Saturday, December 02, 2006
Malha Podi, chutney for Idili's and Dosa's
Ingridents:
100 grams chana dal
100 grams urad dal
8-10 red chillies
salt to taste
Method:
1. In a pan fry along with oil, the chana dal, urad dal, and red chillies till they become golden brown.
2. Then grind them in a blender till it becomes a powder, and add salt to taste. Malha podi is ready.
Dosa and Idli Battar
Dosa:
1. In a vessel take 2 1/2 cups rice with 1 cup moong dal. Set aside with water overnight.
2. Next day, pour out all the water and grind the mixture in a blender till it becomes a paste.
3.Now put this paste in a warm place overnight for fermentation.
4.Next day, see that the quantity has risen from initial. Battar is ready to make dosa's!
Idli:
1. In a vessel take 2 1/2 cups rice and 1 cup urdal. Set aside with water overnight.
2. Next day, pour out all the water and grind the mixture in a blender till it becomes a paste.
3.Now put this paste in a warm place overnight for fermentation.
4.Next day, see that the quantity has risen from initial. Battar is ready to make Idli's!
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Pongal - Sweet
Ingredients:
2 cups of Rice
1/2 cup of Moong Dhal
1 litre of Milk
1/2 cup of Ghee
3 cups of Jaggery or Brown Sugar (if Jaggery is not available)
1/4 tsp of Elaichi Powder
1/2 cup broken Cashewnuts and Raisins
Method:
1. Fry the Rice and the Moong dhal in a pan, till the moong dhal colour starts to change.
2. Boil Milk in the heavy bottom vessel. When the milk has boiled fully, add the Rice and the Moong dhal. Keep the fire in medium flame, and let it cook.
3. Add water and milk till the Rice and Moongdhal is cooked nicely. Keep adding ghee to this mixture and also keep stirring.
4. When the Rice and Moongdhal mixture is cooked add Elachi powder and Jaggery. Keep stirring, till all the jaggery is dissolved.
5. Fry the Cashewnuts and Raisins in ghee, and mix it with Sweet Pongal. Sweet Pongal is ready.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Pongal - Hot
Ingredients :
Rice 1 cup
Moong dal (Yellow split beans) 1/4 cup
Ginger and Garlic Paste
1 tsp Salt
2 tsp Cumin seeds
Whole Pepper corns according to taste
Butter/Ghee/Margarine 5 tsp
Water 3 cups
Cashews 1/4 cup
Method:
1. Cook rice and moong dal in a cooker.
2. Heat a pan with butter/ ghee/ oil. Add cashews, cumin seeds, ginger/garlic paste, whole peppers & green chilies.
3. Fry for a while. Now mix this with the cooked rice & garnish with coriander. Serve hot as a light meal.
Sunday, October 22, 2006
Vegetarian Biryani
Makes for 2 people. Preparation time 20-30mins
This is an easy and simple way to make tasty biryani. The complicated method will follow after this.
Ingriedents
Basmati Rice 2 cups
2 Onions medium size
1 big Potato
2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp of cumin seeds
1/2 of small Bunch Coriander Leaves
1 1/2 tbsp salt & chilli powder
1 1/2 tbsp biryani masala powder
2 TbspOil
2 cups of frozen mixed veggies ( of beans, carrot and peas)
5 cups of water
Method
1. Heat the electric rice cooker (if you dont have an electric rice cooker you can use a frying pan instead), then add 2 Tbsp oil, and to it add the garlic-ginger paste, cumin seeds and the onions. Fry for a while or until the onions are golden brown.
2. Now add the chopped potato and the 2 cups of frozen veggies in the rice cooker. Mix it well for about 5 mins. Then to it add the 5cups of water. Make sure that all the time the electric cook is in the cook position and not in the warm position.
3. After adding water, add the 2 tbsp of biryani masala and close the cooker and let it cook until you see bubbles, and the water inside the cooker is boiling.
4. Once the water is boiled, add the 2 cups of rice inside the cooker. Cover the lid, and let it cook until the cook position changes to warm position.
5. Biryani is ready to eat!!
This is an easy and simple way to make tasty biryani. The complicated method will follow after this.
Ingriedents
Basmati Rice 2 cups
2 Onions medium size
1 big Potato
2 tbsp Ginger-garlic paste
2 tbsp of cumin seeds
1/2 of small Bunch Coriander Leaves
1 1/2 tbsp salt & chilli powder
1 1/2 tbsp biryani masala powder
2 TbspOil
2 cups of frozen mixed veggies ( of beans, carrot and peas)
5 cups of water
Method
1. Heat the electric rice cooker (if you dont have an electric rice cooker you can use a frying pan instead), then add 2 Tbsp oil, and to it add the garlic-ginger paste, cumin seeds and the onions. Fry for a while or until the onions are golden brown.
