Aloo Samosa/ Potato Sambosa

       Samosa is a very popular tea time snack from India. The crunchiest triangular cover, filled with stuffing. The filling varies from veg to non veg; from aloo to beetroot or mixed vegetables; Onion for the vegetarian version; scrambled eggs, chicken, mutton cooked minced meat used for non-veg versions. Aloo samosa is an easy to make, popular and liked by most of the people.

      Now a days this somosas can be prepared easily by store bought sambosa sheets. Just prepare the filling of your choice and fill the sheets; make turn overs, seal them and fry them in hot oil. Your somosas are ready. You can prepare the samosa sheets from scratch by mixing all purpose flour, salt, a tablespoon of oil and mix well like poori dough; spread the dough like pooris and cut the round pooris into half and make a cone out of this and fill and seal the samosas.

INGREDIENTS:

Potato, cooked & mashed- 1 (1 cup) 

Peas, fresh or frozen- 1 tablespoon

Onion, chopped-1  (½ cup)

Green chilli, chopped-1

Ginger garlic paste/ chopped- ½ teaspoon

Asafetida/ hing- pinch

Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon

Coriander leaves, chopped- 2 teaspoons (optional)

Samosa leaves- 12

Oil- to deep fry

Corn flour- 1 teaspoon

All puropose flour- 1 teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Heat oil in a pan and onions and green chillies when the onions are soft add ginger garlic and asafetida.

• Cook till the raw smell of ginger garlic leaves; add the turmeric powder and mix well. Immediately add cooked mashed potatoes, cooked peas, salt and coriander leaves.

• Cook for two minutes and put off the gas and allow the mixture to cool.
• Mix corn flour and all purpose flour as a thick slurry by adding two to three tablespoons of water.

• Keep a tablespoon of stuffing inside the samosa leaf and hold the stuffing and make triangular turn overs.

• Apply the paste on the edges of the samosa sheet and seal the edges.
• Heat the oil in a pan till smoking hot and reduce the flame and deep fry till golden brown.
• Serve with Ketchup/ tomato sauce

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Tofu Masala Bhurji/ Scrambled Masala Tofu/ Masaledar Tofu Bhurji

Tofu is also known as Soy Bean Curd made by coagulating/curdling the soya milk. Resembles like Paneer (cottage cheese). It is rich in nutrients such as protein and calcium; it's a versatile ingredient in cooking; it is bland in taste and it absorbs the flavour and taste from the gravy or spices added. Good for Low fat and low cholesterol diet.

This Bhurji is a easy to make; tastes nice with Rice and Rasam. Can be used as a filling for wraps like chapathis or tortillas. Healthy tasty Bhurji, with the addition of capsicum adds volume, texture and crunchiness to this dish. Try this with Rice and Rasam combination; you are going to love this Tofu Bhurji. Same recipe can be followed to make Paneer or Egg Bhurji.

INGREDIENTS:

Tofu, crumbled- 340 grams (1 packet Extra firm)
Onion, chopped-2
Green chillies-2
Ginger, chopped- 1 teaspoon
Tomatoes, chopped -2
Green Capsicum- 2 small
Turmeric powder- 1/4 teaspoon
Red chilli powder- 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1½ teaspoons
Coriander leaves, chopped- 3 teaspoons
Cumin seeds- 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves- 1 strand (optional)
Salt- to taste
Oil- 2 teaspoons

PROCEDURE:

• Drain Tofu from water and crumble as small pieces using hand.
• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds and curry leaves, when the aroma arises add the onion, ginger and green chillies.

• Cook for thirty seconds on medium flame. Add the masala powders turmeric, chilli powder with coriander powder and saute for fifteen seconds. If you feel the masala will burn add a tablespoon of water. 

• Add tomatoes and salt; cook in high flame for a minute or two to dry out the water that oozes from tomatoes.
• Add the capsicum and stir well; immediately add the crumpled tofu; mix well and cook on medium flame. 

• Add salt if needed and cook till the masala coats well; As the water dies out and comes out with scrambled egg consistency.

