[Holiday Memories] Classic Hawaiian Macaroni Salad Recipe

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The local-style Hawaiian Macaroni Salad is a quick and easy cold pasta salad recipe which uses lots of mayonnaise and easily customizable with favorite mix-ins. It is a staple of a typical Hawaii-style plate lunch and honestly, so simple to make that no specific instructions are needed at all. Just a few guidelines and you are good to go! Enjoy!

[Game of Thrones Special Recipe] Harrenhal Vegetable Stew

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"Winter is coming"..

"A Lannister always pays his debts"..

"When you play the game of thrones, you win or you die"..

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As someone who got into a reading habit pretty late (in her 20's), fantasy genre never appealed to me much. I read Harry Potter in parts and never touched The Lord of the Rings!. My natural inclination is towards fiction with either lots of drama (The Notebook) or suspense (The Thirteenth Tale). My book choices are pretty predictable and never-out-of-the-box. Then 3 years ago, I accidentally stumbled upon George R. R Martin's Game of Thrones (A Song of Ice & Fire series). It was an intimidating set of books with 1000+ pages each and very hesitatingly I started reading on my e-reader. The story of GoT, set in medieval times is filled with swords, sex, gothic creatures and characters hungry for power - always. There are too many Houses to remember and worst of all, as soon as you start liking a(ny) character, the author invariably kills it. Ugh. Anyhow, soon I found myself drawn into this fantasy world to such an extent, that it was very hard to get out. Every chapter had a cliff hanger at the end and it was impossible to resist NOT to read the next one. 

Coming to today's recipe - Harrenhal Vegetable Stew, I have to say whether you are a fan of the show or not, it will appeal to all. Just cut the veggies in season, dump everything into a stock pot and let it simmer. Store the rest in refrigerator and enjoy during those crazy weeknight dinners. (If you were me, while watching an episode of GoT). :-)

[Recipe Redux | Cooking With Tea] Green Tea Broth with Rice Noodles and Vegetables Recipe

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"Thank God for tea! What would the world do without tea? I am glad I was not born before tea.”

 ~ Sir Philip Sidney

Learn how to make a soothing broth with green tea, noodles and vegetables. The opening quote by Sir Philip Sidney should give you guys an idea on how crazy I am about my daily cuppa of tea. It is a therapeutic morning ritual of sorts with specific steps & amounts and I never tend to steer away from them!  :-) The benefits of tea are many and I have used it in almost all forms like in smoothies, made a cool iced version of it to beat the scorching summer heat, photographed a cup umpteen number of times and even read books on it. If you are looking for one energizing and invigorating chai, then check out this recipe. You will love it. 

[Meatless Monday] H for Hara Bhara Kebabs (Spinach Patties) | H for Happy! + a chance to win one of three copies of "Rainbows in the Desert and Other Stories" book

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Learn how to make an easy vegan appetizer recipe that is sure to please your friends and family. 'Hara Bhara' literally translates to 'All things Green'. Though traditionally it is spinach that is used for this recipe, feel free to replace with any firm greens on hand. Taste will slightly vary and I recommend blanching them lightly before using in the patty mixture. As an accompaniment, try this killer no-cook coriander chutney (from BongMom's cookbook ). :-)

Penne with Harissa Roasted Cauliflower, Tomatoes, Carrot Strips and Capers

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Pasta Lovers, Rejoice. I think today's recipe will make your mouths water (just like mine) and urge you to go for a second serving. I was so mighty happy with the results that I just couldn't wait to share it with you all.

This spicy pasta was made for a long lost childhood friend, whom I was meeting after many years. It was pure fun to catch up what we had missed all this while and a foodie herself, the conversation inadvertently moved on to cuisines we tried, recipes (her latest find - Spaghetti carbonara with Quorn) and favorite restaurants in town etc etc. Out of the blue, she exclaims"Are you still a vegetarian?" quite surprised. Her expression was quite remarkable as if I have had survived through a huge tornedo. "Yes!" I replied firmly, quite annoyed at the stern objectivity of the question.

