Pudina chutney with Turai Jhinga Tamatar wala

The other day I went shopping I found the freshest bunch of mint and coriander and I had to take it. The auroma was hypnotizing. I love the smell of fresh coriander and mint. After I got it I had to make something out of it else the fresh mint will just get dark and wilted and spoil away. So I made Pudina Pacchadi.
            Ofcourse, Pudina Pacchadi is just a side so I had to make something else with it and I made Ridge gourd with shrimp and Tomato

Cilantro

Mint Chutney

Mint

Pudina Chutney (Ground mint accompainment)

 


Ingredients:

1. About 4 cups of mint leaves
2. 2 cups of coriander leaves
3. Tamarind the size of a small lemon, soaked in about 2-3 tablespoons of warm water
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 2 garlic cloves
6. 1 tablespoons sesame seed oil (or any other oil
7. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
8. 2 dried red chillies
9. 1 green chilly (optional-use if you like the chutney spicy)

Wash and dry the mint and coriander on kitchen towels. In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin for a couple of minutes. Add red chillies, green chilly pieces and garlic and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the leaves and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Add salt and tamarind pulp and cook for 5 more minutes. Let it cook and grind to a paste and enjoy with rice or Idli, Dosa etc

Turai Jhinga Tamatar Wala (Ridge gourd curry with Shrimp and Tomato)

Turai Jhinga Tamatar

Ingredients:

1. 2 large ridge gourd peeled and cut into quarters and sliced 1/4 cm
2. 1 large tomato chopped
3. 1 medium red onion chopped
4. 1/2 ln shrimp shelled and deviened
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, chilly powder, home made ginger-garlic paste
6. 1 teaspoon salt divided
7. 1 large or 2 small green chillies chopped
8. 2 tablespoons oil

Sprinkle half teaspoon salt on the ridge gourd and set it aside. Use the peel to make Ridge gourd Peel Chutney

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add green chilly pieces and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add tomato and cook covered for 5 minutes. Add salt, chilly powder and turmeric and stir to combine. Squeeze as much as possible, the ridge gourd pieces to remove water and add them to the pan and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 5 minutes. Add shrimp and cook covered for 10 minutes. Remove the lid and let the excess water escape. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Also try

 Aalu Turai

Bagara Kaddu aur Ambada

Ambada or Ambade ki bhaji is what Red Sorrel Leaves are called in Hindi. Gongura in Telugu. I forgot what Gongura was called in Hindi and so I started searching or googling it but I didn't find the hindi name and finally it just popped in my head AMBADA. I made Ambada with some lamb bones (less meat more bones) so it is not exactly Gongura Mutton.

Anyway, I made Bottle gourd peel chutney and I made a simple stirfry with the flesh of the bottle gourd which I grated. And served these two with white rice. Enjoy

Bagara Kaddu (Bottle gourd stir fry)

Bagara Kaddu

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium bottle gourd peeled , seeded and grated
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard, urad dal, chana dal (soaked in water for 5 minutes)
4. 3 dried red chillies broken
5. few curry leaves
6. Cilantro for garnishing
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and turmeric

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal and chana dal for 3 minutes. Add broken red chillies and curry leaves and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the grated kaddu and cover and cookf ro 10 minutes. Stir occasionally. Add salt and turmeric, stir to combine and fry for 5 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Ambada (Red Sorrel leaves gravy with mutton)

Ingredients:

1. 1 big bunch sorrel leaves separated
2. 1 small onion sliced
3. 1/2 ln mutton (pieces with less meat)
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, ginger-garlic paste
5. 2 tablespoons oil
6. 1 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder

Pressure cook the sorrel leaves with 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and 1/4 sup water. Let the steam escape, open the cooker and grind the leaves to a smooth paste.
In a pressure cooked, heat the oil and fry the onions till translucent. Add slit green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except ground paste, cover and cook for 4 whistles. Once the steam escapes, add the ground paste to the meat, add a cup of water and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10 minutes. Serve

Wheat Dosa with Bottle Gourd Peel Chutney

Lauki Chilka Chutney

When I make any of the recipes with the skins of the vegetables which we usually discard I think of how resourceful Indian used to be in the olden days. There used to be so much less waste in everything. But India is changing sooooooooo much. People are being very wasteful and boastful
           Anyway, I made this Dosa with Wheat flour which was called "Poola" in my house. My grandma useds to love it and it is, as a matter of fact pretty delicious and easy to make. And to go with it I made Chutney with Ridge gourd. Enjoy

Poola (Whole Wheat Flour Crepes)

Wheat Dosa (pola)

