RICE ROTI/ AKKI ROTI

A famous Karnataka breakfast recipe prepared with rice flour. Akki roti in Kannada means Rice bread. It can be done adding various vegetables of choice.

INGREDIENTS:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Cumin - 1 tsp
Onion - 1
Green chilly - 2
Coriander leaves - a handful
Curry leaves - a leaflet
Salt
Oil

METHOD:
1. Finely chop Onion, green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
1. In a bowl, add rice flour, cumin, onion, green chilly, coriander leaves and curry leaves along with required salt. Mix well.

2. Add needed water and prepare a dough of soft consistency.
3. Make balls of desired size and keep aside.
4. In a plantain leaf/butter paper, grease little oil and place a ball and flatten it using finger/palm. Grease little oil in hand to make flattening easier. Make hole in the center if necessary.
5. Heat a dosa tawa, remove the roti carefully and place it cook on medium flame.
6. Sprinkle oil around the roti and cook well on both sides until light brown.
7. Tasty Rice roti/Akki roti is ready to be served with any chutney or curd.

Note:

• If you have 2 dosa tawas, the flattening of roti can be directly done on the tawa by greasing little oil. Mean while, the other tawa can be used for spreading.
• After preparing one roti, allow it to cool before making another.
• Vegetables like carrot, cabbage etc., can be added along with onion.

 

BRINJAL MASIYAL/ CHUTNEY

A tasty side dish, along with hot rice and ghee. It can be used as side dish for idly, dosa and other tiffin varieties too.

INGREDIENTS:
Brinjal - 6 (medium size)
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Green chilly - 2
Shallots/small onion - 5
Urad dhal - 2 tsp
Tamarind - small gooseberry size
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Gingelly Oil - 1 tsp

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 leaflet
Asafoetida - a pinch

METHOD: 
1. Wash brinjal, clean well (worms might be present), chop into pieces and keep aside.
2.. In a pressure cooker/pan, add chopped brinjal, turmeric along with little water and pressure cook on high flame up to 2 whistles.
3. In a tawa, add little oil, roast urad dhal and green chillies until urad dhal turns golden brown. Allow to cool.
4. In a mixer, add roasted urad dhal, green chillies, tamarind, jaggery and cooked brinjal along with required salt, grind to coarse paste and transfer to a container.
5. Taste for salt and add if needed.
6. In the same tawa, heat the remaining oil, add mustard, cumin and after mustard splutters add urad dhal, curry leaves, add finely chopped small onions, roast until nice aroma comes out, finally add asafoetida and pour over the brinjal masiyal.
7. Tasty and delicious Brinjal masiyal/chutney is ready.

Also, see for Pumpkin/Parangikai Masiyal in this blog
 

PANEER KHEER/ PAYASAM

A Bengali Dessert that is done on Special Occassions. It tastes somewhat like Rasmalai, but here we use crumbled Paneer/Cottage cheese directly once the milk thickens a bit.

INGREDIENTS:
Paneer - 200g
Milk - 500 ml
Sugar - 7 to 8 tsp
Saffron - 6 strands
Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 5
Badam - 5

METHOD:
1. Soak Badam and cashew for 10 to 15 minutes and keep aside.
2. In a thick bottomed tawa, heat milk and keep on stirring in continuous intervals, till it starts to boil.
3. Add chopped badam, cashew and saffron to the boiling milk and lower the flame.
4. In about 10 minutes the milk would have thickened a bit, add sugar and continue to cook for another 5 minutes in low flame.
5. Add crumbled paneer to the boiling milk, cook for a minute or two till the paneer gets cooked  and switch off the flame.
6. Taste for Sugar. If needed add accordingly.
7. Add cardamom powder and close the lid of the tawa for few minutes.
8. It can be served hot/warm/ chilled in refrigerator.
9. Tasty Paneer Kheer/ Payasam is ready.

 See for Rasmalai, Rasgulla in this blog

MINT PULAV

Mint has a strong, special and refreshing aroma. Mint is a good appetizer and has plenty of medicinal values.

