Channa Dal Pradhaman

Ingredients :

• Channa dal [ kadalai parupu ] - 1 cup [ roasted to a golden colour ]
• Fresh coconut - 1 big [ or you can use ready made coconut milk also ]
• Sugar - 1 cup
• Jaggery  - 1 cup
• Cardamom [ yalakkai ] - 6 to 7 [ powder ]
• Coconut pieces - 2 tbsp [ fried in ghee ]
• Cashew nuts - 10 to 12 [ fried in ghee ]
• Ripe Plantain [Nenthra pazham / Kerala Banana] - 1 [ cut into small pieces ]

Method :

Grate the white portion of coconut, blend in a mixie and keep in a vessel. Add 1/2 cup of boiled water. Mix well and allow to cool. When it becomes cool, squeeze out the milk. Keep the 1st milk separately. In this way extract the milk 2 more times and keep each milk seperately. Roast channa dal in a frying pan in golden color and cook the dal along with chopped banana pieces in the third coconut milk first. When the dal gets half cooked, add the second milk and boil well. Add jaggery, sugar and mix well. Cook till it gets done. Add cardomom powder, fried coconut and cashewnut pieces in ghee. Finally add the first coconut milk and mix well. When one boil comes remove from the gas. Your yummy channa dal pradhaman is ready to serve.

This dish is served very commonly in most of the south indian functions.

Cabbage Masala Avial

Ingredients :

• Green fresh cabbage - 1/2 k.g. [ cut into length wise ] 
• Green peas - 1/2 cup
• Carrot - 1/4 k.g. [ cut into length wise ]
• Onion - 3 [ peeled and cut into length wise ]
• Fresh grated coconut - 1 1/2 cup
• Green chillies - 2 to 3
• Cumin seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Coconut oil - 2 tbsps.
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh thick curds - 1/2 cup
• or u can use 1tbsp of raw mango
• Curry leaves - little
• Salt - as required

Method :

Take one deep bottom kadai. Add all vegetables along with 1/2 cup of water. Add salt and turmeric while boiling. Meantime grind coconut, cumin seeds, green chillies and raw mango in mixer to smooth paste. If you are not using mango add fresh curds to the paste. When the vegetables become soft add ground masala and mix well. Before removing add coconut oil, and garnish with curry leaves. Serve with rice, roti and tiffin item like side dish. It is very tasty and yummy.

Dahiwali Toovar Dal

Ingredients :

• Toovar dal - 1/2 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt as required
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chopped onions - 1/2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1tsp
• Dhaniya jeera powder - 2 tsp
• Bengal gram flour - 1 tsp [ mixed with 1/2 cup  water ]
• Low fat curd - 1/2 cup [ whisked ]
• Fresh chopped coriander leaves - little

Method :

Clean, wash and soak the toovar dal in water for 2 to 3 hours. Then drain and keep aside. Mix dal, turmeric, salt and 1 cup of  water and pressure cook for 2 whistles. After the pressure leaves, open the lid and whisk well and keep aside. Then heat a non- stick pan on a medium flame and when hot, ad the cumin seeds and dry roast for 30 seconds.Lower the flame,add the onions and  fry till thay turn light brown in colour. Sprinkle little water if the mixer starts burning. Then add cooked dal, chilli powder, dhaniya jeera powder, and mix well. Then add the besan paste and curds. Mix well and cook for 10 minutes more in low flame. Finely add chopped coriander leaves. Remove from the gas. Serve with roti, and steamed rice.

Note :

Low fat curds provide a tangy twist to toovar dal without adding much to the calorie count. This dal tastes amazing with steaming hot rice, relish with a subzi for a whole some meal.

Gobi 65

Ingredients :

• Cauli flower - 1 small  [ cut in to big pieces ]
• Fresh curds - 1/2 cup
• Salt - as required
• Red colour - 1drop
• Red chilli powder - 1tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Bengal gram flour - 2 tbl.sps.
• Baking powder - a pinch
• Conflour - 2 tbl. sps.
• Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
• Oil - enough to deep fry
• Curry leaves - little

Method :

Soak the flower pieces in salted water for 10 to 15 minutes. Mean time mix  all masalas, bengal gram flour, baking powder, conflour in the curd, and keep side. Then remove the flower pieces from the salt water and soak in the curd. Leave for 10 minutes. Heat oil in a pan, add  the flower pieces to that. Fry in medium flame, till the flower is cooked completely, and become brown and crispy. Fry curry leaves in same oil and garnish on gobi 65. Your tasty Gobi 65 is ready to serve.

