Cook blog

Kolhapuri Misal Pav

2011-09-07T16:13:00.000-07:00

I have been craving a lot for spicy food. What is more delicious than Kolhapuri Missal Pav in such case! I decided to try this following recipe and it turned out to be the best home made misal I have ever had. It is very health and yummy. When you are up for a spicy treat, kolhapuri misal pav won't let you down.

Serves 2
Ingredients:

Matki/Moth beans sprouts: 2 cups

For masala:
(set 1)
Cumin seeds: 1 table spoon
Garlic: 3-4 cloves
Ginger: 1 inch
Cumin-coriander powder: 1table spoon
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Clove - 3-4
Black pepper whole - 4-5

(Set 2)
Oil: 2 table spoon
Onions: 1
Tomato: 1 large
Grated coconut (fresh or dry): 3 table spoon
Green chilies: 1-2

For curry:
(Set 3)
Mustard seeds: 1spoon
Cumin seeds: 1spoon
Asafoetida: 1/4 spoon
Curry leaves: 8-10
Turmeric powder: 1/2 table spoon
Red chili powder: 1-2 table spoon (depending on how spicy you want)
Tamarind or Kokam paste: 2table spoon
Jaggery: 1/2 spoon
Coriander: washed and chopped

For garnish:
Bombay mix:
Onion: finely chopped
Tomato: finely chopped
Cut lemon pieces
Coriander: washed and finely chopped

Accompliments:
Pav (Indian bread): 4 (2each)

Preparation:
Boil matki sprouts, just enough to have a bite in salted boiling water. Do not drain the water as it will be used in the curry. It takes 5-7 minutes to boil fresh matki beans. If beans are bit old, it will take longer.

Take the ingredients mentioned in Set 1 and fine crush them in the grinder. This we will call it as masala mixture.

Heat the pan and add 2 table spoon of oil, now add the masala mixture with 1-2 cut green chillies. Saute until the oil starts to leave the masala, roughly for about 3 minutes. Add finely chopped onion. Stir for 1 minute or two. Chopped tomato goes in with grated coconut. Stir till its all blended well and oil starts to leave the paste.

Take it off the pan and let the mixture cool off a bit. Blend it into smooth paste. This we will call as wet mixture.

Heat the pan, add 2-3 table spoon of oil. Once the oil it hot add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida once the seeds start to splutter. Add curry leaves and after a minute turmeric powder, red chilli powder, wet mixture and 2-3 cups of water. You can use the water from boiled matki beans. Add tamarind or kokam paste, salt to taste, jaggery, chopped coriander and stir well. Add matki beans and let it cook on slow heat for about 10minutes.

Matki misal is ready to be served.

Garnish it with bombay mix, chopped onion, tomato and coriander along with some lemon juice. Enjoy it with hot pav.

Black Forest Cake

2011-07-19T12:55:00.000-07:00

Black forest cake is the most famous cake of all. It has many versions and following is my version of cake and also it is eggless recipe for black forest cake. Try it and you will love it.

Ingredients:
Chocolate cake (250gm plain flour, 100 gm butter, 400gm condense milk, 5gm baking soda, 2.5gm soda bicarbonate, 250ml of coke, 1 tea spoon of salt, 1 table spoon vanilla essence, 4 table spoon coca powder, 2 table spoon drinking chocolate. Mix all wet ingredients butter and condense milk together then all dry ingredients and later coke and vanilla mix well. Bake on preheat oven on 180degree for 15-20minutes until the knife comes out clean.)

Double cream: 350gm
Icing sugar: 100 gm
Vanilla essence: 1 table spoon
Brandy: 4 tbs (optional)
Powdered sugar: 4 table spoon
Cherries: 200gm
Cherries to decorate: 5-10
Dark chocolate bar to decorate

Preparation:
Bake the chocolate cake and let it cool down for minimum 3hours. Cut the cake into equal size piece for layering.
De-seed cherries and cut them into small pieces. Add powdered sugar and brandy. Let aside for 4 hours. This will leave some juice which we will be using on cake sponge.
After 4 hours of cooling cake and leaving cherry into sugar we will spread the juice coming out from the cherry onto the cake. Take a spoonful at a time and apply it over the cake. Leave for 2hours and again repeat the procedure of applying sugary cherry juice onto cake.
This will make the cake sponge very soft. Make sure you do not over apply the juice other wise the cake will become too soft and will break.

In a bowl add double cream, icing sugar and vanilla essence. Whip it until it become thick. Cover it with cling film and leave it in the freeze for minimum of 30minutes.

Once the cake is ready, apply one layer whipped cream and a thin layer of cherries and again whipped cream.
Place second layer of cake and apply whipped cream on the top as well as on the sides. Do a fine finish as this is the final layer.
Using a large knife surface, place the chocolate bar on the kitchen top run the knife from top to bottom and repeat until you get fine, thin and long flakes of chocolates. Take little and decorate it on the cake. Do it until all sides are covered and you are satisfied with the decoration.

Finally place cherries and leave it in the fridge until you are ready to serve.

Veg Crispy

2011-04-28T03:17:00.000-07:00

I really miss veg crispy dish I used to hog on back in Mumbai. I finally manage to re-create close to restaurant taste and thought of sharing it with you all. Hope you like it.

Ingredients:

For crispy veg:
Vegetables of your choice. I took following (1/2 cup each)
Cabbage:
Cauliflower:
Onion:
Capsicum:
Broccoli:
Asparagus:
Mushrooms:
Baby corn:
Plain flour 1cup: Cornflour 1cup: Bengal gram flour/ besan: 1/2 cup (take more if quantity of vegetable is more)
Salt to taste
Soya sauce: 2 table spoon
Oil to fry

For gravy:
Spring onion: 2
Garlic: 4-6
Soya sauce: 1/2 cup
Tomato sauce: 1/2 cup
Sugar: 1 tbs
Salt to taste
Green chilies: 4-5 (take more if you want hot)
Black pepper powder: 1 table soon

Preparation:

For crispy veg:
Wash cabbage, capsicum, asparagus, broccoli, baby corn, cauliflower, mushrooms and peel onions. Cut them into 1-2cm large squares or pieces. Set aside to fry.

Mix plain flour, corn flour and bengal gram flour. Add salt to taste. 2 table spoon of soya sauce. Add water and make thick pourable consistency so that each vegetable get nice coating of this batter.

Take oil to fry in frying pan and heat it on medium flame. Heat until oil is hot. Add a drop of batter and see if it floats on the surface thats when the oil is ready to fry.

We will fry each type of vegetable separately as cooking time for each is different. Cauliflower, baby corn and broccoli has higher cooking time then cabbage, onion, capsicum and mushroom.

Dip each type of in the batter and fry them until they are golden brown. Take them out on absorbent tissue paper.

For gravy:
Wash spring onions nicely and fine chop them. Keep the leafy part on the side.
Peel garlic and fine chop it. Wash and remove stem of green chili. If you want to too hot cut them into small pieces else cut it into 2 cm large juliennes.

In a bowl mix soya sauce, tomato sauce, garlic, sugar and black pepper.

Tip: Before you proceed with following step check if your fried vegetables are crispy. If not place them in the pre-heated oven for 10 minutes on 180 degrees which will bring out crispiness again. Fried vegetables kept outside for long time looses its crispness.

Heat a large pan on high flame. Heat it until fumes start to come out. Add 2 large spoon full of oil. Add green chili and after 1/2 minute add spring onions and stir for a minute. Add fried vegetables and mix well. Now add the mixed sauce and let it cook for another minute or until the vegetables are nicely coated with the sauce.
Garnish with green leafy chops of spring onion. Serve hot. I bet you will enjoy it.

Rajsthani Khasta Kachori

2011-02-18T15:21:00.000-08:00

I have been craving for khasta kachori for long time. I remembered the days when I used to reach railway station and there was this shop outside it. They used to sell all sorts of street food.

Me and my friends used to enjoy occasional khasta kachori treats. They had real big size kachori which I could hardly finish. The taste is still lingering in my memory with hot and sweet chutney and little yogurt and sev on top. It was just what you want after finishing hard day at college.

I decided to give it a go at home. This was my first attempt at khasta kachori and it turned out pretty well. It was as khashta as I had expected. It is also very easy to make.

Makes about 10 to 12 kachori
Ingredients:
Plain flour: 1 cup
Oil: 2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Chilled water: 1/4 cup

For filling:
Yellow mung dal: 1/4 cup
Fennel seed powder: 1tbs
Coriander seed powder: 1tbs
Dry mango powder: 1/2 tbs
Chili flakes: 1tbs (take more if you like hot)
Ginger powder: 1/2 tbs
Asafoetida: pinch
Garam masala: 1/2 tbs
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 tbs
Water: 2-3 tbs

Oil to fry

Preparation:
Mix plain flour with oil and salt and add water slowly to make dough. Keep aside for 15-20minutes.

Crush yellow mung dal into coarse powder. Somewhat like medium semolina or idli rava. Add fennel seed powder, coriander seed powder, chili flakes, dry mango powder, ginger powder, asafoetida, garam masala and salt and mix well.

Add oil and mix well.

Dry roast for 3-4 minutes on low-medium flame and allow flavours to come out. Notice the color change.

Add 1tbs of water at a time and mix well. Mixture should be slightly moist. Set aside for 5minutes.

Knead the plain flour dough for 2-3 minutes and divide it into 10-12 equal parts.

Take one dough ball and using hand make small round shaped patty such a way sides are thinner than the center.

Keep it in your palm and place the mung dal filling roughly 1 tea spoon. Gently cover the sides and repeat the same for all balls.

Let the ball dry for 3-4 minutes.

We will press the kachori using our palm. This is to avoid uneven surface or breaking of kachori. Place the filled ball on flat surface.
Using end of your end of the palm press it to make small round flat kachori just as shown in the picture.
Heat the oil on slow flame. To fry the kachori we will be using medium hot oil. To test the temperature, add a small piece of dough in the oil. If the dough piece comes up straight away oil is too hot and if dough ball seats at the bottom of the pan, oil is not hot enough. The right temperature is when dough piece comes up floating slowly on the surface.

Add one kachori at a time and allow it to fluff up. Leave it in the oil for 3-4 minutes and turn the sides. Cook like this until each side is golden brown. Fry the number of kachoris that will fit nicely in your frying pan.

My pan takes up to 3 kachoris.
You can enjoy it as it is with any chutney of your taste. Suggestion: imali chutney.
Or you can spice it up bit more by making a hole in the middle of kachori and fill it up with boiled channa/ sprounted mung, yogurt (salted/sweetened), imali chutney, coriander chutney, sev, chaat masala.
This is also called as raj kachori short form of Rajsthani khasta kachori.

Paneer butter masala

2011-02-04T01:38:00.000-08:00

This is authentic paneer butter masala recipe. It is as close as you can get to restaurant taste. This will take 30 to 40minutes to cook which is not bad for the end result.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Tomato: 8 medium size
Red onion: 1 large or two medium
Cashew nut: 1/2 cup
Ginger paste: 1.5 table spoon
Garlic paste: 1.5 table spoon
Kashmiri red chili powder: 1-2 table spoon depending on your taste.
Green cardimom powder: 1/2 table spoon
Garam masala powder: 1/2 table spoon
Dry fenugreen / Kasoori methi: 2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Butter: 4 table spoon
Cream: 1/2 cup (or as needed) [For low cal option, use milk]
Paneer: Diced 1.5 cups

Preparation:
For gravy:
Peel and cut onions into medium sized pieces.
Wash and remove eye from tomatoes and cut it into medium sized pieces.

Heat pan and add 2-3 table spoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add nuts and let it go golden brown, add onions and tomatoes and cook for 4-5 minutes on low to medium heat until onions and tomatoes are soft.

Allow them to cool off and blend it until you get smooth paste. Using slightly large whole sieve filter the paste. This is to get rid of tomato skin and other large bits which didn't get crushed.

