Wheat Rawa Biryani

Found this interesting recipe...

Wheat Rawa Biryani
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZM4iDnfSDcQ&feature=related

Gongura Mushroom Curry

Ingredients:

• Gongura - 1 bunch
• Mushroom - 200 gms (cut to small pieces)
• Thalimpu Seeds - 1 tsp
• Red Chillies - 2
• Onions - 1 
• Green Chillies - 2
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves
• Salt & Red Chilli Powder to taste
• Turmeric Powder - a pinch
• Garam Masala -  1 tsp
• Cashewnuts - few fried in ghee

Preparation

• Heat oil in a pan and add onions and cut green chillies and fry
• Add curry leaves
• Add mushrooms to this and close the lid. Allow it to cook in reduced flame. Add ginger garlic paste, turmeric and salt after sometime(little as we already added to the gongura). Add red chilli powder. Add garam masala. Add little water and let it cook for some more time
• In another pan simultaneously, add gongura, turmeric powder and salt. Add little water.
• Close lid so that it cooks fast.
• Switch off both the pans once they are cooked.
• Mash the gongura with a pappu guthi.
• Add the gongura into mushroom curry.
• Cook for 1 minute.
• Add thalimpu. Add red chillies, onions, curry leaves, 
• Add the curry to this.
• Serve hot....

It is really yummy !!!

URL from Abhiruchi...http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0exLU2q3b4

Diet Plan

Diet Plan for 1st Month along with 1 hr of exercise(aerobics + gym) followed by Spa skin toning once a week.

Week 1 & Week 2


If you take coffee/tea in the morning have with Skim milk & sugar free tablet

7 AM: 1 glass warm water + 5 walnuts
7:30 AM: Egg Whites omelette with Palak + onions + tomatoes sliced finely
11 AM: 1 Fruit preferably Apple
LUNCH: 1 Pulka + 1 bowl dal + 1 bowl boiled vegetables + 1/2 cup curd
5 PM: Handful of Roasted Peanuts or Channa
DINNER: 1 Bowl Veg Soup + 2 Bowls cooked vegetables stir fried + 1 fruit
Can Add chicken to the above  diet if you want

Week 3


Day 1: Only Fruits (water melon, melons, apple, pomegranate)
Day 2: Only Vegetables (Boiled, Raw)
Day 3: 1 boiled potato + Fruits + Vegetables
Day 4: 6 Bananas + 6 glasses of Skim Milk. Night 1 bowl of soup(capsicum, cabbage, onions)
Day 5: Brown Rice + 6 tomatoes (chutney)
Day 6: Brown Rice + cooked vegetables
Day 7: Brown Rice + cooked vegetables + glass of orange juice

Week 4
7 AM: 1 glass skim milk
9 AM: 1 bowl oats
11 AM: 5 walnuts + salad
1 PM: 1/2 cup brown rice + 1 bowl Dal
5 PM: Veg Salad + walnuts (5)
8 PM: 2 egg whites omelette + bowl of vegetable curry.

Stuffed Chillies

Cottage cheese stuffed chillies

Ingredients

• 4-6 long green capsicum/ shimla mirch
• 200gm cottage cheese
• 2 boiled potatoes
• 1 onion finely cut
• One small bunch coriander finely chopped
• 4-5 basil leaves
• 1tbsp red chilli powder
• Salt as per taste
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 lemons

Method

In a large bowl mash the potatoes, cottage cheese, salt, red chilli powder, finely chopped basil, coriander, finely chopped onions, and some lemon juice together. Take the long capsicums, and slit them along the length. Remove the seeds, and stuff them with the above mixture.

In a large flat pan, add a little olive oil and place the stuffed capsicums on it. Cook on a low flame for about 10-15 minutes on each side. Cover it to for the first 5mins on each side to allow the vegetables to cook in steam.

