An easy recipe for a Dry Small Potatoes Fry

Ingredients needed for Dry small potatoes Fry
250 grams small potatoes
1 rsp cumin seeds
1 tsp Amchur / Dry Mango powder
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam Masala powder
3 tbsps oil /as needed

How to prepare Dry small potatoes fry
Boil potatoes till they are tender, drain off the hot water and stand in cold water, so that you can peel them easily.
Peel all the potatoes, prick them with a pin and keep aside. Fork or a skewer will be too much for the small potatoes, it might break.
Heat oil in a non stick fry pan, splutter cumin seeds.
Add peeled potatoes  and fry till they get golden brown.
Now add the remaining ingredients  and fry for a few more minutes / till the raw smell goes off the masalas.
Serve hot as a side dish with plain rice  / chappathies.

Points to note: 
If you like you can make a similar dish with bigger sized potatoes also. Cut them into smaller pieces after cooking them with jackets and peeling them.
After cutting them in to smaller pieces follow the same recipe as above.

How to prepare Spinach / Palak Puree?

The post is at Latha's Recipe Collections

Easy Chicken Fry with roasted chilli flakes

Ingredients needed for Chicken fry
1/2 kilo chicken cut into small pieces
juice of a  lime
Salt to taste
10 - 12 red chillies
oil for deep frying

How to prepare Chicken fry with roasted chilli flakes ?
First clean the chicken pieces well, apply salt and lime juice.
Keep in the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Meanwhile, remove the stem from the dry red chillies, roast them in a fry pan till the chillies start changing colour.
Remove and crush them coarsely. You can use the mixer to crush the chillies, just a minute would be enough.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator  and apply the chilli flakes over the pieces. You should cover almost all sides uniformly with chilli flakes.
Again keep it on the refrigerator for about 2 hours.
Heat oil in a deep frying pan, fry the chicken pieces to a golden colour.
Drain and keep the pieces on a kitchen towel to remove the excess oil.
Serve with lemon wedges and  onion slices. Sprinkle chopped coriander over and serve.

Points to note
If you like the dish to be hot, add little more chilli flakes.
You can also garnish with fried chilli flakes in oil, that is, fry the chilli flakes in a little oil, pour on top of the chicken fry. Serve.

Nadan Style Moru Kachiyathu, Kerala Recipe

Ingredients needed for Nadan Style Moru Kachiyathu
2 cups curds fresh
2 cups water
1 cup onions chopped
1 " piece ginger
1 tsp garlic chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
curry leaves
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds / Uluva
2 red chillies
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin / jeera powder
Salt to taste
oil for tempering

How to prepare Moru Kachiyathu?
Beat curd and water together in a wide sauce pan. Add curry leaves and salt to taste  and keep on a simmer flame.
Keep stirring the Buttermilk continuously till the mix starts steaming nicely.  Remove the pan from fire and keep aside.
Heat oil, preferably coconut oil, in a fry pan. Splutter mustard seeds  and add fenugreek seeds and red chillies.
As the red chillies start changing colour, add chopped onion, ginger and garlic and fry till they golden.
Now add turmeric powder, chilli powder and cumin powder, mix well.
Pour the mixture in to the buttermilk pan and stir in the same direction. The spatula should move either in the clockwise or anti clockwise direction only.
Test for salt  and add more curry leaves .

This is an easiest of all recipes and can be made in a jiffy. If you have  fried fish / chicken with plain  steaming rice to serve along with this Moru Kachiayathu, your day will be made.  Try this out and see for yourself.

Another recipe for Moru Kachiayathu 

Tasty Mixed Vegetable Pasta Recipe

Just like the way you prepare noodles, pastas can also be prepared at home in easy steps. If I can make it any one can, you can too. 
If you are buying ready made pasta in packets you can follow the instructions given in the packet.  There are many sizes and shapes of pastas  and these will make a tasty and delicious Sunday morning breakfast. Your kids and hubby would love it.   


