Mutter Paneer and Dal Makhani

This is another of those dishes that my brother likes. So I made it and I also made Dal makhani which is my favourite and it may be a little different version from the original...hmmm to be frank with so many websites out there with the recipes for dishes you want, what can you call original? I donno!!!

Anyway, I made the above two dishes and I made cabbage roti with that. This particular roti is not a paratha i.e cabbage stuffed in between the dough but cabbage mixed in with the flour to make dough for the roti. So here comes...

Patta Gobi Roti (Indian bread with cabbage)

Cabbage roti

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups wheat flour
2. 1 cup finely shredded cabbage
3. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
4. water for makeing dough
5. oil for frying roti

In a microwave safe bowl microwave the cabbage covered for 3 minutes with a little bit of water. Set aside to cool.
            When the cabbage gets to room temperature add it to the flor and salt and mix the dough with  little water at a time. Form the dough into a ball, apply a tablespoon of oil to your palm and roll the dough. Cover and set aside for 20-30 minutes.
            Make about 8-9 equals parts of the dough and roll it into roti 1/6 inch thick. Heat the griddle and fry the roti till it gets dark brown spots. Apply canola oil or ghee (clarified butter) and fry for 1 more minute on each side. Enjoy hot with Dal makhani and Matter Paneer

Matter Paneer (Peas and cottage cheese curry)

Matter Paneer (Peas with cottage cheese)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cup of paneer ( 1 cm cubes)
2. 1 cup fresh or frozen green peas thawed
3. 1/2 cup fienly chopped onions
4. 1/2 cup finely chopped tomatoes or 2 tablespoons tomato paste
5. 3 tablespoons oil
6. 2 small or 1 big green chilly chopped
7. 1/2 teaspoon salt, turmeric, red chilly powder
8. cilantro for garnishing

Here is How to make fresh Paneer
In a pan heat 2 tablespoons of oil and fry the paneer pieces till they start changing color. Drain and set aside. Add the rest of the oil and fry the onions till they become translucent. Add the green chillies and tomatoes (if using fresh) and cook till they become pulpy. Add the rest of the ingredients (if using tomato paste add it here) , add 1/2 cup of water, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add cilantro and simmer it for 5 more minutes. Serve with roti or rice

Dal Makhani (Lentils in buttery gravy)



Dal Makhani

 Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup whole Urad dal with skins (Black gram) soaked in water over night
2. 1/2 cup kidney or pinto beans soaked over night
3. 1/2 cup chopped onions
4. 1/2 cup finey chopped tomatoes
5. 1/2 cup milk
6. 1 big or 2 small green chillies chopped
7. 1/2 teaspoon cumin, salt, chilly powder, turmeric, finely chopped ginger
8. 1 teaspoon coriander powder, mango powder (optional), butter, plain yougurt
9. 2 tablespoons oil

In a pressure cooker, cook the drained black gram and beans with turmeric and 1/2 cup of water for 2 whistles. In a pan heat the oil fry the cumin for a couple of minutes. Add onions and fry the onions till tender. Add green chillie and ginger a fry for a couple of minutes more. Add tomatoes and fry till they become pulpy. Add the beans and lentil mixture from the cooker and mash them a little. Add the rest of the ingredients stir to combine and simmer for 10 minutes covered, stirring occasionally. Top it with butter if using, garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot Dal makhani with roti

Jhinga Shami kabab with Khichidi and Dahi Raita

There has been some gap between the last time I posted a recipe here and today. That is because my beloved chote bhaiyya (brother) is here.
                One thing is realised is that you are very fortunate to have a sister. In many ways she will become your mother. Especially in terms of cooking. She will more or less cook similar to your mom's cooking and she will know what you like and love to eat. There will be hardly any people in this whole wide world who would not like thier mom's cooking or who would like their wife's cooking better than their moms'. Ofcourse they would have to say that they like their wife's cooking better than their moms' else you know...