Chicken stuffed chillies

Ingredients

• 4-6 long green capsicum/ shimla mirch
• 1 minced chicken
• 1 onion finely cut
• One small bunch coriander finely chopped
• 4-5 basil leaves
• 3-4 garlic cloves
• 2 cups cut tomatoes
• 1tbsp red chilli powder
• Salt as per taste
• ½ tbsp ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp olive oil

Method
With very little olive oil sauté the minced chicken with onions, coriander, basil leaves, garlic, tomatoes, red chilli powder, salt and pepper. Mix well and sauté for 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Keep the mixture aside to cool.

Take the capsicums and slit them lengthwise. Remove the seeds and stuff them with the chicken mince mixture. Tie the capsicum with a thread so that it doesn’t break when cooking. In a pan add a bit of olive oil and cook on a low flame for 10-15 minutes.

Cucumber Salad

Cucumber salad 
Serves 2

Ingredients 
2 big cucumbers grated not very finely
3 tbsp of roasted chana dal 
½ cup chopped mint 
1½ tsp ginger chilli paste 
1 tsp lemon juice 
Salt as per taste 

Method 
Add salt to gated cucumbers and keep them aside. In a food processor, crush roasted chana dal. Do not crush them finely. Add it to the grated cucumber; adjust salt, ginger chilli paste as per your taste. Sprinkle few drops of lemon juice. Refrigerate the preparation and serve it chilled garnished with mint leaves.

Watercress Omlette

Watercress Omelette

Ingredients

• 2 egg whites beaten
• Watercress leaves
• 1 red capsicum
• 2 mushrooms
• Olive oil
• Fresh peppercorns
• Salt

Method 
Heat some olive oil in a non-stick pan and throw in the beaten egg whites. Sprinkle the finely chopped capsicum, mushrooms and watercress leaves. Add a dash of salt and freshly ground pepper. Cook till the egg turns goldenish brown and is ready to serve.

Spinach corn toast

Spinach corn toast 
Serves 2 

Ingredients 
1 cup finely chopped spinach 
1 cup boiled corn – partly mashed 
4 tsp low fat paneer  
Ginger chili paste, oregano, chili flakes and salt as per taste 
1 tsp oil 

Method 
Heat oil in a pan; add spinach and corn and sauté for 3-4 minutes till it becomes dry. Cool the mixture and add paneer, oregano, chili flakes, ginger chili paste and salt. Adjust the spices as per your taste. Spread a dash of butter on couple of bread slices. Make a sandwich using the mixture and grill / toast it in an oven. Serve it with mint chutney.

Corn basket 
Serves 2 

Ingredients 
1 cup boiled corn 
½ cup tomato 
½ cup capsicum 
1 cup low fat/ skimmed milk 
1 tbsp wheat flour 
2 tsp cheese 
¼ tsp black pepper 
½ tsp red chili powder
Salt as per taste 
4 canapés

Method 
In a pan, heat milk, add wheat flour, cheese, salt, black pepper and red chili powder, stir to make a thick white sauce. Add tomato, capsicum and corn. In a canapé add the mixture and bake it in an oven for 2 minutes. Serve hot

Chandrakanthalu

Ingredients

• Pesarapappu - 2 cups
• Coconut - 1 cup
• Sugar - 2 cups (3 cups if you want more sweet)
• Water - 2 cups
• Oil
• Elaichi Powder

Preparation

• Soak 4 hrs for pesarapappu ( Grind the pesarapappu; if needed add little water)
• Put pan on stove
• Add 2 cups water (for 2 cups of pesarapappu)
• Add 2 cups of sugar and boil
• Add coconut pieces in that water and boil
• Add 1 tsp oil so that pesarapappu paste does not not to stick and avoids lumps formation
• Add the grinded pesarapappu paste to this water
• Allow it to cook till it is done
• Touch hand with water and touch the sweet and it shouldn't stick - this means it is done
• Add elaichi powder
• In a plate put a wet cloth and pour the batter, spread across.
• Allow it cool and then cut the pieces(diamond shaped) - dip knife in water
• In a pan add oil and allow to heat
• Deep fry the cut pieces
• Allow to fry till brown color and remove

Serve warm or cold. Store in an air tight container for 4 days.

