Aloo Puri

Preparation time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• Potato - 1-2
• Onion - 1
• Carrot - 1
• Chat masala- 1/4 sp
• Red chili powder - 1/2 sp
• Pani Puri - 10 -15
• Green Peas - 1 bowl
• Coriander leaves - 1sp
• Fresh Curd/Yogurt - 1/4 sp
• Salt - to taste
• Sev - 1sp

Method:

     Boil potatoes, remove its skin and smash them finely, transfer to a mixing bowl, add red chili powder, chat masala, salt and finely chopped coriander leaves, now our aloo filling is ready.

    Make a small hole on pani puri  by gently knocking on it by thumb nails so that we can stuff them with aloo filling. Later for each pani puri stuff them with 1/4 tsp of aloo filling, finely chopped onion, few boiled green peas and grated carrots and place around 7-8 stuffed puri in a serving plate, add 1/2 sp of fresh curd and sprinkle red chili powder, chat masala and salt to taste. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and sev and serve.

Sev Puri

Preparation time: 10 mins

Ingredients:

• Tikki - 10 - 15
• Potato - 1
• Onion - 1
• Carrot - 1
• Red chili powder - 1/2 sp
• Green chutney - 1 sp
• Sweet chutney - 1 sp
• Salt - 1/4 sp
• Bombay Sev - 1 bowl
• Coriander leaves - 1 sp (Finely chopped)

Method:

       You can buy Tikki from stores or can prepare at home and store in a air tight container. Potato should be boiled, remove skin and cut into thin small pieces.

       Place around 7-8 tikki in a serving plate, add green chutney and sweet chutney on each tikki, Place potato pieces over them, add finely chopped onion and grated carrot, sprinkle red chili powder and salt to taste. Add lots of sev on each tikki, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and serve.

Aloo Chat

Preparation time: 20 mins

Ingredients:

• Potato - 2
• Onion - 3 sp
• Carrot - 3 sp
• Red chili powder- 1/4 sp
• Chat Masala - 1/4 sp
• Garam Masala - 1/4 sp
• Jeera powder - a pinch
• Salt - 1/4 sp
• Sav - 1/2 bowl
• Coriander leaves- 1 sp (Finely chopped)
• Oil - 1 bowl (Foe deep fry)

Method:

• Boil potatoes till 2-3 whistles, remove skin and cut into small cubes.
• Deep fry potato cubes till light golden brown and collect them in a plate with kitchen towel to remove excess oil. 
• In a big mixing bowl add fried aloo cubes and add red chili powder, garam masala, chat masala, jeera powder and salt and toss well.
• Add finely chopped onion, grated carrot and mix well, garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and sev. Serve along with tomato ketchup. Makes a good evening snack.

Nippatt Masala

Preparation time: 5 mins

Ingredients:

• Nippattu - 2-3
• Green Chutney - 1sp
• Sweet Chutney - 1 sp
• Onion - 1 - 2 sp (Finely chopped)
• Carrot - 1sp (Grated)
• Tomato - 1sp (Finely chopped)
• Chat masala - a pinch
• Red chili powder - a pinch
• Salt - a pinch
• Puffed rice - 2sp
• Bombay sev - 2 sp
• Coriander leaves - 1sp (finely chopped)

How to proceed:

In a serving plate place nippattu, add 1/4 sp of green chutney and sweet chutney on each nippattu, mix and apply chutney through out the surface of nippattu and gently press on it so that it breaks into unequal big pieces. Now spread finely chopped onion, tomato, grated carrot over the nippattu and sprinkle pinch of red chili powder, chat masala, salt, and garnish with puffed rice, sev and finely chopped coriander leaves and serve. Make a good evening snack and quickly prepared if you have both green and sweet chutney ready.