           So here is is. These are my brother's favourite dishes. This is actually my beloved DaadiAmmi's (my father's mother) recipe. She was a terrific cook and so was my mom. And I guess my brother likes my cooking too ;) . The dish Khichidi I am giving below has many many versions and this is my family's version. It is simple and yummy

Khichidi (Rice with lentils)

Moong Dal Khichidi

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups uncooked basmati rice washed and soaked in water for 15 minutes
2. 1/2 cup moong dal
3. 2 tablespoons oil
4. 1/2 cup thinly sliced onions
5. 2-3 cloves and 1 inch cinnamon broken into 3-4 pieces
6. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
7. Handful of cilantro chopped
8. Few mint leaves chopped
9. 2 green chillies slit
10. 3/4 teaspoon salt

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start changing color. Add ginger-garlic paste and the cloves and cinnamon and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the slit green chillies and fry for a minute. Add 4-41/2 cups of water and add salt to it and bring it to a boil. Add cilantro and mint and rice and washed moon dal (If you can dry roast this before hand, it will enhance the taste of the khichidi). Close the cooker and cook for 3 whistles. Let the steam escape, open the cooker and serve hot with Jhinga Shami and Yougurt Raita

Jhinga Shami (Shrimp cakes Indian style)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb small shrimp peeled and deveined
2. 1/2 cup chana dal soaked for 20 minutes
3. 1 medium small potato boiled
4. 1/2 cup chopped onion
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 2 green chillies or to taste
7. 2 big or few small garlic pods
8. 1 inch peeled ginger
9. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
10. 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
11. Oil for shallow frying

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and fry the cumin for2-3 minutes. Add onions and fry till they turn translucent. Add all the other ingredients except shrimp. Fry for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and fry for 5 more minutes. Cut the heat and add cilantro and stir once and set aside to cool. Once it cools down grind it to a coarse paste. Make 2 inch wide and 1/2 inch thick patties and shallow fry it till they become deep brown. Turn carefully and fry on the other side. Serve as is or along with Khichidi

 The raita recipe I am giving here again has hundres of versions. This is again my family's recipe

Dahi Raita (Yogurt with onions)

Dahi Raita

Ingredients:

1.  1 cup plain yougurt
2. 1/2 teaspoon salt
3. 1 or 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (adjust to taste)
4. 2 tablespoons red onions finely chopped
5. 1 green onion finely chopped (or to taste)
6. 1 tablespoon finely chopped cilantro

Mix all ingredients together along with half a cup of water. Serve with Khichidi or with any kabab




                          

Bagara Khana, Aalu Gosht aur Tomato ka Khatta

Today was one of those auspicious days when I make special dishes and give offerings (FATEHA) to God. It used to feel so good on such days back home when I was with my parents. But now that I am the head of the house hold it just creates more work for me. Not that I am complaining but I am just saying.
                This Bagara Khana  or Pulao  as it was known in my household is pretty simple and delicious rice dish. And I also made Gulab Jamun today of which Ras Gul hogaya tha - the sugar syrup in which these balls of milk powder are supposed to be floating was totally absorbed by the balls. So the Ras i.e the syrup Gul hogaya i.e disappeared. There is this particular hindi song which is coming to my mind. Enjoy it here

Bagara Khana (Indian style spicy rice)



Simple Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium small red onion sliced thin
2. 2 cups basmati rice
3. 3 tablespoons oil
4. 2 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon
5. 1 tablespoon ginger-garlic paste
6. 3/4 teaspoon salt
7. 2 big or 4 green chillies sliced

In a heavy bottomed deep pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they turn brown. Add sliced green chillies, cloves and cinnamon and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add 3-31/2 cups of water and salt and bring it to a boil. Add washed basmati rice and 1/4 cup chopped cilantro and set the heat to medium low and cook covered for 20 minutes or until rice is done. Stir occasionally. Enjoy hot with Aalu gosht and Tomato ka khatta

Aalu Gosht (Spicy Potato and lamb curry)

Aalu gosht (Potato lamb)

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 lb lamb with bones cut into cubes
2. 2 large potatos peeled and cubed into 1 inch
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric, ginger-garlic paste
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 medium onion sliced
6. 2 green chillies sliced

In the pressure cooker, add the oil and fry the onions till they change color. Now add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add Gosht i.e the lamb pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add all the ingredients except potatoes and 1/2 cup water and cook for 2 whistles. Once the steam escapes open the cooker add the potato pieces and cook for 1 more whistle. After the steam escapes, open the cooker and simmer till all the excess water evaporates. garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Tamatar ka Khatta (Tomato and tamarind soup)

