Spinach-Corn pakoda

Nutrient Pakoda i would say, Kids who doesn't eat greens and vegetables will definetly try this pakoda as everything is hidden and morever is it is crispy, the taste that all kids will love.

Ingredients:

moong dal - 1/2 cup
gram dal - 4 tsp
spinach - 1 cup
corn – 1/2 cup
Maida – 1tbsp
onion - 1/2 cup
Salt – reqd
Oil - reqd
Green chilly – 2
Ginger – 1 inch
Garlic – 4 pods

Method:
~soak moong dal, gram dal and grind with corn,green chilly, ginger, garlic.(coarse paste)
~cut spinach and onion and mix with moong dal mixture. [just sprinke water if necessary]
~add salt, now deep fry in oil like pakkoda

~ spinach-Corn Pakkoda is ready. Serve it hot.

Serve with any ketchup or corriander chutney.

New Year Cake - 2009

I was really excited to see my cake came out so well and it got finished so soon. Irresistable taste.

I prepared the same for New year. The taste will be exactly as the one you get in bakery. Please do try it and leave your comment.

Ingredients:

All purpose flour or baking flour - 1 cup
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Cinnamon(Pattai) powder - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg(Jathikka) powder - 1/4 tsp
Cloves(Grambu) powder- 1/4 tsp
Dry Ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
Raisins(Dry rates) - 1/4 pound
Dates(Perrecham pazham) - 1/4 pound
Orange and Lemon peel - 1/4 cup
Plum, Cherry, Cranberry,
other dried fruits - 1/4 cup
Cashewnuts(chopped) - 1/2 cup
Butter - 1/4 pound
Sugar - 1 cup
Sugar - 1/4 cup (To make caramelized sugar)
Eggs - 3 nos
Salt - 1 tsp
Vanilla essence - 1 tsp
Almond(Badam) essence - 1/4 tsp
orange juice - 1/4cup

Method:

~Slice the dried fruits and coat them with 2 tbsp of flour.
~Mix the fruits with orange juice and keep this closed at room temperature for one day.
~Chop cashews and smear them with almond essence and keep
them also closed for one day.
~Next day,sieve flour, baking powder, cinnamon powder, nutmeg powder, cloves powder and dry ginger powder
together 2-3 times.
~Add fruits, nuts, caraway seeds to the flour and mix well.
~Caramelize sugar in a heavy bottom pan and allow it to cool.
~Whisk the butter and add sugar and whisk well, until it is creamy.
~Separate eggs to whites and yolk.
~Add the yolks to butter & sugar mixture (7) and whisk well.
~Add flour ,a little a time,to the whisked batter and mix thoroughly.
~Add caramelized sugar to this and mix thoroughly again.
~Whisk whites of eggs with vanilla and salt.
~Pour this to the batter.
~Grease a pan and line with parchment paper.
~Pour batter till half the pan and bake in a preheated oven at 350F for 1 - 11/2 hours.
(please check it is done after 40-45 minutes.cooking time depends on the oven used and the depth of the pan.)
~Remove the cake from the oven and place it on a cooling
rack.
~fruit cake ready.

to prepare caramelize sugar:

Sugar: 1/4 cup
Water: 1 tbsp
Warm water: 1/4 cup

Add sugar and 1 tbsp water keep in stove at low medium heat.
When the sugar starts to caramelize , stir slowly with wooden spoon.
The sugar will start to change color from light brown to dark.
In between , keep in microwave the water for 1 min and warm it.
When the sugar starts to turn brown , pour slowly the warm water keep ur face away!
(caution: it splitter so be cautious!).
Let it cool completely then add caramel and the vanilla essence.

Magnificent Click Contest - 2009

Contest dates from Feb 20 2009 - March 15 2009

I am very glad to announce Magnificent Click Contest 2009, launching on Feb 20 2009 and goes on till March 15 2009. The round up of the contest will be posted on March 20 2009. First three best entries will win an award.

Participation in the contest includes very simple steps, Here they go:

1. Post the best Pic you hav ever clicked in your blog with the link to this contest.

2. The Pic should be related to Food and Drink (or) related to Your kitchen.

3. The post should be published within the contest dates Feb 20 2009 - Mar 15 2009

4. Mail the details to - gemsbloggie@gmail.com. The details to be mailed are:

Subject of the email should be - MCC 2009

• Link to your posting in the blog - [URL to be specified]


• Picture Courtesy by - [Name of the Person, who clicked the pic]


• Blog URL -


• Blog Name -


• Tip to be a best photographer -[Optional]


• Attached the picture in the email - [Max size allowed is 300 x 300]

Muliple entries from single blog is allowed, so keep clicking and shoot an email. Pictures copied from wallpapers or by searching internet will not be encouraged. Feel free to leave your comment.

