Flavours of Lebanon | Event Annoucement!

This month I am happy and excited host my favourite cuisine, Lebanese. This cuisine has many vegetarian dishes and it became my favourite cuisine when we stayed at Panama City. There were many Lebanese Restuarants. Thanks Nayna for giving me this opportunity for Guest hosting her event.


We are now on our culinary journey to Lebanon in the “Flavors of Series 2 around Asia” by simply.food guest hosted here at Sara's Corner.


Lebanese Republic is a country of East Mediterranean/Middle East. It is bordered by Syria to the north and east, and Israel to the south. Lebanon's location at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian hinterland has dictated its rich history, and shaped a cultural identityof religious and ethnic diversity.


Lebanese cuisine includes an abundance of starches, fruits, vegetables,fresh fish 
and seafood; animal fats are consumed sparingly. It also includes copious amounts of garlic and olive oil, often seasoned by lemon juice, olive oil, herbs, garlic and lemon are typical flavours found in the Lebanese diet. Most often foods are either grilled, baked or sautéed in olive oil; butter or cream is rarely used other than in a few desserts. Vegetables are often eaten raw or pickled as well as cooked. Herbs and spices are used and the freshness of ingredients is important. The coffee served in Lebanon is sometimes a variation of Turkish coffee, but a dark type of coffee is the main type served.(courtesy wiki.org)

Rules
1. Cook any vegetarian lebanon/mediternaian dish anything from starters to desserts(no eggs allowed)
2. Multiple entries and Achieved entries allowed if reposted with linkback to the 2 event annoucements.
3. Entries must Include link back to simply.food event announcement and this event annoucement link.
4. Non bloggers can participate by emailing image and recipe.
5. Although use of logo is not mandatory, using it helps to spread the word.


If you want to get an idea of Lebanon Food do check the following links
http://www.habeeb.com/Vegetarian-and-Lebanese-recipes.07.html
http://www.theveggietable.com/recipes/middleeasternrecipes.html
http://www.yummly.com/recipes/lebanese-vegetarian


Mail me your entries with subject line Flavours of Lebanon to simplysara07@gmail.com  under below format.


Name-
Blog Name-
Post Name-
Post URL-
Include Image no larger than 300 pixels.


Hope to see your entries and participation. So start cooking and start sending your entries.
If you have any questions, please leave a comment. I will answer them.


Cheers,
Saraswathi Iyer

Potato | Aloo Masal! Type 2

Potato /Urulai/Aloo Masal is very tasty sidedish. This is a multipurpose masal I have used it in 2 to 3 dishes.

Ingredients
Potato - 4 nos
Onion - 1no
Ginger - 1 tspn
Curry leaves -  few
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn
Pav Bhaji Masala - 1 tspn
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 2 tspns
Mustard - 1/4 tspn
Jeera - 1/4 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash and cook potatoes in pressure cooker with little salt for 3 to 4 whistles. When the steam is up, cut into medium pieces or break into small pieces by hand.
Heat a kadai, add oil, mustard, jeera, wait till it splutters. Add onion, ginger, curry leaves, a pinch of salt and saute till onions are transparant.
Add all the masala powders and saute.
Add the potatoes and mix well. Add salt.
Cook till raw smell goes and it combines well.
Off the stove.

Potato/Aloo Masal is ready to serve. I served with delicious Masal Puri!

Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin Sambar | Inji/Ginger Pachadi | Traditional South Indian Thali!

Sara's Corner is featured on the Foodie Blogroll  Featured Blogs for April 27, 2012. See this link here Featured Blogs Page. I am very happy and excited.

Let it be festivals or any occasions, at home we will have thali prepared and served on Banana Leaf. I have served in this steel thali plate, it was given by my grandmother with other utensils for my wedding.

Click on the names for Recipes
Paal Payasam
Beans Curry(French)
Paruppu Vadai
Ingi Pachadi (for recipe see below)
Steamed Rice
Paruppu (Plain toor dal cooked)
Ghee
Parangikai Sambar (for recipe see below)
Paruppu Rasam
Appalam/Papad
Curds/Yogurt 
Pickle
Salt
Banana

Recipe for Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin Arachuvitta Sambar. On all special festivals and occasions Arachuvitta Sambar should be prepared - This is my family's favourite sambar.

