Happy thanksgiving 2017 !

"When you express gratitude and appreciation, you change your mindset. When you feel grateful for everything you have, no matter how small it is, and you allow yourself to FEEL this gratitude, you will receive more of what you are asking for". 

Lisa Townsend

Onam 2017

Celebrating the harvest festival !

Last week was all about Onam which is the harvest festival in kerala it is glorified as the  celebration of harvest season in the southern state of India.
Onam is best described visually as a display of beautiful flower arrangements in front of the house and  with a delectable array of vegetarian food preparations served on banana leaf along with rice  .
I absolutely love Onam so in my lil' way I try to make the most of it .
With all the globalization in today's time it was easy to pull of this traditional festival .
Thanks to Amazon prime and the Local Indian store :)

Now to the recipe

What U need :

1. Beans / Payar - 1 bunch chopped fine 
   Turmeric powder- 1 tsp
   Chopped garlic - 4-5
   Coconut grated - 1/2 cup
   Green chillies- 1-2 chopped
   Curry Leaves- 1 spring
   Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
   Olive Oil & salt - as needed
   
   Chop the beans or payar really fine use a blender if needed .
   
   
   

   Chop onion and the green chilies mix some of the green chillies with the beans add the turmeric powder and set aside.

   
   
   

   Heat oil in a non stick pan. Add the mustard seeds let the mustard seeds splutter, add the chopped onion, garlic, curry leaves and one slit green chilies. Sauté  the onion for few minutes till light brown

   Add the coconut and then add  the chopped beans and mix well cook for about 10-15 minutes. Stir intermediately  
   
   

   

   
   
   Serve with rice and all the other onam recipes  Njoy !

Penne pasta with basil chicken balls

This is one of the simplest and quickest dinner idea to put together, especially on the busy and bustling days this can be a life saver. Usually I have a rustic bread to go along with the pasta .

What you need :

Pasta  - 1cup (penne)
Sun dried tomatoes - 1 Tbsp
Chicken balls or meatballs - 7-8 (I used Costco chicken balls)
Parsley - a hand full chopped
Parmesan cheese - 2 tbsp
Garlic - 3 chopped finely
Olive oil - 2tbsp
Salt as needed


Boil  the pasta with salted water, usually penne a little longer as compared to the thinner pastas like angel hair or fettuccine
Heat the pan add the oil , sauté the chopped garlic add the meatballs cook for few mins
Add the cooked pasta with a little water this helps to create these sauce .
Toss together then add the tomatoes, parsley and cheese
Check the salt add more is needed.
Serve with buttered rustic bread and some good wine
Njoy !

Groundnut Chutney

What u need 

• Coconut - 1/2 cup
• Shallots  - 1-2 chopped
• Ginger  - 1 inch
• Curry leaves  - 4-5
• Oil -  1 tbsp
• Salt as needed
• Roasted groundnuts - 1 tablespoon
• Mustard seeds  - 1/2tsp
• Dried red Achilles - 4-5

Roast coconut , roasted ground nuts , red chillies , ginger and shallots in a bit of oil for few minutes  .

Then grind the above ingredients into a paste , add oil in a pan when hot add the mustard seeds as they start to break add the finely chopped shallots and curry leaves,

Add the grand coconut mixture to the oil.

Keep in stirring for few mins then add salt.

Serve it with some crispy masala dosas . Njoy !