Home made cookies

Ingredients :

• Maida flour - 2 cups
• Dalda ghee - 2 cups
• Powdered  sugar - 1 3 / 4 cup
• Rawa - 1 / 2 sp
• Baking powder - 1 / 4 tsp
• Vanilla essence - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cardamom powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Almonds - 1 / 4 cup [ blanched and chopped finely ]

Method :

Preheat oven to 350 degrees farenheit. Cover a baking tray with foil neatly and grease the foil. Blend sugar and dalda ghee smoothly. Add vanilla essence, maida flour, baking powder and mix well without lumps and kneed a dough. Make small pedas from that.  Press in the middle with thumb and keep little grated almonds. Bake in a heated oven for 30 mts. When a good smell  check with a sharp knife.If the knife comes out without sticking, it means the cookies are ready.When completely cooled it becomes  more crisp.Store in an air- tight container. 

Cauli flower masala subji

Ingredients :

• Cauli flower - 1 / 2 k. g. [ cut into small pieces ]
• Big onions - 2 to 3
• Big red tomatoes - 3
• Turmeric powder - 1/ 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli powder - 1 1 /2 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Sugar - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/ 2 tsp
• Oil - 2 tbl. sps.

Method :

First grind onions and tomatoes together  in  mixer. Keep aside.  Then take one deep bottom kadai heat oil and add cumin seeds. When it pop add ground masala and fry till raw smell goes. Then add cut flower pieces, salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, sugar and enough water. When the flower become soft and the gravy becomes thick remove from the gas.  Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with roti, paratha, and rice.

Channa pulav

Ingredients :

• White kabuli channa - 1 / 2 cup [ boiled ]
• Basmathi rice - 1 cup
• Tomatoes - 3 big
• Coconut milk - 1 cup
• Small onions - 1 / 2 cup [ peeled ]
• Garlic flakes - 4 to 5
• Oil - 3 tbl. sps.
• Coriander leaves - 1 / 2 bunch
• Green chillies - 2 to 3
• Kasoori methi - 1 tbl. sp.
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cinnamon - 1 inch piece
• Cardamoms - 2 to  3
• Cloves - few
• Bay leaf - 1
• Ghee - 2 tsps.

Grind together :

• Small onions - 8
• Dry red chillies - 4 to 5
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Garlic flakes - 3
• Fresh grated coconut - 2 tbl. sps.

[ heat a tsp. of oil, fry red chillies, cumin seeds, garlic, and onion. Cool and grind along with coconut. ]

Method :

Soak rice for 15 minutes. Drain water completely, heat a tsp. of ghee and fry the rice for 1 or 2 minutes. [ till the moisture is absorbed. ] Then soak channa for 10 hours before and pressure cook for 15 to 20 minutes. Blanch tomatoes in hot water for few minutes. Remove skin and grind into paste. Heat oil in a pressure pan and fry cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and bay leaf. Add garlic and fry till brown and then add slit green chillies and small onions. Fry for a minute and add ground masala paste. Fry till good smell comes in medium flame. Add tomato paste, kasoori methi, salt, little sugar, garam masala powder and boil for few minutes. Then add cooked channa and coconut milk. When it starts boiling add rice, mix well and reduce flame. Close the cooker and  wait  for 2 whistle to come. Remove from the gas. When the pressure goes open the lid and garnish with chopped coriander leaves and fried cashewnuts.  Serve hot with raitha.

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 - 1 tsp
• Dhania jeera powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Besan [ bengal gram flour ] - 1 tsp [ mixed with 1 / 2 cup water ]
• Low fat curds [ dahi ] whisked
• Chopped coriander [ dhania ] - little [ for garnish ]

Method :

Clean, wash and soak the toovar dal in water for 2 to 3 hours. Drain and keep aside. Mix the dal, turmeric, salt and 1 cup of water and pressure cook for3 whistles. Alow the steam to escape before opening the lid. Remove, whisk well and keep aside. Then heat a non- stick pan on a medium flame and when hot, add the cumin seeds. When it pops add the onions and fry till they turn light brown in colour. Then add the cooked dal, chilli powder, dhania jeera powder, and mix well.  Last add the besan paste and curds, mix well and cook for 5 minutes in lower flame. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with steamed rice and roasted papad.

