Peas Curry with Coconut

Green peas have more nutrients and it provides a good amount of protein, fiber and vitamins. Green peas are important for maintaining bone health. They are a very good source of Vitamin K1. Green peas also serve as a very good source of folic acid and a good source of Vitamin B6 . Frozen peas are preferable to canned peas as they retain their flavor and have lower sodium content. I use both frozen as well as the dried green peas. This recipe I learnt from amma and this is goes well with rice, idly, dosa and chapattis. Here it goes:)

Ingredients

• 1 Cup of Green Peas ( Frozen peas or pressure cook the green peas)
• To Fry and grind to a paste: ½ onion cut into big chunks, 1 big tomato cut into big chunks, ½ cup shredded coconut, 2 pods of garlic, a small piece of ginger, 1tsp cilantro, 1tsp roasted gram, 1tsp coriander seeds, 1tsp cumin and 2 red chilies.
• For seasoning: ½ onion cut into small pieces, 2 cloves, 2 pieces of cinnamon stick, ½ tsp fennel seeds, 2tsp of cilantro.

Method

• In a pan add oil and Sauté the cloves, cinnamon stick, fennel seeds and onions. Sauté until the onions turn brown. Add the ground masala and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the cooked or frozen peas and ½ cup of water and cook for 4-5 minutes. Add salt for taste.

• Garnish with cilantro leaves and serve hot

Confessions in groups of five Meme

I have been tagged by Pushpa of Pusiva's Culinary Studio for the meme. Thanks Pushpa for tagging me:)

5 items in my freezer

• Curry and mint leaves
  
• Pepperidge farm pastry dough
  
• A packet of stir fry vegetables
• Ice creams – Vanilla, Pistachio, Almonds, and chocolate
• Bags of Lime beans, coconut, and Drumsticks

5 items in my closet

• My clothes
• Lots of handbags( I don’t use any of them )
• 4 big luggage bags which fills my closet
• Camera stand
• 2 boxes of photo albums and miscellaneous stuffs

5 Items in My Car

I don’t have a car personally, I shall consider my husbands car as mine for now:)

• Lots of road maps
• A small trash box- often I find our car to be messy with gasoline and grocery bills, so I placed a trash box to solve the problem:)
• Sunglasses
• 2 water bottles
• CD ‘s

5 Items in My Purse

• Credit and Debit cards
• Shopping and Library cards
• Picture of my hubby dear
  
• Dollar bills and some coins
• Driver’s license and Insurance cards.

I would like to tag Sowjanya of Andhra Recipes and Neelu of Crossroads:)

Bell Pepper Curry

Bell peppers are rich in Vitamin C and you can find them in different colors. I like green peppers, which are unripe, while the others all are ripe- red, yellow, and orange. The green peppers are less sweet and slightly more bitter than the other colored peppers. I think it all tastes similar. This curry I learnt from my sister in law and it goes well with rice and chapattis. It is very easy to make and tastes good. Here it goes:)

Ingredients

• 2 bell peppers finely chopped
• Handful of pearl onions
• ½ tomato finely chopped
• 6-7 red chilies
• Little tamarind piece soaked in ½ cup water (¼ size of a lemon)
  

Method

• Heat oil in pan, add mustard, cumin, red chilies, curry leaves and sauté them.

• Add the pearl onions and sauté until it turns to light brown, and add the tomato and sauté until it becomes soft and tender.

• Add the tamarind water and allow it to cook for 5 minutes.

• Add the finely chopped bell pepper and salt and cover cook for 15 minutes and sauté them in between in order to avoid over heating the pan.

• Turn of heat and mash the mixture with the wood masher and serve hot with rice or chapattis.

10 Things I miss about my Mom's cooking

Thanks to Garam Masala for coming up with such a thoughtful Theme and Spicehut for tagging to this meme. I would like to write about what I miss about my mom and her recipes.

1. Her dedication: My mom was a workingwoman and she raised three kids. I appreciate her dedication to her work life and family. She was able to balance both with no compromises. She gets up at 4 a.m. in the morning to cook for us and she goes to work. I doubt whether I can do that?
2. Cleanliness: She is extremely obsessed when it comes to keeping the cooking area clean. Most of the time I observed her in the kitchen cleaning some stuffs.
3. Kadala curry: Though I make this recipe in her style, her way of cooking and taste doesn’t match with mine.
4. Shrimp podi: She makes yummy shrimp podi. She dries the shrimp, fries it and grinds it with tamarind, coconut, red chilies and shrimps. All time favorite:)
5. Appam
6. Ela Ada: Sweetened coconut flakes are encased in a layer of rice paste spread on toasted banana leaves and then steam-cooked to make these delicate flat cakes. As it cooks, the Ela Ada absorbs the earthy aroma of the toasted banana leaves.
7. Biriyani: She makes chicken, mutton, and prawns biriyani and it is heaven:)
8. Parippu Payasam: Made of moong dal, jaggery, and coconut milk.
9. Erissery: Made with green bananas, coconut, and other spices
10. Fish curry

I would like to tag Bhakshanam, Sugar and Spice, Ginger& Mango ,and My workshop.

Moru Kutan ( Butter milk curry )

This spring quarter I took some courses to keep myself occupied. Lately I started to realize that it has become too hectic for me and I hardly get time for myself. I love blogging and reading blogs, which I couldn’t do for past one month. I am just waiting for this quarter to get over and take a break:) .This recipe I learnt my mother-n-law and I like the way she makes this recipe. Moru curry can be made with okra, ash gourd, plantain and yam. I made this recipe with ash gourd (white pumpkin). Here it goes:)

Ingredients

• 1 cup of ash gourd finely chopped
• 2cups of butter milk
• ¼ cup water
• ½ tsp turmeric
• Salt to taste

Grind

• 2tsp rice
• 1tsp mustard
• 1tsp cumin seeds
• ½ tsp chana dal
• 5-6 seeds of coriander
• Green chilies 4-5
• ½ cup coconut

Seasoning

• Oil, mustard, ½ tsp fenugreek seeds, red chilies, and curry leaves

Method

• Marinate rice, mustard, cumin, chana dal, and coriander seeds for 30 minutes in water.

• Grind green chilies, coconut, rice, mustard, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, and chana dal in a mixer or blender to a smooth paste.

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, red chilies, fenugreek seeds, and curry leaves.

• Add the ash gourd pieces, water, turmeric and salt and cover cook for few minutes until the veggie gets cooked.

• Add the ground paste and cook for few minutes.

• Add the butter milk and mix along with the mixture. Cook in low heat for few more minutes until the form appears. Do not allow it to boil.

Serve hot with rice and pappad.

Our Anniversary trip to Mt Shasta & Crater Lake

We had been to Mt Shasta and Carter Lake for our Anniversary. We were all prepared for summer and were surprised to see snow at Mt Shasta and Crater Lake. Most of the roads were closed at the National Parks due to snow:( We could see some part of the National parks:) Here are some pictures of our Trip:)

Mt Shasta, Redding














Sulphur Works Thermal Area at Lassen Volcanic Nationa Park, Redding














Sundial Bridge, Redding



















Pavement built with glass:)



















McArthur-Burney Falls Memorial State Park, Redding



















Castle Crags State Park, Redding














Shasta Lake, Redding














Shasta Dam, Redding














On our way to Crater lake, Rogue River, Oregon














Moss walled canyons at Rogue River Gorge, Oregon














Driving to Crater Lake, Snow covered everywhere:)



















Crater Lake National Park, Oregon - Covered with fog:)