OATS PONGAL

Ingredients:

3/4 cup Oats
400 ml  milk
3/4 cup Jaggery
1 tbsp Ghee
Few Almonds ,Cashews

Method:

Chop nuts into small pieces and fry them in ghee and keep it aside.
Take a tsp of ghee in a pan and fry oats for few minutes and keep it aside.
Take the milk in a thick bottomed vessel and allow it to boil in low flame until it boils.
Reduce the flame and add oats to milk. Now simmer the flame and allow the oats to cooked.
Once it cooks and thickens, add jaggery to it and mix well.
In a few minute entire jaggery will melt and blend with oats.
Finally add nuts to pongal and mix well.

BLACK PUMPKIN CURRY

This is Srilankan cuisine.

Ingredients

1/2 kg yellow pumpkin

1 cup thin coconut milk

1 onion finely sliced

3-4 garlic cloves

1 tbsp cumin seed

2 tbsp fennel seed

1 tbsp coriander seeds

2 cardamom

1/4 tsp fenugreek seed

10-12 black peppercorns

7-8 cloves

1 inch cinnamon

5-8 curry leaves

1/2 cup thick coconut milk

salt to taste

Method

Cut pumpkin into large pieces

Heat thin coconut milk in a nonstick pan, add pumpkin pieces 
and mix well.

Add sliced onion along with curry leaves, salt and mix well.

Roughly chop garlic and add to pan and mix well. 

Cover and cook till pumpkin becomes soft.

Dry roast cumin seed, fenugreek seed, coriander seed, cinnamon, 
fennel seeds, 

peppercorn, cloves,

 in a pan till brown. Cool to room temperature and grind to fine powder.

Add thick coconut milk to the first pan along with 3-4 tbsp 

ground powder and mix well. 

Cover and cook on low heat till pumpkin is fully cooked.

Store remaining powder for later use.

Transfer the curry to a serving bowl and serve hot .

TOMATO RAVA UPMA

Ingredients

1/2 cup Rava

1 onion finely chopped

1-2 tomatoes finely chopped

1 green chilli chopped

1/2 tsp chilli powder

1 cup water

salt as per taste

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tsp urad dal

1 sprig curry leaves

2 tbsp coconut oil

Method

Roast rava well in medium flame . 

Heat a nonstick pan , add oil and add mustard seeds, urad dal, curry leaves.

Now add chopped onions , green chilli. Fry until onion is soft. 

Add chopped tomatoes , chilli powder and salt.

Fry until tomatoes turn mushy. Add water , sugar and check for salt.

Bring it to a boil and add roasted rava . Mix well and cook covered in low flame for 5-7 minutes.

In between stir once to ensure even cooking. Fluff once done.

Notes- Add tomatoes and chilli powder as per your taste buds. 

TOMATO CHUTNEY

Ingredients

2 nos  ripe tomatoes 
2 green chillies
 1 tsp mustard seed
1 tsp gingergarlic paste
1-2 tsp  vinegar

1tsp paprika
salt as per taste

Method

Grind the chillies, mustard,garlicginger paste with the vinegar.
Remove the skins from the tomatoes by dipping them into boiling water.
Cut the tomatoes into squares,and put it in a saucepan.
Now add the vinegar , paprika and boil until pulpy.
Add the ground ingredients and salt, and boil the whole gently till it is of a good consistancy.
Yummy chutney is ready to serve with dosas or idlis.

PUNJABI STYLE MATAR PANEER

Ingredients

120 gms paneer
1 cup peas , fresh or frozen
1 tsp turmeric powder
1-2 tsp chili powder
1-2 tbsp coriander powder
2 tbsp butter
2 cups water
1 tbsp cream
few coriander leaves for garnishing
salt as per taste

Ingredients for masala paste
1 medium size onion , chopped
3 medium tomatoes chopped
2 garlic
1/2 inch ginger
1 tbsp chopped coriander leaves
5-6  nos cashews

Method

Blend all ingredients mentioned under masala paste in a blender to a smooth paste, keep aside.
Heat oil or butter in a kadai, add masala paste.
Fry for 7 minutes on medium flame till oil separates from paste.
Add all the dry spice powder's and stir, now add peas, water and salt and cook till peas are done.
Add paneer cubes and cream ( I usually don't buy cream at home so substituted with 1-2 tbsp milk)
Simmer for 2-3 minutes or till paneer cubses gets cooked.(don't overcook as the paneer becomes dense and hard)
Garnish with coriander leaves.
Serve with roti, naan or rice.

DHABA CHICKEN CURRY

Ingredients

1 kg chicken drumstick

2 onions chopped finely

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 inch ginger, chopped finely

1 tbsp coriander powder

1/2 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1/4 tsp cinnamon powder

pinch of cloves powder

pinch of cardomom

1/2 tsp turmeric powder

1 cup tomato sauce

1 cup water

garam masala for sprinkling

salt as per taste

2 tbsp coriander leaves

1/4 cup oil

Method

Heat oil in a kadai, on medium heat.

Add coriander, turmeric,cumin, chili, Cinnamon, cloves, cardamom powders and cook on low heat for 1 minute.

Add chopped onions, ginger, garlic and cook on high heat until mixture is golden brown.

Add tomato sauce and simmer for about 3 minute.

Add chicken pieces and salt and mix well. 

Add water, cover and boil.

Simmer on low heat , until chicken is done.

Sprinkle garam masala and chopped coriander leaves and serve with rice or naan.

STIR FRIED POTATO USING FLAXSEED

Ingredients

4 large Potatoes, boiled, peeled & cubed
1 tsp Black Mustard Seeds 
1 tsp Split Black Gram 
1 tsp Cumin Seeds 
1 tsp Flax Seeds (alsi) 
2 tsp Salt  to taste
½ tsp Turmeric Powder 
1 tsp Asafoetida 
1 tsp Red Chilli Powder
4-5 TBsp Vegetable Oil

Method

Cook / Boil potatoes. (the potatoes should not be too soft. They should have a bite to them) Peel & cut them into 1 inch cubes.
Heat oil in a (preferably) non stick pan with high sides. Add the mustard seeds.
Once the mustard seeds start to crackle, add the cumin seeds, flax seeds & split black gram (urad dal)
Let them fry for a minute until they turn golden brown.
Add the potato cubes, turmeric, salt & asafoetida (hing). Mix everything well together.
Let that cook on medium low. Mix from bottom up every few minutes to make sure nothing sticks to the bottom & burns.
Continue to cook / fry for 8-10 minutes until the potatoes have suitable crunched up and look reduced. (depending upon how crunchy you want, you can cook for longer or not)
Add red chilli powder. (This is added in the end because chilli has higher chances of burning quickly if added in the beginning)
Mix well & fry for a final 2 minutes.
Serve with plain rice or bread or you can eat as is!