Vegetarian fired rice July 31, 2009

Ingredients:

1. Rice – 2 cups (Sona masoori works best, Use 1rice :1.5 water )

2.  Carrots – 2 finely chopped

3.  Green beans – 15  finely chopped

4. Spring onions – 1 bunch( approx: 4)

5.  Green chillies- 4 ( adjust according to spice level)

6.  Pepper – 1/2 tbs

7. salt -1 tbs

8. Lemon juice- 1/2 tbs

9.  garlic – 1 clove finely chopped

10. oil – 2 tbs

Method:

1. Wash and cook rice and set it aside to cool for at least 1/2 an hour add some lemon juice and 1/2 tbs salt . (U can use left over cold rice)

2. In a pan add 2 tbs oil heat it up and add chopped garlic and saute for 2 secs and add chopped spring onions and fry for another 2 seconds.

3.  Add green chillies, chopped carrots, chopped beans and fry with lid till they are 90% cooked. Don’t burn the bottom.

4. Finally add 1/2 tbs salt, pepper, lemon juice and cook for another 1 minutes and mix this with the rice.

5. Garnish with some chopped spring onions and serve.

Tip: You can use 1 tbs soy sauce and 1/2 tbs vinegar also.

Ragda.. July 23, 2009

Ingredients:

1.  Potatoes/Allo – 2 (Mashed and  boiled)

2.  Chana / chick peas / sanagalu -  1 cup  soaked overnight  and boiled thorughly.

3. Tomatoes – 1 finely chopped

4. onions – 1 finely chopped

5.  Chat masala – 2big pinches

6. Salt – to taste

7. red chilli powder – 1 tbs

8. lemon juice -1 tbs

9. coriander – to garnish

10.  Gupchup / small Puris.

11. oil – 1 tbs

12. Curd – 2 tbs

13. Raisins – 1 tbs

Method:

1. Boil Chana and potatoes thoroughly.

2. In a pan 1 tbs oil add mashed chana and potatoes  and mix them thoroughly.

3. Add 1/2 cup water, salt, chat masala, red chili powder and cook until the water evaporates.

4.  Now in a serving plate make a nice patty of the above mix and top it with few raisins, a pinch of chat masala, well beaten curd, crushed puri, corinader, lemon juice.

5. Garnish it with some tomatoes onions, coriander.

Rava idli July 23, 2009

No time to soak the urad dal overnight grind it and wait for it to ferment and all. Then here is a simple and quick way to enjoy smooth and fluffy idlis without that ordeal. The fun in making Rava idli is its almost as easy and delicious as Upma . The recipe is exactly same as making upma but you add curd to it instead of water and steam them (This part makes them taste a bit different to upma).

Ingredients:

1. Sooji/semolina/rava -  2 cups

2. Green chillies- 4 (depending on spice level adjust and chop very finely)

3.  Ginger – 1/4 inch( finely chopped)

4. curry leaves- 5

5. Oil- 1 tbs

6.  Curd/ yogurt – nicely beaten – 1 cup add little water if necessary.

8. Salt – 1 tbs

9. coriander – to garnish

seasoning:

1. Mustard sees – 1 tbs

2. Urad dal/ minappapu – 1 tbs

3. sanaga pappu/ chana dal – 1 tbs

4. hing – 1 small  pinch

Method:

1. In a pan add 1 tbs oil, hing, sanaga pappu/ chana dal, Urad dal/ minappapu and let them turn light brown. Now add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Finally add curry leaves and ginger.

2. Now add the semolina/sooji/rava and roast for couple of minutes. Don’t let it burn.

3. Now let the mixture cool for a while. Say for 5-7 minutes.

4. Now add the beaten curd to this mixture and make it into a pouring batter.

5. Now take an idli plate rub some oil on the round imprints  to make the idli come out easily. Just to garnish add small pieces of coriander ( or any vegetable u like) and then pour the batter just upto the brim.

6.  Take a pressure cooker add 2 cups water and keep it on stove on medium low .

7.  Stack the idli patra and keep it carefully into the pressure cooker and cover it with a lid and with out whistle . (keep it on medium – high)

8. Wait for about 15minutes and switch off the stove. ( or the steam from the cooker stops if you had right amount of water into the cooker)

9. Serve with hot sambar or palli chutney

Pesarattu July 23, 2009

Pesarattu is  dish which is nutritious, Delicious, quick and tastes yummy.I always make pesarattu and upma as the combination works too good.

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

1. Pesallu/ green moondal – 1 cup(wash and Soak overnight)

2. Green chillies- 5 (adjust according to spice level)

3. Ginger – 1 inch piece

4. jeera – 1 tbs

5. Onion – 1 finely chopped

6. oil 1 tbs

7. salt – 1 tbs

Method:

1. Grind the Pesallu/ green moongdal, ginger, jeera, green chillies into a smooth batter like for Dosa.Finally add 1 tbs salt and mix well.

