Spiralli Pasta in my ever favorite Arabiatta Sauce

Earlier, before I started exploring the world of spices and sauces, days ago when I never knew that a yummy Italian dish could be created in our very own kitchen.

I would always always order this when I had a chance. After I knew how easy it was to make it at home, its always a different order at Italian Restaurants.

This is the most easiest sauces to make pasta in.

Ingredients

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 cup chopped onion
4 cloves garlic, minced
3/8 cup red wine
1 tablespoon white sugar
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1/2 teaspoon Italian seasoning
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 cups peeled and diced tomatoes ( after being blanched)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Method

Blanch tomatoes in hot water.

Remove them and make them into a coarse paste

Heat oil in a large skillet or saucepan over medium heat.

Saute onion and garlic in oil for 5 minutes.

Stir in wine, sugar, basil, red pepper, tomato paste, Italian seasoning, black pepper and tomatoes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium, and simmer uncovered about 15 minutes.

Pour over cooked pasta and throw in some black olives.

Garnish with grated cheese to add to flavor.

Readymade Tomato Soup

Today's preparation is a very simple one, which you can make on a rainy day to satisfy your cravings for something hot. I always have a couple of these packets in my pantry. 

Ingredients:

Maggi soup - 1 packet

Water - 2 1/2 cups 

Coriander leaves - for add flavor

Method:

In a bowl mix the powder in Maggi soup packet in 2 cups of water

Ensure that there are no lumps when you mix

Heat this mixture in a heavy bottomed wok and keep stirring

In 5 minutes you will see that the soup is reaching its consistency

Switch the fire off and add the coriander leaves

Serve hot with any bread or starter of your choice. 

Watch out for a ready made recipe for starter tomorrow

Check out the Blogging Marathon page for the other Blogging Marathoners doing BM# 17

Blogging Marathon # 8 - Condiment - Thakali thokku

On the fifth day of the marathon and its time for another Condiment. Im gonna make Thakkali Thokku. It has been a saver when you suddenly have guests or when your bored doing the usual cooking. Mom and I usually prepare it every alternative week on Sundays and use it for the weekdays. I can have it with Idli, Dosa, Chappathi, Rice , even as a sandwich spread. Easy and quick to make , it has all the flavours of chilli and tanginess mixed in the right proportion.

Ingredients:
1.8 - 10 tomatoes blanched in hot water
2.Red chillie powder - 2 spoons
3.Coriander powder - 1 spoon
4. Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
5. Tamarind - a small ball ( you can adjust it to your taste or even avoid it, if the tomatoes are very ripe)
7. Salt to taste
8. For seasoning Oil. Mustard seeds, Urad dal and Fenugreek seeds

Method:
1. Blanch the tomatoes in hot water and let it cool down
2. Once it is completely cooled down, take the tomatoes in a blender and make a smooth paste
3. In a thick bottomed wok, add a little oil
4. When the oil is hot add the seasoning agents one by one

5. To this add the tomato puree followed by the dry powders mentioned above

6. Keep stirring to avoid the pulp staying below.

7. Do not stand too close to the wok as there will be hot bubbles bursting as the thokku gets thicker.

8. When you see oil coming on to the sides of the wok, the tomato thokku is ready.

9.Serve with some hot idlis or paper roast dosas

They are not only a good combination to eat but also to see, it would be a visual treat to the eyes, when you seve them with white fluffy idlis, the color combination would be very nice. Do try and let me know how you liked it.Check my blogger buddies running 8th edition of blogging marathon here.

This dish is off to Condiment Mela hosted by Srivalli.

Easy Tomato Chutney - BM#4

Ok , here we are in the last day of the blogging marathon fourth edition. Im happy I was a part of all the four marathons. A big thank you to Srivalli for organising this marathon. My admiration for her does not stop at all. I can see many heads nod out there. Coming to the recipe for today. My grandmom liked this chutney a lot. She used to literally drink it off when this chutney is made. I mention a lot of my grandmom ( Muthulakshmi Paati ) in my blogs as most of my cooking is inspired by her and she was a complete FOODIE .. and yes I inherit that quality from her. Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 5 blanched


• Onion - 1 cut length wise


• Green chillies - 4 cut into small pieces


• Salt to taste


• Tempering - Oil , Mustard seeds, Urad dal and Curry leaves


• Coriander to garnish

Method:

• Blanch the tomatoes and make a juice out of them using your hand


• In a wok heat a little oil


• When the oil is hot add mustard seeds, urad dal , green chillies , curry leaves and onions in the same order