INGREDIENTS:
Basmathi rice - 1 cup
Onion - 2
Green peas - 1/2 cup (soaked)
Carrot - 2
Beans - 10
Capsicum - 1
Tomato -2
Sambar powder/Red chilly powder - 1& 1/2 tsp
Crushed Ginger garlic - 2 tsp 
Green chilly - 2
Mint leaves - 1 bunch
Coriander leaves - a handful
Lemon - 1/2
Ghee - 2 tsp
Oil - as desired
Salt
For Seasoning
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 2
Star Anise - 1
Cardamom - 2
Fennel - 1 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Bay leaf - 1
Mace/Jathipathri - 1

METHOD:
1. Wash & soak Basmathi rice in water for 20 minutes.
2. Chop all the vegetables and keep aside. Wash and chop the mint, coriander leaves.
3. In a Pressure cooker, heat oil, add all the ingredients given for seasoning one by one and stir well until nice aroma comes out.
4. Add chopped onions, saute well till it becomes transparent, add crushed ginger garlic and cook well until raw smell goes off.
5. Add the chopped veggies, slit green chilly and cook for few minutes. Add little salt and mix well so that the tomato turns juicy.
6. Add Sambar powder/Red chilly powder, required salt for the whole dish and stir well. 
7. Add chopped mint leaves and saute for a minute.
8. Add 1& 1/2 cup of water to the vegetables and allow to boil. 
9. Add the soaked basmathi rice and mix well until it is half cooked.
10. Add lemon juice, coriander leaves, ghee & mix well and close the lid of the cooker.
11. Allow up to 2 whistles on high flame and lower the flame for 5 minutes.
12. Tasty and aromatic Mint pulav is ready to be served with Onion raitha/tomato sauce.

See for Mint Pulav(other version), Paneer Vegetable Pulav, Veg. pulav in this blog.

VEGETABLE BREAD ROLL

Easy to prepare Snack, favourite of children. A healthy one, since done using vegetables and tastes awesome

INGREDIENTS:
Bread slices - 8
Onion - 2
Carrot - 2
Capsicum - 1
Cabbage - 1 cup
Ginger & garlic crushed - 1 tsp
Tomato - 1 (small)
Coriander leaves - 1 handful
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Garam masala - 1 tsp
Chat masala - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil

MEHTOD:
1. In a tawa, heat little oil, add finely chopped onion and cook well until transparent.
2. Add finely chopped carrot, capsicum and cabbage and cook for few minutes.
3. Add crushed ginger garlic, finely chopped tomato and little salt to fasten cooking.
4. Once all the veggies are cooked well add turmeric powder, garam masala, chat masala, cumin and pepper powder and mix well. Add the required salt.

5. Add finely chopped coriander leaves and cook well until the stuffing becomes dry without any water content. Allow to cool.
6. Chop the edges of the bread slices since it will not be easy to roll along with the edges. Do not discard the edges, it can be used to prepare Bread Uppuma.
7. Take a bread piece, using a rolling pin roll it flat. Using little water, moisture the edges of the bread.
8. Place a tablespoon of stuffing at one end and roll carefully. 

9. See that the roll is sealed well and doesn't break.
10. Prepare all the breads in the same manner.
11. Heat a dosa tawa, place a roll and sprinkle little oil on all sides. Roll it using a ladle, see that all sides turn golden brown. Roast all the bread rolls in the same manner.
12. Tasty and Crispy Vegetable Bread roll is ready & can be served with tomato sauce.

BREAD UPPUMA:

 The left over filling and chopped edges need not be wasted & can be used to prepare Bread uppuma. 

METHOD:
1. Heat a  tawa, add the filling and chopped brown edge pieces and toss well so that the filling and bread pieces gets blended well. Cook in low flame for 2 minutes and switch off the flame.
2. Tasty and instant Bread uppuma is ready.

