Category Archives: Recipe Index

Breakfast, Pasta/Noodles, Recipe Index, Veg Recipes

Spaghetti Arrabbiata(A spicy Italian Recipe)

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
01
Jan

Spaghetti Arrabbiata is a spicy Italian recipe.Arrabbiata sauce is a combination of red chilli flakes, tomatoes and garlic in olive oil. It is a very tasty delicious recipe that is simple and easy to make.

Arrabbiata means “angry” which relates to the spiciness of the recipe. Mostly penne pasta is used but I use spaghetti here. This is the recipe that I follow and would like to share it with you as it is very tasty.

Precautions to be followed while making the spaghetti

  • Always add enough water

          For boiling spaghetti, more water is required. The vessel should be big enough so that the entire spaghetti is completely submerged in water so that it floats in water. The amount of water should be more.

  • Do not overcook the spaghetti

        When cooked the spaghetti is uniform in colour and soft.If it underdone you can see a white core in the innerside.Just as it is cooked it should be immersed into the sauce.So keep the sauce ready.After you add the spaghetti to the sauce ,mix well and do not cook for more than  2 minutes.

  • Do not add oil while boiling the spaghetti

         Adding oil to the spaghetti does not prevent it from sticking together. If oil is not added to the spaghetti then it is possible for the sauce to stick or get absorbed.This increases the taste.

  • Do not drain the water completely from the spaghetti

       Drain the spaghetti fast and dump it into the pan containing sauce immediately.Nevermind if there is little water as this will help in the proper mixing of pasta and sauce.The remaining water will help in diluting the sauce.

  • Eat the spaghetti immediately

       As soon as you prepare the spaghetti have it immediately while it is hot.Do not allow it to sit.You can get the best taste of the spaghetti when it is taken hot

      The combination of herbs along with the sauce to the spaghetti makes it an excellent dish that tingles our taste buds. Here we go into this amazing recipe….

Ingredients:

200 g spaghetti 

4 medium-sized blanched tomatoes 

1 teaspoon tomato ketchup

2 teaspoons olive oil

5 cloves of garlic finely chopped

1 and a 1/2 tablespoon chilli flakes

1/4 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon oregano

1/4 teaspoon sugar

1and a 1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

Method

The method involves three steps

1.Preparation of tomato sauce

2. Boiling the Spaghetti

3. Preparation of Spaghetti Arrabbiata

Now let us see in detail.

    1. Preparation of tomato sauce

Blanching of tomatoes

Wash and remove the stem part of the tomatoes. Give a small cut on top of the tomatoes and place it in a vessel. Pour around 400 ml of water. Allow it to boil for around 5 minutes. Remove from flame and strain the tomato. Then run cold water so that further boiling of tomatoes stops. Peel the skin.

Making tomato sauce

Place the peeled tomatoes in a mixer. Add 1 teaspoon tomato ketchup and 1/2 tablespoon chilli flakes and grind.

    2. Boiling the Spaghetti

Take 1500 ml of water in a large vessel and allow it to boil. Add 1 teaspoon of salt. Then add spaghetti to it. The vessel should be big enough so that the entire spaghetti is completely submerged in water so that it floats in water.

Note:  If only partial spaghetti is immersed then you will end up with spaghetti cooked unevenly that is one part that is immersed in water will be cooked whereas the other part which is not immersed in water will not be cooked.

Cook for 12 minutes.

Using a colander remove the water. Reserve a bit of pasta cooked water and be ready to dump it into the pan containing the sauce.

  3. Preparation of Spaghetti Arrabbiata

Take a pan and add 2 teaspoons of olive oil. Allow it to get heated for 2 minutes. Then add the chopped garlic and saute till it turns golden brown. 


Then add 1 tablespoon of chilli flakes. Then sprinkle the oregano and thyme. (mixed herbs can also be used instead of thyme) and stir till the flavour of the ingredients mixes with the oil.

 

Now add the prepared tomato sauce to this. 

Allow it to boil and keep it on low flame for 10 minutes or till it reaches the right consistency. Then add sugar and 1/2 teaspoon salt and mix well.

Add spaghetti and mix well. Allow the spaghetti to blend with the sauce. 

