Happy New Year 2012

Wash , then Chop . Not the vice versa !!!

Do not wash the vegetables after peeling or chopping. This will wash out all the water soluble vitamins.
Wash them before chopping instead.

Egg Paratha

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups or as needed
• Egg -1 
• Tomatoes finely chopped - 2 tbsp
• Onions finely chopped - 2-3 tbsp
• Cilantro finely chopped - 2-3 springs
• Green Chilies finely chopped- to taste ( optional )
• Salt -to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste ( optional )

Directions :

• Knead the dough for paratha and let it rest. Click here for the recipe 
• Beat Egg and add all the remaining ingredients in it.The egg filling is ready. The mixture made of 1 egg can be filled in 2 parathas. So adjust the quantity accordingly. Keep this aside. 
• Divide the dough into equal size portions and make lime sized balls.
• Roll out a ball  into a 4-5 inch disc.
• Drizzle few drops of oil onto the rolled out chapati and evenly coat it all over.
• Fold the disc into half forming a semi-circle, coat the surface with few more drops of oil.
• Again fold the semi-circle into half forming a triangle.
• Dip this triangle into the dry flour and coat all the sides.
• Roll it out again with a rolling pin. Try to maintain the triangular shape.
• Place this rolled out triangular paratha onto a hot tava or griddle and flip it in a minute.
• Cook the other side for just half a minute.
• With the help of a butter knife or the handle of the spoon or fork, gently open up the top layer of the paratha to form a pocket where we can pour our filling.
• Pour in half of the egg mixture into the pocket. Do not press the paratha at this time , the mixture might ooze out.
• Let it cook on low-medium heat for about half a minute till the egg inside is semi cooked.
• Sprinkle few drops of oil on the surface of the paratha and gently flip making sure the egg filling doesn't ooze out.
• Let it cook on low-med heat, pressing slightly until the egg is completely cooked inside.
• Serve hot with green chutney or pickle or curds.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

• Ripe Tomatoes - 5-6
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

• Hing - a pinch
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring

Directions: 

• Blanch the tomatoes and puree them.
• In a pan, cook pureed tomatoes  on low-medium heat.
• Add salt, red chili powder and cook till the moisture is almost evaporated and it gets the paste like consistency.
• Add sugar and mix it well.
• For tadka or tempering, heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal and cook till they start to change color. Add curry leaves and hing. Turn off the heat and pour this mixture over the chutney and mix well.
• Serve with idli , dosa, upma , etc or even rice.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays !!!

Eggplant Fry Oriya Style

Ingredients:

• Eggplant ( big one ) - 1
• Red Chili Powder - 1 tbsp or to taste
• Rice Flour - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Amchoor - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - for roasting

Direction:

• Cut the eggplant into round slices 1/2 inch thick.
• Prepare a masala mixture of all the other dry ingredients except oil.
• Roll the slices in the masala mixture till both the sides are well coated.
• Now heat half a tsp of oil on the griddle or a grill.
• Place 2 or 3 slices of eggplant on the griddle and let it cook for 2 minutes. 
• Then turn to the other side. Sprinkle some more oil on the sides of the eggplant slices
• Cook on medium heat till both the sides are cooked and turn brownish.
• Repeat the same process with all the other slices.
• Serve hot with dal and rice.

Grapefruit Pulihora

Grapefruit Pulihora is made just like lemon rice, by just replacing lemon juice with grapefruit juice.
It is a good way to include grapefruit in your diet if you are not a very big fan of it.
This makes a good lunch box recipe.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Grapefruit Juice - of half the fruit or to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Green Chillies - 2-3
• Peanuts - 5-8
• Cashewnuts - 5-8
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Chana Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder = 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Salt -to taste

Directions:

• Cook the rice and keep aside in a mixing bowl.
• In a pan, heat oil, and splutter mustard seeds. Add peanuts and roast them till golden. Then add chana dal, urad dal, cashew nuts and roast them till they slightly change color.
• Add turmeric powder, hing, curry leaves and slit green chillies.
• Pour this mixture over the cooked rice in the mixing bowl.
• Add salt and mix well till all the grains of rice are coated with the yellow color.
• Add the grapefruit juice to the rice and mix well. I add the juice of half the fruit. You can however adjust to taste.
• Ready !!

Cranberry Dal

Cranberries fit into Indian cooking with an ease because of its tart nature. Cranberry dal is little bit similar to mango dal in taste.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Fresh Cranberries - 1 cup
• Green Chillies - 3-4
• Onions - 1 small
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Oil/Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 1/2 cup

Directions: 

• Pressure cook dal and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil/ghee and splutter mustard seeds. Then add curry leaves, hing, green chillies, 
• Add finely chopped onions and saute till translucent. Onions are optional. You can skip this step.
• Add washed fresh cranberries with little water and cook on medium heat till the cranberries are tender and mashed up.
• Add turmeric powder, salt and red chili powder.
• Add cooked dal to the cranberry mixture and cook for another 5-7 minutes.
• Serve hot with rice or chapati.

Bottle Gourd Curry in Milk Gravy ( Lauki )

Bottle Gourd or Lauki is cooked in milk gravy which makes the curry creamy with a silky texture . This is my MIL's recipe which I am sharing here.

Ingredients:

• Bottle Gourd ( Lauki ), cubed - 5 cups
• Milk - 1 cup
• Besan - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 2 pinches
• Whole Red Chili - 1
• Green Chili -1-2
• Salt - to taste

Directions: 

• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal , hing, curry leaves and whole red chili and cook for a few seconds till the urad dal starts to change color slightly.
• Add green chillies and turmeric powder.
• Now add cubed lauki and salt. Mix well . Cook covered for 7-10 minutes till lauki is tender.
• In a small bowl mix besan  with milk without any lumps. Add sugar to it. Adjust sugar to taste. We just want the curry to be very slightly sweet.
• Add this milk mixture to the curry and cook on low-medium flame until all the milk is evaporated.
• Serve with rice or chapati.

Methi Paratha

Ingredients: 

• Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
• Fenugreek Leaves ( methi ) - 1 cup
• Carom Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2  tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - to drizzle
• Water - to knead

Directions:

• Wash methi leaves, pat them dry and chop them.
• In a mixing bowl, take flour, chopped methi leaves, turmeric powder, carom seeds,ginger garlic paste,chili powder, salt.
• Knead the dough with lukewarm water . Add water little by little to make a pliable dough. (Click here for more details )
• Rest the dough for half an hour.
• Make balls of equal size from the dough.
• Roll them into round parathas.
• Pre heat the tawa and layout this paratha on the hot tawa.
• Roast these parathas by applying ghee or oil on both sides.
• Remove from the pan when both sides are cooked.
• Serve with any raita and pickle 

Palak Pulusu

This healthy and easy palak pulusu goes very well with plain dal and rice.

