Blueberry Muffins

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

1 egg

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons (2 ounces) unsalted butter, melted and cooled slightly

1¼ cups sour cream

1½ cups frozen or fresh blueberries

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F*. Grease a standard 12-cup muffin tin (or line with paper liners) and set aside.Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium bowl untill combined. Whisk the egg in a separate medium bowl until well-combined and light-colored, about 20 seconds. Add the sugar and whisk vigorously until thick, about 30 seconds. Add the melted butter in 2 or 3 additions, whisking to combine after each addition. Add the sour cream in 2 additions, whisking just to combine. Add the berries to the dry ingredients and gently toss just to combine. Add the sour cream mixture and fold with a rubber spatula until the batter comes together and the berries are evenly distributed, 25 to 30 seconds. Small spots of flour may remain and the batter will be very thick. Do not overmix.Using a large spoon or a cookie scoop sprayed with nonstick cooking spray, divide the batter amount the muffin cups. Bake until the muffins are light golden brown and a toothpick or thin knife inserted into the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 30 minutes. Immediately remove muffins to a wire rack and cool for at least 5 minutes. Serve immediately or at room temperature. Store leftovers in an airtight container at room temperature.
Recipe Source : Browneyedbaker

Achingapayar(pacha payar)mezhukkupurati/Long beans stir fry

 Ingredients 

3 cups Achinga Payar/Long beans
1 cup sliced Onion
5 green chili (or to taste)
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp Chili powder
Coconut Oil
Salt

Direction

Heat oil in a pan. Add onion, green chili and sauté for few mins.Add turmeric and chili powder and stir for another few seconds. Add beans,salt and mix well with onion. Sprinkle some water , Cover and cook on low flame till it is cooked well. (Don’t forget to stir in between) Now Open the lid and stir fry till it is slightly browned. Serve with Rice.

Notes:

You can also add coconut slices for an extra kick to the dish.
Sometimes I omit red chili powder and add more green chili.

Kovakka idichathu /Ivy gourd Fry

Ingredients 

20 kovakka/Ivy gourd 

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1 1/2 tsp crushed chili (or to taste)

Salt

Oil

Directions

Crush each kovakka/ivy gourd in a pestle and mortar .Now mix crushed kovakka/ivy gourd , turmeric powder, salt and leave it for 5-10mins.Shallow fry the kovakka/ivy gourd in oil till it is cooked well and turn to brown color. Add crushed chili and saute for another few mins and switch off the flame. Serve it hot with rice.

Notes :

While crushing makes sure that it is just bursting open and not break.

Add crushed chili only at the final stage of cooking.

You can also add garlic for different flavor but I did not add.

Tender kovakka/ivy gourd tastes better.

Mint coconut chutney

Ingredients 

1/2 cup mint leaves
1 cup grated coconut
3-4 green chilies (or to taste)
1 inch piece ginger
A small piece of Tamarind
1 Tbsp Roasted Channa dal
Salt
Seasoning 
1/4 tsp Mustard seeds
1/4 tsp Urad dal
4-5 Curry leaves

Directions

Grind coconut, green chilli, ginger, Channa dal,tamarind and salt together  with very little amount of water in a blender/mixer until smooth paste. Heat oil in a pan, splutter black mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves and pour it over the ground chutney and mix well.

Notes:
If  tamarind is not handy, you can substitute lime juice.

Spinach Dal(Andhra style)

Ingredients

3/4 cup Toor dal
1 bunch spinach(Don't chop)
1 Onion sliced (large)
1 tomato sliced or cubed(large)
5 green chilies(to taste)
4-5 cloves of garlic(big)
Handfull of coriander and curryleaves
Tamarind(small gooseberry sized) 
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Oil
Salt
Seasoning
1/2 cup sliced onion
1 cloves of garlic
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
2 dry red chilies
Mustard seeds
Few curry leaves.

