Achar ki Dal

Ingredients:

• Chana Dal - 1/4 cup
• Masoor/Tuvar Dal - 1/2cup (cleaned & boiled)
• Tomato Puree - 2 tbsp or 2 tomato chopped
• Onion - 2 (chopped)
• Green Chilli - 2-3 (chopped)
• Ginger Garlic paste - 1/2 cup
• Curry leaves - little
• Coriander leaves - little
• Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
• Dhania jeera powder - 1/2 tsp
• Red chilli powder -1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Chat masala - 1/4 tsp
• Garam masala - 1/2 tsp
• Aachari masala - 1/2 tsp

For seasoning :

• Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Methi seeds - 1/4 tsp
• Kalonji - 1/2 tsp
• Ani seeds (Sombu) - 1/2 tsp
• Oil - as required
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tsp

Method :

Take one kadai & add oil to that. When the oil becomes hot, add the seasoning one by one. When the seeds pop, add chopped onion, green chillies & tomato. When the onion becomes light golden in color, add the dry masala one by one. Fry for 5 minutes in a low flame till the oil separates from the masala. Then add the mashed dal to that along with required water. Allow to boil for 10-15 minutes. When the dal gets ready, remove from the gas. Garnish with little curry & coriander leaves.

Serve with rice, roti along with sabji.


For Achari Masala Powder


Ingredients:

• Coriander seeds -  1/2 cup
• Red chilli - 10-12
• Turmeric - 1 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
• Mustard seeds - 1 1/2 tsp
• Methi seeds - 1 tsp
• Black pepper - 2 tbsp
• Ani seeds - 1 tsp
• Tamarind powder - 2 tsp*
• Lemon powder - 1 tsp
• Salt - 1/2 tsp

Method:

Fry all the ingredients without oil & grind in a mixer & store it in an air-tight container.


*Note:  Fry the tamarind in little oil till it becomes crisp. Make it cool & grind in a mixer.

Pavakai Podi (Bittergourd Powder)

Ingredients :

• Bitter gourd - 2 [ scraped and chopped finely ]
• Tamarind paste - 1/4 tsp
• Garlic flakes - 2
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - as required
• Oil - enough for deep fry

To roast :

• Channa dahl - 2 tbsp
• Urad dahl - 2 tbsp
• Coriander seeds - 2 tbsp
• Grated coconut - 2 tbsp

Method :

Wash and remove middle part [ seeds ] of the bitter gourd. Chop finely the bitter gourd, mix salt and turmeric and keep aside for 30 mins. Then squeeze the excess water well for about half an hour. Then heat oil & deep fry the chopped bitter gourd till it becomes golden in color so that it doesn't gets burned. Drain the excess oil in a tissue paper. Dry roast the channa dahl, urad dahl, coriander seeds, red chilies till it becomes golden in color. Then dry roast coconut separately. When the ingredients becomes cool, add garlic & tamarind. Grind all these ingredients into slightly chorus powder along with salt. Store it in an air-tight container.

You can store it for a month in a refrigerator.


How to use :

Have it along with hot steamed rice, add 1 or 2 tsp of this powder, mix the same with ghee & have it along with mixed roast sabhji & papad. 

Breakfast item made with varieties of batters Toast cutlet

Ingredients :

• Remaining adai  batter - 1 cup
• Idli batter - 1/4 cup
• Bajji  bonda mix flour - 2 tabl sp
• Bread slices- 2 [ soaked in water and squeezed ]
• Bread grumbs - 3 table spoon
• Bread slices  - 6 to 8 [ toasted ]
• Onion - 2  [ finely chopped ]
• Green chillies - finely chopped
• Coriander leaves = little [ finely chopped ]
• Oil - enough for frying
• Tomato ketchup - as required

Method :

First take one bowl, add adai, idli batter along with chopped onion, green chillies, coriander leaves, bajji bonda mix, squeezed  bread  slices, and bread grumbs. Mix well and  don't add extra water. Mean time keep enough oil in a kadai. When the oil becomes hot, take little ball from the batter shape like a vada and drop it  in the oil. At a time 3 to 4 you can put. When the vadas change in to golden brown and crispy remove from the oil.  Toast the bread slices.  Take 2 slices bread, keep one vada  in the middle  add  some  tomato  ketchup close with other slice of  bread. Enjoy your toast cutlet.