PAPDI CHAT

Ingredients:

• Maida  - 1 cup
• Semiya - 1/4 cup
• Oil - enough to fry papdi
• Salt to taste
• Red Chilli Powder to taste
• Potatoes - 2 (boiled and mashed)
• Boiled Peanuts - 1/2 cup
• Curd - little
• Jeera Powder - 1 teaspoon (fry)
• Sanna Karampoosa
• Onion - cut to small pieces - to garnish

Preparation:

• In a bowl, add Maida, Semiya, Salt, little oil, boiled water and mix as a chapati dough for 1/2 hour
• Make small chapatis
• In a pan add oil - add Jeera Powder, Mashed Potatoes - fry for 5 minutes
• Add Curd, Salt, Red Chilly Powder, Boiled peanuts and mix and remove from heat
• Spread chapatis on a layer and add this mixture on the layet and top it up with chapati and Sanna karampoose, onions pieces
• Papdi chat

Use the Chat Chutneys in this blog and you can top with those as well.

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TIP:: Freezing Mango Pulp

TIP:: Freezing Mango Pulp for eating during other seasons


Squeeze the juice out of Mangoes (Juicy - Rasalu) and freeze it in freezer. You can eat them after couple of days/weeks. Optionally you can grind it and freeze to have a smooth texture. 

Ensure you do this right when we have mangoes are sweet rather than at the end of the season where we don't get sweet ones

This is especially useful when your loved ones abroad are planning to come to India or when you have plenty of mangoes at home.

HEALTH TIP: Walnuts for rest of life for increasing HDL

HEALTH TIP: Eating walnuts for increasing HDL levels.

I went for a health checkup yesterday and all seems well except I need to increase my good Cholesterol (HDL) values.

Doctor suggested to "Eat handful of WALNUTS first thing in the morning for the rest of my life" 

Another doctor next door for my friend suggested to eat FISH.

HEALTH TIP:: Eat more Iron rich foods like Apples, Bananas, Green Vegetables, Non-Veg etc. to avoid Anemia

HEALTH TIP:: AVOID BECOMING ANEMIC


* Eat more Iron rich foods like Apples, Bananas, Green Vegetables, Non-Veg etc.
* Vitamin C allows the body to absorb more Iron. Hence have fruits like Orange, Lemon, Amla(Usirikaya) and juices having these
* Drinking Coffee or Tea after meals will prohibit the body from absorbing required Iron.
* Kismis is also Iron rich.


- Courtesy Eenadu

(Sweet) Capsicum Curry

Ingredients:

• Capsicum - 2 no.
• Dhania - Jeelakarra Powder - 2 tablespoons
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 teaspoon
• Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Jaggery - 2 teaspoon (optional)
• Oil - 1 teaspoon
• Salt to taste

Preparation:

• Cut capsicum into small pieces
• Heat oil in a pan and add Thalimpu seeds
• Add capsicum and cook for 5 minutes
• Add red chilli powder, dhania jeelakarra powder, salt and jaggery
• Cook for some more time.
• Add water if you want to make gravy

It tastes well with rice or chapati.

Another variation on the same is adding sesame seeds to the powder preparation.

Senagalu Pulusu

Ingredients:

• Onion - 1 no.
• Tomatoes - 2 no.
• Senagalu - 1 cup
• Garlic -  4 cloves 
• Coriander powder - 5 tablespoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 teaspoon
• Tamarind - soak and extract the chintapandu pulusu
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves for garnishing

Paste for Pulusu:

Grind the below ingredients

• Raw rice - 1 tablespoon
• Cumin seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Red chillies (adjust to taste) - 8-10 no.
• Grated coconut - 3 tablespoon (ideally fresh coconut. I tried adding dry coconut grate...still tastes good)

Preparation:

• Soak channa overnight. 
• Drain and cook chana by adding water(1:4) and cook in a pressure cooker
• Drain the excess water.and keep it aside to add to the curry later
• In a pan, add oil.
• Add onions, tomatoes, garlic cloves and the paste.
• Add coriander powder, turmeric powder and channa water you drained
• Cover and cook for 10 min
• Add boiled chana to the curry and cook for 5 mins.
• Add salt to taste and add tamarind water like you add to any pulusu
• Boil for 10 mins
• Add thalimpu to this curry - oil + thalimpu seeds + curry leaves
• Garnish with Coriander leaves

Take this curry with rice or chapathi

EGG MASALA - KODI GUDDU VEPUDU

Ingredients:

• 4 eggs boiled
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1 tsp roasted chana dhal powder
• Salt to taste
• 1/2 tbsp oil

Preparation

• Add chilli powder, chana dhal powder and salt in a bowl and mix well.
• In a pan add oil and add the above mixture.
• Saute for a min and add boiled eggs.
• Cook on low flame for 5-10 mins and tasty, colorful Egg curry is ready

TIP: Garlic to be dried in hot sun before peeling

TIP: GARLIC PEELING PROCESS

Dry the garlic cloves in hot sun for sometime. The peeling becomes easier

Cabbage Pachadi

Ingredients:

• Cabbage - 1/4 kg
• Green Chillies - 5
• Lemon -2
• Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Curry Leaves
• Thalimpu seeds
• Oil
• Peanuts
• Coriander Powder
• Coriander Leaves
• Garlic Cloves

Preparation:

• Cut Cabbage into small pieces
• Grind Peanut to powder
• Add cabbage to a bowl
• Add Red Chilli Powder, salt to taste
• Squeeze lemon juice
• Add peanut powder and coriander powder
• Mix well
• In a pan add oil and add make thalimpu seeds, green chillies, garlic cloves, curry leaves
• Add this thalimpu to the above bowl
• Garnish with coriander leaves

Beerakaya Curry with milk

Carrot Pachadi

Quick and easy pachadi - healthy and less oily

Ingredients:

• Carrots - 1/4 kg, grate it
• Salt
• Red Chilli Powder -  1/2 tsp
• 2 Lemons
• Green Chillies - 4(slit longitudinal)
• Thalimpu seeds
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Garlic
• Curry leaves

Preparation:

• Grate the carrots and add to a bowl
• Squeeze lemon juice
• Add Red Chilli Powder
• Add Salt to taste
• Mix well
• In a pan add oil and add thalimpu, green chillies, garlic, curry leaves
• Add this thalimpu into the bowl above and mix well

This really tastes yummy

Kakarkaya Pulusu

Ingredients:

• Bitter Gourd (Kakarkaya) - 1/4 kg
• Onions - 2
• Green chillies - 3
• Tamarind (soak in water and take pulusu)
• Salt to taste
• Red Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic - 4-5 cloves
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Popu - Minna pappu, Avalu, Jeelakarra, Senagapappu, curry leaves
• Jaggery - Bellam

Preparation:

• In a pan add 2 tsp of oil and add thalimpu(Minna pappu, Avalu, Jeelakarra, Senagapappu, curry leaves) and fry.
• Add garlic cloves peeled and fry
• Add chopped onions and green chillies and fry till they become light brown.
• Add cut chopped kakarkaya pieces, salt, red chillies powder, turmeric powder and allow it to cook for a while by closing the lid for 2 minutes
• Add tamarind pulusu and cook for 5 minutes.
• Add jaggery and allow to cook for 5 more minutes.
• Allow the pulusu to cook for 5 minutes and switch off the stove

Corn Flour Halwa

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup Corn Flour
• Almost 1 cup Granulated Sugar
• Saffron - a pinch (optional if using the artificial color)
• 6 to 7 pods Elachi (Take out the seeds and grind to a coarse powder)
• Orange Red Color (Optional ) - a pinch
• Pistachio nuts chopped - a handful
• (Any kind of chopped nuts is fine)
• Ghee - 3 tablespoons
• Water - 4 cups

Preparation:

Take Corn Flour in a Microwave safe bowl. Preferably a little big. I used the corning ware big size.