The tiff between the likes of vegetarians and non vegetarians is age old. The meat lovers wonder what do vegetarians eat and we wonder how can they simply relish food which involves butchering an innocent animal. So many times I have been asked politely and directly if I was a vegetarian by choice or did someone force me into it. I find that question very amusing as I never asked them the same question. It is just the way I am I say to avoid any further inquiries. If they really persist, irritated ofcourse I casually give the blog links of mine and a bunch of others to prove my point that we, vegetarians indeed eat delicious, healthy food with pleasure and relish them without any guilt. :-)

In the beginning of my post, I promised to share my pasta experiment of mine. Haven't I? Without further ranting about veg vs non-veg ( which can just go-on), let just dive into its details, so that you can make some too. Shall we?

Thanksgiving is around the corner. Probably you can make some harissa pasta for your vegetarian friends. The vegetables can be roasted well in advance and stored in refrigerator. On the day, all you have to do is cook pasta, toss these vegetables and capers in olive oil and Serve! Enjoy.

Penne with Harissa Roasted Cauliflower, Tomatoes, Carrot Strips and Capers

Make Time: 45 mins
Serves 3 to 4

Ingredients:

1/2 pound dried penne pasta (or any other pasta)
2 tbsp harissa paste
1/2 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp black pepper powder
salt - to taste
1-2 tbsp of pickled capers, drained
1 cup cut cauliflower
2 red bell peppers, deseeded and cut into strips
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 carrot, peeled, cut into thin strips
chopped coriander leaves

Preparation:

In a small bowl, whisk together harissa paste, 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt and black pepper powder. Keep aside.

Preheat oven to 180 C or 400 F. On a baking sheet, spread cauliflower florets, bell peppers, carrot strips, chopped tomatoes and corainder leaves. Top with the harissa dressing and toss so that the veggies are evenly coated. Bake for about 25 to 30 mins until they lightly crispy.

Cook pasta in lots of salted boiling water as per package instructions or until al dente.

Heat few tbsp of olive oil in pan and toss together roasted veggies, capers with penne. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. If you want to increase the heat, optionally add little harissa to pasta. Cook for 4 to 5 mins. Serve and garnish with fresh herbs and cheese (if you wish to).

[Updated - 24th November 2103] - On a special request from my little sister, I made a few boxes of this pasta for her family. :-) Tried the same recipe with Farfalle (bow-tie pasta) as well (pic of the left) and it turned out great.

This is Recipe 64 added to 2013 Recipe Archive. Check out the rest of the recipes too.

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[VeganMoFo 2013] Brown Rice Ratatouille Salad Recipe

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Bonjour Septembre! 

VeganMoFo (Vegan Month of Food) is here finally. It's a challenge where hundreds of bloggers have pledged to write about and cook only Vegan recipes all month long, and I am one of them.

Noodle (Pasta) Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing Recipe

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Lots of raw, fresh vegetables along with a smooth, creamy dressing and of course noodles is what makes this salad sumptuous and a meal in itself. This is one of the recipes I bookmarked when I was subscribed to Vegetarian Times magazine while in US. I love those stash of old magazines so much that I got them along with me back to India. Every now and then, I flip through them for inspiration on what to try out and today's recipe is a result of one such browsings!

Enjoy..

[Jar Recipes] Vegan Carrot Potato Soup Recipe + [Snacks To Munch] Roasted Pinto Beans

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“I have found out that there ain't no surer way to find out whether you like people or hate them than to travel with them.”  ~ Mark Twain, "Tom Sawyer Abroad"

..my ideal travel companions..

{Healthy Recipes} Vegan Red Bean and Oats Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

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To make home-made burger patties was on my to-do-list for a really long time. Basically I wanted to have a healthy alternative for my "junk food" cravings when I tend to pick up a Mc Aloo burger from Mc Donalds near by, though its a known fact that those patties were frozen for atleast 3 months before they are microwaved and served up - as fresh to the hungry customers!

