Roasted Eggplant & Yogurt Chutney

వంకాయ పెరుగు పచడి

Summer is here and so is our search for food to keep our bodies cool and hydrated begins. Yogurt based chutneys, fresh fruit salads and healthy natural drinks, lassi are few things which come to our mind immediately.

Vankaya perugu pachadi is a very versatile, refreshingly cool yogurt based chutney, which works great as a dip, or a simple pachadi with rice. It can be prepared with effortless ease, a simple combination of roasted brinjal, fresh coriander, green chillies and yogurt and perfectly seasoned with spices that further accentuates the chutney’s distinctive and superb taste. It's a pachadi sure to treat your taste buds.

Ingredients:
1- Large Brinjal
1 cup - Yogurt
2 - Green Chillies
Few coriander leaves (kothimeera, dhaniya)
Few Curry Leaves (Kariveypaaku, Kadi patha)
1 tsp - salt or to taste

For Tempering :

1 tsp - Oil
1 tsp - Mustard seeds (Avaalu,rai)
1 tsp - Urad dal ( Mina pappu)

Roast Brinjal directly over flame, by turning it now and then for about 15-20 mins or till the brinjal's skin is crumpled and easy to peel. You can also put it in the oven at 400F for 15-20. Make sure all the sides are cooked evenly.

When the brinjal cools to room temperature, peel out the skin and mash the inside of the brinjal with the back of a spoon or with masher to coarse texture. Keep aside.

Chop green chillies, corainder leaves and curry leaves finely.

Do the tempering. Add green chillies and curry leaves and fry for few seconds. Turn off the heat and add it to the mashed brinjal. Add salt and chopped coriander leaves.

Add yogurt and mix well. Adjust the amount of yogurt. Add little or more yogurt according to your taste. I make it thick gravy type.

Serve it immediatley or chilled along with any rice. It tastes good as a dip with tortilla chips too.

___________________________________________________________________

Bellpeppers in Peanut and Sesame Gravy

Mirchi Ka Salan


This is another Hyderabad recipe and is very famous amongst all Hyderabadis. Bell peppers are chopped and cooked in peanuts-sesame gravy. This authentic gravy is a true relish and tastes good with rice or chapatis.

Ingredients:
Difficulty : Easy

3 - Bell peppers, chopped into bite size pieces
1/2 - Onion, chopped
3 tbsp - roasted peanuts, grounded into powder
3 tbsp - roasted sesame seeds, grounded into powder
1/2 tsp - Ginger garlic paste
2 inches - tamarind
1 tsp - red chilli powder
1/2 tsp - turmeric
1 1/2 tsp - salt
1 tbsp - Oil
Few curry leaves

Add 3/4 cup warm water to the tamarind and extract juice. Keep aside.

In a pan , on medium heat, add oil. Add chopped onion, curry leaves and fry till they turn transparent. Add ginger-garlic paste and well. Add turmeric, chopped bell peppers and fry till they are 3/4th cooked.

Add peanut and sesame powder to the curry and combine well. Add salt, red chilli powder and mix again.

Add tamarind water to the curry and stir once. Place lid on the pan and cook till the gravy becomes thick consistency. Turn off the heat and serve hot with rice, pulav or with chapatis.



___________________________________________________________________

My Mango Embroidery

For Mango Mantram @ Indira's Mahanandi, I decided to give a hand into embroidery and I've tried this design. It turned out well and I've again stitched the exact design on my kid's jeans. I thank Indira of Mahanandi for giving me the opportunity to display this little talent of mine :-)

___________________________________________________________________

A Sweet Present For My Friend

Cakes That I Bake - A cake that I gifted to my Best Friend.

___________________________________________________________________

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Butter Masala has been my favorite since childhood. I used to savor this at a restaurant called Minerva in Hyderabad. Whenever my dad takes us there for 'The Special Sunday Dinner', I used to order this dish with butter naan for sure. I used to crave this dish here and tried all sorts of recipes to expertise and reach the taste close to that I ate at Minerva.

Well, I guess ' Mere Manoo kamna puri hogayi -My wishes have been fulfilled' with this recipe. It is very close to the one I ate and would like to share with you all. Give it a try !

Ingredients :

Serves : 4

Difficulty : Very Easy

8-9 oz , 250 gms - Paneer, cut into small squares

1 tbsp - Butter

2 1/2 - 3 cups - Milk

1/2 - Onion , finely chopped

2 1/2 tbsp - Tomato puree (or) 1 tbsp - Tomato paste

1 tsp - Tomato ketchup

1/2 tsp - Ginger Garlic paste

1 tsp - Coriander powder

1/4 tsp - Garam masala powder

1/2 tsp - Red chilli powder

1/8 tsp or pinch - Orange food color

2 tsps - Salt or to taste

Method:

In a thick non stick sauce pan or kadai, on medium-high heat, add butter. When the butter melts, add finely chopped onion. Stir for few minutes till they turn transparent. Add G-G paste.

Cook for another minute.

Add coriander powder, chilli powder, garam masala powder, tomato ketchup and tomato puree or paste. Mix well. Add milk and combine well again. Simmer the heat and let it cook till the butter floats on the top of the gravy. Note: If the gravy is too thick add little more milk or if it is too thin let it simmer for more time. Add orange food color and salt. Stir and cook for 2-3 minutes.

Add fresh diced panner to the gravy. Cover the pan with lid and cook for 5 mins on low flame.Turn off the heat and serve Garama-Garam, Taaza Taaza with Naan or with Pulav.

___________________________________________________________________