Ingredients:

• Chopped Spinach - 3-4 cups
• Onion - 1 small ( optional )
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Tamarind Juice - 3 tbsp
• Jaggery - 1/2 inch
• Rice Flour - 1 tsp
• Besan ( Chickpea Flour ) - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Sambar Powder - 1/2 tsp or to taste (optional )
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 3 cups

For Tempering:  

• Ghee - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Methi Seeds - 4-5 seeds
• Whole Red Chili- 1-2
• Asafoetida - 1 pinch

Directions: 

• In a pan or pot, heat oil and saute finely chopped onions till translucent.
• Throw in the chopped spinach and cook till spinach wilts.
• Add tamarind juice, grated jaggery, salt, red chili powder, turmeric powder and sambar powder. 
• In a separate small bowl mix rice flour and besan with a little water without lumps and add this paste to the gravy. 
• Add water and mix well. Cook covered for 5-7 minutes.
• In a separate small pan , heat ghee for tempering. Splutter mustard seeds. Add torn red Chillies, methi seeds, hing and heat for just half a minute.
• Pour this tadka over the pulusu and cook for another couple of minutes.
• Serve steaming hot with dal and rice.

Hummus

Hummus is a dip or spread made of chickpeas, tahini, lemon, garlic and few other ingredients and is a very popular dish of Middle Eastern Cuisine.

I have been eating store bought hummus all these years, till I came across an easy home made hummus recipe shared by a close friend of mine. It is not only easy to make but the fresh home made hummus taste 100 times better than the store bought ones.
Try it out at home, I guarantee that you will stop buying from store too.


Ingredients:

• Chickpeas - 1 can or 2 cups
• Garlic - 4-5 cloves
• Tahini - 1/2 cup
• Lemons - 1-2 ( to taste )
• Olive Oil - 2 tbsp
• Fresh Parsley - 1 tbsp
• Chili Flakes - to taste
• Ground Pepper - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions: 

• If you are using raw chickpeas, then soak them for 6 hours in water and boil in a pressure cooker till soft. 
• If you are using canned chickpeas, rinse and drain them before use.
• Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend till smooth.
• Garlic, Lemon juice, salt and chili flakes are to taste.
• If the mixture is too dry, add little more olive oil and grind. Usually a lot of olive oil is used in this recipe. I do not prefer adding water while grinding but if you feel it is too dry to blend, you can add a little water , just enough to help you grind.
• Serve this dip with pita bread or falafel.

Note: You can either use readymade tahini or make at home.

Click here for Tahini Recipe. 

Tahini

Tahini is a part of many Middle Eastern dishes like Hummus and Baba Ghanoush, etc.
It can be purchased readymade from store or can be made at home in just 5 minutes.
Here is the simple recipe :

Ingredients:

• Sesame Seeds - 5 cups
• Olive oil - 2 cups

Directions: 

• In a wide pan, roast sesame seeds just for a 2-3 minutes, stirring continuously, till they slightly change color to golden. Do not brown them. Let it cool.
• Blend sesame seeds and olive oil in a blender till a very smooth paste. 
• Store it in the fridge in an air tight container. It can stay good for a month.

Soya Granules with Spinach

Soya granules cooked with spinach is a very healthy dish full of proteins.
Soya is a very good substitute of meat for the vegetarians. It is sometimes also called as vegetarian kheema :)
Apart from the good value it contains, it is so easy to make that it can be made in less than 10 minutes.
So here's the recipe.


Ingredients:

• Soya Granules - 3/4 cup
• Chopped Spinach - 2 cups
• Chopped Onions - 1 small
• Green Chillies - 2
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp

Directions: 

• Soak soya granules in warm water for 5 minutes, not more. Strain them and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan.  Sizzle cumin seeds. Add finely chopped onions. Saute them till golden.
• Add sliced green chillies and turmeric powder.
• Add ginger garlic paste and saute for a minute. Adding freshly minced ginger and garlic is even better.
• If you do not mind mixing spinach with tomatoes, you can add 1/4 cup of finely chopped tomatoes at this stage and cook till tender. This is optional. (The combination of spinach and tomatoes is said to be harmful for kidney stones . Please google for more details.)
• Stir in the chopped spinach and cook for a minute or two till the spinach wilts.
• Add the soya granules and give it a good mix.
• Cook covered for a couple of minutes.
• Add red chili powder,salt and garam masala . Mix well and cook for another minute.
• Serve with chapati.

Rasam Powder

Here is the recipe for home made rasam powder.

Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1/3 cup
• Coriander Seeds - 1 cup
• Cumin Seeds - 2 tbsp
• Black Pepper Corns - 3 tbsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chillies - 6-8 or to taste
• Hing - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring ( optional )

Directions:

• Dry roast all the ingredients except hing on a low heat. Keep stirring ocassionally making sure none of the ingredients are burnt.
• Roast till the dal turns reddish, curry leaves( if using ) and red chillies are dried and crispy and it's aromatic.
• Let it cool. Grind along with hing to a slightly coarse powder.
• Store it in an air tight container.

.... and I am back !!!

Heyaaaa Friends, I am back from a wonderful vacation. I am all rejuvenated :)

However I am still hungover with the magic of such a vacation. I am just not liking to get back to the grind and to the routine.

We had been to the West Coast of USA. We first visited Las Vegas. I was mesmerized by the beauty of the city, the city which never sleeps . Loved the casinos and the hotels on the Vegas Strip.

We drove the entire strip almost 12-15 times and still was not enough for the eyes.

We next visited Grand Canyon, AZ. That was such a marvel.

We walked on the breathtaking Skywalk.

Our next destination was Disneyland, LA. My daughter had a great time and so did we.

We enjoyed all the rides. Saw the fireworks over the sleeping beauty castle. It sure was magical.

Next day, we were in Hollywood, Universal Studios. Took a tour to the studio, enjoyed the rides, and some 4D movies.

Our next destination was San Fransisco. It is a nice place as well.

I also met an old friend of mine from school, Ritu. Oh we wad such great time gossiping after so many years.

Ok I just wanted to tell you the highlights of my vacation.I am so happy about it, so just wanted to share it with you all. Lemme now share a collage of the places I visited.

I shall soon get back to my recipe blogging.... Stay Tuned !!!!

Need a Break !!!