I truly believe, a burger can be healthy and tasty and a meal by itself. Its beauty lies in the fact that how fresh are the "ingredients", not just loaded with easy carbs from boiled potatoes and extra calories from melted cheese. Intentionally I avoided both those ingredients in today's recipe. Yes, there is no potato and no cheese or diary. How would have these tasted, you ask? Let me tell you that the proof is my mother who in general avoids all kinds junk food (unlike me) devoured on the burger I made for her, fresh out of the pan. :-). That for me, is an ultimate testament that these were tasty will be made again..and again..

Usage of rice bran oil is not new in our household. Since we moved to India from US, I have started to incorporate more of rice bran oil (+ olive oil) and stopped cooking with any other refined oils. I tasted it for the first when a good friend of mine made some bhajjias at home, using rice bran oil. There was not even a hint of after taste and I couldn't even spot any difference. Its high smoking point 490°F (255°C) makes it well suited for any kind of frying, roasting etc. An added advantage is also that compared to other vegetable oils, foods fried in rice bran oil tend to absorb up to 20% less fat during the cooking process. I like that!. :-)

..spill the beans...

Now, without any further ado, lets jump into today's recipe - Vegan Red Bean and Oats Burger with Sweet Potato Fries. Shall we? Below are few action shots and then comes the recipe.. Enjoy!

.....beans mashed, veggies cut.. 

..this is a cool trick to make perfect, round patties.Oil lightly insides of a cap, press the bean mixture and unmold. 

...shallow fry them on low heat until both sides are crisped up...

Sending this as an entry to Healthy Vegan Fridays and The Wellness Weekend.

{Recipe} Vegan Red Bean and Oats Burger with Sweet Potato Fries

Makes 8 to 9 medium sized patties

Ingredients:

2 cups of boiled/canned red beans (rajma beans) - Any kind of legumes work for this recipe. If using canned, thoroughly wash and rinse the beans.
1 medium green bell pepper
1/2 onion
1 tomato
2 cloves of garlic, minced
2 green onions
2 small carrots
1 bunch of fresh cilantro/coriander leaves
1/2 cup of instant oats
1 tsp cumin powder
1/2 (or more) tsp chilli powder (or 1-2 tsp sriracha/hot sauce)
salt - to taste
few tbsp of rice bran oil - for shallow frying

Preparation:

1. To cook any dry beans, soak them overnight in filtered water. Then pressure cook them on HIGH heat for 10-12 minutes (or) until cooked. Let the pressure be released and drain the water. they must be fork tender.

2. In a bowl, mash the beans.

3. Cut the veggies - bell pepper, tomatoes, onion and green onions (both white and green parts) into very fine pieces. If you have a food processor, dice them all in 1 or 2 turns. Peel and shred carrots. Chop cilantro leaves.

4. Add these cut veggies to the beans and oats. Mix well and season with chilli powder (or hot sauce), cumin powder and salt. Refrigerate for atleast 30 mins for the flavors to blend. A cool trick to make perfect, round patties is to - lightly oil the insides of a bottle cap, press the bean mixture and shake a little to unmold. Since we are not adding any binding agent such as eggs or flax seed water, freeze the bean patties for atleast an hour or until ready to use. these can be easily frozen in plastic containers for many months, if you wish to make a big batch.

5. Once ready, heat few teaspoons of oil in a pan and cook each patty on low heat for 5-6 mins on each side. Carefully flip them on each side once or twice for even cooking. Drain them paper towels.

6. How to assemble the burger: Spread some eggless mayo on the bottom of a burger bun, then place the bean patty, some mayo again, spinach or lettuce leaves, onion, tomato and top with other half of bun! Tadaa!.. the ultimate red bean and oats burger is ready to be be devoured.