Gravy is ready to be cooked.

For dish:
Heat the pan, add butter and once butter is melted add ginger garlic paste. Cook it for 1 minute. Add chili powder and just cook for few seconds. Do not let it go brown. Add the gravy and mix well. Add salt to taste. We will be cooking this for at least 20minutes. Keep it on low flame and cover it and let it cook.

In the mean while, chop paneer into cubes and keep them ready.

Heat another pan and dry roast kasoori methi for 1-2 minutes.

Keep stirring the gravy so it doesn't stick to the bottom.

Add green cardamom powder and garam masala. Take kasoori methi in your palm and crush it into powder and add it to gravy. Mix well. Take a taste and adjust the salt / masala according to your taste.

Once the gravy is ready add cream and paneer. Cover and let it cook for 3-5minutes with lid cover.
Serve hot and enjoy with paratha of your taste. I tried it with assorted paratha like plain, ajwain(carom seeds) and methi (fenugreek).

Spinach ricotta tomato lasagne

2011-01-21T02:48:00.000-08:00

I have eaten this lasagna plenty of times when I visit Italian cafe. I decided to try it out and it turned out really good. I was a bit surprised with the result as it was as authentic as I ate in Italian cafe.

The only thing I struggled was to separate the lasagna sheets after they were cooked. The pack instruction said add olive oil in boiling water to avoid sticking but that didn't help much. What helped me was once the sheets were cooked I left it in little bit of water and then used it straight away in my oven tray.

I am still looking for the best way to cook them.

Ingredients:
For filling:
Spinach: 250gms
Ricotta cheese: 200gms
Garlic clove: 1
Butter: 2 spn
Nutmeg: 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oregano: for seasoning
Black pepper: for seasoning

Pre-cooked lasagna sheets: 8-10 [cook them according to the instructions on the pack]

For sauce:
[Note: buy ready make sauce and just heat it in olive oil for faster result, you may add couple of spoon of ricotta cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, mixed Italian herb etc.]
Tomato passata: 350-400ml
Garlic: 1 clove
Olive oil: 1 table spoon
Seasoning: Salt, pepper, oregano, mixed Italian herb etc

Optional:

Mozzarella cheese

Parmesano reggano cheese and

Preparation:
For filling:
Wash spinach and drain off all the water. Peel garlic and rough chop it. Heat large pan, add butter and garlic once the butter is hot.
Add spinach leaves and let it cook until its soft. Add salt, pepper, herbs, nutmeg and mix well.

Spinach cooks very fast. Baby spinach will cook in 3-4 minutes and normal spinach will take 5-6 minutes.

Once spinach is cooked it will leave some water in the pan. Drain it off and let it cool in the colander. Once spinach is cooled off, press the leaves to squeeze out all the water from spinach.

Finely chop spinach and add grated ricotta. Give a little taste and if required add more seasoning. Filling is ready.

For sauce:
Heat the pan, add olive oil and once its hot add garlic. Add tomato passata and all the seasoning. Once the sauce is all mixed, add cheese of your choice. I added ricotta as I was left with some of the ricotta cheese.

Pre-cook lasagna according to the instruction give on the pack. Cooking time for each is different.

Pre-heat over on 180 degree C for 10 minutes.

Take the oven tray to cook lasagna.
First layer of tomato sauce.
Second layer of lasagna sheets.
Third layer of spinach ricotta filling.
Fourth layer of lasagna sheets.
Fifth layer of spinach ricotta filling.
Sixth layer of lasagna sheets. [do one more layer if you have spinach filling or]
Final layer of tomato sauce.
Optional layer of cheese. Take some fresh mozzarella cheese, parmesano reggano cheese and make another layer on it.
Place the tray in oven and leave it to cook for 30minutes on 180. You will notice nice brown color around the corner and sauce turns thick.
Serve hot with some fresh vegetables.
With cheese

Fajeto

2010-10-24T05:21:00.001-07:00

Fajeto/ Mango kadhi

This is authentic Gujarati dish. We made this specially during mango season. This can be made from left over mango liquid we get from washing up of mango skin and stone while making aam ras.

You can also use mango pulp and mix it with water.

Ingredients:
Mango pulp: 1/2 cup
Water: 1 cup
Green chillies: 2-3
Ginger: 1inch

Yogurt: 1/4 cup
Gram flour/ Besan: 1 table spoon
Jaggery: 1-2inch (depending on your taste)

Taste to taste
Red chili powder: 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder:1/2 tea spoon

For tempering / tadka:
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Cloves: 2-3
Curry leaves: handful
Asafoetida: 1/4 tea spoon
Oil: 1 table spoon

Preparation:
Mix pulp and water together. Add Chili and ginger paste to it.
Mix yogurt, gram flour and jaggary together and blend it.

Mix mango pulp with yogurt mix and add salt, red chili, turmeric and heat it on low flame.
While the mixture boils, prepare for tempering.

Add 1 table spoon of oil in small round vessel. Add mustard seeds and clove. Let it splutter. Add curry leaves and finally asafoetida.
Add the tempering to Fajeto.

Allow 1 to 2 boil and you will notice the entire mixture turns thick.
Serve hot and enjoy with roti, sabzi and rice.

Mango milkshake

2010-10-24T05:11:00.000-07:00

Mango milkshake becomes regular evening or morning drink. It totally becomes replacement to my morning or evening tea during mango season.

It is very easy to make and amazingly tasty.

Serves 2:
Ingredients:
Kesar mango (any kind): 2 fully ripe
Milk: 2cups
Sugar: to taste

Preparation:
Soak mangoes before use. Peel the skin off.

Cut the pulp part and add it to blender. Keep few pieces for garnish.
Add milk, sugar and blend it together to make smooth shake.
Pour it into serving glass and garnish with mango pieces.

Amrakhand

2010-10-24T04:53:00.001-07:00

Amrakhand/ keri no shrikhand is the next best thing to enjoy in summer. I prefer making amrakhand of alphonso mango.

Following is my recipe of amrakhand. I avoid adding anything extra to preserve mango taste. You can top it up with lots of nuts but I would suggest just enjoy as follows, you will love it.

The best home made amrakhand I enjoy of my Grand mother's hand. She has magic in her hands :).

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Yogurt: 2 cups
Sugar: 1/4 to 1/2 cup as per your taste
Mango pulp: 1/2 cup
Mango whole: 1
Saffron: 10-15 threads
Thick cream: 3-4 table spoon (optional)

Preparation:
Take a thin cloth and add yogurt in it and set aside for 3-4 hours.
This will remove all the water from yogurt and make it more thick.
Soak saffron in 1 table spoon of hot milk for 5-10mins and crush it to get the flavour and color out of it.

Remove yogurt from the cloth and pour it into mixing bowl.

Add mango pulp, sugar and saffron, thick cream and blend the yogurt. Adjust sugar accordingly.
Finally top it with finelly chopped mango pieces and mix well.
Keep it refrigerated. This will stay for 2-3 days.

Serve with roti or puri. Or enjoy own it own.

Aam ras

2010-10-24T04:37:00.000-07:00

Aam ras / keri no ras: made of Alphonso mangoes is most heavenly experience one can have during summer months.

Alphonso mango is known as king of fruits and is available in India during May till July.

Here is my version of mango ras recipe and I prefer to keep it thick and as little water as possible.

Ingredients:
Alphonso mangoes: 7
Rajapuri mango: 1 or payri mango: 3
Preparation:
Soak mangoes in cold water for 2-3 hours. Mango fruit is hot for body and this will allow cooling of the fruit and will be mild hot on our bodies.
Hold mango in one hand from top and bottom and from another hand press it slightly such that the pulp doesn't force out but mango surface turns from hard to soft.
Repeat this for all mangoes. Take two bowls and add 1 cup water in another bowl.

One by one squeeze the juice out in a bowl. Add skin and mango stone in the bowl with water.
Once you are done squeezing all the mangoes. Wash the skin and stones in the bowl with water and squeeze out all the remaining juice.
Water will turn thicker after washing all the skin and stones.

Mix water part and pulp part together and blend it into smooth paste.
Take a sieve with large whole and filter the mango pulp. This will help remove all the fibers from the mango pulp.
The aam ras consistency should be thicker.

Add one of the mango stone in the bottom of the bowl. This will help aam ras stay fresh and not turn black for 2-3 days.
To make it more interesting add finely chopped mango pieces in the aam ras
and mix well.
Keep this in refrigerator and serve cold with nice chapati and sabzi of your choice.

Coffee banana walnut cake

2010-10-24T03:57:00.000-07:00

Ingredients:
Melted butter: 100gms
Condense milk tin: 400gm

Walnuts roughly chopped: 1/4 cup

Plain flour: 125gms
Whole wheat flour: 125gms
Baking soda: 1tea spoon/5ml
Soda bi-carbonate: 1/2 tea spoon/ 2.5ml

Vanilla essence: 1 table spoon
Milk: 175ml
Coffee 1/2table spoon melted in hot water 25ml
Sugar: 3 table spoon
Banana: 2 fully ripe

Extra butter and flour to grease oven tray.

Preparation:
Pre-heat oven at 180 degree C for 15minutes.

Measure all ingredients and keep dry and wet separate.

Warm milk, add melted coffee water, sugar and banana. Using hand blender, blend it until banana is liquidized.

In a mixing bowl take condense milk and melted butter (room temperature) and whip well.

Finally add chopped walnuts and mix well.

Pour it over greased and floured baking oven tray, cake mould or muffin mould.

Heat for 10mins on 180 degree and 20 - 25mins on 160degree.

Let it cool off for 2-3hours and enjoy.
Now add flours and whip well. Add both sodas and mix well. Add vanilla essence.

Slowly add milk mixture and keep whipping until you get smooth batter.

Coffee Chocolate Cake

2010-09-25T23:40:00.001-07:00

Who ever knows me, knows that cakes are my weakness :). I enjoy home made cakes without much icing and decoration.

I mixed few recipes and came up with following amazing recipe of Coffee Chocolate Cake. This one is eggless recipe so for those who do not eat eggs will definitely love it. Try it and let me know how was it.

My cake turned out moist, soft and irresistible :). I preferred to add as less plain flour as possible and I added whole wheat flour, yet the result was super tasty. So go for whole meal.

Ingredients:
Condense milk:400gm / 1 tin
Melted Butter: 100gm

Plain flour:125gm
Whole wheat flour:125gm
Drinking chocolate powder: 5 table spoon
Coco powder: 1 table spoon

Baking powder: 5ml/1 tea spoon
Soda bi carbonate: 2.5ml, 1/2 tea spoon
Salt: 1/4 tea spoon

Coffee powder:1/2 tea spoon
Boiling water: 25ml
Warm milk: 175ml
Sugar: 1 table spoon

Vanilla essence: 1 table spoon

Cashew nuts: roughly chopped 1/2 cup

Baking tray:

Preparation:
Before mixing any ingredients, prepare following so mixing will be quicker and preheat over on 180 degree c for 15 minutes and adjust the oven tray in middle.

Melt the butter just to room temperature.

Open the condense milk tin.

Mix both flour and chocolate powders and sieve once or twice.

Dissolve coffee in water add milk and sugar and let sugar melt in it.

Grease baking tray and dust it with flour. Remove excess flour.

In a large mixing bowl add butter and condense milk. With a whisk mix it well.
Mix until butter is fully blended in condense milk.

Slowly add flour and chocolate powder and with spoon give it a good stir.

Add salt, baking powder, soda bi carbonate and mix with spoon.

Add vanilla essence.

Add coffee and milk solution to the batter. Slowly whip it and allow the batter to get smooth.
Do not over whip. Just enough until the lumps are gone. Mix cashew nuts and give it a final stir.

Pour mixture onto baking tray and spread it evenly. Tap the tray gently from the bottom to level the mixture.

Place the baking tray in middle of pre-heated oven.