Hey Friends.... It's Vacation time for me.... yippieee.... so I won't be able to blog for 10 days. Catch you all after a refreshing break !!!!  :)

zucchini Curry

Ingredients:

• Zucchini - 2
• Onion - 1 small
• Tomato - 1
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Kasoori Methi - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Water - 1 cup

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan, sizzle cumin seeds.
• Add sliced onions. Saute till golden.
• Add chopped tomato. Cook till tender.
• Add garam masala, turmeric, chili powder.
• Add chopped zucchini and water. Add salt.
• Cook covered till zucchini is done and the gravy comes together.
• Crush kasoori methi in between your palms and add it to the curry. Cook for another 1 minute and turn off the heat.
• Serve with rice or chapati.

Variation:

• You can add other veggies  to the curry, like potato or carrots.
• You can make it in pressure cooker till 1 whistle .
• You can substitute kasoori methi with chopped cilantro.

Beetroot Paratha

Beetroot Paratha was again an invention to get beetroot into my little picky eater. She would never eat if I made beetroot curry, but enjoy eating this red paratha, as she calls it.
Why would I ever tell her that what she was eating with joy was beetroot. ~ hahaha ( evil laughter )
Well as they say, " Ignorance is Bliss "
I am happy that she is eating beetroot, She is happy that she got an interesting colored paratha instead of the regular boring paratha !!  Happy Ending :))
It doesn't take much of an effort. Just grate beetroot and mix it with the regular flour and make chapatis the way it is usually made.

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour - 2 cups
• Grated Beetroot - 1 cup
• Warm Water  - 1 cup approx
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Green Chillies - 1 ( optional )
• Ajwain ( Carom Seeds ) - 1/4 tsp

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, add wheat flour , grated beetroot, ajwain, chillies and salt. Avoid chillies when making for kids.
• Add water slowly to knead the dough till all the dough comes together.
• Rest the dough for half an hour.
• Make balls of equal size from the dough.
• Roll them into round parathas.
• Pre heat the tawa and layout this paratha on the hot tawa.
• Roast these parathas by applying ghee on both sides.
• Remove from the pan when both sides are cooked.
• Serve with boondi raita, any curry, pickle and salad.

Cabbage Soup

This is a nutritious, low calorie soup which is very easy to make. Weight watchers would love it.

Ingredients:

• Shredded Cabbage - 5 cups
• Onion - 1 small
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Garlic - 1-2 cloves
• Water - 2 cups
• Salt -to taste
• Pepper Powder - to taste
• Butter - optional

Directions:

• In a deep sauce pan, boil cabbage, chopped tomato , chopped onion, garlic with water.
• Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• Blend till smooth.
• strain it back into the pan and heat again.
• Add more water if required. Add salt to taste.
• If the soup is too watery, add half a tsp of corn flour paste. ( optional )
• Cook till the required consistency is reached.
• Serve in a bowl. Add pepper powder to taste.
• Add just a little , say 1/4th tsp of butter in a bowl of soup to enhance the taste. It is optional though.
• Have it hot on a cold day :)

Prevent Fruits and Vegetables from Oxidation

When few fruits and vegetables are cut and exposed to air, they oxidize due to which discoloration occurs. To prevent them from oxidation, you can follow one of the following tips as soon as you cut them.

• When cutting raw banana( plantain ), potato or eggplant, soak them in water to avoid discoloration.
• Similarly, to prevent apples, bananas or peaches from browning, add lemon juice.
• Cover the cut fruits or vegetables tightly with plastic food wrap or ziplock covers.
• Cook the vegetables as soon as you cut them; the heat would stop them from oxidation.

If you know of any other tip, please mention in the comment section.

Turnip Greens Poriyal

Ingredients:

• Turnip Greens - 1 bunch
• Onions - 2 small
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Grated Coconut - 2-3 tbsp
• Whole Red Chillies - 2
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Salt -to taste
• Curry Leaves - a few
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions:

• Wash and clean the leaves properly.
• Trim the hard stems and discard. Chop the leaves finely.
• Heat oil in a pan and splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal and let them turn reddish.
• Add hing ( asafoetida ) , red chillies, chopped garlic and curry leaves.
• Add finely chopped onions and saute till translucent. Add turmeric powder.
• Add chopped turnip greens and a little salt.
• Cook on medium heat for around 5 minutes.
• Add grated coconut and mix well.. Cook for another couple of minutes.
• Serve as side dish with dal and rice.

Bachali Kura Pappu

Bachali kura (Malabar Spinach) cooked with split red gram.


Ingredients :

• Bachali Kura Leaves - 1 bunch
• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Tomatoes - 2 medium
• Tamarind Extract - 1 tbsp
• Garlic - 2 cloves
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Whole Red Chillies - 2
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Salt - to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Directions:

• Remove and discard the hard stems of the bachali kura. Wash and chop the leaves.
• In a pressure cooker, take toor dal, chopped leaves, diced tomatoes, turmeric powder and cook with sufficient water till 3 whistles or till dal is cooked.
• Let the pressure release by itself before you open the pressure cooker.
• The dal now needs tempering.
• In a small pan, heat ghee, splutter mustard seeds. Add red chillies, crushed garlic, curry leaves, asafoetida, tamarind extract. Cook for a minute. Turn off the heat, add red chili powder.
• Pour this over the dal. Add salt and give it a good mix.
• Serve hot with plain steamed rice or roti.

Matar Paneer

Matar paneer is a beautiful combination of peas and cottage cheese, cooked in creamy gravy along with other spices.
It can be eaten with rice or roti or naan.


Ingredients:

• Paneer - 1 cup
• Peas - 1 cup
• Onion - 1 small
• Tomato - 1 medium
• Cream - 1/2 cup
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Bay Leaf - 1
• Cinnamon Stick - 1 inch
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt -to taste
• Water - as needed
• Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions :

• Cut the paneer into 1 inch cubes.
• Heat very little oil or ghee in a small pan, and shallow fry the paneer cubes till brown on both the sides. Remove and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a bigger pan, sizzle cumin seeds, bay leaf and cinnamon stick.
• Add finely chopped onions and ginger garlic paste. Saute till onions turn golden brown.
• Add diced tomatoes and around 1/4 cup of water and cook till tomatoes turn into pulpy sauce. You can also use tomato puree instead.
• Add coriander powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, red chili powder and mix well.
• Add another 1/2 a cup of water and peas . you can use either fresh peas or frozen peas.
• Cook covered till the peas are tender and cooked. Add salt.
• Add the paneer cubes and cream to the curry and stir lightly. Cook till the curry reaches the consistency you like. I like it to be watery. If you like it dry , use less water and cook till all the water dries up.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Eat with any rice preparation like jeera rice or roti or naan.

