Microwave Easy Cooking(MEC) - Soups Event Annoucement!!!

I would like to thank everyone who have been sending entries to my Cakes n Cookies Event and CFK_ PFE Event.

This month event is Microwave Easy Cooking(MEC) an event started by Srivalli of Cooking for all Seasons. I would like to thank Srivalli for giving me an opportunity. This is my first event using Microwave. The theme this month is Soups.

Logo

Rules for the event.

1. Prepare any soup in microwave and post between now and 28th Feb. (Only vegetarian no eggs please). The entire cooking needs to be done in Microwave only. But you can of course use food processor/mixie or others for grinding stuffs, but no stove/gas top.

2. Please linkback to this event announcement and Srivalli's Event link. You are free to use the logo.

3. Email me at simplysara07@gmail.com with Subject MEC-Soups and following details. Please specify whether its hot or cold soups with the following details.

- Your Name
- Blog name
- Recipe Name
- Recipe URL
- Picture with size 300 x 300 pixels

4. Archived entries should be reposted with event linked back.

5. Non-bloggers too can participate in this event, send in your recipe by email with or without a photograph.

6. Multiple entries are accepted.

7. Round up will be posted in March.

Please feel free to leave your comments. Hope you enjoy the participation @ Sara's Corner.

Looking forward for your support and participation.

See you soon in the roundup of the events.

Cheers,
Saraswathi Iyer

Rava Idli Product Review

Rava Idlis are my favourite breakfast/tiffin. Guess what these are from its GITS instant mix.

The idlis came out perfect and tastes good....since I like Asafotida/Hing flavour a lot, added a pinch of it. This pack needs just water to mix to make idlis.

My suggestion is if you have sour curd/plain yogurt at home you can also try it with that too.

I served it with coconut chutney. My family liked a lot.

Will post the chutney recipe soon.

Onion Tomato Chutney/Thogaiyal and Awards!!!

Onion Tomato Chutney is very tasty and simple. This chutney is quick and easy to prepare.

Ingredients
Onion - 2nos
Tomato - 1 no
Urad dal(Whole/split) - 1/4 cup
Curry leaves - few
Dry Red Chilli - 2nos (As per your taste)
Oil - 1/2 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method

Heat a Kadai, add oil and add urad dal saute till brown. Transfer it to a plate and allow it to cool.

In the same kadai, saute the rest of the ingredients one by one except salt. Allow it to cool.

Grind the urad dal first to 2 whips then add all other ingredients with salt and grind to fine paste.

Tempering is optional I have not done.

Onion Tomato Chutney is ready to serve. This is perfect chutney for Idli, Dosa or sidedish for Kootu rice too.


Now coming to Awards!!!

Rekha my dearest friend of

Rekha's Recipes has awarded me these. Thanks a lot you make my day.

Passing it to my Dear friends...

Shanthi
Sailaja
Jyoti
Jagruti
Ruchikacooks
Padma
B Saras

Home Remedy for Cold n Sore Throat - Turmeric/Pepper Milk

Turmeric Pepper Milk/Manjal Mizhagu Paal is a good home remedy and has immediate effect for cold/sore throat or cough.

This is a very simple recipe.

Heat a glass of milk add 2 pinches of turmeric powder/manjal podi and 1 pinch of pepper powder or crushed pepper(if you add little more also its good). Allow it to boil for 2minutes and drink it hot with mild sugar.

This gives good relief and soothing.

I am sending this to Home Remedies Series 1 Event at A2Z Vegetarian.

Also sending Jeera /Cumin Water home remedy for the event.

Navaratna Kurma/Korma

Mixed Vegetables Kurma is a very tasty sidedish. This a mixture of all veggie cooked with dry fruits and pineapple.

Today I cooked this for my hubby's lunch box with chapathi.

This is mine and my hubby's favourite dish. Usually had at an restuarant. Thought of giving an surprise to him and cooked with love today.

