Aratikaaya Fry

Ingredients:

Raw plantain : 3 medium size
Oil : 3 spoons
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1tsp
Curry leaves : handful (optional)
Salt : to taste
Chilli powder : 3/4 spoon
Dhania powder : 3/4 spoon
Turmeric : 1 tsp
Crushed garlic : 2 cloves (optional)
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut
Onion : 1 small size finely cut

Method :

Peel the plaintain and dice the banana into pieces.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard, cumin seeds. Let it pop.
Add urad dal. Let it turn brown.
Add curry leaves.
Add onion and saute it.
Add salt.
Add diced plantain. Cook for few min.
Add chilli, dhania powder, turmeric and mix well.
Close the lid.
Just before plantain is getting cooked well, add crushed garlic and cilantro.
Mix well. Cook for 2 min. Switch off the stove.

Tip:  Sprinkle water instead of addeing more oil while cooking plantain.

Daddojanam

Ingredients:

Cooked rice : 2 cups
Yogurt : 2 cups
Warm milk : 1 cup

Salt : to taste

For tempering:

Oil ; 1 spoon
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1 spoon
Chana dal : 1 spoon
Broken red chillies : 2 spoons
Curry leaves : hand ful
hing : 1/4 tsp

Method:

Mix rice, yogurt, warm milk and salt in a bowl. Keep it aside.
Heat a pan and add oil to it.
Add mustard seeds. Let it pop.
Add cumin seeds. Let it splutter.
Add urad and chana dal. let it turn brown.
Add hing, curry leaves, broken red chillies. Let it turn brown.
Switch off the stove,
Transfer this tempering to the yogurt rice. Mix well.


Tip : Grapes and pomegranate seeds can be added.

Omelette Dosa

Ingredients:

Brown rice/white rice : 2 cups
Urad dal : 1/2 cup
cooked rice : hand ful
salt : 1 spoon


For Omelette:

Egg : 1
Salt : pinch
Chilli powder : 1/2 tsp



Method:


Soak brown/white rice in water for overnight or at least 6 hours.
Grind them into smooth batter by adding salt and cooked rice.
Ferment it.

Break the egg in a bowl. Add salt and chilli powder and whisk it well.


Take required dosa batter into a bowl and add water to make it thin consistency.
Heat dosa pan and pour some batter in the middle for the pan.
Start making circles from the center and spread the batter around the pan evenly and quickly.

Pour the egg on the upper side of dosa and spread it quickly.

Spray some oil on the upper side and around the dosa. Wait until this side is cooked.
Turn the dosa to other side and cook it properly. Fold the dosa into half and serve with chutney.

Green Cabbage Fry

Ingredients:

Green cabbage : 1 medium size
Oil : 3 spoons
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1tsp
Chana dal : 1 tsp
Curry leaves : handful (optional)
Salt : to taste
Green chillies : 5
Crushed garlic : 2 cloves (optional)
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut
Onion : 1 small size finely cut

Method :

Cut/shred cabbage into fine pieces.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard, cumin seeds. Let it pop.
Add chana, urad dal. Let it turn brown.
Add curry leaves.
Add onion, green chillies and saute it.
Add salt.
Add shredded cabbage and mix well. Cook for few min.
Close the lid.
Just before cabbage is getting cooked well, add crushed garlic and cilantro.
Mix well. Cook for 2 min. Switch off the stove.

Surma Laddu

Ingredients:

Chole

Ingredients:

Chick peas : 1 cup
Onion : 1 medium size
Tomato : 1 big size:
Ginger & garlic paste : 1spn
Salt : 1 spn
Fresh coconut: 1/4 cup
Red chilli : 1 spoon
Dhania powder : 1/2 spoon
Turmeric : 1/4 tsp
Cilantro : 1.4 cup finely cup
Oil : 3 spoon

Method:

Soak the chick peas over night if using dry ones. If used canned chick peas, wash well twice in the water.
Pressure cook chick peas with little salt for 2 whistles or until cooked well.
Mean while saute onion and tomato in a pan. There is no need to add oil.

Grind onion, tomato, ginger-garlic paste, coconut, salt, dhania, chilli and turmeric by adding little water.
heat oil in a pan.
Add masala paste and let it cook for 5 min or until raw smell goes.
Add cooked chick peas to the masala.
Add 1-2 cups of water to make the gravy.
Let it boil and switch off the stove.
Garnish with cilantro

Tip:

Substitute roasted coconut powder instead of fresh coconut.

