Mint Chutney

Overview
This green tangy mint chutney goes well with fried Indian appetizers like Pakodas, samosas and kabob's. This is a very flavorful and easy to make chutney that goes very well with grilled lamb and chicken too. You can make it as spicy as you like by increasing the number of  green chillies. For mild chutney just use one green chilly.

Mint Chutney

Ingredients
One cup Mint leaves
Half cup Cilantro leaves
Tamarind pulp 1- 2 tablespoons
Green chilly 1 - 4
Shallots 2 - 3
Salt to taste
Sugar 1/4 teaspoon
5 -6 tablespoon water

Steps
Grind all ingredients in a blender with water to make a smooth thick chutney. Serve with grilled meat or any fried appetizers as a dip.

Lemon Rice

Overview
Lemon rice is one of the popular rice recipes from south India. Zesty lemon rice is one of the favorite picnic lunches and a lunch box special. This dish can be made with left over rice too. Urdu Dal, Channa Dal and Peanuts adds a nutty flavor and protein to this dish. The tangy taste of lemon juice mixed with the simple spices adds a unique texture and flavor to this rice dish.

Lemon Rice

Ingredients
Basmati Rice or any long grain rice - 2 cups
Lemon Juice -  Juice of 2 big lemons
Roasted Peanuts - 3 tablespoons
Urdu Dal - 1 tablespoon
Channa Dal - 1 table spoon
Ginger 2 inch piece finely chopped
Green chilly - 2 - 4( depending on how spicy you want it to be)
Finely chopped shallots (optional) - 3 tablespoons
Curry leaves  - 2 sprigs
Whole dry red chillies - 3 - 4 cut into piece
Turmeric - 1/2 teaspoon
Mustard seeds  - 1 teaspoons
Oil - 4 tablespoon
Salt to taste

Steps
1. Cook 2 cups cleaned rice in 4 cups water and keep aside. Once the rice is cooked fluff it up with a fork and  let it cool.
2. Heat oil in a pan. When the oil gets hot add the mustard seeds to it and let it splutter. Add the red chilly pieces and curry leaves to this and fry them then add the Urdu Dal and Channa Dal. Saute till the Dal's are brown.
3. Add the finely chopped green chillies . ginger, turmeric and shallots to this and saute few minutes. turn off the heat.
4. Add the cooked rice, salt, lemon juice and roasted peanuts to this and mix well.

Serve hot with Raita and Papaddams

Onam 2014

Special Onam dishes I made this year for Onam. I loved making these traditional vegetarian dishes for Onam for my family.

Onam special dishes

Dishes
Sambar
Avial
Chenna Kalan
Pullissery
Beans Thoran
Chekka Ellissary
Ingi Pulli
Pappdam
Sarkara Uppari(My friend got me this from Kerala)

Eggplant Lasagna

Overview
Eggplant Lasagna is one of my favorite dishes. There is no pasta used here the layering is done with slices of roasted eggplants. It is a  filling and satisfying lasagna and has lots of vegetables in it.The cheese sauce is mixed with spinach, carrots and onions which adds an additional texture and flavor to this lasagna.

Eggplant Lasagna

Ingredients
2 Big eggplants sliced length wise 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 cup shredded Mozzarella cheese
4 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

For Tomato sauce
28 oz  can diced fire roasted tomatoes
1 6 oz can tomato paste
1 teaspoon dry basil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 tablespoon olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste

For the Cheese sauce
1 packet frozen chopped spinach
1 medium size onion thin sliced
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 1/2 cup shredded carrots
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 15 oz container of ricotta cheese
2 eggs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 cup grated Romano/Parmesan cheese

Steps
1. Heat oven to 400 F. Coat the egg plant slices with olive oil salt and pepper and bake in a oiled tray for about 15 - 20 minutes till the eggplant slices are lightly browned.

2. Mix all the ingredients for the tomato sauce in a bowl and keep aside.

3.  Thaw the frozen chopped spinach and squeeze out the water from it. Heat one teaspoon olive oil in a pan and saute the thin sliced onions in it. Saute\few minutes and add the spinach and shredded carrots to this and mix well. Add salt and pepper as needed and saute for about 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let this mixture cool to room temperature.

4. In another bowl add the ricotta cheese with 2 eggs and the Romano/Parmesan cheese mix well. Add the onion and garlic powder to this and mix well. Add the cooled spinach carrot mixture to this and mix well.

5. In the Lasagna pan start layering. First add  a spoon of tomato sauce and spread it at the bottom of the pan. Put a layer of the roasted egg plants on top of this. Then add half the amount of cheese mixture on top of the eggplants and spread well. Add a layer of tomato sauce on top of this and then a layer of roasted eggplants followed by the remaining cheese sauce. Put a last layer layer of tomato sauce and then on top of it the shredded Mozzarella cheese.

