Small potato pulav

Ingredients :

• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Small potatoes - 1 / 2 cup
• Fresh thick curds - 1 / 4 cup
• Tomatoes - 1 / 4 cup [ chopped ]
• Water - 2 cup
• Fresh green peas - 1 handfull
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli powder - 1 1 / 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves -1 / 4 bunch [ grind to a smooth paste ]
• Big onions - 2 to 3 [ cut into lengthwise ]
• Oil - 2 table spoon
• Ghee - 2 table spoon

Grind together :

• Coriander seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chillies - 2

Grated dry coconut
[ fry above spices in a little oil and grind together with few green chillies and a small piece of ginger ]

Method :
Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Grind coriander leaves to smooth paste and mix with fresh curds. Pressure cook rice with water, peas, tomato pieces. Remove from the fire and cool thoroughly. Separate the grains.Mix a spoon of ghee to that. Pressure cook potatoes and peel the skin, prick with fork and fry in oil till light brown.Keep aside. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry onions till crisp. Add ground masala and fry till good smell comes. Gently mix potatoes and curds. Stir in medium flame with cooked rice and salt. Sprinkle garam masala powder. Keep in low flame for few minutes. Ur small potato pulav is ready . Serve hot with mix vegetable raitha.

Vanilla cake

Ingredients :

Sift together twice :

• Maida - 1 cup heaped 120gms. ]
• Baking powder - 1 tsp [ level ]
• Cooking soda - 1 / 4 tsp
• Salt - a pinch

Cream together :

• Buttrer - 60 gms.
• Powder sugar - 90 gms.

Other ingredients :

• Luke warm milk - 150 ml.
• Vanilla essence - 1 / 2 tsp

Method :

Cream butter with sugar until light and fluffy using a spatula in a dry vessel. Then add sifted ingredients, essence, and warm milk. Blend well using electric egg beater. Pour on a greased baking tray and bake in a pre - heated oven until it becomes golden in colour. [180˚C] or approximately for 40 minutes.

Note :

Always pre- heat oven at 220˚C for 10 minutes before baking. Adjust the time and temperature to the recipe after that.

Eggless easy sponge cake

Ingredients :

Sift together :

• Maida - 1 cup
• Baking powder - 1 tsp. [ level ]
• Cooking soda - 1 / 2 tsp

Mix together :

• Butter - 60 gms.
• Powdered sugar - 1 tbl. sp.

Other ingredients :

• Condensed milk - 1 / 2 tin
• Luke warm water - 120 ml.
• Vanilla essence - 10 drops
• Almond essence - 10 drops

Method :

Cream butter and sugar in a dry bowl till it become fluffy. Add condensed milk, vanilla essence, and beat well. Mix sifted ingredients, warm water to that and beat well. Brush the baking tray with little butter. Transfer the batter to that and bake in a pre heated oven until golden. [180 degrees Celsius]

Cream together :
While mixing butter with sugar before baking. Take butter in a dry vessel. [no moisture should be in it] Using a flat spoon or beater whip the butter till it turns light and fluffy. Add sugar and then whip again in the same direction to incorporate air in it.

Muli [ radish ] paratha

Ingredients :

• Muli [ radish ] - 1 big [ grated ]
• Onion - 2 [ peel and grated ]
• Green chilli - 2 [finely chopped ]
• Ginger - small piece [ finely chopped ]
• Finely cut coriander leaves - little
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Dhania jeera powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Butter - 2 tbl. sps
• Oil - as required

[ mix muli, onion, greenchilli, ginger, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, dhania jeera powder and keep in a oven for 10 minutes till water is absorbed mix coriander leaves to that and keep aside ]

Method :

Sieve and mix the wheat flour in a mixing bowl. Add salt, sugar and butter. Mix well with the flour till butter blends. Gradually add water and knead to a smooth dough. Make medium sized  balls from the dough. Flatten each ball and keep a tablespoon of radish filling inside. Close and seal well all around. Press and dredge in wheat flour and roll out into thick parathas. Heat tawa and fry these parathas using oil both sides while frying. Serve hot along  with curd and pickle.

