Besan Parre

Ingredients:

Besan/ Gram flour: 1/2 cup
Chilli powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Turmeric Powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste and luke warm water to make dough.

Method:

Step1: Mix the above ingredietns and make a dough (like chapathi dough consistency)
Step2: Dust both sides in gram flour and roll it using a rolling pin (like how a chapathi is done).
Step3: Cut vertically and horizontally into small pieces (or u can even make it into dimond shape).
Step4: Deep fry in oil.

Simple and yummy parre is ready!! :)

Tomato Dhal

Ingredients:

Toor dhal: 1 cup (boiled and mashed well)
Tomato: 3 large (finely chopped)
Onion; 1 small (finely chopped)
Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger and garlic: 1 tea spoon
Tamrind paste: 1/2 tea spoon
Asafoetida: 1 tinge
Turmeric and chilli powder: 1 tinge

For the masala:

Dhaniya: 1/2 tea spoon
Cinnamon, bay leaf, clove powder: 1 tinge


Method:


Step1: Grind the masala into fine powder.
Step2: Boil toor dhal with trmeric powder, chilli powder, salt and hinge. (Add 1 cup of dhaal and four cups of water while boiling).
Step3: Fry finely chopped onions, tomatoes, ginder, garlic, green chllies in oil.
Step4: Mix the boiled dhal in the tomato-onion mixture. Add tamrind and the dry masala.
Step5: Bring to boil and turn off the flame. Garnish with cilantro and add tempering if required.

I have adoped this recipe from an aunty (Lakshmi) who cooks really well. I love the tomato dhaal that she makes...will be simple yet tastes really well.

Best with chapathi. Can be had with plain rice and ghee too :)

Capsicum/Bell pepper rice

Ingredients:

Capsicum -2 large (finely chopped)
Onion - 1 large (finely chopped)
Cummin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger: 1 tea spoon (finely chopped)

For the dry masala:

Ground nuts: 1/2 cup
Mustard Seeds: 1 tea spoon
Pepper cons: 1/2 tea spoon
Channa dhal: 1 tea spoon
Dhaniya: 3 tea spoon

Method:
Step1: Dry roast the masala.
Step2: Fry onions, green chillies, ginger, cummin seeds in oil.
Step3: Add capsicum to it and close the lid for 2 mins.
Step4: Add dry masala and enough water.
Step5: Add rice and mix well.
Garnish with cilantro if required.

Simple but yummy capsicum rice is ready !!

Pineapple pachadi

Ingredients:

Pineapple: 1 cup (finely chopped)
Coconut: 1/2 cup
Green chillies: 3-4
Pepper cons: 4-5
Red chillies: 2-3
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Urad dhal: 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida: 1 tinge
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

Step1: Cook pineapple in boiling water until it turns soft.
Step2: Grind coconut, green chillies, pepper cons.
Step3: After the pineapple cools down, transfer it to a blender and blend it into a fine paste.
Step4: Mix the coconut, green chillies and pepper cons paste with the pineapple and heat the mixture for 5 minutes.
Step5: For tempering use mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dhal, asafoetida and red chillies.

Add few chunks for pineapple and garnish with cilantro.

Methu Vada

Ingredients

Urad dhal: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2 (chopped)
Ginger: 1 tea spoon (chopped)
Pepper cons: 4-5 pieces
Oil to fry
Salt to taste
Cilantro/curry leaves

Method:

Step1: Soak urad dhal in water over night
Step2: Filter all the water and transfer the dhal to a blender
Step3: Add green chillies, ginger, pepper cons, salt, cilantro/curry leaves.
Step4: Heat oil for 5 minutes. Wet hands in water for few seconds and take a small quantity of the batter. Make it into small balls with a whole in the middle. Deep fry in oil.

Methu vada is ready :)

Easy Potato Curry :)

Ingredients:

Potato: 1 large (finely chopped)

For Tempering:
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Urad dhaal: 1 tea spoon
Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger 1 tea spoon (finely chopped)
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Red chilli powder: 1 tea spoon
Asoefetida: 1 tinge
Besan flour: 1 tea spoon
Oil to fry

Method:
Heat oil in a pan and do the tempering. Add potato and turn the flame to low. when the potatoes turn light golden brown, add besan flour and mix well. Wait until they get fried well.

