Green Peas Curry/Green peas Masala- Restaurant Style

Green peas is a seasonal vegetable and it was available only in winter 10 -12 years back in India but these days it is available around the year in the frozen form.
But nothing can beat the taste and the flavor of fresh peas from the pods and love those cuties in my curries and rice.
I buy the green peas in winter in a bulk and freeze it but today I made this curry from the fresh peas.This is a flavorful curry which is available in Annapurna restaurant to serve it along with naans and parathas.This is my close friend's recipe and now on to the recipe........................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Green Peas	11/2cups
Onion(finely chopped)	1no.
Tomato(finely chopped)	1no.
Green chilly(slit lengthy)	3nos.
Coriander powder/dhania podi	2tsp
Turmeric powder/manjal podi	1/4tsp
Garam masala powder	1/4tsp
Oil	4tbs
Coriander leaves(chopped)	2tbs
Curry leaves(chopped)	2 sprigs
Salt	to taste

To saute and grind

Ingredient	Quantity
Onion(roughly chopped)	2nos.(medium size)
Tomato(roughly chopped)	2nos.
Garlic/poondu(roughly chopped)	4 cloves
Ginger/inji(roughly chopped)	1 inch piece
Coriander leaves(rougly chopped)	1 handful
Mint leaves	one handful
Cashews	2tsp
Cloves/lavangam	6nos.
Cinnamon/pattai	1 inch piece
Green cardamom/ellakai	1no.
Green chilly	3-4nos.

Method

Cook the green peas in the microwave for 5-6 minutes with a pinch of salt and keep it aside.
Heat a tbs oil, add cloves, cinnamon, cardamom, followed by onions and green chillies.When onion turns brown add tomatoes and fry until it turns mushy.Finally add cashews and fry a while then add coriander and mint and fry until it shrinks.Once it is cooled grind into fine paste.

Heat around 4 tbs of oil add onion and fry until it turns golden then add tomato and green chillies and fry for a minute.Add cooked green peas follows turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and fry it.

Then add the ground paste and add 1/2-3/4 cup of water(At this point if you feel oil is less add little more)Allow  it to boil,till the oil separates and become thick.Can garnish it with fresh green chillies and coriander leaves.

Serve it with roti or naan.

Enjoy............................................ 

• This curry needs little more oil to get a nice taste,so do not compromise on the amount of oil.
• Here I  didn't use red chilly powder only the green chillies but if you want you can add 1/2 tsp but the color will be different.
• Cook the green peas in the microwave oven or a open pot.

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Fresh Fruit Salad

Today's recipe is a simple yet colorful salad with fruits which is perfect for summer,I love the fruit salad with custard.But whenever I have a sudden cravings to eat fruit I make this salad mixed with the sweetened yogurt.
There is no specific recipe or ingredient to make this,whatever fruit is available just chop and mix it with the yogurt,top it with some nuts or cornflakes.Now off to the recipe..................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Banana(chopped)	1no.
Apple(chopped)	1/2no.
Strawberry(chopped)	4-5nos.
Sweet Mango?(diced)	1/2cup
Orange/Tangerine	1no.
Yogurt	1/3cuptd>
Sugar	1tbs
Cornflakes/nuts	for topping

Method 

• Take the chopped fruit in a bowl and mix it well,keep it in the refrigerator for 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile whisk the yogurt along with the sugar and set it aside.
• Take a serving bowl put a layer of fruits then add a scoop of yogurt again one more layer.
• Top it with  yogurt and corn flakes and serve it immediately.

Enjoy.........................................................

1. Chop the banana and apple at the time of mixing to prevent the color change.
2. To make it more richer version use whipped cream instead of yogurt.

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Instant Mango Pickle

Today's recipe is an instant version of mango pickle we make it in mango season.As we are not a big fans of pickle my mom doesn't make other varieties,makes this version of pickle and keep it for a week.
Here the mangoes available are not firm and sour enough rarely I make it for parties to accompany with the curd rice.Now off to the recipe..................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Raw Mango(finely chopped)	11/2cups
Chilly powder/milagai podi	11/4tsp
Salt	1tsp
Mustard seeds/kadugu	1/4tsp
Fenugreek seeds/vendayam	1/8tsp
Oil	1tbs

For the tempering

Ingredient	Quantity
Mustard seeds	1/2tsp
Curry leaves	1 sprig
Asafoetida/perungayam	a pinch

Method 

• Dry roast the fenugreek and the mustard seeds and powder it in a mortar and pestle,keep it aside.
• Heat a pan with the oil and splutter the mustard seeds,add the curry leaves and asafoetida.
• Now add the chopped mango and saute it for a minute,then add the chilly powder,salt and mix it well.
• Add the ground powder and put off the flame,mix it well till everything gets blended.
• Serve it with curd rice.

Enjoy.......................................................................

• Instead of red chilly powder,dry roast 5-6 red chillies and powder it.
• This pickle stays good for a week in room temperature and 2 weeks in the refrigerator.

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Strawberry Lemonade

My son loves strawberry and his favorite fruit is strawberry and color is red,so anything with red is his favorite.Mostly in summer days I give him some fresh fruit juice after he comes back from school.
The theme third week of Blogging Marathon #27 is Seasonal recipes and for the day 1 I made this refreshing lemonade.
Strawberry lemonade is a quick and easy to make which tastes divine and it is a perfect thirst quencher for scorching summer.Here is the recipe for colorful thirst quencher.....

