Diamond Chef: Ammu Madhu from AmmuMadusRecipe

 If you would like to be awarded as solkadi diamond chef email your blog link to editor@solkadi.com

Ammu Madhu is a happy cook and cooking is her passion. She loves to make multi cuisine dishes. She learnt cooking from her mom, her grand mom (mom’s mom), mother-in-law she dedicate her blog to her husband and her family because they encouraged her to give new dimension to her cooking passion.  Along with cooking talent she is good at drawing and craft works..

Main ingredient in cooking according to Ammu :
===================

love…love…love…& dedication

Success of her blog:
===============

Innovation….decoration.

Ammus comment on comment and spam:
================

I appreciate comments.It encourages me a lot.

Advice/tips and tricks for new bloggers:
================================

Be yourself.more importantly be innovative…

Favorite Cuisine:
=============

South Indian, Chinese, Mexican

Thiratti pal:

=========
• Milk – 5 cups
• Lemon juice– 2 tablespoons
• Sugar – 3/4 cup
• Ghee – 3 tblsp
• ellachi powder – one pinch.

Recipe:
Heat milk in a pan. Stir it once in a while to avoid burning the bottom.
Once the milk starts boiling, reduce the heat to medium and add lime juice to it, then milk starts to curdle.
Add Ghee, elachi powder into it.
Stir this mixture till the Milk (about 30 min in low flame) becomes thick. Ready to eat now. Enjoy.

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If you would like to get published in what’s cooking today, please email editor@solkadi.com  saying ” I would like to participate in what’s coking today. We will select best recipes from your blog and publish here with the link to your blog.

 Breakfast

 Shepu Pole with hot chai

 

Sweet Dill Pancakes/Shepu Pole is sweet dosa or pancake. It can be served with spicy or sweet chutney depenidng on your taste. It is very tasty with dill aroma, it can be eaten by itself.

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Padmajha Suresh is dietitian, a heath educator and also graduate in music. After her wedding she  moved to China and now she is  full-time home maker. She loves to cook and experiment in the kitchen. Armed with dozens of cook-books and recipes ,tips from mom, She started experimenting with various cuisines.Now trying out new recipes is her passion and She love to recreate her traditional dishes. She like to cook simple and easy recipes that are both appealing and good for health. Her talents are not only limited to cooking, Padmajha has interests in fine arts, music(veena), travelling and photography.

Seduceyourtastebuds was born as a  hobby when she  had a lots of free time and nothing much to do.She came across a few blogs while searching for some recipe and thought She would keep track of her culinary journey by maintaining a blog.Now blogging has become more of a passion to me. Apart from the healthy and simple recipes Padmajha  also share notes on nutrition and diet in her blog.

Story behind blog Name Seduceyourtastebuds

The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach. To prove this our food has to be delicious.Generally it is believed if the food is delicious, it’s got be loaded with the ‘not-so-good’ stuffs. But Padmajha wanted seduce the taste buds with tasty food without compromising on health and nutrition.

Main ingredient in cooking

According to Padmajha “LOVE” is the main ingredient in cooking. She learnt about this secret ingredient from her mother.


Food cooked with love makes the foods more tasty and appealing and that’s exactly what she  uses in her cooking.

Your comments on comment and spam

Leaving comments on fellow bloggers blog is a definite way of keeping in touch with them.The comments should be courteous/kind and not superficial. It is better to not to show personal enmity or leave rude comments. Also the blogger must acknowledge/reply the comments left on their blog.

Spamming the comments section has become a common problem now but is can be solved by using comment moderation so that we can discard the unwanted comments.Askimet also works best.

Tips for the sucees of blog by Padmajha

The language must be simple and easy to follow

The blog should be updated regularly

A good picture of the dish really enhances the post,after all, a picture speaks a thousand words!!

It nice to have a small intro about the dish or any anecdote relating to the dish which will make the post interesting

Reply for comments left in the blog

In case a recipe is taken from another blog,its nice to leave a link to the original blog.

Once in a while it is better to write an article relating to food to break the monotony

Last but not least, though the posts need to be frequent, don’t pressurize yourself to blog everyday. On the long run the pleasure of blogging will wear out and so will the blog.

Padmajha’s Favorite Cuisine

“I love Indian cuisine as it is so diverse and there are myriad dishes we can try out everyday and yet can never run out of options.”

