25 June 2011

Rava Dosa

Ingredients:

  • Local/Bombay Rava - 1 cup (around 100gms)
  • Fresh Curd - 2cups
  • Water - 2-3 cups
  • Salt - 3/4 sp
  • Baking soda- 1/4 sp
  • Green Chili - 2
  • Fresh Coriander leaves/Cilantro - 3-4sp (Finely Chopped)
  • Jeera - 1-1and 1/2 sp
  • Oil - 1 Bowl

Method:
  • In a big mixing bowl add Rava, Curd and mix well without forming any lumps.
  • Add Jeera, Salt, Baking Soda, Sliced Green Chili, finely chopped Cilantro and mix well. Add water to make it to very thin in consistency and allow to set for 30 mins
  • Now spread a small cup full of dough on pre-heated griddle, spread 2sp of Oil, and cook on Low flame. Compared to regular rice dosa it take time to become brown and crispy.Add Ghee and serve hot along with Potato Sagu. 

24 June 2011

Masala Vada

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • KadaleBele/Channa Dal - 1 cup
  • Onion - 2 medium size
  • Green Chilies - 5-6
  • Ginger Garlic Paste - 1sp
  • Cilantro - 1/2 Cup
  • Mint Leaves - 1/2 Cup
  • Salt - As per taste
  • Oil - 2 Cups (For Deep fry)
  • Cooking Soda - 2 pinch

Method:
  • Soak Channa Dal in water for about 30-40 mins. Drain excess water and grind the dal using mixer to a coarse texture.No need to add water and care should be taken to see that its not grind to a smooth paste. Transfer the mixture to a large mixing bowl.
  • Finely chop Onions, Green Chilies, Cilantro and Mint leaves. You can replace Cilantro and Mint combination with a bunch of Dill Leaves/Sabsige Soppu too.
  • To a bowl containing Dal, add finely chopped Onions, Green Chilies, Cilantro and Mint leaves or Dill Leaves. roughly crushed Ginger, Garlic, Salt to taste and pinch of Baking Soda. Mix well using Spatula. Roll out ping pong ball size mixture and make them round patties. Deep fry and serve hot along with Green Chutney. Hot Vada is a treat during rainy day. 

Cauliflower and Cabbage Sabzi

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:

  • Cauliflower - 1 bowl
  • Cabbage - 1 bowl
  • Jeera/Cumin - 1sp
  • Urad Dal - 1sp
  • Channa Dal - 1sp
  • Green Chilies - 5-6
  • Oil - 5sp
  • Garam Masala - 1/2-1sp
  • Salt - As per requirement
  • Turmeric powder - a pinch
  • Sugar - 1/2 sp

Method:

  • Clean the Cauliflower Florets. Place Cauliflower florets in boiling water with a sp of table salt for 5 mins, remove florets, pat them dry and grate/finely mince, and keep it aside in a bowl.
  • Finely chop cabbage and Green Chilies too.
  • Heat oil in a pan, add Jeera or Cumin Seeds and allow to splutter.
  • Add Green chilies and Turmeric powder and fry for a while.
  • Add Urad Dal and Channa Dal and fry till they are light brown in color.
  • Add finely chopped Cabbage and Cauliflower, sprinkle 3-4 sp of Water, cover lid and cook on low flame for about 15 mins.Cabbage and Cauliflower will be cooked by this time.
  • Add Salt as per taste, 1/2 sp Sugar and 1/2 or 1 sp of Garam Masala (according to your taste) and mix well. Cook for another 2-3 mins on low flame. Goes well with Chapati, Phulka or as a sidedish with rice and Sambar.

21 April 2011

Spicy Rice Bath

Preparation time : 40 mins

Ingredints:
  • Rice - 1cup
  • Onion - 3
  • Green Chilies - 2
  • Cinnamon - 1 inch
  • Clove - 5-6
  • Sompu/Fennel Seeds - 1sp
  • Carrot - 1
  • Beans - 15
  • Green peas - 1/4 cup
  • Tomato Puree- 1/2 cup
  • Cashwes - 15
  • Red chili powder - 1sp
  • Turmeric powder - 1pinch
  • Garam Masala - 1sp
  • Salt - As per taste
  • Ghee - 4sp
  • Oil - 4sp
  • Cilantro - 2sp (Finely chopped)

For Masala:
  • Boil a cup of water in a sauce pan, Add big slice of onion and cook until 7-10 mins. Among 3 onions, 1 is used to prepare paste, another is finely chopped added to Rice bath, the last one is sliced and deep fried in Oil to light brown and added at the end.
  • In a mixer jar add, boiled onion pieces, Green Chilies, Sompu/Fennel Seeds, Cinnamon, Clove and prepare smooth paste.

How to Proceed
  • In a pressure cooker add 4 sp Oil, 3 sp Ghee, add 1 sp Mustard seeds allow them to splutter well.
  • Add finely chopped  Onions and fry until golden brown.
  • Add soaked Green peas, lengthwise chopped Carrot, Beans and fry well.
  • Add cleanly washed Rice and fry for 2 mins.
  • Add above prepared Onion base gravy, Tomato Puree, Red Chili Powder, Garam Masala, pinch of Turmeric and Salt as per Taste.
  • Add Water (1 measure of Rice: 2 measure of Water), cover the lid and cook until 2 whistles.
  • When the pressure is eased, add Cashews which are fried in ghee, and deep fried Onions mix well and serve along with any Raita of your choice.