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...a burger is never complete without some (sweet potato) fries on the side..Isn't it?

Here is a simple recipe for Golden Sweet Potato Fries to go along with the burgers -

Ingredients:

6-7 sweet potatoes
rice brain oil - for frying
salt and red chilli flakes to sprinkle on top

{Optional sprinklers} - garlic powder, onion powder, dried/fresh herbs such as rosemary, basil, thyme, sage etc.

Preparation:

1. Wash and peel the sweet potatoes. Cut them lengthwise into thin strips. Place them in water. If you want to use them after a few hours (like I had to), cover and refrigerate the entire contents along with water.

2. Heat oil in a kadai. Once its hot, reduce the flame to LOWand add the sweet potato strips. Fry them in small batches for 5-6 minutes. Once they are light golden in color, drain onto paper towels to remove excess oil and immediately sprinkle some salt & red chilli flakes on the top. Serve.

This post is a part of Healthy & Tasty Recipe Contest with Fortune Rice Bran Health Oil & BlogAdda.com

This is Recipe 17 added to my 2013 Recipe Archive. Check out the rest of the recipes too!

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until next recipe,

{Healthy Salads} Black-Eyed Pea and Stewed Tomato Salad Recipe

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"According to the Spanish proverb, four persons are wanted to make a good salad: a spendthrift for oil, a miser for vinegar, a counsellor for salt and a madman to stir it all up." John Gerard

Salads are great meals. They are quick, easy to assemble with almost anything that's readily available in the refrigerator and magical as well, especially when fresh vegetables are at their peak during the season.

But, unfortunately - "A lot of people get into what you'd call a salad rut, making the same salad over and over, or using one type of dressing for every type of leaf" says Chris Mayhew, director of marketing at Dole. (Source). I think that's partially true when we attempt to make a salad in its true definition - a green, veggies, protein and a dressing. Its fun to think out of the box and mix & match sometimes.

Today's recipe - Black-Eyed Pea and Stewed Tomato Salad is a little unconventional when it comes to how its made. You don't need always a heavy blue cheese or ranch dressing to bind everything together. Some tomato juice from the stewed tomatoes is heated up with olive oil, paprika, salt and pepper which makes up the dressing. Its just d-e-l-i-c-i-o-u-s. Black eyed peas (or any type of beans) are used for that protein kick. Best of all, its completely vegan and kid friendly. :-)

Enjoy and make some today!

peeled, stewed  canned cherry tomatoes.

boiled black eyed peas

the dressing - olive oil, tomato juice, salt and paprika

{Recipe}  Black-Eyed Pea and Stewed Tomato Salad 

Adapted from Vegetarian Times
Serves 2

Ingredients:

1 cup dried black-eyed peas (or use drained and rinsed canned peas)
1 small onion, finely diced
1 small carrot, peeled and finely diced
1 small bell pepper, finely diced
1 green onion, both white and green parts thinly sliced
4-5 stewed tomatoes along with their juice. (I used cherry tomatoes)
2 tbsp olive oil
1/4 tsp paprika (or chilli powder)
salt & black pepper - to taste
chopped cilantro/coriander leaves - for garnishing

Preparation:

How to prepare dried beans: Soak 1 cup of dried black peas for 6 to 8 hours in filtered water. Pressure cook with enough water on HIGH heat for 9-12 minutes. Let the pressure be released naturally and there you have peas ready for use. I normally cook atleast 5-6 cups and freeze them. When required, all you have to do is thaw them a bit.

In a bowl, combine black-eyed peas, onion, carrots, bell pepper, and green onions and keep aside.

Drain the can of stewed tomatoes. Coarsely chop tomatoes and add to black-eyed-pea mixture. 

In a small saucepan, warm olive oil, few tbsp of tomato juice and paprika. Bring it to a boil, turn off and pour over black-eyed-pea mixture. Stir to coat. Season with salt and pepper, if desired. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve immediately or refrigerate. It tastes good as a cold salad too. 