Tamatar ka Khatta

Ingredients:

1. 2 large tomatoes sliced
2. 2 cups juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric, and sugar
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 small onion sliced
6. 1 large or 2 small green chillies

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they become translucent. Add sliced chillies and fry couple of minutes more. Add tomato pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 15 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Gulab Jamun (Balls made of milk, fried and soaked in sugar syrup)

Gulab Jamun

Cabbage with lamb and Rasam

Today is sunday evening and we are all kinda full. But still I need to make dinner. So I asked my dear hubby what he wants to eat. He said he wants RASAM. Can you believe it. Can you just eat rice with rasam. So I made Cabbage with lamb and I was craving some chinese so I also made some sweet and sour mushroom.
              In India people who eat meat also do not eat it as much as people eat here in the US of A. People eat more vegetables there and making only meat dishes is once or twice a week maximum. Other days meat is added to ingredients mainly vegetables and let me tell you a little bit of meat definitely enhances the whole dishes's flavor.

Cabbage with Lamb (Pieces of lamb are cooked along with shredded cabbage)

Gobi Gosht

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sized cabbage shredded
2. 1/2 lb lamb cut into cubes
3. 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilly powder, turmeric
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1/2-1 cup of sliced onions
6. 2 green chillies

In a pressure cooker add the oil and fry the onions till they start changing color. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the lamb pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add all the other ingredients except cabbage and 1/2 cup of water and close the cooker and cook for 2 whistles. Let all the steam escape, open the cooker and add the cabbage to it and cover and cook for 1 whistle. Let the steam escape, open the cooker and simmer till all the excess water evaporates. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with hot rice and RASAM

Sweet and sour mushroom

Sweet and Sour Mushroom

Sweet and Sour Mushroom

Ingredients:

1. 16 oz mushrooms wiped and cut into quarters
2. 1 small capsicum cut into 1 inch cubes (optional)
3. 1 small onion chopped
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of grated garlic and ginger

For Sauce:

1. 1 teaspoon corn flour, sugar
2. 1 tablespoon each of soya sauce, rice vinegar, chilly paste or chilly flakes
3. 1 cup chicken stock

Mix the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl and set aside. In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add ginger and garlic and fry for a couple of minutes. Add mushrooms and capsicum if using and fry for 5 minutes. Reduce heat and add the sauce and stir to combines. Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Garnish with green onions and cilantro and enjoy with steamed rice

The same recipe can be modified to make sweet and sour chicken with 2 cups of cooked chopped chicken instead of mushrooms

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Baingan macchi and Rasam

I got Tilapia the other day and I love fish along with eggplant. Personally I am not a big fan of seafood but this curry is one of my favourite fish recipes
Baingan Macchi (Fish curry with eggplant)

Fish with Eggplant

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sized Tilapia cut into 3/4 inch thick steaks
2. 1 medium small eggplant cut vertically into 3 or 4 pieces and then sliced
3. 2 green chillies
4. 1 medium small onion sliced
5. 3 tablespoons oil
6. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
7. Handful of cilantro roughly chopped
8.  1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric and coriander powder

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add the eggplant pieces and fry for 6-8 minutes. Add all the other ingredients except fish and stir to combine. Add a cup of water reduce heat and add fish. Simmer for 10 minutes, covered. Stir and simmer without cover for 5 more minutes. Serve hot with rice and rasam

Garlic Rasam (Thin lentil soup)

Rasam

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup toor dal pressure cooked for 3-4 whistles
2. 3 cups juice from a small lime sized tamarind
3. 1 teaspoon tomato puree, grated coconut
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, grated garlic, coriander powder, cumin powder, mustard seeds
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 2 red chillies, few curry leaves

Grind the toor dal to a fine paste after it gets cooled. In a heavy bottomed pan heat the oil and add the mustard seeds to crackle. Add the grated garlic and coconut and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all the powders and fry for a minute. Add the tamarind juice and tomato puree and boil on a medium flame for 10 minutes. Reduce heat and add the ground toor dal. Simmer for 5-8 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot

Soya chunk pilaf and Crab cakes

Today being the weekend, it is either something special or go eat out. I got soya chunks the other day, again one of those things hubby likes very much. And today I sent my dear  husband to go grocery shopping so he picks up few things I didn't write on the list. One of them being crab meat. SO here we go. So chunk pulao, pilaf along with crab cakes. I should say these crab cakes are amazing

Soya Chunk Pulao (Rice with Soya chunks )

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups uncooked rice
2. 1/2 cup lentils soaked in water for an hour
3. 1/2 cup soya wadi or chunks soaked in salted hot water for 20 minutes
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste
6. 2 green chillies chopped
7. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
8. 1 big or 2 small carrots chopped into small cubes
9. 2 cloves, 2 inches of cinnamon cut into 4 pieces, 1 bay leaf

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the cumin, cloves, cinnamon and bay leaf fried for 3-4 minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and green chillies and fry for a couple of minutes. Add 4 cups of water and salt and let it come to boil. Add rice and lentils and cook for 3 whistles. Drain the soya chunks and once the steam escapes add it to the rice along with 1/4 cup of chopped cilantro. Serve hot.

Crab cakes (Crab meat with some fillers, baked)

Ingredients:

1. 1 and 1/2 cup crab meat
2. 1 cup plain bread crumbs
3. 1 egg yolk and white separated
4. 1 tablespoon mayo
5. 1 teaspoon hot sauce, mustard, butter
6. 2 or 3 green onions chopped fine
7. 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
8. 1/2 teaspoon salt, red chilly flakes
9. 1 more cup bread crumbs

Mix all the ingredients along with the egg yolk. If it looks dry add some egg white some at a time. Divide into 8 parts and make it into 2 inch patties and pat it with the bread crumbs. Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees. Bake for 12-15 minutes. Turn the cakes mid way. Serve hot as is or with any flavoured rice

Mauz ka talan aur Gujrati besan kadhai

I am running low on idead today. So I had to make something which is different but good. I made raw banana or plankton fry curry or as it is called in Telugu "Mudda arati kura" and the Gujrati besan kadhai. Here's the recipe

Plankton fry (Raw banana boiled and fried)

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium large plankton peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
2. 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
3. 2 tablespoons oil
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, chana dal, salt, turmeric
5. 2 red chillies and 1 green chilly cut into pieces
6. few curry leaves

In a pressure cooker, cook the plankton pieces with a cup of water and turmeric for 2 whistles. Let the steam escape. In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal for 3 minutes. Add the onion pieces and fry till they become tender. Now add the chilly pieces and fry for a couple of more minutes. Now add tha plankton from the cooker and stir to combine. Fry till a crust forms at the bottom. Scrape it and fry for 5 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice and besan kadhai

Gujrati Besan kadhai (Powdered chickpeas cooked in yogurt)

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups of butter milk (1 cup plain yogurt beaten and mixed with 3 cups of water)
2. 3 tablespoons besan (chane ka aata, chick pea flour)
3. 1 tablespoon oil
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, frinely chopped ginger
5. 1 green chilly finely chopped
6. 2 red chillies broken
7. Few curry leaves
8. 3/4 to 1 teaspoon salt as per taste

Mix together the besan and butter milk without any lumps. In a pan heat the oil and fry all the items except besan mix and salt, till they start to splutter. Now reduce the heat to low and add the besan mix to it and stir to combine. Simmer on a very low heat for about 15 minutes. Add salt and garnish with cilantro and enjoy hot.

It is very important that this is heated on a very low flame or heat else the yougurt will cuddle and it will just break apart and float on top separating from the water

Palak Paneer and Sorakaaya pulusu

I got paneer from the Indian store the other day and today I am ready to cook it. So the Palak paneer and sorakaaya pulusu

Palak Paneer (Cottage cheese cooked with Spinach)

Palak Paneer

Ingredients:

1. 1/4 lb or about 2 cups of paneer cubed
2. 3 cups frozen or 1 big bunch of chopped spinach
3. 1/2 teaspoon cumin, turmeric powder
4. 1 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, tomato paste, coriander powder
5. 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
6. 2 tablespoons oil
7. 1 medium garlic chopped fine (don't grate it)

Here is how to make fresh paneer
Put the chopped spinach in a microwave safe bowl, cover it and cook for 3 minutes . (This step is entirely optional and it is just to speed up the cooking time)

