Aloo Palak

Spinach is one of my favorite veggie dishes because it is full of nutrients and health benefits. Here is one more way of preparing it. I have mixed potato cubes in it, but the recipe can be adapted and used with lightly fried paneer cubes to make palak paneer.
INGREDIENTS
1 big bunch of spinach (it shrinks a LOT during cooking)
1 medium onion, grated or chopped finely
1 large potato, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender (or 125 gm paneer, cubed and fried)
1-2 tomatoes, chopped
1 tsp. jeera/whole cumin
1-2 green chilies
½ tsp. garlic paste
½ tsp. cumin powder
½ tsp. coriander powder
pinch of turmeric powder
pinch of garam masala
salt to taste
1 tsp. lemon juice
water
2-4 tbsp. oil
some coriander for garnishing
INSTRUCTIONS
Take your bunch of fresh spinach. Wash/clean and get the leaves off the stems. Discard stems and drain the leaves then chop them into very thin slices.
Heat some oil in a pan, add the cumin seeds and allow them to splutter. Next add the chopped onion and fry to a nice light brown, then add a green chili with slits and the garlic paste. Fry for a bit then add the chopped tomatoes and sprinkle the cumin and coriander powders. Cook until the tomatoes are soft and mushy and you can see the oil being released from the sides.
Next add the spinach, give it a stir then cover and let this cook, giving it an occasional stir every few minutes. Add the cubed boiled potatoes at this point so they can absorb the flavors properly.
The spinach will reduce drastically in amount. Do not cook it for too long, you will lose all the nutrients from it otherwise. About 10 minutes should be good enough. You can add water to help it get done if it dries up too quickly.
Once it’s done to your liking, sprinkle the garam masala, squeeze in the lemon juice then garnish with coriander and serve.
TIP: If you are using fried paneer cubes, add them in at this last stage just before turning off the heat.

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Cabbage Fry

Among the classic recipes of Andhra, Cabbage fry stands out for simple flavors and easy preparation. Veg Indian food at its best with minimal spices.

Ingredients

• 1 medium size cabbage
• Green chillies - 4 nos (slit vertically into 2)
• Urad dal - 1 teaspoon
• chana dal - 1 teaspoon
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 teaspoon
• Green peas - 1/4 cup
• Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
• Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 tablespoon
• Salt to taste

Method

Step 1

Cut the cabbage into very small pieces.

Step 2

Heat oil in a kadai. Add mustard seeds. Once it stops spluttering, add urad dal, chana dal and green chillies.

Step 3

After the dal turns light brown, add chopped cabbage, green peas, turmeric pdr and salt and mix well.

Step 4

Sprinkle little water and cover the kadai with a lid.

Step 5

Cook on a medium flame for 10 to 15 minutes stirring in between.

Step 6

Remove from heat . Garnish with grated coconut.

Step 7

Serve hot with rice or rotis.

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Gajar Halwa [Carrot Halwa]

An easy yet delicious sweet dish, perfect for all occasions and best served warm but can be had cold too.

Ingredients

• 1 kg carrots, chopped into small pieces
• ½ tin evaporated milk plus ½  cup milk
• ¼ cup milk with a few strands saffron dissolved in it for boiling the carrots
• ¾ cup sugar
• cardamom powder and some crushed almonds/pistas for garnishing
• 3 heaped tbsp. butter or ghee
• 1 tbsp. oil.

Instructions

1. Boil the carrot pieces in the quarter cup of milk and saffron for 10 minutes, then grind in a food processor.
2. Heat your pan and add the butter/ghee plus the oil, then add the crushed carrots and fry on medium heat for about 5minutes.
3. Lower the heat and fry the mixture until it starts getting dry and begins to stick to the bottom of the pan. You have to keep on stirring.
4. When it's quite dry and has started releasing some of the oil, add the sugar and cardamom. Keep on stirring and cooking on low heat until the sugar dissolves. Then add the evaporated milk and the half cup of milk and cook for about 5 more minutes.

