Domates salatasi / Tomato salad

I always make sure to bring home some recipe books from the library every time I go there. Last week I saw this book with wonderful Turkish recipes and brought it home to try them. This is the first recipe I tried from the book, because this was the easiest of then all ;-)
This is a Turkish Salad. This accompanies most Turkish meals, particularly in summer, when tomatoes are at their best. This recipe is adapted from the book ''TURKISH COOKING'' by Tess Mallos . Here is what you need.

Ingredients :
4 medium sized tomatoes,
1 cucumber,
1/2 cup black olives-drained,
1 tbsp white vinegar,
1/4 cup lemon juice,
1/2 cup olive oil,
1 tsp freshly chopped mint,
1 tbsp finely chopped Italian parsley,
1/2 tsp black pepper powder,
1/4 tsp salt and
few parsley sprigs for garnishing.

Method :
Thinly slice the tomatoes and arrange in two rows on an oval/ round platter. Peel the cucumbers and score with tines of a fork. Thinly slice the cucumbers and arrange on one side of the tomatoes. Cover and refrigerate until required.
Beat together lemon juice, vinegar, oil, chopped mint and parsley, salt and pepper.
Just before serving over the tomatoes and cucumbers and place olives on the other side of the tomatoes and garnish the platter with parsley sprigs .

My first Award :D

Sangi of SIMPLY DELICIOUS , Shanthi of Shanthi's krishnakumar's cookbook , Ayesha of Life today and Arti Agarwal of Breakfast to Dinner have nominated me for this lovely Kreativ Blogger award, which is my 1st award. I thank you all for appreciating my work and for encouraging me to do much better next time. This award will always be special and close to my heart :)

The Kreative Blogger Award comes with some rules:-

1. You must thank the person who has given you the award.
2. Copy the logo and place it on your blog.
3. Link the person who has nominated you for the award.
4. Name 7 things about yourself that people might find interesting.
5. Nominate 7 other Kreativ bloggers.
6. Post links to the 7 blogs you nominate.
7. Leave a comment on each of the blogs to let them know they have been nominated.

Now for the seven things that you might find interesting about me :-

1. I am 23 years old, happily married from 4 1/2 years :) and mother of a 2 year old. And I love to cook for my husband and my son.

2. I am very very talkative. People around me never get bored ;) Or should I say they get bored of my talking so much ;-) I don't make friends easily :( But, I must admit that I have made many friends here :)

3. I am half Keralite and half Bangalorean. But, I am born and brought up in Bangalore.

4. I am crazy about collecting recipes. I started collecting recipes from age 14. Whenever i used to see recipes in newspaper or any magazine, I used to write the recipe in my book and stick the picture of that recipe to my book. Thus, I have many books like this and lost many more when moving from US to UK :(

5. I am not a big foodie .I eat everything except KARELA .But, I love cooking very very much. Right now I have this craze about learning international cuisines :)

6.I like learning new languages. Right now I know to speak and understand these- Hindi, Urdu, Malayalam, Kannada, Arabic, English(US and UK) and very little bit of Tamil.

7. I love traveling and sight seeing. I have visited many states in US, while living there. And my dream destination is Saudi Arabia, Switzerland, Italy, Paris and the list goes on...But, I miss my INDIA very much :( No place in the world can be more beautiful than your homeland.

Wish I had an option of nominating all my friend here. Because I really love so many blogs. But I can nominate only 7. So..my nominations for this award:

1.Akal of Akal's saappadu
2.Lubna of Yummy food
3.Divya Vikram of Dil se
4.Suchitra of Simple Indian food
5.Humaira of Humaira's food passion
6. Divya Kudua of Easy cooking
7 .Noor of Ya Salam Cooking

Bangalore Phaal

Phaal/Phall is a well know dish in Bangalore, India. It can be made both with meat/ poultry. But, I prefer using chicken, because it is less oily and cooks very fast. I got this yummy
recipe from my Mommy dear.

PHAAL

Ingredients:
1 kg chicken,
1 large onion,
1 medium tomato,
2-3 green chillies,
3-4 cloves of Garlic,
1 cup chopped cilantro,
1 tbsp of peppercorns,
1 dry bay leaf ,
1 tsp of oil and
salt to taste.

