Ribbon Pakoda

Ingredients:

Besan – 1 cup

 

Rice Flour – 2 cups

 

Warm Water – 3 cups

 

White seasame seeds – 1 tbsp

 

Salt

 

Chilli Powder

 

Oil – 1 Laddle

 

Oil For Deep Frying

 

• In a bowl mix both flours. To this add in the seasame seeds, chilli powder, salt.
• Heat one ladle oil and add to the flour.
• Take warm water and add in little quantities to the flour. Mix well and make like chapathi dough.
• In a kadai, add oil and heat it.
• Use broad plate in the Muruku pressing machine and fill the dough.
• Check if the oil is hot by dropping a pich of the dough in the oil. If it comes up immediately then its ready for frying.
• Press the Murruku pressing directly in hot oil in circular motion.
• Deep fry till done. Drain excess oil and store in air tight containers.

 

Veg Sandwich

 

Simple Experimentation with what I had in the fridge...

 

Capsicum - 1 medium sized
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Beans - few
Green Chilli - 1
Chill powder - 1/2 tsp
Crumbled paneer - 100 gms
Salt
Oil

1. Chop onion, tomato and capsicum into one inch square pieces.
2. Cut beans into 0.5 inch or 1 inch pieces.
3. In a kadai, add little oil, and in chopped grenn chilli and onion. Fry till onion colour starts to change.
4. Add in the beans and tomatoes and stir for few minutes. Then add the capsicum and fry till half cooked.
5. At this stage add salt and chilli powder and mix well. Then add in the crumbled panner and fry them till its dry and veggies are cooked.
6. Do not add water. The veggies should be bit crunchy.
7. Instead of crumbled paneer, paneer cubes could also be added.
8. Place this filling in the bread of your choice and grill it.

 

Parupu Thuvayal

• Red Gram Dhal - 1/4 cup
• Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Red chillies - 4 or 5
• Garlic pods - 4
• Salt
• Oil

Seasoning - red chilli, mustard, asfotedia, jeera, curry leaves

1. Heat oil in a kadai fry dhal and red chillies till it changes color. Be careful that you dont burn it.
2. To this add coconut,  and garlic pods and grind to a coarse paste. Add water as needed.
3. Season it and serve with rice.

Sunday Lunch :)

Zeera Rice, Kadhai Gobhi Masala and Home Style Potato Wedges !

Kadhai Gobhi Masala

Ingredients:

1. Gobhi - 300 gm, cut into florets
2. Tomatoes - 4, quartered
3. Onions - 1 big, or 2 small, quartered
4. Coarsely ground garlic - 1 tspn
5. Coarsely ground ginger - 2 tspns
6. Tamarind pulp - 1 tbspn
7. Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
8. Oil - 2 tbspn
9. Salt
10. turmeric
11. chilli powder
12. sugar - 1/2 tspn
13. Fresh coriander leaves for garnish

Procedure:

1. In a heavy bottom dish, heat up half the oil and add the quartered tomatoes and onions and cook till the vegetables are slightly soft, for about 5 min
2. take them off the heat let them cool a bit
3. meanwhile, in the same dish, heat the remaining oil and add the cumin seeds, ginger and garlic. Cook them for about 3-4 min. 
4. grind the tomatoes and onion and add them to the ginger-garlic-cumin mixture on the stove. 
5. cook for about 5 min, till the mixture starts leaving the sides of the dish. 
6. add in the cauliflower florets. Cook for 10 min, till the florets are soft enough
7. Dish it out, garnish and serve hot! 

Bhindi Masala Raita

• Ladies Finger - 1/4 kg
• Tomato - 1big
• Onion - 1 big
• Chilli Powder - 1  tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp or 1 tsp
• Salt
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Fresh Curd
• Seasoning - mustard, jeera, curry leaves, asafotedia

1. Chop ladies finger to one inch pieces and fry in one spoon oil till cooked. ( I had microwaved with little oil for three minutes)
2. Chop tomato and onion into small pieces
3. In a kadai heat oil and season with the ingredients.
4. Add in the onion and fry well.
5. Once done add the chopped tomatoes and fry for few minutes
6. Then add in the fried ladies finger, salt, chilli powder and garam masala and fry well
7. Add little water if necessary and keep stirring till its cooked and dry.
8. Remove off fire. Add in curd and mix well.

