VEG HANDI

Ingredients

3 tbsp Cashew Paste

1 medium carrot chopped

8-10 french beanschopped

1 potato chopped

1/4 cup green peas

1/4 cup paneer cubes (optional)

1 onion finely chopped

1 tomato finely chopped

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp curd

1 tsp turmeric powder

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

1/2 tsp kasuri methi

2 tsp butter

salt as per taste

1 bay leaf

2 cloves

1 inch cinnamon 

few coriander leaves

Few mint leaves

Method

Soak cashews in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain ad blend the soaked cashews to a smooth paste.

Meanwhile while cashews are soaking steam the veggies in a steamer of cooker until half cooked.

Heat butter in a handi. Add cloves, Cinnamon and bay leaf., saute till fragrant,

Add chopped onions, and saute till golden brown.

Add ginger garlic paste, coriander leaves and mint leaves , stir and saute for a minute.

Now add chopped tomatoes and saute till pulpy .

Add turmeric, chili and coriander powder . Add cashew paste and curd . Stir often and saute till you see fat releasing from the sides.Add water, stir.

Add slit chilies and let the gravy begin to simmer. 

Àdd the steamed veggies alongwith salt and simmer on low.

Now add kasuri methi and garam masala powder . Cook for 10 more minutes.

Garnish with chopped coriander or mint leaves and serve with rotis or naan .

LETTUCE SALAD WITH CILANTRO DRESSING

Ingredients

1 Large head of Romaine Lettuce

1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

1 large orange or red bell pepper

1 large tomato chopped or 10 cherry tomatoes

1 avocado cut into cubes

For the dressing

1 cup loosely packed cilantro

1/2 avocado or 1/2 cup plain yogurt or Greek yogurt

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

 1/4 cup olive oil

1 tsp vinegar

salt as per taste

Directions

Make the dressing -puree ingredients in blender until smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary,

Finelychopp Romaince, tomatoes and bell pepper.

Place all ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine,

Toss with dressing.

CROISSANT

Ingredients

1 can Pillsbury refrigerated crescent dinner rolls
1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method 

Heat oven to 350F . Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
Separate crescent roll dough into 8 triangles. Sprinkle about 1 tbsp chocolate chips on top of each triangle. If you think your triangle can hold more , add more. Press chips down lightly to get them to stick. Reserve remaining chocolate chips.
Roll up, starting from wide end and rolling to opposite point, Place into baking sheet and curve into croissant shape.
Bake 15 minutes or until deep golden brown. Remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool for 5 minutes. serve warm. Try adding whipped cream on top. Leftovers keep well covered tightly at room temperature for 3 days.

VENDHAYA DOSA

This Dosa recipe is taken for Raks Kitchen. This is different from regular dosa batter and it has less of urad dal. I thought of giving it a try and it was really good .

Ingredients

3 cups Idli Rice

2 tbsp Urad dal

3 tbsp Fenugreek seeds

Salt as per taste.

Method

Soak everything except sal for 3 hours.

Grind until smooth with water as needed. It should be a bit watery than idli batter. It takes some time to get ground smooth because of methi seeds.

Lastly add salt while grinding and transfer to a large vessel. Leave it overnight.

Next day morning, mix the batter with a ladle and add water if necessary.

Heat a dosa pan and grease it with few drops of sesame oil.

Spread the batter to t thick dosa and cook it covered in medium flame until gets cooked. It takes less time to cook.

Serve steaming hot dosa wit sambhar or any podi of your choice.

PRAWN MASALA CURRY

Ingredients

20 nos large Prawns

1 tsp turmeric powder

2 tsp chilli powder

1 tsp fennel seeds

3/4 tsp cumin seeds

1 tbsp raw rice

1 1/2 tbsp coriander powder

1 onion finely chopped

1tsp  ginger garlic paste

1 tbsp tomato purée

1 tsp mustard seed

6-8 curry leaves

Salt as per taste

Few coriander leaves

2 tbsp coconut oil

Method

Clean prawns , marinate with Turmeric and 1 tsp chilli powder and salt. Keep it aside for 1 hour.