Egg Bhurji ( Indian Scrambled Eggs )

Egg Bhurji is nothing but scrambled eggs made with veggies and few other spices.
It is very easy to make and can be made in no time.


Ingredients:

• Eggs - 4
• Onion - 1/2 medium
• Tomato - 1 small
• Ginger- Garlic Paste - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Green Chillies - to taste
• Chopped Veggies - 1/2 - 3/4 cup
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Salt -to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Veggies - You can use the veggies of your choice, typically, carrots, bell peppers, beans, peas.

Directions:

• Beat the eggs well , add a little salt to it and keep aside.
• Heat oil, and saute chopped onions till golden brown.
• Add chopped green chillies, turmeric powder and ginger garlic paste. Saute for a minute more.
• Add tomatoes and all the chopped veggies and saute till solft. Do not over cook them. Let the veggies be crunchy.
• Add garam masala , salt and red chili powder and mix well.
• Add the beaten eggs to the pan and keep stirring constantly till the eggs dry up and form into lumps and egg is coated with the masala. Cook for around 3-4 minutes.
• Adjust salt and garnish with cilantro.

It can be eaten with rice or roti. It can also be used as filling for sandwich or wraps for breakfast.

Peel the skin of Almonds, etc easily

To peel the skin of almonds, tomatoes or peaches, simply soak in boiling water for 5-7 minutes. The skin can be easily removed.


If you know of any other tip, please mention in the comment section.

Peanut Chutney ( Palli Pachadi )

Peanut Chutney is a very delicious dip for idli or dosa or upma. Peanuts posess rich protein value.

Ingredients:

• Peanuts - 1 cup
• Red Whole Chillies - 2 or to taste
• Tamarind Pulp - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Red whole Chili - 1
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Hing - a pinch

Directions:

• Dry roast peanuts till they turn reddidh and are totally cooked.
• Add red chillies to the peanuts and roast them for a couple of minutes. Turn off the heat and let them cool.
• In a grinder, add peanuts, tamarind pulp, red chillies and grind it to a smooth paste with little water.
• Add salt and mix well.
• For tempering, heat oil , splutter mustard seeds. Add torn red chili, curry leaves and hing.
• Pour this over the chutney. and mix well.
• Serve as a side dish with idli or dosa or upma.

You can store this in fridge for about 4-5 days.

Variation:

Additional Ingredients:

• Garlic - 2 pods
• Onion - 1 small

There is an alternative method too. You can add onions and garlic to the chutney as well.

• In a pan, heat oil and saute crushed garlic, then add sliced onion and saute till brownish. 
• Let it cool , then grind it to a smooth paste. 
• Add this paste to the above mentioned chutney. Mix well. Adjust salt. 

Lemon Rice ( Chitrannam )

Chitrannam or lemon rice or nimmakaya pulihora is a tangy South Indian variety of rice.
This is similar to pulihora which is made in a similar way but tamarind is used instead of lemon juice.
In most of the festivals , along with sweets we also make lemon rice or pulihora. It is sometimes made as a part of naivedyam. It is many times given as prasadam in temples or even ganesh pandals during ganeshotsav. You simply can't get enough of this. This dish does not require any side dish . It is best eaten by itself.

Ingredients:

• Rice - 2 cups
• Lemon Juice - of 2 lemons or adjust to taste
• Green Chillies - 3-5 or to taste
• Red Whole chili -1
• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/2 tsp
• Peanuts - 2-3 tbsp
• Cashew Nuts - 2-3 tbsp
• Oil - 2tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing

Directions:

• Cook the rice and keep aside.
• In a pan, heat oil and roast peanuts until golden. Then add cashew nuts and roast till golden. Remove and keep aside
• In the same pan add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add chana dal and urad dal and let them turn reddish.
• Add curry leaves, slit green chillies, red chili, hing, turmeric powder and saute for few cesonds.
• Pour this over the cooked rice. Also add roasted cashew nuts and peanuts to the rice.
• Add salt and lemon juice and give it a good mix , but gently without breaking the rice grains.
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.
• Serve warm or even at room temperature. This can be either eaten by itself or with plain curds and pickle.

Bell Pepper Chutney

Ingredients:

• Bell Peppers - 2 ( preferably red and orange, but u can even mix the different colors )
• Tamarind Pulp - 2 tbsp
• Red whole or Green Chillies - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

For Tempering:

• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch

Directions:

• Dice the bell peppers and saute them in little oil in a pan.
• You can take bell peppers of any color. Try to include 1 red one to get that color.
• Cook till they are tender. Let them cool.
• In a grinder, add cooked bell peppers, tamarind pulp, turmeric and chillies. Grind them all to a fine paste.
• Add salt and mix well.
• For tempering, heat oil, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds. Add asafoetida and urad dal. Let the urad dal turn reddish.
• Pour this tempering over the chutney and mix well.
• Serve with steamed rice or idli or dosa.

Palak Puri / Palak Paratha

Palak Paratha or Palak puri is spinach flavoured Indian flat bread wherein Spinach and a few spices are added to the dough and rolled out into puri or paratha. This is one of the best ways to get spinach into picky eaters. Kids are fascinated by the colorful paratha and would not even know that they are eating spinach which they actually  hate to eat.

Ingredients:

• Whole Wheat Flour - 3 cups
• Spinach - 1 bunch
• Carom Seeds ( Ajwain ) - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - 1/2 tsp
• salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Oil - For deep frying ( in case of puris )
• Ghee - for pan frying ( in case of parathas )

Directions:

• Wash and grind the spinach into a smooth paste with as little water as possible.
• In a mixing bowl, take flour, add ground spinach paste, carom seeds, ginger-garlic paste, red chili powder, turmeric powder, salt and knead it with lukewarm water. Add water little by little to make a pliable dough.
• Add 1 tsp of oil and knead once again.
• Cover and rest the dough for half an hour.
• Roll them out and make either puris or paratha.
• For detailed description of how to make puris or paratha click on the following:

How to make Puri

How to make Paratha

Serve hot with any curry of your choice, curd, pickle.

Katiki Pesarapappu Pachadi ( Moong Dal Chutney )

This is one of my favourite chutneys. My mom used to make it very often just for me. When I made this chutney after marriage for the first time, my husband was pleasantly surprised to know such a chutney existed. It doesn't take much time to make this one and goes extremely well with plain steamed rice or even as a dip for idli or dosa.