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups wheat flour
2. 1/2-3/4 cup plain yogurt beaten
3. 1/4 cup finely chopped onion
4. 1 green chilly finely chopped
5. 2 tablespoons finely chopped cilantro
6. water as needed
7. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon each of salt,
8. oil for frying

In a bowl sift the wheat flour with salt and mix the beaten yogurt. Add onions and green chillies and cilantro. Add water little by little until you get a thin pan cake batter. Heat the griddle and add a teaspoon of oil. Take batter in a ladle and star pouring in a circle from outside. Add some more oil at the edges. Let it get fried for 3 minutes or until the edges turn golden. Turn and fry for a couple of more minutes. Serve hot


Sorakaaya Thokku pachadi (Bottle gourd peel cooked and ground to paste)

Ingredient:

1. 2 cups Bottle gourd peel (Remove peel with any spots on it)
2. 1 large or 2 small tomatoes chopped
3. 2 green chillies
4. 1/2 inch ginger
5. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
7. 2 tablespoons oil
8. small lemon sized tamarind soaked in 1/4 cup of water water
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of mustard seeds, cumin, urad dal
10. 2 red chillies broken
11. few curry leaves
12. 1 heaped teaspoon dry roasted sesame (optional)

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker and fry the tomatoes and ridge gourd peels green chillies and ginger and cook for 3 whistles along with turmeric and tamarind puree and a little water. After the stream escapes open the cooker and grind it to a smooth paste along with the salt. In a pan the oil and fry the urad dal, cumin and musatrd seeds for a couple of minutes. Add red chillies and curry leaves and fry till they start to splutter. Add the chutney to it and cook for 5 minutes. Enjoy
The Chutney I made was a bit sour than what I wanted so I included the sesame seeds while grinding and it turned out to be sooooo good

You might also like Brinjal Chutney
                    Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney
                    Carrot Chutney

Rice Pudding

One of my favourite old time Telugu Movies is "Maaya Bazaar". A very old black and white movie and my favourite scenes is a scene which has all the items ready for a wedding feast. Here is the songs I simply love
Vivaaha Bhojanambu

And in this song there is the mention of this particular item "Chakera Pongali" and I finally made it...looks like its just a name for rice pudding . But this particular recipe calls for making a few changes and let me tell you with those changes the taste changes too. I think I am hooked onto this Chakera Pongali. You DO try it and let me know how you enjoyed it

Chakera Pongali (Sugar Rice Pudding)

Chakera Pongali

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup rice
2. 1/2 cup Urad Dal
3. 1/4 cup ghee divided
4. 1 cup sugar
5. 2 cups whole milk
6. 1 teaspoon rose water (for flavoring) or use Cardamom
7. a pinch Saffron
8. 1 tablespoon each of cashew, almonds, raisins

In a pan heat half od ghee and fry the dry fruits till golden brown. Drain and set aside. In the same ghee add the urad dal and fry until it turns light brown. Drain and pressure cook the urad dal and rice  with 2 cups of water for 3-4 whistles. After the steam escapes mash the rice and dal a bit and add milk and bring to boil. Simmer for 5 minutes. In a pan heat the reamining ghee and sugar and 2 tablespoons water and bring to a boil. Boil on low flame for 5 minutes. Add the rice and dal mix to this and stir well to combine. Add the dry fruits, saffron and any essence or cradamom and stir well and serve hot, at room temperature ot cold.
Enjoy Chakera Pongali

Saba Fish Curry

Back in India, when I was a little kid, my mom used to go shopping for fish on those special sundays and I used to accompany her sometimes. And boy I hated that stench. And sometimes when we used to go to Dhavaleswaram my mom would just stop my dad's official car and just buy fresh fish from the fish mongers by the side of the 5th largest river in India The Mighty Godavari . Now I know why the curries she used to make with them tasted so darn delicious- Cause they were fresh
                 Anyway, I made the most basic fish curry my mom used to make and I am serving it with Tomato Dal

Saba Fish Curry (Fish curry with onions and Spices)

Saba Fish Curry

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium sized Saba cut into steaks 1-11/2 inch thinck
2. 1 medium onion
3. 1/2 teaspoon cumin
4. 1/2-2/3 inch ginger
5. 2 green chillies slit
6. 2 garlic pods
7. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric, methi powder, coriander powder
8. 2 tablespoons oil

Marinate the fish with all the powdered ingredients and oil and set aside for 5-10 minutes. Grind the onions and ginger and garlic  and cumin to a fine paste. Heat a pan and fry the fish 3 minutes on each side, drain and set aside. Add one more tablespoons of oil and fry the onion paste until it starts getting dark. Add fish to it, add half cup and slit green chillies of water cover and simmer for 5 minutes. remove lid and simmer for 5 more minutes or oil floats on top. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy fish curry