Vegetable keema

Ingredients :

• Onion big - 1 [ chopped finely ]
• Small potatoes - 2 [ grated ]
• Cabbage - 2 cups [ grated ]
• Carrot large - 1 [ finely grated ]
• Ginger - 1 tsp [ finely chopped ]
• Hara dhania - 2 tbsp [ finely chopped ]
• Green peas - 1 / 4 cup
• Paneer - 1 / 4 cup [ grated ]
• Milk - 1 / 2 cup
• Red chilli powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Amchoor [ dry mango powder ] - 1 / 4 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Tomato - 1 [ chopped finely ] or tomato puree - 1 / 4 cup
• Green chilli - 1 or 2 [ finely chopped
• Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
• Ghee - 1 tbsp

Crush together -:

• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 tsp
• Cloves- 2
• Seeds of big cardamom - 1

Method :

Heat 3 tbsp oil, add chopped onion and stir till golden on low heat. Peel and wash potatoes, grate and add to the onions. Add chilli powder, turmeric, amchoor, garam masala, and salt. Cook till potato is golden. Add malai and stir for about 2 minutes till dry. Then add tomato or puree and stir more3 minutes. Then add cabbage, carrot,and grated paneer. Alow to boil for 5 minutes in low flame. Then add milk and stir till the vegetable is well blended and looks like keema. Add peas and crushed spices. Mix very well. Add chopped tomatoes and chopped green chillies. Fry for 5 minutes more. To serve, heat vegetables and add 1 tbsp ghee. Serve with roti, parathas etc.

Milakooshiyam [ kerala special ]

Ingredients :

• Yam - 250 gms
• Raw banana - 2
•       or
• White pumpkin - 250 gms
• Yam - 250 gms
• If you want you can use carrot, brinjal also.
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 2 tsp
• Coconut oil - 2 tson
• Salt - as required 
• Curry leaves - little

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1 / 2 sp
• Curry leaves - little 
• Coconut oil - 2 to 3 table spoon

Method :

Wash the vegetables,  peel the skin, remove the seeds of the vegetables cut into small cubes. Add water to the level of the vegetables. Add  turmeric powder, salt, pepper powder, curry leaves and boil well till the vegetables are tender. Add 2 table spoon of coconut oil, mix well and remove from the heat. Season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and curry leaves in coconut oil. Serve with hot rice, fried or  roasted papads and roasted curry.

Red pumpkin [ mathan ] thiyyal

Ingredients :

• Red pumpkin [ mathan ] 250 gms [ cut into small pieces ]
• Tamarind - 1 small size lemon or 2 table spoon paste 
• Turmeric powder - 1 / 2 tsp
• Asafoetida -  1 / 4 sp
• Salt - as required
• Jaggery - 2tspn

Dry powdered masala :

• Coriander seeds - 2 table spoon [ fry in 1 tsp of oil and powder ]
• Coconut gratings - 1 1 / 2 cups
• Dry red chillies - 6 to 8 [ make dry powder or grind in mixer with water. ]

For seasoning :

• Coconut oil - 3w tspn
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Red chilli - 1 [ broken ]
• Curry leaves - little

Method :

Fry the ingredients given for dry masala powder in 1 tsp oil till it is roasted well. Make powder and keep aside. Then take one small pressure cooker, put the pumpkin pieces, salt, turmeric, asafoetida, tamarind paste, jaggery. Add enough  water, and close the cooker. Wait for 2 whistle to come. Remove from the gas. When the pressure goes open the lid and add the dry masala powder or masala paste, simmer for another 5 minutes adding required  water. One tspn of rice powder mixed in water can be added for thickness. Season with the ingredients given for seasoning in coconut oil.Garnish with fresh curry leaves.  Serve  with hot rice, papads, thoran, curry, or koottu.