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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USAL PAV

To make usal 

1 onion finely chopped 

1 tsp ginger garlic paste

1 & 1/2 cups  steamed matki (moth) (soaked overnight)

2 boiled potato mashed 

3 cups water (or as required)

1 tbsp coriander- cumin seeds powder

1 tsp chilli powder

1 tbsp Kanda masala 

1 tbsp oil

Salt to taste

For Garnishing :

Chopped onion

Mix dry farsan 

Chopped Coriander

To serve with :

Paav

Slice of lemon

Method

Heat oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and sauté .

Add ginger paste, garlic paste, Saute  it for a minute. 

Add chilli powder, coriander-cumin powder and kanda masala ( I bought this masala from the store) .

Sauté all the spices thoroughly. 

Then add boiled matki along with water, salt  and boil it for 5 minutes. 

Now add the mashed potatoes and mix well. 

Cook it for 8-10 minutes. 

Your usal is ready. 

Take a serving bowl

First pour ready usal in the bowl. 

Thereafter, add finely chopped onion, farsan to the mixture

Garnish it with chopped coriander

Serve it with pav and a slice of lemon

PUTTU

Ingredients
2 cups Double Horse Puttu Podi
1 tsp Salt
Coconut as needed
1 1/4 cup Water

Method 
Take the rice flour in a bowl.
Add salt. Mix well. Add water little at a time kneading all the time. (We are trying to make a powdery wet flour. The end result should be wet to touch, should be able to roll into a ball with the fist, but should powder back when crumbled. But incase you do not get the right stage, don't worry. If you add less water, it will come out a little powdered out of the kuzhal after steaming. If you add more, it will stick to kuzhal. Other than that taste does not vary much.)
Let it sit for 30 minutes. Time to fill the kuzhal. There is a chip at the base of the kuzhal. Put that in. It acts as stopper. Heat and bring to boil water in the bottom pot.
Add a small layer of coconut about 1 tbsp. Add a handful and some more of rice flour. Fill to half the kuzhal. Add another layer of coconut. Add another handful of rice flour and top with a layer of coconut. Close the lid. Put it on the top of the boiling pot of water.
Steam for about 10-12 minutes. Steam will come out of the top of the kuzhal. If you did everything perfectly, you may even see the puttu pushing out of the lid.
Remove from the pot and push the puttu out by using a stick or a knife. Serve with Kadala Curry .

BENGALI STYLE CABBAGE SABZI

Ingredients

1 small Cabbage shredded finely
2 medium size potatoes cut into small size cubes (keep in a bowl of water)
1 tomato cut into quarters
2 nos green chillies
1/4 cup Green peas
1 tbsp gingergarlicpaste
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp Garam masal powder
Salt as per taste
1 tsp Olive oil or Mustard oil

Method

Heat the oil in a kadai.
Add oil, when it is hot add cumin seeds and slit green chillies. Let it splutter and add the potato cubes and  salt.
Cook on medium heat till they turn golden brown,
Mix gingergarlicpaste, cumin- coriander powder, chilli and turmeric powder in 1/4 cup water, keep aside.
Now add the mixed spices and salt.
Stir and cook till you see the oil separating at the sides, add the cut tomato and mix well.
Once tomato turns saucy and the raw smell is gone , add shredded cabbage and salt.
Stir to combine well, cover and let it cook on medium flame for 8 minutes.
Open the lid, mix in peas and let it cook for 5-8 minutes or till the cabbage is cooked.
Finally sprinkle garam masala powder and mix well.
Serve hot with rice.