Parangikai/Mathan/Sweet Pumpkin -  1/2 kg
Tuvram Paruppu | Toor dal - 1/2 cup
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn

For Grinding
Dhaniya /Coriander -  2 tablespoon
Channa Dal - 2 tspns
Dry red chilli - 4 nos(As per your taste)
Katti Peringayam/Asafatida/Hing - a small piece/1/4 tspn
Venthayam/Fenugreek seeds -  2 pinches
Fresh grated coconut - 1 /2 cup

Preparation Method
Wash, remove skin and seeds. Cut the mathan into medium cubes.
Cook Toor dal in pressure cooker with water for 4 to 5 whisltes and keep aside.
Heat a Kadai, add 1/2 tspn oil and fry all the ingredients under "for grinding" till the dal is brown. Allow it to cool and grind with little water to smooth paste.
Boil tamarind water and mathan with little salt and tumeric.
Once the mathan is boiled slightly soft add the grinded mixture and dal.
Boil well. It should be semi liquid consistency as later it will become thick.
Season it with ghee, mustard, curry leaves.

Recipe for Inji Thayir Pachadi | Ginger Yogurt Raitha.

This simple pachadi is mostly prepared on auspicious occasions at my home.

Ingredients
Ginger - 2" piece
Green Chilli - 2 nos(As per taste)
Grated Coconut - 2 tablespoons
Curds/Yogurt - 1 cup
Salt
Chopped Coriander for garnish.

Preparation Method
Grind ginger, coconut, green chilli with little water and curds in blender to smooth paste. If you like ginger you can grind to coarse paste too. Mix in the curds. Garnish with coriander.

Inji Pachadi is ready to serve.

Notes - On all festivals dishes are prepared without onion and garlic.

This recipe is going to Indian Thali Mela Event hosted by Srivalli.

Oats Buttermilk | Summer Specials!

Oats Buttermilk is very healthy and refreshing for this scorching summer.

Ingredients
Rolled Oats - 2 tspns
Ginger - 1" piece
Curds/Plain Yogurt - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Salt

Preparation Method


Soak rolled oats in water for few mins.
In a blender, add oats, a piece of ginger and salt. Grind to smooth paste.
Take chill thick curds/plain yogurt add 2 cups water. Mix the smooth paste with curds, mix well and garnish with chopped coriander.

Serve chilled.

Enjoy Oats Buttermilk.


   This recipe is going to CWS Oats Event by Kalyani and Priya and Summer Spunk by Anusha.

Moong Dal | Pasi Paruppu Halwa and Awards!

Moong Dal/Pasi Paruppu Halwa is a easy and tasty Halwa. I tried this yesterday for Akshaya Thrithiya.

Ingredients
Moong Dal/Pasi Paruppu - 1cup
Sugar - 1.5 cups(Adjust accordingly)
Ghee/Nei - 1 cup(You can lessen if required)
Elachi / Cardamom powder - 1/4 tspn
Atta/Wheat Flour - 2 tablespoon
Cashews and Raisins for garnish

Preparation Method
Dry roast the dal in kadai, till slightly brown. Allow it to cool and pressure cook for 4 whistles. Once the steam is gone, grind to smooth paste in blender/mixie.
In a Kadai, add 1 tspn ghee, fry cashews and raisins and keep aside.
In the same Kadai, fry wheat flour till it smells good aroma and transfer it to a bowl.
In the same Kadai, add the dal paste, sugar and keep stirring. It will come to semi liquid consistency.
Add little by little ghee and keep stirring.
Then add the wheat flour and mix.
Add all the ghee and keep stirring till it leaves the sides. You will know the halwa consistency.
Add the elachi powder and cashews and rasins.
Mix well and off the stove.

Moong Dal | Pasi Paruppu Halwa is ready to serve.

Notes - More ghee more tasty.
Awards

Viya has passed on me these awards, thanks for sharing with me.

 

• Add the awards to your blog.
• Thank the blogger who nominated you in a post with a link back to their blog.
• Share 7 completely random pieces of information about yourself.
• Include this set of rules.

I am a libra women.
I Love to cook, share with my friends and neighbours.
I like Music and Dance.
I do read books.
I love to watch music and dance shows live or on TV.
I like to organise and plan events.
I love to be with my son and cook what he likes most.

Now as per the rules of the award, I'm giving this to  fellow bloggers commenting on this post. Pls post this award in your blogs.

Homemade Mixed Fruit Jam | Step-by-Step Recipe Type 1!