Potato Corn fry with Tomato Dal

My Bade Ammi or my mom's eldest sister was one of the few cooks I really liked besides my Ammi and my Daadi Ammi. My Bade Ammi had a very different style of cooking than what my mom and my grandmother used to make. And I just loved eating lunch at her place. Mainly because the rice she used to make was soooo not very sticky-cause she used to make Basmati Rice for everyday meals
             The Tomato Dal I am making here is my Bade Ammi's recipe and I simply loved it. The way my mom used to make Tomato Dal is different and here is the recipe for Tomato Dal Ammi Style

Potato Corn Fry (Simple Potato and corn stirfry)

Potato Corn Fry

Ingredients:

1. 2 medium russet potatoes peeled and cubed small
2. 1 cup corn kernels (thawed if frozen) (I used sweet white corn kernels)
3. 1/2 cup red onions diced
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, chilly powder, turmeric
6. 2/3 teaspoon each of salt, mango powder (optional)

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin till they start turning brown. Add cubed potatoes, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Until they become tender and slitly browned. Move the potatoes to one side and add chopped onions and cover and cook for 3-4 minutes. Add the rest of ingredients, reduce the heat, cover and cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with mango powder and cilantro and enjoy

Tomato Dal Bade Ammi Style

Tomato Moong Dal

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup yellow moong dal dry roasted
2. 2-3 tomatoes finely chopped
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of turmeric, cumin, mustard seeds
4. 1 teaspoon salt
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. 3-4 dried red chillies broken, few curry leaves

In a pressure cooker add the dal with tomato and turmeric and 2 cups water and cook for 3-4 whistles. After the steam escapes, open the cooker and mash the dal and add 2-3 more cups of water and salt and bring to a boil. In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, mustard seeds, broken chillies and curry leaves and fry for 5 minutes or till the cumin become dark in color. Add this to the dal and bring to boil and boil for 5-7 minutes. garnish with cilantro and enjoy with white rice

Goat Liver Rice with Scrambled Tofu

Goat or lamb liver is one of those things which has the highest iraon content and is highly recommended for pregnant women especially if your iron content is low like mine was. So the doctor ordered me to increase the iron in my diet and I was searching way to do just that
                   SO this is one of those good dishes you should eat and I made scrambled tofu to go with it. The combination was just perfect

Goat Liver Rice (Goat liver is cooked in Indian spices and then simmered with rice)

Goat Liver Rice

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups uncooked rice

2. ½-2/4 lb goat liver chopped into small cubes

3. 4 cups reduced sodium chicken broth or water

4. ½ teaspoon salt, chili powder, turmeric, cumin, coriander powder

5. 1 medium small onion finely chopped

6. 2 small or 1 big green chili chopped

7. 1 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste

8. 2 tablespoons oil

9. 1 small green bell pepper chopped fine

10. 2-3 bunches of green onions chopped fine

11. ¼ cup chopped cilantro

12. 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

13. 3 cloves, a cinnamon stick

14. 1 teaspoon butter

Cooking rice

• In a heavy bottomed pan melt the butter and fry the rice for 5 minutes. Take care not to burn it. Add the 4 cups broth or water with ½ teaspoon salt and bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes till rice is cooked. Set to cool

Making the liver curry and rice

• In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till they turn golden brown. Add cumin and green chili pieces, cloves and cinnamon stick and fry for a couple of minutes. Add ginger-garlic paste and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add liver pieces and fry for 5 minutes. Add ½ cup water all the spices and cover and cook till liver pieces become tender or for 1 whistle in a pressure cooker
• Simmer the curry until the gravy become a bit thick. Now add the rice and bell pepper and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low (2 or 3 setting of the stove), cover and simmer for 10 minutes. Add green onions, lemon juice and cilantro stir to combine once again, cover and continue to simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Serve hot with scrambles tofu and vinegar onions

Scrambled Tofu (Tofu Scrambled in Indian style)

Scrambled Tofu

Ingredients:

1. 10 to 12 oz soft Tofu
2. ¼ cup finely chopped red onions
3. 1 small tomato chopped fine
4. ½ cup chopped frozen spinach (optional)
5. 1 tablespoon oil
6. ½ teaspoon salt, chili powder, cumin powder, coriander powder
7. ¼ teaspoon turmeric

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add chilli pieces and fry for 1 more minute. Add tomatoes and fry till they become pulp. Add spinach if using and cover and cook for 5 minutes. Crumble tofu with hand into the pan and add all the spices and stir to combine. Cook on medium heat till excess water evaporates.

