French Beans Thoran - A simple recipe for a tasty side dish

Ingredients:-

1 ½ cup- French Beans finely chopped

1-2 Green Chillies

4 tbsp - Fresh Coconut- Grated

1-2 pinch- Turmeric

½ tsp - Mustard Seeds

¼ tsp- Urad dal

6-7 Curry Leaves

Salt as per taste

Oil- for cooking

Preparation:-

• Grind grated coconut, green chillies and couple of curry leaves without adding water.
• Heat oil in the pan, add mustard seeds to splutter, add urad dal and curry leaves. Saute for a second till urad dal turns slight golden.
• Add the finely chopped french beans, followed by turmeric powder, salt. Sprinkle little water and mix well in a medium flame. Cover the pan and let it simmer on low flame.
• Keep stirring once in a while to ensure the vegetable is not sticking to the bottom and there is enough moisture for the beans to cook.
• Once beans is almost done, add the grounded coconut- chilli paste and mix well.  Cover the pan for another mintue and remove it from flame.

Note:- Tradition preparation also includes to add a dash of coconut oil before removing the thoran from flame.

The same preparation can be used for Cabbage Thoran, Carrot Thoran, Cluster Beans(Gavar) Thoran, or mix vegetable.

Recipe and Image Contributed by :- Sangeeta Iyer

Inji Puli - A Sweet, Sour, Pungent Tamarind- Ginger chutney

Ingredients:-

1 small lemon size -Tamarind (preferably black tamarind)

2-3 tbsp- Ginger - Finely Chopped

1tbsp- Green Chillies- Finely chopped

1 tbsp - Jaggery

1 tsp- Mustard Seeds

5-6 - Curry Leaves

¼ tsp - Fenugreek seeds

¼ tsp- Turmeric Powder

½ tsp - Red Chilli Powder (or as per desired)

Salt as per taste

½ tbsp- Oil

Preparation:-

• Soak the tamarind in 1 cup water and keep it aside for 15-20 mins. Squeeze the tamarind juice from soft pulp.

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, when it splutters add fenugreek seeds and curry leaves.

• Add finely chopped ginger and green chillies, and fry it till it turns golden brown. Ensure curry leaves don’t turn black. Add the Tamarind juice, jaggery, turmeric powder red chilli powder and salt.

• Let it boil, add little water and let the mixture simmer to a thick consistency. Stir in occasionally to avoid any lump or sticking to the bottom of the pan.

Recipe and Image Contributed by Sangeeta Iyer

Sprouts Pulao - a healthy sprouts recipe

Ingredients:

½ cup Matki sprouts

½ cup Moong Boiled

2 cup brown rice or white rice Cooked

1 tsp oil

1 tsp cumin seeds

½  cup Onions finely Chopped

1 tsp  Garlic & Ginger finely Chopped

¼ tsp  of Turmeric

½ tsp  chilli powder

¼  cup Tomatoes  finely Chopped

3 tsp Capsicum  finely Chopped

1 tsp Pavbhaji masala

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. Heat oil in a non-stickpan & add Cumin seeds, when the seeds crackle, add the Onions & sauté in medium flame for 2min. Add Garlic,Ginger, Turmeric powder,Chilli powder, Tomatoes, saute for a while & little water. Cook on medium flame for 2 to 3 mins, add the capsicum, a little more water & cook on medium flame,.
2. Add Pavbhaji masala, Salt, Matki sprouts & the boiled moong mix well and cook for 2 to 3 mins, while stirring continuously.
3. Add the boiled rice, mix well & cook on medium flame for 2 to 3 min. 
4. Enjoy with curd & mango pickle

Recipe and Image Courtesy:- Anita Nair

Mini Samosa recipe for a evening snack

Ingredients:

For Dough

1 cup  Wheat flour  

½ cup  All purpose flour/ Maida 

1 tsp Oil

Salt to taste

For Stuffing

4 big Potatoes,  boiled and mashed

1/2 cup Fresh Peas 

1 medium Onions, finely chopped

2-3 Green Chilies, finely chopped

1/2 cup Milk   

1 tsp Cumin Seeds 

1/2 tsp Red chili powder  

1/2 tsp Garam Masala  

1/2 tsp Roasted Cumin powder 

1 tsp Oil  

Salt to taste

Preparation:

1. In a bowl, mix both the flours well. Add water slowly and oil to knead into stiff dough.  Rest it aside covering it with a wet muslin cloth. Boil potatoes to soft, peel and mash well.
2. Heat a pan with oil, sauté chopped onions till brown along with green chilies. Add the peas, fry well, add milk and cook till the peas are done in low flame. Add the mashed potatoes and the rest of the ingredients. Simmer with lid covered for 5 mins. Remove from flame and allow it cool
3. Make small equal balls from the dough. Roll out one ball into a thin layer and cut it from center into two vertical halves (strips).
4. Scoop small portions of the stuffing on each layer.
5. Starting from the end closer to you, roll it diagonally over the stuffing. Press the sides. Then fold the layer upward towards the left.  Wrap the stuffing neatly in to a cone. Press the sides to make sure there are no openings left. Seal by pressing the sides into small triangle shape.
6. Heat the pan with oil. When it reaches the right temperature, lower the flame.
7. Gently slide the samosas and fry them in low flame. Flip and cook on both sides. (Fry in small batches so that the temperature is always at the correct degree.)
8. When you see that golden colour on the samosas, drain on a kitchen towel.
9. Serve with  mint chutney and ketchup

Recipe and Image contributed by Anita Nair 

Chocolate Biscuit Cake recipe-using Marie and Bourbon Biscuit. No Oven - Pressure Cook to Bake

Ingredients:

1Pack Bourbon Biscuit,

1Pack Marie Biscuit,

4 tsp Grounded Sugar,

2tsp Cocoa Powder,

1 1/2 Tsp Baking Powder,

1 ½ cup Milk

1 tbsp Self Raising Flour (only for dusting)

Preparation:

1. Crush all Biscuits & mix it well, add crushed sugar in the mixture, cocoa, baking powder into the mixture & mix it well adding milk till the batter is semi solid
2. Grease an aluminium tin with ghee or butter & dust it with flour. Pour the batter in the tin.
3. Remove the gasket (ring) of the pressure cooker and place the prepared tin in the cooker. Cover the cooker lid without the weight/ whistle on.
4. Bake the cake in the cooker, initially on high flame for 5 minutes and later on medium flame for 20 minutes. Check once by opening the lid. Insert a tooth pic, if the tooth pick inserted comes out clean the cake is done
5. Serve the delicious biscuit cake

Recipe and Image contributes by Anita Nair

Prawn (Shrimp) Biryani recipe- a treat for sea food lovers

Ingredients 

1 cup Large Prawn

2 1/2 cup Basmati Rice

1 Large Onion Chopped

1 medium Tomato Chopped

5-6 Green Chili 

1 tbsp Ginger Garlic Paste

6-7 Curry Leaves

1” Cinnamon stick

5-6 Green Cardomans

6-7 Black/White Pepper corn

2 tbsp Coriander Leaves

1 tsp Turmeric Powder

1 tbsp Red Chili Powder or as per taste

1/2 tbsp Coriander Powder

1/2 tbsp Garam Masala

1/2 tbsp Chicken Masala

Oil as required

Salt to Taste

Preparation

• Devien and clean the Prawns. Cook prawns in 1-2 cups of water with pinch of turmeric powder, red chili powder, salt & keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pressure cooker, add garlic & ginger paste saute it. Add chopped onion saute till it becomes translucent.
• Add tomato, green chili, curry leaves saute for few min then add whole dry masala (cardoman, cinnamon,pepper corn) turmeric,chili powder, coriander powder & garam masala mix the above ingredients properly for few minutes till the masala is cooked and the oil startes leaving the masala. Fry in the cooked prawns.
• Add uncooked basmati rice ,salt to taste & water, pressure cook for 2 whistle.
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves Serve hot & Enjoy

Recipe and image contributed by Anita Nair

Green Peas Paratha with Cucumber Raita recipe for a healthy breakfast snacks

Ingredients 

For Paratha dough: 

1 cup  Whole Wheat Flour 

1 cup Soya Flour

1 tbsp Oil

2 pinch Salt

For filling

1 tsp Ghee

1tsp Jeera,

4-5 green chilles finely chopped, 

1/2 cup  Green peas boiled

Salt to taste. 

