Nov 29, 2009

Thepla ( Gujarati Cuisine )



Thepla

Makes: 4

Ingredients

1 cup ( 200 ml / 8 oz ) whole wheat flour atta
1/3 cup ( 50 ml/ 3 oz ) curd
3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon cumin jeers seeds
1/2 teaspoon ajwain
1/3 cup ( 50 ml / 3 oz ) water ( for mixing the dough )
4 teaspoon cooking oil

Method

Mix all the ingredients in a big bowl ( except water and oil ) and make a soft dough with water. Set aside in an airtight container for 15 minutes.

Divide the dough into 4 equal portions / balls.

Roll into thin chapatis.

Place a non - stick frying pan / griddle / tawa on heat. Place a thepla on the frying pan / tawa and cook for few seconds until little bubbles appear. Turn over and cook for 1/2 minute or until brown specks appear. Cook each side for 1/2 minute and remove from tawa. Apply little oil on both sides of the thepla and stack them on top of each other.

Serve with mango pickle / alu bhujia / green chutney/ navratan mixture ( farsaan )...

Nov 27, 2009

Potato Tomato Curry ( with coconut and without onion & garlic )



Potato Tomato Curry ( with coconut & without onion and garlic - Saraswat Cuisine )

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients

2 potatoes, cut into desired shape
1 tomato, roughly chopped
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

For Coconut Masala / Paste

3/4 cup grated coconut
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon water
Extra 2 tablespoon water

Make a smooth paste of above ingredients with 2 tablespoon water in a mixer. Dilute coconut paste with extra 2 tablespoon water.

For Seasoning:

1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter and curry leaves and fry for 2 - 3 minutes on a low heat.

Method

Boil potato cubes with chopped tomatoes in 1/2 cup water. Add salt to taste. Cover with a lid and boil on a low heat for 15 - 20 minutes or till done ( or you can separately cook Potato cubes in Microwave - Microwave High for 3 minutes with 1/2 cup water and then mix with chopped tomatoes and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes ).

Add coconut paste, adjust salt, mix well, stir occasionally. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes.

Pour seasoning over this curry. Serve as a side dish with rice / dosa / chapati...

Nov 26, 2009

Vattayappam for Christmas



Vattayappam for Christmas
( Traditional Kerala Dish )

Recipe Credit - Ms Lily Babu Jose, Cochin

Ingredients

1 cup rice flour

1/4 cup Sugar

1/2 cup water ( for sooji / rawa )

1 tablespoon rawa / sooji
1/2 cup grated coconut
2 tablespoon water ( for grinding coconut )
1 1/2 teaspoon yeast

1/4 teaspoon cardamom powder

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oil for greasing

1 tablespoon raisins



Method

For Yeast Solution:

Mix 2 tablespoon warm water with 2 teaspoon sugar. Add 1 1/2 teaspoon active dry yeast. Cover and keep aside for 20 - 25 minutes.

For Vattayappam:

Cook rawa with 1/2 cup of water into a thick porridge. Cook on a low heat and stirring continuously.

Grind grated coconut with water to a fine paste.

In a big bowl, combine rice flour yeast solution, ground coconut, cooked rawa, sugar and salt. Mix well, cover with a lid and keep aside for 8 -10 hours or overnight. Quantity of the mixture will be almost double after fermentation. Sprinkle cardamom powder and mix well.

Grease a steel bowl with 1 teaspoon oil. Pour vattayappam batter, spread it evenly with a flat spatula and decorate with raisins. Steam in a pressure cooker on a medium heat for 25 - 30 minutes. Cut into desired shape and serve as a snack or it goes well with spicy curries too.

Tip: Vattayappam is perfectly steamed when a cake skewer inserted in the centre comes out completely free of vattayappam dough / batter.

Nov 25, 2009

Muffins



Muffins

Makes: 20

Ingredients

2 cups plain flour
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon soda bi carb ( baking soda )
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Sieve flour, soda bi carb, baking powder and salt.

