RED BELL PEPPER CHUTNEY

Ingredients

1 big Onion, cubed 
3 cloves Garlic, cut 
2 samll Tomato, cubed 
2 Red Capsicum, cubed
1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped
Salt- to taste

2 tsp oil

Oil 1 tsp
1/2 tsp Jeera 

1 tbsp Urad dhal 
Dried red chilli-2-3
Tamarind- Pea size

Method

Heat a teaspoon of oil in a pan and roast the jeera, urad dhal, dried red chillies and tamarind together till the urad dhal becomes golden colour and the red chillies becomes crisp. Set aside and allow to cool. Blend in a mixer jar as a coarse powder.

Heat two teaspoons of oil in a pan and add the cubed onion, pinch of salt and cook slightly. Then add the garlic and cook for a minute. Now add the cut tomato and cook for a minute till it becomes slightly soft but not mushy.

Now add the red capsicum and enough salt. Cook for two minutes till the peel starts to get blisters or the bright red colour starts to change.
Now add the coriander leaves and cook for fifteen seconds and switch off the gas. Allow to cool.
Now add the urad dhal mixture into the blender and powder it. If it is a coarse powder also it will grind further with capsicum.
Now add the capsicum mixture and grind as a fine puree.
Without tempering itself this chutney tastes really yummy.
If you wish you could splutter mustard seeds in oil and then add some curry leaves and mix with this chutney.(This step is optional)
Serve with Idli or Dosa. 
Can be stored up to 2-3 days in refrigerator.

GAWAR ALU SABZI

Ingredients

1 1/2 cup Gawar / Cluster beans  cut into ½ inch bits
1 medium Potato, diced
2 large Onion
1 large Tomato, chopped
7 cloves Garlic
1/2 "Ginger
4 Green chilies
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 Cloves
1 tsp Kashmiri red chili powder
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 tsp Coriander powder
1 tsp Garam Masala
3/4 tsp Everest meat masala
3 tbsp Oil
Water – 1 and ½ cup or as needed depending on your pressure cooker
2 tbsp Coriander leaves , finely chopped

Method

Take ginger, garlic, green chilies, clove, and cumin seeds in a mortar and pestle.
Pound them all really well. Set aside.
Heat oil in a pressure cooker. Add in the onions. Sauté them till they turn golden brown.
Add the mixture of ginger, garlic, green chilies, clove, and cumin seeds. Sauté till the raw smell disappears and it gives out a nice aroma.
Add the tomato and cook till they get mushy and some oil begins to separate.
Add turmeric powder, Kashmiri red chili powder, coriander powder, garam masala, and meat masala. Cook for a few seconds.
Add gawar/cluster beans, salt, and sauté them with the masala.
When the masala begins to stick to the base, add a couple of tablespoons of water and continue to saute the beans while stirring constantly on high flame. Repeat this process 2-3 times. I used up about ¾ cup of water sauteing the beans.
Add in ½ cup of water and mix. Close the pressure cooker and cook the cluster beans for 3 whistles. The beans should be partially cooked.
Open the lid and add in the potatoes. Add some more water if needed. I added another ¼ water. Mix well. Close the pressure cooker again and cook the cluster beans and potatoes for 3 whistles or till the vegetables are completely cooked. Turn off the heat.
Let the pressure release. Open the cooker. If any water is left, turn the heat on high and let it dry off a bit.
The oil will begin to separate again. Add in the chopped coriander leaves and give it a final stir. Cluster beans potato curry for rice is now ready.
Serve the cluster beans potato curry with chapathis or rice. Enjoy

RAJMA MASALA WITH CURRY LEAVES

Ingredients

1/2 cup Red Kidney Beans (Rajma)
1/2 ginger-garlic paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chili powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
asofoetida – a pinch
salt to taste
1 tsp mustard seeds
4 cloves
1/2 cinnamon stick

To Grind :

30 curry leaves
2 onions
1 tomato
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp peppercorns

Method

Pressure cook Rajma with 3/4 cup water for 6-7 whistles. Remove from the heat and allow to cool. 
Heat oil in a kadhai and temper mustard seeds. 

Add cloves, cinnamon and saute a while. Add ground masala and cook for 2 mins.
Add cooked rajma, turmeric powder, coriander powder, red chili powder, asofoetida and salt to taste.
Add 1/2 cup water and cook it covered till the oil separates and masala becomes thick. 

Garnish with chopped coriander and serve hot with rice.

