Penne Arrabiata

             PASTA.... The one word which I used to hate. I tried it in many places but always ended up hating it. Even when I travelled to Italy, I didnt like it. Then realised that I can make some changes to this recipe to make it taste good for our Indian palate. Finally I was able to make pasta that I would like. I am sure everyone would like it too..

            On the days when you are really bored of eating rice and chapathi... this is the best meal.

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 4 med size

Onion - 2 med size

Garlic - 5 to 6 pods

Pizza seasoning - 3 tsp

Basil leaves - 5 to 6

Tomato ketchup - 3 tsp

Chilli powder - 1 tsp

Shredded cheese - 4 tsp

Salt to taste

Olive oil - 4 tsp

Method:

Make small slits on the tomatoes and boil them in water for few minutes. Then peel the skin and grind them coarsely with garlic and onions. You can even chop the onions finely, but I prefer them to be grinded.

Boil pasta along with oil and little salt in water for around 10 to 12 minutes. Pasta usually takes 10 minutes to cook. Once it is done, strain  them and put them in cold water to stop cooking.

Heat olive oil in a pan. Add the ground paste to it. Cook on medium flame. Add little water if needed. After 2 to 3 minutes, add chilli powder and Italian seasoning. I usually use the seasoning packets that I get from Dominos and Pizza hut.. :P 

Also add the tomato ketchup to it. Mix well and allow it to cook for few more minutes. Add enough salt to it as you have already added it when boiling pasta.

When it starts to thicken, chop the basil leaves finely and add it to the pan. Add the boiled pasta to it and mix well. Close the lid and cook on low flame for few more minutes. Garnish it with shredded cheese and serve hot.

Note:

1. I have used approx.. 180 gms of pasta. Use can use upto 200 gms for two people.

2. Italian seasoning is also available in the market.

Corn and Cucumber Salad

        A healthy snack and a tasty salad. It is very easy to make with all the fresh ingredients and flavours.

Ingredients:

Sweet Corn (boiled) - 1 cup

Cucumber (chopped) - 1 cup

Tomato - 1

Coconut (grated) - 1/2 cup

Coriander chopped - 2 tbsp

Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Lemon juice - 2 tsp

Olive oil - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Method:

For the dressing, take lemon juice in a small bowl. Add salt and pepper powder to it. Also add olive oil and coriander to it and mix.

In a separate bowl, add boiled sweet corn, cucumber and chopped tomato. Add grated coconut to it and mix well. 

Pour in the dressing and mix all the ingredients together. Serve fresh. 

Enjoy Cooking.. :)

Bisi Bele Bhath

      The flagship recipe of Karnataka cuisine and one of my favourite... Bisi Bele Bhath.
   
      As the name itself suggests, this recipe is made with lentils and rice and served hot. There is a special masala that is prepared for this recipe. Though nowadays you can buy readily available masala from the market like MTR's but the authentic taste is obtained only with homemade masala since the masala ingredients vary a little in different regions.
   
      In this post I have also given the recipe for masala. So enjoy a wholesome meal with all the feel good factors of Indian kitchen like lentils, vegetables and masala together. So it is very nutritious too. 

Ingredients:

For the masala:

Coriander seeds - 1 cup
Channa dal - 1/4 cup
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Dry coconut (dessicated) - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 2 cups
Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 cup (or little less than channa dal)
Moggu - 7 to 8 (I use the small variety of this which is similar to clove. If you are using marathi moggu, use only 4 to 5)
Hoovu (Stone fungus) - small lemon size

For Bisi Bele Bhath:

Rice - 2 cup
Toor dal - 1 cup
Potato - 1 med size
Carrot - 1 med size
Capsicum - 1 small
Boiled peas - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1 med size
Beans - 8 to 10
Bisi Bele Bhath Masala - 4 tsp
Tamarind juice - 1/4 cup
Jaggery - 1 small lemon size
Salt to taste
Oil - 4 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Channa dal - 1/2 tsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
Red chillies - 4 to 5
Curry Leaves - 10
Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Method:

Wash together rice and toor dal and pressure cook it with little extra water than usual.

Chop all the vegetables in big pieces and boil them. You can remove the pulp of tomato and chop it.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a large pan. Once hot add tamarind juice, jaggery, salt, masala and vegetables to it and mix well. Allow it to simmer for few minutes so that the vegetales soak in all the flavours. Now add the cooked rice and dal to it and mix well. Add little water if needed to get the consistency. The bhath should be little watery since it thickens up after some time. Cook on low flame for five to ten minutes so that all the flavours come together.

Heat oil in a small pan. Add mustard seeds, channa and urad dal. Also add curry leaves, turmeric, red chillies and asafoetida. Add this to the bhath.

Serve hot with ghee on top and some fried papad or Boondi.

Gongura Thokku

            Gongura or Pundipalya is an Indian leafy vegetable widely used in Andhra Cuisine. It is rich in antioxidants, iron and fibre... It can be cooked in variety of ways and one among this is Thokku... Thokku has consistency of dry chutney but is tangy in taste...

              The below recipe is very easy to make and can be stored for about a month in the refrigerator. 

Ingredients:

Gongura - 1 cup

Green chillies - 4 to 5

Salt to taste

Oil - 3 tsp

Mustard seeds - 2 tsp

Method:

Take the gongura leaves, wash thoroughly and pat dry to remove the excess water.

Dry it in the sun for around 4 to 5 hrs. The leaves change colour and become dry.

Now grind it with chillies and salt as finely as possible. Do not add water.

Leave it aside for the entire day. Gongura soaks up the salt and chillies flavour.

Next day heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, allow it to cool. After the oil is cooled completely, add it to the thokku. 

Mix well and refrigerate it. Enjoy it with hot rice and ghee on a lazy day when you are bored of cooking...

Happy Cooking.. :)