Ingredients needed for Mixed Vegetable Pasta
1 packet / 1 cup pasta ( any make or shape of pasta can be used )
1 tbsp + 1/2 tsp Oil  ( Olive oil is preferred )
1/2 cup Onions, diced
2 cups  diced mixed vegetables  like Carrots, french beans, coloured capsicums  etc - 2 cups diced
2 tsps tomato puree / paste
2 /3 Garlic flakes
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Herbs for seasoning – 1 tsp (a mix of herbs like Marjoram, Thyme, Rosemary, Sage, Oregano, Basil)
1 tsp Black Pepper powder /as per taste
Salt to taste
Water as needed

How to prepare Mixed Vegetable Pasta 
You have to cook the pasta in boiling water. Keep water to boil in a large pan, add a little salt and the half teaspoon of oil.
As the pasta gets softer, drain and wash again with cold / running tap water. Drain and keep aside.
In the mean time get the tomato paste and the garlic paste, mix well.
Heat oil in a wok or a skillet, saute onions till transparent. Add the diced vegetables  and saute for a few minutes. Simmer and cover, cook for a few minutes until they are soft but crispy.
Simmer the fire and add the herbs for seasoning, pepper powder and chilli powder. Mix well.
Then add tomato garlic paste, saute well for a few  minutes  till the raw smell of the garlic fades away.
Add half a cup of water to the pan and bring it to a slow boil so that the gravy comes to the consistency of a sauce.
Last but not the least add cooked pasta  to the sauce in the pan. Toss gently so that the pasta gets coated in the sauce evenly.

French Fries, a hot favourite in the winter months

Ingredients needed for the French fries
potatoes as much as you need
Oil for deep frying
Salt to taste
Chilli powder to taste

How to prepare French fries
Wash and clean the potatoes nicely.
First cut the potatoes lengthwise  in to 1/3 inch thick pieces. Then cut them lengthwise again into long pieces about similar thickeness  that is 1/3 inch.
Soak the potatoes in water for an hour.
After an hour strain them from the water, pat them dry with kitchen towels.
Heat oil in deep fry pan or a deep frier basket, till the oil gets hot.
Add the potato strips into the oil, slowly, for about 4 minutes or until they are golden coloured.
Remove them with a slotted spoon and spread them over a towel for removing the extra oil.
sprinkle salt and chilli powder on top. Mix well. Serve hot.  

How To Prepare a Stock

There are a few basic rules which are commonly practised while preparing the stock and they are;
The stock ingredients are simmered by adding them to cold water. This process of simmering,  promotes the extraction of collagen, which may be sealed in by hot water.
Stocks are simmered gently, with bubbles just breaking the surface, and not vigorously boiled because if boiled it will become cloudy and not clear.
Salt is not added to a stock unless needed in the recipe, since most of the stocks are just made as a base to make soups and sauces.
If both meat and vegetables are used  in preparing the stock, meat is added first before vegetables and the scum that arises is skimmed and removed.  Only after removing the scum from the meat, vegetables and other ingredients are added to the simmering stock.
If pork or mutton is used, the cook might need to remove the fat, which can be done after the stock is finished and cooled. The fat which floats, separates, and solidifies into globs of lard within the stock can be removed easily.
These stocks can be frozen and stored in air tight containers in the Freezer for an indefinite period but are better tasting when used fresh.

What are Broths and Stocks?

Broth is a liquid preparation consisting of  water or any other flavoured stock  in which bones, meat, fish, cereal grains, or vegetables have been simmered for some time.
After simmering for particular time  the liquid is strained   and used a s a base  for other edible liquids such as soup, gravy, or sauce. This liquid can be eaten alone with or without garnish  If  in this liquid other ingredients are used like rice, pearl barley or oats  it becomes a soup.

Stock is a flavoured preparation of waterwhich forms base of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces. Stocks are made by simmering various ingredients in water including meat and bones with herbs and spices. Veal, Beef and Chicken bones are the common meats used  and pork and mutton are usually avoided because of the fat present in them.

Vegetable stocks are also made  with a combination of onion carrots and celerwhole y and some other vegetables. The less used vegetable peels ends of celery etc are also used in the vstock preparation. Herbs and spices   are used as a bouquet garni ( a bundle of herbs)  consisting of parsley, thyme and bay leaves nd some other local herbs commonly used. These herbs and tied together in a muslin cloth and are dropped into the simmerig fluid. This makes it easier to remove the herbs after the stock is done.