Note:

• Potato can be used along with other vegetables.
• The bread rolls can be shallow/deep fried to get even browning.
• If shallow/deep fry is preferred, mix a tablespoon of maida/wheat/corn flour in little water, dip the bread roll in it and then it can be shallow/deep fried.

CHUTNEY VARIETIES:- SIMPLE CHUTNEY

This chutney is very easy to prepare. No roasting or saute required.

INGREDIENTS:-

Pottukadalai/Roasted channa Dal - 1 cup (200 gms)
Green Chilly - 2 or 3
Garlic Cloves  - 2 (optional)
Salt to taste
Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

For Seasoning:-
Oil - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Urid dal - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida

METHOD:-

In a mixer jar, add all the ingredients given under ingredients list and grind to a powder. Add water and grind to chutney consistency. This chutney need to be more watery than the regular chutney.


In a pan , heat oil. Add mustard seeds, and allow it to splutter. Add urid dal. Add Asafoetida, when the urid changes golden colour. Add this seasoning to the chutney.

Simple chutney is ready.

Tastes better with Idly, Dosa, Rava Upma.

CHUTNEY VARIETIES:- GROUNDNUT CHUTNEY

We can prepare this groundnut chutney in powder form and store it in refrigerator ( as garlic added). When needed, just add water, and seasoning.

INGREDIENTS:-

Roasted Ground nut - 1 cup (200 gms)
Red chilly - 2 or 3
Garlic Cloves - 2 cloves (optional)
Salt to taste
Jaggery powder - 1/4 tsp

For Seasoning:-
Asafoetida
Curry leaves - 1 leaflet
Oil  - 1 tsp
Mustard Seeds - 1/2 tsp


METHOD:-

In a mixer jar, add the roasted groundnut, red chillies, salt, garlic cloves. Grind to powder. Add jaggery and water, grind to chutney consistency.   Remove it and store it in a bowl.

In a pan, heat oil and add mustard seeds. Allow it to splutter. Add curry leaves and asafoetida. Add this seasoning to groundnut chutney.

Tastes better with hot idly, dosa, Venpongal.

HOTEL VEG. KURMA (without onion-garlic)

HOTEL VEG. KURMA

INGREDIENTS:-

Mixed Vegetables like Carrots, Beans, Sweet potato, Cauliflower = 2 cups (400 gms)
Water - 2 cups
Oil - 5 tsp
Salt - 1 tsp ( or to taste)


To Grind:-
Set 1:-
Cinnamon - 1
Cardamom seeds - from 4 pods
Cloves - 3
Mace /Javithri - 1
Dagad Phool/Kal Paasu/ Black stone Flower - 1 (it gives taste of restaurant style kurma)
Cumin /Black Jeera - 1/2 tsp
Fennel Seeds - 1/2 tsp
Black pepper - 5 nos.
Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp
Chilli Powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander seeds / Dhaniya - 4 tsp


Set 2:-
Tomato - 3/4 cup (or 150 gms)
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chilly - 2
Cashews - 10 (soak for 30 mins)
Almonds - 10 (soak for 30 mins)
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp ( soak for 30 mins)
either Grated Coconut - 1/2 cup (100 gms),
or, Roasted split chickpeas powder (pottukadalai) - 1/4 cup


METHOD:-

Cut the vegetables into small cubes ( not finely chopped). Heat 1 tsp of Oil in a pan and saute all the vegetables together for 1 minute. Add 2 cups of water, cover with a lid and allow it to boil in medium flame, till the vegetables are cooked.

Now, in a mixer jar, first grind the ingredients given under set 1. Make a coarse powder.

In the same jar, add the set 2 ingredients, and grind together.  Add little water if needed, to make a paste.
{Note:- While adding set 2 ingredients, either add grated coconut or Roasted split chick peas.}


Heat a Kadai/pan, with 4 tsp oil and saute the grinded mixture in low flame for 5 mins. Rinse the jar with little water and add to it. Cover it with lid and allow it to boil for 10 mins in low flame. Stir inbetween, to avoid burnt at the bottom.