Baking time: 10minutes on 180, there after 160 until its cooked. For my size of tray it took 20minutes on 160. In total 30minutes.
After 30minutes check the cake by inserting toothpick and it should come out clean.

Allow cake to cool off for at least one hour. Cut them into pieces and enjoy :).
You can store it for upto 7days.

Rava no shiro

2010-09-13T12:32:00.000-07:00

Since childhood I was big fan of prashad from Satyanarayan pooja. Being a Jain by religion never had chance to make the same until after I got married. One fine day I decided to keep Satyanarayan pooja and then I got the chance to learn this lovely yet simple dish.

If you get the measurements right and cook it with lots of passion, shira will turn into holy prashad which is as good as to become offerings of the Gods.

Serves 6
Ingredients:
Medium semolina: 1 cup
Sugar: 2/3 cup (take 1 cup if you have sweet tooth, I prefer my sweets less sweet)
Milk: 2 cups (i know some people add water, but go with full amount of milk, will enhance the flavour)
Ghee / clarified butter: 2/3 cup
Almonds + Cashew nuts: handful (rough chopped)
Cardamom powder: 1/4 table spoon
Fully ripe banana: 2/3 cup

Preparation:
Rough chop cashew nuts and almonds. Peel banana and cut it into half now slice it up so that pieces are 5cm thick.

Mix sugar with milk and keep it on low heat and allow it to boil in the mean time do the following and turn the milk's heat off as soon as it starts to boil.

Take thick bottom pan, add ghee and let it melt and get hot. Add chopped nuts and turn the flame on low-medium and let it roast until it starts to change the colour.
Add semolina.
Roast it on low flame until it turns pinkish brown. It will take about 10 minutes.
Milk should be ready now and make sure sugar is melted in the milk. Slowly add milk to semolina and keep stirring. Take care of hot fumes when you add milk into the pan.
Let semolina get cooked in the milk and milk starts to evaporate. Add banana after 1minute.
Mix well. Stir on low flame until semolina has soaked all milk. If you think semolina is still dry, you can choose to add little bit more warm milk. Make sure you adjust the sugar accordingly.

Stir for couple of more minutes and semolina and milk mixture has now turned into beautiful shira.

Turn the heat off and add cardamom powder. If you are severing as prashad, add some tulsi leaves. Finally serve in small bowls and enjoy.

Avocado coated julienne stir fry

2010-05-04T14:13:00.000-07:00

I came up with this recipe while I was on GM diet day 3. On 3rd day you are allowed to eat only fruits and vegetables. GM diet is same as cabbage soup diet. Fast way to lose weight. It did work for me. I like to get on low cal diet specially after I have been hogging a lot :).

I was planning to cook stir fry and just eat that. I came up with this recipe as I had an avocado which I had to finish on fruit and veg day as next day was banana and milk day. Try this recipe. You will love it.

Ingredients:
2cups of following vegetables of your choice
Mushroom, broccoli, green beans, spring onions, carrot, courgette, asparagus, colored peppers (red, yellow or green), baby corn
Extra virgin olive oil: 1/2 table spoon

Avocado: 1 ripe
Tomato: 1 medium
Garlic clove: 1
Parsley: handful
Sea salt
Lime juice: 2 table spoon

Preparation:
Wash and cut the vegetables in julienne cut and keep them separate.

Cut avocado in half.
Remove the seed. Take the skin off.
In blender add avocado, washed and rough chopped tomato, garlic clove, parsley, lime juice, sea salt.
Blend it into smooth paste.
Heat the wok and add extra virgin olive oil. Stir fry vegetables for 3-4 minutes on high flame. When you cook vegetables on high flame for short time, it will retain its nutrients.
When vegetables are cooked, add the avocado paste
and stir well.
You can add pasta to this stir fry or stir fry can be eaten own its own. Avocado is source of "good fat" hence this dish will make your tummy full.

Masala Puri

2010-05-03T14:21:00.000-07:00

Puris goes well with so many things. Puri bhaji, puri basundi, puri srikhand, puri aamras and the list goes on.

Here I come with my puri recipe. I remember my mom used to give me masala puri in lunch box some times with hot lime pickle. It is easy to make when you have lots of guest at home and do not have energy to make rotis for everyone.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour: 1 cup
Red chili powder: 1/2 tbl spn
Turmeric powder: 1tea spoon
Salt to taste
Carom seeds: 1 tea spoon (optional)
Oil: 1 table spoon
Asafoetida: pinch (optional)
Black pepper powder : 1 tea spoon (optional)

Oil to fry

Preparation:
Add all the dry ingredient together and mix well. Add oil and mix well. Add water and start mixing it with water. Make dough little harder than roti dough. Keep aside for 10minutes.

Add 1 tea spoon of oil and massage the dough until you have the smooth texture.
Take handful of dough and start rolling it into 2 cm diameter cylinder. Using knife cut them vertically to make small balls. As shown in photo.
Press the ball
and start rolling out small puris as shown in the photo. Puri should be little bit thick.
Puri gets fried very quickly so make sure you roll out 5-6 puris in advance. I roll out puri and keep them around the rolling base. Do not let them stick and get dry.

Heat the oil in frying pan and heat on medium flame. Add little bit of dough to test the frying tempurature. When the dough comes frying up on the surface as soon as it is dropped, oil is ready to fry.
Add one puri first and beat it a little with the surface of frying spoon. Puri will inflate and allow it to cook from one side and flip over. If puri turns brown quickly oil is too hot. If puri does not inflate oil is bit cold. Adjust the tempurate accordingly.
Roll and fry all puri.
Place it on absorbant paper.
Serve hot with the side dish of your choice. I am serving with basundi.

Tacos

2010-05-03T13:52:00.001-07:00

Tacos are simple and yet very yummy. Very easy to make and serves a well balanced meal if you add right ingredients in right amount and eat the proper portion size.

Makes 4-5 tacos.
Ingredients:
Red kidney beans: 300-400gms boiled
Avocado ripe: 1 (take half if you reduce the fat amount in your taco)
Onion: 1 medium
Tomato: 1 medium
Lettuce: Few leaves
Cheddar cheese:
Tomato sauce + maggie hot tomato sauce
or tomato salasa: few table spoon
Salt to taste
Coriander: handful
Taco shells: 4-5

Preparation:
Cut avocado in half. Take the seed off and then peel the skin off. This is the best way to cut avocado. Cut it into small pieces, add it to large bowl.

Peel and fine chop onions. Wash and fine chop tomatoes, lettuce and coriander. Add it to the bowl. Add kidney beans, sauces and mix well. Add salt if required.
Grate the cheese.
Cook taco shells as per instruction on the box. I normal warm it up for few minutes in preheated oven.
Fill up taco shells with the filling and add cheese on the top. Repeat the same for all taco and its ready to be served.

Upma original recipe

2010-04-12T09:25:00.000-07:00

This is original upma recipe. There are lots of versions of upma. Little modification will bring you new dish every time. Semolina is great multipurpose ingredient which makes dishes wonderful and tasty. Try this recipe and you will come back for more.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
Medium semolina: 1/2 cup : Boiled water: 1.5 or 2 cups
Green chili:2-3 as per your taste
Ginger paste: 1/2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Cashew nuts: 5-6
White split urad dal: 1/2 table spoon
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves: handful
Sugar: 1 tea spoon
Lime juice
Oil: 2 table spoon
Ghee/Clarified butter: 1 table spoon
Coriander: for garnish

Preparation:
Wash and cut green chili into small pieces. Cut cashew nuts into half and further cut them into two. Make 4 pieces of whole cashew nuts.

Get all the ingredients ready and heat the pan.

Add oil to pan and once its hot, add urad dal. Let it cook for 30seconds and add mustard seeds. Let it splutter and add green chili, ginger paste and curry leaves. Slow the flame and allow it to cook for 1 minute without getting burnt.

Add Cashew nuts and roast it until brown. Now add semolina. Roast semolina for 5-7 minutes until it starts to turn pinkish.
Add sugar, salt to taste and slowly add water and cook for further 2-3 minutes by continuous stirring. Add ghee, this will really enhance the taste of upma. Add lime juice just about 1/2 table spoon. Adjust the salt, sugar and lime juice as per your taste. Add more water if you like your upma more soft and stir.
Garnish with coriander and serve hot. Many people eat upma with plain yogurt or coriander chutney.

Cajun grilled tofu

2010-04-12T09:00:00.001-07:00

Cajun grilled tofu can be prepared in advance to be eaten own its own or can be eaten in salads or stir fries. Tofu is one amazing protein source for vegetarians and I always hunt for new recipes to make it more interesting. This one certainly tops the chart.

Following recipe can be used for any vegetable or meat you may like to grill.

Ingredients:
Cajun spice mix: 1 -2 table spoon
Extra virgin olive oil: 4 table spoon
Tofu: 400gms

Preparation:
Mix oil and spice in a bowl. Stir well.
Cut tofu into squares
and marinate it in the spice for over 4-5 hours. For best result, put it over night.

Place the marinated tofu in sandwich bag
Cover it in air tight container to avoid your freeze smelling.
Soak the skewers in water for 10 minutes before use. Preheat oven on 200 degree Celsius for 10minutes.

Add tofu one by one on the skewers.
Place them carefully in the oven for 20 minutes. At this point you can add little melted butter on each tofu but avoid it if you are watching your weight.
Keep checking tofu and remove it once it is slightly burnt from the sides.

Serve with salad or mint chutney or add in stir fry or soups.

Apple papaya smoothie

2010-04-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

This recipe is very good for those morning when you are filling too full or bloated due to over eating of last night. You are too close to skip your breakfast but skipping breakfast will lower your metabolism. Have a glass of apple and papaya smoothie, it will not only keep up with your metabolic rate but also help your smooth your tummy. This is also very good drink for heart burns or acidity.

I came up with this recipe on my day 1 of GM diet. I am so used to drinking milk every morning and was not sure what should I have for breakfast. It was filling and satisfying. At least I didn't miss my milk that morning :).

Serves: 1
Ingredients:
Apple: 1 large (I like gala apple or the green apple, some times I prefer Washington Apples)
Papaya: 1 cup
Sweet basil leaves: 4-5
Raisins: 6-7 for garnish

Preparation:
Peel the skin of papaya and apple, remove the seeds and cut it into rough pieces.
Wash sweet basil leaves and add it to blender or smoothie maker.
Pour it in a glass.
Garnish with raisins.

Palak bhaji

2010-03-31T06:49:00.001-07:00

This is very simple recipe for spinach sabji. I make this when I want to eat something healthy and don't want to take lot of effort.
This goes well with rice or chapati with onion salad.

Ingredients:
Spinach: 400gms
Tomato: 1 large
Garlic: 2 cloves
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida: 1 pinch
Turmeric: 1 tea spoon
Coriander and cumin powder: 1 table spoon
Red chili powder: 1-2 tea spoon
Oil: 1 table spoon
Salt to taste.

Preparation:
Wash and dry spinach. Rough chop it. Peel garlic and fine chop it. Wash and fine chop tomatoes.
Heat the pan, add oil and allow it to get hot. Add mustard seeds. Once it start to splutter add asafoetida.
Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds and Add tomato and cook for 2 minutes.
Add spinach. Spinach will leave lot of water so do not add any extra water. Stir it for 3-4 minutes and you will see leaves will start to cook. Add all the spices. Add salt right at the end when spinach is almost cooked.
After 3-4 minutes spinach will be ready to serve. You can add pinch of garam masala if you wish.
Serve hot with chapati or rice and choice or pickle or salad.

Rava Idli

2010-03-31T06:48:00.001-07:00

Rava idlis makes great breakfast or light evening snack. I simply love it. You can add vegetables to make it even more interesting.

Here is the original rava idli recipe for you. I hope you like it :).