Note : You can also add pizza sauce 

And… there you go!! The Spaghetti Arrabbiata is ready 🙂 

Enjoy and share your experience in the comments!!

 

Breakfast, Chutney, Recipe Index, Veg Recipes

Tomato Kara Chutney

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
01
Jan

Tomato Kara chutney is a simple spicy chutney that can be prepared very easily. I usually choose it if I have to cook very fast. This South Indian recipe goes well with idli, dosa and uttapam. The tangy taste of tomatoes along with garlic and chilli powder makes the dish very tasty.

Adding a little gingelly oil to the spicy tomato chutney further enhances its flavour. As no coconut is included in the tomato kara chutney, the shelf- life of it is longer. Adding gingelly oil also acts as a preservative.

Ingredients

2 teaspoons oil

5 medium-sized tomatoes (cut haphazardly)

1 pod garlic

1/2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds

1/2 teaspoon urad dhal

a sprig of curry leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

Method

Grinding

Take the tomatoes and garlic in a mixer grinder and grind well.

 

Tempering

Tempering should be done in low-medium flame only.

Now you need to temper the above paste. For this take a Kadai or tempering pan. Heat it and add oil. Allow the oil to get heated for a minute. Add mustard and allow it to splutter.

Now add urad dhal and cumin seeds. Let the urad dhal turn slightly brown.

Immediately add asafoetida and red chilli powder and stir. The colour of the chilli powder will change. 

Without further delay add curry leaves and give a quick stir. 

Note:Add curry leaves instantly as the colour of the chilli powder changes from red to darker red. Otherwise the chilli powder will get overheated and turn black.

Then add the ground mixture to it. Add salt and allow it to boil for 5 minutes. 

To increase the taste you can also add a little gingelly oil.

Enjoy this spicy kara chutney with hot idlis, dosa or uttapam.

Happy Eating 🙂

Non Veg Recipes, Recipe Index

Chicken Tawa Fry ( Tandoori Style)

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
01
Jan

Chicken Tawa Fry is a mouthwatering dish. The process involves simply mixing the ingredients with the chicken and then grilling. Chicken is marinated along with the spices and cooked on low-medium flame. This makes the dish extraordinary. Here no deep-frying is involved so it also makes the dish healthy.

Chicken Tawa fry can be taken with mayonnaise, chips or green chutney. It can also be used as fillings in sandwiches and rolls.

You can try this recipe with country chicken too but remember to marinate for a longer time and add 1 teaspoon extra curds. In this case, the curd need not be very thick.

The same recipe can be used for making Fish Tawa Fry(Tandoori style)

Ingredients 

500 g of chicken

2 tablespoon mustard oil (you can use any other oil of your 

choice if you want)

1/2 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoon red chili powder

1 teaspoon garam masala powder

1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste

1/4 teaspoon kasuri methi

1/2 lemon

1 tablespoon curd

1/2 teaspoon salt/salt to taste

Method

Marination of chicken

Wash the chicken and remove any excess water. Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder,garam masala powder,ginger-garlic paste and salt and mix well.

Then add curd and mix well. The curd should be thick. 

 

You will notice the colour of the marination change.

Finally, add kasuri methi(dried fenugreek leaves) and squeeze the lemon. Add 1 tablespoon of oil and give a final mix. 

Keep it in the fridge for a minimum of 30 minutes. If the marination time increases the taste of the chicken also increases.If you want you can also keep the marinated chicken in the fridge overnight.

Preparation of the Chicken

Take a grill tawa and heat the tawa well. Apply oil using a brush. If you want you can add 1 teaspoon of oil. In this recipe, I have added the oil.

 

Now place the marinated chicken on the pan on low-medium flame. Cover it with a lid. Do not disturb for 10 minutes. Now turn the pieces.

Note: If the chicken sticks while trying to turn over, wait further. Repeat the same procedure. As you cover the chicken with a lid water will be released. Cook till the chicken is dry. The Chicken Tawa Fry is ready to be relished. Enjoy with mayonnaise!!!:) Please subscribe for more easy recipes.

Breakfast, Recipe Index, Veg Recipes

How to cook Oats? (With Dry Fruits)

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
01
Jan

Oats, being among the healthiest grains on earth, is usually taken as oatmeal or porridge for breakfast. Oatmeal is made by boiling oats in water or milk. As oats cook very fast it is the perfect choice for breakfast for many including children.