• Add little curd if you want to make it as a curry.
• You can also serve the curry without curd as an accompanient for rice or rotis

Badam Halwa

Ingredients:

Badam paste

Badam - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 1/2 cup
Kesar Colour - one pinch
Ghee - 1 cup
Milk - 1 cup

Method

1. Soak the badams in hot water for 1 hour then remove the outer skin.
2. Grind it to a paste with one cup milk.
3. In a heavy bottom kadai add one 2 spoon ghee, when it hot add grounded paste in to it.
4. Add little water and allow it to cook till all the water absorbed & becomes thick.
5. Now add sugar & kesar colour
6. Add hot ghee little by little and stirring continously of medium flame and cook till it thickens.
7. Now switch off the stove and add grated almonds before serving.

Rasavali (Brinjal Curry)

Essentials

Brinjals - 1/4 kg (Light green brinjals would taste good)
Coconut - 1/2 a coconut
Cashew / Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Green Chillies - 4 or 5
Salt

• Grind coconut with chillies and poppy seeds to smooth paste.
• Cut brinjals into two inches long pieces and mix them
• Boil it till brinjal is cooked. Add water as needed.

This is not a dry curry. You can mix with plain rice and relish it...

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

Carrots - 4 big

Sugar - 1 1/2 cups

Milk - 1 cup

Milk powder - 2 tbspoon

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Cashew & Raisins - 2 tbspoon

Method:

1. Wash, peel the skin and grate the carrots.
2. Heat ghee in a heavy bottom kadai.
3. Roast cashew & raisins till golden brown and keep it aside.
4. In the same kadai, add grated carrots & saute for 5 minutes or till the raw smell goes.
5. Add milk and let it cook on  medium flame for 15-20 minutes. In between add milk powder and sugar and allow it to cook  till all milk is absorbed
6. Now garnish with roasted cashew & raisins.
7. Delicious Carrot Halwa is ready to serve now. 

Cabbage Vada

Essentials

Urad Dhal - 2 cups
Cabbage - 1/4 kg chopped finely
Onion - 1/4 Kg chopped finely
Green Chillies - 4 chopped finely
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Method

Soak Dhal for 1 hour and grind it coarsely. It shouldn not be smooth. Dhal pieces should be slightly visible.
Mix chopped veggies and salt.
Heat oil. Make patties from the batter and deep fry them.
Serve hot with Chilli garlic powder.

French Fries Tips

Few Tips for making good french fries shared by my friend Gokila from her extensive search and analysis on the internet ....

• Peel and chop the potatoes into thing long strips..
• Soak them in ice cold water for half an hour
• Drain and pat them dry.
• Deep fry in medium flame for 5 - 8 minutes.
• Repeat the same for entire lot..
• Then again deep fry them for 2-3 minutes.
• Drain excess oil, add salt and enjoy ur fries....

Masala French Fries.. (Learnt from the French fries stalls)

• For masala french fries, add little chilli flakes and oregano powder along with salt and mix well...

Cheese French Fries.. (This again from an eatery outlet)

• After preparing the masala french fries, arrange them on a microwave safe plate
• Grate cheese directly on the fries. See that it forms a layer over the fries
• Microwave the fries for 2 - 3 minutes or till the cheese melts
• Enjoy with a ketchup or a dip of ur choice..

Shahi Methi Paneer

Ingredients:

1. Paneer - 200 gm , cut into cubes
2. Almonds - 150 gm, soaked in water for 1 hr, and then skinned
3. Garlic - 5-6 cloves, finely chopped
4. Red chillies - 4-5
5. aesofotida - 1/2 tsp
6. Kasuri Methi (dried fenugreek leaves) - 30 gm
7. Fresh Fenugreek leaves - 40 gm - chopped finely
8. milk - 30 ml
9. water - 20 ml
10. Salt
11. turmeric
12. Oil to cook

Procedure:

1. Grind the almonds with milk and water, to a fine paste. 
2. In a deep dish, heat oil and add the chopped garlic and chillies and aesofotida
3. after 1 min, add half the kasuri methi and half the fresh methi leaves
4. cook till the methi leaves wilt and then add in the almond paste. 
5. cook for about 7 min, till it gets cooked. 
6. add in the rest of the dry and fresh methi leaves, and cook for aother 3 min. 
7. add the paneer cubes, salt, turmeric and cook for another 2 min. 

Serve hot with roti/rice! 