Homemade Mixed Fruit Jam is a simple and delicious spread mix of fruits. I never thought would be making jam at home:) but when I was talking to my friend Rekha about it she told me a simple recipe for the jam. I have slightly changed the recipe, it tasted delicious. Kids will surely love!

Step by Step Pictorial Recipe

Soak agar agar strands in water.

Wash, remove skin, seeds and chop all the fruits into  chunks.

Heat a non stick pan, put the soaked agar agar with 1/2 cup water in low flame. Allow it to dissolve.

Grind all the fruits to smooth paste.

When the agar agar is fully dissolved, add the grounded fruit mixture into this and mix well.

When you feel the raw smell is gone add sugar and stir.

Mix and keep stirring

It will be in liquid consistency

 Remove the paste from sides and keep stirring till its bubbling up and thick.

Off the stove. Add the vinegar.

When its thick and finally looks shiny

Ingredients
Strawberry - 6 nos
Apple - 1no
Banana - 2nos
Guava(white) - 1 no
Brown sugar - 1 cup(As per your taste)
Vinegar - 1/2 tspn
Agar Agar/China Grass - few strandsPreparation Method
Soak agar agar strands in water.
Wash, remove skin, seeds and chop all the fruits into  chunks.
Heat a non stick pan, put the soaked agar agar with 1/2 cup water in low flame. Allow it to dissolve.
Grind all the fruits to smooth paste.
When the agar agar is fully dissolved, add the grounded fruit mixture into this and mix well. Keep stirring.
When you feel the raw smell is gone add sugar and stir. It will be in liquid consistency, keep stirring until its thick.
Remove the paste from sides and keep stirring till its bubbling up.
Off the stove. Add the vinegar.
Mix and allow it to cool.
It will become thick  jam.
Store in air tight container and use with your bread.

Delicious homemade mixed fruit jam is ready to serve.

  The next day served with Wholemeal Bread/Toast. Enjoyed.

PS - Your feedback is appreciated. Do try recipe from (http://www.sarascorner.net/) take picture and send it to me through Facebook message or mail me at simplysara07@gmail.com. Will be glad to add in my page Tried & Tasted album on FB or post on my page.

This recipe is going to Kalyani's Event Pickles and Preserve Fest and Spring Seasonal Food Event by Sravani.

Thin Crust Cheese Pan Pizza and Sauce Ver 2 - Beginner's Recipe!

Thin Crust Pan Pizza is what I prepared for my son yesterday for dinner. I have already posted Veggie Paneer Pizza here. This one was quick enough and he thorougly enjoyed, but asked me few questions " Why pizza hut aunty won't put Paneer?" but still its yummy:)

Ingredients for Pizza base
APF/Maida - 1 cup
Dry yeast - 1/2 tspn
Warm water - 1/2 glass
Sugar - 1/2 tspn
Salt - a pinch

Toppings
Paneer - few pieces
Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
Basic Sauce - 1 cup(As required) click here for recipe.
Tomato - 1no few chopped and few rings
Tomato Ketchup/sauce - 2-3 tspns
Mozarella cheese - as required
Parmesan cheese - as required
Olive oil/any oil - 1 tspn
Spinach - 1 tspn chopped

How I made the quick sauce?
In a kadai, add 1 tspn of olive oil. Add garlic saute for few mins, then add chopped tomatoes, salt and cook for few mins.
Then add the basic sauce if you have already prepared. Otherwise add in the tomato sauce or ketchup now mix well. Add in the cauliflower and cook. Add in spinach or basil or oregano at this time.
Finally add paneer pieces and mix well.
Off the stove the quick sauce is ready.Preparation Method
Mix yeast with water, sugar and salt in a glass and allow it to sit for 10mins.
When it forth mix it with APF to a soft dough with oil.
Leave it till it raises for about an hour. Punch out the air.
Then you can make 2 small pizza base with it.
Dust the surface with flour, slowly knead like chapathi by rolling pin to thin and round shape.
Heat a skillet/tawa and put the dough and slow cook both sides till its slightly brown. Reduce flame. Remove from fire.
Spread the prepared sauce.
Top it with Mosarella cheeseand Parmesan Cheese.
Brush the tawa with oil of butter and put the pizza on a skillet/tawa, slow cook covered in low flame till the cheese is melted.

Thin Crust Cheese Pan Pizza is ready to Serve. Enjoy warm.

Veggie Pomodoro | Whole Wheat Italian Pasta Recipe!