Note: My canned tomatoes were quite acidic so I skipped adding any vinegar (as per original recipe) or lemon juice. Optionally you can add one of them as well.

Sending this as an entry to Lisa's My Legume Love Affair # 56 who has taken the hosting baton from Susan from this month onwards. Also to The Wellness Weekend and Healthy Vegan Fridays.

..salad is ready..who wants to eat some!...

This is Recipe 13 added to my 2013 Recipe Archive. Check out the rest of the recipes too!

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Tomato and Carrot (No Cream) Soup + Amazon & Olive Garden Gift Card Giveaways

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Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!

That's exactly how the weather is here in Hyderabad right now. Temperatures are dropping rapidly day after day, a clear indication that the winter has already arrived and its here to stay for few more months to come! It is always the case with me that when cold settles in, I need to make some thick, hot soup to warm up myself, from deep within - perfect to brighten up rather a dull, morose winter's day. Today's recipe of Tomato & Carrot Soup is one such hale and hearty dish. Its filled with goodness of vegetables & herbs with tingling ginger note at the background and a light sprinkling of red chilli flakes at the very end, for some heat.

I highly recommend to make this soup, wrap up warm and with a book in hand enjoy with a buttery, crusty bread to keep the chill out.

..and to know more about and participate in the give-way(s), feel free to scroll down to the end of this post for more details. 

Enjoy!

{Recipe} (No Cream) Tomato and Carrot Soup 

Ingredients:

2 cups of chopped tomatoes
1 cup of chopped carrots
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 garlic clove, peeled, minced
4 cups of water
1 tsp olive oil
3-4 pieces of roughly chopped ginger
1/4 cup coriander leaves
1/2 cup milk
salt - to taste
1/2 tsp or more black pepper
few pieces of bread & butter
red chilli flakes + beaten yogurt for topping

Preparation:

1) Boil 4 cups of water. Add chopped carrots, coriander leaves and ginger. Cover and let it simmer for 15-20 mins. Discard 2 pieces of ginger from the stock.

2) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic & onions. Saute for 3-4 mins until light golden brown. Add tomatoes. Cook until mushy on low-medium heat for 15-20 mins. Add boiled carrots along with stock, coriander leaves and ginger. Season with salt & pepper. Mix well and Let it cool a bit.

3) Blend everything into a smooth soup-like consistency. Add milk and bring the soup to a simmer again and water or stock if desired.

4) Melt a bit of butter in a pan. Place few pieces of bread and cook until golden brown.

5) Top with few red chilli flakes + beaten yogurt and serve soup with toasted bread on the side.

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2012 Holiday Giveaways

It is Holiday Season and best time to spread some happy cheer all around. Its time to give-away something special to my lovely readers who support me all along the way. Two lucky winners (**not applicable for Indian readers. Check this Canon Powershot Camera giveaway and enter there) will be chosen for an opportunity win these two exciting give-aways:

1) A chance to win a $25 Amazon gift card 

2) A chance to win a $25 Olive Garden gift card.

Here is what you need to do to win either of these give-aways

1. Leave a comment on this post. As simple as that.

To increase your chances in the random drawing, do one or more of the following and leave a comment once you did so. 

2. Follow Cooking With Siri on Facebook and/or Follow me on Twitter. - @sirime

3. Subscribe to Cooking With Siri feed.

4. Tweet about this giveaway. Feel free to use the below text - 

{Holiday #Giveaway} #Enter for a chance to #win $25 @Amazon and @Olivegarden #giftcards at @sirime's blog. Details - http://tinyurl.com/giftcardsgiveaway 

If you are already liked me on facebook, following on twitter or subscribed to RSS feed, just leave a comment letting me know and you are entered in the giveaway automatically! You don't have to be a blogger to win these give-way(s). 

Last date for participation is November 30th 2012 midnight IST and two winners randomly chosen will be announced on December 1st 2012. 