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Pongal Recipe

 

Ingredients

• 1 cup short grain rice (substitute with basmati)
• ½ cup split moong dal (mung beans)
• ½ teaspoon oil
• 4 tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) or butter
• ½ teaspoon black mustard seeds
• ½ teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon peppercorns
• 6oz fresh ginger, peeled
• 1/8 teaspoon asafoetida
• 4 curry leaves
• 3 cups whole milk
• 2 cups water
• Salt
• 2 tablespoons cashewnuts, lightly roasted in a few drops of oil or ghee

Method:

1. Rinse and drain the rice and dal and set aside.
2. You will need to use a large, deep pot or saucepan for this recipe. If you use a small pot, the milk will boil over and make a mess.
3. Heat oil and ghee in the pot . Add mustard seeds to oil & ghee. When they splutter, add cumin and peppercorns, and stir 30 seconds. Cut the peeled ginger into 2 or 3 chunks. Add ginger chunks, asafetida, and curry leaves to the oil and stir about 30 seconds or till the ginger and curry leaves are fragrant.
4. Add the rinsed rice and dal, and stir well. Pour in the milk, water and salt and bring to a boil. If the milk begins to froth and boil over, stir it till it settles down.
5. Once the milk boils, reduce heat to low, cover the pot with a lid and simmer for about 30 minutes. Stir occasionally so that the milk doesn’t boil over and make a mess.
6. Pongal is done when the rice is very soft and creamy. Depending on the rice you are using, cooking times may vary. You may also need to use more water, depending the rice you are using.
7. If most the liquid gets absorbed, but the rice still isn’t cooked, just add more water and continue cooking till rice is soft.
8. Serve hot, topped with roasted cashews and sambar on the side.

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Pav Bhaji

Ingredients:

12 Pav buns
2 Onions
3 tsp Dhania Powder
5 Tomatoes
2 tsp Jeera Powder
3 Potatoes
2 tsp Chilli powder
1 cup Peas
4 tsp Pav Bhajji masala
1/2 cup Carrot
Salt to taste
1/2 cup Beans
1/2 cup Coriander for garnish
1/2 cup Cabbage
2 tsp Lemon Juice
1/2 cup Capsicum
1 cup Cauliflower
1' piece Ginger
Garlic optional
2 Green chillies finely chopped

Preparation:

1. Heat a pan with oil & add the onions. Fry till translucent. Add tomatoes,salt,add all the powders and fry till the oil floats on top. 
2. Steam all the other vegetables seperately & add them to the onion mixture. 
3. Add a cup of water & let it cook to boiling consistency. Then With the help of a potato masher keep mashing the mixture till it cooks nicely. 
4. When all the vegetables are cooked thoroughly garnish with coriander & lemon juice and serve with Pav. 

For the pavs:

• Slit open the pavs from the middle. Apply butter in the inside & place them on a pre-heated frying pan.When they get golden brown from the inside take them off. 
• Serve hot with bhajji.

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How to make Pani Puri

Ingredients:

To make puri:

• 1 cup Semolina (Suji)
• 3 tblsp Fine Wheat Flour (Maida)
• 1/4 tsp Baking Soda
• Oil to deep fry

To make gravy:

• Dried green peas - 100 gm
• Potato - 1 no
• Cloves(Grambu) - 1/4 tsp
• Cinnamon(Karugapatta) - 1/4 tsp
• Nutmeg(Jathikka) powder - 1/4 tsp
• Chilly powder
• Turmeric powder
• Chat masala powder
• Cornflour - 2 tsp
• Curry leaves
• Mint leaves(Pudhina)

To make pani:

• 1/2 cup Tamarind (Amilo/Imli) Pulp
• 2 cups Water
• 2 tblsp roasted Cumin Seed (Jeera) Powder
• 2 tblsp un-roasted Cumin Seed (Jeera)
• Coriander Leaves
• 3 Green Chilly (Hariyo Khursani)
• 2 tblsp Mint Leaves (Pudina Leaves) Chutney
• 1 tblsp Black Salt (Bire Noon )

How to make Pani Puri.