Method :
In a blender / food processor blend Onion, tomato, green chilli, cilantro, peppercorns and garlic with some salt to make a smooth paste. In a kadai heat the oil , add bay leaf and after 30 seconds add the above paste to it and cook for 5 minutes. Now add the chicken and some more salt if needed keeping in mind that some salt has already been added to the paste.Cook till the chicken is done and the gravy thickens. Serve hot with rotis or Naan.

Tips: This curry can also be cooked in a pressure cooker . But, one should not cook this chicken for too long in a pressure cooker,because chicken gets cooked really fast. After closing the pressure cooker , it should be cooked just for4-5 minutes and then open the cooker and cook for some more time, till the gravy gets thick.

Mutton Biryani (Bangalore style)

MUTTON BIRYANI

Ingredients:
1 kg mutton / lamb,
1 kg basmati rice ,
4 medium onions-sliced,
5 chopped tomatoes,
1 1/2 tbsp ginger paste,
1 1/2 tbsp garlic paste,
4 cardamoms,
4 cinnamon sticks,
3 cloves,
1 bay leaf,
1 1/2 cup fresh mint,
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
1 tbsp coriander powder,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 cup chopped coriander leaves,
4- 5 green chillies,
juice of 1 big lemon,
1 1/2 cups of oil,
1 cup yogurt and
salt to taste.

Method:
Soak the rice for atleast 25- 30 minutes before using it. Heat oil in a large pan. Add the garam masalas ( bay leaf, cardamom, cinnamon and cloves ) and fry. After 2-3 minutes add the onions and fry till golden brown in color. Add1/2 cup of mint and the green chillies and fry with onions for 5 minutes. Now add the ginger- garlic paste and cook till the smell of garlic goes away. Add the lamb, chilli powder, turmeric powder and some salt and mix well. Cook till the lamb is cooked and done. Now remove the oil from top in a small bowl and keep aside.
Now add the other ingredients to the meat- tomatoes,coriander leaves, coriander powder, remaining mint, lemon juice and yogurt. Cook till the oil separates from the pan.
Meanwhile in another large pan boil some water with 1 tsp of salt and 1 tsp oil and add the soaked rice to boiling water and cook till half done. Drian the rice with a big sieve and keep aside.
Now mix the half cooked rice with the lamb in the other pan. Mix well to blend the spices with the rice. Finally pour the oil removed from the lamb earlier. Cover the pan with a tight lid and cook on very low flame till the rice is done or bake this in the oven ( only if the pan is Oven safe) at 350 F for 15 -20 minutes or until the rice is done.

I have learned making this Biryani from my Mother-In-Law. And I love the way she makes it, just perfect mix of the spices and very very tasty. So, the credit for this recipe goes to her.

Tips: By adding oil to the boiling water, the rice won't stick to each other and it will be grainy.
When boiling the rice, mint and lemon rind/ zest can also be added to make more flavorful .
One can also layer the rice and the meat, instead of mixing it all together. But, we in Bangalore mix the rice with the meat, so that the rice gets evenly coated with the spices.

Shrikhand with apricots

SHRIKHAND WITH APRICOTS

Ingredients:
2 cups hung Yogurt,
3/4 cup sugar,
5-6 golden Apricots and
4-5 sliced pistachios

Method:
Slice the golden apricots. Cook them in a pan with 1 cup water and 1 tbsp sugar on low heat for 15-20 minutes. In another bowl, mix the hung yogurt with the remaining sugar and mix well. Put this yogurt in a muslin cloth and squeeze it.
Put the shrikhand in stemmed glasses/ serving bowls . Drain the stewed apricots and put them on top of the shrikhand. Garnish with the pistachios and serve chilled.

Source : Sanjeevkapoor.com

Baba ghanoush / Aubergine and tahini dip

BABA GHANOUSH

Ingredients:
1 big aubergine / brinjal,
1 clove garlic-peeled,
1 tsp salt,
1 tbsp tahini,
2 tbsp yogurt,
juice of 1 lemon,
2 sprigs parsley and
1 tbsp olive oil to garnish.

Method:
Pre-heat the oven to 220 C/425 F. Pierce the brinjal with a fork. Place it on a baking tray and bake or grill over a charcoalfireuntil soft, turning frequently. Cool under running water, peel of the skin and remove the stem. Mash the brinjal with a potato masher to make a puree.
In a small bowl, crush the garlic with salt and add to the aubergine / brinjal puree.Add tahini , yogurt and lemon juice and mix well to blend everything. Pour into a serving dish and garnish with chopped parsley and olive oil.

