Happy Halloween

                          

From past few weeks, I keep seeing the Halloween hungama all over whether it’s in the stores, television or in the super market where they have so many pretty pumpkins. And not to mention about the kids who are all excited, talking about their costumes. Every year I bring some candy to give as trick or treat, but this year we moved to Philadelphia and in the high raised building which we live there are not too many kids. I have seen mostly students and young couple. But this afternoon when I returned home, I saw a trick or treat bag in front of our apt, and it had lots of candy in it. Its so sweet of our building management to give this treat to each and every apartment in the building. 

Happy Halloween!

Cucumber raita (Perugu pachadi)

In Andhra we call it perugu pachadi (mosuru baggi in Karnataka) which is traditionally made of onions. I feel the raw onions are too strong, so I substitute onions with cucumbers. I like this way because it’s cool and very refreshing. 

Ingredients: 

Cucumber -1

Med size tomatoe -2

Green chillies-2

Finely chopped cilantro 

Procedure: 

Finely chop the cucumbers and tomatoes and place them in a bowl. Now take a small skillet and put the popu with a teaspoon of oil, few mustard seeds, hing and the green chillies. Add the popu to the cucumbers and tomatoe with some salt and finely chopped cilantro. .

                     

                                                       Cucumber Raita

Vermicelli pulav (Semiya pulav)

 This is one of my favourite breakfast items which my mom used to make. It’s mostly like a vegetable pulav, but unlike a regular pulav where we make it pretty spicy, semiya pulav is little milder. It has the chillies and spices but I make sure the spices are not overpowered. It goes well with the Perugu pachadi (Raita) which I make with cucumbers and tomatoes.

Ingredients: 

Vermicelli – 1 ½ cup

Green beans- ½ cup

Med size carrot- 1

Peas and lima beans – ½ cup together

Small potatoe-1

Ginger garlic paste- 1 tsp

Med green chilies- 4 to 5

Large onion-1

Bay leaves -3

Cinnamon sticks-2

Cloves-5

Cardamom-3

Cilantro

Lemon

Few cashews (optional)

Procedure:

In a skillet add half teaspoon of oil and vermicelli and fry them for about 5 minutes. When the vermicelli is changing color remove and keep it on the side. Now grind one cinnamon stick, cloves and cardamom to fine powder.

Now turn the skillet (to med heat) on by putting 4 teaspoons of oil, and then add bay leaves and the other cinnamon stick. After few seconds add the chilies, onion and the ginger garlic paste. Once the onion becomes little soft add the spice powder so that the hot oil brings out the flavor of the spices. Now add all the veggies and ½ teaspoon of salt. Cook the veggies for about 10 minutes.

Pour 2 ½ cups of water and cook the veggies in medium heat for about 10 minutes till they become soft. Now add the vermicelli and ½ teaspoon of salt and stir it cooking in a medium low heat for another 10 minutes. Once all the water is absorbed and the vermicelli is cooked threw add chopped cilantro and freshly squeezed lemon juice. You can also fry some cashews in oil and add to the pulav.

             

                                          Vermicelli pulav with cucumber raita

Recipe: amma

Depending upon the level of spice, you can either increase or decrease the quantity of spices and the chillies. The recipe which I gave proportionately gives a medium spice pulav.