To make pani:

1. Measure all ingredients.
2. Adjust spices and tangyness to taste.
3. Strain through a wire strainer to remove any rough bits.

To make puri:

1. Mix sooji, maida, baking soda, salt and enough water to knead a soft dough.
2. Stand covered with wet cloth for 15-20 minutes.
3. Make small sized balls.
4. With the help of some dry maida or sooji, roll into thin rounds.
5. Heat oil in a pan and deep fry puris till very light brown and crisp.
6. Drain in a paper towel for a while to dry out the oil.
7. Store in an airtight container when cool.

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Chapati

INGREDIENTS

1 ½ cups all-purpose flour (you can mix half all purpose and half atta if you like)
2 tbsp. ghee (plus a bit extra for rolling and cooking)
1 tsp. salt
warm water or milk (about half to three-quarter cup)

INSTRUCTIONS

Step 1

Add the salt to the flour. Rub in the 2tbsp ghee, then slowly add in the warm water or milk and knead until you have a lovely soft dough. The more you knead it the softer your parathas/chapatis will be.

Once it's kneaded, divide the dough into two balls. Now refer to Step 1 of making the parathas and keep clicking Next to view the subsequent instructions!

Step 2: Roll each ball out, it doesn't have to be perfect. Get it as round as you can. Then apply a light layer of ghee all over it. About half a tbsp. should be enough.

Step 3: Using a knife, divide the rolled out circle in half like this.

Step 4: Take the first half, and stretch it out a bit. Be gentle, we don't want it tearing...we just need it to be slightly longer. The longer you can get it, the more layers your paratha/chapati will have. Just don't make it tooooo stretched out , get it to about 1 and a half its original length!

Now start rolling the stretched out piece from one end to the other.

Step 5: Here's how it will look when it's all rolled up. You can tuck that little end bit in for a neater roll.

Step 6: Stand the roll on your board or working surface, and sort of tuck it into itself by pushing it gently and slowly down like in the pic. Use your fingers to do this. Push it all the way down neatly.

Step 7: This is how it will look when the roll is squished down. Repeat with the 2nd half of the circle.

Then do the same with the 2nd half of the dough we started with.

Step 8: So we now have 4 balls of rolled, ghee'd, stretched and squished dough from our recipe. Now set these aside, keep them covered and let them rest for about 15mins to half an hour. This helps get them super soft.

Step 9: Half an hour later, the rolls are ready for the next stage. They are now very soft to handle. I poked a finger into one of them just to indicate how soft they now are. :D

Step 10: Now one by one, roll out each ball into a circle. See the lines and layers? This is due to the ghee/rolling process we did earlier. It helps create layers so that your parathas/chapatis are really soft and crisp.

Make sure you place these rolled out chapatis on some lightly floured surface whilst you roll the rest so they don't stick.

Step 11: Once all your parathas are rolled out, heat the tava/flat pan. When it's hot, gently place one paratha/chapati on it and sort of dry cook it on both sides without adding any oil, for about a minute on either side. Do this with all the parathas, setting them aside once you're done. They should look something like this photo. Sort of half-cooked.

When all are done, replace each one on the hot tava and add a bit of ghee underneath them and a touch of ghee on their tops...rub it on using the back of a spoon even, then cook them on both sides on medium heat until they are a lovely color on either side. Turn them over a couple of times to make sure they are getting evenly colored and not getting burnt. You can even cook 2 at a time by piling them one on top of the other, I notice this keeps them even softer, but you would need to be adept at making them so don't try this on your first go. If you can pile and cook them using that method, then go ahead but be sure that you do both sides of each paratha/chapati, coz you don't want them being uncooked on one side!

Once all are done, pile them one on top of the other, bring the sides together like you're bunching them up and thump them down a couple of times. This is a trick I learnt some years back that leaves them really really soft. Careful though, coz they will be hot!

