Hungama Masala (mix starter) !!

Introduction
Well, my first entry to this world of 'veemboor cooking'; so deciding to begin with a 'starter' in all senses !! :-)
Me, praseeda and athwin had been to 'Urban Tadka' @ Mulund(Mumbai) yesterday and we tried out a starter 'hungama masala' ..it turned out to be a very interesting ones

Recipe: Hungama Masala
A mish-mash collection of the following ingredients:

Ingredients
*Boiled peas
*Fried groundnuts(probably deep-fried in oil or roasted in slight oil should also suffice)
*Small potato cubes(like small dice/die..i.e small chotu cubes fried like french fries)
*Sliced tomato pieces
*Finely sliced onions
*Paneer cubes(either raw or halka-sa fried in oil)
*Masala: not sure; go ahead..and experiment !!

Method
*Boil the peas; fry the groundnuts,potato and paneer.
*Cut the onions and tomatoes
*Saute the onions, add tomatoes and probably add whatever masalas you feel like !!
*Maybe some chaat masala, garam masala or any other masala...
*Mix the ingredients together...and voila..u got a mix starter !!


As Gusteau said in Ratatouille "Anyone can cook!!" :-)
And boyyy..don't I love cooking !!

Explore and experiment !!. Feel the colors; go for contrasting combinations--light & dark ; red & green !! :-)...go for the spices..sprinkle 'em and spice it up !!

Never consider cooking as a overhead--appreciate the smell, the sounds and put your soul into cooking...and it will be a fun-time whenever u cook !!

--more dishes coming down the line !!

Solkadi

Ingredients
Coconut milk - About 1/4 can
Kokum or kodampuli - 4-5 pieces
Green chillies - 2-3
Garlic - 2-3 cloves
Roughly crush green chillies and garlic. Not too much. just to get their juices out.Take coconut milk in a bowl. Add a little water so that its a bit diluted.Now add the crushed chilli-garlic mix.Add Kokum. Season with salt.Let is sit for about 20 mins. the coconut milk will take on the flavours of the garlic, chillies and kokum. It will also go slightly pink (color of kokum). Serve with rice

Mushroom Curry

Yummy Mushroom curry
Ingredients
Mushroom - 1 pack. Chop roughly into bite size pieces
Tomatoes - 1 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Coconut milk - About 1/2 a can.

For masala powder
dry Red chilli
Rai
Coriander seeds
Cumin seeds
Poppy Seeds (Khus Khus)
Cardamom
Cinnaomon (small piece)
Olive oil
Curry leaves
First the masala
Dry roast the ingredients (except curry leaves) till u can get that nice aroma .. the rai is sputtering and the chillies have gone dark'
Transfer into a mortar and crush them into a powder. It needn't be a fine powder. Once done, add a bit of olive oil to the powder and mix. Now chop curry leaves and mix it in too.
Keep aside
Heat some oil
Saute onions.Once done, add a bit of turmeric powder. (Chilli powder up to you ... u can skip it since masala will be spicy)Tomatoes go in. Cook for 2-3 mins.Now add the masala paste. Cook for abt 5 minsNow add the mushrooms. Cook for sometime. Once they r done, add the coconut milk. Cook for abt 5 mins and you are done.
Garnish with coriander. Serve with steaming hot rice of lovely chappatis.

Masala Gobi

Masala Gobi: found it in a book but I rarely have all the ingredients metnioned so finally i end up changing it
Ingredients:
Onion - about 1 medium
Green chillies - 3-4 depending on your tolerance for 'heat'
Ginger - random size ..
Garlic - 2-3 cloves
Cashew nuts - 7-8 soak in water
Tomatoes - 2 medium
Cauliflower florets
Usual masalas
Curd - 2 tablespoons

Grind chillies, ginger, garlic and cashew together to form a paste
Heat oil. Saute onions. When golden brown add tumeric powder, stir.
Add coriander powder stir.
Add your paste. stir
If needed add chilli powder. I dont add it now since akshay has the same food.
Add garam masala or any other masala you have .
Add the tomatoes and let it cook for about 2-3 mins
Now add the cauliflower. Cook .. I like it a bit crunchy and not too mushy.
Once its done, add the curd and cook for some more time.
Garnish with coriander and serve with hot rice or chappatis.

Simla mirch bhaaji

I found this recipe on a nice blog called http://veggiecuisine.blogspot.com/
I had an urge to eat a gujju/maharashtrian kind of dish and since I usually have bell peppers (capsicum) at home, this seemed like a good idea. It really tasted yummy and hubby agreed wholeheartedly. The best thing is that it is super easy.

Ingredients

4 medium green bell peppers or 2 large
1/2 cup besan (chickpea flour) - increase the quantity of besan if you like
1 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp peanut powder (optional) (I roasted the peanuts and then powdered them, not fine like talcum powder but like dosha podi)
1/2 tsp dhania powder
A pinch of asafoetida
1 tsp mustard seeds
Salt to taste
Chopped cilantro for garnish
Oil as needed

Method

1. Wash and chop the bell peppers into square pieces.

2. Pour oil in a pan and season with mustard and asafoetida.
3. Add the bell peppers and turmeric powder sauté until half cooked (I prefer it to be almost completely cooked) on medium flame.
4. Make a dry mixture of besan, red chilli powder, dhania powder, peanut powder and salt and add to the bell peppers.
5. Continue cooking on a medium flame until the mixture turns golden brown and bell peppers are cooked (the way you like them, with a crunch, in between or mushy).
6. Garnish with fresh chopped cilantro.

Semiya (Vermicelli) Upma

This recipe originated from Bharathy Bhavan, but has been modified slightly by me.

Ingredients:

Vermicelli - 2 cups
Water - 4 cups
Onion - 1 small or ½ big
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Ginger - ½ inch
Tomato - 1 small
Mixed Vegetables (carrots, peas, beans) - 1.5 cups
Mixed Nuts (Cashews, Raisins, Peanuts) - 1 handful
Jeera - 1 tsp
Oil - As required
Salt - As required
Chilli powder - 1 tsp
Turmeric powder - ½ tsp


Steps:

1. Put some oil in a vessel and fry the vermicelli in it till it is golden brown and keep it aside.
2. Put about a tablespoon of oil in a vessel and then put jeera. Wait for it to sputter.
3. Add the mixed nuts and roast it till the cashews turn golden brown.
4. Add the ginger and garlic and sauté it for about a minute. (You can add green chillies at this ,step, but I don’t because the kids don’t like it spicy)
5. Add onions and sauté it till it is light brown
6. Add the mixed vegetables and tomato and sauté it for about a minute
7. Add water, salt, turmeric powder, chilli powder. Let it cook for about 10 minutes or until the vegetable are cooked.
8. Add the vermicelli and then keep stirring it until the water gets absorbed.