In a pan heat 1 tablespoon of oil and fry the paneer pieces for about 5 minutes. Take out the paneer pieces and take about 3 or 4 cubes and crumble them and set them all aside.
In a pan heat the remaining oil and add the cumin and fry for a couple of minutes. Now add onions and fry till they become tender. Add spinach and all the other ingredients, stir to combine and simmer for 6-8 minutes. Add paneer pieces back to the pot and simmer futher for 6 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro, serve with roti or serve with rice along with bottle gourd sour curry

Kaddu ka khatta (Bottle gourd cooked in Tamarind juice)

Kaddu ka khatta

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium small bottle gourd peeled and cut into1/2 inch pieces
2. 3 cups juice from 1 small lime sized tamarind
3. 1 green chilly chopped and 2 red chillies
4. 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
5. 1/2 teaspoon cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, finely chopped garlic
6. 1 heaped teaspoon besan
7. 2 tablespoons oil divided
8. few curry leaves

In a pressure cooker add 1 tablespoon oil and fry the onions till tender. Add the gourd pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add salt and turmeric and the tamarind juice and cook for 2 whistles or else cook in a pot till the gourd pieces become tender. In a pan heat the remaining oil and fry the cumin, urad dal, mustard seeds, red and green chilly pieces and the curry leaves and fry till they start spluttering. Add the cooked sorakaya pieces, juices and all to this.Add the besan if your are using it. Simmer till oil separates. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Carrot Poriyal and Aam dal

I try to make a total vegetarian meal atleast 2 times a week. So today was one of those days and the menu for today is Carrot Poriyal or Gajar bagar and Aam dal

Carrot Poriyal (Stir fry carrot with an Indian touch)

Ingredients:

1. 4 small or 3 large carrots cut into shoe strings
2. 1 cup finely sliced cabbage (optional)
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, turmeric, salt
4. 2 dreid red chillies, few curry leaves
5. 2 tablespoons oil
6. 1 tablespoons dried shredded coconut (optional)

In a microwave safe bowl add a tablespoon water and carrot pieces and microwave covered for 2 minutes (This is just ot fasten the cooking time)

In a pan heat the oil and add cumin, mustard seeds, urada dal and fry for a couple of minutes. Now add chilly pieces and curry leaves and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add cabbage (if using else skip to next sentence) and fry for 3-4 minutes. Drain the carrots and add it to the pan and add salt ans turmeric and fry on medium high for 6-7 minutes. Add coconut if using and stir to combine and cut the heat. Stir once more, garnish with cilantro and serve with hot rice and Mango dal

Aam dal(Lentils cooked with sour mango)

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium fresh mango peeled and chopped into pieces
2. 1 cup slighly roasted toor dal
3. 3 cups water
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
6. For tempering: 1 tablespoon oil, 1 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, 2 dried red chillies, few curry leaves

In the pressure cooker, cook together the toor dal and mango pieces for 4 whistles with a cup of water. After the steam escapes open it and mash the dal. Add the remaining water and bring to a boil. In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin and mustard seeds, then the red chillies and the curry leaves. Add the dal to it and bring it to a boil with rest of the ingredients. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with hot rice

Pulihora and Egg Scramble

Today is one of those days when I am missing home. I don't want to eat anything I am cooking. Missing mom's cooking. But what can you do when you mom is not with you...you still have to eat!!! So I am making Pulihora or Puligora or Pullaharam. Well...this means nothing but "Sour food" or "Sour Rice".
                     This is basically Indian style fried rice with tamarind juice (the sour part). I made scrambled eggs along with it. You can just eat it by itself but I just made it anyway Indian style Scrambled Egg . This recipe is already on my blog. Click here to get there.