Custard Apple Lassi

 

 

Ingredients :

• Custard apple - 2
• Sugar - 6 tsps.
• Milk - 1/4 cup
• Water - 200 ml
• Thick fresh curds - 300 ml
• Salt - a pinch
• Honey - 1 tsp
• Nutmeg powder - a pinch

Method :
 [ Use Blender ]

First take out all seeds from custard apple. Then to the pulp add sugar, milkand run the mixer until smooth paste is obtained. Then add salt, honey, nutmeg powder, fresh curds water and ice- cubes in it and run the mixie or blender at short intervals until frothy lassi is obtained. Pour in glass tumblers and serve immediately.
Your yummy tasty sweet lassi is ready.






Note :

One or two cups of curds / yoghurt a day boosts immune functioning of body. It is a wonder ancient food strongly with antibacterial and functions. It helps to fight bone problems because of calcium content.

Apple Chocolate Milk

Ingredients :

• Milk - 1 glass
• Medium size apple - 1/2
• Chocolate or Vanilla Ice Cream - 1 tbsp
• Cocoa [ cadbury ] hot chocolate powder - 1 1/2 tbsp
• Sugar - As required

Method :

Peel the skin of apple and chopped finely. Then mix all the ingredients together and grind in mixer or in blender. Then pour the prepared milk in individual glasses. Garnish with cocoa powder. Serve immediately.

Tomato Thokku

Ingredients :

• Ripe red tomatoes - 1 k.g.
• Tamarind - 1 lemon size
• Red chilli powder - 5 to 6 tbsp
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Garlic flakes - 5 to 6 [ if u like more u can add more ]
• Oil [ seasame ] - 1 cup
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Dry roast and powder :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tbsp
• Methi seeds - 1 tbsp
• Dry red chillies - 4 to 5 [ if u want to omit chillies u can omit.]
• if u add red chillies it gives nice colour ]
• dry roast in kadai and powder it in mixer.

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1 tsp
• Dry red chillies - 2 [ broken ]
• Curry leaves - little

Method :

Heat oil in a non- stick kadai, add chopped tomatoes and fry well. Keep the flame high. Add garlic flakes and mix well. When its start boiling add tamarind plup also, stir in between. When water goes and the tomatoes becomes soft  add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder and mustard, methi seeds powder. Mix well, when it become cool grind in mixer to smooth paste. Then keep the same kadai, add remaining oil, add seasoning, allow to splutter, mix the paste and fry  until oil is separated. Remove from the fire. Allow to cool,and  store it  in a dry bottle. Its goes well with idli, dosa, and stemed rice.

Kadambam Sambhar [ with out coconut ]

Ingredients :

• Brinjal - 2 [ cut into big pieces ]
• Ladies finger - 4 to 5 [ cut into 1/2 inch pieces ]
• Colocaesia - 4 to 5
• Red pumpkin - 1 slice
• Capsicum - 1 small [ cut into cubes ]
• Carrot - 1 [ cut into cubes ]
• Sweet potato - 1 [ cut into cubes ]
• Tomatoes - 2 [ cut into pieces ]
• Cooked thuar dal - 1/2 cup [ mashed ]
• Sambhar powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Tamarind paste - 11/2 tsp
• Jaggery - little
• Salt - as required
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Fresh coriander leaves - little

Grind together :

• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1/2 tsp
• Red chillies - 2 to 3
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Green chillies - 2
• Ginger - 1 small piece

 [ fry in little oil and grind together in mixcer and keep aside. ]


Method :

Take one pressure cooker, add oil. When the oil become hot add all vegetables and stir for 3 minutes. Then add cooked dal, tamarind paste, along with  required water. Mix well. Add salt, red chilli, turmeric, sambhar powder, jaggery, asafoetida, and grind masala powder.  Close the cooker. Wait for 2 whistle  to come. When the pressure leaves open the cooker and garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.Ur tasty sambhar is ready to serve. Serve with idli, dosa and steamed rice.

