Hara bhara subz pulao

Ingredients :

• Soaked basmathi rice - 1 1 / 4 cup
• Cauliflower florets - 1 cup
• Fresh green peas - 1 / 4 cup
• Potato slices- 1 / 2 cup
• Onions - 1 / 2 cup [ chopped ]
• Salt - as required
• Fresh coriander leaves - little [ for garnish 
• Green paste - 4 to 5 tbls. sps.

For making green paste :

• Fresh grated coconut - 1 tbsp
• Mint leaves - 1 / 4 cup
• Coriander leaves - 1 / 2 cup
• Rice flakes [ poha ] - 1 tbsp [ soaked ]
• Green chillies - 2 to 3 [ roughly chopped ]
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - to taste

 [ Mix all the ingredients and blend to a smooth paste in a mixer using little water. Store in a fridge till use. You can also make large batch of this paste and freeze it upto 3 months. ]

Method :

Put  3 cups of water to boil, clean  wash  and soak the rice for about 10 minutes. Drain the water and keep aside. Mix all the remaining ingredients including the  hot  water in a pressure cooker and presure cook for 2 whistles. Then allow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Separate each grain of rice lightly with a fork.Then garnish with fresh chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with carrot, onion, tomato raitha.

Note :

Rice is a storehouse of various nutrients like carbohydrates, protein,iron etc. And when combined with veggies it makes a wholesome meal.

Green paratha

Ingredien

• Fresh green peas - 1 hand ful
• Palak leaves - 4 to 5
• Fresh coriander leaves - 1 / 4 bunch
• Green chillies - 4 to 6
• Onion - 1 chopped
• Garlic flakes - 2 chopped
• Ginger piece - 1 / 2 inch piece chopped
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Tomato - 1 chopped

 [ grind all these ingredients in mixie to a smooth paste. ]

For dough - :

• Wheat flour - 1 1 / 2 cup
• Maida - 1 / 4 cup
• Salt - little
• Melted butter or oil - 1 tbl. sp
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/ 2 tsp
• Fresh ghee or oil - as required for roasting

Mix the flours together in a mixing bowl. Add sugar, salt  butter, and  the ground masala.  Mix well with the flour till butter blends. Slowly add water and kneed to a smooth dough, pat and kneed well for several times.
Make balls and roll out into medium parathas. Roast on a hot tawa first one side.Turn over and apply ghee or oil on top. When its puffs press with landle and roast till light brown on both sides.Serve with thick curd and chunda [ sweet mango pickle refer in my pickle items.]

Vegetable oats [ healthy break fast for all age group ]

Ingredients :

• Grated vegetables - 1 / 2 cup [ carrot, cabbage or cauli flower. ]
• Onion - 1 [ grated ]
• Green chilli - 1 [ chopped ]
• Ginger - small piece [ chopped ]
• Black pepper powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Roasted jeera powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Boiled and mashed moong dahl - 1 / 4 cup
• coconut milk - 1 cup
• Oats - 1 bowl
• Salt - as required
• Sugar - 1 / 2 sp
• Oil - 2 tbls. sps.
• Chopped coriander leaves - little
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp

Method :

First keep one deep bottom vessel on the gas. Heat oil, add cumin seeds. When it pops add onion along with green chilli, and  ginger. Fry for 2 second till it change in colour. Then add chopped vegetables and fry  till it become soft, then add mashed dahl along with required water. Add salt, pepper powder, jeera powder, and sugar. Mix well, then add oats. Stir well . [ the oats get well cooked and kanji become thick ] Before remove from the gas add coconut milk. When one boil comes remove from the gas. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot. Healthy and tasty oats  is ready.

Kothamalli rice

Ingredients :

• Coriander leaves - 1 bunch [ clean and chopped ]
• Cooked rice - 2 cups
• Green chillies - 4 to 5
• Ginger - 1 / 2 inch piece
• Garlic flakes - 2 flakes
• Fresh grated coconut - 2 tabl. sps.
• Salt - as required
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 sp
• Madras small onion - 1 / 2 cup[ peel and cut into pieces ]
• Oil - 2 tablespoon

Grind together :

Grind coconut, green chilli, ginger garlic, and half portion of coriander leaves in mixcer without adding  water.