Padmajha’s Favorite Recipe

Tofu is my new love in cooking and I like to try different dishes with it.It is populary believed that Tofu is bland but its this very fact that makes it all the more interesting as it blends into any dish into which it is incorporated and takes-in those flavors!!Tofu is  loaded with protein and has tons of health benefits.

Bhurji is the indianized version of scramble and this tofu scramble is a great treat for vegetarians.

Simple and easy to prepare Tofu Bhurji-just for you.

You need:

1. Tofu – 200 grams
2. Tomato – 1 small,chopped
3. Onion-1 small,chopped
4. Coloured bell pepper -1/4 cup chopped [I used red and green]
5. Boiled peas[optional]
6. Oil- 2 teaspoon
7. Jeera/cumin seeds-1 teaspoon
8. Garam masala powder-1/2  teaspoon
9. Cumin powder-1/2 teaspoon

10.  Turmeric powder-a pinch

11.  Chilli powder-1/2 teaspoon

12.  Ginger garlic paste-1/2 teaspoon

13.  Salt to taste

1. Drain tofu and place a chopping board over it and top it with some heavy weight object .[This is to drain the remaining water.Water tends to spoil the taste of the dish].Let it remain as such till the water is fully drained.
2. Crumble the tofu in a bowl and put in the ingredients from 8-13
3. Mix well and marinate for 15 minutes.
4. Heat oil in pan and put in jeera
5. When it splutters,put in onion and sauté till transparent.
6. Put in tomato and bell pepper.
7. Cook till tomato is soft.
8. Add the tofu mixture,boiled peas and mix well.
9. Cook for another 2 minutes stirring occasionally

10.  Serve warm garnished with coriander leaves

This bhurji can be served as a side dish with Roti/Chapathi or as a snack

————————————————————————–Interviewd by Panch Kanya for solkadi.com

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 Pavithra Elangovan is a homemaker with an IT degree and owner of food blog dishesfrommykitchen.  She grew up in family where 
everyone has passion for food and also cooks variety of dishes; this naturally gave her a great interest, love and passion for cooking.  She started cooking when she was in school and always helped her mother in the kitchen.  Pavithra is a person with liking for all kinds of cuisine and drive to try different kinds of foods and ingredients.  Living in India, Singapore and currently in USA gave her the opportunity to lay her hands on International cuisines and try a lot of them.  Her talents do not limit to cooking and technology, she is talented in Arts & Crafts as well.  Her passion for cooking and her husband’s pestering made her start cooking blog so that she could share her cooking with the world.

Pavithras Achievements:

Pavithra has participated in inter college food competitions and participated in EnnaSamayalo food competition conducted by Singapore TV station Vasantham Central and won the first prize in Vegetarian cooking.

The story behind blog Name

Kitchen is the part in every home where cooking comes to life and brings joy and happiness to the family.  Pavithra’s blog is to share solely her cooking skills with the world.  So she named her blog as “dishesfrommykitchen”

Main ingredient in cooking According to Pavithra

The main ingredient in my cooking is love and dedication to the food we cook.  This is the driving factor for the food to taste good and along with this the basics, right ingredients and patience in cooking.

Pavithra’s comments on comment and spam
I greatly appreciate and welcome comments.  This encourages me a lot.

Technology and Blogging

Today the technology and Blogging is a greatly known and recognized by the world.  And I wish everyone plays their part in that.  Blogs are like Digital Dairy and helps their generations to read and cherish.

Success of blog, according to Pavithra

The Main key to the success of the blog is to show your originality in cooking and not to take others work and display it.  Visual appeal plays an important role. Along with the above mentioned, sharing the blog with others is a key factor for success. 

Quick tip for new bloggers by Pavithra
Be yourself in your blog.

Pavithra’s favorite Cuisine
Any cuisine which is vegetarian with the exception of Egg.

Pavithra’s favorite Recipe

 Everything in my blog is my favorite and since I have to give one recipe here, please visit my blog to see all my other favorites.

