MINSTRONE SOUP ( Kugan )

MINSTRONE SOUP

Ingredients:

1 tbs olive oil
1 bay leaf
2 pips of garlic finely chopped
1 big onion finely chopped
¼ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried basil
1 tsp freshly chopped parsely
1 tsp chillie powder

3 large tomatoes finely chopped
6 cups of vegetable stock or water
1 carrot cut into cubes
1 ½ cups of cooked chick peas or kidney beans
1 red capsicum cut into bite sized cubes
1 green capsicum cut into bite sized cubes
½ cup french beans cut into ½ inch in length
1 cup pasta, ( I used swirls )
1 cup quartered button mushrooms

1 cup tomato puree
1 cup spinach leaves shredded
Salt to taste
Coarsely ground pepper powder to taste
1 tsp chillie flakes
Little grated cheese ( optional )

Method:
Heat oil in a pot, add in the bay leaf, chopped garlic, onions and saute well.
Add in the oregano, basil , parsely and the chillie powder. Give a stir.
Add in the chopped tomatoes, and cook till mushy.
Add in the vegetable stock, add in all the ingredients till the mushroom.

Cook on medium heat till the pasta is cooked well.
Add in the tomato puree and the shredded spinach leaves.
Add salt and pepper to taste. Cook on medium heat for about 3 minutes.
Sprinkle the chillie flakes and remove.
Serve hot with toasted bread.

NOTE: There is no fast and hard rules as what veges to use.
You can add, celery, potato, cauliflower, babycorn, or anything you fancy.

BITTERGOURD PEPPER FRY ( Kugan )

BITTERGOURD PEPPER FRY

Ingredients:

1 tbs oil
1 tsp aniseeds
2 sprigs curry leaves
200 grms big onion chopped
2 tsp ginger and garlic paste
2 green chillies sliced

250 grms bitter gourd cut into rounds ( I used the big type )
1 tsp chillie powder
2 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp tumeric powder
Salt to taste
Little water
3 tsp of coarsely ground black pepper
1 tbs of thick tamarind juice

Method:

Heat the oil in a wok. Add in the aniseeds and let them splutter.
Add in the curry leaves and chopped onions, saute until lightly brown.
Add in the ginger, garlic paste. Saute well.
Add in the green chillies and stir fry well.

Now add in the cut bittergourds, stir fry well.
Now add in the chillie, coriander, and tumeric powders.
Stir fry well, add in the salt and sprinkle little water.
Cover and cook on medium heat for about 5 minutes.

Remove the cover and stir well.
Sprinkle the pepper powder and add in the tamarind juice.
Mix well and stir fry a minute. Remove and serve.

ROASTED BRINJAL CHUTNEY ( Kugan )

ROASTED BRINJAL CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

2 big brinjals,
Little oil

8 red chillies, roasted
2 tbs grated coconut, roasted
1 tsp tamarind paste
Salt to taste

2 tsp oil
Little asafoetida powder
1 sprig curry leaves

2 tsp mustard seeds, roasted and ground very coarsely.

Method:
Apply oil all over the brinjals. Piecre a rod to the brinjal and roast in direct flame. The skin will be charred, and see that the brinjal is fully cooked.
Cool and remove the skins. Keep aside.

In a mixie grind the red chillies with the tamarind paste and little warm water.
Now add in the coconut, roasted brinjal, and salt.
Give a quick grind to mix everything well. It should be in chutney consistency.
Remove to a bowl.

Heat the oil and add in the asafoetida powder and the curry leaves.
Add in the coarsely ground mustard seeds. Pour the seasonings on the chutney.
Mix well and serve with idli or dosai.

VEGETABLE AUGRATINE ( Kugan )

VEGETABLE AUGRATIN

Ingredients:

100 grms cauliflowe cut into florets
100 grms carrot cut into cubes
100 grms button muchrooms quartered
100 grms beans cut into 1 inch in length
100 grms potatoes cut into cubes
( you can add baby corn, peas , brocoli any thing you fancy )

1 tsp oregano
½ tsp pepper powder
Salt to taste

White Sauce:
4 tbs butter
3 tbs all purpose flour
3 to 4 cups milk
½ tsp oregano
Salt to taste
Pepper powder to taste
1 tsp chillie flakes
½ cup chedder cheese

Topping:
½ cup grated chedder cheese
½ cup bread crumbs
Little butter

Method:
Steam the vegetables, see that they are crunchy.
Sprinkle with salt, pepper and the herbs. Keep aside.

