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VIDHYALAKSHMI

UNITED STATES


Joined January 24th 2010

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Recent Posts

Easy way to grow your own mint plant.

May 10th 2010 03:04
My mother does this in India in her small backyard garden each time she gets fresh mint leaves.So I tried it here by the window of my apartment kitchen and it worked.

I used one of the big transparent plastic container[which comes with fresh grapes] and filled it with the miracle grow gardening mix.I chose to reuse this container because it already had lots of pores which helps for easy drainage of excess water.

When you buy the fresh mint leaves and remove the leaves,do not throw away the stems[especially the thicker ones].Just store them in the refrigerator and take them out just 1/2 an hour before your gardening pot is ready.Wash your stems and start planting them.About an inch of the stem should be inside the soil/gardening mix.

The most important thing is patience.Just wait for a week to 10 days and you can see the fresh sprouts coming out and you can either transfer it to your garden at this stage[And it starts spreading its branches very fast] or leave the plant near the window like how I do.After a month you will have your own mint plant right next to your kitchen.

One great thing about these mint plant is, it starts sprouting even after a harsh winter,once it settles well in the garden.
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Spicy peanut butter dip

April 6th 2010 21:20
This recipe is very quick fix dip/chutney and tastes great with hot steamed Indian rice balls.My mom used to make this from the scratch by dry roasting the dried peanuts,removing the peels from it,grating a little fresh coconut and blending all together with the pinch of jaggery and yum...........it tastes great with the steamed rice balls[Idli] and even dosa/Indian pancake.

I make this with the honey roasted peanuts and a little brown sugar which doesn't change the taste much.

All you need are :
-1 cup of honey roasted salted peanuts/or use just any roasted peanuts.
-1/3 cup of fresh grated coconut
-4 dried red chillies[use more if you want it really really HOT]
-1 tablespoon of jaggery/brown sugar[This is not a must but I add it to balance the spice of the chillies]
-1/3 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
-1 teaspoon of tamarind paste/ cherry size tamarind ball
-salt to taste.

Preparation:
Very simple! just add everything mentioned above in a blender,add some water and blend it to a nice thick dip consistency.Taste it in between and add salt and chillies accordingly.

Make some steamed rice balls and enjoy it with this spicy dip/chutney.

Tips:
Don't worry if you are missing the fresh grated coconut.Replace it with another 1/3 rd cup of peanuts or the dried grated coconut from the baking section and it stills tastes great.

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Super easy Vegetable Pulav

March 29th 2010 14:45
It has been a long time since I wrote a recipe.When there is less time to cook I make this vegetable pulav which my mom taught me and it has an amazing taste and it is easy to cook too.

All you need is :
1. 1 cup of basmati rice-rinse the rice and drain the water and keep it aside.
2.1 cup of frozen cut mixed vegetables[carrot,peas,beans,corn]
3.1 big red onion-finely chopped.
4.1 tablespoon of ginger-garlic paste
5.For tempering- 1/4th of a butter stick and a tablespoon of vegetable/corn oil
-1 cinnamon stick
-1 bay leaf
-2 cardamoms,2 cloves.
6.Chilli powder and salt-according to taste.
7.1 can of vegetable stock/chicken stock.


How to make:

1.Heat the oil and butter in a pressure cooker,add all the tempering ingredients and saute for a minute.
2.Add the chopped onion and the ginger garlic paste, saute until golden brown,then add the vegetables,chilli powder,salt ,fry for 3-4 minutes.
3.Now add the rice ,mix it with the vegetable mixture and fry for a minute.
4.Add the vegetable/chicken stock [for 1 cup of basmati rice measure exactly 2 cups of stock] bring it to a boil,taste the spice and salt,and pressure cook it for just 2 whistles and turn off the heat.
5.If using an electric coil cooking, after 5 mins take the cooker away from the coil to avoid a mushy rice at the bottom of the cooker.If using gas,then leave the cooker to cool down in the same spot.
6.Once the cooker cools down,make sure to mix the pulav from the bottom and transfer it to another container to avoid overcooking of the rice which will change the taste of the reccipe.





Tips:
-Frying onion and ginger garlic paste to a golden brown color gives a nice aroma and taste.So be patient till the mixture is cooked perfect.

-I have mentioned the vegetable /chicken stocks,which is optional for this recipe.Just add 2 cups of water or 1 cup of water and 1 cup of milk,still it tastes GOOD.
-You can try the same with just the sweet peas/chopped chicken breasts/your favorite vegetable and make your own pulav.

Enjoy the recipe.
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Lemon Rice with left over cooked white rice

March 17th 2010 03:17
Many times it happens that I am left over with lots of cooked white rice and I do this lemon rice which is one of our favorites.

All you need is


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How to cook basmati rice perfectly

March 9th 2010 19:14
When I first started cooking the first thing I learnt was to make a perfectly cooked rice.Still while making variety rice recipies[like lemon rice,tomato rice,pulaos]if I do not measure exactly,then it becomes a sticky rice which is not a justice for my cooking.

I am writing this for people who use a pressure pan/cooker


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Easy delicious Tomato curry

March 3rd 2010 08:34
I hope you all read my cilantro chutney which is a very healthy food.And this tomato curry is super easy to make and goes well with the tortilla,taco or just with white rice.
The best about this recipe is if you use a fresh good oil ,you can refrigerate in a clean dry container and use it for a week.And this is the base for many tasty curry recipies which I will be writing later.

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Coconut Cilantro chutney

March 1st 2010 05:33
Today I picked a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves and decided to give you the Indian version of cilanro dip /chutney which goes very well with Indian breakfasts and with plain white rice.Coriander is used by everyone for garnishing and it has a very strong flavor.A cup of rice with a spoonful of cilantro chutney with melted butter just melts in your mouth and those who wish to take greens can try this version.

You can try this version with fresh mint leaves too.Personally I don't like mint, so I use 1 cup of mint leaves and 1 cup of cilantro which reduces the strong mint flavour and gives a different taste


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Indian Wheat Poori

February 15th 2010 06:16

Things You'll Need:
1.Fine wheat flour-2 cups


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Healthy Indian cracked wheat UPMA

February 15th 2010 05:30
I made this super easy wheat recipe,what we call "wheat UPMA" in South India y'day morning for breakfast and I had been waiting to write the recipe since then.

All you need


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Steamed Indian style rice balls[Idli]

February 6th 2010 04:36
Idli is a very soft ,healthy steamed rice ball,made with the same rice batter which I had used earlier for making Dosa recipe.The only difficulty is, if your batter is not in correct proportion and not steamed excess,then it becomes a hard white donut.You can buy the instant mix from Indian grocery but it doesn't taste like the homemade one.

Well I must accept that initially my idli's were of hard donut consistency but now,Wow I can make good ones too


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