Dal ka Parantha

We always have left over dals which we do not know what to do about. This is a nice and tasty food dish which can be served as dinner recipe or can also be packed as lunch in the tiffin boxes.


Ingredients needed for Dal ka Paratha 
2 cups Whole Wheat flour (Atta)
1/2 cup Leftover Dal (cooked)
1/2 Cup Besan
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 tsp. grated ginger
2 Green chilies, finely chopped
2 tbsps Coriander leaves, finely chopped
1 tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. Cumin Seeds
Salt to taste
Red chilli powder to taste
Garam masala as per taste
Butter / Oil for cooking the paratha

How to prepare Dal ka Paratha 
Mix all the ingredients, atta, dal, grated ginger, onion, besan, breen chillies, coriander leaves, cumin seeds, oil, red chilli powder, salt and garam masala powder for tatste. Add water if needed and knead to a stiff  and smooth dough.
Keep covered for about 15 minutes.
Shape into  small balls and then roll into paranthas
Heat a tava and fry these paranthas applying a little oil.
Serve hot with Raita, Pickles and Chutney.

Cheese and Egg Sandwich

Ingredients needed for the Cheese and Egg Sandwich
4 slices wheat bread
2 hard boiled eggs
1 tbsp tomato chopped
1 tsp mayonaisse
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 tsp chat masala ( optional)
1 tsp  coriander leaves chopped
1/2 tsp ketchup
1 small block cheese

How to prepare Cheese and Egg sandwich
 Mash the eggs and the cheese together nicely so that they blend well.
Mix in the other ingredients  except the bread slices and mix well.
Spread the mix with a butter knife onto the slices. Cover with another slice.
Press it nicely and then cut into your favourite shapes.
You can serve them either as a finger food  as appetizers for a  party or take it as a main meal by itself.

A tasty snack, Cheese Toast Recipe

This is an easily prepared evening Tea time snacks. This can also be packed as a snack in the lunch box for kids but adjust the chillies  /  spice according to the kid's age and taste.


Ingredients needed for Cheese toast
6 slices of bread
2 eggs
1/2 cup cheese grated
1 tbsp cornflour
1 tbsp onions chopped fine
1/2 tsp green chillies chopped
1 tsp coriander leaves
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 1/2 tbsp butter
a pinch baking poder
Salt to taste
1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds / white Til
oil as requird

How to prepare the Cheese Toast
Preheat the oven to get about 180* C.
Whisk egg yolk nicely till it froths up.Add cornflour and salt to taste and beat again till they get a soft texture.
Beat in butter and mix nicely.
Now add chopped onion, green chillies, chilli powder, coriander leaves and baking powder. Mix well. Keep aside.
Trim the ends of the bread slices and cut them diagonally to get six triangles altogether.
Beat the white of the egg separately. Keep aside.
Keep the prepared cheese filling on one side of the bread slice and brush the egg white over that.
Toast the till seeds and sprinkle some on the bread piece.

Points to Note:
You can also deep fry the bread pieces with the fillings to a golden colour if you do not mind the oil content.
This is an easy recipe to follow when you have unexpected guests at the tea time and also for the kids who come home hungry from school.

Recipe for Curd Rice

Curd Rice is very cooling to the body in the hot and sizzling summer. You can make the curd rice, (if you do it my way) the rice will not get sour by the lunch time. It will be just correct for you. You can make it and pack it as a lunch and take it for picnics and to the office.
You can add grated carrots, cucumber, mango, fresh grapes 9 green or purple but seedless ) etc. If you try this out once you will not leave it again. Best for the going on summer in India.