Heat butter, add in the flour, saute over medium heat till raw smell goes.
Do not let the flour to burn.
Remove from the heat and add 1 cup of milk, and stir constantly.
See that no lumps are formed. Put the pan again over the heat.

Add in the remaining milk. Stir over low heat till sauce thickens.
Add in the salt, pepper and chillie flakes. Mix well.
Remove from the heat and add the cheese. Add in the steamed vegetables

Now transfer the mixture into a greased baking dish.
Sprinkle the bread crumbs and the grated cheese.
Put little butter here and there on the mixture.
Bake in a preheated oven @ 180 degrees C till the top browns a little.
Remove and let it rest for about 10 minutes.
Serve with toasted buttered bread.

EMPTY BIRIYANI GRAVY ( Kugan )

EMPTY BIRYANI GRAVY

Ingredients:

1 tbs coriander seeds
3 red dry chillies
½ tsp cumin seeds
½ tsp aniseeds
1 tsp black pepper corns
½ inch cinnamon stick
2 cloves
1 cardamom pod
1 small star anise.
Combine all the ingredients and powder them. Need not roast.


5 pips garlic
1 inch ginger chopped
3 green chillies sliced
15 shallots.
Mince all ingredients nicely, or grind to a very coarse paste. No water.

3 tbs ghee or oil
2 bay leaves
½ tsp dry funugreek leaves
2 sprig curry leaves

2 tomatoes chopped
1 tsp red chillie powder
1 tsp coriander powder
¼ tsp tumeric powder
Salt to taste
½ cup water

1 tbs ground coconut paste
2 tbs chopped coriander leaves

Method:

Heat the ghee in a pot. Add in the bay leaves, funugreek and curry leaves.
Let them sizzle, then add in the minced ingredients. Saute well.
Add in ground spice powder and saute again well.

Now add in the chopped tomatoes, red chillie, coriander and tumeric powders.
Add in the salt and the water. Cook on medium heat till oil separates.
(At this stage, you can add any veges, or non-veges)

(If adding any veges or non –veges, add little water to cook them through.)

Lastly add in the ground coconut paste. Mix well and simmer for few minutes.
Remove and garnish with the cut coriander leaves.

NOTE: you can add mushroom, potato, or sliced capsicums.
OR small pieces of chicken, prawns, or boiled eggs.

BAKED POTATO WEDGES ( Kugan )

BAKED POTATO WEDGES

Ingredients:

6 tbs olive oil
8 pips garlic crushed

2 large russet potatoes

3 tbs corn flour
1 ½ tsp salt
1 ½ tsp fresh black pepper powder
½ tsp kashmiri red chillie powder
½ tsp garlic powder

Method:
Warm the olive oil till hot in a pan. Add in the crushed garlic pieces.
Remove the pan and let the garlic infuse well in the oil. Set aside.

Parboil the potatos with the skin. Do not over boil the potatoes.
Remove the potatoes and let it cool. Then cut them into wedges.
Put the potatoes into a large bowl. Pour only the infused oil in.
Now add in all the other ingredients. Mix gently untill well combined.

It is important to make sure that the corn flour coats all the pieces well.
Lay the pieces on a baking tray, lined with a aluminum foil without over lapping.
Bake in the preheated oven 180 degrees C, for about 20 to 30 minutes,
untill they are golden brown and crisp. Serve with tomato or chillie sauce.

GONGURA THOKKU

When ever I go to Thirupathi, I will not miss this gonggura thokku.
They serve in all the restaurants there. I have about 3 pots of the plants.
I do this often in my house. Very yummy. Kugan98


GONGGURA THOKKU

Ingredients:

200 grms gonggura leaves
2 green chillies, sliced
2 tsp chillie powder
Salt to taste


5 tbs of gingelly oil
¼ tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp channa dal
¼ tsp vengaya vadagam
1 tsp roasted ground funugreek seeds.

Method:
Clean and wash the leaves. Spread them on a paper and let them dry.
There should be no moisture left in them.

In a pan, heat 1 tbs og the gingelly oil.
Add in the dried leaves, and the green chillies.
Stir fry the leaves, you can see the leaves, starting to shrink and change colour.
Keep stirring till all the leaves have shrunk and changed colour.

Now cool the leaves and put the leaves in a mixie jar.
Add in the chillie powder and the salt. Grind without adding any water.
It will be a coarse paste. Remove and keep.

In a pan add in 4 tbs of gingelly oil. Add in the vadagam, mustard and channa dal.
Now add in the ground paste, and mix well.
Cook for about 5 minutes till all the oil gets absorbed.
Remove and cool. Store in a glass bottle.

Serve with steaming rice with a dollop of ghee.