Makes: 12 idalis
Ingredients:
Semolina/ Rava: 2 cups
Curry leaves: handful
Yellow channa dal: 2 table spn
Plain yogurt: 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds: 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Cashew nuts: 7-8
Coriander: finely chopped
Sugar: pinch or two
Oil: 2-3 table spoon
Eno: 1 table spoon

Preparation:
In a large pan, add oil and let it heat. Add channa dal, mustard seeds and let it splutter. Add curry leaves, cashew nuts and let it turn golden brown.
Add rava and salt to taste and stir until rava is slightly pink. This will take about 5-8 minutes on low to medium flame.

Take the mixture and allow it to cool off. Add plain yogurt and little bit oil. Add pinch of sugar, chopped coriander and mix well. Add little bit of water if required to reduce the consistency.
Heat the idli cooker with enough water in it. Let the water heat up. In the mean time apply oil on the idli mould. Add eno and stir well. Add the batter into idli mould.
Once the water is boiling, steam it for 12-15 minutes on medium flame. Once cooked, insert a knife to check idlis are cooked. If the knife comes out clean it means idlis are cooked.
Let the cooker steam off before opening. Be careful steam can be really hot.
Use a knife to take the idlis out.
Serve hot with nice coconut chutney.

Mustard and honey dressing bean salad

2010-03-31T06:47:00.000-07:00

I love this salad. It gives a good balance of everything. Good fat, good source of protein, carbohydrate and fibers. Plus it has great taste and full of color makes it even more interesting to eat. Mustard adds bit of spices to it so for those who like to eat spicy food here is a good meal replacement for you.
Try this salad on one of those nights when you are trying to watch your weight :).

Ingredients:
Salad Dressing:
Whole mustard paste: 2 table spoon
Dijon mustard paste: 2 table spoon
Honey: 4 table spoon
Extra virgin olive oil: 2 table spoon
Freshly crushed pepper: 1/2 table spoon
Sea salt to taste

Serves: 2
Salad:
Boiled red kidney beans:1/2cup
Salad leaves: 1 cup
Broccoli: 1cup
Grated carrot: 1/4 cup
Celery: 1/4 cup
Spring onions: 2
(add anything you like)

Preparation:
Mix all the salad dressing ingredients in a mixing bowl and stir well until it becomes a smooth paste.

Par boil broccoli and celery until it is little bit soft but crispy in taste. This will take 3-4 minutes boiling time in boiling water.

Add all the vegetables and beans in the salad dressing. Give it a good mix.
Add salad leaves on the serving plate.

Spread the salad over salad leaves on the serving plate.
Serve hot or cold.

Basundi

2010-03-31T06:46:00.004-07:00

Basundi is traditional Indian dessert. Usually served with Puri. Basundi is modernised to lots of different flavours like custard apple basundi (seetafal basundi), strawberry basundi etc. These is basic recipe of basundi.

Best served with puri. Little bit thicker and its called Rabdi.

Ingredients:
Milk: 1.5 liter
Cinnamon stick: 1 to 2 inch
Whole cardamon: 2-3
Cardamon powder: 1 tea spoon
Almonds thin slices: 1 table spoon
Pistachio slices: 1/2 table spoon (optional)
Saffron: 20 strands
Sugar to taste

Preparation:
I make basundi in microwave. It is easy and do not require to monitor or stir the milk.

The way I do it is I take large glass bowl and add milk. Make sure bowl is only half filled with the milk.

I keep milk in microwave for 5 to 7 minutes and take it out for 2 minutes. This will allow milk to cool off and will not come out of bowl at any time.

I repeat this until milk is reduced to half its size.

[Tip: You can do this on gas but make sure you have non stick thick pan and you keep stirring milk to avoid sticking at the bottom.]

Add milk in large bowl, add cinnamon stick and cardamon pods. We are going to take this out before serving. So make sure you take them out before adding any other spices or nuts later on.

Repeat the process of heating milk in microwave for 20 minutes. You will notice milk has reduced to 1/3.

In the mean time take 1 large spoon of warm milk and add saffron. Crush it using spoon to let the saffron color come out.

Take out Cinnamon and cardamon pods. Add saffron and almonds after 20 minutes. Also add almonds. Add sugar and cook further in microwave for 10 more minutes.
By this milk should reduce to half its size. If you want more thick basundi allow it to cook for longer time.

When the cooking process is over, add cardamon powder and mix well. Let basundi cool down for 1-2hours. Thick layer of cream (malai) will be formed on the surface.
Basundi is always eaten cold. You can prepare in advance and keep it in freeze over night.
Enjoy with puri or just after meal.

Fried rice

2010-03-31T06:46:00.003-07:00

I totally love indo-chinese food and fried rice is the most popular dish out of all. I have decided to dedicate this recipe to my special blog reader. Here you go dear!

Ingredients:
French beans: 100gms
Carrot: 1 small
White cabbage: 1cup
Onion: large
Spring onion: 2
Green capsicum: 1

Rice: 1 cup

Soya sauce: 2-3 tbsp
Green chili sauce: 2-3 tbsp
Rice vinegar: 1/2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Chinese salt: small pinch
Oil: 1 large spoon

Preparation:
Wash and soak rice for 2 hours.

Wash, trim the ends of green/french beans. Fine chop them. Peel, wash and fine chop carrot.
Keep carrot and beans in the freezer for 2 hours. This will really enhance the taste of vegetable and will add a crunch when you bite into them after cooking.
Peel and fine slice onions. Wash and fine slice cabbage as well as capsicum. Wash spring onions, and fine chop it.
Keep the leaf part separate. Cook rice in boiling water, once cooked, run it under cold water and rise all the water. This will allow rice grain to stay separate from each other.

For best results, take the metal wok and allow it to heat until smoke comes out of pan.
If you don't have metal one, use the normal or non stick one. Keep it on high flame and keep everything ready to go in wok.

Add oil to pan. Add Chinese salt and onions, stir for 1 minute. Add capsicum and stir for a minute.
Add carrot and beans, stir for 2 minutes and add cabbage. Stir for further minute.
Once vegetables starts to get soft, add sauces, salt to taste. Go easy while adding. It is better to add less and adjust in the end depending on rice quantity.
Add cooked rice to the vegetables and stir well. Add rice vinegar and mix well. Turn the heat off.
Garnish with spring onions and serve hot.
The same recipe can be used for schezwan fried rice. Add schezwan sauce to the rice except for green chili sauce.

This dish is usually served with manchurian. Yumm! I am getting hungry :). Hope you enjoy this.

Mung dal sambhar

2010-03-31T06:45:00.001-07:00

Me and my husband loves mung dal and south Indian food. I was amazed to learn this recipe from him. When ever hubby gets into kitchen for cooking will not allow me to enter the kitchen. Not even for monitoring :(. I have managed to make sambhar as good as him and he is a bit unhappy about loosing his monopoly in sambhar making :). Here is yummy and healthy recipe of sambhar. Hope you relish it as we do.

Ingredients:
1 cup of following vegetables (take any of your favorite vegetables)
Carrot, Cauliflower, bottle gourd, okra, eggplant, drumsticks
Green peas: 1/2 cup
Tomato: 1 medium
Green chili: 3-4
Garlic: 3 cloves
Onion: 1 medium
Curry leaves: handful
Tamarind paste: 3 table spoon
Yellow split mung dal: 1.5 cups
White split urad dal: 1/2 table spoon
Mustard seeds: 1/2 table spoon
Red chili powder: 1/2 tbl spn
Turmeric powder: 1 tea spoon
Sambhar masala: 1 tbl spoon
Salt to taste
Oil + ghee : 1 table spoon, take more if you like will give better taste.
Asafoetida: 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation:
Wash mung dal with two waters. Soak mung dal for 10minutes in warm water. Boil dal with salt, turmeric and few drops of ghee/oil until its soft. In pressure cooking boil for 3 to 4 pressures.
In the mean time we will get the vegetables ready. Peel and chop onions. Peel and fine chop garlic. Wash and chop tomato. Wash curry leaves. Wash chilies and cut them into julienne.
Wash the selection of vegetables and chop them. Boil them in water until soft. Save the vegetables stock. Can be useful to add it to sambhar.
Soak tamarind in hot water for few minutes and take the hard skin and seeds out and mash it to make thick paste.

Once all these is ready. Heat the pan and add oil + ghee. Add white urad dal and after 30 seconds add mustard seeds. Add asafoetida, garlic, green chili, curry leaves and stir for 1 minute.
Add onions and cook until its brown from edges.
Add tamarind paste and stir well.
Add dal and all the masalas. Add salt to taste. Mix well. Add boiled vegetables and tomatoes.
Let it cook on low flame for 10 minutes to absorb all the flavour.
Serve hot. Enjoy with idlis, rice, chapati or just like soup.

Bean cheese nuggets

2010-03-31T06:44:00.000-07:00

Bean cheese nuggets are full of fibers and nutrition. Also good source of protein. Serves as good balanced meal.

Makes 6 nuggets.
Ingredients:
Potato: just enough for binding
Red kidney beans: 1 cup
Green chili and ginger paste: 1 table spoon
Coriander: 2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Cheddar cheese: few pieces.
Bread crumbs
Extra virgin olive oil: Few drops
Salad to serve on

Preparation:
Boil, peel and mash potato. Soak, boil and drain red kidney beans. Mash them together. Add ginger chili paste, coriander washed and finely chopped. Add salt to taste and mix well. You can spice it the way you like. Can add more vegetables if you like.
Spray olive oil on oven tray and preheat oven for 10minutes on 180degrees Celsius.

Divide it into golf ball sized pieces. Add a piece of cheese in the center
and cover it well so it is stuffed inside.
Roll the nugget into breadcrumbs and place it on oven tray.
Heat it in oven for 20minutes on 180 on 3rd rack.
On the serving dish, set a layer of salad
and then place all the nuggets. Serve hot.

Pav bhaji rekdi style

2010-03-31T06:38:00.001-07:00

This recipe is not only easy but also tasty like street side pav bhaji. For the real taste of street food, try this at home and you will love it.

Serves: 2
Ingredients:
Capsicum: 1 medium
Onion: 1 medium to large
Tomato: 2-3 large
Potato: 1 large
Green peas: 1/2 cup
Garlic paste: 2 table spoon
Pav bhaji masala: 2 table spoon
Red chili powder: 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Lime juice: as per taste
Red color (optional)
Coriander for garnish
Butter: 2 large spoon
Oil: 1 large spoon
To eat with Pav or bread slices

Preparation:
Wash, peel and fine chop onions. Wash and fine chop capsicum and tomato. Make garlic paste. Boil, peel and mash potato. Boil peas or if you are using frozen, defrost it. Wash and fine chop coriander.

Heat the pan, add oil and butter enough to cook vegetables. Add half of garlic paste and let it cook for 1 minutes. Add red chili powder and let it release red color in the oil. Add capsicum and stir for 2-3 minutes or until capsicum's are soft.
Add tomatoes and cook until its soft. Add Potato and green peas and keep mashing with a masher. Let it mix for a while. Add salt to taste and pav bhaji masala. Little bit of turmeric and mix well also keep meshing. You can add a bit red color at this stage if you want.

Heat another pan, add oil and butter, once its hot add garlic and let it cook for 1 minute. Add red chili powder and pav bhaji masala. Add Onions and cook until onions are soft. Mix well.
Add onions in the main pan and add little water on the pan with onions and let it take all stuck oil and masala and let water fall in the main pan.

Add salt to taste. Top it up with little butter.

Now keep meshing till all vegetables are mixed well and you can not identify any vegetables or use hand blender and churn all the vegetables.
Add lemon juice to taste and adjust salt and pav bhaji masala. Add more butter if the need be.

Heat it until bhaji starts to boil. Add more water if bhaji is too thick. Garnish with coriander.

For side salad, fine chop onion and tomato and add lime juice, salt and red chili powder. Add it on top of bhaji when you serve or in side.

Apply butter on pav surface and toast it slightly on hot tava. Serve hot.