Rawa Pongal

Ingredients:

• Rawa - 1 cup (Upma Rawa)
• Moong Dal - 1 cup 
• Water - 3 cups
• Salt - As required
• Asafoetida - 1/4 tbsp
• Onion - 1 (Chopped finely)
• Tomato - 1 (Chopped finely)
• Carrot - 1 (Grated)
• Green chillies - 2 (Chopped)
• Ginger - 1/2 inch (Chopped finely)
• Curry leaves - Little

For seasoning :

• Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper - 1 tsp
• Cashewnuts - 1 tbsp (broken)
• Oil - 2 tbsp
• Fresh ghee - 1 tbsp

Method :

Take one small cooker, boil the moong dal. Mash & allow for atleast 3 whistles to come. Then take one non-stick kadai, add ghee & oil to that. When it becomes hot, add the seasoning one by one. Then add onion, tomato, carrot, green chillies, ginger & curry leaves. Then add the rawa to that. Fry till it becomes light red in colour. Add salt & asafoetida to that. Mix well & add boiled mashed moong dal to that. Keep the gas in low flame till the upma becomes thick. Add little ghee to that & close the lid. After 5 minutes open the lid & garnish with coriander leaves. Serve with chutney & sambhar.

Thenkuzal

Ingredients :

• Rice flour - 2 cups
• Udid dal flour - 1/2 cup
• Black till [ seasame ] - 1 tap
• Butter - 2 tbsp
• Salt - as required
• Oil - for deep frying

Method :

Dry roast the rice flour for 5 minutes, then place it on a big plate. Add the dal flour, seasame, and salt. Then add butter and mix well and form a crumbly dough sprinkling few drops of water. Then heat oil for deep frying. Use a murukku press which has a small plate with three holes on it. Add one portion of dough in the press. Press in a circular form on a plastic sheet.Carefully using your hands drop it in the hot oil. Fry till it is done. You can also directly press in the hot oil instead of a plastic sheet. When its change into golden in colour remove from the oil. Store it in a air- tight container.

Laspsi Laddus

Ingredients :

•  Lapsi rawa - 1 cup [ fine rawa ]
• Jaggery -  1/2 cup
• Fresh ghee - just enough to make laddus
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp
• Cashews [ broken ] - 1 tbsp
• Milk - 2 tbsp

Method :

First take one kadai, add 3 tbsp of ghee. When the ghee become hot, add rawa and roast till nice aroma comes and its change in to golden in colour. Then keep aside. Now take one heavy bottom vessel. Keep on the gas and add jaggery to that along with milk and little water. [ just jaggery should dip ]  allow to boil in low flame. When the jaggey  gets one string add  the roasted  rawa in to that. Mix well add cardamom powder and fried cashews.If required add some more ghee and  mix well when the mixture become thick remove from the fire and shape into small balls.

Cauli Flower in Punjabi Gravy

Ingredients :

• Cauli flower - 1 small [ cut into small flowerlets ]
• Salt - as required
• Red chilli powder - 11/2 tsp
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh cream - 2 tbsp
• Sugar - 1/4 tsp
• Cashew nuts - 10
• Onion - 2 [ chopped ]
• Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp
• Red tomatoes - 2 to 3 [ chopped ]
• Butter - 1 tbsp
• Oil - 2 tssp

Grind to gether :

grind onion, ginger garlic paste, cashews and tomatoes together in a mixie to a smooth paste.

Method :

First boiled the vegetable adding  salt and turmeric and keep aside. Then keep one kadai on the gas, add oil and butter. When it becomes hot, add boiled vegetables to that, mix well then add the ground masala along with turmic and chilli powder. Mix well if required add little water. Then add fresh cream and sugar.  When the gravy becomes thick remove from the gas. Serve with roti and parathas.