Zucchini Cake

Ingredients

•  Zucchini                                                    - 2 cups [shredded].
•  White Sugar                                             - 1 1/2 cup
• Brown Sugar                                             - 1/2 cup
• Crushed Pineapple                                  -  8 oz
• Eggs                                                           - 3
• Flour                                                           - 3 cups
• Baking Powder                                         - 1 tsp
• Baking Soda                                             - 1 1/2 tsp
• Grounded Cinnamon                               - 1/2 tsp
• Salt                                                             - 1 tsp
• Raisins                                                      - 1/2 cup
• Nuts [walnuts, almonds, cashew nuts]   - 1 cup [crushed. small chunks].
• Vegetable oil                                            - 1 cup
  

Method

• Peel the outer skin & shred the zucchini. 
• In a bowl, break the eggs. Beat it nicely.
• Add 1 1/2 cup sugar, 1/2 cup brown sugar.
• Mix it well.
• Add vegetable oil. Mix it well.
  
•  Add shredded zucchini. Mix it well.
•  Add the dry flour. Mix it well. Lumps shouldn't be there.
  
•  Add 8 oz pineapple. Mix it well.
•  Add nuts. Mix it well.
•  Add raisins. Mix it well.
• Add baking soda, baking powder, salt, cinnamon. And mix it well. The mixture will be in brown color. 

Oven  

• Preheat the oven @ 325 degrees.
• Put oil in the cake pan, bread pan. Spread it evenly throughout the pans. Sprinkle flour on the pans.
  
• Fill the cake pan, bread pan with half the mixture. 
• Bake the pans  for 1 hr or 70 minutes.
• Put it in toothpick. If it comes out clean, the cake is done. 

Thank You Note

A humble thanks to Prathima for emailing me the recipe promptly. And for giving valuable tips & ideas.

Mushroom Curry

Ingredients

1. Mushroom          - 1 pack.

2. Onion             - 1

3. Tomato            - 2. [Make it into a puree].

4. Ginger

5. Garlic

6. Cashew           - 10 [Soak it in hot/warm milk for 1/2 hr. Grind it to a paste].

7. Peas              - 1/2 cup.

8. Curd              - 2 tsp.

9. Cardamom          - 3

10. Cinnamon         - 1 inch

11.Turmeric Powder

12. Chilli Powder

13. Garam Masala

14. Coriander Powder

Tip : [Chilli Powder : Coriander Powder] = [1:2]

Method

1. Put oil in pan.

2. Add 3 cardamom's, 1 inch cinnamon, & ginger garlic paste.

3. Fry for few minutes.

4. Add onions & fry.

5. Add tomato puree (1/2 cup).  Fry till raw smell subsides.

6. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, garam-masala powder, coriander powder.

7. Fry it nicely.

8. Add 2 tsp curd, 1/2 cup peas.

9. Allow it to mix with the masala.

10. Add cashew paste. Fry it.

11. Add Mushrooms, salt.

12. Allow the mushrooms to cook nicely.

Goes well with rice, chappati.

Thank You

Recipe was given my Meenakshi Ravindranath. Thanks a lot Meenakshi.

Vegetable Pasta

Long long ago, not so long ago,...7 years ago, our family and friend's family had gone to Olive Garden for lunch in Detroit, MI. I didn't like anything there. I used to crib like anything...take me to Ashoka, Udupi (Indian Restaurants).

My Husband likes to try and taste different varieties of food. And so, 2 months back on my b'day, we all again went to Olive Garden. I don't remember what we ate. Well again not a big fan.

Last week I went to Olive Garden with a couple of my friends and the dishes we ordered and ate was the yummiest. As the main dish, I had Pasta with Alfredo Sauce. My friend Aruna, 2 months back made pasta and gave it to me. And it was too good....So this time, I wanted to try it.

I tried it. And my husband, child everyone liked it. 

Ingredients

1. Rotini Pasta - 1 packet

2. Basil Leaves - According to taste

3. Black Pepper Powder - According to spice.

4. Alfredo Sauce - 1 bottle.

5. Onion         - 1/2 onion

6. Tomato        - 1/2 tomato

7. Garlic        - 2

8. Green pepper  

9. Broccoli

10. Peas

Method:

1. Boil the pasta exactly according to the instructions given in the pasta packet. Drain it in the colander.

2. Add olive oil in the same kadai.

3. Add onions, tomato, green pepper, broccoli, peas, garlic.

4. Be careful not to over cook the same.

5. Add the pasta.

6. Add the dry basil leaves.

7. Add the black pepper powder.

8. Add 1 bottle full sauce.

9. Allow it to mix. Allow it to cook. 

10. Serve it hot.

Gratitude:

I thank Aruna for giving me pasta 2 months back. I humbly thank aruna for telling me the recipe, and the ingredients needed to buy. Oops...that reminds I have to give the pasta box back....

Tofu Curry

Ingredients

1. Tofu    - 1 packet

2. Onions

3. Tomatoes

4. Green Chillies

5. Milk.

6. Turmeric Powder

7. Chilli Powder

8. Chicken Powder / Curry Powder

9. Salt.

10. Ginger Garlic Paste

11. Curry leaves

12. Coriander Leaves

Note 

Tofu will be in floating in water. Cut the packet. Drain the water. And Wrap the tofu in tissue for 10 minutes. Leave it aside.