Pulihora (Cooked rice mixed with tamarind juice)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups rice cooked
2. 3 tablespoons oil
3. 2 handfulls of cashew pieces
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, asafoetida, salt, turmeric, finely chopped ginger
5. 1 teaspoon each of urad dal, chana dal (soaked for 10 minutes), sesame seeds, sugar
6. 1 big or 2 green chillies chopped, few curry leaves, 2 dried red chillies
7. Cilantro for garnish
8. 1/2 cup of thick juice from 1 lemon sized tamarind

*Soak the tamarind in warm water and get the juice

In a pan heat the oil and add cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, cashew pieces and let them splutter. Add the rest of the ingredients except tamarind juice and rice. Let them all get fried. Add the juice and simmer till the oil separates. Now add rice and mix well. Garnish with cilantro and let it cool a bit. Serve as is or with Scrambled Egg

Idli with peanut chutney and carrot chutney

Its weekend again and time to cook some good Indian breakfast for the family. When I was in India and mom used to cook for me, my favourite breakfast was Idli. But my mom didn't like making idlis very often because it takes forever for them to get cooked. All you need to cook idlis is PATIENCE and loads of it. First of all you need to plan atleast a couple of days ahead to make it. Then make the batter and wait for it to get fermented. Then again put the idlis in the cooker and WAIT for them to cook. Then cut the heat again WAIT for them to cool down a bit. THEN finally after a million times of waiting you get to eat them.
                But then when I started cooking for myself I didn't like making idlis. Because I just didn't plan ahead always the idlis would turn out hard. BECAUSE I forgot to ferment the batter. Anyway so I planned ahead, remembered ahead of time to soak the dal, and all and finally made them. This time they turned out delicious and fluffy too. So here's how to make the idlis and the chutneys (accompanements) for them or with dosa or Garelu or plain rice or anything you care to serve them with

Idli (Steam cooked cakes made of rice and peeled black gram)



Fluffy Idli



Ingredients:

1. 1 cup urad dal (peeled black gram)
2. 2 cups rice (If possible do not use Basmati)
3. 1/2 teaspoon salt

Soak the Urad dal and rice in separate containers for atleast 6 hours (The morning before your intended day of eating Idlis works best). In the evening grind the rice and dal (separately....else the rice won't get ground) into a smooth and thick paste with as little water as possible. Add salt and mix the batter well and set on the counter overnight
Mom's tip: Add 1/4 cup of cooked rice while grinding. This enhances the fermentation process and Idlis turn out fluffier

In the morning of your special idli day, take the idli patra (this is a special dish to make idlis) if you don't have it, get some banana leaves add some batter to it and close them and steam them. I am assuming you have an idli patra. Greece the individual idli things and drop some batter in it and steam cook idlis for 20 minutes. After the steam escapes from the cooker. Open and let the patras cool a bit. With a big spoon scoop up the idlis and serve warm with ghee on top, and chutneys or plain if you are serving them to kids. Even my 6 month old eats these.

Peanut Chutney (Roasted peanuts ground with tamarind juice)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup plain peanuts skinned and dry roasted
2. 1/2 cup juice from tamarind the size of small lime
3. 1/2 in ginger roasted
4. 2 red chillies and 1/2 teaspoon cumin roasted
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. Optional Tempering: 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, mustard seeds, 2 red chillies, few curry leaves

Gring the peanuts first into a coarse powder. Now add the rest of the ingredients and grind to a fine paste. Serve as is or heat the oil for tempering. Add mustad and cumin seeds and let the splutter. Now add chilly pieces and curry leaves and add the hot oil on top of the chutney and serve.

Carrot Chutney (Steamed carrot paste with indian spices)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups of roughly chopped carrots
2. 1/2 cup chopped onions
3. 1 tablespoon oil
4. 2-3 tablespoons of tamarind juice
5. 1/2 teaspoon salt
6. 1 green chilly or 2 dried red chillies
7. 1/2 inch ginger
8. For tempering: 1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, few curry leaves and 2 dried red chillies

Microwave the carrots covered with the tamarind juice for 3 minutes. In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till translucent. add the ginger pieces along with chilly pieces  and fry for a couple of more minutes. Let them cool and grind them along with the rest of the ingredients and carrots into a smooth paste. Add the oil in a pan and add cumin, mustard seeds and urad dal. When they start spluttering add the chilly pieces and curry leaves. For for a couple of more minutes and add the on top of the chutney. Serve with your delicious idlis.