Ladi Pav

2010-03-24T07:05:00.000-07:00

Ladi pav or Laadi pav or just pav is a fabulous side dish with Pav bhaji, wada pav or missal pav. I missed it so much in London. Specially along with pav bhaji as it my most favourite dish. I was bored of eating bread slices or burger bun along with it.

I am pleased with following pav recipe I tried. I found the pav making process tedious and messy but end result was fabulous. I can not wait until I give it a second go.

For those who don't know what is Pav, well it is nothing but Indian bread made in bakery. It is cheaper to buy from outside so not many people in India attempt to make this at home. Usually you get this fresh from your local bakery in India and it is more economical to buy it from a shop.
Very common and Mumbai and Maharashtra or Karnataka region.

Makes 8-10 pav
Ingredients:
Plain flour: 3 cups
Sugar: 1 table spoon
Dry active yeast: 1 table spoon

Water: 1.5 cups
Salt to taste
Melted butter: 3-4 table spoon
Dough cutter or stainless steel turner
Extra flour and butter for bread shaping and kneading
Oven tray
Milk: 2-3 table spoon

Preparation:
What ever yeast you are using, it will have instruction how to use it. I used dry active yeast and followed following procedure to make it active.
2 portion of cold water and 1 portion of boiling water, in this case 1 cup of cold water and 1/2 cup of boiling water will give me right temperature of water to make the yeast active.
Dissolve 1 table spoon of sugar in the warm water and stir in 1 table spoon of yeast.

I took two bowls and added less warm water and proper warm water. After 10-15 minutes one didn't have any froth which showed if the water is not at correct temperate yeast will not work. I discarded the water without any froth.
You will also notice yeast start to change water color and it has a distinct sour smell.

If you have thermometer warm water to 40degree Celsius. Once the yeast forth start to come up stir it again.

Take 3 cups of flour in the bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well.
Now slowly add the yeast water and start mixing dough.
Tip: Now dough will get too sticky. Use little bit oil and knead the dough.

Knead the dough for 5 minutes. Add melted butter. Once the butter is added dough will not stick as much. Knead a little and cover it with plastic cover and set for first rise for 1 to 2 hours.
Tip: If you do not have large plastic cover, cut a large zip lock bag and use it as plastic cover for your bread making. Wipe it clean and save it for your next cooking.

The dough will rise to double its size.
Apply grease on oven tray and coat it with flour and dust the extra flour away.

Use oil in you hands again and knead the dough.

Take extra flour on the kneading surface and start making small dough ball. Use dough cutter or stainless steel turner to cut the dough balls. Rotate ball between your palm and place it on oven tray. Roation will give smooth texture on the surface.

[Note: At this point dough was too sticky so I used butter on my hands to work with dough, also added little dry flour in the dough. Turner was too helpful to cut dough balls. I was a bit frustrated with the sticky dough.]

Allow dough ball to stick a bit to each other on oven tray.
Cover it again and set aside for 1hour. You will notice dough ball has increased in size.
Take little milk in a plate and using kitchen towel
spread it over pav. This will give shine to the surface.
Preheat oven on 200 degree Celsius for 15minutes. Place the tray in 3rd rack on 180degree for 20 minutes. Check again and keep for another 5-10minutes if necessary.

The pav will increase in size in oven as well. Use tooth pick to check the pav is cooked.

Take pav out once its cooked.
Apply nice layer of butter on the surface and in between. This will give a shine to surface and will keep the pav moist.
Allow it to cool for 3 to 4 hours. You can eat it fresh from oven as well but at least let it cool off for 10-20 minutes :) if you can. My husband only allowed 5minutes cooling time :).

Once the pav is cooled off the flavour and smell will be mouthwatering.

[Note: Hot pav surface was little hard but was very soft from inside. It got more and more soft after cooling. Next day my pav was even more flavoursome and soft. More it has cooled down, taste and texture will be better.]

Use this pav for wada pav or pav bhaji or anything you like. Enjoy it again and again :). I know I can't wait till I make it again.

I am looking forward to try out some more bread recipes. Some good ones at YeastSpotting.

Bhakhri

2010-03-19T06:07:00.001-07:00

Bhakhri for Gujrati is a thick wheat based bread. It is soft from inside and crispy from outside. Bhakhri for Marathis is Rotla for Gujratis.

This dish that I am going to show you in a minute is from Gujrat region and very famous in Gujrati houses during dinner along with some watery vegetable (rassa walu saak). Also tastes great with jaggary and ghee.

It has very little water so can be made in advance for travel or picnics and can be enjoyed safely for 2-3 days.

It does take little effort in making. Specially requires strong shoulders. Once you taste it, you will know it is all worth it. My husband loves it and I make it for him once a while just because it has lot of oil and ghee.

Ingredients:
Wheat flour: 2cups
Rava/ semolina: 1/2 cup
Oil: 3-4 table spoon (more oil you put great taste it will have)
Salt to taste

Ghee/ clarified butter for cooking

Preparation:
Mix all dry ingredients together.
Add oil. Mix oil in the flour.
Add few drops of water and keep mixing until all the flour is wet and mixed well.
The dough should be medium hard and little soft to feel. As there is very little water dough will have lots of crack in it.
Massage, beat the dough for 5-6 minutes till all the cracks are gone and dough has smooth texture.
Divide dough into golf ball sized ball.
Keep each ball on hard surface and rotate it using palm and make a round ball and then press it.

At this point it will create some cracks on the edge. Use index finger and thumb and press the edge as shown in photo.

Do this for each ball and keep them ready to roll.
Roll out each ball into palm sized thick roti. Roll each ball out and keep them ready to be cooked. Some people depress bhakhri surface using finger tips but I didn't care to do that.
Heat the pan. Let it get hot but keep low-medium heat. As bhakhri is thick we will be cooking it in low flame else it will get cooked fast from surface but remain uncooked from inside.

Flip on to other side and apply little ghee.
Allow second side to cook and flip over again and apply little ghee.

At this point we will press the surface of bhakhri, this will really get the bhakhri cooking and get more crispy.

Use wooden datto we call it in Gujrati. If you do not have this you can take a thick kitchen towel and fold it into layers and press bhakhri with it.

The trick is to press and rotate. Ghee on the surface will allow bhakhri to rotate. Flip over and press the second side.
Cook it until you see nice pinkish brown design on both the sides. If bhakhri turns brown quickly low the heat even more.

Cook all the remaining bhakhri. Enjoy with sabji of your choice or try with ghee and jaggary, this will satisfy your sweet tooth :). You can enjoy this with tea in your breakfast or have one bhakhri as a snack. It is good any time :).

Bajri rotla

2010-03-19T05:29:00.001-07:00

Bajri/millet flour has less carbohydrate than wheat hence dietitians in India suggest eating Bajri roti over wheat ones specially during evenings.

Hot bajri rotla (for Gujarati) or bajri bhakri (for Marathis) are very tasty. The only difference between rotla and bhakri is latter is bigger and thicker.

Usually preferred with besan/ Bengal gram flour based sabji for example methi pithlaa/methi nu lot walu saak etc.

My great grand mom lived for 100 years and every evening she used to eat bajri rolta's powder soaked in plain yogurt. It is very yummy dish even good for babes. Specially for those without teeth and weak stomach.

Makes 4-5 rotla and 2-3 big bhakri.
Ingredients:
Millet flour: 2 cups
Salt
Water as required
Ghee/ clarified butter (optional)

Preparation:
Sieve millet flour in a mixing bowl. Add salt to taste and mix well.
Tip: If millet flour is not fresh add warm water to mix the dough.

Add little bit water and start mixing it in the flour.
We want to make medium - soft dough.
Once that is done, massage the dough.
Press the hill of the palm into the dough and push forward with little pressure. Pull that dough and repeat. Do it for 5 minutes. Use both hands for quick result.

Divide dough into equal sized ball. Ball should be little bit smaller than golf ball.
Keep other balls covered when you are working with one dough.

Take one dough ball, keep in under your palm and gently rotate your palm horizontally over the ball to make a smooth surfaced ball.

Roll the dough ball in dry millet dough.

Tip: Before rolling each ball make sure ball is massaged properly, has no cracks and is coated with dry dough. Else it can stick to the rolling surface and you will end up with mess.

Press the dough ball and start rolling it into roti but only little thick. Coat the roti in dry dough while rolling the dough.
Tip: Experts will use just hands to make rotla/bhakri. Novice uses plastic or cloth to roll out rotla/ bhakri. If you are making this for 1st time, follow my above tip and do it as I have written here you will definitely come up with nice rotlas. Do not panic if you mess up with one or two balls. Massage each ball again and start rolling up use sharp turner to pick up rotla from the rolling pan and place it on pan. Cook and roll one at a time.

Heat the pan in the mean time and place the rotla/bhakri on to heated pan and immediately coat the surface with nice layer of water. Make sure water doesn't drip from the edges else roti will stick when you flip over. Cook on medium flame.

After 40-50 seconds flip over using turner and again coat the surface with nice layer of water.
Use kitchen tissue to nicely spread the water if you want to avoid using your hand.Trick is to pour little water in the centre and spread it over to the surface.

Flip over in 40-50 seconds. Cook on both surface until cooked. If you have gas hobs you can place the roti straight over the flame and you will see rotla will fluff up.
Repeat for rest of the dough balls. Massage dough ball if required before rolling.

Enjoy bajri rotla/ bajri bhakri with sabji of your choice. For best taste, apply a layer of ghee on hot rotla.

Methi mung dal sabji

2010-03-19T05:27:00.000-07:00

I love methi and love this recipe for daily lunch. It is healthy and very tasty. Easy to carry in lunchbox.

Ingredients:
Ginger and garlic grated: 2 table spoon
Onion: 1 medium
Tomato: 1 medium
Yellow split mung dal: 1 cup
Fenugreek leaves: 1 bunch
Green chili: 1-2 (optional)
Mustard seeds: 1 table spn
Asafoetida: pinch
Turmeric: 1 table spn
Salt to taste
Cumin and coriander powder: 1 table spn
Goda masala: 1/2 tea spoon
Oil: 1-3 table spoon

Preparation:
Wash and soak mung dal for 30minutes. Peel and fine chop onion. Wash and fine chop tomato. Grate or fine chop ginger and garlic.
Clean fenugreek leaves and wash them. I usually clean my sink, block it and fill it with water. Let leaves soak into water for 5-10minutes. This allows dirt to sink down at the bottom. Shake the leaves bit and take them out they will be clean.
Fine chop leaves.
Heat the pan, add oil and mustard once its hot. Let the seed splutter and add ginger garlic. Stir for 1 minute. Add onions. Stir until its soft. Add tomatoes and stir again for a minute.

Add dal and little bit of water along with. Allow dal to get soft. Do not add too much water else sabji will be watery. Add little bit water at a time to allow dal to cook.
Turn the heat on low and cook until dal is just about to cook. This will take 8-10 minutes.
Add salt to taste, turmeric, cumin coriander powder, red chili powder (optional) and mix well.

Add fenugreek leaves and again stir for 2 minutes.
Leaves will start to cook. Finally add Goda masala. If you do not have goda masala, add garam masala.Mix well.
Once the methi is fully cooked remove it from heat.
Enjoy hot with rotis, bajri rotla or rice.

Wheat grass juice

2010-03-19T05:26:00.001-07:00

This blog will show you how to make juice from seed. I have heard lot of good things about wheat grass juice. I decided to try it on. My husband and I started to see positive results in our health.

I had no prior experience of growing. I learnt the right way to do it and sharing it with you.

Ingredients:
Row wheat : 1 cup
Water as needed
Soil to grow wheat grass on
Tray
Juicer or blender

Preparation:
Growing wheat grass is about two week process.
1. Sprout wheat grass:
This can take up to 3 days. Soak wheat pearl overnight or 8-10hours in warm water. Next day rinse it thoroughly and wash it with fresh water and rinse again. If you do not wash and rinse properly wheat will start smelling.