Serve with roti or rice

 

Vinegar Onions (Onions in Vinegar :D  )

 

Vinegar Onions

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup white vinegar
2. 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
3. 1 green chilly finely chopped (less for less spicy)
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt

Mix all the ingredients together and set aside for 30 minutes. Serve

 

  

Pulao with Chicken Curry

Sunday is a day for special dishes. And usually meat dishes. In those olden days, before kids, I used to make some special breakfast as well as something special for lunch. But with kids now I only have time to make one special thing either for breakfast or for lunch. This time it was lunch and I went back to my basics.
         I made the very basic pulao and Chicken curry. Yet again this chicken curry has a million variations and this is my version. Hope you will make it and like it too

Pulao
Chicken Curry (Chicken curry with Indian spices)

Bone-in Chicken Curry

Chicken Curry Azeema Style

Ingredients:

1. 1 whole chicken cut into 12 pieces
2. 1 large onion sliced fine
3. 2-3 green chillies sliced
4. 1 cup plain yogurt
5. 3 tablespoons oil
6. 1 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, coriander powder, cumin powder, ginger-garlic paste
7. 3 cloves and an inch of cinnamon pounded a bit
8. 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
9. Cilantro for garnish

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till golden brown. Add green chillies, cloves and cinnamon and ginger garlic paste and fry for 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken pieces and fry for 3-4 minutes and flip. Add the rest of the ingredients into yogurt and beat well. Add this to chicken and stir to combine. Add 1/2 cup water, cover and cook for 20 minutes or till chicken gets cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve.

Use leftover to make Lima Beans and Chicken Pulao

Lima beans Chicken Pulao and Raita

Summer if finally here and I am lovin' it. It was also summer in many of the cartoon shoes  (wuw shoes on my mind!!!) Shows my daughter watches and in one of such shows' the characters went on a picture. So my little sweetie wanted to go to. Hence I had to whip up something super fast in about an hour which is fun and easy and delicious to eat. SO the one put wonder Pulao, Pilaf, Palao whatever you call it.
        I had some leftover chicken so I am using it and I am out of the usual veggies you use in a fried rice- peas and carrots. But I recently got a can of Lima beans and I decided to use them. And believe me you, these lima beans elavated the taste of the rice to a whole new yummy level.
         Since I was going out at about 6.30 PM and the food will be eaten in less than an hour I also made some yogurt side to go with the rice. You can skip it if you are going out on a hot afternoon

Lima beans Chicken Pulao (Rice with Lima beans and chicken)

Lima Beans Chicken Pulao

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups basmati rice cooked with 3 cups water
2. 2 cups left over chicken curry or store bought rotiserrie chicken shredded and deboned
3. 1 can medium sized lima beans (drained and washed)
4. 1/2 cup chicken broth or use water
5. 1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh basil finely chopped
6. 1/2-2/3 teaspoon salt
7. 1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper or regular pepper fresh ground
8. 2 tablespoons lemon juice fresh squeezed

Cook the rice in a rice cooker and let it cool a bit. In a pot heat the chicken broth or water and add the rinsed lima beans and cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 5 more minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients except rice and lemon juice and stir. Reduce the heat to medium low and add rice and stir to combine. Cover and cook for 3 minutes. Garnish with cilantro stir again and cover and cook for 3 more minutes. Cut the heat and add lemon juice and stir to combine. Serve hot or at room temeprature

Dahi Raita: Add one green chillie finely chopped if you want it a bit spicy

Also try my other one pot wonders

1. Zeera Rice
2. Vegetable Zeera Rice
3. Plain Pulao
4. Soya Chunk Pulao
5. Armenian Narenj Pulao

Carrot Idli with Eggplant Chutney

This idli is a variation of the plain idli-one of the most popular Indian breakfasts'. But one problem with making idli is, if you want to eat it today you need to start preparing for it since yesterday morning...not even previous evening. I guess, whatever you take so much time to make is bound to turn out to be delicious
              I made chutney with eggplant to go with it and the combination is just great

Carrot Idli (Indian steamed rice with carrot)

Carrot idli

Carrot Idli

Ingredients:

1. 1 cup urad dal (peeled black gram)
2. 2 cups rice (If possible do not use Basmati)
3. 1 cup finely shredded carrot
4. 1/2 teaspoon salt
5. 1 tablespoon oil divided

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 shredded carrot 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. My 1 yr old loves these

Brinjal Chutney (Ground eggplant accompaniment)