MILK DELIGHT

Ingredients:

Basmati rice – 3.5 tbsp
Coconut – 3.5 tbsp
Milk – 1 1/2 liter
Ghee – 1 tbsp
Almond – 5 tbsp
Walnut – 5 tbsp
Pistachios – few for garnishing
Sugar – 180 gms
Saffron – 2 pinch crushed

Method:

1. Toast almonds and walnuts in the dry pan. Cool it and powder them coarsely.
2. Wash the basmati rice and drain them.
3. Heat ghee in heavy bottom vessel or non stick broad vessel.
4. Add the drained rice and grated coconut and fry until they are nice golden brown color.
5. Now add the milk to this and simmer till reduced to half the original quantity.
6. Add crushed saffron and sugar in low heat stirring continuously.
7. When it is reduced to 1/4 quantity and reaches to thick consistency switch of the heat.
8. Once it is cooled keep them in fridge
9. While serving make small balls out of milk mixture.
10. Now roll and dust them in coarsely powdered nuts.
11. Garnish with pistachios and serve chilled.

Note:

1. Once the milk mixture is done put it in fridge for 4 hrs at least so that it thickens and it will be easier to make balls.
2. Dusting with nuts while time of serving gives crunchiness to the sweet. But it can be done earlier too and be sure to keep it in fridge.

 —————————————————–Interviewed by Panch Kanya from solkadi.com

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Winners of Festival Feast are

 Obattlu from 4thsensesamyal

 Rava Laddo from Chefinyou

Besan Laddo from Chefinyou

Billalu from DishesFromMyKitchen

Nagar Chaturthi Sweet Balls from FourthSenseSamayal

Peda from A2ZvegeterianCuisine

Boondi Ladoo from Anubhavati

Coconut Laddo from Divyascookbook

Ayudha Pooja Obattlu from FourthSenseSamyal

BananaFlower from PrasuKitchen

Thaligalu Paravannam from DishesfromMyKitchen

Uppu-Kollukatai from SailajaKitchen

Baadusha from PrasuKitchen

Narali Pakache Ladoo from Khaugiri

Rawa Laddo from PadmasKitchen

Sweet Mixed nut ballas from A2ZvegeterianCuisine

Rava Laddo from Chefinyou

Ulundu Vadai from Anubhavati

OmaPodi/Sev from Divya-Dilse

Modakam from FourthSenseSamayal

Ada payasam from AromaKitchen.com

Gulab jamun from Anubhavati

GulGul from padmas recipes

Karjikai  from DishesfromMyKitchen

Semiya Payasam from KalyanisKitchen

Poornam from SailajaKitchen

Kaju Katli from khaugiri

Gajar ka Halwa from DivyasCookBook

Ona sadya from Myendeaveours

Kaju Roll from KalyanisKitchen

7-cup cake from V S Rajam

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Padma Dharmaraj, a Telugu girl born and brought up in Bangalore, Karnataka. She is a post graduate in commerce married to anIT Professional and mother of 2 beautiful children. Her lovely husband, In laws and  parents are from different places near South Tamilnadu,  So she is  exposed to various cuisines. Padma’s experience in kitchen started right after her marriage and with lot of trial and errors and came out with so many varieties . She never gave up trying a dish that did not turn out well, until it turned out good and got appreciation from hubby. She has inherited her liking for cooking from her mother who is good cook.

Padma’s Blog

Padma’s  interest in collecting recipes started right from college, where she used to collect some interesting recipes from magazines and pen it down in her book. Her favourite recipes were always in her draft(email) that was sent to friends who requested them often. So that is how her interest came up with starting her blog with posting the recipes along with the pictures and share it with everyone.

padma’s recipe was born in November 2008, and at present have more than 360 recipes and also some health tips, kitchen tips and glossary translation. Initially posted 2 – 3 entries a day, but gradually slowed down,as She wanted  to keep blogging active. She is  vegetarian by her own choice , but sometimes  cook Non- Vegetarian dishes for my family and friends.

Success of Blog According to Padma

Success of a blog depends on keeping the blog active even if not posting many recipes. Visiting other blogger friends and replying to their comments is also an other way.
Trying to use simple language and also providing a translation for rare ingredients. Make the blog user friendly by which they can search and locate the ones they want without much difficulty.

Opinion of Padnma about Comments and Spam

Comments surely motivates and encourages bloggers. Feel more happy when friends try out my recipes and give out their opinion

Padma’s favourite Cuisine
Indian – South Indian style for Lunch , North Indian style for dinner.

