Spring onion Capsicum Noodle Soup

Decoration: Carved the capsicum top out to make a flower vase. Made an arrangement using spring onion tops with buds and a paper flower that I made.

I am back from my vacation and badly down with cold and cough. Yup it happens! When the climate, water and surroundings change drastically, its hard to maintain fitness. All you can do is get back and take rest for a week with a hot soup everyday. I am sure one can be back with josh as I am now. :):):)

Spring onion and capsicum are really healthy green vegetables and say what about noodles.. :) its universal favorite of all. So combined them all to make a very exciting soup.

Ingredients:

Diced capsicum - 1/4 cup
Finely chopped spring onion / onion - 1/4 cup
Chopped spring onion tops - 1/4 cup
Aji-n0-moto - a pinch(It enhances the taste. But health conscious ppl can avoid it. May be next time I too will avoid it :) )
Butter - 2 tsp
Cooked noodles - 1/2 cup
Milk - 1/2 cup
Corn flour - 1 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - for taste
Grated cheese - for topping(optional)
Salt - for taste

Method:

Heat the butter in a pressure pan and fry chopped spring onion and capsicum. Add aji-no-moto and little sugar to it and fry for few minutes. Add 3/4 th of the spring onion tops. Now sprinkle some corn flour and pour enough water or stock and pressure cook for one whistle. Let this cool for a while. Now puree the cooked mixture in mixie and strain well. (don't strain if you like your soup chunky)

Crush noodles to small pieces and cook till it becomes soft in just enough water and keep it aside.

Now add milk and cooked noodles along with enough salt to the pureed mixture and reheat in reduced flame.

Spring onion capsicum noodles soup is ready to eat.

Serve it hot topped with grated cheese, pepper and rest of the finely chopped spring onion tops. :)

Happy making. :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Siyaali

Idly is a staple food that south Indians prefer and most of them would have idly as their breakfast. And for home chefs like us, its a tough task to make them in right numbers to exhaust it all for breakfast.

We would surely find lots of idlys left over sometime. So when you face such a situation, there is a yummy recipe to convert it into a very sought after tiffen for the evening or for dinner. Thats nothing but Siyaali. :)

Ingredients:

Idly - 10
Onion - 2 big
Bengal gram dhall - 1 tblsp
Urad dhall - 1 tblsp
Red chilly - 3
Coriander seeds - 1 tblsp
Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Tamarind paste -1 tsp
Salt - for taste
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves


Method:

Take a tsp of oil in a pan and fry bengal gram dhall, urad dhall, red chilly, cumin seeds, asafoetida and coriander seeds till they turn golden brown. Now powder the fried ingredients coarsely and keep it aside.

Cut the idlys into square pieces of same size. In a pan take a spoon of oil and crackle mustard and curry leaves. Add finely chopped onions and saute for a while till the onions turn golden brown. Now add tamarind paste, turmeric powder and the above powdered masala and fry just for a min. Add little salt to it.(Do keep in mind that the idlys already have salt in it.) Now add the idlys and saute for few more mins mixing it well. Finally add chopped coriander leaves to it. S

Siyaali is ready to eat :) Happy making :)

Note: Just in case you dont have time to make the masala powder, just add idly molaga podi which would taste good too. :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Mixed Vegetable Kurma

Consuming lots of vegetables can keep the doctor away for ever*. (*if your husband is not a doctor ;) ) .

Making a very delicious kurma with vegetables can make it all the more interesting and yummy too. :)

Ingredients:

Mixed diced vegetables(potato, carrot, beans, cauliflower and peas) - 5 cups
Small Onions - 1/2 cup

Garlic - 7 to 8 flakes

Green chillies - 10

Coriander powder - 1 tsp

Cashew nuts - 10 to 12

Cardamom - 3

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Salt - for taste

Coconut extract - from 1/2 coconut

Tomato - 5

Big onions - 2

Garlic - 7 flakes

oil - 1 1/2 tblsp

Grind:

Scrapped coconut - 1/2 cup

Poppy seeds - 2 tsp

Method:

Heat little oil in a pan and fry small onions, garlic, cardamom, green chillies and cashewnuts. Grind it with ginger and coriander powder. Take coconut extract from half coconut.

Chop big onions, garlic and tomatoes finely. Heat oil and ghee in a pan and add ground mixture and fry for a minute. Add tomatoes and fry till it becomes soft, then put the mixed diced raw vegetable pieces and fry for few minutes. Pour coconut extract and pressure cook till the vegetables are cooked.

After removing the lid, add fried onion and garlic. Now put the coconut and poppy paste to this. Boil for two minutes and remove from fire.

Mixed vegetable creamy kurma is ready to serve.

Serve with Chapathi, Roti, Naan or even ghee rice. :) Happy making. :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Capsicum/Bell Pepper Sambhar

Decoration: Used small onions, capsicum and coriander stems to arrange the creeper

Capsicum or bell pepper is one of my most favorite vegetable. Adding a little of it to any curry or sambhar would give an alluring aroma that I am crazy of.

So this is one of my personal on top of the list sambhar always. :)

Ingredients:

Capsicum/bell pepper - 2 nos
Thoor dhall - 1/4 cup
Small onions - 1/2 cup
Sambhar chilly powder - 1 tblsp
Tamarind paste - 2 tblsp
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Asafoetida - a pinch
Curry leaves
Coriander leaves
Salt - for taste

Method:

Cook dhall in pressure cooker and keep it aside. In a pan take a tsp of oil, crackle mustard seeds and then add the capsicum and small onions and saute for a while. Now add the cooked dhall, tamarind paste, jaggery, sambhar chilly powder, asafoetida, salt, coriander leaves and curry leaves to it. Add little water to it if it is too thick. Let this boil for a while.

Capsicum aromatic sambhar is done. :) Enjoy eating. :)

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com

Republic Day Celebration With Tricolor Idlys :)

India is proud to celebrate its 61st Republic day today. :)

61 years back, this was the day when our Constitution was born and India turned into a republic country. :)

To mark the importance of this occasion, every year a grand parade is held in the capital, New Delhi and its declared as the national holiday.

It is a day that demands celebration at each Indian's home. So here is my celebration. :)

Tricolor Idly

Making tricolor idly was in my list for a long time and thought today was the right day to make it. :)

This dish is an inspiration from Madhuram's eggless cooking and Latha aunty too. :)

Tomato idly(Red Idly)

Ingredients:

Tomato chutney
Idly batter

Method:

Mix the chutney with idly batter and make idlys. :)

Mint Idly(Green idly )

Ingredients:

Mint leaves(pudina) - 1 bunch
Green chilly - 2
Idly batter

Method:

Grind mint leaves and green chilly together by just adding very little water and mix it with idly batter and make idlys. :)

Happy Republic Day!!!!

Written by: Nithya
post your queries to fourthsensesamayal@gmail.com