Gobhi Musallam

Ingredients:

1. Cauliflower (Gobhi) - 1, cut into florets
2. Red Onions - 2, just foured into cubes
3. Tomatoes - 6, chopped roughly
4. Ginger - 1 inch - chopped finely
5. Garlic - 6 - 8 cloves - chopped finely
6. Mint leaves - 4-5 chopped finley
7. Coriander leaves - a handful, chopped finely
8. Tamarind pulp - 1.5 tbspn (15-18gm)
9. Cumin seeds - 15 gm 
10. Aesofotida - 1 tspn
11. Red Chillies - 3-4
12. Green Peas - 150 gm (I use frozen)
13. Salt
14. Turmeric
15. Red Chilli powder
16. Oil to cook

Procedure:

1. Grind the tomatoes and onions together
2. In a deep dish, heat the oil and add the cumin seeds. After 30 sec, add the aesofotida and red chillies. After they start to splutter, add the chopped ginger, garlic, coriander and mint.
3. add in the ground tomato-onion paste
4. After the mixture comes to a boil, add in turmeric and chilli powder and a little salt
5. cook till all the moisture leaves and only the paste remains. 
6. Meanwhile half boil the cauliflower florets and keep aside. Add more salt at this point.
7. Now add in the cauliflower  and the green peas to the tomato mixture and cook till done.

Serve hot with Bread/Rice !
 

Gulab Jamoon

Kanchivaram Idli

Ingredients

Urad Dhal - 1 cup
Raw Rice - 1 cup
Par Boiled Rice - 1 cup
Curd - 1/4 cup
Oil - 1/4 cup
Salt

Seasoning:
Pepper, Jeera, Ginger, Curry Leaves
Grind both rice to rawa consistency in a mixie. Soak the rice rawa in water for 3-4 hours.

1. Wash dhal and soak it for 3-4 hours.
2. Grind the soaked dhal. Do not grind it soft. It should also be coarse.
3. Drain water from rawa and mix the ground dhal. Add salt and mix well.
4. Allow this batter to ferment for 10 - 12 hours. Store the batter in a big vessel as the quantity will increase when fermented.
5. After fermentation add curd and finely chopped ginger to the batter.
6. Heat oil and add pepper, jeer and curry leaves. Pour the seasonings along with the oil to the batter and mix well. The batter should be thick.
7. Pour the batter in Idli moulds or in a greased plate and steam them till cooked. Cooking will take more time than the normal idli.
8. Enjoy yummy idlis with gun powder, chilli garlic paste or coconut chutney...

Herbed Cous Cous Salad

Ingredients:

1. Moroccan Cous Cous - 150 gm (I use the flavored one, but you can use the regular one too)
2. Green bell peppers  - 2 , chopped roughly
3. Cherry Tomatoes - 4, quartered
4. Carrots - 3, cut length-wise and halved
5. Fresh Thyme - 2 tspns full 
6. Garlic - 3-4 cloves chopped roughly
7. Salt
8. Olive Oil  - 1 tspn

Procedure:

1. in a heavy bottomed dish, heat up the oil and add in the garlic. Stir fry till cooked but not brown
2. add in all the vegetables and cook for around 4-5 min.
3. Add in the salt, half of the thyme and cook for another 1 min. 
4. meanwhile, in another bowl, add your cous cous and pour recently boiled water and leave it to cook for about 5 min. 
5.  Now combine both the vegetable mixture and cooked cous cous and the remaining thyme. 

Serve Warm 

Whole Wheat Bruschetta Pizza Bread

Easy snack, with all ingredients from your store cupboard.

Ingredients:

1. Whole Wheat  Bread - 4-6 pieces
2. Cheddar Cheese - 2 small blocks - 50 gm altogether, grated
3. Tomatoes - 2 , de-seeded, chopped rather finely
4. bell peppers - 1, green/yellow chopped finely
5. red/pink - 1 small, chopped into half rings (onion is optional)
6. tomato sauce - 60 ml
7. Extra Virgin Olive Oil - 20 ml 
8. Salt 
9. Pepper

Procedure:

Preheat your oven to  200C

1. In a roasting tray, place your bread slices, and brush them with olive oil.
2. Roast them in the oven for around 5-6 min, till almost brown, but not completely.  (bottom rack)
3. Take them out, spread 1-2 tspns of tomato sauce on each slice
4. next, sprinkle enough chopped bell peppers, tomatoes and the onion onto the slices
5. add the grated cheese.
6. now place the slices back into the oven and roast till the cheese melts (bottom rack)

Serve Hot !! 