Final Result!
Here is how they will look once they are fully cooked. Beautiful and well-colored, soft yet slightly crispy around the edges.

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Rava Upma

Ingredients:
1/2 kg sooji
1 large onion (sliced)
1 large tomato (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp turmeric powder
15 black pepper corns
4 to 5 red chillies
10 to 12 curry leaves
4 to 5 green chillies (chopped)
8 to 10 tbsp oil
1/4 tsp mustard seeds
1/4 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 glass of boiled water
salt to taste


Method:
1. Roast sooji for 2 minutes on low flame and keep aside.
2. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, red chillies, black pepper corns, curry leaves and mix once.
3. Add onion and saute for one minute.
4. Add tomato, turmeric powder, salt and saute for two minutes on low flame.
5. Now add the roasted sooji and mix well for two more minutes on low flame.
6. Now add boiled water, mix well and cook for one to two minutes on medium flame and another two minutes on low flame.


You're done!

The above recipe serves 4. Goes well with any pickles or any salad.

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Bisi Bele Bath

Ingredients :

2 carrots cut into cubes
1 potato cut into cubes
5-6 beans cut into small pieces
1/4 cup of peas (frozen or soaked or fresh peas can be used). I used to frozen ones.
1cup of rice
11/2 cup of tur dal
1 cup of tamarind Juice. (medium lemon sized tamarind soak in cup of water and squeeze juice out of it.)
Salt to taste
2 tbsp of oil

Masala :                

1tbsp chana dal
1tbsp urad dal
1tbsp of daniya
5-6 Red chillies
1 Cinnamon stick
4 cloves
1/4 cup of grated coconut

Garnish:

1tbsp of Cashews
2-3 red chilies
curry leaves
2-3 tbsp Ghee

Preparation:

1. Cook dal and rice combined in a cooker for 3 whistles. ( You can always cook rice and dal separately. I cook combined to save time)
2. In a separate pan roast all the masala till it turns golden color. In mixer make a fine paste of masala keep it aside.
3. Fry the cashews ,red chilly, curry leaves in ghee and keep it aside.
4. In a heavy bottomed vessel boil the vegetables. Once the vegetables are boiled add cooked rice, dal mixture.
5. Add 1 cup of water, tamarind pulp,salt,1tbsp of ghee and the masala paste. Let it cook till all the vegetables and rice is cooked with masala. (This usually takes 10 mts).
6. Turn off the heat and garnish with roasted cashews,red chilly.

Delicious Bisi Bela Bath is ready to be served with raita and chips.

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How to make paneer

A versatile ingredient that lends itself to various dishes,ranging from simple to exotic.

Ingredients

2 1/2 cups (500 ml) full fat milk
1 tsp lemon juice

Method
1. Put the milk to boil. When it starts boiling, switch off the gas and wait for a while.
2. Add the lemon juice and when it curdles, strain using a muslin cloth.
3. If you want solid paneer, put some weight on the drained paneer and leave it on for some time.
4. Use as required.

Tips
1. You can also use vinegar or citric acid crystals instead of lemon juice.
2. 1/2 cup Paneer by weight is 70 gms

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Oats Upma

Ingredients
Oats - 1 cup, dry roast for 5 minutes and cool
Carrot - 1, cubed
French Beans - 5-6, string and chop into pieces
Green peas - fistful (optional)
Onion - 1, finely sliced
Green Chilies - 2, slit
Ginger - 1tsp (grated)
Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt to taste
Water - 1 cup
Ghee - 2 tsps
Oil - 2 tsps
Coriander leaves - 1 tbsp, finely chopped
Tempering/Poppu/Tadka:
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon Stick - small piece
Star Anise - 1
Cardamom - 1
Bay Leaf - 1
Cashew nuts - 4-5
Curry leaves - 1 sprig

Method
Heat oil and ghee in a heavy bottomed vessel. Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add whole spices, cashew nuts and curry leaves and saute for a minute on low to medium flame.
Add the onions, ginger and green chilies and saute for 4 mts. Add carrots and beans and saute on medium flame for 4 mts. Add turmeric powder and salt and mix.
Place lid and cook on low flame for 6-7 mts. Add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Reduce flame, place lid and cook for 6-7 mts or till the water is half absorbed.
Add the dry roasted oats and mix. Place lid for 3 minutes. Turn off heat and mix well.
Remove onto a serving bowl and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Serve warm with pickle or chutney of your choice.