Before we go into the recipe let me share with you a little knowledge of Oats. Oat groats are the most intact and whole form of oats that requires a long time to cook. Hence rolled, crushed or steel-cut oats are preferred.

Instant(quick)oats are a highly processed variety that cooks faster. Here in this recipe, we use instant(quick) oats that are easily available in the market.

Now let us see how to cook oats. It is a really simple process.

Ingredients

2 cup Milk/water

1 cup oats(instant/quick oats)

Method

Take a pan and add oats.

 

Now add the milk and mix well. Usually, the ratio of oats to milk is 1:2 but if you want you can make it more watery by adding more water.

Note: If you are a vegan, you can add water only.

 

Heat it on a low-medium flame giving an occasional stir till you get the required consistency to get oatmeal.

 

Adding bananas, sugar/honey and dry fruits.

Transfer the oatmeal to a mixing bowl.

In this recipe, I am adding bananas, honey and dry fruits. The fruit and dry fruits can be changed accordingly. Remember to add fruits to oatmeal only when it cools to avoid any reactions and thereby change of colour.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon of sugar or honey(optional)

2 bananas(cut)

5 almonds

5 black raisins

Add bananas only when the porridge gets cooled to room temperature otherwise, it will change its colour. 

 

Mix well and add almonds, honey and black raisins.

Note: If you are adding sugar you can add it immediately to the oatmeal and mix well, however, if you are adding honey allow it to cool and then add honey.

Dates can also be added but if you are adding dates you can reduce the sugar/honey to avoid making the dish very sweet.

Voila! It’s time to relish your tasty and healthy oatmeal!

Enjoy the dish and stay healthy 🙂

Breakfast, Recipe Index, Veg Recipes

Wheat Vermicelli Upma

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
01
Jan

Wheat Vermicelli Upma is a  healthy South Indian vegetarian dish that can be taken for breakfast. It can be given to children and the elderly too as it is easily digestible.

To make it healthier you can add vegetables like carrot, beans and peas too. The same process can be followed for making finger millet (ragi) vermicelli upma, fox millet (thinai) vermicelli upma, pearl millet(kambu)vermicelli upma. A similar recipe is that of Lemon Sevai , which is also healthy.

This upma can taken with coconut chutney, pickle, banana or curd depending on your choice. For children, you can give it with banana. The best option is coconut chutney.

Method

For cooking the Wheat Vermicelli

The method varies for a brand and usually this procedure is written in the packet itself. Here I am using Anil brand wheat vermicelli.

Ingredients

180 g wheat vermicelli

1 litres water


Method

Take water in a big vessel. 

 

Add the wheat vermicelli to the water so that it is fully immersed in water for 2 minutes. This is done to soften the wheat vermicelli.


Drain the water immediately. Remember you cant use a colander as the vermicelli can easily pass through the holes. So you can use a micro-perforated strainer. If you do not have a strainer you can drain the water using the following method.
Close the vessel with a lid, hold the lid and the vessel together and slightly tilt the vessel so that only the water comes out. Finally, all the water is drained and only the softened vermicelli remains. (You can check the picture below for your reference).


Place this wheat vermicelli on an idli plate as shown below. Do not overcrowd it. You can use two idli plates if you want. Keep this in an idli cooker and steam it for around 8 minutes. After the 8th minute, switch off the flame and remove the idli plates from the idli vessel. Allow it to cool.

 

Preparation of the wheat vermicelli upma

Ingredients

3 tablespoon oil

1 big onion (finely chopped)

2 big chillies(finely chopped)

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon broken urad dhal

1/2 teaspoon chana dhal

2 pinches asafoetida(hing)

a sprig of curry leaves

1teaspoon salt or salt to taste

1 tablespoon coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Method

Heat the pan or Kadai and pour oil. Wait for 2 minutes for the oil to get heated. Add mustard and allow it to splutter.


At this stage add urad dhal, chana dhal and asafoetida. Let the urad dhal turn slightly brown.


Now add onions, green chillies and curry leaves and saute. 

Saute till the onions turn slightly brown.

Then add the cooked wheat vermicelli and sprinkle the salt. Mix well. Finally, garnish with coriander leaves. Mix well so that the coriander leaves get distributed evenly and serve hot.


