Coriander Rice/Kottambari Anna/Kothamalli Sadam

 I love to prepare some variety rice if I wake up with a very lazy mood early morning !!  Today I will share one more rice specialty of South India ie "Coriander Rice".  You can also check other rice varieties from my kitchen.
 This recipe is very easy and very few ingredients are required. Just follow three easy steps .... Prepare Rice, Prepare spicy coriander gravy,Mix Gravy and Rice well. That's All... Tasty Yummy coriander rice will be ready :-).I love the green color and unique flavor of this coriander rice .
If you get a chance to try this recipe at home, Please don't forget to comment back !!..

Ingredients:
 3-4 handfuls of Rice (Sona Masuri/ Basmati) / approximately 1 cup of uncooked rice
 1-2 tbsp of chopped cashew nuts
 3-4 handfuls of coriander leaves
 1 tbsp of chopped ginger
 2-3 fresh green chilies
 one big size onion ,chopped 
 salt to taste

For Seasoning:

1 tsp of mustard seeds
1/2 tsp of cumin seeds
2-3 tbsp of oil/cooking ghee 

How To Prepare?

• Cook the rice in such a way that each grain is separate from another. Keep the cooked rice away.
• wash the coriander leaves and roughly chop it.
• Grind chopped coriander, ginger and green chilly with very little water into a smooth paste. (Don't make this paste too thin, try using less water while grinding)
  
• Now heat oil/ghee in a pan. Add cashews and fry till they turn light brown in color. [Remove the fried cashews and keep it aside if you have fear of burning them]. Now add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. After the mustard seeds pop out, Add chopped onion. Saute for 4-5 mins in a medium flame.
  
   
  
  
  
  
   

• Now add ground coriander paste on top and saute for about 8-9 minutes. Saute until the raw smell of coriander goes off. Switch off the flame.
  
   

• Now add the prepared mixture/gojju/gravy and salt to the rice. Mix really well and Serve [ Initially mix only 3/4 th quantity of the cooked rice and check , if required add remaining rice as per your taste]
  
   

• Yes we are done with coriander Rice.Serve this tasty coriander rice with chips and curd/any raita.

                                             

   

Alternative/Tips:

• For the seasoning part, You can use only cumin seeds or other common typical south Indian cooking seasoning ingredients along with cumin.
• You can drain the fried cashews and keep it aside. Mix it with rice at the end, by doing so you can retain the crispiness of cashews.
• Don't over fry cumin seeds/jeera. If you over fry ,it leaves a medicinal smell which spoils the entire dish.

Thanks for reading through my post. Please share it with your friends and family if you like the recipe. Feedback is always welcome.

Guacamole Recipe - Avocado based Dip

I love to prepare something special on Sundays.This Sunday special is guacamole recipe  ( this is a link to a original recipe).Happy that I have given it a try after reading it. Its a heavenly taste. This Avocado based dip, is originally from mexico. Original recipe is very simple, just mash the avocados , sprinkle with lime juice, salt and Mix it well.. Isn't it Easy ?
  You can season this avocado dip with onions, tomatoes, spices like chilies, black pepper etc as per your choice.This dip is served with tortilla chips. You can use this dip as toast spread too. 
  Want to check out my earlier post, similar recipe of Avocado-Avocado Sandwich ??


Ingredients:
2 ripe avocados
salt to taste
1-2 tbsp of fresh lime juice 
2 tbsp finely chopped onion 
1-2 green chilies, remove stems and seeds and chop them finely
2 tbsp coriander leaves (use only leaves and tender stems), finely chopped
1/2 - 1 tsp of black pepper powder
1/2 ripe tomato, (remove seeds and pulp, chop it finely)


Method:

• Cut the avocados in half. Remove seed. Scoop out avocado flesh using a spoon, place  it in a mixing bowl. 
  
   

• Using a fork or hand, roughly mash the avocado to make the dip little chunky. (if you want smooth dip then use food processor) 
• Sprinkle salt and lime (or lemon) juice on top of mashed avocados. lime juice will help delay the avocados from turning brown. Gently mix it.
• Now add chopped onion, coriander, black pepper and chopped chilies. Mix it well again.(Be careful on the quantity of green chilies you add , Chilies vary individually in their hotness.)
  
   

• Cover the lid and refrigerate it for an hour.(You can also transfer the mixture into a air tight container and refrigerate it).After taking it out from fridge, serve within 5-6 mins.
•  Add chopped tomato to the guacamole and mix it gently.Serve this dip along with tortilla chips .You can use this as toast spread also.
  
   

                              

Tips:

Don't preserve this dip in a refrigerator for long. Consume within few hours after the preparation.After you take out from fridge , add tomatoes and serve within 5 minutes.

Thanks for reading my post . Please try it and let me know your comments.