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Today is Day 20 of my NaBloPoMo challenge. Check out all of the posts previously published here.

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until tomorrow,

Mixed Vegetable Korma | Navratri | Dussehra Recipes

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Words fall short to convey how happy I am right now. After 6 years of being away from my friends and family, couple of days ago, I celebrated by 28th birthday. Did I hear Oooohs and Aaaahs out there as some wise(wo)men said - never ask a woman her real age ;-).

Well, I believe in not hiding but learning and becoming wiser & smarter through life experiences by each passing year.

I had a swell time in Hyderabad with my lovely, gorgeous SIL and her cute little baby S who were visiting India, for a very short period of time. I met her last while we were in US, in April this year and again, we got to spend some awesome time together, here in India. Time flies when I am with Little S. Her innocent love is just so captivating and fills my heart with so much warmth & love.

My mom threw a birthday bash for her baby and invited all of us for lunch. We had asked her to keep it traditional. There was her signature dish - tomato chutney, raw banana poriyal, mango dal, potato-bell pepper fry, mirchi bajji, sambar with rice & ghee. We polished off, with decadent rava kesari. Amidst lots of chatter, laughter and conversations about politics & movies with occassional burps every now & then, we had a swell time together. :D.

A birthday is never complete without birthday gifts, Isn't it. K gave me a cute, black-colored Vintage bag and Mads surprised me with beautiful Food Photography & Styling book - Plate to Pixels by super talented Helene. For a really long time, I was planning to get my own copy. :-) I hope to learn some tips & tricks from this book and improve my photography over time..

Coming to the recipe for today ....

Yesterday, the auspicious Navratri days began and here's Wishing you all a very Happy Navratri. :-). May Goddess Lakshmi bless us with lots of joy, wealth and prosperity.

Today's recipe is a luscious Vegetable Kurma which doesn't need a special occassion to be made. With rice or roti, it serves as a delicious accompaniment leaving you wanting for more.

Give it a try and Enjoy with your family & friends during this festival time..

Mixed Vegetable Kurma/Korma

Ingredients:

For the masala:

1 cup fresh coconut, cut into small pieces
1.5 tbsp poppy seeds
2 tbsp dry roasted cashewnuts
3/4 tbsp coriander powder
1.5 tbsp sesame seeds
3/4 tbsp garam masala
2 tbsp tamarind extract
1 medium-sized onion, thinly sliced & fried in a tbsp of oil until golden brown (use only half of it for the masala)
1.5 tsp ginger-garlic paste
water

Other ingredients -

1 tomato
2 cups mixed veggies cut into almost equal sizes - potato, beans, carrot, bell peppers
1 tomato, chopped
2 tsp red chilli powder (or less based on the desired spice level)
1/8 tsp turmeric
1 tbsp tomato ketchup
3-4 tbsp canola oil

Preparation:

1. In the blender jar add all the ingredients listed in the "masala" list with enough water to make fine paste.

2. Heat oil in a pan and add rest of fried onion with tomato. Saute for few mins and then add all the vegetables. Cook them until done, not mushy just tender. Season with turmeric, red chilli powder and salt.

3. Add the ground masala to the vegetables. Cook on low-medium flame until oil separates on the edges. Mix in tomato ketchup and cook for few more minutes.

4. Serve with roti or rice.

Check out one other variation of korma here.

until next time,

An Ode to Alice - Veggie Finger Sandwiches

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I still remember the day, I read 'Alice in Wonderland' lying flat on the floor, for the first time when I was 10yrs old. I have read it many times since then and now for 'The book that makes me cook', I have to cook a dish inspired by it. I had these huge plans to make 'Orange Marmalade' with a tag 'EAT ME' and a juice with says 'DRINK ME'. But, I fell sick again at the very last moment, so I ended up preparing these simple 'Veggie Finger Sandwiches' as an evening tea snack! :D

Curiouser and curiouser the prose it did seem,
As day became night and the moon it did beam.
I huddled ’neath covers as white as the snow,
And my love for this tome did continue to grow.