Beat together egg and sugar.

Add milk and butter.

Combine sieved ingredients and mix to make a creamy consistency.

Spoon out onto greased patty tins and bake at 190 * C or 375* F for 30 minutes or until done.

Nov 24, 2009

Fried Chicken



Fried Chicken

Recipe Credit - Fast Food Catering Crew, Chennai

This recipe is without food color and Ajinomoto ( MSG)

Ingredients

4 chicken pieces
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder
4 teaspoon chicken stock
1/4 cup maida ( all purpose flour )
1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
100 ml oil for frying

Method

Wash and clean chicken pieces. Drain out water completely and wipe each pieces with kitchen towel.

Mix chicken pieces with above ingredients ( except oil ) for 1 hour. Do not add extra water.

Heat oil in a kadai / frying pan. Reduce heat to medium. Fry marinated chicken pieces on medium heat for 15 - 20 minutes or till golden brown. Serve hot with tomato sauce.

Nov 23, 2009

Achappam ( A sweet & Crunchy Snack of Kerala )


Here's the recipe link of Achappam / Rose Cookies. Easy recipe !!




































Achappam

A sweet & crunchy snack of Kerala

Recipe Credit - Thangam E Philip, Modern Cookery Vol 1

1 st Recipe

Ingredients

910 g raw rice
4 eggs
200 ml thick coconut milk
450 g sugar
1 teaspoon salt
Coconut oil for frying ( about 750 ml - 1 litre )
Achappam Mould

Method

Beat eggs and set aside.

Wash and soak raw rice for 2 to 3 hours. Drain well ( till nearly dry ) and powder. Sieve through a fine sieve.

Mix together rice flour, beaten egg, sugar, salt and coconut milk to prepare a medium batter ( like pancake and not too watery ).

Heat oil in a wide, heavy bottom iron kadai. Then heat mould in oil. Dip mould in batter and keep straight away into hot oil.

As achappam form they will separate from mould ( or you can gently push with a needle). Fry till golden brown and drain on paper. Repeat the same process till the batter is used up. Store in an airtight container.



2 nd Recipe ( Credit - Ms Lilly Babu Jose, Cochin )

Ingredients 


Rice flour (nicely powdered)- 1/2 kg 

Egg- 2

Sugar- 2 tbsp

Coconut milk- from one coconut ( 200 ml thick coconut milk )

Sesame seeds- 2 tsp

Salt- to taste

Oil- for frying

Method

Mix the rice powder with coconut milk, sugar, beaten eggs, sesame seeds. Keep the mould of achappam in boiling oil. When the mould got red hot, immerse 3/4 th of the mould in the above paste and immediately place in the boiling oil. After for few seconds and strike the handle, the achappam separates from the mould. Fry to a golden colour. Drain and keep it in an air tight vessel when cold.

Achappam available at

Hot Chips, New Kerala Hot Chips, Ganga Sweets & Kaanchi Bakery - Chennai







Achappam Mould available in Chennai

Santosh Super Market, Anna Nagar
Hindustan Home Needs - Mogappair
Ratna Stores - Pondy Bazar
Saravana Stores - Ranganathan Street , West Mambalam
Amara Stores - Amjikkarai

Nov 21, 2009

Mutta Thoran ( Egg Thoran, Motte Sukke in Konkani Cuisine )



Mutta Thoran ( Egg Thoran, Motte Sukke in Konkani Cuisine )

Serves: 3

Ingredients

2 eggs
2 teaspoon cooking oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
2 onions, finely sliced
1 spring curry leaves
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1/4 cup grated coconut
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder ( or to taste )
3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

Method

Beat eggs well and set aside.

Heat oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds. When they pop add sliced onions and fry till pink color.

Add curry leaves and green chillies. Saute for 2- 3 minutes.

Add grated coconut, red chilli powder, turmeric powder and pepper powder. Fry for 2 -3 minutes on a low heat.

Add beaten eggs, salt to taste and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Serve with rice / chapati as a side dish.