Taste of Vienna

Vienna is famous for its wide range of top quality confectioneries. My stay in Vienna was short and I could taste only few authentic traditional specialties of Vienna. 

 Vienna is called "Coffee house capital of the world".Visit to Vienna will be incomplete if you don't sit in any of the cafe houses and have a cup of coffee along with freshly baked cake. There are plenty of coffee houses in the city. I had my breakfast in "Cafe Museum", one of the most famous coffee house of Vienna.Good ambiance and lovely breakfast.Enjoyed tasting few of the local specialties.

 What I Ate in Cafe Museum?
                      

Gulhupf: This is a Austrian term for bundt cake. This cake is a circular cake with hole in the middle and wavy pattern over the cake.Gugelhupf baked and prepared in a special way using flour, raisins, almonds and Krischwasser cherry brandy.It was so delicious and fresh. Enjoyed having this cake with hot coffee. 


Kaiserschmarren (Fluffy Pncake):

Kaiserschmarren is a shredded pancake made from a sweet batter using flour,eggs, sugar, salt, and milk, baked in butter.In the original recipe there are only raisins.But nowadays , lot of variations are available in various restaurants.Usually these shredded pancakes are sprinkled with powdered sugar, then served hot with apple or plum sauce. Its so yummy...Kaiserschmarren is eaten like a dessert, or along with coffee. I had this as part of my breakfast. It was so tasty and quite filling. Unique taste, I just couldn't compare to any of the Indian desserts.Worth trying it during your Vienna visit.

Kaiersemmel(Bread):This is one another traditional Austrian food.The Kaiser roll also called a Vienna roll is a crusty round bread, originally from Austria. It is made from white flour, yeast, malt, water and salt.Top side of bread normally divided into five segments, separated by wavy cuts over the bread. It is tasty and yummy along with butter and jam !! Sorry , Couldn't focus the kaiser roll while taking the photo, took a snap of the entire bread basket as my son was not cooperating.
He was asking "Idly" in Vienna :-(

  You will find lots of varieties of pastries and cakes in almost all the bakeries in Vienna. There are lot of local specialties available in Easter markets too.If you visit Vienna during Easter then advise you to visit Easter market in front of Schonbrunn palace. That is called one of the famous romantic markets in the world.

I tasted Nussbeugerl in Easter Market located in front of Schonbrunn palace. This Arch shape sweet stuffed bun is very yummy. Sweet filling is prepared with sugar, various nuts and few spices.I am sure cinnamon is one of those spices !!. Just loved the 
aroma of moist nut filling inside the bun. (I forgot where I have taken this photo of Nussbeugerl ?? , I am sure taste will be more or less same in all the bakeries)

Sachertorte: This is one of the most famous Viennese culinary specialties.This chocolate cake I tasted in a bakery which is located near the ticket office, Schonbrunn palace.I am sure you will find it in all the cafe houses and restaurants in Vienna, because it is very very famous.This special type chocolate cake has got different taste than normal chocolate cake. It is also served with whipping cream.
This cake is invented by  Franz Sacher In 1832.The head chef was ill so 16 year old Sacher who was doing his internship in the kitchen got  a chance to prove himself.  
Want to know more about history, composition ,origin etc? check out this wiki link

Things I missed to taste:

Another Vinnese dessert is kipferl a sweet pastry.Many guides will tell interesting stories behind this shape of the pastry.I just took a snap of the same.    
                    

Sharing few more clicks  below which are not tasted by me.!!

 

 I am sure this post will help you if you are a foodie or vegetarian who want to taste local cuisines of Vienna during your Vienna visit. 
Thanks for reading my post, Please do comment / share your experiences.

Homemade Strawberry Jam

Preparation of strawberry jam at @home is very easy. Using only 4 ingredients you can prepare a fresh and healthy jam. Its always good to have a food which doesn't contain food color and preservatives. Give it a try and get back to me with your comments.

Ingredients:
2 cups fresh strawberries, finely chopped
1 cup sugar
1 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp unsalted butter

How To Prepare?

• Wash and chop the strawberries into tiny cubes.Mix strawberries and sugar in a large mixing bowl. Cover a plate and place it in the fridge overnight.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

                                                                       

• Next day, heat thick bottomed kadai/pan. Pour strawberries, their juices and any residual sugary thick syrup found at the bottom of the vessel into a hot pan/kadai. Keep the flame in medium and keep stirring so that all the sugar melts.Bring the mixture to a boil.Now add lemon juice and mix it well.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
• Reduce the flame and let it boil till it reaches setting point.
• How to check setting point?

           method 1: Place a drop of the jam on the cold plate. After few seconds push the jam with your  finger. If the jam surface wrinkles then it has reached a setting point. if it slides as water then it has to be boiled for few more minutes until it reaches a setting point.
           method 2 : touch the jam with your forefinger .Now touch your thumb and forefinger together and pull apart gently. If a string forms and quickly breaks then you have reached setting point. 