Idli

Ingredients:

White rice : 2 cups
Urad dal : 1/2 cup
Cooked white rice : 1 cup

Salt : 1 tsp
Soda : 1/4 tsp

Method:

Soak white rice and urad dal over night or at least 4 to 6 hours.
Grind soaked white rice, urad dal, cooked rice into smooth batter.
Batter should not be too thin or too thick in consistency.
Take required batter into a bowl.
Add soda and salt. Mix well. Add very little water if required.
Grease the idli mould using ghee/oil.
Fill the mould with the batter. Steam cook until done.
Serve with Peanut chutney or sambar.

Kaakarakaaya (Bitter Melon) Fry - 2

Ingredients:

Indian Bitter melon : 8 medium sized
Salt : to taste
Turmeric : 1 spoon
Chilli powder : 1 spoon
Dhania powder : 1 spoon
Oil : 2 spoons
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Cilantro : to garnish
Urad dal : 1 spoon
Onion : 1 medium size finely cut
 Amchur : 1 spoon

Method :

Wash bitter melon and chop off the edges.
Cut each bitter melon into round circles (not too thin or not too thick).
 Add salt and turmeric to the cut pieces. Mix well. Let it sit overnight or at least 1 hour. After the marination, squeeze the water from the melon pieces. Wash this in water twice to remove further bitterness from melons. Ensure that no water is left from the bitter melons.
Sprinkle very little water on the veggies and cook in microwave  for 7 min.
Heat oil in a wide pan.
Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds. Let it pop/splutter.
Add urad dal. Let it turn brown.
Add finely cut onion. Saute it.
Add bitter melon. Let it cook for few more min.
Add hania, chilli and amchur powder. Mix well.
Check spice/salt and add additional salt if needed.
Close the lid and cook until the cut pieces turn brown/crisp.
Switch off the stove and garnish the fry with cilantro.

 Tip : Sprinkle some water while frying bitter melon instead of adding more oil.

Aloo Palak

Ingredients:

Spinach : 2 bags

Green chillies : 5

Garlic : 3 cloves

Oil : 4 spoons

Potatoes : 2 (boiled & diced)

Onion : 1 medium finely cut

Tomato : 1 medium finely cut

Clove: 2

Cinnamon : 1 inch

Star Anise: 2

Yogurt : 3tbsps

Cashew powder : 1 tbsp (roasted & powdered)

Dhania powder : 1 spoon

Chilli powder : 1/2 spoon

Cumin powder : 1tsp

Kasoor methi powder : 2 spoons 

Salt : 2 taste

Fresh cream : 3 tsp (optional)

Method :

Heat 2 spoons of oil in a pan.

Add green chillies, garlic and cut spinach. Saute it well.

Switch off the stove and let it cool.

Grind the spinach mixture to a smooth paste. Add very little water if required while grinding.

Heat remaining oil in the same pan.

Add clove, cinnamon, star anise. Let it splutter.

Add finely cut onion and tomato. Saute it. This mixture should be cooked very well.

Add spinach paste and mix well. Add dhania powder, cumin powder, salt and chilli powder (if required).

Cook for few more min.

Add yogurt, cashew powder, aloo and kasoor methi (crush between palms and then add).

Mix well and let it cook for few min. Add water if required. 

Ensure that very less water is added. Palak should not be running like a river. It should be thick in consistency.

Switch off the stove once the required consistency is reached. Switch off the stove.

Garnish with fresh cream.

Goes well with fried rice/biryani, roti or naans.

Egg Fry

Ingredients:

Eggs : 4

Oil :2 spoons

Onion : 1 small finely cut

Tomato : 1 medium finely cut

Clove: 1

Cinnamon : 1/2 inch

Star Anise: 1

Mustard seeds: 1 tsp

Curry leaves: 5

Ginger & garlic paste : 1 spoon

Salt : 2 taste

Green chillies : 4

Turmeric : 1 spoon

Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.

Add clove, cinnamon, star anise. Let it splutter.

Add mustard seeds, curry leaves. Let it pop.

Add green chillies. Saute it.

Add onion, tomato, ginger&garlic paste. Saute it.

Add salt, turmeric. Mix will.

Break eggs one by one into the pan. Mix well.

Mash the egg into small pieces while cooking.