For Raita

2 Cucumber Grated 

1 Bowl Curd, 

1 Onion finely chopped 

4-5 Green chillies finely chopped

1 tbsp Coriander chopped 

1 tsp Jeera powder

1 tsp Red Chilles powder 

Salt to taste

Preparation

1. Knead a semi soft dough by mixing wheat & soya flour with salt and enough water, keep aside wrapped in a moist muslin cloth. 
2. Heat the ghee in pan & add jeera fry till crakle, add chopped green chillies, cook for a min, add smashed peas, salt & mix well. Allow it to cool completely 
3. Divide the wheat dough into small balls, Roll out one portion of dough into circle. Place one portion of the filling in the center of the circle. Fold and dust dry flour and roll it round. 
4. Heat non stick pan & cook each paratha until both sides are golden brown, you may brush oil to cook the paratha
5. Take a large Bowl, add grated Cucumber, chopped Onion, green chillies, Jeera powder, red chillies powder, chat masala (optional), chopped coriander ,salt ,mix well and add curd. 
6. Serve green peas paratha hot with Raita.

Recipe and Image contributed by Anita Nair

Broccoli Soup recipe

Ingredients:

1 small Broccoli

1 medium size Onion

1 medium size Potato

1 Small size Carrot

1/2 Cup Mushrooms (optional)

6-7 Almonds – soak it in water- Remove skin

Black / White Pepper Powder as per taste

Salt as per taste

For Seasoning

Oregano

Chili Flakes

Cilantro leaves (Alternative Coriander leaves)

Preparation:

1. Wash and cut Broccoli into small florets, Peel the skin and chop Onion, Potato, Carrot into small cubes. Retain some florets.
2. In a pressure cooker, add Broccoli florets, chopped Onion, Potato, Carrot and Almonds for around 2 whistle.
3. Let the pressure cool, smash the vegetable to mix and then blend it into a thick puree. 
4. Add salt & pepper to taste
5. Heat olive oil, saute diced Mushroom, till the Mushroom leaves the water and shrinks, add Broccoli florets, saute for another minute and little salt and pepper. 
6. Add the saute veggies to the soup while serving
7. Season it with Oregano, Chili flakes and sprinkle chopped Cilantro leaves.
8. Serve with Bread sticks 

Recipe & Image Contributed by Sudha Davda

Eggless Chocolate Cake Recipe

Ingredients: 

For Cake 

125 gm Refined Flour (Maida) 

25 gm Coco Powder 

300 gm Condensed Milk 

2 tbsp Baking Powder 

1 tsp Baking Soda 

4 tbsp Unsalted Butter/Ghee 

For Soaking Syrup 

3 tbsp sugar 

Water  

For Ganache 

150 gms Raw Chocolate 

2 tbsp Fresh Cream 

Preparation:

• Preheat oven at 1800C. Grease a cake pan and dust some flour to it. 
• Take 3 tbsp sugar in a small bowl  and cover it with water (aprox half cup) and leave it aside to dissolve, just stir occasionally. No heating required.  
• Scrape raw chocolate and melt it in a microwave or using a double boiler. Add cream to the melted chocolate and mix well till is blended well and refrigerate for 5-10 mins 
• Sieve Maida, Cocoa Powder, Baking powder and Baking soda in a bowl 
• Prepare the batter, by adding ghee and Condensed milk, whisk till the batter is smooth and no lumps are formed. Add milk in case batter is very thick and difficult to whisk 
• Pour the batter in the greased & dusted pan. Pat the pan so that the batter settles evenly.  
• Bake in the preheated oven for over 30 mins. You can ensure if baked, by pricking a tooth pick and it comes out dry.  
• Let it cool for 15 mins before inverting the cake base on a flat board or plate 
• Cut the cake into halves from middle, brush the sugar syrup on the top of cake layer. This is the base layer, moisten the layer well with the syrup. spread one thin layer of the ganache, place the other layer on top of it. Moisten this layer too with the syrup. Pour the remaining ganache over, spreading it evenly on top and sides of the cake. 
• Place the cake in the refrigerator for few hours before serving 

Recipe and Image contributed by Nidhi Jain