• Switch off the flame. Add butter to the jam and mix well.
  

                          
                                       

• Now keep the jam in kadai/pan for 5-10 mins. After it cools down store it in a clean glass container.
  

Thanks so much for going through my recipe.Kindly get back to me with your comments. .Please do share it with your friends and family if you like the recipe :-)

Two traditional hungarian food not to miss in Budapest

Kürtőskalács is one of the most popular street foods in Hungary.There are lot of places where this street food is prepared in  a traditional way and served hot. I tasted this food in couple of places. If you visit a royal palace in castle district of budapest, on the way you will find a shop where I enjoyed the heavenly taste of Kürtőskalács.It was drizzling and my family really enjoyed the taste and aroma of yummy hot Kurtoskalacs. Never miss this Hungarian specialty if you visit Budapest . 

Kürtőskalács is made from flour, milk , sugar, yeast , butter and egg. Just before the serving these rolled buns are given special toppings to enrich the aroma and taste. You can choose the toppings of your choice like cinnamon, kokos , almonds etc.I tasted  with kokos /coconut and almond toppings. Just loved both :-)...:-)........You can check this wiki link  to know more about the baking process. Prepared in special way, Its very different than normal cakes and muffins. That is  why it tastes different.Very interesting Isn't it ?

I got a chance to taste the  other local specialty food "Langos" too, Its a fried flat bread topped with grated cheese and sour creme. You can opt for exotic vegetable toppings.I tasted this @ food court , central market hall,Budapest.There will be long queue and you will have to wait for your turn !!. Worth waiting , It was so filling and tasty. Simply delicious. Different varieties of sweet langos are also available, because of the time crunch couldn't try that.Just took a snap !!

These two local specialties Kürtőskalács and Langos can be tasted by vegetarians !!

Thanks for taking time out and going through my post.Please add your comments and experiences :-)

Brown ChikPeas Cutlet

I had lots of brown chikpeas at home. Wanted to prepare something different than normal curries , sprouts and sundal using brown chikpeas. After couple of experiments , very happy to share one new recipe "brown chikpeas cutlet" with you all. Its very healthy , tasty and something different than normal vegetable cutlet.

Here we go with the recipe

Please try it at home and get back to me with your comments.

Ingredients :
2-3 handfuls of brown chik peas
2 big size potato
1 small size onion, finely chopped
1 medium size carrot , grated
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
1-2 tsp chat masala
2 green chillies, finely chopped
4 slices of bread
5-6 tbsp of bread crumbs
salt to taste
1 tsp of red chilly powder
oil for shallow fry/deep fry


How To prepare?

• Soak brown chik peas for atleast 5-6 hours.
• Drain the water ,pressure cook the chik peas and keep aside.
• Boil the potatoes.Peel the skin and smash it roughly.(I used pressure cooker to cook the potatoes too).
  
• In a pan , heat one tsp of oil and add chopped onions to it. Saute for 2-3 mins. Now add grated carrot to it. Saute for 5-6 mins so that all the moisture goes off.
  
• In  a large mixing bowl , mix coriander leaves , chopped green chilies and sauteed carrot onion mixture well.Dip 4 slices of bead in a water for 20-30 secs.Squeeze them nicely and add the bread pulp to the mixture. 

• Now grind cooked chikpeas into a coarse mixture .( Drain the water completely  before you grind and use this water in any curry/soup. Don't add the water while grinding , if you add water cutlet dough becomes watery and you will have tough time while making balls later)
• Now add ground chikpeas , boiled potatoes, chat masala , chilly powder, 1-2 tbsp of bread crumbs and salt  into a mixture and mix well in hand. If you feel the mixture is little watery or if you are not able to make balls add more bread crumbs.

                       

• Now pinch out small portions of dough and make balls . Press the ball gently using your palm to flatten it little bit. Roll it in  bread crumbs and shallow fry or deep fry. make sure that both the sides are golden brown.
  
    
   
• Serve hot with coconut chutney or tomato ketchup.

Tips/Alternative: 

• You can mix 1-2 tbsp of all purpose flour with little water and prepare a dip (make sure the consistency of the dip is neither thin nor thick). Before rolling the cutlets in breadcrumbs just dip it in the prepared dip.This gives a good taste and texture to the cutlets.
• Instead of chat masala once I used one seasoned salt called "gewurz salz". It came out well too.
• If you don't have chat masala , add garam masala as a substitute while sauteing onions and carrots.

Thanks so much for going through my recipe , Please try it at home and put in your comments.

Happy cooking .!!