Tips
Use any vegetable of your choice. Tomatoes make for a good addition.
Vegans can avoid ghee.
If you do not have whole garam masala spices, add a pinch of garam masala powder.

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Bread Upma

Ingredients:-   
Bread 4 slices cut into cubes
Onion 1 Finely Chopped
Green chilli cut in thin slits
Tomato 1 Pureed
Tomato Ketchup 2 tbsp
Peas 1/2 cup microwaved for 1 min.
Mustard Seeds 1tsp
Chilli Powder 2 pinch of
Turmeric powder 1-2 pinch of
Pav Bhaji masala 1 tsp( for a twist in the flavor)(optional)
(you can use coriander powder and cumin powder or any curry powder also if you dont have pav bhaji masala)
Garam Masala 2 pinch of
Curry leaves
Spring onion chopped
Coriander leaves finely chopped

Method:-
1. Take about 4 slices of bread and cut it into cubes.
2. Take a Pan add some butter or ghee and roast the bread until it turns brown from both the sides.
3. Now take a deep pan add 2 tbsp of oil, add mustard seeds. After it splutters add Green chilli, Curry leaves and chopped onions.Before adding onion you can also add chana dal and urad dal around 1 tbsp for extra crunchiness.(here i have not used)
4. After the onion turns brown add peas tomato puree, tomato ketchup, turmeric powder, pav bhaji masala, chilli powder, salt, garam masala and little water and boil it for a while.
5. Now add the roasted bread cubes and give a quick mix until all the sides are well coated and switch of the        flame.
6. Garnish it with green onions and coriander leaves
7. Serve it hot with a cup of tea or coffee.

Tips:-
You can use any variation you want like adding bell peppers, carrots and corns also.
You can also mix lemon juice for little more tangy.
You can use any kind of bread white or wheat.
You can skip the pav bhaji masala.

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Rava Dosa

Rava Dosa is a popular South Indian thin and crispy flat bread. It looks like thin crepes. This is a mouthwatering culinary delight. Rava Dosas are quick to make. They can be served as a snack or part of a main meal.

Ingredients                                                        
1 cup semolina (rava)
2 tsp plain flour (maida)
1/2 cup fresh curds (dahi)
1 tsp finely chopped green chillies
1/2 tsp cumin seeds (jeera)
2 tbsp thinly sliced fresh coconut
2 tbsp broken cashewnuts (kaju)
salt to taste
2 tsp coconut oil or any other oilfor the tempering
fried coconut chutney for serving
sambhar for serving.

Method

1. Combine the semolina, flour, curds and ½ cup of water together in a bowl and mix well to get a smooth batter.
2. Cover and allow it to ferment in a warm place for at least 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Add the green chillies, cumin seeds, coconut, cashewnuts and salt and mix well.
4. Add more water as required and mix well to a thin batter
5. Heat a non-stick tava (griddle) and sprinkle a little water on it. It should steam immediately.
6. Grease it lightly with oil and wipe hard with a slice of onion or potato.
7. Pour ½ cup of the batter and tilt the tava in all directions so that it forms a thin circle.
8. Smear a little oil on the sides, cook till both sides are golden brown in colour and fold over to make a semi-circle.
9. Repeat with the remaining batter to make 5 more dosas. Serve hot with fried coconut chutney and sambhar.