2.  Now in heat a  large round non stick pan/ iron pan ( keep it on medium high) and pour 1 laddle of  the batter and spread into a perfect round and add little oil and onion on top of it .( Dont burn the bottom)

3. Once it starts to turn a little brown in clour flip it to the other side.

4. Enjoy it with a nice upma or palli chutney

upma July 23, 2009

Simple yet delicious snack..

Serves:2

Ingredients:

1. Sooji/semolina/rava -  1.5 cups

2. Green chillies- 4 (depending on spice level adjust)

3.  Ginger – 1/4 inch( finely chopped)

4. curry leaves- 5

5. Oil- 1 tbs

6. Ghee- 1/2 tbs

7. water – 1: 1.5 cups  ( 1 rava : 1 .5 water)

8. Salt – 1 tbs

seasoning:

1. Mustard sees – 1 tbs

2. Urad dal/ minappapu – 1 tbs

3. sanaga pappu/ chana dal – 1 tbs

4. hing – 1 small  pinch

Method:

1. In a pan add 1 tbs oil, hing, sanaga pappu/ chana dal, Urad dal/ minappapu and let them turn light brown. Now add mustard seeds and let them splutter. Finally add curry leaves and ginger.

2. Now add the semolina/sooji/rava and roast for couple of minutes. Don’t let it burn.

(Now you can empty the roasted rava into a plate and add water to the same pan and boil it or  while the semolina is roasting u can boil the required amount of water in a bowl and add rava to it this reduces cooking time)

4. I boiled the water seperately with salt  for about 5 minutes and add it slowly to the rava and keep stirring to avoid lumps.

5.  Reduce the flames to medium – low and cover with a lid.

6. Finally add ghee and serve it with hot pesarattu or chuteny.

Dal makhni May 19, 2009

This is a simple dish and is full of proteins. I make it often to go with chapatis and bhagra rice.Here is the recipe.

Ingredients:

1. Black eyed beans/ Bobbarllu – 1 cup soaked and boiled thoroughly.

2. Onions – 1 finely chopped

3. Tomatoes – 2  pureed.

4. Paneer – grated 1 tbs

5.  Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbs

6. Coriander – to garnish

7.  Salt  – to taste

8.  Curd – 1 tbs

9.  Turmeric – 1 pinch

10.  Oil – 1 tbs

11.  Red chilli -  According to taste.

Method:

1. In a pan add 1 tbs oil, onions and let then fry for 2 minutes. Now add the ginger garlic paste and fry until the onions turn transparent.

2. Now add the tomato puree, turmeric and the boiled beans. Cover with a lid and cook for about 3 minutes.

3.   Now add grated paneer, coriander, salt, red chilli powder and Finally curd and switch of the stove.

4. Granish with coriander and serve with hot rotis.

Dondakaya pachadi May 19, 2009

Donadakaya/ tindora  is another vegetable with which we can make varieties of recipes. Just like brinjal we can make Guthi dondakaya, Dondakaya uli karam, donakaya fry, dondakaya masala and so on and so forth..For today I tried Donakaya Pachadi..

Ingredients:

1. Dondakaya/ tindora – 15 ( Wash and cut into small round pieces).

2.  Green chillies -  4 – 7 ( according to spice level)

3. Garlic clove – 1

4. Jeera – 1 tbs

5. Oil – 2 tbs

6. Salt – according to taste

7. Tamrind/ imli – an inch piece. ( wash and keep aside)

8. Coriander – to garnish.

For poppu/ Tadka:

1. Mustard seeds :

2. Curry leaves – 4

3. Red chilli – 1

4.  sanaga pappu / chana dal – 1 tbs

5. minapappu / Urad dal – 1 tbs

6. Hing- a big  pinch

7. Turmeric – a pinch

Method:

1. In a shallow pan add 1 tbs oil,  finely chopped donakaya/tindora and  green chillies let them fry for a while on medium high. ( Cover the pan with a lid and don’t burn the bottom it will spoil the taste )

2. When the donakaya/tindora is 90% done ( prick to see if its done) add the tamrind/ imli  turnoff the stove and keep it aside to cool for 5 minutes with lid.

3. Now take a mixie/blender add the donakaya/ tindora , 1 tbs jeera, 1 garlic clove , salt  and grind. (don’t grind too much it will become a paste. Grind just for few seconds, don’t worry if u have some dondakaya/ tindora pieces un mashed).

