Beef and Bell pepper

Ingredients:
Beef Bell Pepper (cut in cubes)
Sweet onions (cut in cubes)
Oyster Sauce
Pepper Garlic

Sautee garlic and add onion Add beef and oyster sauce When beef is done, add bell pepper and season with pepper Cook until bell pepper is half-cooked Serve immediately

kovakka curry

Ingredients
Tindora(Kovakkai) ½ kg
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder a pinch
Oil 2 tsp
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Urad dhall ½ tsp

Wash and finely chop the kovakai as small round.Heat oil in a pan add mustard seeds and urad dhall and fry till golden brown .Add the chopped kovakkai, turmeric powder, salt and red chilli powder and mix well . Add half a cup of water and cover the pan and cook on a medium flame till the water drains out completely and the pieces are cooked . Add a tsp of oil and fry on a medium flame till the pieces turn crispy.serve with rice.

மசால் தோசை

தேவையானவை
புழுங்கலரிசி - 2 கப்,
பச்சரிசி - 2 கப்,
உளுத்தம்பருப்பு - முக்கால் கப்,
வெந்தயம் -ஒரு டீஸ்பூன்.
ஜவ்வரிசி - ஒரு டீஸ்பூன்,
உப்பு - ஒரு டீஸ்பூன்
எண்ணெய்,
நெய்,
உருளைக்கிழங்கு மசாலா - தேவையான அளவு

அரிசி வகை, பருப்பு, வெந்தயம், ஜவ்வரிசி எல்லாவற்றையும் ஒன்றாக சேர்த்து 3 மணி நேரம் ஊறவைக்கவும். பின்னர் நைஸாக அரைத்து, உப்பு போட்டுக் கரைத்து, 10 மணி நேரம் புளிக்கவைக்கவும். மாவு பொங்கிவரும் பட்சத்தில் தோசை வார்க்கலாம். தோசைக்கல்லில் நடுவில் மாவை ஊற்றி, அடி தட்டையாக இருக்கும் கரண்டியில் நிதானமாக வட்டமாக தேய்த்துக் கொண்டே வந்தால் தோசை பார்க்க அழகாக இருக்கும். பிறகு உருளைக்கிழங்கு மசாலாவை உள்ளே வைத்து மடித்து கொடுக்கலாம். இந்த தோசைக்கு திருப்பிப் போடவேண்டிய அவசியமில்லை. நெய்யும் எண்ணெயும் கலந்து வைத்துக்கொண்டு தோசை வார்க்க வேண்டும்.

Rotti Noodles

Ingredients:
Chapathi / Roti - 4
Onion - 1
Cabbage - 1/4 cup chopped lengthwise
Carrot - 2 medium sized chopped lengthwise
Capsicum - 1 medium sized chopped lengthwise
Garlic - 5 pods chopped finely
Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1 tsp
Soya Sauce - 1 tsp
Tomato sauce - 2 tsp
Salt - as required
Olive oil/ Cooking oil - 2 tbsp

Stack the 2 chapathis and cut into four squares and then cut along thin strips lengthwise Chop all the veggies lengthwise and keep aside. Heat oil, add onion and garlic saute until browned. Now add carrot, capsicum and cabbage, saute them for a minute. Then add soya sauce, tomato sauce and pepper powder , mix well. Add required salt.Saute till the veggies are slightly soft and raw smell of the veggies leave, sprinkle little water if you want at this stage. Now add the chapathis cut lengthwise and mix well. Simmer for 2mins, give a quick stir and switch off.

Notes: You can garnish with spring onions at the end, Olive oil gives a nice flavour to the chinese dishes. The veggies are up to ur choice, you can plus or minus the quantity as per your taste. You can also add egg with the veggies while sauting. On the whole the chapatis and veggies should not be very soft it should be crunchy and slightly soft like in noodles and veg fried rice.Sometimes just add sambar powder, coriander powder and make it indianised. So no more second thought when there is left over chapathi at home :) 

Cucumber Carrot Salad

Ingredients
1 no seedless cucumber
1 no Carrot
1 no Onion
½ cup Chickpeas (fully cooked)
3 stks Coriander leaves
2 tsp Olive oil
¼ tsp Salt
¼ tsp Ground black pepper

Soak (1/4 cup) dry chickpeas overnight, wash, drain and pressure cook with 1 cup of water. Drain the liquid and seaparte the cooked peas. Combine olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk to blend well and keep aside. In a large bowl, combine diced cucumbers, diced carrots, diced onion, cooked chickpeas and coriander leaves. Slowly add the oil mixture dressing and toss the salad for couple of times.Serve at room temperature or refrigerate for 1 hour. Use a tsp of lemon juice + pinch of sugar.