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal - 1 cup
• Tamarind Pulp - 1 tbsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Red whole chillies - 2-3 or to taste
• Water - as needed to grind.
• Salt -to taste

For Tempering:

• Oil - 3 tbsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida ( Hing ) - 1/8 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 5-6

Directions:

• In a grinder, add raw moong dal, broken red chillies, tamarind pulp and turmeric powder and grind with minimum water required for grinding into a smooth paste.
• Transfer into a bowl and add salt and mix well.
• For tempering, heat oil in a pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add urad dal, let it turn reddish. Add hing and curry leaves. Pour this over the chutney and mix well. The chutney is ready.

With the heat of oil in tempering, the raw flavour of dal will disappear and it will taste very good. Hence be little generous on oil.
Mix this chutney with plain steamed rice and a dollop of ghee. This is the best way to eat this chutney. However you can use it as a dip for idli and dosa.

Variation:

• You can soak the dal for about 15-20  minutes before grinding. I prefer unsoaked dal for the crunchy texture.

Chimmili ( Sesame Laddu )

Chimmili is a laddu made with roasted sesame seeds and jaggery. It is usually made on Nagula Chavithi as an offering to the Snake God . Today, I performed this puja and made Chimmili and Chalimidi as naivedyam.
There are various ways to make this sweet, I shall mention a couple of them.


Ingredients:

• Sesame Seeds - 1 cup
• Grated Jaggery - 3/4 th cup or to taste
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Directions:

• Dry roast sesame seeds for a few seconds till they turn slightly golden. Remove and let it cool.
• Grind the sesame seeds for just a couple of pulses. Do not powder them. Just 1 or 2 pulses so that they are slightly crushed. You can avoid this and use them as whole as well.
• Grate jaggery finely.
• Mix sesame seeds and grated jaggery, add little ghee and make small balls.

Another Method:

• In a pan, add jaggery and 1/4th cup of water and make a thick syrup.
• Add roasted sesame seeds to the syrup and mix well.
• Let it cool and then make small balls.

Variation:

• As I mentioned earlier, it can be made in various ways. It can also be made by grinding the sesame seeds into powder.
• You can add cardamom powder to the jaggery syrup.
• You can add small dry coconut pieces to the jaggery syrup.

Dondakaya Vepudu ( Tindora Fry )

Dondakaya , also known as Tindora or Kundru or Ivy Guard sauted with few spices goes very well with rice and dal or sambar.
This vegetable is green on outside and white on inside with small seeds. However, the overripe tindora is red on inside. Discard such ones, they are hard to cook and spoils the entire curry.

Ingredients:

• Tindora -  1/2 lb
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/4 tsp
• Chana Dal -1/4 tsp
• Cashew Nuts - 6-8
• Curry leaves - 1 spring
• Salt -to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Turmeric - 1/8 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/8 tsp
• Koora Podi - 1 tsp ( optional ) ( Click on it for the recipe )
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions:

• Nip the tip and tail ends of washed and cleaned tindoras.
• Slit each tindora into half lengthwise , and again slit each half into 2 pieces ,lengthwise. Keep aside.
• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add urad dal and chana dal and saute till they turn reddish.
• Add Cashew nuts, curry leaves, asafoetida and saute till cashew nuts turn reddish.
• Add tindora, salt, turmeric. Give it a good toss.
• Cook covered on medium, stirring several times in between.
• Cook till all the moisture is evaporated and tindora gets crispy. Add red chili powder and koora podi ( optional ). Mix well.
• Cook for a couple of minutes uncovered.
• Turn off the heat and serve with rice and dal or rasam or samabar.

Namak Pare

I had earlier blogged the recipe of shakkarpare, now this is the recipe of namak pare , which is the salty version of sweet shakkarpare.
Very easy to make, this is one of my favourite snacks to munch on. I had made this on this diwali. You can see in the picture, a hint of other sweets and savories I made this Diwali along with Namak Pare.

Ingredients:

• All Purpose Flour - 2 cups
• Whole Wheat Flour - 1 cup
• Carom Seeds ( Ajwain ) - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Water - as required for kneading
• Oil - for deep frying

Directions:

• In a mixing bowl, mix all the ingredients and add water little by little and knead it into a pliable dough. The consistency should be little more stiffer than how we make for roti.
• Rest the dough covered for an hour.
• Heat the oil for deep frying.
• Divide the dough into 7-8 equal portions and roll them out slightly thicker than a roti.
• Pork thoughout with the help of a fork, so that they don't swell while frying. { Be gentle, don't show your frustration on it ;)  }
• With the help of a pizza cutter, cut it into strips.
• Cut through diagonally to form small diamond shapes.
• When the oil is hot, drop them and fry on medium heat. Keep stirring ocassionally.
• Cook till they turn golden and remove on the paper towel.
• Repeat with other portions of the dough.
• Store in air tight container and enjoy your snack along with chai ( tea ).

Kalakand / Milk Cake / Milk Barfi ( Microwave Method )

Happy Diwali to all of you :)
Kalakand is a delectable Indian sweet. It is made on various festivals. I made it on this Diwali.
There are various ways to make this sweet.
It is Traditionally made of whole milk which is made into chhana, mixed with home made khoya and sugar which easily takes 2-3 hours (stove top method ).
But making with store bought  ricotta cheese and condensed milk in microwave is a shortcut method and can be ready in half an hour. Who doesn't like to save some time afterall, in such a busy lifestyle ;)
So here's the procedure of making kalakand in microwave:

Ingredients:

• Ricotta Cheese – 15 oz tub
• Sweetened Condensed Milk – 14 oz can
• Rose Water – 1/4 tsp
• Cardamom Powder – 1/4 tsp
• Chopped almonds – 1/2 tbsp
• Chopped Pistachios – 1/2 tbsp

Method:

•  In a microwave safe bowl, mix the Ricotta Cheese and the Condensed Milk well with the help of a whisk so that there are no lumps.
•  Cook uncovered in the microwave for 5 min.
•  Take out and mix well. Clear the edges.
•  Microwave for another 12 minutes, uncovered taking out and stirring every 2 minutes, which means you would be taking out 6 times and stirring.
•  At the end add in the Powdered Cardamom and Rose Syrup and mix well.
• If you are using a square shaped or rectangle shaped dish, then you can let it be in the same dish, however if you used a round dish or bowl, then transfer it to a square dish or a flat plate.
•  Press down and flatten the mixture in square shape.
• Sprinkle chopped pistachios and almonds on top and press them down with the back of the spoon so that they hold on to the kalakand.
•  Let it sit for a couple of hours so that it sets.
•  Cut into squares or rectangles.

Enjoy your festival with this extremely delicious sweet.

