Dhal Paratha [ Payatham Paruppu ]

Ingredients for stuffing :

• Payatham paruppu - 1/2 cup
• Finely chopped onions - 1/4 cup
• Chopped coriander leaves - little
• Chopped mint leaves - little
• Red chilli powder - 1tsp
• Dhaniya jeera powder -1 tsp
• Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Lemon - 1/2
• Oil - as required

Method :

Cook dhal in enough boiling water, till the dhal starts splitting. Then drain the water completely. Then mix with other ingredients. Squeeze lemon and mix well. Use this stuffing 1 or 2 tbl sps per paratha.

Tip : Use ghee and oil mix together for making parathas. This will give a good taste.

Subz Lajawab

Ingredients :

• French beans - 8 to 10 [ cut into 1/2 inch pieces ]
• Carrots - 2 [ cut into 1/2 inch pieces ]
• Green capsicum - 1 [ cut into small pieces ]
• Cauliflower - 1/4 [ separated ]
• Potatoes - 2 small [ boiled and cut into small pieces ]
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Bay leaf - 1
• Boiled onion paste - 1/4 cup
• Green chillies - 2 [ slit ]
• Coriander powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Sugar - little
• Tomato puree - 2 table spoon
• Green cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh cream - 2 tbsp

Method :

Heat the oil in a non- stick kadai and add the bay leaf. When it begins to change its color, add the onion paste and saute over low heat, till the oil gets separated. Do not brown the paste. Then add the green chillies, coriander powder, salt, sugar and chilli powder and saute for 2 minutes. Then add tomato puree and cook for another 5 minutes. Then add french beans, carrots, capsicums, cauliflower and potatoes. Cover and cook over low heat for 10 minutes till its nicely cooked. Finely add cardamom powder and fresh cream. Mix well and keep for 3 minutes in a low flame and remove from the gas. Serve hot with puri, roti and parathas. 

Peas In Tomato Gravy

Ingredients :

• Fresh peas - 1/2 kg
• Simla mirchi - 1 big [ green colour] [ cut in to cubes ]
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Oil - 3 table spoon

Grind together :

• Red ripe tomatoes - 5 to 6
• Ginger - 1/2 inch piece
• Green chillies - 3 to 4
• Fresh coriander leaves - 1 small bunch

Method :

Take one kadai, heat oil and fry the ground paste in medium flame till the oil is separated from it. Add water, peas, capsicum pieces and salt. Cover and cook in a medium flame till the peas and capsicum becomes soft. Remove from the fire when the gravy becomes thick. Serve hot with phulkas, parathas.


Note :

If you are using dry green peas, soak it 10 hours in enough water. Pressure cook peas and do the recipe. Use ripe red tomatoes only in any gravy for best results.

Ten Useful Tips !!

1. Green Chillies - Though spicy but has good character in it :

Green chillies contains an antioxidant which contains Vitamin C in it & helps not only in fighting cancer but also many other diseases.


2. Methi seeds [ fenugreek ] together with coconut oil - Prevents hair loss:


Mix one spoon of fenugreek, one spoon of amla [ avla ] paste, 100 gms of coconut oil and cook well till it turns into a complete oil. Applying this oil daily, will help in preventing hair loss.


3. Amla [ Avla ] juice - Vanishes Stomach ulcer  :


By drinking this amla [ avla ] juice together with one spoon of honey daily twice a day will help in curing stomach ulcers.


4. Ajvan [ Omam  powder ] - Helps in curing nose blockages :


While suffering cold, running nose take this ajvan powder, put it in a cloth and fold it tightly for a certain period of time. By inhaling this often will help in curing nose blockages.


5. Turmeric, Fenugreek and Dry ginger - Helps in curing joint pains:

Take these turmeric powder, fenugreek and dry ginger [ sount ] of 100 gms each, mix well and make into a nice powder. Mix well with warm water. Having the same during your breakfast and dinner will help in curing joint pain, back pain etc. & so on.

6. Dry ginger, Black salt and Ajvan powder - Helps in curing knee pain :

Take 5 gms of dry ginger [ sount ], 50 gms of black salt and 100 gms of ajvan powder. Mix them well in a kadai & heat it. Put the same immediately in a dry cloth or handkerchief & fold it tightly. Use the same to give hot fermentation to the wounded portion of the knee gently. You will get a relief within a short span of time. If the cloth becomes cold after some time, you can re-heat the same in a tawa & re-use again.