Brinjal Chutney

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium American eggplant sliced into 4 vertically
2. 1 small onion chopped
3. 1 green chilly
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, cumin
5. 1/4 cup chopped cilantro
6. 1 tablespoon oil

Roast the eggplant at 300 for 10 minutes skin side down. Keep an eye on it, so that it won't burn
After it gets cool to handle, scrape the flesh of the eggplant
In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin for few minutes. Add onions and fry till tender. Add green chillies and fry a bit. Add eggplant flesh and salt and stir to combine. Let it cool and grind to a fine paste. Serve

Also try Peanut Chutney
        Ridge gourd Peel Chutney

Cabbage Paratha with Simple yogurt dip

Today I was searching and searching for Paratha recipes in my blog and I am so surprised to discover I didn't have any paratha recipes in my blog. I make parathas' so often that I was thinking I already have it in my blog and never get to the point of actually blogging it
         Anyway, better to be late than never
         The stuffing I am using in this paratha can also be just served as a side dish along with some  Khatti Dal with white rice or with Plain Roti
        And I am serving this Cabbage stuffed Indian bread with one of my very close friends' recipe of a very simple yet very delicious yogurt dip.

First of all make some Cabbage Stuffing

Cabbage Stuffing

Stuffed Cabbage Paratha (Indian wheat bread stuffed with stir fried cabbage)

Cabbage stuffed paratha

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups wheat flour +Extra for rolling the roti
   
2. 1-11/2 cup cooked cabbage stuffing


3. 1 teaspoon oil+ oil for frying


4. Water for making in dough


5. 1/2-2/3 teaspoon salt

Sift the flour with salt and add water to the flour a little at a time until the dough comes together. Apply one teaspoon of oil to the palm of your hand and roll the roll with your palm so that the oil coats the dough. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes
        Divided the dough into 6-8 parts. Clean your counter top and sprinkle some flour and start rolling one part of dough into tortilla. Add more flour if the dough starts to stick. Once its about 3 inches wide add a tablespoon of the stuffing and close the close as a dumpling, again into a ball and set it aside for about 5 minutes. Continue with the remaining parts of dough
           Again add some flour to your counter and start rolling the dough again using the rolling pin into a paratha about 1/2 cm thick. Heat a griddle and fry the paratha on medium heat for about 2-3 minutes at a time till drak spots start appering. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of oil or better yet use ghee on each side and fry for a couple of more minutes. Serve hot with Yogurt dip or as is

Yogurt Dip (Yogurt with Indian Spices)

Yogurt Dip

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 cup plain yogurt
2. 1/2-2/3 teaspoon chaat masala
3. 1/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

Beat the yogurt with the rest of the ingredients and serve as a dip with any type of paratha or roti

Cabbage Poriyal with Plain Roti

Somtimes you just have to make something so very simple and quick so as to make your life a little easier. This particular dish is one such dishes which is a very simple and a stand-by for me because it is such a no brainer and cabbage is one of those vegetables' which is always there in my fridge waiting for me.
        You can make your life much more easier by serving it with white rice and Khatti Dal or Sambar. As per me I am just serving it with Plain Roti. You can also make Roghni Roti or Kalonji Roti -Variations of the Roti

Cabbage Poriyal (Simple cabbage stir fry)

Cabbage Poriyal

Ingredients:

1. 1/2 head of a medium green cabbage (about 3 cups) shredded
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, turmeric, salt
4. 3 dried red chillies broken
5. few curry leaves

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin, urad dal and mustard seeds for 2 minutes. Add dried chillies and curry leaves and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add the cabbage and stir to combine. Add salt and turmeric and cover and cook till cabbage becomes tender. About 15 minutes. garnish with cilantro and serve with Roti

Roti (Plain Indian Wheat Bread)

Plain Roti

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups of whole or regular wheat flour +Extra for rolling the roti
2. Water for making in dough
3. 1/2-2/3 teaspoon salt
4. 1 teaspoon oil  + Oil for frying roti

Sift the flour with salt and add water to the flour a little at a time until the dough comes together. Apply one teaspoon of oil to the palm of your hand and roll the roll with your palm so that the oil coats the dough. Cover and set aside for 20 minutes
        Divided the dough into 6-8 parts. Clean your counter top and sprinkle some flour and start rolling one part of dough into tortilla. Add more flour if the dough starts to stick. Heat a griddle and fry the roti 1 minute at a time till drak spots start appering. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon of oil on each side and fry for a couple of more minutes. Serve hot

