tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5949685637012333682024-03-13T02:02:34.113-05:00Valli's KitchenQUICK AND TASTY RECIPESUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-3697671290372345192008-05-12T02:44:00.003-05:002008-05-12T02:52:44.827-05:00A Long.. LeaveHello dear blog visitors,I regret to say that I will not be updating the blog until I am relieved of the stress at work. I have all these photos and recipes that I want to post, but I just cannot find time to do it the way I want to. I bought these lovely capsicum (lilac, chocolate and lemon varieties and the red and green are the more commonly available) the other day -but just ended up making Unknownnoreply@blogger.com24tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-47789884997679148132008-04-08T11:00:00.005-05:002008-04-08T11:13:59.626-05:00Roses"A rose is a rose is a rose." - Gertrude SteinCouple photos of the rose plants in my garden. I planted the Jackson and Perkins bare root roses and the first bloom is up!. The plants are struggling with the pests - aphids and some sort of green caterpillars :( . After intensive research on google, I sprayed some soap water and seems like 50% of aphids died. I am looking for other options. If you Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-76566008704500994812008-03-30T23:48:00.003-05:002008-03-30T23:53:54.760-05:00Entry for ClickThis was not exactly what I had in mind for the picture - but since the time is up - the better one in the lot goes to the CLICK metal event hosted by Jai and Bee at Jugalbandi. I didnt use any software for getting the color variation on the fork. I heated the fork and allowed it to cool to get that bluish tinge. Though I like the yellow background of the second picture- it isnt as sharp as the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-6826965238417383892008-03-15T23:54:00.002-05:002008-03-16T00:14:35.547-05:00Sweet Pototo and Coconut SoupNo blabbering this time around - just enjoy the delicious soup - hot or cold. The recipe goes to the "ODE TO POTATO" event hosted by Sia at monsoonspice.comIngredients2 tbsp olive oil2 cups onion slices(chopped)6 cups sweet potato cubes/slices4-5 garlic minced1 cup coconut milk5 cups vegetable broth or water3 bay leaves (optional)1-2 tbsp of red pepper flakes for heatsalt and pepper to tasteHeat Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-36979563076054800512008-02-25T18:01:00.002-06:002008-02-25T18:16:26.934-06:00Fish Scramble with peas - Sora PittuDishes made with sora or shark meat are a delicacy. Even in coastal city like visakhaptnam, the shark meat is rare to find. Certain fish taste good only when cooked in a particular way. Ammamma always made fish fry with "vanjaram" and Pittu(or Puttu) with sora. I was told by my aunt Catfish closely resembles vanjaram. However, I am yet to do my analysis on the types of fish. I made pulusu with Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-83597955948472328772008-02-18T00:43:00.008-06:002008-02-18T01:28:26.973-06:00Chocolate Bruschetta and Jodha-AkbarWow! A post finally after two weeks. So me and my hero went to the matinee show of “Jodha Akbar” today. I am a bit disappointed with the director! I mean Gowariker could have made a terrific movie with gorgeous actors like ash and hrithik and heart warming love story. What could be more intriguing than a hindu princess being married to a mughal king and the love story happening after marriage. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com71tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-60940437228995531792008-02-04T18:31:00.000-06:002008-02-04T18:50:44.682-06:00Getting back with Garlic-Pea SoupHello folks, I am back after 10 days of hectic work schedule. I took pictures of what I cooked these 10 days. Most of them were "clean up the refrigerator" salad/soup type recipes. The frozen peas were hanging in the freezer, I dont know for how long! Made this quick healthy soup. I missed many events - I have to catch up with the food blog world. Oh and by the way, the boule (bread) in the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-35259439284906559162008-01-25T18:00:00.000-06:002008-01-25T18:16:05.936-06:00Bendakaya-Endu royyalu Pulusu (Okra and Dried shrimp)This curry / pulusu is amongst the favourite dishes for those who hail from vizag, East and West Godavari districts. Its heavenly and so delicious. The basic ingredients of a "pulusu" are onion and tamarind juice. You can make this dish just with Okra (bendakaya in telugu) but the dried shrimp makes this pulusu totally a top level delicacy. Mom in law also makes this curry with eggplant/brinjal. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-66629301792801233372008-01-24T23:11:00.000-06:002008-01-25T12:06:04.942-06:00Delicious Prawn curry with coconut and cashew pasteHello Everyone, I am posting a recipe after a long time. I was busy with work. I will have to come up with some plan to regularly post even during the crunch times. Today I made this delicious prawn curry - its rich and spicy and is heavenly when eaten with white steamed rice. I am also making "printable pages" so that the recipes can be printed and cataloged in your recipe books. Hope you likeUnknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-69568814056243537542008-01-16T23:30:00.000-06:002008-01-25T12:05:52.919-06:00Broccoflower with garlic crumbsThe recipe I present here is low fat version of the deep fried cauliflower. I used broccoflower (a hybrid of broccoli and cauliflower) - for its color and also for its nutritional value. Additionally you would need garlic pods (about 6-7 sliced thin) and bread crumbs. Garlic flavored bread crumbs can also be used, though nothing can beat the aroma of fresh garlic being sauted (I think Sunita willUnknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-51389570306144897402008-01-14T18:14:00.000-06:002008-01-14T18:55:59.648-06:00Satsuma mandarins and clickIn telugu, "narinja" would refer to mandarin oranges that could be easily peeled and eaten versus "battayi" is something like navel oranges but with green skin and yellow flesh. I like mandarin oranges because they are sweet and tart at the same time. I bought a few "Satsuma mandarin" oranges - easy to peel, seedless variety. They are small in size, so can be put into the power juice without the Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-23661327216358455752008-01-14T00:11:00.000-06:002008-01-14T19:13:10.852-06:00Savory Couscous cakeThis is the first recipe that caught my eye in the "Best Ever" cookbook series. I never tried leeks before, that was also another reason for making this recipe. Leeks belong to the onion and garlic family. They are notoriously dirty - full of dirt between the leaves, do clean them properly before cooking. Remove the tough green leaves and use the bottom white part of the leeks. Ingredients:1/4 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-78740324211877864732008-01-12T11:46:00.000-06:002008-01-14T19:13:26.031-06:00My thoughts on making JalebiI love jalebi - who doesn’t. I usually buy the instant jalebi mix and make them, this time around I wanted to make them from scratch - had to send it to my cousin who is expecting a baby soon. You know sometimes it’s scary or may be I am over reacting, but I am not comfortable with gifting or making artificial foods for pregnant woman. Just for the sake of the picture above, I made few with Unknownnoreply@blogger.com66tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-81471033755678321712008-01-10T01:37:00.000-06:002008-01-14T19:13:40.130-06:00Salad with chat masala vinaigretteHere goes one more salad recipe I love - the basic ingredients are same as muri mixture (puffed rice with tomatoes, chillies, onions, salt and lemon juice). Boil black eyed peas with salt until cooked ( I used a frozen packet). Toss in pomegranate seeds, chopped cilantro, diced tomatoes, chopped spring onions or green onions and chillies (for heat). For seasoning/dressing it would be salt, lemon Unknownnoreply@blogger.com42tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-50857290195083374352008-01-09T17:54:00.001-06:002008-01-14T19:13:51.316-06:00Vanilla pudding and berriesWant to make an impressive dessert without much hard work - Try the combination of instant vanilla pudding and mixed berries. The basic ingredients for the berry tart (above) would be 1. frozen pie shells (bake them in the oven as per instruction takes about 10 -12 minutes), 2. Instant vanilla pudding and 3. Mixed berries. Pour the vanilla pudding in the pie shell and allow the pudding to set. Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-49205375260763533682008-01-07T17:04:00.001-06:002008-01-14T19:14:04.690-06:00Cucumber Dill SaladOK! Holiday season is long gone! I am back to the salad days with the cool cucumber and dill salad. I feel this is somewhere between a salad and a raita (because of the yogurt/curd factor). The ingredients would be cucumbers(1 cup peeled and chopped), red onion (1/4 cup of thin slices), salt to taste, dill leaves (2 tbsp I used dried from McCormick), pinch of garlic powder, tiny bit of sugar andUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-83856797880435714832008-01-05T14:06:00.000-06:002008-01-14T19:14:22.363-06:00Babycorn in Garlic Tomato GravyAll of us have that "one" gravy recipe, where