Tendli gajar subji [ gujarati type ]

Ingredients :

• Tendli - 1 / 2 kg. [ cut into small round pieces ]
• Gajar [ carrot ] - 1 / 4 kg. [ cut into small pieces ]

Masala :

• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Coriander cummin seed powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Fresh grated coconut - 2 to 3 tablespoon
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves - little

To temper :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Oil - 4 to 6 tbsp.

Method :

Cut the tendli into round pieces. Peel and cut carrot into small pieces. Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds, when splutters add asafoetida. Put tendli, carrot pieces. Cover and cook till subji become tender. Add both the chilli powder and coriander cummin seed powder. Mix well and saute for a while. While serving garnish with grated coconut and chopped coriander leaves.

Aval Dosai

Ingredients :

• Raw rice - 4 cups
• Rice flakes [ aval ] - 1 1 / 2 cups
• Curds - 2 cups
• Salt - as required
• Cooking soda -1 / 2 tsp
• Oil - for frying

Method :

Wash and soak rice in water and aval in whipped curds. Grind both separately to a fine paste. Add more whipped curds for grinding if necessary. Add salt at the end, and mix both the batters together. Allow the dosa batter to ferment until next day morning. Then add cooking soda just before pouring dosas and mix well. Heat non-stick tawa. Pour a ladle full of batter in the centre and spread the dosa to medium thickness. Pour out little oil around the dosai. Close with a lid and cook on one side only. Serve hot with chutney or mixed vegetable kurma.

North indian carrot, mango pickle

Ingredients :

• Finely cut [ lenth wise ] - 2 cups
• Mango [ raw ] - 1 big [ cut into pieces ]
• Mustard oil - 1 / 4 kg.
• Salt - as required
• Vinegar - 2 table spoon
• Grated jaggery - little
• Red chilli powder - 1 / 4 cup dehusked yellow mustard - 1 1 / 2 tbls [ broken ]
• Coriander powder - 1 tsps.

Method :

Wash the vegetables in luke warm water strain and spread on a cloth to dry up excess moisture. Dry well and then cut lenthly. Heat oil in a kadai add vegetables and fry for 1 minute. Take the pieces alone from oil. Keep aside. Again in the same oil, add masala powder, mustard, coriander powder, salt and chilli powder. Mix well and remove from the fire.Dissolve grated jaggery in vinegar. [ do not heat .] Add the vegetables to that. Store it in a clean dry bottle. Use it  after 2 days.

Kothimbir Vadi [Maharashtrian Dish]

Main Ingredients :

• 2 cups of coriander leaves - washed and chopped
• 3-4 tablespoon gram flour
• 1/2 tablespoon rice flour
• 2 teaspoon red chili powder
• 1 teaspoon turmeric powder
• 1 teaspoon cumin powder
• 2 teaspoon curd
• 1 teaspoon oil
• 1 teaspoon lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar ( optional)
• salt to taste

Ingredients for Seasoning:

• 2 teaspoon oil
• 2 teaspoon white sesame seeds
• 1 teaspoon mustard seeds
• 1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
• 1/4 teaspoon asafoetida
• 4 to 5 few curry leaves
• 1 green chili chopped

Method:

Combine all the main ingredients together in a bowl and knead to make a firm, smooth dough. Add little water if required and shape it into a rectangular.
Prepare the steamer with water. Grease a dish of steamer and place the vadi  in the steamer plate. Steam the vadis in the steamer for about 15-20 minutes on high heat.
Once steamed, allow it to rest for about a minute and take it out and cool completely. Once cooled completely, cut the vadies  into 15 equal slices or bite size pieces.
Heat oil in a pan; add mustard and cumin seeds and allow them to crackle. Add in the asafoetida, the curry leaves, green chilies and sesame seeds. Stir well for about 30 seconds.
Add in the steamed vadi  into the seasoning and stir fry for about a minute.  This is so that the vadis get  well coated with the seasoning. Serve warm with hot tea or just as it is for snack.

Methi subji [Maharashtrain Style]

Ingredients :

• Methi leaves - 1 bundle [ wash and chopped ]
• Onion - 2 to 3 [ peeled and chopped ]
• Green chillie - 2 [ slit in to 3 pieces ]
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 / 4 cup
• Fried peanuts - 1 / 4 cup [ powder in mixture ]
• Oil - 2 table spoon
• Cummin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp

Method :

Heat oil in a frying pan, add cummin seeds. When it splutters add onions along with slit green chillies. Fry till onion become transparent.  Then add methi leaves, fry for 2 minutes. Add salt and turmeric powder. When all the water gets absorbed, put peanut powder, grated coconut and fry  till subji becomes almost dry.  Remove from the gas. Serve with roti, and  dahl rice etc.