Method :

First keep one broad deep bottom kadai on the gas. Add oil, heat it and season with cumin seeds. When it pop, add small onions to that fry for 2 minutes until it change in colour. Then add the ground masala to that, and fry till the masala become dry. Then add salt and remaining coriander leaves along with cooked rice and mix well. Remove from the gas and serve with fried papad and thick curd.

Healtly tip : This is a highly nutritious and tasty rice. Can be served as a party dish.

Festive biriyani

Ingredients :

• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Onions - 2 diced
• Fresh thick curds - 1 / 2 cup
• Salt - as required
• Mixed diced vegetables - 2 cups
• Chopped coriander leaves - 3 tbl. sps.
• Green chillies - 3
• Coriander powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Cumin powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Black pepper powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 / 4 sp
• Tomatoes - 2 diced
• Ghee and oil - as required

Method :

Wash and soak the rice for 20 minutes. Boil in water till half cooked. Then drain water completely, and allow it to cool. Beat curds and mix coriander powder, cimin powder, slit green chillies, pepper powder, ginger garlic paste, garam masala powder and coriander leaves.Keep aside for 25 minutes. Then heat ghee and oil together and fry onions, tomatoes and then other vegetables. Sprinkle little  water and allow the vegetables to cook till soft. Mix in, marinated curds, salt and cooked rice. Reduce flame and keep under dhum till moisture is absorbed. [ or bake in  hot oven for 10 minutes covered with foil.

Pooshinikkai mor kootu

This dish is extremely cooling especially in the summer. The flavour of a well cooked crunchy ash gourd [ pooshinikkai ] is delicious when served as a vegetable in a gravy.

Ingredients :

• Ash gourd [ pooshinikkai ] - 1 / 2 k. g. [ remove the outer skin and cut into cubes ]
• Drumstick - 1 [ cut into 1 / 2 inch lenth pieces ]
• Fresh curds - 2 cups [ beaten in 1 / 2 cup water ]
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Salt -  as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Curry leaves -  little

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Coconut oil - 2 tbl. sps.

Grind together :

• Fresh grated coconut - 1 1 / 2 cup
• Green chillies - 4 to 5
• Rice powder - 2 tsp

Method :

Cut the ash gourd and drumstick together and boiled in water in kadai adding salt, and turmeric, till it becomes soft and done. Blend rice powder, green chillies and coconut into a fine paste. Add this paste and beaten curds to the cooked vegetable and stir over a low flame for 3 minutes until it comes to boil. Remove from the gas. Heat coconut oil in a pan and pop the mustard seeds, add to the vegetable. Garnish with  fresh curry leaves.

A . B . C. Halwa [ apple, banana, carrot halwa ]

Ingredients :

• Grated apple - 1 cup [ without skin ]
• Mashed banana - 1 cup
• Grated carrot - 1 cup
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 cup
• Milk powder - 1 / 2 cup
• [ or ] Milk - 1 cup
• Fresh ghee - 1 / 2 cup
• Sugar - 2 cup
• Cardamom powder - 1 tsp
• Any foood colour - few drops
• Mixed nuts - 1 / 4 cup

Method :

Grind coconut and milk. Mix all the ingredients together except ghee. Keep on stirring till the apple banana pieces are cooked and the halwa becomes one mass. Then add ghee, cardamom powder. [ add little food colour, and a few drops essence while stirring ]  Remove from the gas and garnish with nuts of your choise.
Your tasty a. b. c. halwa ready to serve.