Heat oil, add fennel seeds, cumin seeds, rice, coriander power roast it.  Turn off the flame and add 1 tsp chilli powder.

Grind the above spices and keep it aside.

Heat oil in a kadai, add mustard seeds, curry leaves. After it splutters add onion , sauté . 

Add ginger garlic paste fry until raw smell goes off.

Add tomato purée , cook .

Add prawns and ground masala along with salt , turmeric . 

Boil until prawns are cooked 

Add coriander leaves.

BOTTLEGUORD (DUDHI) AND GREEN GRAM CURRY

Ingredients

1/4 cup Whole Moong dal / Green Gram 

1 cup Bottle Gourd , chopped n cubed pieces

1 no. Onion ,finely chopped

1 no. Tomato , finely chopped

1/2 tsp Tamarind paste  dissolved in 1/4 cup water

1 tsp Ginger finely chopped

3 cloves Garlic finely chopped

1 tsp chilli powder

2 tsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin  powder

Garam Masala Powder   a generous pinch

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder  

1 tsp cumin seeds 

few curry leaves

1 no dry chili broken

Salt    to taste

Cilantro leaves finely chopped

2 tsp Oil  

Method

Wash and take moong bean in a pressure cooker add 2 cups of water and pressure cook for 2 whistles.

Once done allow the pressure to cool down, then open the lid and lightly mash it using a spatula and keep aside.

Wash bottle gourd thoroughly, then peel the skin cut into half and remove the centre seed part discard it and chop the outer part into cubes and keep ready.

Heat oil in a kadai, add cumin seeds allow to splutter then add hing let it sizzle then add curry leaves n dry red chilli fry well.

Then add finely chopped ginger and garlic and saute it and then add finely chopped onion and saute until it turns golden brown.

After that add chopped tomato and saute till soft n mushy.

And then add bottle gourd pieces, turmeric powder and stir fry for a minute.

Now add chilli, coriander and cumin seed powders and stir fry for few seconds, then add cooked moong bean with its water content stir well.

Add enough salt and bring it to boil.

Once it starts boiling add tamarind water and simmer for 2 minutes.

Lastly add garam masala powder, few finely chopped cilantro n fresh ginger julienne, stir well and switch off the stove.

That's it...Tangy & tasty Green Gram Bottle gourd curry ready. Serve hot with rice or rotis.

ALU PARATHA

Ingredients

2 cups Wheat flour
4 medium potatoes boiled
1 tbsp Coriander powder
1 tbsp Cumin powder
1/2 tbsp Amchur powder
1 green chili finely chopped
Red chilli powder according to taste
Salt as per taste
Garam masala as per taste
1/2 cup Finely chopped cilantro
Butter as required

METHOD

Peel off the outer shell of the boiled potatoes and mash it well  with hands.
Add coriander powder, cumin powder, amchur, chopped green chillies,chilli powder, garam masala salt and cilantro in the mashed potatoes. Mix it well and set it aside.
Pour wheat flour in a bowl and add water into it to make a dough . The dough should not be too hard or too soft - if dough is too tough , add little more water. If dough is too soft add more flour.
Knead the dough for a few minutes on a lightly greased surface to make it soft.
Make small balls of the dough and make it slightly thicker than chapatis in a circle form.
Place a little of potato mixture on the centre of the d ough. After this, roll the dough into a ball.
Seal the edges completely so that the stuffing does not come out.
Flatten the dough balls, and press them thin with both hands in the form of a circle.
Heat the tawa . Spread little oil or butter and cook the paratha over low heat .
After few minutes , turn the paratha and spread butter or oil on other side. Continue cooking both sides, until colour of paratha becomes golden brown,
Remove form tava and it hot.

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