After 10 minutes, cut the tofu into small cubes.

Method:

1. Heat the kadai with oil.

2. When the oil is heat, add the square pieces into the kadai.

3. Fry tofu in medium heat. Both sides have to be light brown.

4. Keep the tofu aside.

1. In the same kadai, add oil.

2. Add curry leaves, jeera, green chillies.

3. Add onions and tomatoes. [onions, tomatoes = 1:1]

4. Add ginger garlic paste.

5. Add turmeric powder, chilli powder, curry powder/chicken powder,salt.

6. Allow the oil to come out.  

7. Add 1 cup milk.

8. Allow the milk to boil.

9. Add tofu pieces. Keep it in medium.

10. Check for salt. Add coriander leaves

11. Tofu curry is ready.

Tip: There are different types of tofu. I normally get the "Lite Firm Tofu". I purchase it in Meijer. The Nasoya brand.

Tofu is very good for health too. Its made from Soy Milk and contains lots of proteins. 

Thank You 
I thank my friend Uma for telling me this recipe.

Thai Layered Rice

It was a nice weekend. Labor day weekend. Today I cooked, Thai Fried Rice. And it came out very well. Came out very tasty and yummy. I already had dhal makhani, spinach dhal. I don't want to waste that food too. But wanted to make rice fresh. Instead our normal biryani, I thought I'll make something different...So here is this recipe.  And luckily I had all the vegetables in the refridgerator. 

Ingredients.

Thai Red Curry Paste             - 2 tablespoon

Broccoli                         - 1 cup florets

Peas                             -1/2 cup

Brinjal                          - 1

Corn                             - 1/2 cup

Spring onions                    - 1 bunch

Basmati Rice                     - 1 cup.

Soy Sauce                        - 2 tablespoons

Lemon Juice                      - 2 tablespoons

Coconut milk                     - 2 cups

Pineapple                        - 1/2 cup

Method

1. Put oil in kadai.

2. Add Thai Red Curry Paste.

3. Put the vegetable - broccoli, peas, corn, brinjal, pineapple. 

4. Add 1 cup coconut milk.

5. Add soy sauce, lemon juice.

6. Let the vegetables cook.

7. Put the salt and check for taste.

Keep it aside after its cooked.

In a separate kadai,

1. Add oil.

2. Fry Basmati Rice.

3. Add 1 cup coconut milk.

4. Add coriander leaves.

Keep it aside after its cooked.

Method For Layered Rice

1. In a large cooker/pan, add 1 layer of rice.

2. Add 1 layer of paste.

3. Continue doing this till all the rice, paste is layered.

4. Keep it in stove. Let the gas flame be very slim.

Before serving, mix it lightly. The rice shouldn't break.

The main taste for the rice comes from the coconut milk and the thai red curry paste.  I got the thai red curry paste from Meijer - World Food Section. 

Comments from Bala, Suresh : Thai Fried Rice is excellent.

Vegetable Kurma

Labour day weekend. Suresh is coming home. He will come home very late. I had to cook something light. Planned to make idli. Ok now what to do with idli. I was so tired of making sambar for Idli time and again. So decided to make Kurma. Searched the internet. Came across a easy recipe. Tried and surprisingly it came out excellent. 

The original recipe states lots of veggies. In my refrigerator I had carrot but was very lazy to slit as specified my the great me. Had potatoes. But again, afternoon I cooked potato curry, so didn't want to put it. No beans, neither no peas, or lima beans...so settled with sorakkai and capsicum. And that too i decided to add it at the last moment so didn't fry it. After I added the grinded mixture, I added the sorakkai and capsicum and allowed to cook for a long time. 

But came out good. 

The recipe goes as follows.

Veggies:

--------

1. Carrots.

2. Potatoes.

3. Cauliflower.

4. Peas.

5. Broccoli.

6. Beans.

7. Lima Beans.

8. Sorakkai. [ what do call it in english. if anyone knows, let me know.]

9. Capsicum. [red or green or orange. what colour do you like.]

Grind:

------

1. Coconut - 1/2 cup.

2. Green Chillies - according to the spice anyone prefers

3. Coriander Leaves - Handful.

4. Cashew Nuts - 8

5. Ginger

6. Garlic.

First dry grind it. Then add water and grind it to a nice smooth paste.

Slit the onions thinly.

Slit the carrot thinly.

Cut the beans crosswise.

Method:

-------

1. Put oil in kadai.

2. Add jeera, mustard seeds, curry leaves.

3. Add the slit onions.

4. Fry it nicely.

5. Add the vegetables.

6. Add turmeric powder and fry it nicely.

7. Add the grinded mixture. Check for salt. Allow the raw smell to go. Keep the gas in slim. Allow the vegetables also to cook. 

8. Add milk. Check for salt. Check if the veggies are cooked. 

9. Garnish with Coriander And Jeera.

The Kurma came out very well.

P.S:The guest liked it a lot.

Tip - Curry Leaves

When you get curry leaves from the shop, take the curry leaves only and dry it a plate overnight. Then store those curry leaves in a glass bottle and refrigerate it. It would come for days together. 
- Tip By Meenakshi Ravindranath

Keep the glass bottles very safe. It is very useful for storage. I personally prefer glass bottles than plastic bottles. And this is an influence from my mom.