7. Neem leaves and honey - Helps in preventing skin problems :

Take some amount of neem leaves, make a juice of it & mix along with 2 spoons of honey. By applying the mixture on your skin daily, twice a day, will help in preventing skin problems.


8. Turmeric - Helps in fighting cancer cells :

Turmeric is also called the king of masalas. It not only brings a good color in food but also helps in fighting fatal diseases like cancer. It has such a kind of substance in it that it not only helps in fighting cancer cells but also helps in preventing healthy cancer cells from growing further.


9. Boiled ginger with milk - Helps in curing cough flames :


When there is a problem cough flames hidden inside our chest, during that time before going to bed, take a small ginger, boil the same and mix it with one glass of milk. Drinking the same will help in curing the cough flames hidden inside our chest. You can have it daily till its completely cured.


10. Water chestnut - Helps in curing skin problems :

Water chestnut contains rich amount of Vitamin A in it. It not only helps in curing skin problems but also helps in beautifying the same. It helps in preventing dry skin and protects the skin from sunlight.

Tomato Kara Kuzhambu

Ingredients :

• Tomatoes [ red ] - 3 to 4
• Dry red chillies - 5 to 6 [ soak in water ]
• Seasame oil - 5 tbl sp
• Garlic flakes - 2 to 3 [ optional ]
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Jaggery - little
• Grated coconut - 1 tbl sp
• Curry leaves - little

Grind masala powder :

• Tuvar dal - 2 tbl sp
• Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Raw rice - 2 tbl sp
• Methi seeds - 1/2 tsp

 [ Fry all these ingredients without oil in a kadai till nice aroma comes. Then grind along with tomatoes, red chillies [ soaked ] and coconut to a smooth paste.]


For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Dry red chilli - 1 [ broken ]

Method :

Take one vessel, add seasame oil. When it becomes hot, add the seasoning. When mustard seeds pop, add the ground masala and mix well. Add required amount of water. Then add salt, tamarind paste, turmeric, red chilli powder and jaggery. Allow to boil for 10 minutes in low flame. When raw smell goes and kuzhambu gets ready, remove from the gas. Garnish with curry leaves. Serve with dosas and hot steamed rice.

Chenai Maseyal [ Yam ] (Andhra Dish)

Ingredients :

• Chenai irst [ yam ] - 1/2 kg
• Palak - 2 bundle [ washed and chopped ]
• Tamarind - 1 table spoon
• Salt - as required
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard powder - 1 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp

For seasoning :

• Coconut oil - 1 tbl sp
• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Green chilli - 2 to 3
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method :

First remove the skin of yam, cut into small pieces & keep aside. Then soak the tamarind in water. Now cook the yam in a pressure cooker for 2 whistles. After the pressure leaves, mash the yam & keep aside. Then take one deep bottom kadai & pour the coconut oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the seasoning. When the urad dal changes its color, add the tamarind water. Allow to boil for about 10 minutes in a low flame. Add salt, turmeric, red chilli powder, mix well & allow to boil for 10 minutes in a low flame. Meantime, boil the palak in little water. When it becomes soft, blend with blender. After 10 minutes, add the yam smash & palak mash together to the tamarind water. Check the salt. If you feel you need more salt you can add at that time. Then allow to boil for 5 more minutes. Remove from the gas & have it with roti or rice as a side dish.

Dal Biryani

Ingredients :

• Green moong dal [ saboot moong dal ] - 1/2 cup [ soaked in water ]
• Basmati rice - 1 cup[ soaked in water. ]
• Onion - 2 [ chopped ]
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Ginger 2 inch piece [ chopped ]
• Green chillies - 2 [ chopped ]
• Salt - as required
• Black pepper - 6 to 8 [ crushed ]
• Tomato puree - 2 tabl.sp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
• Lemon juice - 1 tabl. sp
• Chopped coriander or pudina - little

Method :

First soak the rice for 1/2 an hour and keep aside. Soak the moong dal also for an hour and keep aside. Then take a pressure cooker, heat 3 tbsp oil. When it becomes hot, add jeera. When it turns into golden color, add onions, ginger, green chillies and black pepper. Stir till the onions turns light brown and then add soaked dal. Reduce the heat and add tomato puree. Then close the cooker and wait for 2 whistles to come. Then open the cooker and add the soaked rice, coriander or mint, salt and lemon juice. Mix well, close the lid and allow to cook in low flame. Wait for 1 whistle to come. Then remove from the fire and keep aside till the pressure drops. Serve hot with onion - tomato raitha.