Grill sandwich

Ingredients :

• Bread [ fresh ] - family pack
• Amul butter - 1 / 2 cup
• Green chutney - 1 / 4 cup

 [ grind coriander leaves, palak leaves 2 to 3, green chillies, roasted & peeled ground nuts little, 1 tsp of lemon juice, salt. Grind all together to a fine paste . ]

Required vegetables :

• Potato - 2 [ boiled peeled and sliced ]
• Beet root - 1 [ boiled peeled and sliced ]
• Onion - 1 [ peeled and sliced ]
• Tomatoes - 2 [ sliced ]
• Cucumber - 2 [ peeled and sliced ]
• Capsicum - 1  [ sliced ]

Method :

Take 2 slice bread and apply butter. Then take 2 bread slices and apply green chutney and keep aside. Then keep vegetables in bread slices [ one by one ] and close with other piece of bread. Press gently and keep in between the well greased electric grill sandwich toaster. When the both sides become brown remove from the toaster. While serving cut into 4 pieces and serve with green chutney and tomato sauce.

Potato cake

Ingredients :

• Potatoes - 1 / 2 kg
• Sugar - 1 kg
• Sugarless koa - 100 gms
• Cardamom powder - little
• Borneal flakes [ pacha karpuram ] - little
• Saffron - a pinch
• Kesar colour - a pinch

Method -

Pressure cook potatoes. Then peel outer skin and mash without any lumps. Then mix koa with the mashed potatoes well till both blends properly. Then keep one heavy bottom kadai [ non- stick ] on fire with sugar and enough water to cover it. Boil the syrup till two string consistency is reached. Remove  from the gas and add potato mixture and stir well till it blends, without forming any lumps. Again keep it back over fire and stir well. Add ghee and mix well till halwa starts to leave sides of the vessel. Mix colour, cardamom powder, powdered borneal, saffron [ which is dissolved in hot milk ] and mix well. Pour on a greased tray. Allow it to cool and then cut into pieces. Your tasty potato cake is ready to eat.

Note : You can use sweet potato  also.

Til Mil Matar

Ingredients :

• Fresh shelled peas [ matar ] - 2 cups [ boiled ]
• Tomato - 1 [ cut into small pieces ]
• Fenugreek leaves [ kasoori methi ] - 2 table spoon
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Sesame seeds - 1 1 / 2 tsp [ dry roasted, to garnish ]
• Chopped coriander leaves - little
• Fresh cream  - 1 table spoon

Spice mixture for gravy :

• Onions - 2 [ roughly chopped ]
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Sesame seeds [ till ] - 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp

 [ grind all together using little water to a fine paste in mixcer. ]

Method :

Heat 2 tbsp oil in a kadai. Reduce heat, add the spice mixture and fry for 3 minutes till nice smell comes. Stirring continuously. Add tomato pieces, boiled peas and kasoori methi. Fry for some more time till oil comes out. Fry in low flame. Finely sprinkled with a roasted sesame seeds. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fresh cream. Serve with roti, parathas.

Wheat pongal

Ingredients :

• Broken wheat [ lawpsi ] - 1 cup [ soaked overnight ]
• Rice - 1 / 2 cup
• Toovar dahl - 1 / 4 cup
• Moong dahl - 1 / 4 cup
• Tamarind paste - 1 / 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt -as required
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Ginger - 1 / 2 inch piece [ finely chopped ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ finely chopped ]
• Black pepper - 12 [ crushed ]
• Cummin seeds - 1 teaspoon

Vegetable used :

• Potatoes - 2 [ peeled and cut into small pieces ]
• Carrots - 1 / 2 cup [ cut into small pieces ]
• French beans - 1 / 2 cup [ cut into small pieces ]
• Fresh peas - 1 / 4 cup
• Tomatoes - 2 [ cut into small pieces ]

For seasoning :
Ghee - 4 to 5 table spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Red chillies - 1 [ broken ]
Curry leaves - little
Onion - 2 [ peeled and sliced ]

For garnishing :
Coriander leaves - little
Cashewnut bits - 10 to 12 [ fried in ghee ]