Directions

In a pressure cooker place dal, spinach, onion, tomato, garlic, green chilies, coriander and curry leaves,tamarind and turmeric powder. Add water just to fill all the ingredients. Pressure cook it for 3 whistles in medium flame. After releasing the pressure from the pressure cooker,drain water and keep it aside. Mash the dal and add salt. Heat oil in another pan. Splutter mustard seeds, cumin seeds and also add onion, dried red chilies curry leaves and saute till onion turns golden colour and pour it over  mashed dal.Mix well and enjoy with rice.

For healthier version, you can also prepare rasam with the drained water with simple seasoning of mustard seeds,cumin seeds,dried red chilies onion (fry till golden brown )and curry leaves.

Soya pepper fry

Ingredients

2 cups soya chunks
1tsp corainder powder
11/2 tsp pepper powder
1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 cup chopped onion
2 sprigs curry leaves
2 green chilies
1 tsp garam masala
salt
Oil
Grinding:
1/4 cup Grated coconut
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp chilie powder
1 small piece ginger


Directions

Boil  water in a pan and when it starts boiling  add soya chunks . Cook for 2-3 mins and switch off the flame and let it stand for ½ hour.Drain the water,add cold water and squeeze the water from it.Repeat the process for 3times. Marinate the same with 1tsp coriander powder ,1 tsp pepper powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tsp chili powder,1 tsp ginger garlic paste and salt and keep it aside for 1/2-1 hour. Meanwhile dry roast the coconut.At the Final stageof roasting, add 1/2 tsp coriander,  1/2 tsp chili powder and switch off the flame.Add ginger and grind it to a smooth paste.Heat oil in a pan and saute onion till it turns slight brown,add green chilies and curry leaves. Add ground masala and saute till oil seperates.Add soya chunks and sauté  till masala coats well with soya chunks.Switch it to medium flame and cook covered for 15mins or till cooked.Now add remaining pepper powder and garama masala and little more oil and fry u get the desired consistency.Serve with rice/chappathi.

Strawberry Frozen Yogurt

Ingredients

3 cups sliced strawberries
1 cup sugar
2 cups yogurt
1 tsp lemon juice

Directions:

Combine strawberries, lemon juice and sugar. let it stand at room temperature for 1 hour, stirring every so often. Puree the strawberry mixture with the Greek yogurt in blender until smooth.Strain the mixture to remove the seeds (this step is completely optional). Transfer it to a plastic container and freeze it for about 4-5 hours. Again take it out , blend it again in the blender (at this stage check the sweetness) and freeze until firm enough to scoop.

Chicken Cutlet

Ingredients 

2 1/2 cup cooked and minced chicken(Refer notes) 

1 potato (medium sized)

1 Egg 

1 Cup bread crumbs

1 Cup finely chopped onion

1 tbsp Ginger minced 

1 tbsp garlic minced
5 green chillies (or to taste)

1 sprig curry leaves 

11/2 tsp pepper powder

1 tsp Garam masala

1/4 tsp turmeric powder 

Salt

Directions

Boil and mash the potatoes. Beat the egg and keep it aside.Heat oil in a pan. Saute onion till soft. Add ginger, garlic, green chilies and curry leaves.Add pepper powder and garam masala followed by chicken and saute well.Stir until the moisture content is completely gone. Now switch off the flame and add potatoes.when the mixture is cool enough to touch, make small balls with the mixture and roll into desired shapes.Dip each cutlet in egg & roll with bread crumbs. Deep fry in oil. Serve hot with tomato ketchup.

Notes :
Cook the chicken with 1/2 tsp pepper powder, turmeric powder , and salt.
If the mixture is moist and not holding the shape add little amount of bread crumbs and try again.
If the proportion of chicken and potato is not correct there is chance of breaking the balls and also make sure that you cut all the ingredients very finely.
You can use lids to make the shape perfect.

Banana Cookies

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, softened

1 egg

1/2 cup sugar

2 ripe bananas, mashed

1 teaspoon vanilla

1/4 teaspoon salt

Directions

 Preheat oven to 350ºF/180ºC.Using electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until light and creamy.Add in eggs and vanilla and beat until well combined. Add in bananas, flour, baking soda and salt. Stir until just combined.  Drop a tablespoon of dough per cookie 2 inches apart onto cookie sheet. Bake for about 12-14 minutes or until golden brown. Allow to cool.