Churmuri

Preparation time: 15 mins

Ingredients:

• Kadale puri/Puffed rice - 1 bowl
• Finely chopped onion - 3sp
• Grated carrot - 2 sp
• Tomato - 1
• Cucumber - 1 - 2 sp (finely chopped)
• Pineapple - 1 sp(finely chopped)
• Raw mango - 1sp (finely chopped)
• Green Chutney - 1 or 2 sp
• Sweet Chutney/Metha - 1sp
• Red Chili Powder - 1 sp
• Chat masala - 1/4 sp
• Salt - 2 -3 pinch
• Roasted peanuts - 1sp
• Roasted Moong dal - 1sp
• Small kodbale - 4 -5
• Crushed nippattu - 1/4 bowl
• Coriander leaves - 2 sp (finely chopped)
• Lime juice - 1/2 sp
• Bombay Sav - 2sp 

How to proceed:

     This is one of my all time favorite, if you have green chutney and sweet chutney ready and all required vegetables are finely chopped then you dont need much time to prepare churmuri, a very good snack to have with family and friends during evening. Its a real treat during winter eve.

In a big mixing bowl add finely chopped onion, tomato, cucumber, pineapple, raw mango, grated carrot, roughly crushed, small kodbale, nippattu, green chutney, sweet chutney, red chili powder, salt, chat masala and mix well using a spoon or spatula, add puffed rice, roasted peanut(congress kadale), moong dal, lime juce and finely chopped coriander leaves and mix well, transfer to a serving plate, garnish with bombay sav and serve immediately. We should mix all the ingredients just before serving otherwise it will become soggy and wont taste that good if you mix early.

Oats Idly

Preparation time - 15 mins
pre - preparation required

Ingredients:

• Urad dal - 1/4 cup
• Idly rava/Rice semolina - 1 cup
• Oats - 1/4 cup
• Fenugreek seed - 1/4 tsp
• Beaten rice - fistful
• Salt - 1tsp
• Cooking soda - 1/8tsp
• Oil - 4tsp

Method:

• Prepare idly batter as described in the Idly posting. leave it to set for about 8hrs.
• Soak oats for about 40 mins drain excess water and add to idly batter, mix well.
• Now pour them into greased idly moulds and steamcook for 15 mins, serve hot with sambar and chutney

Soft Idly

Preparation time - 15 mins
Pre- preparation required.

Ingredients:

• Urad dal - 1/4 cup
• Idly rava/Rice semolina - 1 cup
• Beaten rice - fistful
• Fenugreek - 1/2 sp
• Salt - 1tsp
• Cookin soda - 1/8 th sp

Method:

Soak urad dal, fenugreek, beaten rice in a bowl and Idly rava/rice semolina in another bowl separately for around 6 -8 hours. Then prepare smooth paste of soaked urad dal, fenugreek and beaten rice, keep it aside. 

In a jar add soaked rice semolina, and just run for few seconds if required and mix it with above prepared urad dal paste. Add salt and cooking soda mix well and keep it aside for approx 8 hrs. The batter should be very thick in consistency. Usually rice and dal are soaked the previous day and grind in the eve so that we can prepare smooth idly the next day morning for breakfast.

Just before you start to prepare idly add 4-5 tsp of oil into idly batter and mix well, pour them into greased idly moulds, Place it in a steam cooker or a pressure cooker and cook for 15 mins without placing weights.

Now remove idly moulds, sprinkle a spoon of cold water to demould them neatly, serve hot with samabr and coconut chutney or mint chutney.

Quaker Otas Breakfast

Preparation time: 15 - 20 mins

Ingredients:

• Quaker Oats - 1 measure
• Water - 1 and 1/2 measure
• Milk - 1 measure
• Honey - 2-3 tsp
• Sugar free - 1/4 tsp
• Mixed dry fruits - 1/2 Cup Or Mixed fresh fruits of your choice except citrus fruits.
• Flax seeds - 1tsp (roughly crushed)

Method:

• In a thick bottom sauce pan, boil water. Add oats and cook for 2 mins.
• Add milk and sugar free and continue to boil with frequent stir for rest of 10 to 15 mins till it begins to thick or leave the edges. The consistency should be of semi solid. Turnoff the flame and allow to cool to room temperature.
• When it is almost cooled to room temperature, sprinkle flax seeds(roughly crushed), add honey and mixed dry fruits or any fresh fruits cut into small pieces except citrus fruits and serve.

You can also use oven to cook oats.

Milk is added to make it nutritious and a complete breakfast, after preparation allowing it to cool for room temperature is also important because if you add fruits  as soon as you turn off the flame, they tend too loose its crispiness and will be very soft as if you have cooked them.