Aval Appam ( Aval Palappam / Aval Dosa )



Aval Appam ( Aval Palappam / Dosa )

Ingredients

For Aval Palappam:

1 cup raw rice
1 cup aval ( white poha / vella aval )
2 cups water for soaking rice and aval
1/4 cup water for grinding
1/4 teaspoon salt

For Yeast:

2 tablespoon warm water
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon fresh active dry yeast

Method

For Yeast Solution:

Mix warm warm water and sugar. Add 1 teaspoon yeast. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 20 - 25 minutes.

For Aval Appam Batter:

Soak rice and aval in water for 5 hours. Quantity of rice and aval will be double after 3 - 4 hours.

Grind the raw rice and aval to a very fine paste with water in a mixer. Add only required amount of water while grinding. Batter should not be too watery.

Transfer this batter to another big bowl for fermentation with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add yeast solution. Mix well. Cover with a lid and keep aside for 8 - 10 hours or overnight. Quantity will be double after fermentation.



For Aval Appam:

Heat a non - stick appachatty. Grease the appachatty with 1/4 teaspoon oil and reduce heat to medium.

Pour 1 1/2 ladleful of appam batter to the appachatty and slowly shake the appachatty round so that a thin layer forms on the sides and the middle remains thick. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat till done. When the appam is ready, the edges resembles crisp lace with light brown color and centre soft. Remove gently with a wooden spatula and serve with chicken curry / korma / stew....



For Dosa:

Heat a non - stick tawa / dosa pan. Grease with 1/4 teaspoon oil. Pour 1 ladleful of appam batter on it. The batter should be able to spread by itself. it should not be spread with a ladle. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat till done / centre soft and the underside of dosa is light brown . Remove carefully with a wooden spatula.

Prawns Dum Biryani / Chemmeen Biryani



Prawns Dum Biryani

Serves: 3 - 4

Ingredients

For the prawns:

500 g prawns, cleaned and deveined
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder
3/4 teaspoon salt

Marinate prawns with the above ingredients and keep aside for 30 minutes.

For the Rice:

2 cups basmati rice
3 cloves
3 cardamom
3 cinnamon sticks
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ghee
Water for cooking

Take plenty of water in a pot ; add rice, whole spices, salt and ghee. Cook till three - fourth done. Drain out water.

For the Prawns Gravy:

45 ml ( 3 tablespoons ) cooking oil

Whole spices:

2 bay leaves
3 cloves
3 cardamom
3 cinnamon sticks

500 g prawns
5 onions, sliced fine
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 bunch mint leaves, chopped
1 pod garlic ( 20 cloves ), chopped and crushed
2 - inch piece ginger, chopped and crushed
3 tomatoes, chopped
1 green chilli, slit lengthwise
3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 1/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )





Method

For the Prawns Gravy:

Heat oil in a heavy bottomed kadai. Fry whole spices for 2- 3 minutes. Add sliced onions and fry till light pink in color.

Add crushed garlic and ginger. Fry for 3 - 4 minutes on a low heat.

Add chopped tomatoes, green chilli, chopped mint and coriander leaves. Fry for 4- 5 minutes.

Add red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder and salt to taste. Mix well and saute for 4 - 5 minutes or till the raw smell goes.

Add marinated prawns. Mix well. Do not add water. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 20 minutes ( till the gravy thickens and a nice aroma ).

For Dum ( or the final preparation of Biryani )

In a heavy bottomed vessel spread a layer of prawns gravy and a portion of cooked rice. Make 2 or 3 layers with rice and prawns gravy. Cover with a lid. Seal with atta dough on the edges of the lid. It is preferable to place an iron kadai / iron tawa under the vessel to prevent the gravy / mixture from burning. Cook ( dum ) on a low heat for 30 minutes.You can see a color change in the seal. Open the seal and serve with pickle / raita/ pappadam.