Idli sandwich

Ingredients :

• Idli batter - 1 bowl
• Green chutney - 2 tbl. sps.
• Sweet chutney - 2 tbl. sps.
• Onion, tomato chutney - 3 tbl. sps.
• Tomato sauce - 2 tbl. sps.
• Seasame oil - 2 tbl. sps.
• Small dish - 2 to 3

Method :

Keep cooker on gas, pour little water inside the cooker. Keep one small cup along with water inside the cooker. Then grease the dish plate with little oil.  Then pour little idli batter first. Pour green chutney on the top and again pour little idli batter, then sweet chutney or tomato sauce, again idli batter for 1 inch thickness. Steam till it is  cooked. [ approximately ] 15 minutes. Cut into triangle and serve hot. Your yummy idli sandwich is ready to eat.

Appalam vathal kuzhambu

   
               Papad in tamarind sauce. This is rare unusual combination for a recipe. But very easy to prepare and very tasty also.

Ingredients :

• Medium sized appalam or papads - 2 to 3 [ make in to small pieces ]
• Small sambhar onions - 1 / 2 cup
• Tamarind paste - 2 table spoon
• Sambhar powder - 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Asafoetida -1 / 4 sp
• Jaggery - little
• Curry leaves - little
• Seasame oil - 5 table spoon

For the seasoning :
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Bengal gram dhal - 1 / 2 tsp
Fenugreek seeds - 1 / 4 tsp

Method :

Tear the appalam into pieces. Take a deep bottom kadai, heat seasame oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the methi seeds, and dhal and roast till it become golden brown in colour. Then add onions, appalam pieces and stir until they puff up. Add required water, tamarind paste, sambhar powder, salt, turmeric, jaggery, and asafoetida. Mix well and close with lid, and allow to boil for for 15 mintues in lower flame till the kuzhambu become thick. Remove from the gas and garnish with curry leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice. The kuzhambu can be stored in the fridge and used for few days.

Missi paratha

Ingredients :

• Bengal gram flour - 1 / 2 cup
• Wheat flour - 1 cup
• Soya flour - 1 / 4 cup [ optional ]
• Ginger , green chillies paste - 1 tsp.
• Salt - as required
• Oil for frying and for the dough - 3 tbl. sps.

Method :

Sift all the flours together. Mix salt, ginger chilli paste,  oil  and knead well using enough water  with  fingers tips and keep aside for 30 minutes.Roll out thick paratha using wheat flour for dusting. Heat a tawa and place paratha on top, cook on both sides using little oil for roasting. Serve hot with tomato chutney or any gravy.

Radish paneer paratha

Ingredients :

• Grated radish - 1 / 2 cup
• Grated onion - 2 tabl. sps.
• Grated paneer - 1 / 2 cup
• Green chillies - 2 [ finely chopped ]
• Ginger - 1 /4 inch [ finely chopped ]
• Garlic flakes - 2 [ chopped ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 1/ 2 sp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Sugar - little
• Fresh coriander leaves - little
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 sp

[ take one kadai, heat oil and  add cumin seeds. Wait for 2 second, and then add chopped onion, ginger garlic and fry for some time till onion change into pink colour. Add grated radish in that, and fry for 5 minutes till its become dry. At that time mix grated paneer to that , along with salt, turmeric, red chilli, garam masala powder, and  sugar. Before removing add chopped coriander leaves. Your stuffing is ready. ]

Method :

Ingredients for paratha :

Wheat flour - 2 cups [ heaped ]
Water - enough to mix the dough
Salt - optional
Oil - 2 tsps
Take flour in a mixing bowl, sprinkle water gradually and kneed to a smoooth dough. Put and kneed the dough for atleast 10 to 15 times. Keep closed for 2 hours. After rolling out each paratha, apply little ghee or oil on top of it. Sprinkle little wheat flour on top. Roll like swiss roll and then made into a round ball.  Make medium sized balls from the dough. Flatten each ball and keep a table spoon of filling inside. Close and seal well all around. Press and dredge in wheat flour and roll out thick parathas. Heat tawa and fry these parathas using oil for both sides while frying. Serve hot with thick curd and pickles.

Variation :
Use thin butter milk [ strained] to mix dough for best taste. Nutritious chappathis can be made by using ' whey' water [ the liquid which separates while making paneer from milk] for mixing chappathi dough.