Sour egg curry Thai style and Tandoori Paneer

Few years ago we were in India for quite some time. The one thing I really missed when I was in India was the Oven and the grill. So we went to one of the industrial fairs which was happening in our city and I got a grill...a very crude one-coils and and an aluminum plate about 4 inches from it to hold food. The main dishes that were advertised with it were Tandoori roti and Tandoori Paneer.
                Anyway, so we got it and this cook (from a road side dhaba) came to my house to demonstrate how to use it and he made the most amazing Tandoori rotis and Tandoori Paneer on that day. I am sharing that dish here. Along with a sour soupy egg curry with Thai flavors

Anda Khatta Thailand wala (Egg curry with Tamarind juice and thai spices)

Thai yellow egg curry

Ingredients:

1. 6 hard boiled eggs peeled
2. 1 cup finely chopped onions
3. 2-3 tablespoons oil divided
4. 2 green chillies slit
5. 1 cup juice from a small lemon sized tamarind
6. 1 tablespoons store bought Thai yellow curry paste
7. 1 cup light cocnut milk or 2 tablespoons coconut milk powder
8. 2 cups warm water
9. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric, coriander, ginger-garlic paste

In a pan heat 1tbsp oil and make some slits in the eggs and fry them for 5 minutes stirring often. Drain and set aside.
Add the remaining oil and fry the onions till tender. Add green chillies, ginger-garlic paste and yellow curry paste and fry for 5 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients (if using coconut milk use only 1 more cup of water...else use 2 cups water and 2 tablespoons coconut milk powder) and bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Add boiled fried eggs and simmer further for 5-10 minutes or until gravy thickens a bit. Garnish with cilantro and serve with hot fluffy white rice

Also try Drumsticks with eggs curry
            Variety egg curry
            Egg curry with dried shrimp

Tandoori Paneer (Cottage cheese grilled with Indian spices)

Tandoory Paneer

Ingredients:

1. 100 gms or about1-11/2 cup cubed paneer
2. 1 tablespoon each of tandoori masala, chaat masala, sesame seed oil (or any vegetable oil)

Here is how to make Fresh Paneer
Mix all the ingredients with hand and set aside 30 minutes to 2 hours. Lay the paneer pieces as a single layer on a cookie sheet and put it under broiler and broil for 2-3 minutes. Cut the heat, stir the pieces once and broil further for 2-3 minutes. Serve hot.
Serve as it, as a side dish or as party bites

Drumsticks eggs curry with Rasam

Drumsticks are such a wierd vegetable. I wonder how man would have thought it is edible. I bet many people don't know what to do with it except make music :D
         Back in the old days when I was a little kid we used to have this mulaga kaada or monge phalli or drumsticks tree. I used to love them. but the only problem is, in the season when the tree used to have loads of these sticks it also used to have lots of caterpillars. YAK!!!
         There are just so many wonderful dishes you can make with them. Here is one of my favourite. Drumsticks and eggs curry

Drumsticks and eggs curry (Indian egg curry with drumsticks)

Boiled eggs

Drumstick and its leaves

Ingredients:

1. 4 hard boiled eggs peeled
2. 3 medium sized drumsticks peeled and cut into 2-3 inch pieces
3. 1 medium red onion sliced thin
4. 2 green chillies slit
5. 2 tablespoons oil
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder and turmeric, ginger-garlic paste

In a pressure cooker at the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste and fry for 2-3 minutes. Add the drumsticks and all the other ingredients except eggs. Cook for 2 whistles and open the cooker immediately by let it steam. Else the drumsticks will just become pulp.
In a pan heat 1 tablespoon oil and make slits in the eggs and fry them for 5-6 minutes. Add the drumstick curry to it and simmer till the gravy thickens. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy you amazing drumstick and egg curry with white rice or roti

With white rice make some Rasam or Chaaru

Zeera biscuits

This cookie goes perfectly with Indian tea. And it is also not so high in calories as are some of the cookies we find in the grocery stores here in the US. I find these sometimes at the Indian grocery stores but they seem to be so very expensive. And ofcourse when you make it, these are so fresh and yummy...CAUSE YOU MADE IT
                     They have a very distinctive flavor because of the cumin. Slighly salty and very slightly sweet and ofcourse the unmistakeably cumin flavor.
                    If you don't like cumin, you should definetly try these cookies

Zeera Biscuit (Indian cookies with cumin)

Zeera biscuit

Ingredients:

1. 2 cups all-purpose flour
2. 1/2 cup vegetable oil
3. 1 heaped teaspoon cumin
4. 1 egg
5. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
6. 1 teaspoon baking soda
7. 1/3 cup brown sugar