Ingredients
Carrot - 1 no
Beans - 15 nos
Green Peas - 1/2 cup
Potato - 1 no
Cauliflower- few florets
Brocolli - few florets
Onion - 1no
Tomato - 1no
Green chilli - 2nos
Paneer/Cottage Cheese - 6 cubes
Pineapple - few pieces(Can or fresh)
Raisins - 1tspn
Cashewnuts - 6nos
Garam Masala - 1 tspn
Dhania/Coriander powder - 1 tspn
Red Chilli powder - 1 tspn
Oil and ghee - 1 tspn
spices - 1 no each
Milk - 1 cup
Cream - 3 tspns
Salt as per taste

Preparation Method
Chop all the vegetables to 1"piece. Cook them in pressure cooker without whistle for 15minutes with little salt and turmeric.
In a thick bottom kadai, add little oil, spices onion and tomato cook till its soft. Grind them to paste or you can also chop them and put.
In the same kadai add ghee and spices add this mixture and boil for sometime. Add all masala powders and mix well. Cook till raw smell goes.
Now add the cooked vegetables and boil.
Once its thick add milk and cream. Mix well. Allow it to boil.
Now add paneer cubes, raisins and cashews. Cook for 2mins and off the stove.
Garnish with chopped coriander/cilatro.

Navaratna Kurma or Korma is ready to serve. This can be served with chapathi/roti/naan. My Father-in-law tried with Bread and he liked a lot.

This recipe is going off to Served with Love by Arundhati Rama.

My other entries participating are:
Bisibelebath its my family favourite.
Channa Masala my hubby's favourite.

Curd rice with Mango and Award!!!

Curd rice is my all time favourite. Our lunch/dinner is never complete without Curd Rice. This time I have mixed raw mangoes which is my hubby's favourite with pickle. You can also pack this for lunchbox.

Ingredients
Steamed Rice - 2 cups
Raw mangoes (chopped or grated) - 2 tspns
Curds/Yogurt - 1/2 cup
Coriander leaves/Cilantro/Malli (Chopped) - 1 tspn
Milk - 1/4 cup

For seasoning
Oil - 1 tspn
Mustard - 1/4 tspn

Preparation Method
In a wide bowl add, rice and salt. Mash it well with the help of ladle/karandi.
Now add milk, mango pieces, curds and mix well.
Season it and serve with coriander leaves garnished.

It tastes great. You can also have it any pickle.

Now comes the award.

My dear friends Rekha of Rekha's Recipe and Nithu has passed me this award.
Thanks so much Rekha and Nithu.

This Kreativ Blogger Award comes up with some set of rules and here are the rules,

1.Thank the person giving the award.
2.Copy the award to your blog.
3.Place a link to their blog.
4.Name 7 things people don't know about you.
5.Nominate 7 bloggers
6.Place a link to those bloggers
7.Leave a comment letting those bloggers know about the award.

7 things about me

I love to sing and dance.
I love to be with my son.
I like any kind of music.
I love cooking and eating.
My interests are painting, stitching, mehandi and handicrafts.
I love to attend functions back home and be with family n friends.
I love shopping and eating street/roadside chaats:-)

Now I would love to pass on this awards to my new fellow bloggers this year.

Kalai
FoodLovers
Kalva
Prasu
Tina
Sweatha
Preethi

Eggless Pumpkin Raisins Muffin

After long time thought of baking, came across this recipe from here but I have made few changes. Hope you enjoy the recipe.

Wet Ingredients
Sweet Pumpkin - 2 cups (grated)
Raisins - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 cup
Vinegar - 1 tspn
Vanilla essence - 1 tspn
Beaten curds/yogurt - 3tspns
Milk - 1/4 cup
Vegetable oil - 1/4 cup
Few cashews

Dry Ingredients
Maida/All Purpose Flour - 1 cup
Wheat flour - 1/2 cup
Baking soda - 1/2 tspn

Preparation Method
Mix all the wet ingredients in a bowl.
Then sift all the dry ingredients and mix slowly with the wet ingredients. Beat well and let it sit for half n hour.
Preheat the oven to 180 C for 15 mins.
Pour batter into greased muffin tray to 3/4th.

Bake for 20 mins at 175 C. Check with a fork or tooth pick whether fully baked or you can bake for another 10 mins.

Allow it to cool. Serve for Breakfast or snack time.

Variations - You can also replace pumpkin with carrots or reduce the quantity and put more dry fruits.
This recipe is going off to CFK- Creative Food for Picky/Fussy Eaters Healthy Breakfast/Dinner hosted by me here at Sara's Corner.