Oats also tastes good with just raisins, or combination of cashews, almonds, walnuts, pistachio and raisins and fruits like banana, apple, pineapple, strawberry, seedless green grapes, guava, sapota, papaya and cherries.

Oats + Milk + Honey + Flax seeds + Any choice of your dry fruits or fresh fruits - Oil...Whats more healthy way to start a day....

Avarekalu akki roti

Preparation time: 40 mins

Ingredients:

• Hitak Avare - 1 bowl
• Onion - 1
• Green chili - 6
• Jeera - 1sp
• White til - 1sp
• Coriander leaves - 2sp
• Rice flour - 1bowl
• Salt - as per requirement.
• Oil -  bowl

Method:

• Boil water in a sauce pan, add hitak avare or tender raw avarekalu. allow to boil for 4 mins, drain the excess water, transfer to a bowl.
• In a big mixing bowl, add rice flour, boiled avare, finely chopped onion, green chilies, coriander leaves, jeera and white til, add boiling water and knead well to form dough similar to chapati dough.
• Roll out small balls of big lemon size, and place it over a plastic sheet greased with a spoon of oil, spread it into thin sheet like a chapati. Now transfer this into a preheated griddle, apply oil and roast on both sides. Serve hot along with ghee.

Kaaju Caramel Milk

Preparation time: 15 mins


Ingredients:

• Caramel - 4sp
• Kaaju/Cashews - 3sp
• Sugar - 1 and 1/2 sp
• Milk - 500 ml

To Garnish:

• Fresh cream/Malai - 1sp
• Honey - 1sp
• Cashew caramel powder - 1/2 sp
• Golden balls - 5-6

Method:

• In a thick bottom pan, add cashews and dry roast until light brown.
• To prepare powder, in a jar, add caramel, dry roasted cashews and prepare fine powder, you can store the powder in dry air tight container.
• Heat 500 ml of milk in a sauce pan, when it begins to boil add 1 to 1and 1/2 sp sugar and allow to dissolve.Add 3-4 sp of kaaju caramel powder and continue to boil for another 2 mins. Turnoff the flame. Transfer the milk into serving glass.
• Again during winter you can serve hot or you can chill and serve during summer.
• When you transfer milk in a serving glass, garnish with a spoon for fresh cream, honey, and sprinkle caramel cashew powder and golden balls over milk and serve hot or chilled as per your choice. Its a great treat to have chilled caramelized kaaju milk during summer if you are in love with the caramel taste.

If you have powder ready you can prepare caramel milk in 15 mins. It takes 15 to 20 mins to prepare caramel. To prepare caramel you need to heat sugar and soon after 8 to 10 mins you will see that it turned into liquid, continue to boil, you can see big bubbles disappear. Usually forming for right caramel is identified with its smell. Its a state, a moment next to it will result in a overcooked or burnt smell so need to be very attentive while preparing caramel. Also it will be very hot and care should be taken to see that its not get in contact with skin,  keep cold water handy so that in case if it falls on skin you can immediately wash with cold water.Caramel itself is very nice and tasty.

Kesar Badam Pista Flavored Milk

Preparation time:15 -20 mins

Ingredients:

• Badam - 5 sp
• Pista - 4 sp
• Kesar - 1/4 sp
• Cardamom - 4
• Milk - 500 ml
• Sugar - 2 tsp

Method:

• First to prepare powder, add badam, pista, kesar and cardamom in a jar and prepare fine powder. You can prepare this powder and store them in a dry airtight container to save time.
• Heat 500 ml of milk in sauce pan, bring it to boil, add 2sp of sugar and allow sugar to dissolve.Add 3 sp of kesar, badam pista powder and continue to boil for 3 to 4 mins. you can see that milk has change in color to light green. Transfer the flavored milk into serving glass, garnish with badam and pista cut into small pieces and few strands of kesar.

Ps:As summer around the corner, once the milk is ready you can allow this to cool to room temperature and refrigerate for around 40 mins. Now you can transfer this into serving glass, garnish and serve chill.A good way to enjoy summer in a more healthy way instead of having cool drinks. During winter you can serve hot.   