Yummy aloo fry is ready. Easy to make and best when cooked on a lazy day :)

Malai Kofta

Ingredients:

Onion: 1 large (chopped)
Tomatoes: 4 (chopped)
Ginger: 1 teaspoon (grated)
Green chillies: 3 (grated)
Boiled potato: 1 large
Carrot: grated (1/2 cup)
Green peas: 1/2 cup
All purpose flour: 1 table spoon
Corn flour: 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Ajwain seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Dhaniya: 1 tea spoon
Bay leaf: 1 leaf
Cinnamon, cardamom clove
Butter: 1 table spoon
Cilanto for garnishing

Method:


Step1: Lets prepare the kofta balls first. Grind dhaniya, bay leaf, cardamom, clove and cinnamon together.
Step2: Mash the boiled potato. add green peas, grated carrot, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds and mix the ground dry spice mix to this. Add salt to taste.
Step3: Make it into small balls and keep aside. Mix all purpose flour, corn flour and salt. Add water to the mixture and make it into a fine paste.
Step4: Roll the potato balls on the batter and deep fry them in oil. The kofta balls are ready!
Step5: Take a large pan and heat oil. Add finely chopped onions, ginger, green chillies, turmeric, cumin seeds. Let the onion turn golden brown. Add the other part of the dry spice mix and add tomatoes. Close the pan with a lid and wait until the tomatoes turn mushy.
Step6: Blend the mixture well and pour it into the same pan. Add the kofta balls to the mixture. Add butter. Turn off the stove in 2-3 minutes.
Add cilantro for garnishing. Serve with pulka, roti, poori!! :)

Peas Pulao

This is a fool proof recipe...it can never go wrong even when some of the ingredients are added more/less.

Ingredients:

Basmathi rice: 1 cup (boiled)
Onion: 1 cup (finely chopeed)
Tomato: 1/2 cup (finely chopped)
Frozen Peas: 1 cup
Carrot: 1 cup (grated)
Cinnamon powder, bay leaves, cummin powder: 1 tinge each
Corriander powder: 1/2 spoon
Turmeric: 1 tea spoon

Method:

Step1: Fry onions and add cinnamon powder, bay leaves, cummin powder, corriander powder, turmeric powder.
Step2: Add chopped tomatoes to it and add little water. Add grated carrot, frozen peas and close the lid. Let the tomatoes turn mushy.
Step3: Add boiled rice and mix well with the above mixture. Turn off the flame.

Peas pulao is ready :)

Doodh Peda

Ingredients:

Milk powder: 100 gms
Powdered sugar: 50 gms
Cardamom powder: 1 tinge
Milk: 1 cup
Butter/ghee: 5-6 table spoons
Almonds to decorate

Method:
Step1: Make sure that the milk powder does not have any lumps (or) use the mixer to make it into a fine powder. (I used the instant low-fat milk powder in this recipe).
Step2: Dry roast the milk powder for 1-2 minutes.
Step3: Mix the powdered sugar to it and add 3 table spoons of butter and mix them together.
Step4: Now, set the heat to low flame and pour 1 cup of milk on the mixture and blend them well.
Step6: Toss until the butter comes out on the edges of the pan and the mixture thickens. (Make sure that you toss them in the same direction. Do not change the direction as it would make the mixture very hard).
Step7: Grease butter/ghee on a plate. Make the mixture into small balls and press it with both the hands.

Garnish with almonds!! :)

Vermicelli Kheer

Ingredients:
2% Milk: 4 cups
Sugar: 2 cups
Vermicelli: 1/2 cup
Ghee: 4-5 table spoon
Cashews/Raisins: 7-8 pieces each
Cardamom: 1 tinge

Method:

Step1: Dry roast the vermicelli for 4-5 minutes until nice aroma comes out.
Step2: Boil the 2% milk for 40-45 minutes in low sim until the 4 cups of milk reduces approximately to 2 cups.
Step3: Pour the 1 1/2 cups of sugar and vermicelli and boil well.
Step4: Fry the cashews and raisins in ghee.
Step5: add the cashes/raisins and cardamom to the kheer and turn off the stove.

Tastes best when served chilled!! :)

Pulikachal

Ingredients:

Tamarind: 100 gms
Red chillies: 7-8 chillies
Peanuts: 1 cup
Asafoetida: 1 tinge
Fengugreek seeds: 1 table spoon
Dhaniya: 1 2 table spoon
Curry leaves: 10 leaves
Chana Dhal: 3-4 table spoon
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Urad Dhal: 1 teaspoon
Gingelly (sesame oil): 5-6 spoons

Method:

For the dry mixture:

Take a medium sized pan and fry the fenugreek seeds and dhaniya (without adding oil) separately untill nice aroma comes. Allow the mixture to cool down.