Pour 2 Cups of Water. Whisk well until there are no lumps.

Mix in the sugar and whisk until even distribution.

Add the Saffron.

Microwave on High for 2 minutes. Stir and again Microwave on High for 2 minutes. Repeat this until the conflour's raw smell goes. If you think the content is thickening too quickly, add little water and stir until even distribution and again Microwave for 1 or 2 minutes, or until the content becomes a little semi solid and the Corn Flour raw smell disappears completely.

Grease a dish with Ghee and add the remaining Ghee, Ground Elachi and the chopped nuts to the content and stir until even distribution. Cook again for a minute or two in microwave. The consistency will resemble a jelly, somewhat semi solid, trying to set.

Immediately pour the content in the greased dish

Allow it to cool completely. Topple the halwa in a plate. Slice and Serve. You can still enjoy the Halwa even if it doesn't slice out well.

SET MENU FOR A PARTY

A Set Menu for a Party of 15:

• 9 Eggs Boiled - slice it and add salt and pepper on top to go with drinks
• 2 1/2 kgs of Chicken Fry with Cashews to go with drinks
• 2 1/2 kgs of Mutton Curry (add paste of almonds and cashews for gravy)
• Tomato, Sorakaya, Mango Pappu Curry
• White Rice
• Yoghurt
• Beerakaya Pachadi

Palak Mealmaker Curry

Ingredients:

• Spinach – 2 cups
• Mealmaker granules – 1/2 cup
• Onion – 1
• Turmeric powder -1/4 tsp
• Red chillie powder -1 tsp
• Salt – as required
• Garam masala powder – 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves -2 sprigs
• Ginger garlic paste – 1tsp
• Ghee -1 tsp
• Oil -3 tsp

Soak the meal maker granules in hot water for ten minutes.  

Strain the water and saute it in ghee for two minutes and keep it aside. 

Wash and cut the spinach. 

Heat oil in a pan and add finely chopped onion and saute till soft and translucent. 

Add turmeric powder, curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and saute for two minutes more.

Add chopped spinach/ palak , red chillie powder, salt as required. 

Mix well and cover with lid. 

Cook on slow fire till the palak is completely cooked and add mealmaker granules and garam masala powder. 

Mix well ,cover with lid and cook for five minutes more. 

This spicy curry is good combination for rice and rotis. Healthy too

Senagalu Fry

Ingredients:

• 1 cup Kala channa(Senagalu)(Black Chickpeas)
• 2 cups water
• Salt to Taste
• Lemon juice

For Seasoning

• 2 dried red chillies
• 1 tsp urad dal
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
•  Few curry leaves
• 1/2 tbsp oil

Process

• Soak the chana for a whole night
• Boil the channa with 2 cups of water and salt for 20-25 min. Then drain the water.
• Heat oil in a pan and do the seasoning by adding one by one.(red chillies, urad dal, mustard seeds, curry leaves)
• Add the boiled chana & fry for 10-15 min.
• Remove from heat & enjoy the snack
• Sprinkle little lemon juice on the chana while having the snack.

Alasandalu Curry

Preparation of Alasandalu Curry

Black eyed peas (alasandalu)- 2 cups

Onions – 1 finely chopped

Ginger-garlic paste – 1 tea spoon

Tomatoes -     2 finely chopped

Chilli powder – add to the taste

Coriander powder – 1 tea spoon

Salt

Same as above soak and boil the black eyed peas in a cooker till you get 3 whistles. Now take a tava.

Heat sufficient oil ie 3-4 table spoons in tava.

Now add onions and let them deep fry till they turn dark brown.

Now add tomatoes and ginger garlic paste and let them fry too.

Now add the boiled black eyed peas to the mixture and add sufficient water.

Let the curry boil and add sufficient chilli powder, coriander powder and sufficient amount of salt.

Bring the curry to boil and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with chapathi’s and your family members will love it