Verkadalai/Peanut Sundal Back to Back Recipes

Verkadalai/Peanut or Groundnuts are steamed and mixed with mild spice n coconut. This is very tasty and easy to prepare.

Recipe - 1
This one is my Mother-in-law's recipe.

IngredientsVerkadalai - 2 cups (Steamed or cooked in pressure cooker)
Cooking oil - 1 to 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Red Chilli powder - 1/2 tspn (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Salt as per taste

Preparation MethodHeat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida and curry leaves. Saute for a minute. Then add Red Chilli powder and mix for 2minutes.
Add the steamed verkadalai/peanut and salt. Mix well.
Keep for 2 minutes and Serve.

Recipe - 2

Ingredients
Verkadalai - 2 cups (Steamed or cooked in pressure cooker)
Cooking oil - 1 to 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/2 tspn
Urad dal - 1/2 tspn
Asafotida/hing - a pinch
Dry Red Chilli- 2nos (As per your taste)
Curry leaves - few
Fresh Grated coconut - 1 cup
Salt as per taste

Preparation MethodHeat oil in a kadai, add mustard wait till it splutters then add asafotida, urad dal, dry red chilli and curry leaves. Saute till urad dal is brown.
Add the steamed verkadalai/peanut and salt. Mix well.
Add fresh grated coconut and off the stove.
Mix well and Serve.

This recipe is going off to MLLA 19th Event by EC started by Susan.

My Pongal Celebrations and Ellu Sadam/Sesame Rice Recipe!!!

Hope you all are having a long weekend for Pongal. Heres my Pongal celebrations photos.. I had decorated with Rangoli then did all traditional puja.

I also prepared Kanum Pongal with Kalanda Sadam(Coloured Rice) today.

Dishes were

Puliyogare (Tamarind Rice)
Thenga Sadam(Coconut Rice)
Ellu Sadam(Sesame Rice)
Elamichai Sadam(Lemon Rice)
Rice Payasam

Heres the recipe for Ellu Sadam/Sesame Rice.

Courtesy - Mother in law

Ingredients
Ellu(White Til/Sesame Seeds) - 100gms
Urad dal - 50gms
Dry Red Chilli - 4 nos(As per taste)
Hing/Asafotida - a pinch
Salt

For Seasoning
Gingely oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Urad dal - 1/4 tspn

Preparation Method
Dry Roast Ellu till its light brown.
Then add 1/2 tspn oil in a kadai, roast urad dal, dry red chilli, Hing till brown.
Allow it to cool.
In a small mixie grind urad dal, salt, and dry red chilli in whipper to a fine powder.
Then add ellu(sesame seeds) and grind twice to a coarse powder.
Prepare rice and allow it to cool.
Then Season it with oil n mustard. Then mix this powder and Serve.

Happy Weekend.

This recipe is going off to Cooking with Seeds by Priya and APS Rice by Anitha.

Happy Pongal and Sankranthi Shubashayagalu!!!

I wish all my readers a very Happy Pongal. Pongaloo Pongal......

Bogi Pongal is on 13th January 2010.
Pongal is on 14th January 2010. Auspicious time for keeping Pongapanai is between 7.30am to 10.00am(IST) later Amavasya follows.
Kanum/Mattu Pongal is on 15th January 2010.

Its also Solar Eclipse on 15th Jan 2010 from 11am to 3.30pm(IST).

To read more about the festival and for Chakkare Pongal recipe click here. and for dishes prepared on Pongal.

Will come back with my Pongal celebrations.

Masala Idlis

Idli is one of the famous n popular breakfast in South India. I love hot idlis with sambar or molagai podi.


I have a different version of Idlis called Masala Idlis. My Father-in-law taught me this recipe.

This recipe is going off to Cooking For Kids Creative Healthy Breakfast n Dinner here at Sara's Corner event started by Sharmi and Wholesome Breakfast by Srivalli. I guess kids will love these.