Cabbage Sabzi

Preparation  time - 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Cabbage - 400 gms
• Moong dal - 1 cup
• Onion - 2
• Green chilies - 5
• Curry leaves - 1 twig
• Channa dal - 1 tsp
• Urad dal/White lentils - 1tsp
• Mustard seed - 1 tsp
• Oil - 5tsp
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsp (finely chopped)
• Salt - 3/4 tsp (as per taste)

Method:

• In a pressure cooker add finely chopped cabbage, moong dal, 1/4 tsp salt and required amount of water (1/2 glass), cover the lid and pressure cook till 3 whistles. It takes few mins for the pressure to ease, meanwhile heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds, once they splutter add urad dal, channa dal and fry until they are light brown. Add curry leaves and slitted green chilies and fry for a while. 
•  Add finely chopped onion and fry until transparent.
• Drain the excess water from cabbage dal mixture and add to pan containing onion. saute for few mins
• Add salt to taste and cook covered on medium flame for 3-4 mins, turn off the flame, garnish with finely chopped fresh coriander leaves and serve hot with chapati or roti.

Ps: To make it more spicy you can add 1/2 tsp garam masala+1/2 tsp Kitchen king

                                                           or

     You can even add 1 inch cinnamon, 4 cloves, 1tsp urad dal and 1tsp channa dal roasted on low flame,make rough powder and add to sabzi, it also tastes great when prepared simple as explained in the above steps too

Cheese Surprise

Preparation time: 40 mins


Ingredients:

• Potato - 2
• Paneer - 1 bowl (grated)
• Green peas - 1 bowl (boiled)
• Corn flour - 2 tsp
• Maida/All purpose flour - 2tsp
• Green chili paste - 1tsp
• Ginger garlic paste - 2tsp
• Jalapenos - 1tsp (chopped)
• Cheese - 1 bowl (cut into 1/2 inch cubes)
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Black salt - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder - 1/2 tsp
• Kasoori methi - 2 tsp (crushed)
• Salt - 1tsp (as per requirement)
• Bread crumbs - 1 bowl
• Oil - for deep fry

Method:

• Pressure cook potatoes, peel off the skin and smash them, boil green peas and keep it aside.
• In a big mixing bowl add smashed potatoes, boiled green peas, grated paneer, corn flour, all purpose flour, green chilies, jalapenos, red chili powder, amchur powder, black salt, salt, ginger garlic paste, crushed kasoori methi and 2 sp of bread crumbs and knead well to form smooth dough. As paneer will have water content, be extra conscious while adding water while kneading the dough. leave this aside for 30 mins to set.
• Heat oil in a deep frying pan.
• Meanwhile roll out small balls out of dough, make thick flat plate shape and place cheese cubes at the center and cover  the dough well to form a oval shape.Roll them on the bread crumbs and deep fry till nice golden brown. Collect the deep fried cutlets on a tissue paper to remove the extra oil. when you cut open the cutlets at the center you will see that cheese melted inside.Serve hot with tomato ketchup. 

Potato Peas cutlet

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Potato - 250 gms
• Green peas - 1 bowl
• Onion - 1 big (finely chopped)
• Green chilies - 5 (finely chopped)
• Ginger garlic paste - 2 tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Sugar - 1/4 tsp
• Salt - as per taste
• Amchur powder - 1/2 sp
• Bread crumbs - 1/2 cup
• Oil - 1 bowl
• Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Method:

• Pressure cook potatoes until 3-4 whistles, peel the skin off and smash them.
• Pressure cook peas until 1 whistle, if its frozen or dry peas need to be soaked overnight and pressure cook until 3 whistles.
• In a big mixing bowl, add smashed potatoes, boiled green peas, finely chopped onions, green chilies, ginger garlic paste, jeera powder, red chili powder, amchur powder, garam masala, sugar, salt and finely chopped coriander leaves, mix well and prepare dough similar to chapati dough.
• Roll out small balls out of the dough and turn into your desired shapes ( ovals, flat round, rectangle, you can even use cutlet moulds of different shapes available in the market).
• Roll over bread crumbs, and shallow fry on preheated griddle. You can even deep fry them until golden brown. Serve hot along with tomato ketchup and green chutney.