18 April 2011

BaleKai/Raw plantain Sabzi

Preparation Time - 15-20 mins

Ingredients:

  • Balekai/Raw Plantain - 2
  • Mustard - 1sp
  • Jeera - 1sp
  • Oil - 4-5 sp
  • Grated Coconut - 1 cup
  • Red chilies - 6-7
  • Hing - a pinch
  • Turmeric- a pinch
  • Curry Leaves - a Twig
  • Salt - As per taste

Method:

  • In a mixer jar add Grated Coconut, 1sp Mustard, and Red Chilies, Do not add water, Just prepare a rough paste.
  • Remove the Skin of Raw Plantain with the help of peeler and chop into desired shape but make sure that its thin in thickness to cook easily in oil .
  • Heat Oil in a pan, add Jeera, Hing, Curry leaves and Turmeric Powder, fry well.
  • Add chopped Raw Plantain, cover the lid and cook for about 10 mins with constant stir.
  • Add salt to taste and the Coconut masala mix well, cook for 2 more mins and serve. It makes a great side dish.

15 April 2011

Malai Kofta

Preparation Time - 40 mins

Ingredients:

For Kofta

  • Aloo/Potato - 3
  • Ginger Paste - 1/2 sp
  • Green Chili Paste - 1/2 sp
  • Turmeric Powder - 1/8 th sp
  • Salt - 1/8 th sp
  • Paneer - 3sp
  • Khova - 3sp
  • Cashews - 2 sp (Cut in to small pieces)
  • Raisin - 2 sp
  • Ellakki Powder/Cardamom Powder - 1/4 sp

For Gravy

  • Onion Paste - 1/2 cup
  • Cashew paste - 1/2 cup
  • Grated Paneer - 2 sp
  • Smashed Khova - 2sp
  • Garam Masala - 1sp
  • Butter/Ghee - 2-3 sp
  • Ellakki powder/Cardamom powder - 1/4 th sp
  • Salt - As per Taste (Around 1/2 sp)
  • Fresh Cream - 4sp   

Method:

  • Pressure Cook Potatoes till three whistles, allow to cool to room temperature, de-skin and smash well and transfer to a mixing bowl. for this smashed aloo add 1/2 sp Ginger Paste, 1/2 sp Green chili paste, pinch of Turmeric powder and salt, mix well keep it aside.
  • For Stuffing, in another mixing bowl add 3sp grated Paneer, 3sp khova, finely chopped cashews 2sp, Raisin 2sp and a 1/8th sp Ellakki/Cardamom powder, mix well and roll out small balls.
  • Cover this paneer balls with aloo mix prepared in step 1 and deep fry till light brown. collect them on kitchen towel. Koftas are ready.
  • Now To prepare Gravy, Heat 2 sp Ghee/Butter in a thick bottom pan.  
  • Add mild onion paste of 1/2 cup and fry well. it will take around 10 mins to fry.
  • Add fine paste of Cashews. and continue to fry. (Soak around 15-20 cashews in water/Milk for 30 mins and prepare a smooth paste).
  • Add grated Paneer and Khova, mix well
  • Add water if required to make it to Gravy consistency.
  • Add 1/8th sp Ellakki/Cardamom powder, 1sp Garam Masala, pinch of Turmeric Powder and Salt to taste and bring it to boil on a low flame with continuous stirr. 
  •  Add Fresh cream  and turnoff the flame.
  • Arrange Koftas on a serving bowl, pour the Gravy prepared on Koftas, Garnish with grated cheese and serve along with Roti, Naan or Kulcha.  





09 April 2011

Potato Brinjal Curry

Preparation Time: 30 mins

Ingredients:
  •  KadaleKalu/Channa - 1cup
  • Potato - 2-3
  • Brinjal - 3
  • Tomato - 2
  • Onion - 1
  • Jeera - 1sp
  • Mustard seeds - 1sp
  • Oil - 3sp
  • Sambar Powder - 3sp
  • Tamarind Pulp - 4-5sp
  • Grated Coconut - 4sp
  • Salt - As per taste
  • Coriander leaves/Cilantro - 2sp

For Masala:
  • Heat a sp of oil in a pan, add Jeera, a twig of curry leaves and Onion slices, fry for 5-10 mins. turn off the flame. Allow to cool.
  • In a mixer jar, add fried onion, grated coconut, sambar powder and required quantity of water and prepare smooth paste.

Method:
  • Soak one cup of channa overnight.
  • In a pressure cooker, add soaked channa, finely chopped Potato,Brinjal, Tomato and required quantity of water (approx 2 cups) cook until 3 whistles. Allow pressure to ease.
  • Heat 3 sp oil in a thick bottom vessel, add mustard seeds and allow to splutter.
  • Add the pressure cooked vegetables, Masala/Gravy, Tamarind pulp and salt to taste.Add water to adjust to gravy consistency and allow to boil on low flame.
  • Garnish with finely chopped cilantro and serve, Goes well with Rice or Chapati.