With Rabbit and Dormouse and Hatter and Queen,
And White Knight and Cheshire Cat whose body unseen
Remained in my nightmares for nearly a year.
But yet there was more I learned I had to fear…

For then in the sequel appeared a most hideous
Beast indescribable, the mem’ry insidious!
I read the adventure, and each tick of the clock
Gave life to this beast, the famed Jabberwock!

With vorpal sword in hand the beamish boy
In bravery did slay, oh, what glee, ah, such joy!
Of an age I reflect as the decades have spanned
’tween now and my first reading of Alice and her Wonderland.

~ by Ruthann Logsdon Zaroff

Veggie Finger Sandwiches

Bread slices
Basil pesto sauce (store bought)
Tomatoes, sliced
Onion, sliced
Cucumber, sliced
Carrot, long wide strips (using a peeler)

Preparation:

Spread the basil pesto sauce of each of the bread slices. Arrange all the veggies and place the final piece of bread on top.
Cut the sandwich into quadrants and insert toothpicks into them. Serve on a platter with any dip in the middle..:)

I will update the post with links of my other friends who made 'Alice' inspired goodies soon.

Rachel: Sandwiches for my Mad Tea Party
Aparna: Orange Marmalade Cake

Cheers,
Siri

Mixed Veggies dipped in Tomato Sauce

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It is one such cold, chilly evening when my tummy wanted to have a big bowl of hot, simmering mixed vegetable curry for dinner, but with a twist of tomato. As you wish my 'aaka' (master) said my heart, and here it is - " Mixed Veggies dipped in Tomato Sauce".


There is something very soothing and comforting about having a big heap of hot rice and a pot of creamy vegetable curry on a cold, chilly and gloomy winter night. Isn't it !!
and today I am in a mood of experimenting with some known flavors like veggies and spaghetti sauce. Wondering where this spaghetti sauce came from... hmmmmm.. thats the secret of the tomato sauce of my version of mixed veggie curry. Read on to find out how...!!
I promised Suganya of 'Tasty Palettes' to make something exclusively for her 'Vegan Ventures' event, November being a Vegan Month. Forwarding this recipe to you dear and will try to make more in coming days..:)


Ingredients:

1. Veggies whatever u can find - I used cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, beans, potato
2. 1 big Tomato (chopped)
3. 1 medium Onion ( finely chopped)
4. 1/2 cup spaghetti sauce ( or tomato puree will do !!)
5. Salt - to taste
6. 1/2 tbsp Chilli powder
7. 1 tbsp Oil
8. 1/2 tbsp Garam Masala ( for that Indian kick !!)
9. Water - if needed

How to make:

1. HEAT oil in a skillet, add finely chopped onion and fry until golden brown.
2. ADD tomatoes, par-boiled veggies and mix well. Cook for few minutes.
3. POUR a good amount of spagetti sauce over the veggies. Add salt, chilli powder, and garam masala one by one.


4. MIX the content well. Cook for 7 to 10 mins until the veggies are nicely dipped into the tomato sauce and soaked with its flavors...:)
5. GARNISH with coriander leaves or a big dollop of cream and ENJOI with hot rice or as it is..:DD

Another Look....


Also sending this to Sra's 'Grindless Gravies' Event..:))

A Big Thank You for all you wonderful fellow bloggers who visited my blog often - as it crossed a 10,000 visitors mark with this post. Thank You dearies..:DD
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Dussehra Sambaralu....

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Dussehra is a festival of triumph of good over evil. There are numerous legendary stories associated with this festival. Here is one such interesting story from the epic Ramayana.

STORY:

When Ravana, the king of Lanka abducted Lord Rama’s wife Sita, and held her hostage in Lanka, a fierce battle ensued. Although there were huge casualties on both sides, Ravana could not be defeated. So Rama decided to seek the blessings of Shakti or Goddess Durga in order to defeat the 10-headed demon.