4. Now empty the jar into a serving bowl and keep it aside.

5. In a poppu/tadka pan add 1tbs oil  add Sanagapappu, mina pappu, and let them turn golden brown. Now add a mustard seeds, hing, jeera and let them splutter. Finally add the curry leaves and immediately add this to the pachadi/ chutney.

6.  Garnish with corinader and serve with hot rice.

Califlower Manchurian February 6, 2009

I bet this dish needs no introduction. It is a famous,delicious, and easy dish. So I will not rant further but just leave you with the recipe.

Ingredients:

1.  Califlower – 1

2. onions – 1

3. capsicum – 1

4. scallions/ spring onions – 1

5. Oil – 3 cups

6. food color – a pinch ( optional)

7. corn flour – 2 spoons

8. maida – 2 spoons

9. rice flour – 1 spoon (adjust accordingly)

10. Ginger – 2 cloves (finely chopped)

11. Ginger – 1/2 inch. (finely chopped)

12. Chili powder – 1 tbs ( adjust according to taste)

13. Soy sauce -  2 tbs

14. lemon juice -1 tbs

Method:

1. Cut the cauliflower into florets,wash and microwave for about 5 minutes and dry  and set it aside.

2.  In a large pan heat oil for about 3 cups  on a med-high flame.

3.  Now add all the flours together, add salt, food color, chilli powder and prepare the batter.

4. Now dip the florets into the batter and put them slowly into the oil.

5. Let them fry until they are golden yellow or orange and then set them aside in a bowel.

6.  Now repeat them till all the florets are done.

7. Now in a different pan heat some  1/2 tbs oil in a pan, add onions, capsicum,spring onions and add 2 tbs soy sauce and add all the fried florets into that and toss.

8. Garnish them with lemon juice if required.

Shahi Tukda February 6, 2009

Shahi tukda sounds like authentic royal moughal dish right, Ofcourse it is.  I made this for the first time and touch wood It came out delicious. Believe me it was totally finished in a day. It ‘s neither simple or complex, takes a little patience and the result of the wait some mouth smacking dish.

Ingredients:

Bread (you can take anything like whole bread milk bread) – 1 whole packet ( 20-25 slices)

Milk – 1/2 litre (1/2 milk can)

nuts – cashew nuts, pista, badam, walnuts (other nuts of your choice)

sugar – 1 – 2 cups (adjust according to taste)

ghee – 1/2 tbs

vanilla essence – 1 tbs

condensed milk -  3-5 tbs (adjust according to taste).

Method:

1. In a large sauce pan (should n’t be too shallow)  add the milk and let it boil for about 45 minutes to 1 hour on a low-medium heat. ( stir occasionally)(The milk should should form like ribbons when toss, kind of semi solid texture which some thickness)

(add sugar ,vanilla essence and condensed milk after 30 minutes  before you turn of the stove)

2. Cut the bread into large or small triangles without the edges.

3. Now fry the bread both the sides occasionally using some ghee.

4. After the milk is totally boiled and done set it aside for awhile.

5. Now on a large tray place the breads one on one as layers of 2-3 and spread the milk over it.

6. Now sprinkle all the nuts and refrigerate for about 1 hour and serve.

Dondakaya kurra.. December 23, 2008

Donakaya or Ivy gaurd can alomstbe cooked like brinjal in so manydifferent ways. Just the cutting part will take us  a bit if its a fry. I make lot of varities with donakaya donkaya pachadi, donakaya fry, donakaya ulli karram to name a few.

Ingredients:

1. Donakaya/tindora – 15-20

2. Onions – 2

3. Green chillies – 3

4. Ginger garlic paste – 1tbs

5. Jeera – 1tbs

6. Groundnuts/peanuts /palli – 3 tbs

7 .  Chilli podwer – required

Seasoning:

1. Mustard seeds – 1tbs

2. Curry leaves – 5

3. Cinnamon- small piece (optional)

4. Urad dal/ sanaga pappu – 1tbs

5. Turmeric – a pinch

Method:

1. Slit the dondakaya and keep them aside.

2. Finley chop the onions, green chillies.

3. In a pan put 1 tbs oil and fry onions, green chillies,jeera and peanuts until they just turn soft and then grind them into a paste. Add 1 tbs salt after grinding .

4. Now stuff the paste into the dondakaya.

5. In the same pan again add 1/2 tbs oil and add mustard seeds,curry leaves, cinnamon stick,urad dal/ sanaga pappu, Turmeric and ginger garlic paste and let them splutter.

6. Now add the stuffed dondakaya into the pan and cover with lid and cook on medium low fame for about 20 minutes. (Turn occasionally).

7. If you have the paste still remaining after the filling then add that extra paste too.

8. Serve with hot rice.