Ingredients
Steamed Mini Idli - 12 nos
Onion - 1 no (chopped)
Tomato - 1no (Chopped)
Dhaniya Powder - 1/2 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1/4 tspn
Coriander leaves(Cilantro chopped) - 1 tspn for garnishing
Spices Mix - 1 piece each
Curry leaves - 1/2 tspn(chopped)
Turmeric - a pinch
Any cooking Oil - 2 tspns
Salt

Preparation Method
Grind onion in mixie to fine paste. Keep 1 tspn of chopped onions.
Grind tomato in mixie to fine paste. (you can remove skin and grind if you have time)
Heat a kadai, add oil and spices wait till it splutters.
Add chopped onions and saute till light brown.
Now add ground mixture of onion and saute. Add curry leaves.
Then add ground mixture of tomato and cook well till its soft.
Add the masalas and mix well. Add Salt.
Finally add Mini Idlis and mix well. If required sprinkle till water to it. Cook for 5mins and Serve.

Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Shahi Gulab Jamun - Product Review

This is my second dish on Product Review. I tried Shahi Gulab Jamun for the first time using Gits product. Jamuns came out so soft and perfect.

It tastes great as its instant mixture with nuts. I prepared exactly as given on the pack.

I thank Gits for giving me an opportunity for reviewing the product.

Easy Veggie Vendaikai/Okra/Lady's Finger/Bhindi Poriyal

Easy Veggie Vendakai Poriyal is very simple and tasty curry.

Ingredients
Vendakai - 500 gms
Onion - 1 no (Big chopped)
Dhania powder (Coriander powder)- 1 tspn
Red Chilli powder - 1 tspn (As per your taste)
Jeera powder (Cumin powder) - 1/4 tspn
Turmeric - a pinch
Any cooking Oil - 2 to 3 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Rice flour - 1 tspn (Optional)
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash, wipe and then cut Vendaikai into small pieces.
Heat a kadai, add oil mustard wait till it splutters.
Then add onion and a pinch of salt. Saute till transperent.
Add chopped vendaikai and mix well. let it cook for sometime.
Now add all masala powders and rice flour. Mix well.
Add salt and 1/2 tspn oil if required.
Cook till vendaikai is crispy.

Serve with sambar or rasam rice or chapathi.

This recipe is going off to Oraphan's Giveaway.

Oats Feast Roundup!!!

Thank you for participating in Oats Feast Event. Have received wonderful dishes which are healthy.

Roundup follows.

Oats Sidedish

Plantain Stem with Oats by Usha Nandini
Snake Gourd and Oats Kootu by Priya
Raw Banana and Oats Kara Poriyal by Priya

Oats Breakfast

Masala Oats Pancakes by EC
Stuffed Oats and Wheat Pancake by Pari
Oats Dosa by Rupali Jain (No Photo)
Oats Dosa by Shama
Minty Oats Paratha by Priya
Oats Rava Idly by Shama
Oats Upma by Shama
Oats Idly by Shama
Oats Delight by Shama
Oats Healthy Drink by Shama

Oats Sweets

Oats Wheat Rava Laddu by Usha Nandini
Oats Rasagulla by Priya
Saffron Oats Peda by Priya
Oats Semiya Payasam by Saraswathi Iyer


Oats Soup

Roasted Tomato and Oats Soup by Priya
Spinach Potato Soup and Roasted Oats by Pari


Oats Cookies

Crunchy Oats Cookies by Palatable
Eggless Oatmeal Walnut Cookies by Renu Roy
Eggless Gingery Carrot Cookies by Priya
Glutenfree Eggless Oats & Almond Candied Fruit Cookie by Sadhana
Eggless Gluten free Oat & Almond Ginger Bread Cookies with no refined sugar by Sadhana

Others

Eggless Oats Brownies by Priya
Eggless Pumpkin and Multigrain Breakfast Scones by Priya

Am excited and happy in giving this award "Oats Queen" any guesses???/

Thats none other than Priya of Priya's Easy n Tasty Recipes for her wonderful recipes. Please accept it.

Participation Award to each and everyone who participated. Pls accept and post in your blog. Thank you

Looking foryour co-operation and participation for my next event Cakes n Cookies and CFK Creative Food for Picky/Fussy Eaters Healthy Breakfast and Dinner.

Do let me know in case I have missed any entry which is not intentional.

Cheers,
Saraswathi Iyer