Baby Aloo curry

Preparation time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

• Baby Aloo - 300 gms
• Onion - 2
• Tomato - 2
• Green chilies - 2
• Ginger garlic paste - 2tsp
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander seed powder - 1 tsp
• Jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garm masala - 1 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Cashews - 10
• Coriander leaves - 2 tsp (finely chopped)
• Salt - According to taste
• Oil - 6-7 tsp
• Jeera - 1/2 sp

Method:

• Pressure cook baby aloo till 3-4 whistles. peel off the skin and prick them with the help of fork so that it will cook well in masala.
• Heat 5tsp of oil in a pan, fry these cooked baby aloo on both the sides until they are light brown on low - medium flame.
• Meanwhile prepare paste of onion, tomato and cashews separately. 
• Heat remaining oil in a pan, add jeera and allow them to crackle.Add ginger garlic paste followed by  onion paste and fry until raw smell goes off. Add tomato puree and fry till oil separates.add cashew paste and fry for 5 more mins. cashew paste is optional, its used to enhance the taste and also provides thickness to gravy.
• Add red chili powder, coriander seed powder, garam masala, jeera powder and finely chopped green chilies, saute well cook covered for few more mins.
• Add the fired aloo into the gravy and cook on low flame for few mins until its mixed well with the gravy.
• Add sugar and salt to taste and cook for few more mins.
• Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves or kasoori methi and serve hot along with chapati, roti, naan and kulcha. 

Onion Pakhora

Preparation time - 30 mins

Ingredients

• Onion - 2
• Kadale hittu/Besan flour - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 2 tsp
• Chiroti rava - 1/4 cup
• Red chili powder - 1 tsp
• Coriander seed - 1/2 tsp
• Green chilies - 5
• Ginger - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Curry leaves - 2 twig
• Oil - 1 bowl (for deep fry)
• Cooking soda - 1/8 tsp

Method 

• In a large vessel add kadalehittu, rice flour, chiroti rava, red chili powder and mix well.
• Heat 7 tsp of oil and add to the flour, mix well
• Add coriander seed, finely chopped green chilies, ginger, onion slices, cooking soda, salt to taste and mix well. 
• Sprinkle 2 - 3 tsp of water and mix. If you press the flour it should hold together. you can add another 2- 3 tsp of water if required but dont add too much of water like we do to prepare bonda dough.
• Heat oil in a pan. Add the above prepared mixture in irregular shape and fry on medium to low flame.Once onion slices turn to nice brown, remove from oil and spread on a tissue paper to remove excess oil.
• Deep fry few curry leaves and use them to garnish on pakhora, serve hot.

Shahi Paneer

Preparation time : 40 mins

Ingredients:

• Paneer/Cottage cheese - 200 gms
• Onion - 1 medium (sliced)
• Tomato - 2 medium (finely chopped)
• Ginger - 1/2 inch
• Ellakki/Cardamom - 2 
• Mosaru/Curd - 1/4 cup
• Toamato sauce - 3tsp
• Ghee - 4sp
• Green chilies - 2 (finely chopped)
• Red chili powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Salt to taste
• Milk/Fresh cream - 1/4 cup
• Cashews - 6
• Sugar - 1/4 sp

Method:

• Heat 2sp of ghee in a pan, add finely chopped green chilies, ginger, onion and crushed cardamom powder fry for 3 to 4 mins
• Add finely chopped tomato and fry until they are soft.
• Add curd and cook for 5 mins turnoff the flame and allow to cool to room temperature.
• Add the above mixture in mixer jar and cashews, add required quantity of water and blend them to smooth paste.
• Heat remaining ghee in a pan, add the blended paste and allow to boil.
• Add red chili powder, garam masala, salt to taste and 1/4 sp sugar and saute well and cook on low flame.
• Heat 2 sp oil in a pan, add 2inch slices of paneer and fry until raw smell goes off. add to the gravy prepared in the above step.
• Add 2 sp of Tomato Sauce and saute well. turnoff the flame add Fresh Cream and garnish with finely chopped Coriander leaves/Cilantro and serve hot with chapati and roti