Minapa Sunnundalu (Urad Dal Laddu )

Sunnundalu, a traditional Andhra sweet made of urad dal, sugar and ghee. I am making these on the occassion of Diwali.

So, Happy Diwali to all of you :) Have lots of sweets and have loads of fun on this Diwali.

It reminds me of my ammamma ( granny ) , she used to make the best sunnundalu in the world. Yummmm...

I tried to make many times but it never tasted like her's. Well, the ingredients are the same, the proportions are the same , hmmmm wonder what made her laddoos better than mine. Probably, 'Love' was her secret ingredient.

Well , no matter how much we try we can never make half as good as our moms or grandmoms. However, that should not stop us from trying.

So, here is my attempt:


Ingredients:

• Black Gram Lentil ( Urad Dhuli ) - 2 cups
• Grated Jaggery or Sugar - 1 cup ( Adjust to taste )
• Ghee ( Clarified Butter ) - 3/4 cup
• Cardamom Powder - 1/4 tsp ( optional )

Directions:

• In a wide pan, dry roast urad dal on low heat till golden color. Keep stirring often. Be careful not to burn the dal. Since it is being roasted on low heat, it would take a long time, but it is worth the patience.
• Turn off the heat and let it cool.
• In a grinder, grind urad dal and sugar together to fine powder. If sugar is already powdered you don't need to grind. But it is granules, then you need to grind along.
• If you are using jaggery then, grate it separately and them mix with urad dal powder.
• Add cardamom powder to the mixture of urad dal and sugar/jaggery and mix well till all the ingredients are well incorporated.
• You can avoid cardamom powder , if you are not a fan of elaichi flavor , like me.
• Melt ghee. Bring it to room temperature. Add melted ghee to the mixture slowly as required and keep mixing.
• When you see the mixture has begun to hold together, stop adding ghee. Do not add too much ghee, else it will drip while making the laddus.
• Make lime sized laddus out of the mixture.
• It can be stored in an air tight container for a couple of weeks.

Note: The taste of sunnundalu when made with jaggery is definitely different from that made of sugar, but both are equally good. You should try both and then stick to the one you like.

Enjoy the toothsome sunnundalu !!

Vegetable Tofu Stir Fry

Tofu is extremely nutritious which has many health benefits and is a very good source of protein for the vegetarians.  It is low in fat, calories and cholesterol. Isn't that amazing for people who watch their weight.
Tofu by itself is bland, but if cooked with various other ingredients and flavors , it is a treat to have.
So here is one of the many different ways to make a tofu appetizer.

Ingredients:

• Extra Firm Tofu - 1 packet
• Olive Oil - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Green and Red Bell Pepper - 1/4 cup
• Chopped Spring Onions - 1/4 cup
• Garlic Paste - 1 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper - to taste
• Soy Sauce - to taste
• Chinese Chili Sauce - to taste
• Stir Fry Sauce ( Any Flavour ) - 2 tbsp
• Sesame Seeds - 1 tbsp

Directions:

• Drain water from the tofu.
• Wrap it with a paper towel and let is stand for 5-6 minutes so that all the liquid is soaked up.
• Cut it into bite size cubes.
• Heat oil in a pan, add tofu pieces and stir fry till golden brown on all the sides.
• Push the tofu on one side of the pan , and add garlic paste in the oil and stir it for a few seconds.
• Add chopped vegetables ( bell peppers and spring onions ) and toss them along with tofu.
• Add soy sauce, chili sauce, stir fry sauce, little salt and pepper and sesame seeds. Mix well and cook for a couple of minutes till the vegetables are half cooked. Let the veggies remain crunchy. No need to cook till soft.

Variation: 

• You can make the same recipe without any veggies as well. Or You could add more veggies of your choice like onions, broccoli, carrots, snow peas etc .
• You can add plain stir fry tofu to salads or pasta or chinese fried rice or chinese noodles.

Enjoy  !!  :)

Candied Sweet Potato

Sweet potatoes cooked with jaggery syrup makes an excellent dish for a quick sweet tooth.

Ingredients:

• Sweet Potato - 1
• Jaggery - 3/4 cup
• Water - 1.5 cups
• Cardamom Powder - a pinch

Directions:

• Clean and peel the potato. Slice them or cube them.
• Boil them in water in a pan till soft. Don't overcook them, else they will turn mushy.
• Drain and keep aside.
• Boil jaggery in water. Let the jaggery dissolve in water. Strain this jaggery water to remove dirt.
• Boil this clean jaggery water , keep stirring . Cook till the jaggery syrup thickens.
• Add the potato chunks and cardamom powder to this thick and sticky syrup and mix well but gently making sure not to mash up the potatoes.
• Cook for a couple of minutes till all the potato pieces are well coated and caramelized with the jaggery syrup. Turn off the heat.
• Serve warm.

Tip : If the potatoes are mashed up accidentally, do not worry , it still tastes great. Or you can eat it with a scoop of ice cream on it.

Besan Puda / Besan Dosa

Besan Puda is a savory pancake made of chickpea flour or besan and few other ingredients.
Perfect for breakfast or brunch.

Ingredients:

• Besan - 1 cup
• Sooji ( semolina ) - 2 1/2 tbsp
• Rice Flour - 1 tbsp
• Carom Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Yogurt - 1/2 cup
• Water - 1 1/2 cup or as required
• Grated Ginger - 1 tsp
• Finely Chopped Onions - 1/4 cup
• Chopped Cilantro - 3 tbsp
• Chopped Green Chillies - 1 -2
• Salt - to taste
• Oil Spray
• Baking Soda - a pinch

Directions :

• In a mixing bowl, mix besan, suji, rice flour, turmeric, salt, cumin seeds and carom seeds ( ajwain ) .
• Add water and yogurt and mix well with a whisk. Make sure there are no lumps.
• Adjust water to make batter of the consistency of pancake or dosa batter.
• Add in chopped onions, green chillies, cilantro, ginger and give it a good mix.
• Add and mix baking soda just before you start making pudas.
• Heat a skillet, spray oil all over.
• Pour a ladleful of batter on the skillet and spread it thinly like a pancake.
• Let it cook for a couple of minutes till the bottomside turns brown.
• Spray some oil over the puda and flip it over.
• Let it cook till the color changes to golden brown and it turns crispy.
• Serve immediately with any chutney or dip of your choice.

Variation:  You can add some more veggies to it, like grated carrots or chopped spring onions or grated zucchini or chopped spinach or anything you can think of.