Now, add the cooked vegetables along with water to this masala, mix well. Add salt and cover it with lid and cook for 5 mins in low flame. Switch off the flame.

After 10 mins, uncover the lid, and the HOTEL VEG. KURMA is ready to serve.

Note:-
While adding Cauliflower, clean the cauliflower and add. 
Wash & Soak the Cauliflower florets in luke warm water with a little salt and turmeric powder for 10 minutes.

ONION COCONUT CHUTNEY

A Simple chutney, which tastes well with idli, dosa and uppuma. Those who prefer to avoid coconut, can add more urad dhal instead of coconut. But, along with coconut it tastes good.

 
INGREDIENTS:
Onion - 2
Red chilly - 3 or 4
Coconut (grated) - 1/2 cup
Urad dhal - 2 tsp
Tamarind -small gooseberry size
Jaggery - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Salt

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1/4 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp
Curry leaves - a leaflet
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Oil - 1/2 tsp

METHOD:
1. In a tawa, heat oil, add urad dhal, red chillies and roast until the dhal turns golden brown. Remove it and keep aside.
2. In the same tawa, add roughly chopped onions and roast for few minutes until nice aroma comes out.
3. Add coconut, stir for a minute and switch off the flame. Add tamarind, mix well and allow to cool.
4. In a mixer, add all the roasted ingredients along with jaggery, salt and grind to paste using little water. 
5. Taste for salt and spice. Add if needed.
6. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard & cumin, after it splutters add urad dhal, curry leaves and fry till golden brown, add asafoetida and pour over the chutney and mix well.
7. Tasty Onion Coconut chutney is ready.
 

MATHUR VADAI

"Mathur" is a village in Karnataka state, famous for this Vada and so named after it. A simple recipe which needs no grinding of batter which we usually do for other vadas. There are many variations in preparing this vada. I have given this recipe since it came out very well, after getting a chance to watch this recipe in a cookery show on television.

Preparation time - 15 minutes
Serves - 6

INGREDIENTS:
Rice flour - 1 cup
Sooji/ Rava - 1 cup
Maida/All purpose flour - 1 cup
Cumin - 1 tsp
Green chilly - 2
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Crushed ginger - 1 tsp
Onion - 2
Coriander leaves - a handful
Curry leaves - 2 leaflet
Asafoetida - 1 tsp
Salt - as required
Oil - for deep frying

METHOD:
1. Chop Onions & green chillies finely.
2. In a bowl, add rice flour, rava, maida & salt and mix well.
3. Add chopped onions, green chillies, cumin, pepper powder,crushed ginger, asafoetida, chopped coriander leaves and curry leaves and mix well.
4. Add water little by little and make a non sticky dough.

5. Leave it for 5 minutes.
6. Heat oil in a pan and take a small ball of dough, grease a plastic sheet with little oil and flatten the ball as thin as possible.
7. Make hole in the center if preferred. Even little water can be greased on the sheet instead of oil.
8. Fry the flattened vadas in oil one by one until light brown.
9. Tasty and crispy Mathur vada is ready to be served hot with Onion/Coconut/tomato chutney.

Note:

• If the vadas are not flattened well before frying, the vadas may turn chewy.
• To get the crispness, it should be flattened well before frying.
• See to that it doesn't break will frying in the oil. If puffing occurs, use a fork to to make few spots on the vada before frying.

CORN ADAI

CORN ADAI

Corn is well-known snack food in summer time. It supplies more antioxidant and it also helps to reduce risk of cardiovascular conditions. No matter it is dried or boiled; corn still keeps the enough antioxidants for your body. Enjoy this snack food.



INGREDIENTS:-


Dried Corn - 1/2 cup (see picture), Soak Overnight,

Frozen corn/ fresh sweet corn - 1 cup

Rice Flour - 1/4 cup

Wheat flour - 2 tsp

Salt to taste

Green chilly - 1

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Ginger - 1/2 tsp

Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp

Finely chopped onion - 1/2 cup (optional)


METHOD:-


In a mixer, first, grind the dried corn which is soaked overnight. Drain the water completely. Grind coarsely like rava/sooji. Next, wash and grind the sweet corn, and remaining ingredients, except rice flour and wheat flour.