After rinsing nicely keep it covered for 8hours. Wash and rinse again with fresh water thoroughly. By this time you will start to notice little sprout in the wheat.
We need little more sprout. Wash, rinse and keep it covered for 8 hours until you see sprout coming out of wheat is 2-3millimeter long.

2. Sowing:
Take a tray, you can choose to take the one with or without holes.
Tip: Most of people suggested I take the one with holes as it let the excess water come out of the tray. But make sure you have covered the holes with cling foil or thick paper or a bigger size tray else every time you water or transfer your tray you will have mess and you will hate growing ever again.

Cover the tray with soil and make sure soil doesn't have any lumps, break it with your hands or use some garden tools or for the matter a spoon from your kitchen will do for pot gardening.

Leave 1 inch from the top of the tray and spread out soil nicely. Water the soil to make it damp.
Scatter wheat pearls in a light layer over the soil.
Gently push them in to the soil. There is no need to add more soil on top of wheat pearls, but it won't harm also.
Now water little bit more and sowing process is over.

Cover the tray for 3 days with another tray or black bin bag or keep it in dark store room for 3 days. Every morning water if necessary. You will notice grass has started growing each day.

3. Water and let it grow:
Wheat grass should be at least 7 inch tall before you cut it for juicing. Water every morning. Keep it in sunny place. Wheat grass doesn't require too much sun light. It will take 10-14days to grow before you can start juicing.
4. Cut and juice:
You can use pair of scissors or sharp knife to cut the grass. Cut from the start of green part and leave little bit of white part on for it to grow.

Wash the grass and rinse it. There are special wheat grass juicer available in the market. I simply use blender to make my juice.
Add little bit water in the blender 50ml, wheat grass and blend it. Filter the fiber out and squeeze it.
Pour the juice in shot glasses and have it first thing in the morning on empty stomach for best results. Also it is important to consume the juice as soon as you juice it.
If you want you can add mint leaves and ginger along with. This will help enhance the taste of the juice.

It is very important to be healthy and wheat grass juice will help you detox your body and fight disease.

Tofu bread pizza

2010-03-19T05:24:00.001-07:00

This recipe is very healthy and can also be made low fat. With whole wheat bread, tofu and all the veggies it can be one balanced meal ready in minutes.

Makes 3 bread pizza
Ingredients:
Tofu: 100gms
Onion: 1 medium
Tomato: 1 medium
Grated cheese: as much as you like
Salt to taste
Carom seeds: 1 tea spoon
Mixed Italian herbs: pinch
Tomato sauce: 1 heaped table spoon
Maggie spicy chili sauce: 1/2 table spoon

Wheat bread slices: 3
Extra virgin olive oil (or any other oil)
For garnish: freshly crushed pepper

Preparation:
There is no set definition to make tofu bread pizza. You can add what ever you like. Main thing here is grated tofu. I do look for ways to have a balanced meal. This is just fantastic recipe with minimum effort.

Peel onions and fine chop them. Wash and fine chop tomato. Grate tofu and cheese.
Heat pan. Add oil and once hot add carom seeds. Let it splutter.
Add onion and stir for one minute or two until soft. Add tomato and let it cook until soft.
Add tofu, sauces, spice mix, salt to taste. Give it a good stir. Cook for 2 minutes on low heat. Once its done switch of the heat.
Lightly toast bread in toaster. Apply olive oil on one side of bread. We are going to place the side with olive oil at the bottom. Oil will help bread cook crispier.
On the other side apply thick layer of cooked tofu
and sprinkle cheese on top.
Heat the pan on low flame and let it heat up. Place the bread on pan and allow it to cook with lid on for 3-4minutes. Make sure flame is low else bread will start burning.
Enjoy hot pizza with little freshly crushed pepper.

Veg pulao

2010-03-19T05:23:00.000-07:00

Veg pulao is always a treat to eat. It is very easy to make and tastes yummy. You can be as creative as you want and add more veggies. Try this recipe. Easy to carry in lunch box. Good to take some in summer garden picnic.

I remember when I was a kid my mom and auntie will prepare veg pulao and curd for one day picnic and we will enjoy it at the beaches or river in Goa during school holidays. Oh I miss those carefree days :(.

Ingredients:
Green beans: 1 cup
Green peas: 1/2 cup
Green chili:3-4
Onion: 1 medium
Tomato: 1 medium
Garlic: 2 cloves
Turmeric: 1 tea spoon
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Black pepper: 4-5
Dried bay leaf: 1
Star anise: 1
Salt to taste
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Oil: 1/2 table spoon
Ghee/clarified butter: 1/2 table spoon
Basmati rice: 1.5 cups
Coriander for garnish

Preparation:
Clean, wash and cut green beans in 2 cm long pieces. Boil it in hot water until soft along with green peas.

Peel and long chop onions in 2 cm long pieces. Wash and chop tomato in large pieces.

Wash, take the stem off and cut chili into slices. Fine chop garlic.

Wash rice twice with fresh water. Soak it for 10-15minutes. Cook it in boiling water until soft. Remove the excess water and keep aside. If the rice is overcooked, immediately keep it under running cold water. Also rice will not stick to each other.

Heat a pan. Add oil and ghee together. Add whole spice in following order. Star anise, cinnamon stick, black pepper, cumin seeds, bay leaf.
Add chopped chili and garlic once cumin start to splutter. Stir well and add onions.
Cook until onion is soft and add green beans and peas.
Stir well. Add tomatoes and mix well. Add salt to taste, turmeric powder, garam masala and give it a stir. Add rice when tomatoes start to get soft.
Gently mix rice with masala and let it stand for 5 minutes with lid on and heat off. This will allow spices to absorb well in rice. If you want before turning the heat off, you can add few drops of ghee for extra rich flavour.
Garnish with chopped coriander.
Serve with nice tomato soup, curd or any curry of your taste. My personal favorite is with tomato soup.

Curd rice

2010-03-19T05:22:00.001-07:00

Call it curd rice or fodni bhaat. It is good for digestion and can be eaten when you are weak in your health. Good for elderly people and even small kids.

I have seen some South Indians prefer to end their meal with a plate of curd rice. It is always a treat to eat this refreshing recipe.

Ingredients:
Cooked rice: 2 cup (depends how much you want to eat per serving)
Plain curd: 1 cup (select low fat for diet recipe)
Split white urad dal: 1 tea spoon
Mustard seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Cumin seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Ginger crushed: 1 tea spoon
Curry leaves: handful
Green chili finely chopped: to the taste (optional)
Salt to taste
Oil/ clarified butter (ghee): 1 table spoon (take less if you want low fat)
Finely chopped coriander or mint for garnish: 1 table spoon

Preparation:
This recipe can be made in minutes. It doesn't require much preparation apart from cooking rice.

Heat the pan, add 1 table spoon of oil. Let it get hot. Add urad dal and allow it to change the color a bit. Add cumin and mustard seeds and let it splutter.
Add curry leaves, ginger, chili and stir it a bit for few seconds. Now add rice and stir well. Add salt to taste.
Turn the heat off. Add yogurt and mix well.
Garnish with coriander or mint and serve hot.

Onion upma

2010-03-19T05:21:00.001-07:00

There are various upma recipes. This one is my all time favorite. This one is very similar to the one I ate for breakfast in a restaurant in Belgaum on my way to Goa.

Also one very good udipi restaurant makes awesome upma, which is very close to this recipe.

Try it for breakfast. It is not only fast but also tasty.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
Medium semolina/Rava: 1 cup
Boiling water: 2-3 cups
Green chili:2-3
Ginger crushed: 1 table spoon
White split urad dal: 1 table spn
Mustard seeds: 1 table spn
Curry leaves: handful
Chopped coriander for garnish
Onion: 1 medium
Oil: 2 table spoon
Clarified butter: 1 table spn
Lime juice: 2-3 table spn
Sugar: 1/2 table spn

Preparation:
Fine chop green chili and grate ginger. Peel and fine chop onions.

Heat the pan and add oil. Once the oil is hot add urad dal. Let dal turn slight color and add mustard seeds. Once seeds start to splutter add curry leaves followed by chili and ginger.

After few seconds add onions and stir until onions are soft.
Turn the heat to medium low. Add semolina.

We will roast semolina nicely for 5-8 minutes. Semolina should start to turn pink and get roasted well.
In the mean time boil 2-3 cups of water.

Keep stirring semolina until it changes color. Add salt to taste and sugar. Slowly add water and keep mixing semolina.
Per one cup of semolina add 2 or 3 cups of water. 3 cups will make upma soft and moist and 2 cups will make it soft and firm. It is personal choice what texture of upma would you like to eat. Adjust the water accordingly. If semolina is fine, you will require less water and if it is medium you will require more water. Try to judge your upma and adjust the water.

Add ghee/clarified butter and lime juice. Added ghee will enhance the flavour of upma.

Turn the heat little up and mix continuously until semolina gets cooked. Water will cook semolina, you will notice each molecule has increased in size.
Garnish with coriander and turn the heat off.
Serve onion upma while its hot.

Sprouted mung sabji

2010-03-19T05:20:00.001-07:00

Mung beans are very healthy but sprouted mung are even healthier.

Ingredients:
Sprouted mung beans: 1.5cups
Tomato: 1 medium
Curry leaves: handful
Mustard seeds: 1 table spoon
Turmeric: 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Sugar: pinch
Oil: 1 table spn
Chopped coriander for garnish

Preparation:
This is very quick recipe. One afternoon I was wondering what can I make which will go along with the rotis I had. I also wanted protein and didn't want the hassle to cook dal.

I had some mung and thought of making something with it. I didn't even want to boil it.

I chopped some tomatoes. Heated pan and added some oil, mustard, asafoetida and curry leaves. Once seeds started to splutter added tomatoes. Stirred for a while and added sprouted mung. Sprinkled some water every now and again to let mung cook.
After 3-4 minutes added spices and salt to taste. Allowed mung to get soft and once it was done sprouted mung shaak/sabji was ready.

I garnished it with some coriander and enjoyed with some cucumber salad, plain yogurt and rotis.

Mattar paneer

2010-03-19T05:17:00.001-07:00

Mattar paneer is great any time. It is mild gravy with soft paneer and green peas. Good to eat this any time for lunch, dinner or even in your lunchbox. Great for parties or marriage menu.
It just fits all occasions. Brilliant in taste and nice change in your meal. Plus very easy to make.

Ingredients:
Tomatoes: 3 medium to large
Ginger garlic paste: 2 table spoon
Paneer cubes: 1 cup
Green peas: 1cup
Milk: 1.5 cup
Peanut or cashew nut or almond powder paste: 2-3 table spoon (optional)
Cumin seeds: 1 table spoon
Oil: 1 table spoon
Turmeric powder: 1 tea spoon
Coriander and cumin powder: 2 table spoon
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste.

Garnish:
Kasuri methi/ dried fenugreek leaves: 1 table spoon
Fine chopped ginger 2-3 cm long: 8-10

Preparation:
Wash and rough chop tomato, add garlic and ginger in the tomato and make a paste.
This will taste the same and save time to make separate paste for each.
This recipe can be easily made Jain if you avoid ginger and garlic.

Mix all masala in milk and keep it ready. Make the nut paste and mix it in milk.

Cut paneer into small cubes. For better taste you can take 2table spoon of oil large bottom pan and fry paneer until brown on each sides. I avoid it as it adds extra oil in the food. If you fry paneer in oil, take them out on kitchen tissue to absorb extra oil.

Heat the pan, add cumin seeds and once it splutter add tomato puree with ginger and garlic. Cook tomato puree for 3-4 minutes on low - medium flame.
Add milk in the pan and allow it to cook on low - medium flame for 3-4 minutes.
At this point gravy will start to thicken.
Add paneer and green peas. Add salt to taste.
Allow this to cook further for 5-6 minutes on low flame. Garnish with kasuri methi and ginger.