Close the lid and cook for few more min. One the egg mixture is dry, switch off the stove.

Transfer the fry into a bowl.

Goes well with Chapati or as a side item for rice.

Dal

Ingredients:

Toor dal : 1cup
Cumin seeds : 1 spoon
Methi powder : 1/4 tsp
Tomato : 1 medium size cut
Tamarind extract : 2 spoons
Salt : to taste
Green chillies : 6
Turmeric : 1 tsp

Seasoning : 

Oil : 2 spoons
Hing : 1 tsp
Methi seeds : 1 tsp
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Broken red chillies : 2
Finely cut cilantro : 1/4 cup
Curry leaves : handful
Onion : 1 small size finely cut (optional)

Method :

Wash dal thrice add enough water to it.
 Let it soak for 30 min. You can avoid this step if you are in hurry.
Add cumin seeds, methi powder, tamarind extract, green chillies, turmeric and salt. Pressure cook for 3 whistles or until dal is well cooked.
Heat oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds. Let it pop.
Add methi seeds, curry leaves, broken red chillies, hing. Saute it.
Add finely cut cilantro and onion. Saute it.
Transfer dal to this pan. Mix well and let it cook for few min.
Switch off the stove and transfer to a bowl.

Carrot Halwa

Ingredients:

Carrots: 3 cups grated

Ghee : 1tbsp

Cashews : handful

Dry grapes : handful

Sugar : 1.5 cups

Milk: 2.5 cups

Water : 1 cups

Elachi powder : pinch

Method :

Heat ghee in a pan.

Fry cashews until brown. Take it into a separate bowl.

Fry dry grapes until they are swollen. Take it into a separate bowl.

Add grated carrot to the same pan. And fry it in a simmer mode until the raw smell goes and carrot shrinks in size. Add more ghee if required.

Add milk, water and sugar and cook until the carrot mixture leaves the sides of the pan.

Decrease milk/water if the halwa is too liquid in consistency.

Just before halwa is getting done, add nuts, dry grapes and elachi powder.

Switch off the stove.

Transfer it to a bowl.

Gulab Jamun

Yummy Jamuns

Ingredients:

For Jamuns:
GITS Instant Gulab jamun : 1 packet
Milk : 1 cup (adjust to form a dough)
Ghee : 2 spoons enough amount to apply to hands)
Oil : for deep fry

Syrup:
Sugar : 1 glass
Water : 1 glass
Elachi : 1 tsp powdered

Method:

Pour jamun powder in a bowl.

Add enough milk to form a dough.
Rub ghee to hands and start kneading the flour to form soft dough. The dough should be similar chapati dough.

When kneading the jamun mix, work with your fingers gently. Do not apply more pressure with entire palm. This will result in not having fluffy and soft jamuns.

After kneading the dough, close the lid and let it rest for 30 min.
Apply, ghee to your hands and make small balls. Ensure that you are making smooth balls by working them in between your palms gently.
Heat oil to in a pan to deep fry these balls.
Once the oil is heated, put the stove in simmer mode and fry the jamuns. Fry only few at a time.

Oil should not be overheated and always fry the jamuns in simmer mode only. Otherwise, jamuns will turn into brown color and inner part will not cook properly.

Sugar Syrup:

Simultaneously, pour sugar, water and elachi powder in a wide vessel to prepare sugar syrup. Put this vessel on the stove and let it cool. One the sugar syrup boils with bubbles, put the stove on simmer for 4 min and then switch the stove off.

Transfer fried jamuns immediately to the sugar syrup and let it soak. jamuns will double in size once they are well soaked.
Transfer them to a bowl.
Serve hot or cold.

Red Cabbage Fry

Cabbage is very good for health. But, cutting/shredding of cabbage takes hell lot of time for me. So, sometime I buy this vegetable and let it sit in my refrigerator forever.

I was just browsing some websites last week and saw some kitchen gadget that's very good in shredding the cabbage in few min with very less effort. I was very excited and wanted to buy them. Hmmm.. they sell only in Australia not in US. So, I was disappointed.

This afternoon, when we went to mall, I saw 'As seen in TV' shop and went into that store just to have a glance at all the items they have. Guess what.. I found similar item that I was looking for to shred cabbage. Without second thought, I bought it. As soon as I got home, I have cut the  cabbage into half lengthwise. And with this peeler/gadget, I was able to shred the whole cabbage in less than 10 min with no hand pain. I am really happy and its worth every penny !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. It does many other jobs as well.. like slicing, peeling onions and some other stuff.