Maangai carrot saadham

An interesting recipe from karnataka.

Ingredients :

• Cooked rice - 2 cups
• Large mango - 1 [ peeled and grated ]
• Grated fresh carrot - 3 table spoon
• Roasted peanuts - 1 hand ful
• Coconut oil - 2 tbl. sps.
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 sp

Grind coarsely :

• Peel, grated, raw mango - 1 / 2 cup
• Roasted peanut - 1 table spoon
• Grated fresh coconut - 1 / 4 cup
• Dry red chilles - 4 to 5

 [ grind all together coarsely in mixie. ]

For seasoning :

Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Urad dhal - 1 / 2 sp
Bengal gram dhal - 1 / 2 sp
Cumin seeds - 1 / 4 sp
Asafoetida - 1 / 4 sp
Currry leaves - little
Fresh coriander leaves - little

Method :

Cook the rice and keep aside. Heat coconut oil and pop the mustard seeds. Add the urad dhal, channa dhal, and  fry till golden, now add cumin seeds, and asafoetida. Then put remaining peanuts and ground masala paste. Fry for 5 minutes till it becomes dry.Add the remaing grated mango along with grated carrot, salt, turmeric. Then add cooked rice to that and mix well. Garnish with fresh curry leaves and chopped coriander leaves. Serve along with crispy potato wafers and fried papad.

Garlic mango pickle

Ingredients :

• Sour mango pieces : - 3 cups
• Peeled garlic flakes - 10 flakes
• Seasame oil - 1 / 2 cup
• Powdered salt - 1 / 2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 3 / 4 cup

Dry roast and powder - 

• Fenugreek - 1 tsp.

Method :

Wash mangoes and spread over a cloth to remove excess moisture and cut mangoes into small pieces. Then grind garlic into paste and mix with mango pieces. Mix salt, chilli powder and fenugreek powder together and sprinkle over mangoes. Heat oil in a pan and allow to cool lightly. When it is moderately hot, pour over mango pieces and mix well. Store in a clean dry bottle. Mix well daily for 1 week. Serve after it is soaked well. Enjoy your season easy pickle.

Small potato fry

Ingredients :

• Small potatoes - 1 / 2 k. g.
• Tamarind paste - 1 / 4 sp
• Oil - 2 tbl. sps.
• Garlic chilli powder - 2 tsps.
• [ grind red chilli powder, rock salt, grated dry coconut, garlic flakes together  coarsely in small mixie. Keep in airtight container and use whenever needed. ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 sp
• Dhania powder - 1 1 / 2 sp

Method :

Pressure cook potatoes in water with little tamarind paste, turmeric, and salt. Allow to cool, strain water completely and peel outer skin from potatoes. Heat oil in kadai and add potatoes and fry for 3 minutes.Stir properly for the oil to get coated to the potatoes.Place the lid and cook for few minutes.Open lid, mix gently and cook till roasted on all the sides. Sprinkle little more salt, garlic chilli powder,dhania powder and mix well. Change to a serving bowl and serve hot  with cooked rice or roti.

Paneer tikkka

Ingredients :

• Paneer - 250 gms.
• Curds - 3 tbl. sps.
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli powder - 1 1 / 2 sp
• Finely chopped coriander leaves - 2 tbl. sps.
• Oil or butter - for frying

Grind to paste :

• Ginger - 1 / 2 inch piece
• Green chillies - 2

To serve :
Capsicum cut in to squares. Tomatoes cut into small squares. Small madras onions, and toothpicks.

Method :

Cut paneer into 1 / 4 inch thick and 2 inch squares. Mix ground paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, salt with curds. Add coriander leaves to that, and marinate paneer pieces in that for an hour. Then arrange paneer pieces on a serving plate, keep either capsicum, tomato, onion on top of  each paneer piece. Insert a tooth pick on top.Heat little oil or butter on the pan. Arrange the paneer pieces on top of the pan. cook for a minute, turn over immediately and fry till golden. Turn over immediately and take out. Do not cook for longer time. Serve with mint chutney and tomato ketchup.