In a bowl, mix the coarsely ground corn, and corn mixture (sweet corn, green chilly, ginger, curry leaves). Add salt, pepper powder to the mix. Now the batter is ready.




ADAI BATTER


Heat a tava and pour a small quantity and spread thinly, using spoon/karandi/spatula.


CORN ADAI side 1


Add few drops of oil around the batter and cover it with lid. Keep it in low-medium flame for 5 mins. While cooking, nice aroma arises. (side 1)




CORN ADAI side 2


Reverse the other side and add few drops of oil and cover it with lid for few minutes. (side 2)

Repeat the process for remaining batter. About 12 adais can be made.

CHANNA BATURA, Restaurant style (using electric rice cooker), Version 1

CHANNA  BATURA

This receipe is a cook & serve type receipe. I prepared this receipe using electric rice cooker. This receipe, can also be done using pressure cooker. About 4 whistles on high and 5 mins in sim mode is required to be cooked.



INGREDIENTS:-

Black Channa / Channa - 100 gms (1/2 cup) soak overnight
Tomatoes - 150 gms
Big Onion - 200 gms,
Ginger - garlic paste - 3 tsp (or) Ginger - 1 inch and garlic pods - 10
Oil - 2 tbsp
Water - 2 cups

Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Garam masala / chole masala - 1 tsp
Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
Nutmeg powder - a pinch
Salt to taste

For Seasoning :-

Bay leaf - 2 nos.
Cinnamon - 1 inch
Cardamom seeds - 1/4 tsp
Cloves - 4
Javithri/mace - 1
Kal paasu /Dagad Phool - 1 crushed
Cumin Seeds - 3 tsp
Fennel seeds - 2 tsp

METHOD:-

Grind Onion, Ginger and garlic together to a fine paste and set aside.

Grind Tomatoes, separately,  to a fine paste and set side.

Heat Oil in  electric rice cooker, and add the spices given under seasoning. Keep it in low /warm mode, for 2 mins.

Add the onion paste, saute for 2 mins and add all the powders, mix well.


Add tomato paste and mix well. Add salt. Continue Stirring.

Wash the channa, and add it to the masala/gravy. Here, channa gets cooked along with masalas. Add 2 cups of water.

It takes approximately, 20 mins. Check in between and if required increase the water level or the time.





Tastes better with chole poori, bread, chappati.

GOBI SPINACH GRAVY

GOBI SPINACH GRAVY

Spinach is a good source of of Dietary Fiber, Protein, all vital Vitamins, Thiamine, Folate, Calcium,Iron, Magnesium, Phosphorus, Potassium, Copper and Manganese, Niacin and Zinc. But it is rich high in Sodium.

I prepared this gravy using electric rice cooker. It can also be done, using normal pressure cooker. About 1 whistle on high flame is required.


INGREDIENTS :-

Baby spinach or Spinach - 200 gms
Garlic pods - 10
Ginger-garlic paste - 2 tsp
Big Onion - 1 roughly chopped
Tomato - 1 roughly chopped
Salt to taste

Coriander powder  - 1 tsp

Cumin Powder - 1/2 tsp

Red Chilly Powder - 3/4 tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 tsp

Cauliflower - 1/2 flower
Oil for deep frying cauliflower

For seasoning:-

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

Black pepper - 6 nos.

Dry red chilly - 2

Oil  - 2 tsp

METHOD:-

 Heat oil in the electric rice cooker, and add cumin seeds, fennel seeds, dry red chilly, black pepper and saute for 30 secs. 

Add roughly chopped onions, garlic pods, ginger-garlic paste, salt and saute till the raw smell goes off. Add tomatoes, all powders together and mix well. 

When the water content oozes from the tomatoes, add spinach and mix well. Sprinkle little water about 2 tsp, and cover with lid for 10 mins. Stir occasionally.