2. Now add the chopped potato and the 2 cups of frozen veggies in the rice cooker. Mix it well for about 5 mins. Then to it add the 5cups of water. Make sure that all the time the electric cook is in the cook position and not in the warm position.
3. After adding water, add the 2 tbsp of biryani masala and close the cooker and let it cook until you see bubbles, and the water inside the cooker is boiling.
4. Once the water is boiled, add the 2 cups of rice inside the cooker. Cover the lid, and let it cook until the cook position changes to warm position.
5. Biryani is ready to eat!!
Thursday, October 19, 2006
Pav Bhaji
This recipe was taught me to by my mom, who knows how to make hard recipes easy!
Makes for 5-6 people, preparation time: 45mins
Ingredients
1 cup mixed frozen veggies ( or fresh cut beans, carrots & peas)
1 onion
2 potatos
1/4 cabbage
1/2 cauliflower
1 capisicum
1 can of tomato paste ( 100 grams)
pav bhaji masala
salt to taste
2 tsp chili powder (1 tsp, if you want it to be mild)
1/2 lemon
Method
1. First cut potatos into cubes, also cut cabbage, cauliflower and capsicum and boil all these together along with the frozen veggies in an electric cooker or pressure cooker.
2. Once the veggies are boiled, put them aside along with the water. Dont drain the water.
3. In a pan add 1-2 tsp oil, add to it cumin seeds and let it fry for 1-2mins. Then add a whole can of tomato paste and let it fry for 2 mins.
4. Then to this add the mixture of boiled veggies. Mix well untill all the tomato paste is absorbed in the veggies.
5. Smash the mixture well for a while, cover the pan and let it cook for 5-10mins on low flame.
6. Then add the desired amount of salt, 2 tsp chili powder (1 tsp if you want it to be mild ), and 1 tsp pav bhaji masala in the pan to the mixture.
7. Now squeez half the lemon in the pav bhaji ( optional).
8. Serve hot with bread toast (pav) and onions.
Tip: Here I have used an easy way by first boiling all the vegetables seperately in a cooker which is a much faster method to boil veggies.
Makes for 5-6 people, preparation time: 45mins
Ingredients
1 cup mixed frozen veggies ( or fresh cut beans, carrots & peas)
1 onion
2 potatos
1/4 cabbage
1/2 cauliflower
1 capisicum
1 can of tomato paste ( 100 grams)
pav bhaji masala
salt to taste
2 tsp chili powder (1 tsp, if you want it to be mild)
1/2 lemon
Method
1. First cut potatos into cubes, also cut cabbage, cauliflower and capsicum and boil all these together along with the frozen veggies in an electric cooker or pressure cooker.
2. Once the veggies are boiled, put them aside along with the water. Dont drain the water.
3. In a pan add 1-2 tsp oil, add to it cumin seeds and let it fry for 1-2mins. Then add a whole can of tomato paste and let it fry for 2 mins.
4. Then to this add the mixture of boiled veggies. Mix well untill all the tomato paste is absorbed in the veggies.
5. Smash the mixture well for a while, cover the pan and let it cook for 5-10mins on low flame.
6. Then add the desired amount of salt, 2 tsp chili powder (1 tsp if you want it to be mild ), and 1 tsp pav bhaji masala in the pan to the mixture.
7. Now squeez half the lemon in the pav bhaji ( optional).
8. Serve hot with bread toast (pav) and onions.
Tip: Here I have used an easy way by first boiling all the vegetables seperately in a cooker which is a much faster method to boil veggies.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Sabudana Khichdi
Ingredients
2 cup sago (tapioca),
1 potato cut into cubes, (optional)
3-4 green chilies or more,
1 teaspoon lemon juice (optional),
Garlic/ ginger paste,
salt to taste,
1 tbspoon oil,
2 teaspoon cumin seeds,
coconut and coriander leaves for garnishing,
1 onion cut into cubes,
1 small cup of mixed frozen veggies ( or fresh cut beans, and peas)
Method
1. Soak sago in water and keep it aside for one to two hours (Depending on the quality, sometimes the sago needs to be soaked overnight in a little bit of water).
2. Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add Garlic/ginger paste, cut green chillies, cumin seeds and fry for 1-2 mins.
3. Now add the cut onions and fry untill golden brown.
4. Add potato pieces, frozen veggies (or fresh cut veggies) and the required salt to taste and cover the pan over low flame for 10-15mins.
7. As soon as potatoes and veggies are tender, add the sago and stir.
8. Cook uncovered for sometime and keep mixing so that sago will not stick to the bottom.
9. Garnish with coconut and coriander leaves. Serve hot.
Tip: While making khichdi, do not cover the pan, else it will turn into an elastic ball. Khichdi tastes excellent if tossed continuously while cooking. Variation: Try something different, yet tasty by adding grated boiled potato instead of the chopped one, or by adding whole rosted peanuts and cashew nuts.