Sambar (Lentils cooked in tamarind juice along with spices)

When I got married my mom gave me this amazing recipe book of vegetarian recipes. In those days I preferred vegetarian to any kind of meat so she presented me with this book. In this book there are about 7 different types of sambar powder recipes. The following is my variation of one of the recipes. I made one of them and let me tell you non of the store bought sambar powders comes close to the taste of my home made sambar powder

Sambar Powder( Indian spice mix)

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup each of chana dal, urad dal, toor dal, coriander seeds
2. 6 dried red chillies (Add more if you want a spicier mix)

Dry roast each ingredient separately and let them cool. Grind them too a fine paste and store in an air tight container

Ingredients for sambar:

1. 1 tablespoons above made smabar powder or any store bought
2. 1 cup toor dal soaked in 2 cups of water
3. 2 cups juice from tamarind the size of a medium lemon
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric
5. 1 green chilly chopped
6. Vegetable mix ( 1/4 cup each of roughly chopped onions, carrots, okra, 1 indian brinjal, 1 drumstick cut into pieces)
7. For tempering:  1 tablespoon oil, 1/2 teaspoon cumin, mustard seeds, Hing/ asafoetida 2 red chillies, few curry leaves

In a pressure cooker add the dal and the water they were soaking in and cook for 4 whistles. Let the steam escape, open the cooker and mash them. Add the tamarind juice and all the other ingredients and bring it to a boil and boil for 5 minutes. Add the tempering i.e heat the oil fry the cumin, hing and mustard seeds. Add red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a couple of minutes. Add it to sambar, bring it to boiling again. Boil for 5 more minutes. Serve with you idlis.

Yummy breakfast!!!

Cabbage with black-eyed peas

am running low on supplies i.e vegetables and the items in my pantry. And since its almost (2 more days )weekend I am just procastinating my shopping trip. So I am just trying to make something out of whatever I am left with. case in point I have cabbage in the fridge and black eyed peas and a whole lot of cans of tomato paste in my pantry. SO I decided to make them. And the accompainment is Pyaz ka khatta i.e is onions cooked in tamarind juice. And I am cooking rice today but I bet this cabbage-black eyed peas combo aka curry would go well with plain roti. So here comes

cabbage with black-eyed peas (The items cooked in indian spices)

Ingredients:

1. 4 cups thinly sliced cabbage
2. 1 can black eyed peas drained
3. 1/2 cup chopped onions
4. 1 green chilly chopped
5. 2 tablepoons oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, grated ginger
7. 1 teaspoon mild Madras curry powder (otherwise use 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin powder, coriander powder)
8. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
9. coriander for garnishing

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add chilly pieces and ginger and fry for a couple of minutes. Add cabbage, a little water and cover and cook till they become tender (I cooked both cabbage and BEPs (  :D Black Eyed Peas) in peassure cooker with1/4 cup water for one whistle to speed up the process)
           Add BEPs and all the other ingredients stir to combine, cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Stir occasinally. garnish with cilantro and serve with roti or rice

Pyaz ka khatta (Onions cooked in Tamarind juice)

Pyaz ka khatta

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium onion chopped
2. 3 cups of juice/ pulp from 1 small lemon sized tamarind
3. 1 green chilly chopped
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt, chilly powder, turmeric
5. 1 tablespoon oil

In a pressure cooker heat the oil and fry the onions till they start changing color. Add chilly pieces and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add all the other ingredients, close the cooker and cook for 3 whistles. Let the steam escape and open the cooker and simmer till oil float on top. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Sweet bread

This recipe is from one of my cousin sister-in-laws. Hmm...what is cousin sis-in-law. Well...she is the wife of my cousin :D . This was her mom's recipe. She used to make it when she was craving something sweet.

So...this sweet bread is roti actually but sweet

Misti Roti (Indian bread stuffed with Sugar)

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup of wheat flour
2. water to make dough
3. 4 teaspoons sugar divided
4. Ghee or clarified butter to fry the roti
5. 1/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1 teaspoon oil

Mix the salt in the wheat flour and add a little water at a time and make it into a dough. Rub it around with the oil and set it aside covered for 20-30 minutes. Divide it into 4 parts. Take one part and roolit into a small circle. Add one teaspoon sugar and make it into a dumpling. Add some flour to the surface and roll it again into a roti. Heat the griddle and fry the roti until golden brown on both side. Add ghee to both side and serve hot. It is YUMMY!!!