Nov 20, 2009

Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Paste ( Dudhiye Gashi in Konkani Cuisine )



Pumpkin Curry with Coconut Paste ( Dudhiye Gashi in Konkani Cuisine )

Serves: 4

Ingredients

200 pumpkin , cut into cubes
1/4 cup tur dal
1 1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon oil
3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )

For Coconut Paste ( Massolu for Gashi ):

1 cup coconut, grated
3/4 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
2 tablespoon water for grinding

Make a smooth paste of above ingredients in a mixer with water.

For Seasoning:

1 teaspoon oil
1 teaspoon mustard seeds
1 spring curry leaves

Method

Pressure cook tur dal with water, turmeric powder and oil for 15 minutes. Allow to cool naturally.

Boil cooked dal with pumpkin pieces for 10 minutes on a low heat. Add salt to taste.

Add coconut paste ( massolu ), mix well and cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for another 10 minutes or till done. Stir occasionally.

For Seasoning:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they start crackle add curry leaves. Saute for 2-3 minutes. Pour seasoning over pumpkin gashi / curry.

Serve with rice ( seeth ). Accompaniments- Cabbage Sukke, Thoy ( dal ), Edgayi ( pickle ), Thaak ( curd ) and Appolu ( pappadam ).

Nov 17, 2009

Banana Cake with Cashew Nuts & Raisins



Banana Cake with Cashew Nuts and Raisins

Ingredients

200 ml ( 1 cup ) flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 ripe bananas
175 g ( 3/4 cup ) sugar
2 eggs
3 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon raisins
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 tablespoon cashew nuts, broken
1 teaspoon butter ( for greasing baking dish )
2 teaspoon flour ( for dusting baking dish )
2 teaspoon flour ( for dusting nuts and raisins )

Method

Grease baking dish with butter and dust with flour ( Sprinkle about 2 teaspoons of flour inside a cake pan and shake to coat all greased surface. Turn pan upside down to tap out the excess ).

Preheat oven at 180* C or 350 * F.

Dust cashew nuts and raisins with flour and set aside in a separate container.

Mash bananas well.

Sift flour, baking powder and salt.

Beat butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add eggs and continue beating for 5 minutes.

Add dusted raisins and cashew nuts. Mix well gently. Add mashed bananas and vanilla essence. Mix gently. Gently pour sifted flour and blend lightly.

Pour cake batter into a dusted baking dish ( or paper lined ) and bake at 180 * C or 350 * F for 25 - 30 minutes until golden brown and a cake skewer inserted in the centre comes out completely free of cake mixture.

Tips for perfect baking

The cake is perfectly baked when :

It begins to shrink slightly away from the sides of the baking pan.

It springs back when pressed lightly with finger.

A cake skewer inserted in the centre comes out completely free of cake mixture.

Nov 16, 2009

Tawa Naan



Naan is that delicious leavened bread associate with the tandoori dishes of Northern India, there, it is baked pressed against the inside wall of a heated tandoor ( brick oven ).

Here’s the recipe of Tawa Naan

Makes : 6

Ingredients

2 cups ( 300 g ) plain flour ( maida )
60 ml - 80 ml warm milk
30 ml warm water
1 teaspoon dry yeast
1 teaspoon sugar ( for yeast )
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoon curd / yogurt
1 teaspoon sugar ( for dough )
Butter for applying ( optional )

A piece of advice at the start itself (this is the lesson learnt from my many disasters) – If the yeast is not fermenting as described / also shown in the picture – never go any further. The flour won’t rise. Get a new pack of yeast and start all over again.

Method

Mix 1 teaspoon sugar with 30 ml warm water. Add 1 teaspoon yeast and keep aside for 25 minutes ( cover, keep in warm place , until the yeast is completely dissolved and risen / it will be double in quantity ).


Sift flour and salt into a large bowl; add yeast mixture , sugar and curd. Make a soft and elastic dough with warm milk (add required amount of milk from 60 - 80 ml milk).


Place the dough in an airtight / Tupperware container for about 4 hours or until the dough has doubled in size (or keep it in a deep steel bowl and cover it with a wet towel . The wet towel and dough should not touch each other).