SPINACH GRAVY

When the spinach is completely  cooked, allow it to cool and grind it ( not a fine paste). 

Click here for dry Gobi 65. Follow the steps from 1 to 9 only.

Gobi ready to be fried

Mix the dry Gobi 65 with spinach gravy. It becomes Gobi Spinach Gravy.

Similarly, we can prepare Aloo Spinach Gravy, by mixing fried baby potatoes to the spinach gravy.

Note:- I forgot to take picture of fried gobi 65.

GARLIC KARAKUZHAMBU MIX

 Garlic Karakuzhambu is slightly different  from Kara Kuzhambu, with small changes.

INGREDIENTS:-

Garlic - 2 full or 20 pods

Small Onion peeled - 1 handful ( or 10 nos.)

Red Chilly Powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp

Tamarind - 1 lemon size

Salt to taste

Water - 200 ml

Jaggery powder - 1/4 tsp

For Seasoning:-

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds - 1/4 tsp

Cumin seeds/ black jeera - 1/4 tsp

Dry Red Chillies - 6 nos.

Curry leaves - 1 leaflet

Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp

Oil - 2 tbsp (or 30 ml)

METHOD:-

Take tamarind in a bowl and add boiling water.  Let it soak for 20 mins. Extract the tamarind juice completely and set aside.

Heat a Kadai or pan, add oil. Add mustard seeds and allow it to splutter and reduce the flame to low. Add cumin seeds, fenugreek seeds, red chillies and saute for 10 seconds. Add curry leaves and asafoetida.

Add peeled small onions and garlic pods and saute (if needed, add little salt) till it turns golden brown colour. 

Add red chilly powder and saute for 2 minutes, add the extracted tamarind juice and allow to boil in medium high flame. Depending upon the consistency, add water, if required.

When it starts boiling add salt, and cover with a lid. Let it boil for 10 mins in low flame. Stir occasionally. Add jaggery before serving.

Garlic Karakuzhambu is ready.

Note:-

If we saute any vathal and to this, it becomes vathal kuzhambu...

Tastes good with plain rice, vadagam or appalam and kootu. Click here for Koottu.

PEAS PULAO...(using Pressure Cooker & Electric Rice Cooker)

Peas Pulao, is a cook and serve type receipe.  In this receipe, we add more number of spices (nearly about 11), as PEAS, is the main ingredient, to give a perfect flavour to  Pulao. This receipe is similar to Simple Veg Pulao.
                                             

using pressure cooker

using electric rice cooker

                                       

INGREDIENTS:-

Basmati Rice - 1 cup (200 gms)
Dry peas - 1/2 cup (100 gms) (Soak overnight)
Ghee / Oil - 3 tbsp or 15 ml
Onion - 1/2 cup, diced
Cashews - 10 nos.
Nutmeg powder - 1/4tsp
Water - 1 and 1/2 cup
Salt - 1 tsp (or as per taste)


Three Gs:- 
Ginger-Garlic paste - 2 tsp, Green chilly - 2, finely chopped

For Seasoning:-
11 Spices 

Cumin Seeds / Black Jeera - 1tsp
Fennel seeds / Sombu - 1 tsp
Black pepper - 10
Dagad Phool / Black Stone flower or Kalpasu - 1 no.
Cardamom Pods - 2
Bay Leaf - 2 nos
Cinnamon / Pattai - 2
Marati Moggu / Annasi Poo - 1
Cloves - 3
Javithri - 1
Poppy seeds /Cascasa - 1/2 tsp






METHOD:-

Heat a pressure cooker in medium high, and add ghee or oil. Add all the spices one by one and keep it in low flame for 2 mins or till nice aroma comes.

Add Onions and saute for 2 mins. Add, ginger -garlic paste, green chillies to it and mix well. Add the soaked peas to it.

Add water to it allow it to boil. In the mean time, wash the basmati rice and keep it ready. We are not soaking the Basmati Rice.

