Lauki Cooked In Milk

Ingredients :

• Lauki [ bottle gourd ] - 1/2 k.g.
• Milk - 2 cups
• Desi ghee - 1 tbsp
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Tej patta [ bay leaves ] - 2
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger - 1 piece [ finely chopped ]
• Fresh coriander leaves - little

Method :

Boil milk in a heavy bottomed kadhai till it gets reduced to half. Then keep aside. Peel lauki and cut into small pieces. Then  heat ghee in a pressure cooker. Add jeera, when it turn golden, add lauki. Stir fry for 10 minutes on medium flame. Add tej patta, ginger, salt and chilli powder. Mix well and cook for another 3 minutes. Then add the thickened milk and coriander. Pressure cook to give 1 whistle.And remove from the gas. Open the cooker only after the pressure goes. Serve with roti, steamed rice.

Tip :

To include lauki in your meals, you could make roti ki roti or lauki ka raita. For roti,add grated lauki to wheat flour and knead to a dough. For raita, steam grated lauki and add to well beaten curd, seasoned with a little kala namak.

Besani Bhindi [ Ladies Finger Subji ]

Ingredients :

• Bhindi [ ladies finger ] - 250 gm [ small and tender ]
• Small onion - 4 to 5 [ cut into four and separated ]
• Oil - 4 tbsp
• Ginger paste - 11/2 tsp
• Besan [ gram flour ] - 3 tbsp
• Aniseeds [ saunf ] -1/2 tsp

Powered masala:

• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Dhania powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Amchoor [ dried mango powder ] - 1/2 tsp

Method :

Wash, drain and wipe dry with a clean kitchen towel. Then slice off 1/4 from the top & bottom of each bhindi, make a slit in each piece. Keep the bhindi in a large pan. Then mix all the ingredients of the powdered masala together. Sprinkle this masala over the bhindi. Then heat oil in a big kadai,add saunf. Reduce the flame when the saunf changes colour, add besan, cook in low flame till it changes colour. Add ginger paste, stir for a few seconds and add the bhindi along with onions. Cook for 15 to 20 minutes on medium flame, stirring in between till completely cooked. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with roti, rasam rice.

Kalyana Kotsu [No onion and tomato]

Ingredients:

• Moong dal - 2 tbsp [soak in water]
• Bengal gram - 1 tbsp [soak in the water]
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Small Brinjal - 1[cut into small pieces]
• Carrot - 1 [cut into small cubes]
• Small Potato - 1 [cut into small pieces]
• Fresh green peas - little
• Green chillies - 2 to 3
• Salt - As required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 sp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Coriander leaves - little
• Jaggery - little

For seasoning:

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

Grind both the dals together in a mixer and keep aside. Then take one small cooker and add oil. When it becomes hot, add the seasoning. When the dal changes its colour, add the vegetables, ground dal paste, all the dry masalas and mix well. Add the tamarind paste, jaggery and required water. Close the cooker and allow for about 3 whistles to come. After the pressure goes, open the cooker, garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Serve hot with pongal, rice, idli and dosas.

Peas Paratha

Ingredients :

• Fresh or frozen peas - 2 cups
• [ cooked with salt and a pinch of soda-bi-carb to retain green colour. This is optional ]
• Whole wheat flour - 2 cups
• Green chillies - 6 to 7 [ chopped ]
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece [ grated ]
• Salt - as required
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander leaves - little
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Oil - 1/4 cup
• Lemon juice - 1 tsp
• Rice flour - 2tbsp

Grind together :

Grind green chillies, ginger, cumin seeds, coriander, sugar, lemon juice and little salt in mixer and keep aside.

Method :

Make a soft dough mixing flour, oil, salt and water. Divide into lime size balls. Grind the peas, add the paste and mix well. Divide the mixture into balls larger than the balls of dough. Then flattten each dough ball, place the peas mixture ball in centre and carefully cover it with the dough. Flatten slightly, sprinkle some rice flour and roll out to about 4 inch circles. Roast on hot tawa using oil on both sides. Serve hot with thick curd and pickle.

Vegetable Medley

 

Ingredients :

• French beans - 1/2 cup [ cut inti 1/2 inch pieces ]
• Carrots - 1/2 cup [ chopped fine ]
• Cauli flower florets - 1 cup
• Peas - 1/4 cup [ shelled ]
• Potatoes - 2 [ peeled and chopped finely ]
• Capsicum 1 [ chopped ]
• Salt -  as required 
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Dhaniya powder - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder - 1/4 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbsp

Method :

Heat oil in deep bottom kadai, add all chopped vegetables. Sprinkle water, cover and cook on high flame for 10 minutes. Add all the  masalas and mix well. Cook till  all the vegetables become soft. Keep the gas in low flame. Garnish with fresh cream and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with pulkas and parathas.

Vegetable Rava Uppuma

Ingredients :

• Sooji [ rava ] - 1 cup
• Chopped vegetables - 1/2 cup [ finely chopped ]
• [ onions, carrot, green peas, potato and tomatoes ]
• Salt - as required
• Water - 2 to 21/2 cups
• Green chilli - 1 finely chopped
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece [ finely chopped ]
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Ghee- 3 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Curry leaves - little
• Fresh coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Black broken dal - 1/2 tsp
Bengal gram dal - 1/2 tsp

Method :

Take one deep kadai, heat oil in high flame for 2 minutes. Add mustard seeds, urad dal, bengal gram dal, chopped green chillies, curry leaves, ginger and asafoetida. When the dals change in colour, add onions and mix well. Then add vegetables and tomatoes, fry for another 3 minutes. Then add rava and mix well. Then add boiled water along with salt. Keep the gas in low flame stir well till rava completey cooked. Add ghee to that mix well. Garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves. Add roasted peanuts, cashew nuts to uppuma for a crunchy flavor.

Minty Green Peas Soup

                                                  Minty Green Peas Soup




Ingredients :

• Green peas [ shelled ] - 2 cups
• Onions - 2 medium size
• Water - 4 to 5 cups
• Mint leaves - 1/2 cup
• Fresh cream - 1/2 cup
• Butter - 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Black pepper - to taste

Method :

Heat butter in a deep dish on high flame for 1 minute. Then add chopped onions, stir and fry for 2 minutes. Then add shelled peas, water, mint leaves, salt and black pepper. Mix well and cook on high flame for 10 minutes till peas become soft. When done, cool and grind in mixture, and strain in a soup strainer. Cook again on high flame for a minute. Remove from the gas and serve hot with  fresh cream.