Bread Masala

Got just few slices of left over bread and wanna do something interesting,then bread masala is the best solution.Yes, Bread masala can be made as a breakfast dish or as an dinner item and can be made with any kind of bread.

Ingredients:

• Bread- 4 or 5 slices
• Chopped Onion
• cut Carrot - 1/2 cup
• cut Beans - 1/2 cup
• G.Chilli- 4
• Cilantro
• curry leaves
• Garam masala -2 tsps
• Egg- 1 (Optional)
• Olive oil (cooking oil) - 1tsp
• Mustard
• salt to taste

Preparation:

• Cut the bread slices into small pieces.

Method:

• Heat oil in a pan & add mustard seeds.
• Then add chopped onion,curry leaves and green chillies,stir well and let them cook for a min.
• Add carrot, beans and little salt to the mixture,sprinkle water and stir well.
• Let it cook for 2 mins.
• Now add garam masala and let the vegetables cook for 2 more mins.
• If you want to use egg,add it now & mix well.
• Then add bread pieces to the mixture and mix well,so that the masala mixes with them.
• Garnish with cilantro.

Chow chow Pachadi(Chayote Raitha)

Chayote or Chow chow is roughly pear shaped vegetable,with thin green skin fused with the white flesh.This vegetable can be used to make curry or kootu.

I tried a raitha with chayote and it came out well.

Ingredients:

• 1 Chayote or chow chow.
• 1/4 cup of finely chopped onions.
• 1 cup curd or natural yoghurt.
• 1 green chilli, chopped.
• Curry leaves.
• Cilantro.
• Salt to taste.
• 1 tsp cooking oil.
• mustard seeds.

Preparation:

• Wash the chayote and peel off the skin and cut them onto small pieces.
• Add some water and salt to the chayote and boil it for 2 mins.
• Drain the water and keep the chayote aside.

Method:

• Heat oil,add mustard seeds,chopped onion,curry leaves,green chilli and mix it well.
• Add the boiled chayote,stir well.
• Now all the above to the curd in a bowl and mix them.
• Garnish with cilantro.

Kovakkai (Ivy gourd) Pepper curry

Kovakkai goes by a lot of names like "Ivy gourd","dondekaya", "tondli","tindora","kundru" etc.

This is a greenish vegetable,which looks similar to baby cucumbers,though they are not the same.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of fresh,tender,clean kovakkai.
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion.
• 1/4 cup cut tomato.
• 1 tsp ginger garlic paste.
• Turmeric powder.
• 1 tsp chili powder.
• curry leaves.
• Mustard seeds.
• cumin seeds.
• 1 tsp ground pepper.
• salt ot taste
• 1 tsp cooking oil.
• 1/4 cup water.

Preparation:

• Wash the kovakkai, trim the tips off & slice them into small pieces.
• add little salt & a pinch of turmeric powder and cook the kovakkai in low flame for 2 mins.
• Drain the water and keep the kovakkai aside.

Method:

• Heat oil i a pan,add mustard seeds,chopped onion and curry leaves.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and stir well.
• Now add the cut tomato,pinch of turmeric powder,chilli powder,mix well..
• Then add the boiled kovakkai,water and let it cook for a min.
• Now sprinkle the ground pepper on the mixture.
• Stir well and remove it from the flame.

Tastes good with chappathi.Can be had with rice too.

Masala Poha (Masala Aval)

Poha or Aval (rice flakes) is a healthy any time snack item.Can be used as a breakfast item or as an evening snack.Poha can be made as a spicy dish or as a sweet dish.

If you are looking for a spicy snack item,which can be put together in just 10 mins ,here it is - Masala Poha.

Ingredients:

• 1 cup of poha.


• 2 tsps shredded coconut.


• ¼ cup finely chopped onion.


• Mustard seeds.


• Curry leaves.


• Coriander leaves for garnish.


• 1/2 tsp Garam masla powder.


• Turmeric powder.


• 1 tsp Cooking oil.


• salt to taste.

Preparation:

• If you are using a thick poha,that we get in india, Soak it in water for few mins,till it becomes soft.If you are using the poha that we get in indian grocery stores in US,then just wash the poha in water & drain water completely.


• Now mix grated coconut & little salt to poha and keep it aside.


• Chop the onions and coriander leaves finely.

Method:

• For the sessoning,heat 1tsp oil in a pan and add mustard seeds,chopped onion and curry leaves.


• Add a pinch of turmeric powder,garam masala powder and mix well.


• Let the mixture cook for 1 min,then add the poha mixture.


• Stir well and garnish with corriander leaves.

Beetroot Halwa

Beetroot halwa is a very simple sweet dish made in Tamilnadu.This is a dish made more often @ my home,with the left over beetroots.It is very easy to make & is very delicious too.

Here goes the recipe!

Ingredients:

• 1 cup grated beetroot.
• 1/2 cup milk.
• 2 cups of sugar.(Preferably powdered).
• 1 cup of water.
• cardamom
• Raisins.
• Cashews or almonds.
• 1 or 2 tsps of ghee.

Method:

• Bring the grated beetroot,milk & water together in a big pot & cook them in low flame.Will take at least 15 to 20 mins to get completely cooked.
• In the mean time,fry the cashews & raisins in ghee separately to a golden brown color & keep it aside.
• Keep stirring frequently and cook till it becomes soft & thick in consistency.
• Then add crushed cardamom,sugar,roasted cashews & raisins.
• Keep stirring until all the water and milk evaporates.
• Once the mixture becomes thick,add ghee just before removing from the flame & stir once,so that the ghee melts & mixes well with the mixture.
• Cold or hot, tastes really good.