Sift the flour along with salt and baking soda and set aside. Add cumin to it and stir well. Cream oil and sugar and add egg and beat well. Add the dry ingredients and mix well with hand. Roll with a rolling pin into 1/2 cm thick cut into your favourite cookie shapes or cut into 1 in by 3-4 inch rectangles (these will be easy to dunk in the tea)
           Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees and bake for 15 minutes. Cool on a wire rack and enjoy with tea

Also try Eggless Shortbread Cookies

Arvi Maghazdaar

Arvi is a very versatile root but only if you know what to do with it otherwise it turns out to be one more bland vegetable. You can make frys, curries as well as sour curries with it


Arvi Magazdaar (Taro roots cooked in Indian spiced gravy)

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb arvi
2. 1 medium onion ground to paste
3. 1/2 teaspoon ginger-garlic paste, salt, chilly powder, coriander powder
4. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric, cumin powder
5. 2 tablespoons oil
6. cilantro for garnishing
7. 2 green chillies slit

In a pressure cooker add the Arvi with 1/2 cup water and cook for 1 whistle. Open the cooker after 5 minutes and peel the arvi and cut into bit bite size pieces and set aside.
In a non stick pan heat the oil and fry the onion paste till it starts to turn brown. Now add ginger-garlic paste and the slit green chillies and fry for a couple of minutes. Add all the ingredients with a cup of water, cover and simmer for 7-8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Here is another Arvi recipe the Taro root and chickpea flour curry

Aalu baingan and Tomato rasam

This is my all time favourite recipes and I love it love it love it. Baingan or eggplant is such a vegetable which either someone just love it or don't eat it at all. I have never met anyone who is just "ok" with it. I have known many people who just hated it when they were kids but love it as adults
            But anyway, this is my favorite recipe. Potatoes and eggplant and Rasam or chaaru. But the rasam I made is also  special. It is Tomato Rasam and it was pretty yummy
        
Aalu baingan (Potato and eggplant curry)

Aalu baingan

Ingredients:

1. 1 lb Indian purple eggplants chopped into 6-8 pieces
2. 1/2 ln onions peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
3. 1 large onion sliced thin
4. 3 tablespoons oil
5. 1 or 2 green chillies slices
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender, add the green chillies and fry for a minute. Add the rest of the ingredients and add 1 cup water. Cover and cook till the eggplant and potatoes get tender. About 20 minutes . (Or cook in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles) Simmer till the excess water evaporates and gravy thickens. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Tomato Rasam (Tomato and tamarind soup with spices)

Tomato Rasam

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups juice from a small lime sized tamarind
2. 1 big ripe tomato chopped fine
3. 1 green onion chopped fine
4. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, turmeric, coriander powder
5. 1/4 teaspoon cumin, mustard seeds
6. 1 tablespoon oil
7. 3 dried red chillies broken, few curry leaves

In a pot bring to boil the tamarind juice along with tomatoes, green chilly pieces, salt, turmeric and coriander powder. Boil for 10 minutes. In a pan heat the oil fry the cumin and mustard seeds for a couple of minutes. Add curry leaves and red chillies and fry till they start spluttering. Add this to the tamarind juice and some chopped cilantro and keep boiling for 10 more minutes. Serve

Kaaju Upma

This being one of the most simple breakfasts' made in the Southern India, I thought I already uploaded the recipe. Like many other dishes, this Upma has a million versions to it and they all taste different but equally tasty. The upma recipe I am giving here is my house version. So enjoy!

Kaaju Upma (Wheat grits with Cashew)
Ingredients:

1. 2 cups upma ravva
2. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
3. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, urad dal, finely chopped ginger
4. 1 teaspoon chana dal soaked in water for 5 minutes
5. 1-2 tablespoons cashew pieces, chopped coriander
6. 1 green chilly chopped
7. 2 red chillies broken
8. few curry leaves



Kaju Upma

9. 1 teaspoon each of oil, clarified butter

Toast the upma ravva to a golden brown color. Take care not to burn it

In a pan heat the oil and butter and fry the cashew for a couple of minutes. Add all the other ingredients which need frying. Add 3 cups of water and salt and let it come to a boil./ Reduce the heat and add the toasted ravva and cover and simmer for 5 minutes. Garnish with cilantro and cook further covered for 5 more minutes. Serve hot with Indian Pickles

Kalonji Roti, Khatta Aalu Chana Masala, Cauliflower Special

Its roti time again. I never made roti this frequently before, but since my little darling likes it and eats it without any fuss, I am making it more frequently these days
               And sometimes plain ol' roti becomes just that-PLAIN and OLD. So I try to make variations of it and today I made Kalonji Roti (Kalonji are nothing but seeds of Onion) . Looks like I was mistaken. Kalonji are seeds of the plant Nigella sativa and they are a little spicy. But I really like thier flavor in the roti. And here is one more dish I made with kalonji- Aalu Posto

