Kukuku Kuruma (Vegetable)

Spicy, Very Indian, Very Veggie, Tasty are the words that describe Kuruma... There is a tamil song which goes ... "Chappathi kku kuruma kuruma...." which means the best that suits for chappathi is kuruma as a combination... I love it, Have a look...



Ingredients:

Onion - 1
Tomato - 2
Chopped Beans - 1/4 cup
Chopped Carrot - 1/4 cup
Chopped Potato - 1/4 cup
Chopped Cauliflower - 1/4 cup
Boiled Peas - 1/4 cup
Clove - 2
Peeled Garlic Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1
Bay leaf - 1
Corriander seeds - 2 tsp
Saunf/Fennel seeds - 1 tsp
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup
Green Chilli - 4
Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
Corriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt - As per taste

Preparation:

1. Add oil in a pan, add cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. When these get a little brown, add onion and fry
2. Add tomato and salt. Wait until the tomato gets melted.
3. Add all the vegetables except peas. Add some water and cover and keep the heat to medium so that the vegetables get cooked.
4. In a separate pan, add oil, add corriander seeds and fry, add green chillies, garlic and fry. Add coconut to this and fry until the coconut is a golden brown. Remove from heat, cool this and grind this mixture along with the fennel seeds.
5. Add the ground mixture to the boiling vegetables and boil it. Add chilli powder if required. Add the peas alongwith.
6. Remove from heat and add corriander leaves and lemon juice.

Hmmm U don't need to talk about Kuruma, the smell would do all the talks...And your neighbours would knock your door!! So smell, eat and enjoy!

Special Tips: You could add any vegetables to this kuruma except beetroot as it changes the colour.

Sizzzzzling Salad

Finally, I am back with the healthier post...Its simple to make and is tasty, delicious and very very healthy and nutritious...Here is how I make a salad...


Ingredients:

Iceberg Salad - 1 whole chopped into large square pieces
Olive oil - 1 tsp
Wine vinegar - 4 tsp (You can use Balsamic vinegar too, but I like Wine vinegar)
Sunflower seeds - 3 tsp
Soya flakes - 2 tsp (optional)
Basilica and Tomato flavoured bread crumbs - few (optional)
Mustard paste - 1 tsp (optional)
Marine fine salt - As required (You can use marine spicy fine salt also)
A big bowl - Believe me it's a necessity

Preparation:

1. Put a pan in heat and add the sunflower seeds and dry roast the seeds just for few minutes, so that the colour is a little brown.
2. Take the large bowl, add the chopped salad leaves (I use iceberg salad but you can use any kind of salad, it depends on your taste. I like the crunchy taste of iceberg salad)
3. Add all the other ingredients in the bowl(except the bread crumbs), also the roasted seeds and then here is the trick for a great salad. Take two big flat spoons and start mixing the salad. Keep mixing at least for 5 minutes so that each salad leaf gets the same amount of salt, sourness and all the other spices. Only when the salad is mixed very well is the salad very tasty...Add bread crumbs if you are using and mix again.
4. Serve the delicious colourful salad in a bowl with a fork and knife.

Some more ingredients you can add to the salad is tomatoes and apples...Yes apples...they give a gr8 taste to the salad!!! So try your combination and let me know which ones you liked the best...

This is a very nutritious salad and with a home made salad dressing. This salad dressing has very less fat. And the basic concept of salad is that no boiling or cooking, so all the nutrients are kept intact. Eat this daily once and have your skin shining...Yes, thatz true!!! Enjoy!

Cha Cha Cha Chana Masala!

Chana Masala, The name makes my mouth water. This is one of the dish I make most of the times @ home. It's quick and easy to make it and what to say about the taste, this is the most delicious side dish, Yummy!!!



Ingredients:

White Chana/Chickpeas - 1 cup [Soaked overnight and cooked, Don't throw the water!!!]
Jeera/Cumin seeds - 2 tsp
Asafoetida (Hing powder)- 1 tsp
Onion - 1 1/5 Medium size
Tomato - 2 Medium size
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Green Chilli - 2 finely chopped
Red Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
Garam Masala Powder - 1 tsp
Chana Masala powder - 4 tsp
Lemon Juice - 1 tsp
Oil - 1 tsp
Corriander leaves - few
Salt - as much as needed



Preparation:

1. Finely chop one onion and one tomato.
2. Grind one tomato and half onion into a fine paste. You could also use tomato puree also instead of grinding the tomatoes.
3. Add oil in a pan, add jeera, let it splutter, add green chilli, and after 2 minutes, add the chopped onion. Add ginger garlic paste and asafoetida.
PS: All the cooking should be done only in medium flame and never high flame.
4. When the onion is fried golden brown, add the chopped tomato and salt. Let the tomato cook nicely and it should be like a paste.
5. Now add the tomato-onion paste and stir nicely. Add turmeric powder and red chilli powder. Add little water(which you used for boiling the chickpeas) and let it cook for few minutes.
6. Then add the boiled chickpeas to the pan and add the water which was used for boiling the chickpeas. Let it cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add chana masala and garam masala and mix and cook for another 3 minutes. You can add water if you want.
8. Add lemon juice and garnish with corriander leaves.

This is a delicious wonderful dish, the chana masala becomes thick only with the tomato onion paste so never skip that step and the chana masala gives a little tangy taste which makes this dish very tasty.

You can eat it with poori, bhatoora or nan. Or you can have chana and rice! It works out either ways! And after eating you would say Cha Cha Cha !!! :-)