Divide the dough into six equal portions. Roll them into balls and flatten each ball with a rolling pin to give a round chapati like shape. Then stretch on one side to form oval shaped naan ( or you can make round shape ).

Heat an iron tawa ( heavy based frying pan ) until hot. Reduce heat to medium and cook naan on both sides, ( one naan at a time ) until done ( change in the color / light brown / golden spots / nice aroma ). Apply butter and serve hot with Paneer Butter Masala / Mughlai / Tandoori dishes....


Chicken Porridge



Chicken Porridge

Serves: 3

Ingredients

1/2 cup basmati rice / silky raw rice
200 g boneless chicken
1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder ( for chicken )
1/2 teaspoon salt ( for chicken )
1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 onion, chopped
1 - inch garlic, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
1/4 cup coriander leaves, chopped ( including root)
1/4 cup mint leaves
6 cups water
3/4 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
1/2 teaspoon pepper powder

Whole Spices

1 bay leaf
2 cloves
2 cardamoms
2 cinnamon stick

Method

Soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain out water.

Marinate chicken pieces with 1/4 teaspoon turmeric powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt for 30 minutes.

Heat oil in pressure cooker. Add bay leaf, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon stick. Stir for 2- 3 minutes on a medium heat.

Add chopped onions. Fry till pink in color. Add chopped garlic and ginger and fry for 2- 3 minutes.

Add soaked rice, chopped ginger, garlic, coriander, mint, 6 cups water, boneless chicken pieces salt and pepper.

Close cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat till 2 whistles and reduce heat to low and cook for 8 minutes. Allow to cool naturally. Open cooker. Serve hot. Remove whole spices while serving.

Nov 15, 2009

Mutton Keema Vada



Mutton Keema Vada

Makes: 8

Ingredients

100 g mutton keema ( minced mutton)
1 spring curry leaves
1 green chilli, finely chopped
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/4 cup maida / all purpose four
2 teaspoon corn flour
100 ml oil for frying

For the spice paste / masala:

1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
2 teaspoon coriander powder
1/2 teaspoon garam masala powder
1 onion, chopped
8 cloves garlic, chopped
1 - inch piece ginger, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1 egg
10 cashew nuts , split

Make a fine paste of all the ingredients in a mixer.

Method

Transfer spice paste to another bowl and mix with mutton mince/ keema, breadcrumbs, maida, corn flour, curry leaves and chopped green chilli. Mix well. Keep aside for 5 minutes.

Make even sized balls and flatten them into round shapes. Heat oil in a pan / kadai and shallow fry ( medium heat ) in batches till golden brown on both sides. Serve with tea / coffee as a snack or a side dish.

Coconut Onion Chutney



Coconut Onion Chutney
( Piyyavu galleli thambli in Konkani Cuisine )

Serves: 3

Ingredients

For the Chutney:

1 cup coconut, grated
1 green chilli or 1 red chilli
2 small onions / sambar onion / shallots / chuvannulli
1 teaspoon salt ( or to taste )
2 tablespoon water ( for grinding )
1/4 cup ( 50 ml ) water for diluting chutney

For the Seasoning:

1 teaspoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds
1/2 teaspoon cumin ( jeera ) seeds
6 curry leaves

Method

For the chutney:

Grind all the ingredients to a smooth paste in a mixer with 2 tablespoon water. Adjust the thickness of the chutney with 1/4 cup water. Mix well.

For the seasoning:

Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When they pop add cumin seeds and curry leaves. Saute on a low heat for 2-3 minutes. Pour over chutney. Serve with dosa / idli / pongal / medu vada / dal vada......

Nov 14, 2009

Chicken Biryani



Chicken Biryani

Serves: 4

Ingredients

For the chicken:

750 g chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1/2 teaspoon red chilli powder
1 teaspoon salt

Marinate chicken pieces with turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt for 20 minutes and pressure cook for 10 minutes ( Keep marinated chicken pieces in a bowl. Close pressure cooker. Bring to full pressure on high heat for 3 whistles. Switch off the heat and allow to cool naturally . Reserve chicken stock for cooking rice ).