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Nethili Thokku/ Anchovies in thick gravy

       Today I have come up with another Nethili Recipe prepared as an authentic Tamil Cuisine the "Thokku". Thokku is nothing but a thick gravy form of the curry almost with pickle consistency. Here i have prepared this dish using less oil. You could add extra oil if you want to. But this tastes really nice with less oil too. So it does not require adding extra oil and increasing the fat content in the gravy.

       This dish tastes really nice and does not require any curry to serve with this. Simply delicious with plain rice. If you want you can serve it with rasam. We loved this preparation. Its spicy and also really a mouthwatering recipe; feels like one wants to eat more and more.

INGREDIENTS:

Nethili/Anchovies- 1 ½ cup
Onion-1 big (3/4 cup)
Garlic- 2 big cloves
Tomatoes- 2 big ( 1 cup)
Turmeric powder- ¼ teaspoon
Chilli powder- 1½ teaspoon
Coriander powder- 1½ teaspoon
Pepper powder- ¼ teaspoon
Tamarind, soaked in water - small lemon size
Salt- to taste
Oil- 3-5 teaspoons
Curry leaves- 2 strands
Fenugreek seeds/ methi seeds- 1 teaspoon
Jeera/ cumin seeds- ¼ teaspoon

PROCEDURE:

• Grind onion, garlic and tomato as a fine paste in a blender. Extract tamarind water from soaked tamarind.

• Heat  3 teaspoons of oil in a pan; add fenugreek seeds, jeera and curry leaves. Once it is browned, add the ground onion tomato paste.
• Cook the paste in oil well till the oil separates on top. Now add the turmeric powder, chilli powder, coriander powder and pepper powder. 

•  Add half a cup of water if your feel the gravy is too dry/thick. Mix well and cook for thirty seconds; add tamarind water and salt; cook for a minute till the raw smell of tamarind leaves.
• Add the fish and salt; Cook two to three minutes without mixing using a ladle just swirl the pan for mixing.

• Swirl the pan; slightly shake and keep each thirty seconds to coat the masala over the fish. Add a teaspoon of oil over the gravy and allow to thicken the gravy like thokku consistency.
• Add curry leaves and switch of the gas; just once again swirl the pan to mix well.

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Easy Lemon Rasam/ 5 Minutes Rasam

        Lemon Rasam generally prepared using toor dhal and tomatoes. My easy to make version is so easy and is normally ready in minutes. At home everyone likes this version than the original version.This rasam comes in handy when you are running out of time. Especially if you have prepared a nutritious Stir fry/ Porial/ Thoran/Kootu, this is the best easy to prepare curry combination.

       Goes well with all dry curries. Curry will  look watery though i do not add any thing to thicken the curry but still is flavourful  and tasty. Try this someday when you are really running out of time. No soaking, no pressure. I'm sure you are going to love this ....

INGREDIENTS:
Lemon- 1 ½ -2
Oil- 2 teaspoons
Mustard seeds- ½ teaspoons
Fenugreek seeds/ Methi seeds- ¼ teaspoon
Asafetida- pinch
Turmeric- ¼ teaspoon
Coriander leaves- hand full
Curry Leaves- 1 sprig

To grind:

Garlic- 3 big cloves
Jeera- ¼ teaspoon
Pepper- ½ teaspoon
Coriander seeds- ½ teaspoon (optional)

PROCEDURE:

• Grind garlic, jeera, pepper, coriander seeds as a coarse powder.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter the mustard seeds; add fenugreek seeds and fry till golden colour.

• Add curry leaves and asafetida. Add the ground powder and fry in the same oil for fifteen seconds.
• Add turmeric powder; immediately add 2-3 cups of water and salt.

• Sprinkle some chopped coriander leaves.Cook the rasam in low flame till you get the frothy stage on top of rasam.
• Put off the gas and squeeze the lemon juice. Mix well and serve. Check the salt and add if you require more.

• Yummy rasam ready in just under 5 minutes.
• Dont allow the rasam to boil. The taste may turn bitter.