Veggie Pomodoro is one pasta dish, we order at Pastamania and Pizzahut. Today my son wanted to eat pasta, so prepared for his lunch at home. These are my son's favourite restuarants. I have used whole wheat organic pasta.

Serves - 1 person

Ingredients

Wheat Fusilli - 2 cups (you can use any of your choice pasta)
Red chilli flakes - a pinch(As per your taste)
Parmesan cheese - 2 tablespoons
Pasta Sauce - as required
Olive Oil - 1 tablespoon
Black olives - 2 nos chopped

click on image for recipe

Preparation Method
In a vessel boil water, add 1 tspn oil and a pinch of salt. Once its boiling add pasta and allow it to cook for 3 to 5 mins. Keep checking it should not be over cooked. Cook al dente.
In a sauce pan/kadai, add olive oil, garlic, pasta sauce and let it cook for few minutes.
Add cooked pasta and mix.
Add chilli flakes, salt and mix well. Cook till all blends well for few mins.

Garnish with Parmesan cheese and chopped parsley.

You can also add mushrooms and green peas to it. Since I don't eat didnot add. Add in the sauce itself and cook.

Veggie Pomodoro is ready to serve. Enjoy hot.

Notes - Some like more sauce but like less sauce and more pasta. Adjust according to your like.
Another way of serving pasta, put boiled pasta on serving plate and pour the sauce over it. Garnish with cheese. Mix and eat.

Achari Tomato Cashew Rice ! Lunch Box Special!

Achari Tomato Cashew Rice was something new I tried one sunday for lunch, but my hubby was working. So packed for lunch that day.

Ingredients
Cooked/Steamed Rice - 1 big bowl
Onion - 1no (thinly sliced)
Tomato - 1no (thinly sliced)
Cashews - Handfull
Tomato Thokku - 2 tablespoons.(click here for recipe)
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Coriander leaves - 1 tablespoon chopped
Spices - 1 bay leaf
Ginger garlic  - 1 tspn
Paneer - 15 cubes (Optional)
Jeera - 1/4 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Salt

Preparation Method
Heat a kadai/wok, add oil, bay leaf add cashews and fry till brown. Remove and keep separately.
In the same kadai, add jeera, onion and fry till brown. Then add tomato, turmeric, red chilli powder and saute till soft.
Add curry leaves and tomato thokku and saute. Add salt and roasted cashews now.
Cook till it leaves oil on sides. Off the stove.
Let it cool a bit, mix the rice. Add salt if required.

Garnish with chopped Coriander.

Delicious Achari Tomato Cashew Rice is ready. Pack for lunch with simple plain curds/yogurt or raitha.

Notes
You can also paneer if you have, it will enchance the taste. I wanted to add but ran out of it.

Tofu Butter Masala ! Lunch Box Special!

Tofu is very healthy since its prepared from Soy Milk. I have been using Tofu rarely at home. This can also be prepared for lunch box with chapathis. I love chapathis for lunch or anytime:-) I have already posted Tofu Masala here and this is with slight variation.

Serves 2 persons
Ingredients
Pressed/Firm Tofu - 1 pkt
Onion - 1no
Tomato - 1 no
Ginger n Garlic - 1/2 tspn
Spices - 1 no cardamom/elachi, cloves/laung, cinamon/pattai/1 bay leaf
Coriander leaves - few sprigs
Dhaniya powder - 1 tablespoon
Red chilli Powder - 1/2 tspn(As per your taste)
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Milk - 1/2 cup
Tomato puree - 1 tablespoon
Kasoori Methi - a pinch
Olive Oil - 1/2 tspn
Butter - 1/2 tspn
Cashews - 4 nos
Salt

Preparation Method
Chop onion and tomato into small pieces.
Grind Onion, tomato, ginger garlic, cashews, turmeric powder, dhaniya powder, spices, red chilli powder, coriander leaves in a blender or mixer into fine paste with little water.
Heat a Kadai/wok, add butter, oil and just toss the tofu pieces and keep aside. 
In the same kadai,add little oil, add the grounded mixture, tomato puree and allow it to boil. Once the raw smell goes.(if reqd you can add in whole spices too at this time in oil)
Add salt, kasoori methi and mix well.
Add milk and mix. When its going to be thick gravy.
Cut tofu into small pieces and add it. Just boil once and off the stove.
Garnish with crushed kasoori methi or chopped coriander leaves.
Top it with 1/2 tspn of butter.