Barvan Baingan [ marathi stylee ]

Ingredients :

• Tender brinjals - 1/2 kg
• [ remove the stem cut into 4 from bottom side. [ not near stem ]
• Fresh  raw peanuts - 2 tbsp
• Dry grated coconut - 1/2 cup [ suka copra ]
• Big onion - 1 [ chopped ]
• Red chilli powder - 11/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves -little

To make masala :

Take one small pan add some oil, fry onion and copra till its change in colour. Remove from the fire and grind along with peanuts, red chilli powder, turmeric, garlic flakes and salt with out adding water. Grind the masla little coarse and keep aside.

Method :

Select brinjals  and cut in to four. Stuff the masalas with hand into brinjal. Then take one kadai , pour some oil and arrange brinjals in such way that stem portion faces down and stuffed portion facing upwards with the remaining masala on top along with 1/2 cup water. Reduce flame and cook till moisture is absorbed and brinjal becomes soft. When curry comes to room temperature, stuff back the oozed out masala in to the brinjal.

Note :

Some brinjals take long time to cook.If water  is not enough add in between. Donot allow the masala to stick to the pan. Stir gently in between.

Rajasthani Panchmel Dal

Ingredients :

• Split bengal gram dal - 1/4 cup
• Whole green gram dal - 1/4 cup
• Split black gram [ urad ] - 1/4 cup
• Toovar dal - 1/4 cup
• Masoor dal - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Ginger  - 1/2 inch [ chopped ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ chopped ]
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Oil - 3 tbsps
• Red tomatoes - 2 [ chopped ]
• Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh coriander leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Cloves - 3 to 4
• Dried red chillies - 2 [ broken ]

Method :

Wash all the pulses in 4 to 5 times in water. Then soak in enough water at least 3 hours.  Drain and boil in enough water, with turmeric and salt till cooked. Grind green chillies and ginger to a paste. Then heat oil  in a pan, add asafoetida, cumin seeds, cloves and red chillies. When the cumin seeds begin to change colour, add ginger chilli paste and saute for a few seconds. Then add cumin, coriander powder, red chilli powder and chopped tomatoes. Cook till oil separates. Then add the cooked lentils and add required water. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Finely add garam masala powder and chopped coriander leaves. Serve with hot jeera rice, roti.

Kajas [ sweet ]

Ingredients :

• Maida - 2 cups
• Bengal gram flour - 2 tbl sps [ heaped ]
• Curd - 1/2 tbl sp
• Sugar - 1 tsp
• Oil & ghee - for frying

For sugar syrup :

• Sugar - 11/4 cup
• Water - 3/4 cup

Method :

Sieve maida and mix with 1 tsp sugar and curd. Then sprinkle water and kneed to a smooth dough. Then mix enough oil with bengal gram flour to make it into bajji dough consistency. [ oil, flour mixture should easily speard when smeared ]. Make big balls out of maida dough. Roll out into very thin chappathis using more maida for dusting. Apply oil, flour paste evenly on each chappathi. Prepare a pile  five chappathis keeping one on top of another. Then first fold one end to about 2 inch width. Flatten the folded portion, and continue folding  in this manner to look like a flat roll. Then cut 1 inch pieces from the flattened roll. Press it on top with rolling bin. Theinner rings should remain at the sides. Prepare like this from all the balls. Then prepare sugar syrp of half string consistency, and remove from the fire and keep it warm. Heat oil and deep fry few kajas at a time till golden brown. Then put it in the sugar syrup and allow it to soak till next batch is fried. Arrange on a flat plate to dry. If more syrup is left over, pour it over kajas.

Variation :

Omit oil and bengal gram flour. Instead apply ghee on top of chappathi. Dust little  maida and fold.

Potato Wafers

Ingredients :

• Potatos - 1/2 kg
• Salt - 2 to 3 tbsp.
• Oil - enough for deep fry

Masala :

• Chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Or
• Pepper powder - 1 tsp

Method :

Peel and slice the potatoes. Then wash the sliced potatoes 3 to 4 times and immerse in salted water. After that, remove, press lightly between the palms to drain the excess water out. Then heat oil, deep fry on a high flame by seperating the slices and dropping them in hot oil. Remove them when it become crisp. Last sprinkle the desired masala.

Note :

While frying wafers, let the remaining potato slices remain immersed in salted water only.  If removed and kept aside before frying thay tend to get reddish.