in the vegetables change but the base ingredients remain the same. This is one such gravy recipe. Mom usually makes it with lady fingers (bendakayalu). So the base is a mix of onion, garlic, tomatoes, cumin (jeelakarra in Telugu) and coriander (dhaniya powder). Chillies/Jalapeños/Chilli powder can also be added for heat. Either these ingredients can Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-10811962369263415872008-01-03T14:02:00.000-06:002008-01-15T22:50:25.768-06:00Potato Kurma - amma's wayI dont know how myself and all my cousins got into the habit of calling grandma as amma and mothers as ma. I call both ammamma and nannamma as amma. I dont think it bothered them, may be they felt younger :) haha. So this is my ammamma's recipe. She makes it both with chicken and potato. Its a great combo with veg pulav or chapathis. I think it has a bit of kerala cuisine in it. Nevertheless its Unknownnoreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-28678033291704609322008-01-01T23:59:00.000-06:002008-01-02T01:05:49.891-06:00Chocolate on 1stAm I crazy or what! Tea and chocolate! Yeek - was my first reaction - But thinking about it - I love chocolate cookies and cakes with Tea, then why not spice up chocolate with tea! I was bold enough to try the combination - Trust me I loved this pudding! I used "TAZO" spiced black tea to flavor up the chocolate pudding. There are many other flavored teas out there that I plan to combine with Unknownnoreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-44807651849403428742007-12-31T13:11:00.000-06:002007-12-31T14:23:36.764-06:00Coconut Persimmon PayasamHappy NEW YEAR 2008! May the year make all your dreams come true and bring lots of happiness into your lives. December 31st is a special day for all of us - We bid a farewell to the eventful past year and warmly welcome the new year. Cutting cake when the clock strikes 12 has been a tradition in my parents place and I continue the same in my home as well. Hotbreads (now its FoodEX) in Vizag, my Unknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-2458745566499618522007-12-30T00:45:00.001-06:002007-12-30T00:58:30.996-06:00Gift boxes for New YearHappy new year everyone!Noothana Samvatsara Subhakhanshalu :)I am busy sending my gift boxes filled with yummy kaju barfi and homemade fruit and nut chocolate bars for my friends and family. The above picture is quick peek at the box with kaju barfi. OK so dont yell at me,I know the barfi's arent diamond shaped - I like the round shape better and it makes them have a home made feel. This is an Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-49317970118064238942007-12-25T13:13:00.000-06:002007-12-25T13:28:11.788-06:00Split chickpeas and lamb curry - Mamsam senaga pappu kooraMerry Christmas everyone! The main dish for the christmas eve dinner at our home yesterday. I will write more about it soon - until then here's a quick look at the recipe for the lamb curry.Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-6590712475919564342007-12-23T23:51:00.000-06:002007-12-24T18:50:32.368-06:00Instant Badam BarfiBadam (almonds) and Kaju (cashew) barfi are amongst my favorite Indian sweets. I tried many times to make this in my kitchen and it was a disaster. The reasons for the disaster - I couldnt wait long enough for the milk and sugar to solidify or didnt grind the nuts properly. I almost gave up on making barfi at home until I noticed the instant barfi recipe in "Neelam Batra's" 1000 Indian recipes Unknownnoreply@blogger.com159tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-23484274593360119062007-12-22T14:56:00.001-06:002007-12-22T18:02:56.942-06:00Banana and CinnamonThe question I had after looking at Sunita's "Think Spice - cinnamon" event "Which is the dessert I repeat often and cannot do without cinnamon in that". The answer was there besides me in a plate - Baked banana with cinnamon. I make two versions of "banana and cinnamon" combination so often because they are very satisfying and low calorie at the same time. Both the dishes take less than 10 Unknownnoreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-594968563701233368.post-61325305634417977552007-12-19T19:36:00.001-06:002007-12-20T08:19:43.930-06:00Chicken curry - Kodi KooraChicken curry (Kodi Koora or kura as its called in telugu) is a dish that I often make - I would say once every two weeks. I love it with chapathi's or hot steamed white rice and its super easy to make. Any day you will find chicken curry in my refrigerator and I am not exaggerating. The kodi koora recipe I present here is an easy version of the mix from my mom's and mom-inlaw recipe.Apart from Unknownnoreply@blogger.com3