Tip: To enhance the flavour of kasuri methi, before putting in the pan place in microwave for 5 seconds or dry roast on separate pan for 2-3 minutes and crush it in your Palm and add it to the dish.

Serve hot and enjoy with rice, roti or paratha of your choice.

Raab

2010-03-19T05:15:00.000-07:00

Raab is traditional Gujarati drink. This is a home made remedy to fight sore throat and cough. Ingredients used in raab gives energy and hence it is preferred to drink after fasts.

I learnt this recipe after I came to UK as at home my mom or dadi will make it for me when ever I have sore throat and cold.

In some homes where they don't afford to drink milk usually drink raab. Very famous in villages. Usually taken during mornings or afternoons instead of tea or coffee.

From my personal experience I avoid milk during cold infection and switch to raab. I have it twice or thrice a day instead of milk, tea or coffee. This helps me fight cold and sore throat infection. Also by avoiding milk I have noticed my body's cough production reduces.

This is called bajra ni raab. I will post more versions of raab as and when I learnt them.

Serves 2:
Ingredients:
Bajra no lot/millet flour: 2 table spoon
Ginger powder: 1/2 table spoon
Ajwaeen/ Carom seeds: 1 tea spoon
Almonds: 3-4

Gud/ Jaggary: 2 table spoon(grated, alter as per your taste)
Boiling water: 2cups
Ghee/ Clarified butter: 1 table spoon melted or 1.5 tea spoon.

Preparation:
Soak jaggary in water until its melted. Small lumps are okay as they will melt during cooking raab. Use this water in cooking and the remaining water to total make 2 cups.

Cut almonds into thin slices.

Sieve the flour.

Heat the pot. Add ghee and let it heat up. Add ajwaeen seeds and wait till they pop.
Add millet flour and roast for 1 minute on medium flame.
Add jaggary water and remaining water. Add ginger powder. Keep stir at all times. Use other hand to add all the ingredients. Add almonds.

Tip: prepare all the ingredients near where you are cooking and in easy reach.

Add almonds. On low to medium flame stir for about 5 minutes. If mixture is too thick add little bit of more water. Stir well to remove lumps from raab.

Serve hot and consume immediately you will notice a good relief in your cough and throat in 2-3 days of time.

Broccoli cream soup

2010-03-19T04:40:00.000-07:00

This isn't exactly cream soup. I will show you in a minute how you can make your bowl of soup a balanced meal without doing too much and also low fat.

Ingredients:
Broccoli: 1 cup
Tip: add any vegetables you want to make it more green and tasteful.
Onions: 1 medium
Garlic clove: 1-2
Green beans: handful
Spinach: handful
Carrot: 1 small
Bottle gaurd: 1/2 cup

Basil: 12-15 leaves
Sweet corns: handful (whole sweet corn are fiberous and will make this soup a poo pushing soup :D).

Seasoning:
Freshly crushed pepper:
Sea salt to taste:

Low fat cottage: 2 large spoon

Bread sticks/ croutons/ bread of your choice.

Preparation:
Wash, clean and cut all vegetables. Boil then in water just enough to soak all vegetables.

Crush them into smooth paste by removing excess water. Add basil leaves and churn it.

Pour it into a pot. Add low cottage cheese and seasonings. When cheese starts to melt add corns. Cook on low flame until corns are boiled.

Tip: Always cook soups on low flame, this will really allow all the flavours to come out nicely and make all the ingredients live in the soup.

Serve hot with the bread of your choice.

Tofu paneer vegetable bhurji

2010-03-10T08:42:00.000-08:00

Make one dish and have a very good balanced meal. This recipe has fiber, vegetables, greens, protein, good fat (use olive oil), dairy. If you eat this along with roti will add your carb.

Amazing for day to day busy life and lunchbox. Easy to make and almost one pot recipe. Tastes great. What else can I offer you my readers :). Go ahead and try this today.

Ingredients:
Paneer grated: 1/2 cup
Tofu grated: 1/2 cup
Cabbage grated: 1/2 cup
Green beans finely chopped: 1/2 cup
Onion: 1 medium
Ginger garlic grated: 1 table spoon
Green chilies: 2-3
Tomato grated: 1 medium

Tip: additional vegetable suggestion: capsicum (red, green, yellow), corn, carrot, cauliflower.

Cumin seeds: 1/2 table spn
Turmeric: 1/2 table spn
Dry mango powder: 1/2 - 1 table spn
Garam masala powder: 1/4 table spoon
Oil: 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
For garnish:
Coriander finely chopped
Finely chopped ginger

Preparation:
Wash, clean and grate or fine chop all vegetables. Grate paneer and tofu. I have added paneer as I do not like just the taste of tofu. If you want you can simply remove paneer all together from the recipe.
Boil hard to cook vegetables green beans in this case for 5-6 minutes in boiling water until soft. Not too soft else it will get soggy. Rinse it.

Heat the pan. Add oil and let it heat up. This recipe will taste great even without any oil so for those who are watching your weight go ahead without oil.

Add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add ginger garlic and green chilies. After a minute add onions. Stir until onions are soft.
Add green beans, cabbage and stir until cabbage is soft.
Add tomatoes and cook until tomatoes are soft.
Finally add tofu and paneer and all the masalas. Cook on very slow flame for 5minutes.
Garnish with coriander and ginger.
Enjoy with rice, dal, chapatti, bread of your choice.

Butter bean tofu vegetable soup with almond pesto

2010-03-10T07:11:00.000-08:00

This is excellent soup for good taste and good health. Butter bean is low GI, high protein with bounds of fiber. Mixed it with tofu, all the fresh vegetables and olive oil makes it well balanced meal.

Ingredients:
For soup
Butter bean: 300 gms boiled
Broccoli: 3-4 florets head
Onion: 1 small
Carrot: 1 small
Courgette: 1 medium
Mushroom: 4
Celery stick: 2-3
Tofu: 100gms
Tomato passata: 500gms
Garlic: 2 cloves
Green beans: handful
Freshly crushed pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
For almond pesto:
Garlic: 1 clove
Basil leaves: 20-25
Almonds: 10-12
Extra virgin olive oil: 2 table spoon or 1/2 cup if you are not watching your weight.

Ciabatta bread

Preparation:
Wash all the vegetables properly. Peel onions, garlic and carrot. Take the stem off beans.

Cut beans, broccoli, carrot into cubes. Boil the water and first boil the bean after 3-4 minutes add broccoli and carrot. Boil vegetables for only up to 80%. Do no over cook it.
Cut onions, celery, mushrooms, garlic, tofu and courgette. Finely chop garlic.
Heat the pan. Add 2-3 table spoon of extra virgin olive oil. Keep the heat on medium - low flame.
Add freshly crushed pepper, garlic and allow it to leave flavour for a minute. Take care the garlic doesn't turn brown. Add onions. Saute for a minute. Add celery and after another minute, add mushrooms.
After each minute add tofu, butter beanand courgette.
Add par boiled vegetables along with the vegetable stock.
Add tomato passata
and 1 cup of water.
Mix well. Add 2 table spoon of almond pesto in the soup. Add salt to taste and let the soup boil for 15-20 minutes on low flame without lid.
Drizzle extra virgin olive oil while serving.

Almond pesto:
Take almonds, garlic, basil leaves, extra virgin olive oil in a pestle or bowl.
Crush it with hand or hand blender.
Toast the ciabatta bread and apply thin layer of pesto on top.

Serve with soup. Taste excellent.

Peas potato soya stuffed paratha

2010-03-10T06:25:00.000-08:00

It might be reiterated but it is very important to have 3-4 types of food in your meal. Carb, protein, fiber, vegetable etc.

Complex carb when combined with protein helps sugar mix in blood slowly and helps us fill fuller for long term.

This recipe is great for tiffin box or breakfast. The stuffing can be prepared in advanced.
Makes 6-7 paratha
Ingredients:
Soya minced: 1 cup
Green peas: 1 cup
Potato: 2 large
Grated Coconut: 2 table spoon
Coriander: chopped handful
Green chili: 3-4
Gigner: 1-2 inch
Cumin seeds: 1 table spoon
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Oil: 1 table spoon

Wheat flour: 2 cups

Preparation:
Use frozen peas for this recipe. Defrost it. Churn it in blender to make coarse paste.

Make ginger, chili paste.

Boil water and add soya minced in it and cover it for a minute. Rinse off the excess water and squeeze out excess water.
Heat the pan, add oil 1 table spoon. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds. Once seeds splutter, add ginger chili paste, green peas paste and mix well. Add soya minced and mix well.
After 2 minutes add coconut and mix until all the water is evaporated. Add salt to taste and little bit of garam masala.
Stir for further 2-3 minutes.

Once the mixture is cooled off, add meshed potatoes and coriander mix well.

Take a bit of taste and add salt to taste if required.
Make golf ball sized balls.

Make medium soft dough using wheat flour and water. Set aside for 10-15minutes. Using oil massage the dough a bit to make smooth texture.

Make ping pong size balls and roll it out such that edge is thinner than centre. Apply little bit oil.

Place the stuffing ball and cover it from sides.
Press the dough ball.
Roll it out into slightly thick paratha.

Heat the pan on medium flame and once pan is hot place paratha on it.
Cook on both sides by applying oil on surface. Avoid the oil if you are on diet.
Serve hot.

Kichadi thepla

2010-03-10T06:04:00.000-08:00

You might find yourself making khichadi when you are not up for cooking or not in mood for take away. You might have find your freeze with left over khichadi and not in mood to eat the same again.

Try the following recipe and you will love it. It is very light for stomach and also very quick.

Ingredients:
Khichadi: 1cup
Wheat flour: 1 cup
Millet flour/bajri ka aata: 2 table spoon
Bengal graham flour: 2-3 table spoon
Rice flour: 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Red chili powder: 2 table spoon
Turmeric powder: 1 table spoon
Carom seeds: 1 table spoon
Sesame seeds: 1 table spoon (optional)
Oil: 3-4 table spoon
Sugar to taste

Preparation:
Add all the dry ingredient along with oil in a bowl.

Mix them all with hand.
Now add only few drops of water to make a medium soft dough.
Make equal sized small balls.
Roll them out into thicker than roti but thinner than paratha.
Heat the pan on medium flame. Once pan is hot place the thepla on it.

Cook for 20-30 seconds. Flip on one side and add little bit oil on the semi cooked surface.
After another 20-30 seconds flip over and spread oil on other side. Gently press the surface to allow it to cook. Cook on each side until thepla is cooked.

Repeat the procedure for rest of the balls.

Enjoy hot with pickle of your choice or with plain yogurt.

Rava dosa

2010-03-10T04:10:00.000-08:00

Rava dosa was main attraction when I used to go to restaurants. No one in my family knew how to make it. I was determined to try to learn this fabulous dosa recipe.

It is very easy to make and doesn't take lot of cooking time. Amazing for breakfast or light dinner. Little bit of ingredients makes lots of dosa.

You can make onion rava dosa, coconut rava dosa, masala rava dosa, chili rava dosa, cheese rava dosa or just plain rava dosa.

Makes: 8-10 dosa
Ingredients:
Fine semolina: 1 cup
Rice flour: 1/4 cup
Plain flour/ maida: 1/4 cup
Water: 2and1/2 to 3 cups
Sesame seeds: 1/2 tea spoon
Cumin seeds/ Jeera: 1/2 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Clarified butter + oil:
Onions (optional)
Coconut (optional)
Green chilies (optional)

Preparation:
Mix fine semolina, plain flour and rice flour. Add sesame seeds, cumin seeds, salt to taste and mix well.

Add water and let it sit for 30 to 60minutes. Consistency of the batter should be very thin. Easily pourable. Just like thick butter milk. Add more water if necessary.

Before adding onions, coconut just try to make a sada dosa first if you are making rava dosa for the first time as its quite different then normal dosa.