CHILLI MUSHROOM

Ingredients

1 cup of button mushrooms (cleaned and quartered)

½ cup bell pepper/ capsicum cubed

⅓ cup chopped spring onions

1 green chili 

1 medium onion cubed and layers separated (optional)

1 tbsp chopped garlic

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp soya sauce

¾ tbsp tsp chili sauce 

¾ tbsp tomato ketchup

⅛ tsp pepper powder

Salt as needed

2 tbsp water

Method

Rinse and wipe off mushrooms with a kitchen towel. Slice or halve or quarter them. If you want to remove the skin you can just peel off.
Heat a wide skillet with oil on a high flame.
Add garlic and saute for a min to get a good aroma. Add mushrooms and chili. Saute for 2 mins. Cover and cook until the mushrooms are half done.
Add the capsicum and spring onions, toss and fry till the capsicums are almost cooked but not soft. Make sure mushrooms are cooked as well.
Add the sauces to the skillet evenly. Add 2 tbsp water. Add pepper powder. Toss and fry for another min or until the sauce thickens. 
Serve chilli mushroom with hakka noodles or fried rice.

ONION TOMATO CHUTNEY

Ingredients

1 Onion , chopped 
1 Tomato , chopped
1 tbsp Ginger, chopped 
1 tsp Coriander seeds 
6 nos Red chillies 
2 tsp Chana dal 
1/2 tsp Tamarind 
2 tbsp Coconut, grated 
pinch Asafoetida 

To temper

2 tsp Oil 
1 tsp Mustard
1 tsp Urad dal 
Few Curry leaves 

Method

In a kadai, add oil, roast chilli, chana dal first 30 seconds.
Then add coriander seeds, continue roasting for 30 more seconds and then lastly add asafoetida.
Add chopped ginger, cubed onion and fry for a minute.
Add cubed tomatoes and fry until soft.
Remove on a plate to cool down.
Grind with coconut, salt and tamarind. Add little water while grinding.
Transfer to serving bowl and temper heating adding oil, splutter mustard, urad dal and curry leaves. Mix to serve.

Notes

Make sure to add enough red chillies depending on the spiciness the red chilli has.
You can skip coconut and make the same way.

SWISS CHARD SABZI

Ingredients

1 large onion, finely chopped

2 tbsp finely chopped ginger

3-4 cloves garlic

3 large tomatoes, roughly chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 bunch swiss chard stems, chopped into 1/2 " pieces

1 bunch chard leaves, rolled into cigars and cut into strips

1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 tsp cumin powder

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 pinch chili powder

Method

Heat oil or ghee in a pan. Add onion, saute well.

Add ginger and garlic ans saute well.

Add tomatoes, tomato paste, spice mixture. Cover and let it simmer until tomatoes break apart easily with spoon and begin to look like sauce for 5-10 minutes. 

Add chard stems and simmer , until tender.

Add chard leaves, cover and let it simmer until leaves wilt.

Add salt to taste.

TOMATO CORIANDER CHUTNEY

Ingredients:

4 tomatoes, sliced

1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves

12-15 mint leaves

1 tsp urad dal

1 tsp cumin seeds

2 green chilies

1 tbsp oil

salt to taste

For tempering

1 tsp oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 dry chili

pinch asafoetida

8-10 curry leaves

Method

Heat oil in nonstick pan. Add cumin seeds , urad dal, let it splutter .

Add green chilies and saute for few seconds. Now add coriander and mint leaves, saute for 2 minutes.

Remove and keep aside.

In the same pan, add remaining oil, add chopped tomatoes and saute till mushy.Remove and cool.

Grind cumin mixture and them add tomato mixture, salt. grind to coarse paste adding 2-3 tbsp water. Remove into a bowl.

Hat oil in pan, add mustard seeds, after it pops, add dry chili , curry leaves, and fry for few seconds. Now add asafoetida and add the seasoning to the ground mixture.

Serve with dosas and idli.

OAT BARLEY ADAI

Ingredients

1 cup brown rice

1/2 cup moong dal

1/2 cup pearl bar;ey

1/2 cup cooking oats

6-7 green chili , according to your taste

7-8 curry leaves

3-4 dry red chili

1 tsp chopped ginger

asafoetida pinch

salt to taste

tsp sesame oil

Method

In a large bowl mix first four items. Wash and drain these four grains together.

Soak the grains in sufficient water for 3 hours .

Drain water and grind these in blender with curry leaves, ginger, green chili, red chili ,oats along with water.

This does not have to be ground very smooth, the grains could be texture of rava.

The batter should be of pouring consistency but not too thin and runny. Add salt to taste.

Heat a tawa on medium high heat.