But Rama needed 108 blue lotuses for the worship of the Divine Mother, while Rama had managed to procure only 107. He was on the verge of laying one of his eyes that was lotus-shaped and blue in color at the Goddess’s feet when Shakti, satisfied with the measure of his devotion, granted her blessings. And the righteous eventually triumphed.

Another well-know story is the defeat of the demon, Mahishasura at the hands of Goddess Durga.

All stories have the same moral of - "Victory of Good over Evil". It teaches us to destroy the 10 ugly faces of - deceitful, hypocritic, treacherous, malign tendencies and march forward in the path of righteousness and morality.

WHAT'S COOKING

Ok, with no further delay, Let me show what I did I cook on such an auspicious day: Aloo Pulao, Palak-Methi Paneer with Carrot Halwa.


Aloo Pulao: Its one such savory mostly cooked, when one observes fasting on Navratri.

Ingredients:

2 cups of Basmati rice
3 potatoes peeled,diced and boiled
1 bunch pudina leaves
1 bunch methi leaves
2 tbsp garam masala
1 tsp Dhania powder
1 tsp Jeera
1 Onion - thinly sliced
Salt - to taste
Oil/Ghee - 2 tbsp


Preparation:

1. Cook rice with 3 cups of water. Try not to overcook. Keep aside.
2. In a pan, heat some oil/ghee, Saute jeera and onions until brown.
3. Now add potato, pudina & methi leaves, salt, garam masala and dhania powder. Mix well and let it cook for few minutes.
4. Then add rice, mixx well. Cook the contents on low-medium heat for 5-7 minutes.
5. Garnish and Serve hot.

Palak-Methi Paneer:

Ingredients:

2 cup Palak/Spinach
1 cup Methi/Fenugreek leaves
1 Onion-finely chopped
2 Finely chopped Green Chillies
1 cup Paneer pieces
3 tbsp Oil/Ghee
1/2 tbsp turmeric
1 cup cream (or milk)
Salt - to taste

For Ground Masala:

1/2 medium onion
1 tomato- pureed
1/2 tbsp Ginger-Garlic paste
1 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp cumin powder
1/2 tbsp garam masala
1/2 tbsp chilli powder


Preparation:

1. Cook palak and methi leaves with some salt and water till wilted, on low flame. Cool it down and then puree. Keep aside.
2. Grind all the ingredients listed for 'Ground Masala" with some water/milk.
3. Take some oil/ghee in a skillet, saute onions untill brown, add green chillies and ground masala. Cook for 2-3 mins.
4. Add pureed palak and methi leaves; Mix well. Cook for 2 minutes.
5. Then add salt, turmeric and cream. Stir the contents well and let it simmer on low heat for 5-6 minutes. Finally add paneer cubes. Cook for 3-4 mins so that they are finely coated and soaked in the masala..:)
Not: Adding 1 tbp of corn flour to thicken the gravy.
6. Garnish with cream or coconut milk. Serve hot.

Carrot Halwa: This simple and quick carrot halwa would be an awesome dessert after cooking an elaborate spread.

Ingredients:

2 cans of sweeteneed condensed milk
2 cups of milk (to thin it out)
1 lb grated carrots
Nuts and Raisins

Note: Sugar is not needed as condensed milk already has it..:D


Preparation:

1. Boil condensed milk and milk together until its little thinned in consistency.
2. Add grated carrot. Stir the contents well.
3. Cook for about 15-20 minutes.
4. Fry some nuts and raisins, also some cardamom powder.Add to the halwa for nice flavor.

This is my entry to JFS:Dussehra event hosted by dear Vee of Past,Present and Me and also Viji's RCI: Tamil Festivals.

Off I am to lofty Smokies this weekend... see ya next week with loads of beautiful pictures and the adventures I did..:DD