For the Rice:

2 cups basmati rice
1/2 teaspoon salt

Whole gram masala / spices

3 cloves
2 cinnamon sticks
3 cardamoms

1/2 teaspoon ghee
Water and chicken stock for cooking

Take plenty of water in a pan; add chicken stock and bring to boil . Add whole garam masala / spices , ghee, salt and rice. Cook till the rice is three- forth done. Drain out the water.

For the gravy:

45 ml ( 3 tablespoon ) cooking oil / ghee
5 onions, finely sliced
15 cloves garlic, crushed
2 - inch piece ginger, crushed
2 green chillies, slit lengthwise
1/2 bunch coriander leaves, chopped
1/2 bunch mint leaves, chopped
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 teaspoon red chilli powder
1/2 teaspoon turmeric powder
1 1/2 teaspoon coriander powder
1 teaspoon garam masala powder
Salt to taste (approximately 1 1 /2 teaspoon )

Method

Heat cooking oil / ghee in a pan / kadai. Fry sliced onions till golden color. Add crushed ginger and garlic. Saute on a low heat for 4-5 minutes. Add cooked chicken pieces, chopped tomatoes, chopped mint - coriander leaves, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, coriander powder, garam masala powder, salt to taste. Fry on a low heat for 8 - 10 minutes. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 10 minutes till the gravy thickens and fragrant.

Final preparation of Biryani:

In a handi or heavy bottomed vessel. spread a layer of chicken gravy and half portion of cooked rice. Make 2 layers with cooked rice and chicken gravy. Seal with atta dough on the edges of the lid ( photo below ). Cook on a low heat ( dum ) for 25 minutes. It is preferable to place an iron tawa / iron kadai under the handi / vessel to prevent the gravy / mixture from burning. You can see a color change in the seal. Open the seal and serve with raita / pickle....

Nov 11, 2009

Cheese Omelette



Cheese Omelette

Makes: 1

Ingredients

1 egg
1 cheese cube, finely grated
1 tablespoon chopped onion
2 teaspoon milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper powder
1 teaspoon chopped coriander leaves
1 teaspoon cooking oil

Method

Beat egg well and mix with all the ingredients except oil.

In a non - stick frying pan, heat the oil on medium heat. Add omelette mixture and spread it evenly. Cover with a lid and cook on a low heat for 5 - 8 minutes.

Cook until the egg mixture has set on the bottom but the top is still a little moist. The underside should be a golden brown in color.

Take the lid off and remove the omelette from the pan carefully.

Flip over omelette and cook the other side. Once it turn golden color, remove carefully. Serve with whole wheat bread / milk.



Types of Cauliflowers

Green: is a cross between broccoli and cauliflower in flavor and texture and is milder than white.

Purple: is wild, and is better for health. The color comes from anthocyanins ( found in red cabbage and red wine ) which is an antioxidant. Steam it or eat it raw; boiling will cause the color ( and the nutrition ) to bleed.

Orange: was discovered in a Canadian marsh; has 25 times more vitamin than its pale cousin.

Information Credit - Betterhomes

Nov 9, 2009

How to make samosa covering crispy ?




















Here's the recipe of Punjabi Samosa




















How to make samosa cover crispy ?

Ingredients

For samosa covering:

1/2 cup maida / plain four ( for 8 samosas )
2 teaspoon corn flour
1 teaspoon ghee
1/2 teaspoon cooking oil
1/2 teaspoon ajwain
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 cup water for mixing
1/2 teaspoon salt
200 ml cooking oil for frying

Method

Mix flour, corn flour, ghee, oil, ajwain, baking powder and salt together. Keep aside for 10 minutes.

Mix with water. Knead until smooth and elastic (Samosa dough should neither be too hard nor too soft ). Store in an airtight container for 30 minutes ( or cover with plastic wrap ).

Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Make a ball and roll it like a puri. Cut it into two. Fold each part in a triangle shape. Fill the mixture ( vegetable or meat ) , stick the sides with the help of water. Deep fry samosas in hot oil in batches on a medium heat till golden color and crisp.

Nov 7, 2009

A professor's multi - million - dollar bread ( Hot Breads ) enterprise



A professor's multi-million-dollar bread ( Hot Breads ) enterprise

Thanks - Sobha Warrier & Business Rediff

Fifty-four-year-old M Mahadevan is today known not only in India, but overseas too, as 'Hot Breads Mahadevan'.

His journey from being a professor at the Madras University to an entrepreneur in charge of a multi-million-dollar business spanning various countries can only be described as amazingly inspiring.

But the man is still the same: simple hearted and hard working. Here is an interesting success story of '' Hot Breads Mahadevan ".

Early days

I come from a simple town in Tamil Nadu called Udumalpet; it is 65 kilometres from Coimbatore. Though both my parents were doctors, I took my post graduate degree in Commerce.

My interest in the hotel industry began after reading Arthur Hailey's Hotel. I had just joined college then. In hindsight, I feel what attracted me to the hotel industry was people; I love meeting people.

My parents also met people, but only those who were in pain and misery, and I want to meet people who are happy. Those who come to a bakery or restaurant are always in a joyous mood.

I came to Chennai in 1979 as an Assistant Professor at Madras University. I taught Marketing to management and accounts students. That was during daytime.

The passion to be in the hotel industry was so intense that I started working for four hours at Hotel Ambassador Pallava at night to learn more about the industry. I was a trainee, a bell boy, a receptionist: everything. So, you can say I was a professor during day time and a bell boy in the evening.

My mother was aghast when she came to know about what I was doing. She asked, 'Are you mad? You are a teacher, and then you are going and cleaning tables? I can't understand this. I will not be able to find a girl to marry you!'

In those days, no girl from any good family in Chennai would marry a man who worked in hotels! In short, my mother didn't like it a bit. But I told her, 'One day, I will become the owner of a hotel and give employment to many people.' She was happy to hear that part.

First enterprise, a take-out with Rs 60,000

I met my partner while I was working in the hotel, and we started our first take out -- at the Tic-Tac unit in Chennai. The unit was selling north Indian food and I started a Chinese take-away there.

I opened my kitchen with Rs 60,000, and it opened at 5 p.m. and closed at 11.30 p.m. That was the time Chinese food was a craze among the people here.One of the persons who came to take the food was building a commercial tower and asked me whether I was interested in taking up a place there.That was how the restaurant Cascade opened. We served Chinese, Thai, Malay and Japanese cuisine.

Those who sold Chinese had red and green as the interiors, but I wanted something different. I got Parmeshwar Godrej from Mumbai through my neighbour, who was artist M F Hussain's son. And I told her I wanted all white and blue. I wanted my restaurant to look different and the interiors became a selling point. Many came to see the interiors.From then on, business roared. That was in 1986.

From hotel to bakery

I used to go to Singapore to buy my ingredients like Chinese sauces for my hotel and that was when I saw these little bakeries. I decided to open a bakery in India and sell bread. Many told me, 'people look at bread as something that they take when they are ill. How are you going to sell bread?'My partner said, 'You are crazy. The success of Cascade has got to your head!' So, whatever money I had (Rs.300,000) in Cascade, I took with me, and decided to start my bread unit on my own. I got Rs 800,000 as loan. I started Hot Breads with Rs 11 lakh (Rs 1.1 million) in 1989.

We had to import bread making machines in those days. It was the license regime then -- not like today. I gave the project plan and it took four months for the committee to take a decision though they met every month.

Once you got the license, it was mentioned in it what machine I was to import and at what cost. Not even a dollar more I was supposed to bring in to the country! I was not looking at selling just bread alone but curry buns, pastries, pizzas, burgers, etc. Bread was only a trap for the customer to come inside.