Note: This step gives a special flavor and taste but is optional.
For the regular pulikachal:

Step1: Soak the dry tamarind in luke warm water and microwave for 2 minutes. Do not use the tamarind paste for pulikachal as the taste difference is extreme.
Step2: In the same pan, add liberal quantity of sesame oil and add mustard seeds, chana dhal, fenugreek seeds, asafoetida, urad dhal, peanuts, curry leaves, red chillies and fry them until they turn light brown in color.
Step3: Filter the tamarind water from the solid tamarind and add the tamarind water to the above mixture.
step4: Saute for 5-10 minutes and set to low flame. The mixture would become thick and the sesame oil would start to separate from the pulikachal.
Step5: Allow the pulikachal to cool down and add the dry mixture (powdered fenugreek seeds and dhaniya powder) to it.

Pulikachal would last for 2 months when stored in a dry container and refrigerated.
Serve with white rice/dosa.

Aloo Bonda

Ingredients:

All purpose flour: 1 cup
Potato: 2 large (boiled and mashed well)
Carrot: 1 (grated)
Green peas: 1 cup
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Ajwain seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Ginger, green chillies: finaly chopped
Cilantro: 5 sprigs
Salt to taste

Method:

Step1: Mix all purpose flour with luke warm water and make it into a fine paste.
Step2: Mix mashed potato, green peas, carrot, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds, ginger, green chillies, cilantro and salt together.
Step3: Make the mixture into small balls.
Step4: Roll the balls on the all purpose flour (made into fine paste) and deep fry the balls in oil.

Hot Aloo bondas are ready! Serve with tomato sauce or coconut chutney.

Punjabi Chole

Ingredients:

Onion: 1 large (finely chopped)
Tomato: 4-5 (chopped)
Chick peas: 2 cups (soaked overnight and boiled)
Green chillies: 2-3 (finely chopped)
Ginger: (finely chopped)
Cinnamon, clove powder, bay leaves (according to your spice level)
MTR Chana massala: 2-3 table spoon
Dhaniya powder: 1 teaspoon
Lemon juice: 2-3 table spoon
Cilantros for garnishing.

Method:

Step1: Take a large pan and heat oil for 2-3 minutes. Add cinnamon sticks, bay leaves, cumin seeds, clove powder, ginger, green chillies and fry for a minute.
step2: Add the finely chopped onion and deep fry until it turns golden brown.
Step3: Add tomato and fry for 2-3 minutes. Allow this mixture to cool down and grind them to a fine paste.
step4: Add the boiled chick peas to this mixture and cook in low flame for 5-10 minutes.
Step5: Add garam masala and MTR chana masala and cook for 2-3 minutes. In the end add 1 teaspoon of dhaniya powder and add 2-3 table spoon of lemon juice.

Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with rotis/pooris.

Paneer Paratha

Ingredients:

For the dough:
wheat flour (atta): 2 cups
Luke warm water: 1 cup
Salt to taste

For the paneer stuffing:

Paneer: 8-9 cubes
Onion: 1 (finely chopped)
Green chilles: 2-3 pieces (finely chopped)
Ginger: 1 small piece (finely chopped)
Ajwain seeds: 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Cilantros: few leaves

Method:

For the dough: Mix the wheat flour, water ans salt and make a soft dough. Cover with damp cloth and keep it aside for 15-20 minutes.

For the paneer stuffing:

Step1: Fry cumin seeds until it crackles. Add ajwain seeds, ginger, green chillies and fry for 30 seconds.
Step2: Add onion and fry until it turns golden brown.
Step3: Add the grated paneer and salt and fry for another 2-3 minutes. add cilantros and allow it to cool down.
Step4: Make small balls from the dough. Using rolling pin roll the dough into small circles.
Step5: Place the paneer filling in between and seal the edjes together.
step6: Whenever the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly sprinkle dry whole-wheat flour on both sides.
Step7: Place the paratha on a skillet and add one spoon of oil. The paratha will puff on the edges and turn golden brown.
Step8: Flip the paratha over and add one tea spoon of oil. wait until it turns golden brown.

Tindora (Kovakai) sabji

Ingredients:

Tindora (Kovakai): 1/2 pound (Slit in the middle)
Mustard seeds: 1 teaspoon
Cumin seeds: 1 teaspoon
Urad dhaal: 1 teaspoon
Red chilli flakes: 1/2 teaspoon
Dhaniya powder: 2 teaspoon
Curry leaves: few leaves

Method:

Step1: Take a large pan and deep fry tindora with generous quantity of oil.
Step2: Add 2 teaspoon of dhaniya powder and toss well.
Step3: Season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, urad dhall, red chilli flakes and curry leaves.