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Thalicha Kappa/ Coconut Kappa/ Tempered Tapioca

       This recipe is easy to prepare kappa recipe. Generally consumed this as a evening snack.

The sweetness of the onions and coconut and the roasted dried chilli, mustard seeds lots of flavours and taste merge together and gives a wonderful experience in each bite.

      Simple yet delicious tapioca recipe. Even kids like this preparation. Easy to be prepared in minutes. Best snack with a cup of tea. Especially at this rainy season. Love the eat with Chukku Kappi or Kattan Kaapi. Try this evening snack.

INGREDIENTS:

Tapioca/ Kappa, cut into cubes - 500 grams

Mustard seeds- 1/2 teaspoon

Dried red chillies, broken- 2

Curry leaves- 2 strands
Onion, chopped- 1 big
Coconut, grated- 1/2 cup

Oil- 3 teaspoons

PROCEDURE:

• Boil some water and cook the tapioca with salt till it hold its shape but not mushy.

• Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds and dried red chilli.
• Once the mustard seeds crackles, add the onion and allow to cook for a minute. then add the curry leaves.

• Now add the tapioca and coconut and mix well.
• Allow to cook for a minute and add salt if required.

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Easy Scrambled Egg Sandwich (with Veggies)

       This is a healthy egg sandwich that can be consumed by elders and kids would absolutely love this sandwich. Initially I was making this sandwich only with eggs with sauteed onion and ginger. Then after my son started on solid food that I started to add veggies in this sandwich for him. So here i have planned to share my version of egg sandwich with you.

       About the taste of this sandwich, you wouldn't even feel that veggies are stuffed at any bite. Kids also like it because they won't see the veggies available inside the sandwich. Finely chop the veggies and make this sandwich.

       Add more veggies, by doing this you add nutition in your diet and also increases volume for your sandwich. You will get around 4 scrambled eggs volume in 2 scrambled egg without changing the taste. Can make 12 big triangle shaped (6 whole) sandwiches with 2 eggs. Normally i do not add cheese in this sandwich but since today i made this specially for my kid I've added cheese. If you are preparing for the elderly you can skip the cheese.

INGREDIENTS:

Sandwich bread slices- 12
Eggs-2 big
Onion, chopped- 1(1/2 cup)
Ginger, chopped- 1/2 teaspoon
Carrot, grated- 1 small (1/4 cup)
Beans, finely chopped- 4-5(1/4 cup)
Cabbage, chopped- small piece (1/4 cup)
Mozzarella cheese, grated- 2 teaspoons (optional)
Pepper- 1/2 teaspoon
Salt- to taste
Oil- 1 teaspoon
Lettuce leaves- 6 leaves (optional)

PROCEDURE:

• Heat oil in a pan and add the onion and ginger saute for thirty seconds till the raw smell of ginger leaves and the freshness of the onion disapperars.
• You can remove this from pan and keep aside if you like mild crunchiness of the onion with eggs or continue cooking veggies with this onion mixture.

• Heat a teaspoon of oil and add the carrots, beans and cabbage (chop everything finely) and salt. 
• Cook till the veggies are done about a minute or two in low to medium flame. If you feel the veggies are too dry sprinkle a tablespoon of water. 
• Try to avoid adding water while cooking veggies.(Cook the veggies at the correct stage so that the vibrant colour of the veggies does not leave)
• Crack the eggs and beat well in a bowl.

• Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and scramble the eggs. Add salt and pepper. Cook till the egg started to become small balls. But should not become too dry. Switch off the gas and allow the mixture to cool. 
• Add this scrambled egg inside the blender and pulse three four times till you get the moist crumbly texture.

• To assemble the sandwich, combine egg and onion and cooked veggies together and mix well with spoon. Give a quick taste test, If you need salt or pepper add and mix well.(Do not cook Just combine everything together)
• Add grated cheese if you wish to add and mix well.

• Take bread slices keep a tablespoon and a half of this egg mixture and keep a lettuce leaf on top and trim the edges if you like and cut diagonally to get triangle sandwiches.
• Make 4 Mini Sandwiches from 1 big sandwich by cutting diagonally from both sides.

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