We took a bun, filled it with curry and made it a curry bun. We filled chicken tikka inside a Croissant. I got the idea to make these things Indian after I saw what Japanese did to their bakery items. Our curry buns are a big hit even in Paris. People used to crowd in our unit at Alsa Malls in Chennai.

From day one, we started making profits as the concept was unique and the product tasty. It was a perfect cocktail. We broke even in the first year itself and never looked back.

In the third month itself, people from Kochi and Bangalore came to me to start Hot Breads units there.

Soon, I came to be known as 'Hot Breads Mahadevan'!

First overseas Hot Breads unit in Dubai

In 1994, a Tamil couple who had come to Chennai saw how Hot Breads attracted people in Chennai. They asked me, 'Would you like to come to Dubai?' I said, 'Yes!'

I had around 12 units in India by then. We went to Dubai, started a unit there and it was a huge success. But we had to close it down after a year as it became a no-parking zone. When we were about to wind up, I was a bit sad that my overseas venture did not take off.

We soon got a contract from a union co-operative society. From day one, it was a roaring success. It was a Godsend. Like they say, when one door closes, ten others open.

For 14 years, we were at the same place. Only last year, they replaced us but then now, we have so many other units in Dubai.

The strangest demand we got was for Arabic bread. A gentleman came to our shop and said, if you don't have Arabic bread when you are here, shut your shop'. The very next day, I hired a Lebanese guy and we started making Arabic bread. Kids might like sandwich bread, but elders still prefer Arabic bread. But what is catching up is the curry-flavoured bread all over.

Becoming a Non-Resident Indian

After I opened my first unit in Dubai, I decided to become an NRI. The rules in India were stringent then. If you are investing from India, you have to take permission. Even if you had to cough or sneeze, you had to call the Reserve Bank of India and ask, 'Can we sneeze?'

The stringent rules forced me to be a Non-Resident Indian. Anyway, I would be away for more than 180 days to build my units. The profits you make internationally are not taxed here. The profits I made were put back to start more units abroad. The rules are different now. But I am happy that I chose the NRI route.

The second stop was Paris

In the last 20 years, I have opened -- with help from others -- 130 bakeries in 16 countries: the United States (New York and San Francisco), Ghana, France (Paris), UAE (Dubai), Botswana, Kuwait, Muscat, Singapore, Malaysia, the United Kingdom (London), etc. Now we are going to Australia.

But the market in India is booming and we have 68 units here.

We started with Rs 60,000. Now, we make around Rs 100 crore (Rs 1 billion) in India and internationally around Rs 120 crore (Rs 1.2 billion).

Hand of God

I believe in the hand of God. You have to be at the right place at the right time, and God's hands have to be there to help you and guide you. Wherever I went -- Dubai, Botswana, San Francisco -- a force took me there.

My ideas worked because they came at the right time. Instead of 1989, if I had opened in 1980, I would have gone bust. Doing your homework is very important which is studying and understanding the market.

I have made many mistakes, but I try to learn from them. We keep learning.

My advice to budding entrepreneurs is, innovate and think different. Don't follow anyone's footsteps; leave your own footprints for others to follow. Try to be lean and mean. Don't take your customers for granted.

Unless you have passion, you will not be able to carry a smiling face. More than hard work, it is the passion that you need to succeed.

My 'boys'

I have 3,000 boys working for me in India. I started with 14 boys in Dubai, now we have more than 1,000 boys working abroad. I love my boys, but I am a hard taskmaster. I don't accept laziness. I don't like procrastination. I drive them crazy, I know. Some of my boys run to my mother and complain about me!

We started 'Winners' in Chennai to teach poor, bright boys to bake. When you teach them a skill, you give them a life.

My happiness is not in turning my Rs 60,000 into Rs 120 crore. I am happy because I give employment to 3,000 boys in India. India needs not one but 10,000 Mahadevans to give employment to thousands of people. What I have done, anybody can do. I am an ordinary guy from a small town, but I had big dreams and commitment.