Padma’s  favourite recipes

Vegetable Pakoda
Maida/ All purpose Flour – 2 cups
Onion – 1/2 of a small chopped fine
Green chillies – 3 chopped fine
Curry leaves – few chopped
Carrot – 1 grated
Cabbage -1/2 cup grated
Potato -1 small grated ( grate it last or it will turn brown)
Ginger – one inch piece grated
Salt as needed
Butter or any other fat – 1 1/2 tbsp
Oil for deep frying
In a bowl take maida, to it add salt chopped onions, green chillies,melted butter and curry leaves. Mix well with hands. Next add grated ginger and all the grated vegetables ( first drain of the water or squeeze ). No need to add additional water as the water from the vegetables itself will be more than enough, add only if required or use the squeezed out water. The consistency should be like a thick dough of dropping consistency.
In a kadai heat oil for frying. Just drop the pakodas little by little ( use both hands to pull and add to the oil) and deep fry till nice golden brown. This pakoda will be crispier for a longer time.
Adding ginger gives a very good flavor when frying and make sure you add butter or it will be very crispy/stiff/hard that you can find it hard to bite.

————————————————————–Interviewed by Panch Kanya for solkadi.com

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Shanthi KrishnaKumar, previous banker who has now taken break from numbers to give time to her creativity. She is an enthusiastic learner, outspoken, transparent and spiritual. She is interested in cooking, singing, blogging, gardening, reading, and so on. She keeps herself busy with all her activities. She is interested in social work. She believes, it is HE who is guiding her in her life. Very much interested in social works. Sincerity and dedication is the key to her success.  She was a scribe for blind people, writing exams for them but now enjoying her time with friends like you and blogging. Apart from her cooking blog, she teaches music, shlokas to children and women’s. She runs a children’s club (honorary) and involve them in religious activities, patriotic activities etc. by celebrating our National festivals with them.   Her husband and children encourages her and are motivating force behind her activities

Shanthi  “I am grateful to my parents, grandparents and Gurus, because of whom, I am here now.”

  Shanthi’s blog:

She started  shanthi krishnakumar’s cookbook for her son, who asks lot of doubts while cooking on his own.  Thought that it will be  useful for her children in future.  Now, She is happy to hear that this is useful to many youngsters  working in different places.

Main ingredient in cooking

Always salt.

Her opinion on “comments” and “spam”

Comments motivate us to achieve something in blogging.  Spam… I hate it,  but if done unknowingly , can be pardoned.

Technology and Blogging

Its online, easily accessible and reached worldwide.

Success of blog, according to you

The sources should be authentic. I personally feel, the co-bloggers and the readers of the blogs play an important role in the success of a blog.  Thank you friends and Thank you Panchkanya, for selecting me as “Diamond Chef”.

Advice/tips and tricks for new bloggers

Work hard with sincerity and devotion. Whatever work you do, do it whole-heartedly.  Never copy a material and produce it as your own.  If you need any advice/tips regarding blogging, feel free to contact me at setlur.shanu@gmail.com .

Favorite Cuisine

South Indian Thali

Favorite Recipe

Alltime favourite  Vadai

This is made on all festivals and functions in South India. But generally, we do not put a hole in the centre on festivals. Can be had with chutney, sambhar and also can be dropped in rasam when hot. Yummy dish when had even without side dishes.

INGREDIENTS:

Whole white urad dhal – 1 cup
Green chillies – 2 0r 3
Ginger – 1/2″ piece
Curry leaves – 1 sprig
Coriander leaves – few
Pepper crushed – 1/2 tsp.
Salt – as per taste (or approx.1/2 tsp.)
Oil – 1 cup

METHOD:

Soak dhal in water for an hour.

Chop green chillies, ginger, curry leaves and crush pepper.

Grind it in a grinder to a smooth paste using very little water. The batter when dropped in water should float and that is the consistency. When smooth and slightly frothy, add salt and also the chopped and crushed items and grind again for two more minutes.

Take out the batter and add chopped coriander leaves.

Heat oil . Meanwhile, wet your palms with water, take out a ball from the batter and flatten it using your hand and put a hole in the centre. (OR) can use a plastic cover (OR) banana leaf.

Carefully drop them into the oil and turn it on both sides and cook till golden brown.