Enjoy the tasty dish with coconut chutney:)

Chicken, Gravy/Side Dish, Non Veg Recipes, Recipe Index

Coriander Chicken/Cilantro Chicken Masala

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
01
Jan

Coriander chicken is a delicious simple side dish. In this recipe, we do not add coconut and there is no garam masala added here so that the original taste of coriander leaves is maintained. The freshness of the coriander leaves enhances the flavour of the recipe.

Coriander chicken goes well with Indian breads like roti, chapati and also with white rice, biryani and ghee rice.

Here I will share how to make Coriander Chicken using different utensils

a) using a pressure cooker

b) using a kadai

You can choose what best suits for you.

Grinding of the masala

Ingredients

2 pods  or 2 teaspoons garlic

2-inch ginger or 2 teaspoons ginger

3 green chillies

1 bunch coriander leaves

Method

Take green chillies, coriander leaves and a pinch of salt in a mixie jar. I have used ginger-garlic paste so I am adding later however if you are adding the garlic pod and ginger piece you can add it here. Grind it without adding water initially and then add a few drops of water. Grind till you get a smooth paste.

 

Preparation of the Coriander Chicken

Ingredients

1 kg chicken

5 big onions

4 big tomatoes

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

1 teaspoon chilli  powder

1 teaspoon salt or salt to  taste

A) Using pressure cooker

Take the pan of the pressure cooker and heat it. Add oil and allow the oil to get heated. Then add onion and saute till the onion becomes soft.

Now add ginger- garlic paste and saute further till the raw smell of the goes. (In case you have added the garlic pod and ginger piece in the grinding then you skip this step)  

Then add the tomatoes and saute till you can get a mushy paste. 

Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and saute further till the moisture content is reduced.

Add the chicken and stir. After a few minutes, add the already ground masala and stir till the chicken mixes well with the masala. Then add salt and mix further. You will notice that the chicken will release water. Further, add a cup(100 ml) of water and close the lid and cook for a single whistle on a high medium flame.

 

Allow the cooker to cool. First, remove the weight and then remove the lid and heat on high medium flame till you get the required consistency. Keep stirring occasionally.

B) Using a kadai

Take a kadai or a heavy thick bottomed pan or a cast-iron skillet and heat it. Add oil and allow the oil to get heated. Then add onion and saute till it becomes soft.

Now add ginger-garlic paste and saute further till the raw smell of the ginger -garlic paste goes.  (In case you have added the garlic pod and ginger piece in the grinding then you skip this step)                                     

Now add tomatoes and saute till you get a mushy paste.


Add chilli powder, turmeric powder and saute further for a few minutes.

Add the chicken and stir. After a few minutes, add the already ground masala and stir till the chicken mixes well with the masala. Then add salt and mix further. The chicken will release water. Further, add a cup(200 ml) of water and close the lid and cook 20 minutes on a slow medium flame.

 

Now remove the lid and heat on high medium flame till you get the required consistency. Keep stirring occasionally.


Yay! The coriander chicken is now ready for us to attack it ;)Enjoy the dish and let us know how you enjoyed it in the comments… we need your encouragement people!

Gravy/Side Dish, Non Veg Recipes, Recipe Index

Chicken Curry(South Indian Style)

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
01
Jan

Chicken curry is a classic, simple dish in which no garam masala or coriander powder is added. Here the taste of chilli powder and coconut is blended with chicken and this gives a special taste. Adding garlic also contributes to its unique taste.

This chicken curry is absolutely delicious with ghee rice although you can also take with plain rice. It can also be taken with chapatis, hot idli, dosa and set dosa. Adding a little ghee to your idlis and dosa makes the dish even more mind-blowing. Even ragi mudde tastes good.

There are many variations that can be done in a chicken gravy. You can also add pieces of fried coconut to the gravy. The crunchiness of coconut makes it delicious.

Ingredients

1 kg chicken

4 big onions (chopped)

4 medium-sized tomatoes (chopped)

2 pods of garlic

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder

2 teaspoon chilli powder

1/4 cup grated or 4-5 pieces 1 inch sized coconut

2 teaspoons salt or salt to taste

Method

Take a kadai or a heavy thick bottomed pan or a cast-iron skillet and heat it. Add oil and allow the oil to get heated. Then add onion and garlic. Saute till it turns golden brown.