6. Bake the lasagna at 350 F for about 40 minutes till the cheese is melted. Turn off the oven and take out the lasagna and let it stand for about 5 - 10 minutes before cutting it.

Mango Pie

Overview
This mango pie is easy to make and is very delicious. There is no baking or cooking for this pie, just mix all ingredients and let it set in the refrigerator. I have used sweetened can mango pulp to make this pie. This pie has silky texture and has a deep yellow ripe mango color. Anyone who likes mango is sure to like this pie.

Mango Pie

Ingredients
1 Can of sweetened Mango pulp (14 oz)
If using unsweetened mango pulp add 8 OZ of sugar to it
8 oz softened cream cheese
8 oz of cool whip
2 packets of no flavor gelatin
2 pre-made graham cracker pie crust

Steps
1. Add softened cream cheese and cool whip and  mix it with a hand blender or whisk till it is mixed well with out any lumps
2. Add the mango puree to this and mix well.
3. Dissolve 2 packet of gelatin in 8 fl oz of tepid water. Strain the dissolved gelatin and add this to the mango puree mixture and whisk well  to make a smooth and consistent mixture.
4. Pour this prepared mixture into the pie crust. Cover the pie crust and refrigerate for  4 hours before serving.

Serve chilled with ripe mango slices.

Peanut Butter balls

Overview
I got this recipes from one of my coworkers. My boys love peanut butter so I wanted to try these peanut butter balls and it came out very good and they loved it. Very easy to make and no cooking. Anyone who likes peanut butter is definitely going to love these peanut butter balls. It tastes a lot like Reese's peanut butter cups.

Ingredients
Peanut butter - 1/2 cup
Powdered sugar - 1/2 cup
Mini Chocolate chips - 1/2 cup
Milk powder - 1/4 cup
Graham Crackers - 4 - 6 powdered

Steps
1. Mix all ingredients except the graham crackers powder n  bowl.
2. Make balls and roll in the graham cracker powder.
3. Place in Candy cups and refrigerate for 4 - 6 hours

Makes about 16 peanut butter balls

Spicy Crab Curry (Kerala Style)

Overview
This crab curry is delicious speciality of Kerala. Sweet crab meat mixed with the spicy sauce make a very tasty combination. The tamarind adds a tangy flavor to this dish. Any kind of crab can be used for this dish. I have used snow crabs here. This spicy Crab dish goes well with plain rice.

Spicy Crab Curry

Ingredients to cook Crab
Snow Crabs - 3 pounds
Red Onion medium size one thin sliced
Green chilly - 4 - 6 split at center
Ginger 2 inch pieces thin sliced
Curry leaves - 2 sprigs
Coriander powder 1 Tablespoon
Chill 1/2 teaspoon
Turmeric - 1/4 teaspoon
Kerala tamarind (Kodampulli)- 4 slices
Salt to taste

To Saute Crab
Ginger 1 inch thin sliced
Garlic 4 - 6 cloves thin sliced
Red Onion one medium thin sliced
Whole coriander seeds - 4 tablespoons
Red Chilly powder - 1 teaspoon
Whole black pepper - 1 teaspoon
Fennel seeds - 1 teaspoon
Curry leaves 2 sprigs
Oil 4 tablespoons

Steps
1. Soak the tamarind in warm water.
2. Clean and cut the crab into pieces. Keep legs as whole cut only at joints.
3. Mix the thin sliced red Onions ginger, green chillies, curry leaves, chilly powder and coriander powder, turmeric powder, salt and Tamarind in  1 1/2 cup water in pan and bring to boil.
4. Let this gravy simmer in low heat for about 2 - 3 minutes. Add the cleaned cut crab pieces to this and mix well .
5. Let the crab pieces simmer in the gravy for about  10 - 15 minutes till the crabs are cooked and all the flavors are mingled together well. Turn off heat.
6.  Grind the whole coriander seeds, pepper and fennel to a smooth powder and keep aside.
7. In another heavy bottom pan heat the oil. When the oil gets hot add the ingredients for saute to to the oil. First add the thin sliced sliced onions, ginger , garlic and curry leaves to this and saute till the onions start to turn light brown.
8. Add the ground spices powder along with red chilly powder and turmeric powder to this mixture and saute few minutes.
9. Add the cooked prepared crabs to this and mix well. Cook and low heat  and keep stirring till the Gravy thicken.  Turn off heat

Serve hot with Plain rice