Carrot Peas Thoran and an award

Thoran basically is a stir fry with coconut. In Kerala, almost always onions and garlic are added to the thoran. Enjoy this super healthy and colourful thoran! It is kind of the similar thing as the Tamil Poriyal.




Ingredients

Onion 1
Carrot 4 cups chopped
Peas 1 cup (i used frozen)
Coconut 1/2 cup
Green Chillies 2
Cumin 1 tsp
Curry Leaf few
Mustard 1/2 tsp
Urad Dal 1 tsp
Turmeric 1/2 tsp

Oil and Salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds. When it sputters, add urad dal. When it starts to colour, add the chopped onions and some curry leaves (save some for the coconut paste).

2. Saute till it turns translucent. Add turmeric powder. Mix well.

3. Add the chopped carrots. Mix well. Sprinkle a little water and cook with lid on.

4. In the meanwhile, grind the coconut, cumin, curry leaf and green chilli into a coarse powder. Just pulse once in the mixie without water. You can optionally add some garlic as well.

5. When the carrots are almost cooked, add the peas, the coconut mix and some salt. Mix well.

6. Cook for a few more minutes and switch off.

Goes well with rasam rice or with any kozhambu or sambar.


Award time again... Thank you Shabna for thinking of me. Guys, please do checkout her blog for some amazing recipes.

Award Time!!

I got an award for my Eggplant Sub from Prathibha in EP - Herbs and Spices - Basil and Cardamom event. Thanks Prathibha and Julie. I totally loved making the dishes for your event. Do check out some amazing dishes in the round up she has published.



Other recipes that I sent to the event

Eggless Mango Cake
Oven Roasted Chunky Tomato and Basil Sauce

And thanks Prathibha for all the lovely words

Eggplant Parmesan Sub by Roshni at Roshni's Kitchen. Ahhhh, here comes another awesome recipe, girl you made it better than any fast food restaurant Sub, the pics look so perfect and delicious, I felt like grabbing one and having it right away. Awesome dish Roshni

Bell Pepper Onion Rice and Awards!

Lazy day today... So was not in a mood to make any roti and curry. So made this rice. It was such a cloudy day.... raining all the time... so no scope of even a good photo.. Sigh! But the rice was super comforting. Something to just sit back, relax and eat.



Ingredients

Basmati Rice 3 cups
Onions 2
Red Peppers 3 (mine were small peppers)
Green Peppers 2
Celery 2 sticks

Peanuts 1/4 cup
Bay Leaf 1
Star Anise 3
Clove 3
Cinnamon 1 inch piece
Cardamom 2
Cumin/Jeera 1 tbsp

Turmeric 1/2 tsp
Chilli Powder 1/2 tsp
Garam Masala 1 tsp
Pepper Powder 1 tsp

Tomato Sauce 1.5 tbsp

Oil and salt to taste

Method of Preparation

1. Cook the rice with 4.5 cups of water (or as needed as per your rice type)

2. Slice the onions and peppers. Cut the celery.

3. Heat oil in a pan. Add the peanuts. Roast a little.

4. Then add all the spices - bay leaf, star anise, cinnamon, clove, cardamom and cumin. Let it sizzle for a few seconds.

5. Add the onions and saute for 3-4 minutes.

6. Add the peppers and celery. Saute for 5 more minutes.

7. Add turmeric, chilli powder, garam masala, pepper powder and tomato sauce along with some salt. Mix and cook for a couple more minutes.

8. Add the cooked rice. Mix well and switch off.

Serve with some raita. We enjoyed the rice with some dry salad of cucumbers, carrots and onions.



Awards!!!
Want to share a couple of awards that my fellow bloggers shared with me.. I am not sure who to nominate for the awards. I love so many blogs out there. Its hard to dedicate it to a few... So please don't take it wrong... Sending it to all the friends I made in the blogging world. Without you I will not be where I am today


Versatile Blogger Award from Shabna.. Thank you Shabna for thinking of me. You have a lovely blog there and I love checking your recipes.

 

Sunshine Award from Punitha. She has a very new blog, but already has an amazing collection of recipes. Do drop in her blog and send encouragement her way. Thank you Punitha for thinking of me

Award Time and a Sweet - Semiya Kesari

It award time!! Yaay... thanks you so much Ramya and Reshmi

Kerala Kitchen Awarded me the Best Picture Award for the Pazham Pori. Check out the lovely roundup in her blog.

Also, have a Sunshine Award from Reshmi of Noel Collections. Thank you Reshmi. Sorry for the delay in posting.

Now off to the recipe...

A nice variation from the rava (semolina) kesari. Try this new twist. You will like it. I picked up the recipe from Radhika's Tickling Palates




Ingredients

Semiya/Vermicelli 1 cup
Sugar 1/2 or a little more as per taste
Water 2 cups
Cardamom powder 1/4 tsp
Orange Food Colour 1 pinch
Cashews few
Raisins ( i used a dried fruit mix that I had) 1 tbsp
Ghee 2 tsp

Method of Preparation

1. Heat the ghee in a pan. Add the cashews and fry till slightly browned. Keep aside.

2. In the same pan, add the raisins. Fry and keep aside.

3. Add the semiya and fry till it starts to brown a little.

4. Add the water. Once it comes to a boil, simmer and cook till the semiya is cooked and the water is drained.

5. Add the sugar, cardamom powder and food colour. Stir and cook till the wateriness from the sugar is gone.

6. Garnish with cashews and raisins.

Happy Blogger Award

My First Award - I got a 'Happy Blogger Award' yesterday from Teena of Teenz' Yummy Delights. Thank you so much Teena. She has so many amazing recipes in her site. Do check it out....

Incidentally my blog turned 2 months old yesterday. Am so excited about being welcomed into the blogging world by my fellow bloggers.

I want to pass this award to some of my fellow bloggers. Please pick up the award and pass it on to 10 other bloggers.

1. Maayeka of Maayeka's Blogspot
2. Aarthi of Yummy Tummy
3. Kaveri of Palakkad Chamayal
4. Sangee Vijay of Spicy Treats
5. Gayathri Kumar of Gayathri Cookspot
6. Vineetha of Ruchi
7. Hari Chandana of Indian Cuisine
8. Gayathri NG of Gayathri Foodspot
9. Nitu Bala of Nitu's Kitchen
10. Vaishali of Ribbons to Pastas

Thank you everyone for being part of my journey.