When tawa is hot, pout ladle full of batter abd spread quickly and evenly to create thin circle.

Pour sesame oil on the side facing uo.

When lower side is browned, flip it over ans cook other sides for few seconds.

Serve with chutney.

Capsicum Rice

INGREDIENTS:
2 cups of cooked rice
2 cups of capsicum, cut into small cubes (any colour or mixed)
1 tbsp of lemon juice
1/4 tsp of turmeric powder

For tempering:
2-3 tbsp of oil
1/2 tsp of black mustard seeds
1 tsp of split urad dal
1 tsp of chana dal
2 dry red chillies
A few curry leaves
2 tbsp of roasted peanuts

For masala powder:
3 dry red chllies
A small piece of cinnamon
1 tsp of coriander seeds
1 tsp of cumin seeds
1/2 tsp of split urad dal
1 tsp of chana dal

Method

Fry the ingredients for Masala powder in 1 tsp oil until golden brown.

Cool, grind to powder and set aside.

Heat oil in a pan and add all ingredients for seasoning. Fry until dal turns golden brown.

Add capsicum , salt, turmeric powder. Reduce heat and cook until capsicum turns softer but still retains its shape. Don't cook to a mush. 

Add cooked rice to this and mix well. Heat through.

Finally add masala powder and lemon juice and salt.

Mix well and let it sit for 10 minutes for the flavours to mingle. 

Serve warm with raits or papad.

Note

Make sue to adjust all spices to your taste.

Take care not to burn spices and dal in masala powder or the rice will taste bitter.

BOW TIE PASTA

Ingredients

1 cup Farfalle pasta (you can use any pasta of your choice)

1 onion , finely chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

1 tbsp garlic , chopped

1 tsp chili powder

1/4 cup peas and carrot

1/4 cup capsicum

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/4 tsp pepper powder

pinch kasuri methi

1/2 tsp Italian seasoning

2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

2 tsp cumin seeds

salt as needed

3 tbsp olive oil

Method

Boil 4 cups of water and add pasta and salt as required. Cook for 10-12 mins or as per package instructions.

drain the pasta, reserve 1/4 cup water drained for later use. 

Heat a kadai with oil and temper cumin seeds, add garlic and stir fry .

Add finely chopped onion and fry until transparent. Add vegetables, salt and fry for 2 minutes in medium flame. 

Add tomato paste, chilli powder, garam masala, turmeric powder, kasuri methi, Italian seasoning.

Fry until oil seperates and Add chopped capsicum at the end and fry for a minute.

Add cooked pasta and reserved water . Stir well add pepper powder and garnish with coriander leaves.

ORANGE POPPY SEEDS PANCAKE

Ingredients

1 cup flour

1/2tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup rolled arts

1tsp orange zest, grated

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/4 cup poppy seeds

1 cup milk

1/3 cup orange juice

Method

In a medium bowl , stir tiger here flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, oats, orange zest, sunflower seeds, poppy seeds.

Add milk and juice , stir until just mixed.

Portion out 1 cup batter into hot non stick pan and cover with lid.

Let it sit until the centre starts to bubble .

Flip pancake over and cook other side until golden brown. 

NYLON KHAMAN DHOKLA

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups besan
1  1/2 tbs rava
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp ginger-green chili paste
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp fruit salt (eno)
pinch asafoetida
few curry leaves
1 tsp chopped green chillies
coriander leaves for garnishing
green chutney to serve
salt to taste

Method

Combine besan, rava, sugar, ginger-green chili paste, lemon juice, salt with 3/4 cup water in a deep bowl and mix well using a whisk to get a smooth batter
Just before steaming, add fruit salt and mix lightly.
Pour the mixture immediately to a greased thali and spread by rotating the thali clockwise.
Steam in a steamer for 10-12 minutes or till dhokla are cooked. Keep aside.
Heat oil  in a nonstick pan and add mustard seeds.
When seeds crackle, add asafoetida, curry leaves, green chillies and saute on medium flame for 30 minutes.
Remove from flame , add 1/2 cup water and mix well.
Pour the tempering over prepared dhoklas and spread it evenly.
Cut into pieces, and garnish with coriander leaves and serve with green chutney.

DOSA BATTER PAKODA

Ingredients

1 cup leftover dosa batter

1-2 tbsp flour

1 small onion finely chopped

3-6 green chillies finely chopped

1 tsp grated ginger

Few coriander leaves finely chopped

few curry leaves finely chopped

salt as per taste

pinch baking soda

Oil for frying

Method

Combine all the above ingredients in a  vessel and mix well.

