Karnataka brahmin sambhar

Ingredients :

• Tuvar dal -  1/4 cup
• Tomatoes - 2 [ chopped ]
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Chopped vegetables [ raw red pumpkin ] - 1/2 cup
• Jaggery - 1 tbsp [ powdered ]
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required

Roast and grind  for masala :

• Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp
• Black gram [ urad dal ] - 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 6 to 7
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Channa dal - 1 tbsp
• Fenugreek seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Greated fresh coconut - 1/2 cup
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

[ for frying masala ingredients ]


Method :

In a pan add 1/2 tsp of oil & roast the ingredients except coconut & pottukadalai / fried gram till a fried aroma emanates.

Keep aside to cool to be ground later into a fine paste.

Meanwhile cook the tuvar dal with vegetable salt, tomatoes in a pressure cooker with 2 cups of water or enough to cook the dal & vegetables. Add turmeric powder to this while cooking.

While the pressure cooker is on & the dal & vegetables are cooking, grind to a paste the roasted ingredients with coconut& the fried gram / pottukadalai to a smooth paste with little water & keep the ground paste aside.

Meanwhile in another vessel, extract the tamarind juice around 2 cups of little thin extract & add the jaggery piece to it & let it start boiling.

Within few minutes when the raw smell of tamarind disappears & jaggery ha completely melted in the liquid, add the pressure cooked dal & vegetables, add salt & let the whole mixture come to boil on medium flame.

Add the ground paste & stir again & keep to boil for few minutes. But do not boil too much after adding ground paste.

Prepare the seasoning for ready sambhar with coconut oil, splutter the mustard seeds, add the seasoning with red chillies & a pinch of asafoetida powder to sambhar.

Garnish with curry leaves & some chopped fresh coriander leaves.

Your tasty delicious udipi sambhar is ready to be served with idlis, sambhar or plain rice.

Home made Tandoori Masala

Ingredients :

• Coriander seeds - 1/2 cup
• Cumin seeds - 2 table spoon
• Whole black pepper - 1 tsp
• Cloves - 1 tsp
• Dry ginger powder - 2 tbsp
• Garlic powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Nutmeg powder - 2 tsp
• Kasturi methi - 2 tbsp
• Cardamom - 2 (big)
• Cinnamon stick - 1
• Mace (Javithri) - 4-5
• Red chilli powder - 2 tbsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Amchur powder - 1 tsp
• Food color - 1/4 tsp (Red)
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - As per taste

Method :

Break the cinnamon stick into 2-3 parks & heat the pan on a medium flame. Add all the whole dry ingredients like coriander seeds, cumin seeds, black pepper, clove, broken cinnamon stick & mace. Then roast all the whole for 3-4 minutes in a low flame. Remove from the plate & cool it down completely. Once the same gets cool down, add into the mixer & grind into a fine powder. Serve twice & store it in an air-tight container.

You can use the spice mixture for any veggies, paneer, tofu etc.                                      

Afghanistan Paneer [ mugalai dish ]

Ingredients :

• Paneer - 300 gm [ cut in to squre pieces ]
• Green chillies - 4 to 5
• Salt - as required
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp
• Poppy seeds - 1 tbsp
• Melon seeds - 1 tbsp
• White pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Dry ginger powder - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
• Fresh cream -  2 tbsp
• Grill stick - 2 to 3
• Coriander leaves - little
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Butter - 2 tsp
• Chat masala - little
• Onion rings - few [ for garnishing ]

Marinate :

Grind cashew, poppy seeds, melon seeds and green chilli in a mixer to a smooth paste. Take a bowl, add the ground masala along with milk, cream, dry ginger powder, garam masala, pepper powder,   salt and mix well with out lumps. The batter should be like idli batter. Immerse the paneer in the batter for 1/2 an hour. The paneer should get coated completely with the batter. Then remove each piece and apply butter on that and grill till it becomes golden colour. [ You can use electric grill or tandoor or normal grill ie iron tawa ].  

I used Air Fryer and Iron tawa wherein:

1. I placed the (coated) paneer in the Air fryer (at 180 degrees Celsius) for around 10 mins;
2. After that I removed it from the Air fryer & kept the same in the iron tawa for 3-5 minutes so that oil doesn't gets consumed too much.
3. Remove from the tawa & garnish with onion rings & fresh coriander leaves.

Your dish is ready & serve the same as a Starter.

Moong Dal Dosa

Ingredients:

• Moong Dal - 2 cups (Soak in water for 8 hrs)
• Ginger - 1 small piece
• Green chillies - 4-5 (As required)
• Salt - as required
• Rice - 2 tbsp (Soak with dal)

Method:

Blend moong dal, green chillies, salt, rice, together with water as required. Batter must be smooth & the consistency must be similar to dosa batter. Then heat the greased tawa till it becomes hot. Pour the batter with a dal. Stir & spread it to thin round layer. Spread ghee or oil. Roast n both sides for crispy dosas. Serve hot with tomato/onion/green/coconut chutney. If you want, you can add the finely chopped onions.

Kasayam [ home remedy for cough, cold, fever and body pain ]

Ingredients :

• Melagu [ black pepper ] - 1 tbsp
• Sukku - 1 small piece
• Thipilli - 1 tbsp
• Thulsi leaf - 5 to 6
• Chitharathai - 1 inch piece
• Vellam [ jaggery ] - 2 tbs
• Water - 2 large glass

 Method :

Take a vessel add all ingredients  along with water. Allow to boil and make to 1 glass. Then  filtter  it and have 3 times a day.

Thinai rice [ foxtail millet ] Sambhar Bath

Ingredients :

• Thinai rice - 1 cup [ soaked for 20 minutes ]
• Thurdal - 1/2 cup [ boiled ]
• Sambhar onion - 10 or normal onion 2 [ chopped ]
• Tomato - 2 [ chopped ]
• Cut vegetables - 1/2 cup
• Green chilli - 2 [ slit ]
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
•  Curry leaves, and coriander leaves - litte
• Dhaneya  powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - 1 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1tsp
• Dry red chilli - 2 [ broken ]
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 7 to 8

Method :

Take the pressure pan or small cooker. Add rice , boiled dahl,  onion,  tomatoes,  cut  vegetables garlic  and  other  dry  masalas.  Mix well,  then  add  water  [1:5]  mix well  and  close  the lid and wait  for  5 to 6  whistle  come. After  the  pressure  goes  open  the  lid.  Mean  time  take  one  small fry  pan  add  oil  and  ghee, when it  becomes  hot  add  seasonings  to  that  and  add  to the  sambhar bath.  Serve  with  fryed  appalam  or  papad.

Sweet Corn Kurma

Ingredients :

• Sweet corn - 1 cup [ only beeds ] [ add salt and turmeric along with water 
• and cook in a cooker for 2 whistle ]
• Whole garam masala - 1/2 tsp [ each one ]
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Onion - 2 [ peeled and chopped ]
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Coriander  leaves - little

For grinding masala :

• Grated coconut - 1/4 cup
• Green chilli - 3 to 4
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Cashews - 5 to 6
• Pistha - 5 to 6

 [ grind all the  ingredients in a mixer to a smooth paste ]

Method :

Take a pan, add oil and ghee to gether. When it becomes hot, add whole garam masala . Wait  for a second and add chopped onion, fry till it becomes soft, then ad ground masala and mix well add  water if required. Then add the boiled  corn. Check the  salt. Allow to boil for 5 minutes more. When the kurma gets ready remove from the gas and garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve with roti or puri.