Kesar [ saforn ] Pulav

Ingredients :

• Basmathi rice - 1 glass [ soaked in water for 20 minutes ]
• Onion - 2 [ peeled and cut into lenthly pieces ]
• Cashewnuts - 8 to 10
• Cinnamon - 1/2 inch piece
• Cloves - 2
• Cardamom - 2
•  Bay leaves - 1
• Salt - as required
• Sugar - 1/2 tsp 
• Kesar - 1/4 tsp [ soaked in 2 tbsp of  warm milk ]
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Ghee or butter - 2 tsp

Method :

First take one pressure pan, add oil and ghee. When it become hot, add spices to that . Wait for a second and then add sliced onion. When the onion  changed in to light brown colour, add rice to that. Mix well. Add salt, sugar and  required  hot  water. Close the lid and wait for 3 whistle to come. When the pressure goes open the lid and add  soaked   kesar with the  milk. Mix well your yummy easy and tasty kesar pulav is ready to serve.  Serve hot with any liqid subji.

Soft Rawa Idli [ Karnataka Type ]

Ingredients :

• Roasted rawa - 1 cup
• Thick fresh curd - 2 1/2 cup
• Salt - as required
• Cooking soda - a pinch
• Carrot - 1 [ grated ]
• Cashewnuts - 10 [ broken into very small pieces ]
• Oil - as required  [ Seasame oil ]

Method:

First mix rawa, salt, cooking soda along with beaten curd and keep aside for 15 to 20 minutes. Meantime, mix carrot and cashewnuts together and keep aside. Then keep the idli vessel on the gas. Grease each idli mould with gingelly oil [ nalannai ]. Spread little carrot, cashew mix on the mould and then pour one ladle of the batter in each mould and steam for 10 minutes in high flame and 5 minutes in low flame. Then remove from the gas and allow to cool.

Serve hot with onion chutney or molagai podi. [ Mix molaga podi with little sugar oil or ghee ].

P.S. I learnt this recipe from a TV programme which comes in Vijay TV conducted by Chef Venkatesh Bhat. It came out very well, nice and soft.

Naytheram Pazham Bajji

Ingredients :

• Kerala banana - 2 [ not fully riped (peeled and cut in to thin 2 inch pieces) ]
• Maida - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1/4 cup
• Salt - as required
• Cooking soda - a pinch
• Sugar - little
• Milk - 1 cup
• Water - as required
• Oil - enough for frying

Method :

First make batter with all ingredients like a dosa batter. In the meantime, keep oil in kadai. When oil becomes hot, dip the banana piece in the batter [ batter should be coated completely on banana piece ], put in the hot oil and fry till the bajji gets completely done [ golden in colour ]. Remove from the oil and serve with tomato sauce.

Chilli Paneer [ Chinese Type ]

 Ingredients :

• Paneer - 1/4 kg [ cut into cubes ]
• Maida - 2 tbsp
• Cornflour - 2 tbsp
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli paste - 1 tbsp
• Capsicum [ all 3 colours ] - 3  [ cut into cubes ] 
• Spring onion - 1 small bundle [ onion cut into cubes and leaves chopped ]
• Soya sauce - 3 to 4 drops
• Tomato ketchup - 3 tbsp
• Black pepper powder - 1/4 tsp
• Ginger - 1/2 inch [ chopped ]
• Garlic flakes - 3 to 4 [ chopped ]
• Oil - enough for frying
• Sugar - a pinch

Method :

First mix maida, conflour, salt, little water into a small bowl. [ like dosa batter (see the 2nd image) ] Then put the paneer cubes in that and keep aside for 5 minutes. Then take one deep kadai & add enough oil. When the oil becomes hot, add the soaked paneer one by one till it becomes golden brown in colour. Fry all the paneer cubes and keep separately on a tissue.

In the remaining oil, add ginger, garlic [ chopped ], till it changes into light brown in colour. Then add chilli paste to that & mix well. Then add chopped onion and capsicum [ all three colours ], stir fry for 5 minutes in high flame till the vegetables gets cooked [ not over cooked, capsicum should remain crunchy ]. Then add pepper powder, salt, sugar, fried paneer and tomato ketchup. Add chopped onion leaves to that. When the sabhji is completely mix well, remove from the gas. Again garnish with chopped onion leaves. Serve like starter or side dish for paratha.

Note :  For red chilli paste get some kashmiri dry chillies, remove the seeds and soak in hot water for 1 hour. Then add a pinch of salt to that and grind in mixer to a smooth paste. You can keep this paste in freezer for a period of 15 days.

Microwave Hot Chocolate

Ingredients :

• Cocoa powder - 2 tsp
• Sugar - 2 tsp
• Milk - 1 cup
• Microwable cup - 1

Method :

Add cocoa powder, sugar into a microwave cup. Then add 3 table spoon of milk to that and mix well. After mixing, add the remaining milk to that and keep in microwave high for 1 1/2 minutes. Wait for a second, remove from the oven and serve hot.

Paneer Kheer

Ingredients :

• Thick milk - 1 cup
• Grated paneer - 1/4 cup
• Sugar - 5 to 6 tbsp
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Milk masala - 1 tsp
• Kesar - little [ soaked in little warm milk ]
• Milk maid - 1/4 cup [ optional ]

 [ if the milk is thin, then you can use the milk maid ]


Method :

First take one deep vessel, pour the milk and boil well. When the milk comes up, reduce the flame and allow to boil for 5 minutes. Then add the sugar and then grated paneer. Just stir continuously till the sugar gets fully dissolved and the paneer becomes soft. Finely add kesar and cardamom powder. Allow to boil for 5 minutes more. Remove from the gas. Garnish with milk masala or powdered nuts.

[ If you are using thin milk, add milk maid to the milk and boil well before adding sugar and paneer ].

Iyangar Pulli Kuttu

Ingredients :

• Pumpkin - 1/4 kg [ peel and cut into cubes ]
• Raw banana- 1 [ peel and cut into cubes ]
• Yam [ sanai ] - 1/2 kg [ peel and cut into cubes ]
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Tuvar dahl - 1/4 cup
• Channa dahl - 2 hand full
• Kuttu podi - 4 to 5 spoon
• Salt - as required
• Green chilli - 1 [ slit ]
• Turmeric - 1/4 tsp
• Grated coconut - 3 tbsp
• Rice flour - 2 spoon  [ dissolved  in 1/2 cup water ]

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Urad dal - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - little
• Coconut oil - 2 tsp

Method :

Take one pressure cooker, add tuvar dal, channa dal, cut vegetables, tamarind paste, salt and turmeric powder. Add slight chilli and required water to that and close the lid. Wait for 3 whistles to come till the vegetables and dal becomes soft. When the pressure goes, open the cooker and add the kuttu podi and mix well. Grind the coconut and add to the kuttu. Allow to boil for 10 minutes in a low flame. Finely add the rice water to that. Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When it pops, add urad dal. Wait till it changes to light brown colour. Then add curry leaves and pour to the kuttu. Serve with hot sambhar rice, rasam rice.

Kuttu podi :

• Red chilli  - 10 to 12
• Black broken dal [ ulutham parupu ] - 100 gms
• Cumin seeds - 4 to 5 spoon
• Black pepper - 2 spoon
• Dry coconut [ sukka copra ] - 1 [ grated ]
• Asafoetida - 1 tsp

       
 [ Fry all the ingredients except copra in little ghee or oil till it becomes golden in colour. Then remove from the gas. When it becomes cool, grind in mixer along with grated coconut. You can keep this powder for 1 month ].