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Masala Dosa

Ingredients:

• 2-1/2 cup Uncooked Rice • 1 cup Urad dal (whole) • 2 tsp Fenugreek Seeds • Salt to taste • 2 tbsp Oil for cooking For Masala: • 3 Boiled potatoes (peeled and chopped) • 1 Onion (chopped) • 2 Chillies (chopped) • 1 tsp Tumeric Powder • 1 tsp Chana dal • 1/2 tsp Mustard seeds • Salt to taste

How to make Masala Dosa:

• Wash and soak urad dal, long grain rice and fenugreek seeds separately for at least 6 hours in water. • Now grind them together by adding requisite amount of water to make a fine paste. • Add salt and set the mixture aside for fermentation for a day. • Saute onions, mustard seeds, chana dal and chilli in a pan with oil. • Add chopped potatoes, tumeric and salt and stir continuously. • Cook it for a few minutes. • Pour a ladle of the batter on a non-stick pan and give it a circular shape. • Drop little oil around it and turn over when bubbling appears. • Fill in the center of dosa with a spoonful of masala and fold it. • Masala dosa is ready. • Serve it hot with sambhar and freshly prepared coconut chutney.

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Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

• 1/2 kg Spinach

• 100 gm Paneer 

• 1 Onion • 1/4 tsp Black pepper powder

• 3/4 tsp Ginger-garlic paste

• 1/2 tsp Green chilli paste 

• 3 tbsp Butter 

• 2-3 Bay Leaves 

• 1 tsp Cumin Seeds 

• 1 tsp Garam Masala Powder

• Vegetable oil

• Salt to taste

How to make Palak Paneer:

Mix green chilli paste and ginger-garlic paste with spinach. Add little water.
Pressure-cook the above mixture for 7 to 8 minutes. Remove before the first whistle.
Cut cheese into small cube shaped pieces. Keep 3 cubes for decoration.
Heat vegetable oil in a frying pan.
Fry the paneer cubes on a medium flame till they become light brown.
Take the pieces out of the pan.
Take 2 tbsp butter and heat it.
Add bay leaves and cumin for frying.
Add chopped onions and fry again until they turn pink.
Add garam masala powder, black pepper powder and salt. Mix well.
Now add fried paneer and cooked spinach. Mix them properly.
Put the palak paneer in a baking tray.
Add the remaining butter and bake for about half an hour at 180 deg C.
Grate remaining paneer pieces and decorate.
Palak paneer is ready to serve.

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Lemon Rice

Lemon Rice is a delicious South Indian dish you can easily put together when in a hurry. You can also make it with leftover rice. Serve Lemon Rice with a Raita (yogurt salad) and Poppadums for a simple yet tasty meal.

INGREDIENTS:

Rice-----------------------------1 1/2 cups
Salt------------------------------to taste
Curry leaves---------------------10-12
Red chillies whole----------------2
Oil/Ghee-------------------------2 tbsps
Asafoetida-----------------------a pinch
Black gram split(dhuli urad dal)---1 tbsp
Bengal gram split (chana dal)-----1 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds------------------1/2 tsp
Peanuts--------------------------1/2 cup
Mustard seeds (optional)---------1 tsp
Turmeric powder----------------1/2 tsp
Lemon juice---------------------3 tbsps
Coconut (scraped)(optional)-----1 tbsp

METHOD OF PREPARATION 

1.  Pick,wash and soak rice in four to five cups of water for about 30 minutes. Drain and then cook in 4 cups of boiling salted water until almost done. Drain and keep aside. Wash and pat dry curry leaves. Remove stems and break red chillies into 2 pieces each.

2. Heat oil/ghee in a shallow pan or kadai. Add a pinch of asafoetida. Add red chillies, dhuli urad dal,chana dal and fenugreek seeds.Cook till dal changes its colour to light brown.

3. Add peanuts and mustard seeds. As mustard seeds crackle, add curry leaves and turmeric powder. Stir fry for half a minute. Add cooked rice, salt and lemon juice. Mix well, cover and cook on low heat for about 5 minutes.

4. Garnish with scraped coconut and serve hot.

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