Ingredients needed for the Curd Rice:
1 cup Raw rice or boiled rice, whichever rice you use at home
2 green chillies, chopped, fine
1 small piece ginger chopped fine
Handful curry leaves chopped
 2 tbsps cucumber
1 tsp grated mango chopped (optional)
2 tbsps seedless grapes chopped (optional )
1 cup Milk
1/2 cup fresh curds
salt to taste

To temper / season the Curd Rice
mustard-1/2 tsp
urad dal - 1/4 tsp
channa dal - 1/4 tsp
asafoetida - 1 pinch

How to prepare Curd Rice :
Cook rice very soft by adding 1 cup of water more than usual. Mash it when it is hot. Keep aside.
Heat oil ina kadaai. Splutter mustard seeds, urad dal, channa dal (kadala paruppu), When they are browned, add chopped ginger, green chillies and curry leaves and saute till they are fried. Add asafoetida and remove from fire.
Add the beaten curds and milk together. Add salt to taste.
Pour this mix over the rice and mix well. It'll look watery when you mix it but in a short while get thicker. Make it an hour or two before lunch. You can add chopped vegetables if you like . If it is not thin when you make it , you'll have to add either water or milk . Then it'll come to the dropping consistency.

Other Varieties Of Rice
Vegetable Rice with paneer
Neichoru / Ghee Rice
Cabbage Fried Rice

How to Prepare Paneer at home

Ingredients you need for making cheese
2 cups of milk
4 teaspoons of vinegar or lemon juices
salt

How to Prepare Paneer at Home:
You have to boil two cups of milk in the saucepan. Slowly bring the milk to a boil, keep stirring constantly, so that the milk doesn't boil over or stick at the bottom.
Switch the burner off once the milk starts boiling but leave the saucepan on the burner.
Add 4 teaspoons vinegar to the boiling milk, that the milk curdles and turn into curds and whey.
Stir well with spoon and let it remain the stove for 5-10 minutes.
Strain the curds and whey through cheesecloth or a handkerchief to be able to separate the curds from the whey.
Press the cheese using the cloth to get most of the moisture out.
Open the cloth and add a pinch of salt if preferred. Actually salt is not needed.
Mix and then press again to remove any extra moisture.
Put in the cheese in to a mould or just leave it just like that.
Refrigerate for a while before using.

Points to Note:
You can add salt and pepper powder to the paneer / Cheese and mix well, then press into the shape you like.
Press them into a mould and the cut into pieces to be used in curries etc.
You can also use lime juice instead of vinegar and make paneer.

Recipe for Coconut Chutney

I am trying to give you as many varieties of chutneys as I can, so that you can choose any one to have with your Idli and Dosas.

Ingredients needed for the Coconut chutney:-
2 tbsps coriander leaves
1 cup grated coconut
2 tbsps Roasted  Chana Dal
3-4 green chillies
3 small garlic cloves l
1 stalk curry leaves
1/2 tsp Tamarind extract / Lime juice
Salt  to taste

Ingredients for Seasoning
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
2 red chillies broken into bits
2 small onions sliced thinly
Oil for tempering

How to prepare the coconut chutney
Wash and clean the coriander leaves.
Mix and add all the ingredients needed for the chutney together.
Grind to a fine paste in the mixer grinder.
Heat oil in a small fry pan.
Splutter mustard seeds and then add sliced small onions, red chillies.
When they brown, pour over th chutney and serve.

French Beans Mallum

These Mallum or Mallung Recipes are similar to our Poriyal ( Tamil Nadu) Thoran ( Kerala ) etc
Vegetables are mixed with sambar onions and coconut with green chilli or red chilli powder and cooked . It can be steamed and used as a salad too. You can use the ordinary onions too if you like.

Ingredients you need French Beans Mallum Recipe:
500 grams french beans
1/2 cup finely sliced onions
1 cup grated fresh coconut
3-4 green chillis
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder

How to get the ingredients ready for the Recipe.
Wash and Clean the French Beans and cut them into 1inch pieces. Then again cut them diagonally  to get thin longer shaped pieces.
If you know how to cut and are an expert just cut the beans in to 1 1/2 inches long and diagonally cut pieces just like that.
Slice onions finely. Chop green chillies and crush green chillies and the grated coconut together with your hand.
Take a pan with a lid, add the french beans, onions, turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well, cover with the lid and  in simmer till tender.
When the beans get tender add the grated coconut and green chillies.  Mix well and simmer for 2 minutes.
Remove and serve hot.