Achari Gobhi

Cauliflower cooked in achari masala has a similar flavour to a pickle. Who doesn't like pickle.
The main ingredients to get the flavour of Indian Pickle are Kalonji, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, Mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.
Also the secret is cooking it in the mustard oil.

Ingredients:

• Cauliflower - 1 ( cut into medium sized florets )
• Kalonji Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fenugreek Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Mustard Oil - 3 tbsp
• Green Chili - 1-2
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnish

Directions:

• Heat oil in a wide bottom pan and add mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, fenugreek seeds and kalonji. Let them sizzle.
• Add slit green chillies and turmeric powder.
• Add cauliflower florets, salt and chili powder and give it a good mix till all the florets are nicely coated.
• Add very little water, say 2-3 tbsp , and cook covered on slow heat, mixing in between.
• Cook till the cauliflower is tender and the water is all evaporated.
• Add lemon juice and cook for another 2 minutes and turn off the heat.
• Do not overcook, the cauliflower will turn mushy .
• Garnish with chopped cilantro.

Tip :  You can also add 1 tbsp of pickle paste to the curry for a stronger pickle flavour.

Cabbage Fry / Poriyal

Ingredients:

• Shredded Cabbage - 2 cups
• Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal - 1/2 tsp
• Chana Dal - 1 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Green Or Red Chillies - 2
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Hing - a pinch
• Grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal. Let the seeds crackle and dals turn reddish.
• Add curry leaves, chillies, hing and turmeric powder.
• Add cabbage, salt and sprinkle a couple of tbsp of water. Cook covered on a low-med heat.
• Keep stirring often and cook till tender.
• Add coconut , mix well and turn off the heat.

Variation:   Sprinkle little mustard powder on the curry for a completely different flavour altogether.
Sprinkle it just before turning off the heat. Do not cook for long after mustard powder is sprinkled, the curry might turn bitter.

Kandi Podi ( Gun Powder )

Kandi Podi is a classic Andhra recipe made of dry roasted dals and other spices. It gives out a nice aromatic fragrance which fills the entire house and goes extremely well with plain steamed rice with a dollop of ghee . Mmmmmm.... It is as yummy as it sounds and is relished by almost every Andhraite.
It is customary in Andhra Pradesh to eat Kandi Podi with rice as the first item of the meal followed by curry, dals, rasam or sambar and end with curd rice. You must try this if you haven't yet.


Ingredients:

• Toor Dal - 1 cup
• Chana Dal - 1/2 cup
• Red whole chillies - 7-8 or to taste
• Cumin Seeds - 1 tsp
• Garlic Cloves - 3-4
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring ( optional )
• Hing - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• In a heavy bottom pan, dry roast all the ingredients except salt and hing on a very low heat. Keep stirring ocassionally, making sure none of the ingredients burn.
• Roast till the dals turn reddish, red chillies turn crispy and the entire house is filled up with a nice aroma. It takes time as it is roasted on low flame, but be patient, the result will be satisfying, I assure you :)
• At the end, add hing, roast for a minute more and turn off the heat.
• Let it cool down .
• Grind into a slightly coarse powder, neither too fine nor too coarse.
• Add salt and combine.
• Store it in an air tight container.
• Serve with hot steamed rice and a dollop of ghee.

Aloo Simla Mirch Sabzi

Ingredients:

• Potatoes - 2
• Bell Pepper( Capsicum ) - 2
• Onion - 1 medium
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Fennel Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Grated Ginger - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Red Chili Powder - to taste
• Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Directions:

• Heat oil in a pan, add cumin seeds and fennel seeds. Let them sizzle.
• Add chopped onions and grated ginger, saute till golden brown.
• Add turmeric powder.
• Add cubed potatos and cubed bell peppers. Mix well. Cook covered. Keep stirring ocassionally.
• After the curry is 3/4th cooked, add garam masala, red chili powder, salt. Mix well and let it cook till done.
• Do not over cook, the potatoes might get mushy. Turn off the heat just when the vegetables are well cooked .

Vegetable Quesadilla

Quesadilla is a mexican dish made with toasted tortillas stuffed with a mixture of vegetables and cheese and other ingredients.
Traditionally, they only have melted cheese inside , however, you can add various vegetables and sauces of your choice to suit your taste.

Ingredients:

• Flour or Corn Tortillas - 2
• Grated Cheese ( any )
• Oil Spray
• Guacamole - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Spring Onions - 3 tbsp
• Chopped Onions - 1 tbsp
• Chopped Tomatoes - 1 tbsp
• Baked Beans - 3 tbsp
• Chopped Bell Pepper - 2 tbsp
• Chopped Jalapenos - to taste
• Salt - to taste
• Pepper Powder - to taste
• Taco Seasoning Mix - to taste

Note : You can have veggies of your choice. Other options for filling could be mushrooms, olives,  sweet corn, spinach etc. You can have your own permutations and combinations.
Also, I like my veggies crunchy, so I use them raw. However, you can saute them if you wish so.

Directions :

• In a bowl, combine all the veggies ( spring onions, onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, jalapenos and baked beans) and mix well. I prefer all my veggies chopped very finely.
• Add salt, pepper, taco seasoning mix and combine. This is the stuffing for the quesadillas.
• On a skillet, spray little cooking oil and place a tortilla. Let it heat for 10-12 seconds and flip it over.
• Reduce the heat to low-medium, as we want it to turn crispy and golden brown without getting burnt.
• On the surface of the tortilla, spread guacamole, spread the vegetable mix evenly and spread the grated cheese.  ( Click here for the recipe of Guacamole )
• Take another tortilla and place it over and cover it. Spary some oil on the second tortilla and slowly and carefully flip the entire thing over.
• Cook until crispy and golden brown.
• Cut into 4 quarters with pizza cutter and serve with salsa, tortilla chips, guacamole dip or cheese dip.

Guacamole

Guacamole is a dip made of ripe avacados, originated in Mexico and is perfect for dipping tortilla chips or nachos or serving with tacos .

Ingredients:

• Ripe Avacados - 2
• Red Onion - 1/2
• Garlic - 1 clove ( optional )
• Jalapeno / Serrano chili - 1
• Chopped cilantro - 2 tbsp
• Lemon Juice - 1 tbsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp or to taste
• Black Pepper Powder - 1/4 tsp
• Tomato - 1/2

Directions:

• Cut avacados in half , remove the seed and scoop out the avacado and discard the skin. Watch this video I found on youtube on how to cut and scoop out avacado.
• Mash the avacado in a mixing bowl.

• Add minced onion, minced jalapenos, minced garlic and very finely chopped cilantro.
• Add salt, pepper and lemon juice. Mix well.
• Remove the seeds and pulp of the tomato and chop them very finely. Mix these with the guacamole just before serving.