Check salt and you can reduce or add chillies according to your spice level.

Heat a kadai with oil for deep frying the pakodas.

The batter should be little looser than pakoda batter.

Drop small portions of batter in the oil and fry in medium flame till light golden in colour and serve it hot with coconut chutney .

BABY CORN 65

Ingredients

Baby corns (sliced into half) – 12 to 15 ( I used can baby corn )

1 bunch Coriander leaves
2 sprigs Curry leaves
2 Green chili finely chopped
Ginger  small piece finely chopped
5-8 Garlic cloves
Salt as per taste
1/2 tsp Garam Masala Powder
1 tsp Kashmiri Red Chili Powder  (You can use any red chili powder. But to give more color, we are using Kashmiri red chili powder instead of an artificial food color).
1/4 cup Rice Flour
1 tbsp All-purpose Flour
1 tbsp Corn Flour
1tsp  Lemon Juice
1 tbsp Curd
 Cooking oil for deep frying.

Method

First, boil the baby corns by adding some water into a pan.
When the water is boiling, add a pinch of salt and then I’m going to add the sliced baby corns into hot water and I’ll boil them for two to three minutes.When the baby corns are boiled, keep them aside.
Next, prepare the batter for frying the baby corns. 
Add coriander leaves, curry leaves, one green chili , ginger and garlic. If you want more spiciness, you can add more of green chilies.
Blend them together and make into a rough grounded paste.
Add the paste to a mixing bowl, add garam masala powder, add ½ teaspoon Kashmiri red chili powder. You can always adjust your spice level. Again, you can use any red chili powder. But to give more colour, we are going to use Kashmiri red chili powder because I don’t like to add food colour.
Add rice flour, add all-purpose flour, add salt as per taste and mix them all.
Add lemon juice, add 1 tablespoon of curd and mix all ingredients to make it a nice thick smooth batter. 
You may have to add little bit of water as well because the batter shouldn’t be neither too thin nor thick. 
Drop all the babycorn pieces into the batter. 
Pour cooking oil on a pan and heat it on a medium flame.
When the oil is hot enough, add the babycorn mixed with batter into the hot oil.
Fry them for at least two to three minutes until they are brown colour. Don’t try to flip them around as soon you put them into the hot oil, because they masala batter may come off.
The fried babycorns are ready. Keep them aside.
Your BabyCorn 65 is ready.
Enjoy this crispy and crunchy recipe.

CUURY LEAVES IDLI POWDER

 

Ingredients

1 cup  Curry leaves / Karuveppilai (fresh and tightly packed)
1/2 cup  Whole black gram without skin 
6 to 7 nos  Dry red chillies (as needed)
1/4 tsp Asafoetida
1/2 tsp  Coconut Oil 
Salt to taste

Method

Wash curry leaves thoroughly and dry it completely or pat dry them with paper towel. 
Heat a pan, dry roast curry leaves for 2 to 3 mins or until it turns crispy and nice aroma comes. Switch off the stove and allow them to cool.
In the same pan add 1/2 tsp oil, add whole black gram, bengal gram, dry red chillies and roast over medium flame until it turns golden brown in color. Switch off the stove and add asafoetida, let it cool.
Grind curry leaves in a mixer grinder until it is 1/2 done. Then add roasted dhal mixtures along with required salt, grind it to a coarse powder. Then spread this Powder on a paper and cool them for a while then store it in an airtight container. Curry leaves idly powder is ready to serve with hot idly and dosai.

Notes

Do not over roast curry leaves and dhal mixtures otherwise it will get burnt smell in the powder.You can increase or decrease red chillies as per your taste.After roasting dhal mixtures and curry leaves, immediately remove from the pan and cool them in a plate or paper. Otherwise dhal and curry leaves will turn black due to over heat.

KALAKAND

• Ingredients

• 1 cup ricotta cheese 
• 1 cup condensed milk
• Chopped nuts for garnish (optional)

• 
  

Method

Grease a plate or baking tray with butter or ghee and keep ready
Place the ricotta cheese and condensed milk in a pan on medium heat. I recommend using a non-stick pan and a flexible silicon spatula for the job
Mix frequently as the mixture starts to simmer. The cheese will begin to harden and become crumbly
Keep mixing and cooking on medium-low heat and let the mixture bubble
The moisture will start leaving the kalakand mixture and the crumbly texture will increase
Keep mixing occasionally and make sure you scrape down the sides of the pan with the spatula to ensure no bits are burning on the edges
It took me about 14 mins to reach the right consistency. This will depend a lot on the moisture in your ricotta cheese and the temperature you are using to cook the kalakand
Once the texture is crumbly mostly and there's no extra moisture in the mix, remove from heat and transfer the mixture to the greased plate or tray
Flatten with the top of the spatula and let it cool completely