Method :

In soaked wheat rava [big ] add the washed rice, both dahl, green chilli, ginger, crushed pepper, cummin seeds, asafoetida, salt ,  turmeric powder and tamarind paste . Mix well, add more water and to bring it to 2" above the level of the rice. Pressure cook and wait for 3 whistles to come. Cook the vegetables adding just enough water and little salt. Heat ghee in a kadai, add mustard seeds, red chillies, curry leaves and onion slices. Fry till the onion is light brown and crisp. Add the boiled vegetable and saute for 5 minutes in low flame. Add to the wheat pongal, mix well adding 2 tbspn of ghee  at the end. Garnish with coriander leaves and fried cashewnuts. Transfer to a vessel and serve hot with coconut chutney and sambhar.

Papaya milk shake

Ingredients :

• Ripe papaya  - 250 gms [ peeled, seeded and cut into pieces ]
• Sugar - as required
• Vanilla essence - a few drops
• Milk - 5 cups

Method :

Blend all the above ingredients in a mixie.  Keep in the fridge for 1 / 2 an hour or add ice - cubes to that. Serve chilled along with breakfast.

Thakaali pattani bath

Ingredients -:

• Sooji [ rawa ] - 1 cup
• Big onions - 2 [ chopped fine ]
• Green peas - 1 / 4 cup [ shelled or frozen ]
• Big red tomatoes - 3 [ boiled and blended ]
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Ginger paste or chopped finely - 1 / 2 tsp
• Lemon juice - 2 tsp
• Oil - 3 table spoon
• Salt - as required
• Coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Green chillies - 2 to 3 pieces [ slit ]
• Kurry leaves - little
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Ghee - 2 tsp

Method :

Boil 1 cup of water and salt in a deep non- stick kadai. Add the peas and cook till the vegetable  become soft. Keep aside, in same kadai , heat oil and add  mustard seeds. When it pop add chopped onion, and fry for few seconds. Then add the tomato puree along with 2 cups of water, and allow to boil for 5 minutes in lower flame. Heat a tablespoon of ghee, and the green chillies, ginger and asafoetida powder. Gradully add the sooji stit for a minute, on a low flame till it turns translucent. Add the boiling water and stir fast to avoid lumps. When it becomes soft, add the peas with water, tomato puree, lime juice, salt, turmeric. Mix well. Keep the gas in lower till the whole mixture leaves the kadai. Add remaining ghee, curry leaves. Remove from the gas. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with white chutney and a sambhar.

Fresh home made ghee [ neiy ]

Ingredients :

• Un salted butter - 500 gms
• Deep bottom kadai

Method :

Keep 500 gms of unsalted butter in a heavy bottom kadai over a medium heat. When it melts and comes to boil, lower the heat stirring all the time. The butter will bubble and make bubbling sounds. Skim the froth occasionally with a ladle from the top, till it turns deep golden in colour.  In about 10 minutes it will be clear and become clear. Quickly remove from the gas to maintain  the dark honey colour and cool it for 10 minutes. Strain the contents in to a container with a firm lid remains the black at the bottom of the pan.

Note :
Ghee is traditional medium for frying food. It is served as a topping for white rice and gravy in a south indian menu. Ghee prepared at home with unsalted butter is wholesome and delicious.

Tasty tip :

The black residue can be turned into a tasty snack by mixing with  a table spoon of wheat flour and 1 / 2 teaspoon sugar.

Cabbage thovayal

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Ingredients :

• Cabbage - small one [ chopped ]
• Big onion - 2 [ cut in to pieces ]
• Broken black gram [ urad dhal ] - 4 table spoon
• Dried red chillies - 4 to 5
• Asafoetida - 1 / 4 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 1 tsp
• Green chilli - 1 [ slit ]
• Ginger - very small piece
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 / 2 cup
• Salt - as required
• Oil  - 2 tsp

Method :

Take one pan , heat oil and roast urad dhal, red chillies,until bright red in colour. Add asafoetida, onions and fry till onions turn golden. Add cabbage along with salt, tamarind paste, green chilli, ginger piece. Fry in low flame for 2 mints. Then mix fresh coconut to that, blend all the ingredients in to a coarse paste to make a thick chutney using very little water. Serve with rice, idli, dosas.