Note:
This recipe is similar to our Beans Poriyal / Thoran of South India. The only difference is that we temper the dish with a little oil, mustard and curry leaves.  They do not seem to be doing it here.
Since it has no oil, it should be a good recipe for the Diabetics and the all the fat related problems. It is really an healthy recipe to boot.

How to Make Hot and Spicy French Toast

Ingredients needed for hot and spicy French toast:
8 bread slices
4 potatoes
1/2 tsp chopped ginger
1 tsp chopped coriander leaves
1/4 tsp salt or as per taste
1/2 tsp chopped green chillies
2 eggs beaten
1/4 cup oil 

How to prepare hot and spicy french toast
Boil, peel and mash potatoes nicely
Mix salt, chopped ginger, chopped green chillies and coriander leaves to the mashed potatoes. Keep aside.
Take the bread slices. Remove the crumbs from the sides.
Put the filling on to one slice and cover with another slice. Press them nicely and then cut them in to squares or triangles.
Apply the beaten egg on the outside of the slices and shallow fry in the oil.
Remove when they are golden and crispy.
Serve with Tomato Sauce or Ketch up as an evening snack or for the unexpected guests .

Scrambled Eggs with Cheese

Ingredients needed for the Scrambled eggs with cheese recipe:
2 eggs
1 tbsp milk
Salt to taste
Pepper to taste
1 cube Cheese or as you like

How to prepare scrambled eggs with cheese:
Break the eggs and beat it with milk and salt to taste, till it blends well.
Heat a little oil in a fry pan. Pour the well beaten eggs into the pan and let it sit.
Then shake the pan so that it gets spread and then scramble with a spatula.
Once the egg starts getting scrambled add the grated or cut pieces of cheese into that.
Add Pepper to taste.
You can remove the eggs from the pan when they are glassy looking and soft.
Do not wait till the eggs are fully scrambled, if you do, they will be over cooked by the time they get to the table.

Other easy egg recipes you can try out 
Egg Fried Rice
Egg Aviyal
Egg Tikka Masala
Mutta Pathiri

Moong Dal

Ingredients needed for Moong Dal:
1/2 cup Moong Dal ( Green Gram)
1 small Onion chopped
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Cumin seeds
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Pinch of Asafoetida
1 long chopped Green Chillies
1 tbsp Oil
2 Curry Leaves
Few Coriander leaves

How to prepare Moong Dal :
Pressure cook Moong  dal for 2 whistles.
Mash it a little, add a cup of water, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt to it
Heat oil in a pan and add mustard seed, cumin seeds, green chillies and curry leaves.
Add the chopped onions and saute for a minute.
Add the mashed moong dal to it and let it boil.
Garnish Moong daal with coriander leaves and serve hot.

Note:
This is a very healthy recipe  and can be given  to small kids and the old alike, as it is easily digestible.  can also be used as a convalescent food for the sick, without tempering the Daal.

Potato masala

Ingredients needed for the Potato Masala:
2 potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes
1 big sized onion cut into cubes
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Salt to taste
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
2-3 stalks of curry leaves ( chopped)
2 tbsps coconut oil

How to prepare Potato Masala:
Cook poatoes and onions with just enough water to cook them tender.
Add chilli powder, salt to taste and asafoetida.
Mix well, as it gets dry add coconut oil and the chopped curry leaves.
Simmer, cover and cook till all the water dries up and the potatoes get a brownish look.

Note:
Just use coconut oil as the recipe tells you for once at least and see the difference it brings to the taste of the masala.
It goes as a side dish with everything.

Egg Roast Recipe, Easy Recipe

Ingredients needed for the Egg Roast Recipe :
4 eggs
2 tsp chilli powder
4 tsps coriander powder
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste
oil as need ed for shallow frying

How to prepare Egg Roast Recipe (Another Method):
Hard boil eggs, remove the shells. Draw lines all over the eggs ( like slashes) with a sharp knife.
Mix all the powder ingredients together with a little water to make a thick paste.
Apply the paste on to the eggs and cover it nicely so that the masala gets in to the eggs.
Heat oil in a non stick fry pan, shallow fry the masala eggs turning every now and then to get them uniformly fried.
Serve the dish garnished with chopped coriander leaves.