Tofu Butter Masala is ready to pack to your lunch box with chapathis or rotis.

Green Gram, Carrot & Potato Pulao| MW Papad! Lunch Box Recipes!

When Vardhini asked me decide on ingredients to host Dish it out, I was thinking a lot and then when I prepared this for the lunch box, thought of choosing the same ingredients for the event. Here you go with my entry for the event Dish it out by Vardhini guest hosted here @ Sara's Corner.

Ingredients
Green Gram/Pacha Payaru - 1 cup
Carrot - 1no
Potato - 1no
Onion -1 no
Oil - 4 tspns
Ghee (Optional)
Jeera - 1/2 tspn
Rice -2 cups
Pav Bhaji Masala - 1/2 tspn

To grind
Fresh Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Pudina/Mint  leaves- 1 cup
Green Chilli - 2nos
Garlic  - 2 cloves
Ginger - 1" piece
Onion - 1 small
Spices - cinamon, cardamom, cloves 1 each.
Preparation Method
Soak green gram overnite or for 2 hours in warm water.
Wash and cut veggies into 2 inch pieces.
Grind the ingredients above "to grind" to fine paste.
In a pressure cooker, heat oil, add jeera, chopped onion, a pinch of salt and saute till its brown.
Now add the vegetables, a pinch of salt, a pinch of tumeric powder and saute.
Add the ground paste and cook for few minutes.
Add the rice and mix.
Add 4 cups of water. Check for salt.
Add pav bhaji masala.
MIx and pressure cook for 4 whistles and off the stove.

When pressure is up, mix and pack it to your lunchbox.

Microwave Papad

Take 1 papad and keep in MW for 25 to 30 secs depending on MW in medium.
MW Papad is ready to enjoy.

Serve with MW Papad or Tomato Raitha.

Notes - You can also add spices while seasoning.

This recipe is also going to Showcase your Lunchbox Event by Divya and Serve it Pressure Cooked Event by Krithi and Denny.

Thakalli Thokku | Tomato Pickle!

Thakalli Thokku | Tomato Pickle is very tangy and tasty recipe. This is a traditional dish taught by my Mother-in-law who makes this to her perfection,  as in Bangalore we used to do Gojjus. It was new to me and I loved it a lot. Its also my family favourite sidedish. A good timesaver and accompany many dishes. I always prepare and store it in my place, when I find really red tomatoes in Little India cannot miss it.

Ingredients
Fresh Red Tomatoes - 10 nos
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tspn
Red chilli powder - 1 tablespoon(As per your taste adjust)
Fenugreek seed powder - 1/2 tspn
Cooking Oil - 1/2 cup (I use gingely oil or olive oil)
Mustard - a pinch
Hing/Asafotida - 1/4 tspn
Salt

Preparation Method
Wash, cut and chop all the tomatoes into 4 pieces and keep aside.
Heat a heavy big kadai/wok, add oil, a pinch of mustard and hing.
Once mustard pops, add the tomatoes and mix.
Leave it for 5 mins. Then add, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, salt and mix.
Close it with lid, as it will pop out while boiling and cook till the tomatoes are soft.
It will be too soft  and watery. Continue to close lid.
The colour will change from light red to dark red.
When its going thick add venthaya podi/fenugreek powder. Mix and check for salt and spice levels.
if you wish you can add. Usually, adding the spice and salt little more is better, when it cools, it will be to correct level. Do not cook for long after adding venthaya podi, this will make bitter.

When the gravy is thick and oil leav es the side and good aroma. The dish is ready. Allow it to cool.

Store in clean glass or plastic bottle.  This can be sidedish for kootu rice, curd rice. chapathi, Idlis, Dosas and Adai .

Methods of using tomatoes in thokku. You can use any method.

1. Just chop them and cook
2. Remove seeds and cook.
3. Remove seeds, skin, grind to fine paste and cook.

Notes - This can be stored upto 15days in fridge.
Do not put stainless steel spoon and store, try to put wooden spoon.

How to prepare fenugreek powder at home.
Fenugreek powder /Venthaya podi - Take 1 cup or required amount of seeds dry roast in a kadai in medium flame to slightly brown. Allow it to cool and grind it to a fine powder. Store in air tight container for later use.

This recipe is going to Kalyani's Event Pickles and Preserve Fest and Spring Seasonal Food Event by Sravani.