If you need more details on this, let me know.. I sure can help you on this !!!!!!!!!!
Anyways, here is my recipe.. an easy, tasty and healthy food.


Here is the picture of shredded cabbage with my new & favorite peeler.

Here is the picture of the recipe.

Ingredients:

Red cabbage : 1 medium size
Oil : 4 spoons
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1tsp
Chana dal : 1 tsp
Curry leaves : handful (optional)

Salt : to taste
Green chillies : 5
Crushed garlic : 2 cloves (optional)
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut
Onion : 1 small size finely cut

Method :

Cut/shred cabbage into fine pieces.

Heat oil in a pan.

Add mustard, cumin seeds. Let it pop. 
Add chana, urad dal. Let it turn brown.
Add curry leaves.
Add onion, green chillies and saute it.
Add shredded cabbage and mix well. Cook for few min.
Add salt. Close the lid.
Just before cabbage is getting cooked well, add crushed garlic and cilantro. 
Mix well. Cook for 2 min. Switch off the stove.

Note: I ran out of fresh curry leaves, cilantro and crushed garlic at home, so I have not used them in the recipe.

Potato Fry

I love potato fry from my childhood. There are many varieties to cook Potato fry and all the types are my favorite. When I was about to cut the potatoes, I was thinking to cook the other type of fry that goes well with plain dal or dosa. Somehow, I ended up making this for dinner.

There is no need to add green chillies for this. Add more pepper powder instead of green chillies. It tastes unique when cooked with only pepper but no chillies. As I have already cut the chillies, I used them in this recipe.

Ingredients:

Potatoes : 8 medium size
Oil : 4 spoons
Mustard seeds : 1 tsp
Cumin seeds : 1 tsp
Urad dal : 1tsp
Chana dal : 1 tsp
Curry leaves : handful
Pepper powder : 1 tsp
Salt : to taste
Green chillies : 5
Crushed garlic : 2 cloves
Cilantro : 1/4 cup finely cut
Onion : 1 small size finely cut

Method :

Wash potatoes and dice them. Put it in cold water to get rid of starch and also to avoid them getting oxidised.

Heat oil in a pan.

You may need more oil for this particular method as potato sticks to the pan. In order to avoid this, instead  of using more oil, I sprinkled 1/4 cup of water while frying the potatoes.

Add mustard, cumin seeds. Let it pop.

Add chana, urad dal. Let it turn brown.

Add curry leaves.

Add onion, green chillies and saute it.

Add diced potato and mix well. Cook for few min.

Add salt, sprinkle water if required. Close the lid.

Just before potatoes are getting cooked well, add crushed garlic, pepper and cilantro.

Mix well. Cook for 2 min. Switch off the stove.

Egg Curry

I love Egg Curry.. When I was a kid, I used to like only boiled egg.. specially the yellow moon inside... I never liked the white part.. But, now I am quite opposite... Hmm.. strange how we change as we grow up.

My school friend Gowri asked me to post this recipe last week.. So, here I am with this simple.. yet.. delicious egg curry..

I do prepare egg curry in different ways. This is one of the method. I will post the other methods as well when I do it.

Ingredients:

Eggs : boiled eggs 4
Oil : 3 spoons
Chilli powder : 3/4 spoon
Onion : 1 medium size
Tomato : 1 large size
Salt : 3/4 spoon
Clove : 2
Cinnamon: 1/2 inch
Star Anise : 1
Turmeric: 1/2 tsp
Dhania powder : 3/4 spoon

Masala:

Green chillies :2
Fresh coconut : 1/4 cup (cut into small pieces)
Ginger : 1/4 inch
Garlic : 2
Tomato : 1/2 finely cut

Method:

Grind all the items listed under masala by adding very little water if required.

Boil eggs and remove shell. Make 4 shallow slits on the eggs.

Heat oil in a pan. Add clove, cinnamon, star anise. Let it roast.
Add finely cut onion and remaining half finely cut tomato.
Saute until the raw smell goes. Add masala, salt, dhania, chilli powder and turmeric. Mix well.
Cook until the masala mixture leaves the sides of the pan.
Add required water for gravy and mix well. Add boiled,slit eggs to the pan.
Close the lid and cook until the gravy thickens.
Garnish with cilantro/mint/carrot.