Source: This recipe is adapted from the ''Middle Eastern Cookbook'' written by MARIA KHALIFE.

I am sending this to Sanghi's Fall In Love (FIL) -Brinjal event. This is my second entry for the event.

Stir fried Baby Corn

STIR FRIED BABY CORN

Ingredients:
150 grams baby corn- Sliced lengthwise into 2,
1 finely chopped green chilli,
1 tsp finely chopped ginger,
1 tsp finely chopped garlic,
1 tsp soya sauce,
2 tsp tomato-chilli sauce,
1 tsp cornflour,
1/2 green pepper-thinly sliced,
1 tsp oil,
1/4 tsp pepper powder and
salt to taste.

Method:
In a bowl, mix soya sauce, tomato-chilli sauce and corn flour with 2 tbsp of water and keep aside. Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan, add the baby corn and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the green chilli garlic and ginger and saute for another 2 minutes. Now add the sauce from the bowl to the pan and mix well to coat the babycorn evenly and stir till the sauce thickens. Now add the green peppers, salt and pepper powder and mix well. Serve hot immediately .

Source: This recipe is adapted from tarladalal.com. I just reduced some ingredients as per my taste buds. The original recipe can be found here.

Strawberry Milkshake

STRAWBERRY MILKSHAKE

Ingredients:
1 cup fresh strawberries,
1 1/2 cup milk,
2 tsp sugar and
Ice cubes.

Method:
De-stalk and chop the strawberries. Put the strawberries , sugar, milk and 2-3 ice-cubes in a blender and blend for 1-2 minutes /until smooth.
Serve immediately

Lucknowi Baingan

LUCKNOWI BAINGAN

Ingredients :
2 medium Eggplants / Baingan,
1/2 tsp turmeric powder,
1 tsp red chilli powder,
4 tomatoes,
2 onions,
1/4 cup mint leaves,
1 1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste,
2 cups hung yogurt,
juice of 1 lime,
1/2 tsp garam masala,
oil to pan fry and
salt to taste.

Method:
Slice the eggplants into thick rounds. Rub with some salt, half the turmeric and chilli powder and set aside for few minutes. Place the yogurt in a small bowl, add a pinch of salt and lime juice and whisk well.
Pan-fry the eggplant slices until light brown on both sides. Place on an oiled baking tray. Heat oil in another pan, add chopped onions and saute well. Add ginger-garlic paste. turmeric, chilli powder and tomatoes. Season with salt and simmer, reducing the sauce till it thickens. Finish off with garam masala and remove the pan from heat.
Spread a little sauce on each of the eggplant slices and cover the tray with foil, sealing well on all sides. Bake in pre-heated oven at 180 C / 350 F for about 5 minutes.
Serve topped with the yogurt mix and garnish with mint.

This recipe is adapted from Anil Ashokan's book ''QUMIN'' and this is my entry to Sanghi's Fall in love(FIL)- Brinjal event. And I dedicate this recipe to my Mummy and Pappa . Because they encouraged me in my early cooking stages and always appreciated my experiments with cooking. Its just because of them that I have started experimenting and now I confidently learn new recipes. Love you both very much :)

Poha Chidva / Chudva

POHA CHUDVA

Ingredients:
1 cup rice flakes / Poha,
1 tbsp peanuts,
1 tbsp cashewnuts - broken,
1 tbsp roasted channa dal / Daliya,
2 green chillies- thinly sliced,
few curry leaves- chopped,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
1/2 tsp sugar,
1/4 tsp salt and
1 tbsp oil

Method:
Place the Poha in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 2 minutes and keep this aside. Heat the oil in a pan, add curry leaves and green chillies and saute for few minutes untill they become crisp. Now add groundnuts, daliya and cashewnuts and cook for 1 -2 minutes on low flame stirring continuously. Add turmeric powder and mix well. Now add the rice flakes /poha and salt and mix well to blend it with other ingredients or till it turns yellow in colour. Cook for another 2 minutes or until the rice flakes become crisp. Turn off the stove and sprinkle with the sugar.
Let it cool completely before storing it in an air-tight container.

This is my entry for Pavani's JFI event - Peanuts Event started by Indira of Mahanandi.

Naan /Indian bread

NAAN

Ingredients:
3 cups All purpose flour,
1 tsp yeast,
1tsp sugar,
1/2 tsp salt,
1 tbsp yogurt,
1 cup milk,
1egg and
1 tsp oil.