Then add tomatoes and coconut and saute further till you get a mushy paste.

Now add turmeric powder and chilli powder and saute on low medium flame stirring occasionally. 

Note: On adding the chilli powder the masala tends to get stuck to the vessel and if left for a long time, may also get burnt. So to prevent it from getting burnt, it is essential to stir continuously.

Keep heating till you get a mushy paste. Allow this to cool.

Grinding the masala

Grind the cooled masala in a mixie jar. Initially do not add water and grind for a few minutes. Then gradually increase the water content(say around 10 ml) and grind.

Keep repeating till you get a smooth paste. Remember not to add too much water as it will splash all over and the curry will be bland.

Now let’s get into the final preparation of the Chicken curry.

Preparation of the Chicken curry

Take a cooker pan and add oil. Allow the oil to get heated. Add onions and curry leaves and saute till the colour of the onions changes to light brown. 

 

Then add the chicken and stir. After a few minutes, add the already ground masala and stir till the chicken mixes well with the masala. Then add salt and mix further. 

You will notice that the chicken will release water. Further, add a cup(200 ml) of water and close the lid and cook for a single whistle on a high medium flame. You can also reduce the quantity of water if you want a thicker consistency. Remove the weight after the cooker cools. Also, keep heating the curry on high medium flame till you get the required consistency. 

Note:

In case you are using a Kadai and not a cooker, then instead of using 200 ml of water, add 300 ml of water and close the lid and cook 20 minutes on a slow medium flame. 

Enjoy the dish and do share your experience in the comments:)

Breakfast, Chutney, Recipe Index, Veg Recipes

Onion Chutney/Vengaya Chutney(Basic)

Posted on by kavithapadmanaban
28
Dec

Onion chutney can be made in different ways. This is the basic recipe for an onion chutney wherein onions ,tomatoes and red chillies are the major ingredients.It is suitable for idli, uthapam, rava idli, dosa, rava dosa, masala dosa, wheat dosa, ghee dosa and many other dosa varieties.

For any authentic South Indian breakfast usually onion chutney,coconut chutney,pudhina chutney along with sambar is served in a restaurant.The main highlight of this chutney is that it does not include any coconut.

To this you can also add 1 inch (1/4 teaspoon) tamarind to get the tangy taste but however, I have not added the tamarind here.

Note: If the idli /dosa batter is old it is better to avoid tamarind as the sourness of the batter will make the chutney very tangy. If the idli/dosa batter is freshly made then you can add tamarind.It would be a perfect blend.

Even corriander leaves (2 tablespoons) can be added to give a different taste as you may get tired of eating the same chutney everyday and opt for something new. 

So now lets get into the preparation of this simple onion chutney.

Ingredients

One and a  half tablespoons oil

4 medium-sized onions (chopped)

3 medium-sized tomatoes (chopped)

5 red chillies

1/4 teaspoon salt or salt to taste

Ingredients for tempering

1/2 tablespoons oil

1/4 teaspoon mustard

1/2 teaspoon urad dhal

2 pinch asafoetida

a sprig of curry leaves

Method

Take a kadai or a heavy thick bottomed pan or a cast-iron skillet and heat it. Add one and a  half tablespoons oil and allow the oil to get heated. Add the chopped onions and saute for a few minutes until it turns slightly brown in colour.

Then add the red chillies and stir for 2 minutes.

Now add tomatoes and saute till you get a mushy paste. Add salt and give a final mix. Switch off the flame. Cool it.

Grinding of the chutney

Take the cooled mushy paste in a mixie and grind. I have not added water for grinding.If you want you can add water according to your desired consistency.Usually a thick consistency is preferred. Transfer to a bowl.

Tempering of the chutney

Note: Always do tempering on a low – medium flame.

Take a tempering pan and heat it. Add oil and heat for 1 minute. Then add mustard and allow it to splutter. 

Add asafoetida and urad dhal. Let the urad dhal turn slightly brown.

Then without further delay, add curry leaves. You will notice that the curry leaves become crispy with time.

Switch off the flame and add this to the ground chutney in the bowl.

Give a quick stir to find your onion chutney ready to eat.