1. Cut into squares and serve
2. Refrigerate the remaining and serve within 2 days for maximum freshness
3. You can garnish with slivered almonds (like I did), or chopped nuts, etc

MILK BARFI

Ingredients

1 cup milk powder
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/4 cup milk
1/4 cup butter
saffron strands, dry fruits or nuts of your choice for garnishing (optional)

Method

Butter a tray or plate and set aside.
Heat butter in a non stick pan on low flame until melt.
Add milk and milk powder and mix thoroughly.
Now mix in the powdered sugar and keep stirring continuously.
Cook till it becomes a lump in the middle and butter starts leaving the sides of the mixture.
Transfer this mixture to the buttered tray or plate and flatten in with the back of a spoon.
Allow it to cool and set. Now cut into desired shape and garnish with the soaked saffron and nuts of your choice. 

Serve at room temperature.

RAVA LADOO

Ingredients

1 cup Rava

3/4 cup Sugar

10 pieces cashews (optional)

10-15 raisin

4 cardamom

1/4 cup ghee

2-3 tbsp milk

Method

Heat 1 tsp of ghee in a kadai and roast the rava in it until nice aroma comes out in a low flame. Keep stirring continuously, make sure the rava does not get burnt.

Cool down the rava and grind the rava to coarse powder, transfer it to a mixing bowl.

Grind the sugar and cardamoms together in the mixer to a fine powder and transfer it to the mixing bowl. 

Mix the rava and sugar powder really well.

Heat 2 tsp of ghee in a kadai and roast the cashew nuts and raisins to golden brown color. Add the cashew nuts and raisins to the rava mixture.

Heat the rest of the ghee in the same kadai and add it to the rava mixture and mix them really well with a ladle.

It will start looking crumbly, add little milk and mix with your hand. When the mixture is still warm make small balls/ladoos.

If the mixture gets dried up sprinkle some more milk or warm ghee to it, mix well and make the ladoos. Arrange the ladoos in a plate and let it cool for some time.

Super delicious Rava Ladoos are ready for neivedhyam or just as a quick sweet.

Notes

Store the rava ladoos in airtight containers it stays fresh for 4 -5 days.
I personally prefer to grind rava to a coarse powder, so that it will not be very sticky when you eat and gentle to your throat. If you want you can make it to fine powder.
If you want to use less amount of ghee, then increase the amount of milk when making the ladoos.
For more shelf life of ladoos, do not add milk. Instead use warm ghee to make the ladoos, which will stay fresh for about 10 days.

CHINESE PAKODA

Ingredients

1 cup chick pea flour or besan
1 cup grated cabbage
1 cup onion finely chopped
1/4 cup green capsicum finely chopped
2 tbsp carrot finely chopped
2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
pepper
salt
2 tsp soyasauce
1 tsp chilli sauce

Method

Take a big bowl , mix all the above and keep it for 1 hour .
Take a Kadhai , pour oil make small balls and deep fry .
Yummy Pakodas are ready.

IDLI MANCHURIAN

Ingredients

8 - Idlis
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1 small onion chopped into 1 inch pieces
1/2 cup Greeen & Red Pepper , cut into 1 inch cubes
3 spring onions, chopped with white and green parts seperate
3 green chillies, chopped finely
1 tsp ginger chopped finley
2 tsp garlic , chopped finely
1 tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp sriracha sauce
1-2 tbsp ketchup
1 tbsp cornflour (mixed with 1/4 cup water)
2 tsp oil or enough to spray on idlis
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Preheat oven to 375 F. Cut idles into small pieces ( I made about 9 pieces with each idli)
Toss with some chili powder and spread on a baking sheet , coat with some oil spray. Place in oven and bake with 15-20 minutes or till golden and crispy.
Heat 1 tsp oil in a pan and add chopped green chilies, ginger, garlic, spring onion white and onions. Cook till they are translucent.
Add bell peppers and salt and saute till they are crisp- tender.
Push veggies to edges of the pan and in the middle pour remaining 1 tsp oil.
In this oil toss in the sauces with a sprinkle of pepper and salt, as required. When they are heated through, toss with the veggies and the baked idli pieces.
Now add cornflour mixed with water to this and toss for a few more minutes till it all comes together and gets a slight glaze.
Garnish with spring onion tops and serve hot.