Method:
In a bowl, mix the yeast with some warm water. Stir in the sugar and salt and leave it ina warm place for 5-10 minutes, till the yeast becomes frothy. Add the milk, yogurt, 1 beaten egg and the oil to this and mix well.
Take the flour in another big bowl and add the above mixture to make a very soft and sticky dough. Now add 1/2 tsp oil on top and cover the dough with a damp kitchen towel and rest it for 15 to 20 minutes.
After 15-20 minutes, make medium sized balls with the dough, and place them on a flat sheet , covering them with a damp towel again and rest it for another 20 monutes. Pre-heat the oven to highest temperature or on broil mode. Now roll the balls into long oval shape. Place them on a greased baking tray and bake them in the Oven for 2-3 minutes / until cooked. After taking it out from the oven, apply butter on top. Serve hot with any curry/ gravy

Tips:
The Naan should not not be rolled out very thinly, because they will become very crispy.
For a variation, chopped garlic can be sprinkled on the Naan, before putting it in the oven.

Arroz Verde ( Mexican green rice)

ARROZ VERDE

Ingredients:
4 cups rice,
1/2 cup spinach,
1/2 cup cilantro leaves,
2 cups of chicken stock,
1 cup of water
1 jalapeno chilli,
1 green tomato / red,
2 tbsp olive oil,
1 big chopped onion,
1 clove garlic- chopped and
salt to taste

Method:
Wash and soak the rice for 15-20 minutes. In a blender put the chopped spinach, cilantro leaves, tomato and jalapeno chilli and blend it with some chicken stock, to make a smooth paste.
In a pan, heat the oil, and add chopped onion and chopped garlic and fry for 5-7 mins. Now drain the water from the rice and add to the pan. Fry till the rice changes its colour. Now add the pureed mixture to the rice and mix well, add the remaining chicken stock and water, add salt and bring it to boil. Cook till 80-90% is done. Now reduce the heat and close the lid and let it get cooked for 5- 10 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley. Serve hot with any Mexican curry.


This recipes goes to Jenny's Monthly mingle: Mexican Fiesta. started by Meeta K .

Palak Gosht / mutton curry with Spinach

PALAK GOSHT

Ingredients:
1 kg Mutton,
2 bunches of Spinach,
1 big onion-thinly sliced,
3 big tomatoes chopped,
3 green chillies,
1 tbsp ginger paste,
1 tbsp garlic paste,
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder,
2 tsp coriander powder,
1/4 tsp turmeric powder,
2 tbsp yogurt,
2 tbsp oil and
salt to taste.

Method:
Wash, drain and chop the spinach. Heat the oil in a pressure cooker, add onions and cook till they turn brown in colour. Add ginger paste, garlic paste, all the dry spices and salt cook in the oil, until the smell of ginger- garlic is gone. Now add the mutton, green chillies and yogurt and mix well. After 5-10 minutes add the chopped tomatoes and spinach and mix again. Pressure cook on high for around 15-20 minutes.
After opening the pressure cooker, if u see water in the curry, cook again (this time without covering it) till the water evaporates and the oil separates in the cooker.Serve hot with rotis or naan.

Tips:
No water needs to be added to this curry, because the spinach and tomatoes will have enough water to cook the meat.

Cheese toast

CHEESE TOAST

Ingredients:
4 thick slices of bread,
2 tomatoes- chopped,
1 big Capsicum-chopped,
2 cups grated cheese,
1/4 tsp red chilli powder
2tbsp cream and
salt to taste.

Method:
In a bowl take the grated cheese, capsicum,
tomatoes, cream, red chilli powder and salt and mix well.
Toast the bread slices very lightly on both sides and then apply this cheese mixture on the bread evenly and grill it for few minutes or until the cheese is melted, or put in the oven in broil mode till you see light brown colour on the top or the cheese melts.

Tips:
Remove seeds from the tomato before chopping it, to prevent the mixture from becoming watery.
Different colours of capsicum can also be used to make it more colourful .

This recipe goes to Shanti's Lovely winter recipes .

Mango milkshake

MANGO MILKSHAKE

Ingredients:
2-3 mangoes,
1/2 cup sugar,
2 cups milk and
8-10 crushed ice cubes.

Method:
Peel and cut the mangoes into small pieces. In a blender, add all the above ingredients and blend for 3-5 minutes . Enjoy :-)

This is for Srivalli's event Mango Mela.