Kalonji Roti (Indian bread with seeds of Nigella Saliva plant)

Kalonji Roti

Ingredients:

1. 3 cups whole wheat flour
2. 1 heaped teaspoon Kalonji
3. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
4. 1 tablespoon mustard oil (or use any other oil)
5. Oil for frying roti
6. Extra flour for making roti

Mix the salt and Kalonji with the flour and add enough water to the flour so as to make dough. Apply the mustard oil to the palm of your hand and roll the dough to apply oil to it. Set it aside covered for 20 minutes.
Divide the dough into 6-8 equal parts and put some flour on a clean counter and take one piece of dough and roll it into tortillas or roti by adding extra dough if it is sticking to the surface or the rolling pin.
Heat the griddle and fry the roti by flipping it every couple of minutes till dark spot appear. Drizzle 1/2-1/3 teaspoon oil on both side and fry for a couple of more minutes on each side. Serve

Khatta Aalu Chana Masala (Sour potato and garbanzo curry)

Khatta Aalu chana Masala

Ingredients:

1. 1 can chickpeas (garbanzo) drained (14 oz can)
2. 2 medium potatoes peeled and cubed
3. 1 medium onion sliced
4. 2 tablespoons oil
5. 1/2 cup juice from small lime sized tamarind
6. 1/2 teaspoon each of salt, chilly powder, turmeric
7. 2 green chillies slit

In a pressure cooked heat oil and fry the onions till they become translucent. Add green chillies and fry for a couple of minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook for two whistles. After the steam escapes open the cooker and simmer till the gravy becomes thick. Garnish with cilantro and serve hot with Kalonji roti or Roghni Roti

Cauliflower Special (Stir fried Cauliflower with Cashew)

Cauliflower special

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium small head of cauliflower or about 4 cups cauliflower florets in small sizes
2. 2 tablespoons oil
3. 1 tablespoon chopped cashew
4. 1 small or 3/4 cup sliced red onion
5. 1/2 teaspoon each of cumin, mustard seeds, turmeric, salt
6. 1 green chilly chopped
7. few red chillies broken

In a pan heat the oil and fry the cumin and mustard seeds for a couple of minutes. Add cashew and fry for a couple of minutes more. Add red and green chillies and fry for 2 more minutes. Add onions and fry covered till they become translucent. Add cauliflower and a tablespoon of oil and cover and cook till they become tender. About 15 minutes. Add the rest of the ingredients stir to combine and cook for 5 more minutes. Garnish with cilantro and enjoy with Roti or rice

Ande ke semiyah Jhinge ke Semiyah

Ramadan is considered one of the holiest months for Muslims because they fast through out the month and on the first day of the next month we celebrate the festival of ramadan. On that day, atleast in India the main dish is made of Semiyah or Vermicelli . And that dish is basically a sweet dish and it was first offered to God and then we all eat. And it was not one of my favourite. And my mom knew it. So she used to cook another dish with Semiyah, which we all loved . Hence we used to eat Egg Vermicelli and go and do our Ramadan Namaz or Prayers. Here is the recipe

I am also including two more variations of the dish, one with Shrimp and one with lamb

Ande ke Semiyah (Vermicelli cooked with eggs)

Ande ke semiyah

Ingredients:

1. 1 medium small onion chopped
2. 1 green chilly chopped
3. 2 tablespoons oil
4. 1/2-3/4 teaspoon salt
5. 1/4 teaspoon turmeric
6. 3 eggs
7. 11/2 cup toasted vermicelli

In a pan heat the oil and fry the onions till tender. Add green chillies and fry for a couple of more minutes. Add salt and turmeric and stir to combine. Spread the onions on the pan and add the eggs on top of them and scramble. Let the eggs cook through. Add 2 cups of water and bring to a boil. Add vermicelli or semiyah and cover and simmer till the semiyah gets cooked. Garnish with cilantro and serve as breakfast or as evening snack

Jhinge ke Semiyah (Vermicelli with Shrimp)
Ingredients:

1. 1 cup Shrimp Curry
2. 11/2 cup vermicelli
3. 11/2 cup water
4. 1/4 teaspoon salt

If the shrimp curry was made with large shrimp, cut them into smaller pieces. In a pan heat the curry and add water and salt to it and bring it to a boil. Add vermicelli and cover and cook till they are done. garnish with cilantro and enjoy

Gosht ke Semiyah (Vermicelli with Lamb)
                  Link to the recipe

Gosht ke Semiyah