NOTE:

Ensure medium heat of oil. If oil is smoking, the vadai will become red but will not be cooked.

Do not add salt in the beginning. The batter doesn’t double if added in the beginning. Add salt only when the batter is smooth.

Wet your palms,or fingers or plastic cover or banana leaf for each vadai and the vadai doesn’t stick to your hands

—————————————————————————————————————————————–Inteviewd by Panch Kanya for solkadi.com

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We are glad to announce our Diamond Chef Suchitra. Lets find out out more about Suchitra from simpleIndianfood

Suchitra, a housewife who loves to spend time cooking, doing craft work, travelling and of course blogging. Constant encouragement from my family is my source of energy to maintain all the blogs. Her blogs Simple Indian food and 100% Microwave cooking focus on Indian food that we inevitably prepare daily.
Her inspiration for blogging:
Suchitra’s husband is the main source of inspiration for all the blogs. She had to try lot of recipes on the microwave during a 6 month period when she didn’t have a gas connection. So, it was decided to start a blog for Microwave cooking as many people ended up using the microwave just for reheating 2 years back. Simple Indian food blog then followed as she started trying out more varieties on the stove top.

Story behind simpleIndianfood name by Suchitra
The simplicity of any cuisine depends on your cooking interests as well as the extent to which you like that food. Also, it is related to how often you cook that cuisine. I love Indian food and even though it involves various spices, ingredients and process, it gets easier to cook when you have simple instructions that a layman can understand. Through Simple Indian food, I wish to bring out the Indian delicacies in the simplest words and least possible number of steps possible so that the readers are inspired to try out those recipes irrespective of the long list of ingredients.

Technology and Blogging
Blogging actually doesnt require knowledge about html codes, but basic knowledge about using the Internet is essential.To help such new bloggers, we also came up with a blog Help on blogging wherein we could put up all the information and details step by step. Most importantly the blogging world is like an extended family who are ready to help you with anything that you find difficult.

Advice to new food bloggers
Blogging is fun as well as a serious activity. If you want to stay in the long run, you need to be a focussed and a frequent blogger. Make friends, socialise and you will have a whole new world waiting for updates on your blog.
You favorite recipe you would like to share with SolKadi readers

Pav bhaji is my favourite and here goes the recipe
Ingredients
A packet of pav
1/4 kg boiled potatoes
2 tsp tomato puree
1/2 capsicum
2 tsp oil
3 tbsp butter
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp pav bhaji masala powder
Salt to taste
Finely chopped coriander leaves to garnish
Butter to toast the pav

Heat oil, add cumin seeds. (I have not used onions, if you would like to – you should add it at this stage and saute till it turns pinkish in colour). Add the tomato paste, ginger paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, pav bhaji masala powder, salt and 1/4 cup water. Allow it to cook for five minutes.
Add finely chopped capsicum and mashed potatoes. Cook for two minutes, add butter and cook for another three minutes. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
Toast the pav on both sides using butter as per taste.
Serve pav and bhaji with a piece of lemon and finely chopped onions (optional).
———————————————————————By Panchkanya for solkadi.com

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Winner: Fruit and nut Eggless cake from AtoZVegeterian

Runner up : Fruity yogurt from DishesfrommyKitchen

Fruit Feast begins on Sept 1st 2009 and ends on Sept 30th 2009. Winners will be declared on Sept 30th 2009

Berry Smoothie from AtoZvegeterian Cuisine

Mago Rabri from Breakfasttodinner

Fruity yogurt from Dishesfrommykitchen

Fat free juice and Ice candy from AtoZvegeterian

Melon Duo from KitchenFlavours

Eggless Fruit n Nut Cake from AtoZvegeterian

Fruit Custard from Breakfasttodinner

Mango Rabri from dishesfrommykitchen

Pineapple Kesari from sailajakitchen

Fruit Skewers from Mrignayani

Star Granite from 4thsensesamayal

Mix Fruit Panchmirtham from Shanthisthaligai

Fruit Bread halwa from sailajakitchen

Mosambi Juice from Kitchenflavours

Mango Pudding from 4thsensesamyal

Pineapple N chocolate sauce skewers from PriyasEasyNtastyRecipes

Fruit Pospicle from Mrignayani

Mix berry Shake from Delightsofcooking

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