoy your pregnancy. 

I always love to have rasam with paruppu thuvaiyal. Thats more than enough for my simple lunch. Its good for health and also can be prepared in minutes. None of grand feasts will be complete without this rasam. Here am just sharing my way of preparing it. 

Ingredients:

Tamarind - Gooseberry Sized

Tomato - 1 

Garlic- 2 pods

To Grind: 

Pepper Corns -  1 tsp

Comins Seeds - 1 tsp

Red Chillies - 2

To Season:

Oil - 1 tsp

Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp

Urad dhal Split - 1/2 tsp

Aesfoetida - 1 pinch

Red Chllies - 4 broken (I usually prefer more spicy. If you want you can reduce the numbers)

Curry Leaves and Coriander Leaves

Method:

When you pressure cook the toor dhal for sambar, add 2 pods of garlic and the tomato to it and 1 cup of extra water. Fish them along with the extra water before mashing the dhal for sambar. 

Soak the tamarind in water for sometime and strain it and get the juice. Squeeze the cooked tomato also in this water. 

Crush the things mentioned to grind in a mixer and add it to this water. Don't grind too much. 

Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well. 

In a kadai, add 1 tsp of oil and add the seasoning items. Pour this rasam and Switch off the stove before it boils or once it starts boiling. 

Pour this rasam into a bowl containing curry leaves, corriander leaves, 1 tsp of cooked toor dhal and cooked garlic. 

Serve hot as a soup or along with rice.