 Basic Information

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Strawberry	7-8nos.
Lemon juice	1tbs
Sugar	2tbs
Water	3cups
Ice cubes	as needed

 

Method

• Chop the strawberry and grind it to a smooth paste along with the sugar.
• Pass it through a strainer and collect the juice.
• To this add the lemon juice and water.
• Serve it with ice cubes.

Enjoy......................................................

• The amount of sugar and the lemon juice can be adjusted to personal preference. 
• Use well ripe strawberries to get a deep color and nice taste.

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Zarda -Sweet Saffron Rice - Kashmiri Special / Indian Cooking Challenge -March

For this month of Indian Cooking Challenge- ICC,Srivalli has chosen a traditional sweet rice from Kashmiri Cuisine suggested by Vaishali.
This is a flavorful sweet rice with a mild sweet with the richness of nuts and saffron.The original recipe calls for murabha or tutty fruty.As I ran out of tutty frutty,ddidn't use it but the taste and the flavor was awesome.Here goes the recipe....................

  

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Basmathi rice	2cups
Sugar	1cup
Ghee	3tbs
Almonds/badam	8-10nos.
Pistachios	8-10nos.
Milk	1/4cup
Candied fruits/tutty frutty/murabha	handful
Cinnamon/pattai	2 inch piece
Clove/lavangam	2nos.
Cardamom	2nos.
Yellow food color	2-3 drops
Saffron	4-5 strands

Method

• Soak the basmathi rice in water for 15 minutes,dissolve the sugar in a cup of water and make a sugar syrup,fry the nuts in a tsp of ghee,keep it aside.
• Heat a pan with ghee,add the clove,cinnamon and cardamom.Once it starts smell add the drained rice and fry it for a minute,add a cup of water.Cook it in a medium flame.
• When the water is almost dried add the milk and then food color,cook it covered.Now add the sugar syrup,saffron and half of the fried nuts,cook it till the rice gets cooked and separated.Put off the fire.
• Remove it and garnish with the rest of the nuts and murabha/candied fruits.

Enjoy...........................................................

• Cook the rice in a sow to medium flame to get the rice evenly cooked.
• The amount of sugar given is for a mild seet taste,if you want it make it more sweeter increase the quantity.

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Arisi(Rice) Payasam

Arisi payasam is one such traditional delicacy made for Tamil New Year and Puratassi Saturdays in our households.
This payasam is a delicious one with the richness of coconut milk and the flavor of cardamom and the edible camphor.
The payasam will be slightly the darker in color but jaggery I used is golden so didn't get much of color.Now off to the recipe..............................................

 Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Raw rice/pacharisi	1/4cup
Jaggery(powdered)/vellam/brown sugar	3/4cup
Thick coconut milk	11/4-11/2cups
Coconut(grated)	1tbs
Cashews/mundiri	2tbs
Coconut(finely chopped)	2tsp
Cardamom powder/ellakai	generous pinch
Edible camphor	a mustard size
Ghee/nei	1tsp

Method

• Soak the rice for 30 minutes,drain the water completely and pulse it in a blender coarsely.Dissolve the jaggery in 1/4 cup of water and boil it for couple of minutes or till it dissolves,pass it through a strainer.Fry the cashews and chopped coconut bits in the ghee and keep it aside.
• In a pan boil a cup of water and add the coarsely powdered rice,cook it till its almost done.Now add the jaggery water to the cooked rice,cook it for a boil.
• At this stage add the coconut milk and the grated coconut,let it boil for a minute or two,put off the flame.Finally add the cardamom powder,fried cashews,coconut bits and the edible camphor,mix it well.
• Delicious and creamy arisi payasam is ready.
• Serve it warm.

Enjoy...................................................................................

• The payasam gets thick once it becomes cold so adjust the consistency.
• Don't add the edible camphor more otherwise it will be over powering.
• Add the jaggery syrup after the rice is completely cooked.

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Kandarappam

This is yet another traditional Chettinadu sweet snack prepared for special occasions and poojas.In some Chettinadu houses this sweet is made even for Diwali.Here is the recipe................

Ingredients

Ingredient	Quantity
Raw rice /pacharisi	1/2cup
Idly rice/pulungal arisi	1/2cup
Urad dhal/ulutham paruppu	2tbs
Channa dhal	11/2tsp
Toor dhal/tuvaram paruppu	1tsp
Moong dhal/paasiparuppu	1tsp
Powdered Jaggery/brown sugar/vellam	3/4-1cup
Coconut(grated)	1/2cup
Cardamom/ellakai	3nos.
Salt	1/4tsp
Oil	as needed to fry

Method 

Soak the rice and dhal for 2 hours,then grind it in blender with caradmom to coarse paste.Now add the grated coconut and powdered jaggery to it and grind it for a minute.Transfer the batter to a bowl and adjust the consistency(should be like dosa batter consistency).Add the salt and mix it well.

Now heat a pan with oil in a medium flame,once the oil is hot pour a small ladle of batter to the oil.
Now slowly pour the oil to the appam with the help of the skimmer to raise.

Once the edges become brown turn it to the other side.Cook it for a minute and remove it,drain it on a kitchen towel.

Serve it warm.

Enjoy.....................................................

• Here I used the brown sugar and if you feel the jaggery has impurities make a thich syrup and drain it.Add it to the batter.
• If you want more sweet the amount of jaggery can be increased to 1 cup as I used the brown sugar,added 1 cup.
• Flip the appam once the edges get crisp and brown,after flipping don't cook it for a long time.Remove it in a minute.
• The oil should be in medium flame to get a nice color and even cooking. 
• Use a flat base pan to fry this appam and fry one appam at a time to get a nice shape.

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