Brown Rice Brocolli Pulao

A mildly spiced pulao, ideal for lunches and potlucks. Keeps well balanced and spiced till lunch time! 

Ingredients:

1. Brown Basmati Rice - 150 gm, cooked as per instructions 
2. Brocolli - 1 large flower, cut into florets (about 120 - 150 gm)
3. green peas - 50 gm
4. Garlic - 30 gm , or 2 tbspns, chopped finely
5. Cumin seeds - 1 tspn
6. Bat leaf - 1 -2 
7. Cinnamon Bark - 1/2 inch 
8. cardamom - 4, crushed slightly 
9.  Extra virgin olive oil - 3 tbspns (I use olive oil, but you can use ghee or any other oil from your cupboard. But Olive oil gives that extra nutty flavor to the Pulao)
10. salt
11. turmeric
12. Mint leaves for garnish

Procedure:

1. In a heavy bottomed dish, heat a tspn of oil and fry up your spices (jeera, cinnamon, bay, cardamom), and after they release their aromas, add in the garlic
2. wait till the garlic is browning and then add in the broccoli.  I cook till just the broccoli turns green and becomes a bit tender. But you can cook till you like. 
3. add in the peas and cook for another 3 min. 
4. add salt and turmeric and cook for another minute
5. add this mixture to the cooked rice and mix gently, till all of it thoroughly mixed. 
6. Garnish

Serve Hot !

Bhindi Dahi ka Salan

After a long time, a mild spiced recipe. I don't know the origins of this recipe.. Its definitely not punjabi. And definitely not Gujarati. Oh well, who cares - its really tasty

Ingredients:

1. Ladyfingers - 10-15 , cut in half and then slightly split length-wise
2. cumin seeds - 1 tspn
3. methi seeds - 1/2 tspn
4. corainder seeds - around 5-6 slightly crushed
5. cinnamon bark - 1/2 inch 
6. gram flour - 100 gm
7. corn flour - 15-20 gm (optional; Even small amount can be substituted as gram flour. I use corn flour completely for this recipe. But its your choice)
8. Turmeric - 1/2 tspn
9. Red/Pink Onions - 1 medium sized, made into a paste 
10. ginger - 1/2 inch - chopped finely
11. garlic - a little less amount than the ginger - chopped finely 
12. Red Chillies - 4-6
13. Garam Masala - 1/2 tspn
14. Dahi/Yogurt - 250 m, whisked to perfection, without any water
15. Salt 
16. Fresh coriander leaves - for garnish 
17. Oil for cooking - 2 tbspns

 Procedure:

1. In a pan,  heat around a tbspn of oil and start frying up your spices (jeera, methi, cinnamon, coriander seeds, chillies)
2. after they release their aroma, add in the ginger, garlic and onion paste. Cook for 2-3 min, till the paste and other ingredients are cooked. 
3. for this recipe, the ladyfingers are generally fried separately; But I prefer doing a 1-pot dish. So add in the ladyfingers, stir and let them cook for about 5-7 min, till they are tender, but still in color. 
4. in a separate bowl, add yogurt, turmeric, gram flour/corn flour/both and whisk thoroughly till all lumps are gone 
5. To this, add in salt, and add this yogurt mixture to the already cooking ladyfingers. When you do so, remove from heat for a brief time. 
6. on low heat, keep stirring and cooking for about 10 min, till the mixture thickens
7. add garam masala and add salt, stir for another 2 min
8. Garnish with coriander

Serve Hot with Rice ! 

Warm Walnut and Pepper Salad

Again, a simple salad recipe..

Ingredients:

1. Green Peppers - 4, chopped into squares
2. Walnuts - 6-8, roughly chopped or left as whole. (I leave them as whole)
3. Broccoli - 10-12 florets 
4. Extra Virgin Olive Oil/Flaxseed Oil - 2 tspns
5. Salt
6. Fresh ground pepper 

Procedure:

1. Preheat the oven at 250C
2. Spread all your chopped vegetables and nuts in one roasting tray
3. place the filled up tray in the oven 
4. bake for 30 - 35 min, till the vegetables are properly roasted and nuts turn brown
5. Take out of the oven, add all of them to a big mixing bowl
6. now drizzle oil and add salt and pepper and toss everything together to mix

Eat Warm with slices of bread and soup.. AMAZING!!