Add the basmati rice to the boiling water and add salt. Add Cashews and nutmeg powder. Cover with the lid. Keep it in Medium high for 4 whistles. Set aside, when it completes 4 whistles.

Open the lid, when the pressure releases completely. Gently mix.

Peas Pulav is ready....

PANEER 65

A Simple home style version, dry recipe, favourite starter/ snack for many, done using cottage cheese/paneer

INGREDIENTS:
Paneer - 250 gms
Besan flour - 1/2 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup
Maida/ all purpose flour - 1/4 cup
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
Lemon juice - 1/2 tsp
Salt
Oil - for deep frying

METHOD:
1. In a bowl, add besan flour, rice flour, maida and mix well.
2. Add red chilly powder, garam masala, ginger garlic paste, lemon juice, salt  and make a paste adding little water. 
3. Add chopped paneer cubes and marinate it for 10 minutes. 
4. Heat oil in a pan and drop the paneer cubes in batches and deep fry it until golden brown.
5. Tasty and crispy Paneer 65 is ready to be served hot.

  See for Gobi 65 in this blog

MOONG DHAL GRAVY

An easy & healthy recipe, less time consuming one. It is a perfect side dish for chappathi & poori, even for idly and dosa. 

Preparation time - 5 minutes
Cooking time - 5 minutes
Serves - 4

INGREDIENTS:
Moong dhal - 1/2 cup
Onion - 1 (optional)
Tomato - 1 (big)
Ginger - 1 tsp (crushed)
Green chilly - 2
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Sambar powder - 1/2 tsp
Coriander leaves - 1 handful
Salt

For Seasoning
Mustard - 1/4 tsp
Cumin - 1/2 tsp
Urad dhal - 1/4 tsp
Bengal gram - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida - 1/2 tsp
Curry leaves - 1 leaflet
Oil - 2 tsp

METHOD:
1. In a pressure cooker/pan, heat oil and add mustard and cumin.
2. After it splutters, add urad dhal and bengal gram, curry leaves and asafoetida.

3. After the dhal changes to golden brown add chopped onion and green chilly and saute until onion turns transparent.
4. Add crushed ginger, stir well and add finely chopped tomato. Cook well until it turns juicy. 
5. Add washed moong dhal, turmeric powder, sambar powder, stir well and add 1 & 1/2 cup of water. Add required salt, chopped coriander leaves, mix well and close the lid of the cooker.

6. Allow for 2 whistles on high flame and switch off the cooker.
7. Tasty and less spicy Moong dhal gravy is ready.

Note:

• No need to soak the moong dhal, since grainy texture has to be retained.
• If moong dhal is soaked for some time, the gravy might thicken and turn into Sambar consistency. 

TIPS:- Milk Poori, using leftover Pooris

This is a simple and easy receipe with leftover pooris. 

It is a sweet dish too.

MILK POORI

INGREDIENTS:-
Leftover pooris - 5
Boiled Milk - 1 glass (150 ml)
Hot water - 1 glass (150 ml)
Saffron Strings - 2 or
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Sugar - 5 tsp

METHOD:-

Soak the saffron strings in the hot water and set aside.

In a flat bottomed bowl, place one poori and sprinkle one tsp of sugar. Pour 1/4th  hot water above the poori. Then, place the 2nd poori above it and sprinkle 1 tsp of sugar. Pour 1/4th boiled milk. Repeat the process for the rest of the pooris. (1 poori = 1 tsp of sugar). Adjust the amount of milk and water accordingly.

Pooris after Soaking 

Let it soak for 20 to 30 mins. The pooris will expand its size. Cut it, in desired shapes. Simple and Tasty Milk Pooris are ready to serve....

SIMPLE VEG. PULAO

SIMPLE VEG PULAO

This is a cook and serve type veg pulao. I made this pulao using a pressure cooker.

INGREDIENTS:-

Basamati Rice - 1 cup ( 200 gms)

Finely chopped vegetables mixed - 150 gms (carrot, beans, peas)

Cashews - 10 nos

Raisins / kis mis - 10 nos.