• Saute for 2 mins


• Add salt to this


• Keep sauting till onion is tender


• Now add the tomato juice to it and adjust salt


• Let this boil well


• Garnish with coriander and serve with idli, dosa or chapathi

A sneak peek into my fellow marathoners kitchen

• Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ


• Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya


• Seven Days of Soup: Ila, Smita P


• Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika,


• Seven Days of Cakes: Bhagyashri


• 30 Minutes Meals: Archana


• Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

Onion - Tomato Chutney - BM#4

Sometimes technology gives up completely. I had problem uploading my photos to the blog initially. So I uploaded the snaps in when the network was fast for all my posts. I did this, thinking that blogger would open any time and that I can write the post. But I was wrong, blogger would not open for me last night AT ALL. I completely hated it but was not in a position to do anything. So here I am early morning when the speed of network is good to finish my posts. My recipe for the day is a easy breezy Onion - Tomato Chutney. This can be done to have a different side dish for chapathi or dosa or idli. It can also be used as a sandwich filler or to make frankies. I mostly do this when guests come home. Its a easy one when added to the menu will make the spread look a little huge. Ingredients:

• Onion - 2 ( cut into small pieces)


• Tomato - 2 ( cut into small pieces)


• Red chillie powder - 2 tsps


• Coriander powder - 2 tsps


• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsps


• Salt - to taste


• Tempering - Mustard seeds & Oil

Method:

• Cut the onion and tomato to small pieces. I use a vegetable cutter so mine is super fine and is done in a jiffy

• In a non stick pan add a little oil.


• When the oil is hot add the mustard seeds and allow them to sputter


• Once mustard seeds are done add the chopped onions and saute


• Wait till the onions are translucent and then add the tomato


• Saute for 5 mins.


• Then add the powders , Red chillie, Coriander, Turmeric and salt


• Keep sauting till it reaches a muchy consistency. Do not add water as the juice of tomato added will be enough

• In 15minutes the chutney will be ready


• Serve it with white fluffy dosas or chapathis


• This can be stored for 2 -3 days in the fridge


• Makes an excellent condiment for travel and picnics

Peep into my fellow bloggers kitchen to check what they are cooking

• Diabetes Diet/Management: PJ


• Kid Friendly Recipes: Suma, Priya Suresh, Divya


• Seven Days of Soup: Ila, Smita P


• Seven Days of Indian Bread: Monika,


• Seven Days of Cakes: Bhagyashri


• 30 Minutes Meals: Archana


• Seven days of Condiment: Kamalika, Srivalli

Day 2 - Blogging Marathon - Tomato Pasta

My day was completely hectic. I wanted to post my blog in the morning, but some work or the other stopped me and here I am posting at 10 pm. Guess am the last person to post. Though last, am happy I running the marathon quite well. My dish for today is Tomato Pasta. I can see a little frown on the faces of mothers out there. I feel having pasta say once a month is not that bad. It is just a change in taste. I have a certain craving for Pastas and Pizzas which occur on an average once in 6 - 8 months. Today was one such instance, and so this pasta found it way to the blogging marathon. This preparation can be used to serve hunger pangs at odd times of the day.


Here is the list of what I used to make this super easy pasta.

• Pasta - 1 cup ( cooked al dente)
• Tomato Sauce - 2 tsps
• Salt to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Oregano - optional
• White Pepper powder - optional

This is how this breezy pasta was made

• Cook the pasta to the level of al dente. I used tri-color spiralli pasta
• In a pan , heat one tsps of oil
• When the oil is hot add the tomato sauce and salt
• Saute the mixture for a minute or two
• To this add the cooked pasta and mix well
• Remove from fire and add oregano ( I love the flavour of Oregano )
• Tomato pasta can be served hot

Note:

• You can add veggies to it. It would add more color to the whole dish
• Any type of pasta can be used for this dish

My sincere apologies to fellow runners for not visiting your blogs today. Will surely visit you guys tomorrow. Now for a sneak into their Virtual Kitchens

• 30 Minutes Meals:Priya Mahadavan, Pavani
• Seven Days of Salad: lla, Divya Vikram
• For Ongoing 7 Events: Priya Suresh, Suma Gandlur, Harini,
• Kids Friendly: Vatsala, Jay
• Seven Days of Rice: Veena Krishnakumar, Priya Vaasu, Padma Rekha,

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients

4 Ripe tomatoes
1 chopped onion
5 chopped green chillies
Oil and mustard for seasoning
Salt to taste

Preparation

Steam the tomatoes in a pressure cooker for 15 minutes and allow it to cool . Chop onions and green chillies into small pieces. Blend the cooked tomatoes to make a pulp in the blender. In a pan , heat a little oil and add mustard seeds , followed by curry leaves for seasoning. Add the pulp to the seasoning and allow it to boil. If you have water left from the cooked tomatoes add it to the mixture along with some salt and let it boil. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with idly, dosa or Chapati.