Variation: Add some sour cream in the guacamole dip for creamy texture

Radish Raita

Radish Raita is a very popular dish in Maharashtrian cuisine. It is called  ' Mulyachi Koshimbir ' in Marathi. I learnt it from a Maharashtrian friend of mine back in India. So let me pass on her recipe to my readers :)

Ingredients :

• Red Radish - 10-12 small
• Yogurt - 1 1/2 cup
• Chopped Cilantro - 2-3 tbsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Green Chillies - 2 or to taste

Directions :

• Wash and grate radish and let it stand for 5 minutes.
• Squeeze the water from the grated radish. Do not throw away the water you squeezed out. Save it. I use that water for making the chapati dough.
• Beat the curd till smooth. Add salt and chopped cilantro. Mix well.
• Add the grated radish to the curd and mix well.
• Heat oil in a small pan, splutter mustard seeds. Add chopped green chillies.
• Pour this over the curd and give it a slight mix.
• Serve this with any paratha or chapati.

Variation:   You can make it with white radish ( daikon ) instead of red ones.

Dahi Wada ( Aavadalu )

Dahi wada is a melt-in-mouth appetizer, called aavadalu in telugu. Deep fried wadas are soaked in spiced yogurt and served cold. This is a south Indian dish and is similar to it's north Indian cousin, Dahi Bhalla.  They both are mostly same with few variations. The main difference being the shape. Wada is the one with the hole, Bhallas are round dumplings. There is a slight variation in the curd. The curd of dahi bhalla is slightly sweetened and is seasoned with red chili powder and roasted cumin powder whereas, the curd of dahi wada is seasoned with mustard seeds, urad dal, etc.
Here's the recipe of Dahi Wada.

Ingredients :

For Wada:

• Urad dal ( slit black gram ) - 1 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Black Peppers - 1/2 tsp ( optional )
• Oil - to deep fry

For Dahi:

• Curd - 4 cups
• Green Chillies -4-5
• Ginger - 1 inch
• Cumin Seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Curry Leaves - 1 spring
• Fenugreek Seeds - 4-5 seeds
• Urad Dal - 1 tsp
• Mustard Seeds - 3/4 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Red whole chillies - 2
• Salt - to taste
• Chopped Cilantro - for garnishing
• Boondi - for garnishing

Directions :

For Wada Batter:

• Wash and soak urad dal for about 5-6 hours.
• Grind the dal using the minimum water required for grinding. The consistency should be thick and not runny.
• Add salt to taste and pat and beat the batter with hands in a mixing bowl for aeration. This is important for getting soft wadas. When you put a small amount of batter in a cup of water, it should float. If the aeration is not done well, the batter sinks and sits at the bottom.
• You can add black peppers to the batter, if you like.
• Keep the batter aside while we prepare the curd.

For Dahi:

• Whisk the curd in a bowl. Add salt. Mix well.
• Grind green chillies, ginger and cumin seeds. Add this paste to the curd and mix well.
• Add chopped curry leaves to the curd.
• Heat oil in a small pan, add mustard seeds, let them splutter. Add urad dal, fenugreek seeds and let them turn reddish. Add asafoetida and torn red chillies.
• Pour this tempering over the curd and mix well. Keep aside while we make wadas.

For Wada:

• Keep a bowl of water ready. We shall dip the wadas or garelu in water for about 1-2 minutes after deep frying. This will make the wadas soft.
• Heat oil in a pan for deep frying.
• Wet your fingers and take a portion of batter and make a hole in the center and drop it into the hot oil.
• The wadas will float on the surface of oil after a couple of seconds of dropping in the oil.
• Make around 2-3 wadas at a time. Do not over crowd the pan.
• Turn the wadas to the other side after a minute, and fry till golden brown.
• Remove from heat and drop then into the bowl of water for a couple of minutes , then remove them on a serving bowl.
• Pour the spiced dahi over the wadas into the serving bowl and let it soak for around 30 minutes to 1 hour before you serve. The wadas will absorb the spiced curd and will become soft and melts in mouth.
• Just before serving , garnish with chopped cilantro and boondi.

Variation:

• The wadas soaked in sambar is yet another delicacy, called Sambar Wada. When I make sambar wada, I prefer to make sambar without any veggies, just onions and tomatoes.
• They can also be soaked in rasam and are called Rasam Wada.

Enjoy !!!

Click here for the recipe of  Dahi Bhalla. 

Long Shelf Life of Green Chillies

To extend the life of green chillies :

• Remove the stem of the chillies and then store them in a zip lock cover, if you want to store them as a whole.
• Or, make chillie paste, add some salt and store it in air tight box.

If you know of any other tip, please mention in the comment section.

Sarson Ka Saag

Sarson ka saag is an authentic Punjabi dish traditionally paired with Makki ki roti ( Corn Bread ).


Ingredients:

• Mustard Greens - 1 bunch
• Spinach - 1 bunch
• Fenugreek Leaves - 1/4 bunch ( optional )
• Green Chillies - 2
• Grated Ginger - 1 tbsp
• Ginger Juliennes - a few
• Minced garlic - 1 tbsp
• Grated Onion - 1 medium
• Garam Masala - 1 tsp
• Maize Flour - 1 tbsp ( optional )
• Ghee / Butter - 2 tbsp
• Salt - to taste

Directions:

• Wash and clean mustard leaves. Separate the leaves from the stems. Use the top half of the stems if they are tender. Discard otherwise.
• Wash and clean spinach leaves. Spinach stems are usually tender, so they can be used.
• Similarly, separate fenugreek leaves from stems. Fenugreek leaves are optional.
• Chop all the leaves finely and cook them with 1 cup of water . Add ginger, garlic and green chillies into the pan while boiling the leaves. Cover and cook for around 10-12 minutes. Let it cool.
• Grind it into a coarse paste. Do not grind it into a smooth paste.
• In a separate pan, heat ghee or butter , add grated onions and saute till reddish brown. Add garam masala.
• Add ground greens, and give it a good mix.
• In a small bowl, take maize flour and add 2 tsp of water and make it into a paste. Add this paste into the greens. Mix well. This step will give thickness to the gravy. However, I have made even without it and it turned out good. The onion mix makes the gravy thick. So you can avoid it, if you do not have maize flour.
• Add salt. Mix well and cook for another 5 minutes.
• Garnish with ginger juliennes and a dollop of butter.
• Serve hot with makki di roti. It tastes good even with simple chapati or naan.

Variation :  You can add paneer cubes to the curry to make Saag Paneer.

Enjoy !!!