Saturday, March 30, 2013

Potato and Egg masala


This is a great dish to go with chappatis or bread. If you do not add the eggs, it will make a tasty vegetarian side-dish.
It can also be turned into a curry , with ease.

Boiled potatoes - (4 to 5 medium sized ) I usually do this in a pressure cooker, add water to the level of the potatoes, prick each one with a knife, pressure cook to 4 whistles and let cool. Then peel and keep aside.

Hard boiled eggs - (3 -4)

Onion - 1 medium, sliced thin

Green chillies - 2 slit lengthwise


Ginger - 1/2  inch, finely diced

Garlic - 2 cloves (finely diced)

(Alternately, use half a tsp of ginger-garlic paste )

Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp


Tomatoes - 2 medium - sliced

Fresh coriander leaves -1 bunch  finely chopped

Coconut milk - 2 tbs

Salt to taste

Crushed pepper for garnish - optional.

Temper with Mustard seeds, Split channa dal, and dried red chillies.


To make things easier, I sometimes begin with the tempering. But that is a personal choice. So decide how you would like to do this.

In a kadai, add about 2 tsps cooking oil, add mustard seeds, wait till they split, add the channa dal and dried red chillies and immediately add the onions...
By the time the onions are sauteed well, the channa dal will be done... otherwise,there is a chance that the channa dal might burn.
Add the split green chillies,and the ginger and garlic .
Then the red chillie powder and turmeric powder and immediately add the tomatoes...

Once the tomatoes are cooked down, crush the boiled potatoes roughly, into bite sized pieces, (you can also cut the boiled potatoes into cubes)

Add about a 1/4 glass of water and cook with a lid on, about 7 minutes, this is to infuse all the flavors into the potatoes. Add salt to taste.

Now add the coconut milk and heat through. make sure it does not boil. That may cause the coconut milk to split. (add more water at this point to make more gravy. Do not add more coconut milk instead, unless you want a sweet taste.)

Take off the heat and add the hard boiled eggs cut into halves (optional) and the chopped coriander leaves.  Stir through, very carefully.

Garnish with crushed pepper . 

Monday, February 18, 2013

The Versatile Blogger Award




I have been shamefully neglecting this blog... And yet, i was touched and surprised to receive this award from Shalini Chandak. Her blog Craft Island is among one of many great blogs, that I check out frequently.

It has been really hectic for me, the past couple of months, and I have been actually late in posting this award. A big SORRY, for that ..!



To pass on this award, I pick the following fabulous bloggers...

Michelle Raleigh - Artventuring

Belinda Lee - Bel Lee Beads

Sheryl Westleigh - Handmade Business Blog

Thanks, again Shalini...

I hope that all of you will appreciate my new Website Swardaa, as much as this blog.




Saturday, February 16, 2013

An eventful beginning to 2013



Days just fly by... and it had been a great start to 2013. Hope and pray that it continues... The best thing about New Year was that , i got to celebrate it with my family - my siblings, I and parents got together after about 3 and half years..so it was a big deal..!

And  we managed to get yet another bonus of 10 more days ...

So yeah my jewelry work, or blogging did not happen..but who is complaining? ...

And we got to celebrate our dad's birthday too....

Meanwhile between the travel and stay from Chennai , I have also been working on my new website, which fill feature my artisan Jewelry and Cold Porcelain crafts..

So until i am satisfied with the design aspect , I guess posting here is going to take a back seat..not that I have stopped experimenting with my cooking...but the fact is that , there has been a lot of Mom's fabulous food and eating out ...

So I need to gather some fresh material also...

Here is the new and Improved business LOGO


I hope that all of you , who have given such great support on my cook n craft blog, will do the same for my website too..

Please click HERE to go to 'Swardaa'.