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Green Chilli - 2 finely chopped

Finely chopped  Onion - 1 ( or 50 gms chopped)

Nutmeg powder - 1/4 tsp

Water = 1 and 1/2 cup

For Seasoning:-

Ghee - 3 tbsp

Mixed spices/herbs are as follows

Star anise - 1, 

Bay leaf - 1,

 Dagad Phool / Kal pasu - 1 (crushed)

Cinnamon - 1

Cardamon -1

Cloves - 3 nos.

Black pepper - 5 nos.

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1 tsp

METHOD:-

(1) Heat a  3 ltr pressure cooker, and add ghee. Add the mixed spices, and keep it in low flame, till a nice aroma comes. Now, add finely chopped onion and saute for a minute. 

(2) Add ginger garlic paste and green chillies and mix together. When the raw smell goes, add the mixed vegetables and mix gently. Add salt, nut meg powder.

(3) Add Raisins and cashews. Add water. When the water starts boiling, Wash and add the Basmati Rice to the cooker. (Here, we didn't soak the basmati rice). 

(4) On medium high, let the cooker whistle for 4 whistles.

(5) When pressure completely releases, gently mix. 

Simple Veg Pulao is ready to serve......

FRIED RICE

A Simple Chinese recipe done using cooked rice. But cooked Basmathi rice is usually used & suits well. It is simple and can be done in minutes. Suits well for lunch box and children love this recipe,  it is less spicy and aromatic since Basmathi rice has a unique aroma.

INGREDIENTS:
Cooked rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Carrot - 1
Beans - 6
Capsicum - 1/2
Crushed Ginger garlic - 1 tsp
Spring Onion - 1/4 cup (chopped)
Soya sauce - 1/4 tsp 
Tomato sauce - 1 tsp
Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
Star Anise - 1
Cashew - 5 (optional)
Ghee - 2 tsp
  
METHOD:
1. Chop all the veggies finely and keep aside.
2. Heat ghee in a tawa, add Cashews, roast till golden brown and remove it. Add star anise and stir till nice aroma comes out.
3. Add chopped onions and saute till it becomes transparent.
4. Add crushed ginger garlic and chopped vegetables and cook on medium flame.
5. If you feel that beans needs more time to get cooked, add water in a pan and allow to boil and add beans and cook for 5 minutes and drain the water, add it to the other veggies.
6. Cook veggies well and see that the crunchiness is retained. Do not over cook.
7. Add soya sauce and tomato sauce, pepper powder and required salt and stir gently.
8. Add cooked rice, spring onion and toss well, lower the flame. Taste for salt & spice. Add if needed and switch off the flame.
9. Tasty and less spicy Fried Rice is ready.

Note: 

• If freshly cooked rice is used, allow the rice to cool completely before adding to the vegetables. 

BEETROOT HALWA

A Simple and easy Halwa/Dessert done using beetroot. Those who doesn't like beetroot in other forms, might like this dessert as it tastes delicious. This recipe doesn't require much ghee. It might be time consuming, about 40 minutes to prepare, but the end results is good.

INGREDIENTS:
Beetroot (grated) - 3 cups (heaped)
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom - 1/2 tsp
Cashew - 3
Badam - 3
Ghee - 3 tsp
Salt - a pinch

METHOD:
1. In a thick bottomed tawa, add a little ghee and roast the cut cashews and Badam and keep aside.
2. In the same pan, add a teaspoon of ghee, beetroot and stir for 3 to 4 minutes.

3. Boil milk in a pan and add to the beetroot and cook well till all the milk is absorbed. Stir at regular intervals to avoid burnt smell.
4. After the milk is fully absorbed, add sugar and cook well until the sugar gets blended with beetroot.

5. Add remaining ghee, roasted nuts and almonds, cardamom powder, a pinch of salt (to enhance sweetness)  and cook for another few minutes in low flame.
6. Tasty and delicious Beet root Halwa is ready.

Also, see for CARROT HALWA in this blog