Onion Kulcha

Ingredients
2 cups all purpose flour
2 tablespoon yogurt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon Oil
1 teaspoon Salt As per taste
1/4 teaspoon Sugar
2 medium onion chopped
1 green chilli
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon ginger grated

Make a soft dough by mixing and kneading flour with oil, yogurt, salt,sugar, baking soda and water. Rest the dough for at least an hour Mix onions, green chilli, cumin seeds,ginger and salt together to make the stuffing . Now take one ball and roll it into a small round. place some stuffing in the middle of the rolled ball, Fold the filled rounds and seal the edges by pinching the dough. Roll out the kulcha with a rolling pin using dry flour as required to prevent it from sticking. Place the kulcha on a hot tawa with very little oil or ghee toast on both sode till cooked good or place on a grill in the oven till slightly brown and soft. 

Indian milk cake

Ingredients:
6 cups of whole milk
Approximately 3 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/8 teaspoon crushed cardamom
2 tablespoons ghee or unsalted butter
Approximately 1 table sliced pistachios for garnish

Grease a 6-inch plate and set aside. In a large, wide and heavy saucepan bring the milk to a boil over medium high heat. And let it boil for 2-3 minutes. Add lemon juice to the milk, it will begin to curdle.
Use minimum amount of lemon juice to just start the curdling process and prevent the whey (milky water) from completely separating immediately. Boil for 5 minutes and remove approx. 1 ½ cups of the whey. This will help reduce the tartness from the cake. Continue to cook and stir occasionally until the milk is a grainy consistency and the whey is evaporated.
This will take an additional 15-20 minutes. Add sugar and cardamom and keep stirring until the mixture starts coming together. This should take approximately 5 minutes. Lower the heat to medium and cook for another 4-5 minutes until mixture changes to a slightly golden brown color.
Transfer mixture to the greased plate and press firmly into a square shape, approximately 1 inch high. As an option, sprinkle sliced pistachios on top. Let sit for at least an hour before slicing into individual pieces. Tips this wonderful dessert can be prepared ahead of time and stored at room temperature for a few days.
It is generally a few inches tall and has different shades of color throughout. However, this recipe will make an even colored cake that is approximately 1 inch thick. The taste of this Milk Cake is identical to what I have grown up enjoying as a delicacy in our home.

Minced Meat Curry

Ingredients
Lean Ground Beef – 1 lb
Fresh or Frozen Green Peas – 1/2 cup
Finely diced Potatoes – 1 medium
Diced Onions – 1 large
Diced Tomatoes – 2 medium
Meat Masala Powder – 2 tbsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
Red chilly powder – 1 tsp
Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder – 2 tsp
Ginger Garlic Paste -1 tbsp
Oil – 2 tbsp
Salt – to taste
Water – As needed

For Marinating
Beef Meat Masala Powder – 1 tbsp
Coriander Powder – 1 tbsp
Turmeric Powder – 1/2 tsp
Pepper Powder – 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder – 2 tsp
Salt – to taste

Wash the minced meat thoroughly in a colander atleast 4 or 5 times and allow it to drain. Marinate the ground meat with the above ingredients and keep it aside for around 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oil in a wok and add onions. Saute till the onions become translucent. Add the diced tomatoes along with salt and allow it to cook until pulpy. Reduce heat and add ginger garlic paste. Stir fry for 2 minutes. Add chilly powder, meat masala powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder and saute for a minute. Add the marinated ground meat to the pan. Sprinkle the pepper powder. Mix everything well. Cover and cook on medium heat for around 10 minutes. Open the pan and add potatoes. You will notice the gravy that has formed in the pan. Cover and continue cooking for another 10 minutes. Open the pan and add green peas. If the gravy has reduced, add water to the pan and mix well. Cover and cook for another 10-15 minutes and switch off the stove. Open the pan after half and hour and stir everything well. The Minced Beef would have absorbed most of the gravy. Serve this Spicy Meat Kheema along with any Bread.

Note The cooking time varies depending on the type of meat used. For Minced Beef, I cooked it for 35 minutes and then kept it covered. Chicken requires only 20-25 minutes of cooking time. You can also Pressure Cook the Meat but you will have to cook potatoes and green peas separately, or else it will get mashed.

Cucumber curry

Ingredients
1 Cucumber (diced)
1 Green chilli
2 Tomato (diced)
1 Onion
¼ tsp Mustard
¼ tsp Cumin seeds
1 tsp Red chilli powder
2 tsp Corrainder/dhania powder
¼ tsp Turmeric powder
6 Curry leaves
½ tsp Salt (or to taste)
2 tbsp Oil

Wash, peel off the skin and dice the cucumber. Heat oil in a sauce pan and toast mustard, cumin and curry leaves until it splutters. Add onion, chillies saute til brown, add chopped tomatoes and cook till they turn soft and mushy. All dry masala powders like turmeric, red chilli powder, dhania powder and salt can be added along with diced cucumber. Partially close the pan with a lid and cook for 5 to 8 minutes on medium flame. Once it turns tender and soft,serve with hot rice and ghee.