Serve hot with rotis...

Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

Tomato: 3 large (finely chopped)
Onion: 1 large (finely chopped)
Potato: 2 (Boiled)
Green peas: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2 (finely chopped)
Ginger: 1 tea spoon (grated)
pav bhaji masala: 2 tea spoon
Cinnamon powder: 1 tinge
Clove powder: 1 tinge
Bay leaves: 2
Lemon juice: 1 tea spoon
Cilantro for garnishing

Method:

Step1: Take a large saucepan and deep fry the finely chopped onions, green chillies, grated ginger until it turns transparent.
Step2: Add tomatoes, boiled potatoes, bay leaves, cinnamon powder, clove powder and close the lid for 2-3 minutes until the tomatoes turn mushy.
step4: Add 2 tea spoon of pav bhaji masala and saute for 3-4 minutes.
Ste5: In the end, add 1 tea spoon of lemon juice.

Garnish with cilantro.

For the Pav:
Grease the bun with ghee on both sides. Heat the skillet for few minutes. Let the bun remain on the skillet until it turns golden brown on one side...then toss it around to the other side...

Isn't that easy! :)

Aloo Paratha

For the Dough:

Wheat flour (atta): 1 cup
Lukewarm water: 1/2 cup
Salt to taste

For the potato filling:

Boiled potatoes: 2 large
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Powdered ajwain seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Green chillies: 1 (finely chopped)
Cilantro (corriander leaves): 2 tea spoon

Method:

Step1: Mix the wheat flour with lukewarm water and make a soft dough. Add one tea spoon of oil and knead the dough for some time. Cover it with damp cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Step2: Mash the boiled potatoes and mix cumin seeds, powdered ajwain seeds, chopped green chillies, cilantro together.
Step3: Make the above mixture into balls of equal size.
Step4: Roll the dough into circles and place the potato balls in the center and seal them together by pulling the edges.
Step5: Whenever the dough sticks to the rolling pin or rolling surface, lightly sprinkle dry whole-wheat flour on both sides.
Step6: Place the paratha on a skillet and add one spoon of oil. The paratha will puff on the edges and turn golden brown.
Step7: Flip the paratha over and add one tea spoon of oil. wait until it turns golden brown.

Garam parathas are ready. Serve with raita or pickle!

Carrot Halwa

Carrot halwa is a yummy delicacy and is apt for a formal lunch/dinner.

Ingredients:

Carrot : 2 large (shredded)
Sugar : 1/2 cup
2% Milk : 1 cup
Ghee : 3-4 table spoons
Cardamom: 1 pinch
Almonds/Cashews: 3-4 pieces (to decorate)


Method:

Step1: In a dry pan, add 3-4 table spoon of ghee and fry the carrot (until the smell of raw carrot fades way).
Step2: Add one cup of 2% milk and half a cup of sugar and keep stirring for 10-15 minutes.
Step3: The mixture would now become thick and the ghee would start separating from the halwa.
Step4: Add cardamom powder and garnish with almonds/cashews.

Quick Tip: Add 1 or 2 table spoons of ghee in the end to retain the aroma of ghee.

Serve hot or cold!!!

Pipping Hot Bisibelabath :-)

Ingredients:

White Rice - 1 cup

Toor Dhaal - 1/2 cup

Carrot - 1/4th (finely chopped)

Cabbage - 1/4th cup (finely chopped)

Potato - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Onion - 1 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Beans - 1/4th cup ( finely chopped)

Tamarind Paste - 1 spoon

Read Chillies - 2 or 3 pieces

Cashews - 7-8 pieces

MTR Bisebelabath Powder

Method:

Step1: Soak tamarind in lukewarm water for 15 minutes and filter out the tamarind pulp or use tamarind paste

Step2: Deep fry onion in a pan until it turns transparent add the other vegetables (carrot, cabbage, potato, beans)

Step3: Add 2 table spoon of MTR bisibelabath powder, chilli powder and boil them together for 15 minutes.

Step4: In a pressure cooker, mix 1 cup of rice, half a cup of toor dhal and add the boiled veggies to it.

Step5: Allow for 3 whistles in the pressure cooker.

Step6: Roast cashews in ghee.

Note: Alternately sambhar powder, corriander powder can be used instead of bisibelabath powder if we run out of bisibelabath powder at home.

Pipping hot bisibelaabath is ready :).