Raw Mango instant pickle (mavidikai menthi mukkalu)

This is one of my favorite instant mango pickles as I was growing up, even more than mango avakai. My mom used to make this all the time in summer.

Ingredients:

1. Raw firm mangoes - 2

2. Sesame oil - Indian kind - 1/2 cup to 3/4 th cup

3. Methi seeds - 2 tsp (1 tsp for each mango)

4. Red chillis - 10-15 (about 2 inch long ones) (I go a bunch of red chillis for each mango)

5. Salt to taste

6. Jaggery powder - 1 tsp (removes the bitterness from methi, if any)

Method:

Wash and peel the raw mangoes, pat it dry. Cut them into about 1/4th inch pieces, mix well with salt and jaggery powder. Add a spoon of oil and fry the red chillis, just after you switch off the heat, add the methi seeds. Let it cool and grind them into powder, add to the cut mango pieces and mix well. Now heat the oil, be careful not to burn it, but heat it well. Let it cool and add it to the mango. My mom says that if you add warm oil, it will make the mango pieces soft. Keep aside for half a day or overnight so that the mango pieces absorbs the spices.

I prefer eating it with hot rice, but this can be server with idli or dosa too.

Jasmine

Bloom from my new jasmine plants. They are just a few, but the scent is divine.

Bangle box

It was one of those days, I was done with all my chores, and with an excuse of getting some activity and not just sitting around, I set out to the mall, on my way back I was just stopping at my favorite stores with nothing specific in mind. I stopped by the store "Tuesday mornings" and was just browsing, I came across these wine boxes. They were so colorful, some even had sparkle, very attractive. I stood by this aisle for a long time thinking what I can do with it because I really wanted to have it but I don't drink.

The idea of using it as bangle box came to my mind. I bought these two boxes. I then went to a craft store, where I bought these wood dowels and a few wood decals that can fit into the box. I just screwed in the wood decal to the wood dowel. I then made a paper tube to fit the size of my bangles using thick cardboard paper and covered it with some gift wrap. The tube just slides on the dowel.

There you have it, a colorful looking practical bangle box.

Asian inspired Penne pasta

Have you ever been inspired to make a dish just because a vegetable looked beautiful while you are browsing through the isles at the grocery store? Happens a lot right.. This is one of those dishes. I make pasta every now and then, but this time it is these little cherry tomatoes that inspired me. Look how cute they look, though my photo is not of good quality. Fresh ingredients inspire my cooking, a lot.

I never liked the pasta with red sauce. Also when I used to do pasta without any vegetables, I feel like it is just useless calories and carbs going into me. Today I came up with this pasta which has all asian inspired ingredients and atleast one green vegetable. I know there are pasta recipes with asparagus, but asparagus is still foreign to me. So I tried mine with snow peas.The ingredients list may seem long, but trust me, its easy and its worth it.

I'm sharing this recipe with Presto Pasta Nights #169, an event created by Ruth from Once Upon a Feast. This week host is Fun and Food cafe. Check out her delicious round up.

Ingredients:

1.  1.5 cups of pasta (I use penne, you can use any kind)
2.  Some cherry tomatoes - I had about 14
3.  2 tomatoes
4.  Half of a medium size red onion
5.  3-4 green chillis
6.  10 garlic
7.  1 cup of cilantro
8.  1 cup of snow peas
9.  1/2 cup of basil - optional, but it is really good if you can find it
10. 1 tbsp of Italian seasoning - available in the grocery isles in dried form where you find spices like oregana, thyme etc.
11. 1/4 cup of Olive oil or peanut oil
12. 1 tbsp of sesame seeds
13. 1/2 cup of peanuts
14. 1-2 tbsp of crushed red pepper
15. 1.5 tbsp of peanut butter


Method:

Boil water in a wide pot. Sprinkle some salt and add a spoon of oil to it. When the water starts to boil, add the pasta. Cook it until tender. Drain and wash with cold water and keep aside.

Now slice the cherry tomatoes into halves, sprinkle some salt and pepper on the cut side. Place them in a pan covered with a bit of oil, sprinkle some italian seasoning lightly and cook them covered for a few minutes in low heat. We are not trying to cook them all the way through. You can lift each one separately using thongs and keep them aside.

Also roast or fry in little oil the sesame seeds and peanuts. Keep them aside.

Dice red onion, slice garlic and chop green chillis and add them to heated olive oil and fry them until the onion is tender. Add diced tomatoes to this and cook uncovered until all the tomato water is all dried up. Now add the snow peas and cook covered for 2-3 minutes on medium heat. You can actually cook this as little or as much as you want depending upon whether you want your snow peas nice and crunchy or well cooked and soft. Add finely chopped fresh cilantro, chopped basil and italian seasoning. Stir in peanut butter. Cook uncovered for 2 more minutes. Add the cooked pasta to this and mix well without breaking the pasta. Finally season with the roasted sesame seeds and peanuts and once you are ready to serve, arrange the cherry tomatoes on the top. Crushed red pepper can be set at the table so that people can add it according to their taste.

Notes: Adding crushed red chilli flakes at the table helps keep the spice mild in the rest of the portion so that kids can eat easily. For kids, I also add some grated cheese on top while it is still hot.

Vankaya Perugu pachadi (Brinjal Raitha)

This is a dish that I do very often. It is so easy to make, it comes very handy when I don't have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen. Brinjal used to be my least favorite vegetable while I was growing up. My mother used to make a koora which is the only way I used to eat brinjal. I will share that recipe later. But now, after coming here, lot of things changed and my choice of vegetables is one of them. Its my husband's favorite too, so how can I stay away any more.

Ingredients:

1. One big brinjal
2. 1 inch piece of ginger
3. 4-5 green chillis
4. 1.5 cups of curd (plain yogurt)
5. Cilantro to garnish

For tadka:
1. Mustard seeds
2. Cumin
3. Asafoetida
4. Curry leaves
5. 2 tbsp of oil

Method:

Wash and wrap the brinjal in aluminium foil. Place it in a preheated oven and let is cook in the foil for about 30 minutes at 350 degress. When you try to take it out, it will feel very soft, that is how you know it is done. Allow it cool, chop off the top and peel the skin. Meanwhile grind the ginger and green chillis into a paste with some water. Do the popu with mustard, cumin, asafoetida and curry leaves in oil. Add the ginger/green chilli paste to the oil and fry for a minute. Now add the brinjal and mash it in the pan itself with a masher or the spoon. You can even mash it before added it to the pan if you want.

Let all the ingredients get incorporated in the pan in low to medium heat for about 3-4 minutes. Now allow it to cool. Add beaten curds, mix well. Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Notes: In case you find that the brinjal is still hard when you start peeling, just chop it into small pieces and when you have it in the pan, just fry a bit longer. You can add more curd if you are going to eat with rice or less if you are going to eat with chappathi or roti.