Wishing you good luck :) Enjoy the participation @ Just Urs!!!

Moore kuzhambu/Curd Curry

Ingredients:

1. Sour curd: one cup
2.Vegetables(White pumpkin or lady finger or chow-chow): ½ cup cut nicely
3. Salt to taste
4. Turmeric powder ¼ tsp
5. Hing little

For Grinding::

1. Channa dal 2 tsp
2. Rice 1 tsp
3. Cumin seeds 1 tsp
4. Ginger small piece
5. Green chillies 3 to 4 nos
6. Grated Coconut ¼ cup to ½ cup

Soak all the mentioned above and grind into smooth paste.

For Tadka:

1. 2 tsp oil
2. ½ tsp mustard seeds
3. One sting curry leaves
4. ¼ tsp fenugreek seeds.
5. One dried red chilli

Preparation:

1. Boil vegetables with salt and turmeric powder.
2. Then add grinded paste and boil for few seconds.
3. Beat the curd with ½ cup water. Add Salt. Add the beaten curd and let it boil till foam appears on the top.
4. Do tadka with in another pan, with the mentioned ingredients

5. Add this to the boiling gravy.

Curd curry is ready for serving, goes well with white rice.

Gobi Malai Gravy

Ingredients:

cauliflower - 1cup
onion - 1
tomato - 1
ginger-garlic paste - 1tbsp
cashew - 6-7 pc
red chilly powder - 1tsp
coriander powder - 1tsp

Cinnamon - 1 inch stick

Cloves - 2

Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

Outer Paste:

maida / All purpose flour- 1/2 cup
ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp
salt - reqd
red chilly powder - 1tsp

Method:
~Clean and cut cauliflower.
~mix maida, salt, red chilly powder, ginger-garlic powder,little water.
~marinate cauliflower in maida mixture for 1hr.
~after 1hr deep fry the marinated cauliflower.
~soak cashew for 1/2hr.
~fry ginger-garlic paste, onion, tomato and grind into paste with soaked cashew.
~Add oi in kadai, saute Cinnamon,cloves

~then add onion fry for some time.
~add red chilli powder, coriander powder, masala paste, salt cook for 10 mins.
~now add fried gobi cook for 5 mins.
~garnish with coriander leaves.
~gobi malai ready to serve.

This recipe goes well with naan,kulcha,chappati and dosa

Valentine day special cake

Valentine Day Special !!!

I am presenting this recipe for Valentine's Day. Plain Cake is my hubby's favourite. He hates cream in any cake. So i am planning to prepare this cake with no cream.

check this recipe out here:

And wishing you all a very very Happy Valentine's Day.

Ingredients:

• All purpose flour- 1cup
• Eggs - 3
• Butter-1/4 pound
• Sugar- 1cup
• Baking powder- 1tsp
• Vanilla essence - 1tsp
• Orange essence- 1/2tsp
• Salt-1/4 tsp
  Method:
  ~Blend sugar.
  ~Beat eggs in a bowl.
  ~Then add flour, baking powder, sugar, essence, butter and salt to it and beat well again.
  ~Grease a pan with butter and Pour the mixture immediately into the pan.
  ~Bake this in a preheated oven at 350F for 30minutes.
  ~After 30 minutes, insert a fork in the middle of the cake very slowly.
  ~If nothing is sticking in it, then it is ready.
  ~plain cake ready

Mixed Vegetable Manchurian Dry

Ingredients:

• beans - 5
• carrot - 2
• potato - 1
• Peas & soybean - 1/2cup
• onion - 1/4cup
• capsicum - 1/4cup
• garlic - 10 pods
• soya sauce - 1tsb
• chilly sauce - 1tsp
• Pasta sauce - 2tsp
• maida/all purpose flour - 1/2 cup
• curd - 2tsp
• ginger-garlic paste - 1tsp
• salt - reqd
• red chilly powder - 1tsp
• coriander leaves - for garnish
• spring onion - 1/2 bunch chopped

Method:
~cut all vegetables into 1 inch
~Mix maida, salt, red chilly powder, ginger-garlic powder,curd, little water.
~Marinate vegetables in maida/all purpose flour for 1hr.
~after 1hr deep fry marinated vegetables.
~cut onion, capsicum, garlic into small pieces.
~heat oil and add onion, capsicum, garlic fry for some time.
~now add pasta sauce for 5 Min's, then add soya & chilly sauce, salt.
~then add fried vegetables and mix well cook for 5 Min's.
~garnish with spring onion & coriander leaves.
~dry vegetable Manchurian ready.

You can have this dish as a starrer or as side dish.