Heat the pan until you see steam coming off from the surface. Wipe off using a wet kitchen towel or tissue and water should evaporate.

Pour some batter into a cup with nozzle.
This will help dosa spreading process.
Hold the pan handle and start pouring dosa on the pan to make round dosa.

Add oil on the edges and add few drops of ghee in the middle.
Wait until dosa surface turns brown and flip it over. Cook for another minute.
[Note: As soon as you pour dosa batter you should see little holes coming out. Dosa texture should be crispy so allow it to cook properly. Too much batter could make dosa soft so adjust the batter when you pour dosa. Some more practise will help you improve your dosa making skill.]

Serve on the plate. Enjoy hot with chutney of your choice.

Once you know how to spread the rava dosa. Add finely chopped onions, chilies, coconut etc. It is also great with aloo sabji to make masala dosa.

Srikhand with surprise

2010-03-10T03:58:00.000-08:00

Eating normal sweets are not fun any more. I tried this recipe when it was our 4th marriage anniversary. I wanted to take minimum effort but try something different. It turned out to be great. Plus my husband didn't know whats under srikhand. When he found rasgulla in the dish he was total surprised.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
Srikhand: 1 cup
Rasgulla: 4
Nuts for garnish

Preparation:
Take rasgulla in serving bowl

Cover it with srikhand so rasgulla is not visible. Garnish with nuts.
[Note: for best results, take Mango srikhand or make one at home with lots of kesar/ saffron]
Serve chilled.

Dahi batata sev puri

2010-03-01T03:57:00.000-08:00

It is tradition in my house to end paani puri dinner with dahi batata sev puri. Also the left over puri's results in dahi batada sev puri.

I learnt the accronym DBSP when I visited Pune. Vaishali restaurant on FC road is famous for DBSP. If you miss DBSP you need to try following recipe.

The only tip I will give you do not wait for long after you make this dish as puris will turn soggy. Be careful though if you start eating once it is hard to stop :).

Ingredients:
Boiled potato: 2 small to medium
Black boiled channa: 1 cup
Sprouted mung: 1 cup
Plain yogurt/ dahi: 1 cup
Paani puri's puri: 10
Tamarind chutney or tamarind and dates chutney
Nylon sev: 1 cup
Coriander to garnish
Chaat masala: as per taste
Red chili powder: as per taste
Salt to taste
Sugar: 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder: 1-2 tea spoon

Preparation:
Take sprouted mung about 1 cup.
Take 2 cups of water and boil it. Add salt and turmeric powder in the water and let it boil. Add mung once water starts boiling. Cook until mung are boiled.
Rinse excess water.
Boil, peel and mesh potato.
Soak channa for 8 hours and boil it until soft or use the tinned one. Mix potato, channa, mung together.
Add salt to taste, chaat masala and red chili powder.
Mix well. You can prepare this mixture in advance in keep refrigerated for up to 2 days
Take plain yogurt in a bowl, add water if necessary and add little bit sugar. Mix until it is smooth texture.
Clean, wash and fine chop coriander.
Take a serving plate and set puri's on it. Using a small spoon or index finger tap gentle on one side of puri to make a small opening on one side.

Fill up all puris 2/3 with aloo masala.
Add tamarind & dates chutney according to your taste. I like little sweet taste so I add 2 tea spoon in each puri.

Now add yogurt in each puri. Add til puris are filled up to the top.
Sprinkle red chili powder on each puri.
Add nice amount of nylon sev. Let it drop on the plate if it does but make sure you make a little hill on each puri :). Add chaat masala on each puri.
Garnish with coriander.

Pav bhaji

2010-02-22T13:15:00.000-08:00

Pav bhaji is heart of Mumbai. If you have lived in Mumbai and never eaten this mouth watering dish then your stay is wasted.

Many chef's in different cities across the world try to recreate this dish but the authentic taste which you can find in Mumbai you can not find any where else.

This recipe is next best to the Mumbai resturant pav bhaji. Nothing beats few famous street vendor's pav bhaji.

Few hot spots to eat yummy pav bhaji in Mumbai are as follows.
Maruti pav bhaji: very hot and black in color but taste can beat any five star chef's pav bhaji. This guy operates in Vile parle west near Bajaj road corner off Dada bhai road. 5-10mins walk from Vile parle station.

Amar juice center: medium hot and red in color. This guy again mainly has take away service or you can eat on your car boot. This is near Irla, vile parle west.

Sardar pav bhaji: Heard a lot about sardar pav bhaji. Never had chance to go and eat. He is near Bombay central. Last time I had a chance to peek in.

Shiv Sagar pav bhaji: This is again amazingly tasty. They have lot of branches but my favorite is Juhu branch.

Bhagvati pav bhaji: This guy operates until 5am. So all the night lovers come to him for tasty food and but of course pav bhaji. He was a street vendor but now has few restaurants. Original one is in Irani wadi, Kandivali west.

Next best is home made pav bhaji which I am going to show you in a minute.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
Onions: 2 medium, 1 small for garnish
Tomato: 4 large
Tomato: 1 tin chopped tomato (this will enhance the color)
Potato: 1 large, 2 medium
Green peas: 1 cup

Cabbage: 2 cups grated
Capsicum: 1 large
Fresh garlic paste: 3 table spoon
Red chili powder: 2 table spoon
Pav bhaji masala(Badshah or Everest): 2 table spoon
Lime juice: 2 table spoon
Freshly crushed pepper: 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Oil: 2 table spoon
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Salted butter:50gms (more the better)
Coriander: finely chopped.

Preparation:
Follow the procedure step by step and do not try to compromise any step else you will not get the final result.

Peel and grate onions or finely chop it.

Wash and grate capsicum or finely chop it.

Wash and remove out skin of cabbage and grate it.

Boil potatoes until soft, peel the skin off. Boil green peas until soft and mesh it along with potatoes.

Heat water and boil tomatoes until the skin cracks.
Take the tomato out of water once the skin cracks.
Take the skin off and crush it into smooth paste.
Heat the pan. Add 2 table spoon of oil and 1 table spoon of butter.
Add cumin seeds. Once seeds starts to splutter add red chili powder.
After 20-30 seconds add 1 spoon garlic paste. Stir well.
This will allow color to come out from red chili and pav bhaji will also come out nice and red.

Add onions and allow it to get soft for a minute. Add little bit more butter if onions start to get dry.

Add capsicum and allow it to cook for a minute.
Add cabbage
and allow it to cook for 2-3 minutes.
Add tomato paste and mix well.
Add one tin of chopped tomatoes. This will help enhance the color of pav bhaji even better.
Add salt to taste, 1 table spoon pav bhaji masala and 1 table spoon red chili powder. Add 1 table spoon of butter and mix well.
On the slow flame allow gravy to cook and let it get thick. You can see in the photo from the edge gravy starts to bubble up.
Add meshed potato and peas and mix well. Add another spoon of garlic paste at this point.
Adding garlic at later stage retains the garlic flavour. Hence we are adding garlic at three different stages.
Let it cook for a minute or two. Add lime juice, 1 more spoon of pav bhaji masala, freshly crushed black pepper, 1 table spoon of butter and mix well. Take it off heat and we are now going to blend it all together.
This is going to give it all new look. You will be surprised that how pav bhaji is turning into nice shape and it will all make sense to you why we did all of above.
Once everything is all crushed, take a little taste and add more spices if required.

I do need to add little bit more salt, pepper, little bit pav bhaji masala, 1 table spoon of butter or more and 1 tea spoon of garlic. Mix well.
Heat this on low flame for 5 minutes to allow all spice to mix well into crushed vegetables.

Garnish with coriander and cover it to avoid drying out.
Serve hot with toasted bread of your choice. Garnish with chopped onions, tomatoes, coriander. Add one small spoon of butter on as well. You can also add grated cheese on top.

Tofu Pav Bhaji Dosa

2010-02-22T12:54:00.000-08:00

This is when things to more interesting in my kitchen. I am determined to add more protein to my food and even more determined to find various ways to include grated tofu in my dishes.

When any one asks me what is my favourite dish, I will say pav bhaji dosa. Yes, simple yummy pav bhaji is spread over dosa is my favourite dish :). I remember eating this in Shiv sagar, Mumbai. I miss this soooo much in London.

So one fine day when I had pav bhaji and dosa batter I decided to add little tofu on it and it was just great.

You can be more creative can also add freshly grated coconut along with tofu or even better cheese :).

Click for dosa batter recipe.

Click for pav bhaji recipe.

Ingredients:
Dosa batter:
Pav bhaji
Tofu: handful grated
Preparation:
Heat the pan to spread dosa. Let the smoke come out from the surface of the pan.

Spread the dosa batter as shown in the photo.
Take one spoonful pavbhaji
and spread it over.
Spread tofu. If you want you can do little chaat masala, fresh grated coconut, mint leaves chopped, onions chopped etc.
Apply little bit oil on dosa batter surface.

When dosa starts to get brown take it off and fold it as shown in the photo.
Cut them into small pieces. Serve hot with coconut chutney.

Curgette carrot stir fry

2010-02-22T12:32:00.000-08:00

This recipe is bit different as the cut of courgette and carrot is little different than normal.

I am going to show you how much taste difference it makes simply by cutting your vegetable differently.

Serves 1 (as main course)
Ingredients:
Courgette: 1 medium
Carrot: 1 small
Broccoli: few florets
Paneer / cottage cheese or tofu: handful
Dark soya sauce: few drops
Chinese salt: pinch
Extra virgin olive oil: 1 tea spoon
Freshly crushed pepper
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder: 1/2 tea spoon

Preparation:
Wash carrot and courgette. Peel the skin off carrot. Cut it into half using a regular knife.

Now take a vegetable peeler and cut thin slices along the length.
Keep doing it till you can cut out thin and long slices.
Repeat the same for courgette. Leave the skin on.

Curl up each slices. This can be used for vegetable kababs or stir fry. If you simply cut them into pieces the taste doesn't turn out to be as good as this thin slices.
Wash and cut broccoli into thin long pieces. Cut thin cubes of tofu.

Heat the pan on medium high heat, add one tea spoon of extra virgin olive oil. Add pinch of Chinese salt.
Many people believe that it is harmful. If you have any doubts, please don't use it.

Add broccoli, add few drops of water if required. After a minute add carrot slices.

Stir fry for another minute and add tofu pieces. Add few drops of dark soya sauce, salt to taste, freshly crushed pepper powder, turmeric powder and finally add curgetter slices. Add few water drops if required.
Stir fry until courgette are soft.

Serve hot.

Dry fruit lassi

2010-02-22T12:00:00.000-08:00

Lassi's are usually taken after a spicy meal. It is kind of dessert drink combination. You can make variety of lassi. This is simply dry fruit lassi recipe.

Serves 2:
Ingredients:
Almonds: 5-6
Cashew nuts: 4-5
Pecan nuts: 4-5
Saffron: 6-7 strands
Plain yogurt: 2 cups
Water: 1/2 cup
Sugar: 3-4 table spoon or to taste
Cardamon powder: 1 tea spoon

Preparation:
Soak saffron in warm water and gently press each strand to bring the flavour and color out.
Take all nuts and sugar in one mixing bowl with sugar and yogurt. Add water and blend it using hand blender.

Blend until nuts are crushed into small pieces and sugar is melted in the yogurt.
Now pour the lassi in serving glass.
Garnish with saffron strands.

Dry dum aloo

2010-02-22T03:18:00.000-08:00

This is very tasty recipe and a quick one.
Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Baby potatoes: 18-20
Ginger: 1 inch
Garlic: 3-4 cloves
Cumin powder: 2 tea spoon
Cumin and coriander powder: 2 table spoon
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder: 2 tea spoon
Salt to taste
Asafoetida: pinch
Oil: 2 table spoon

Preparation:
Boil baby potatoes until soft. Pressure cook it for 2-3 pressures.

Wait till potatoes are cooled off. Peel the skin off. This is the only tedious part.

Peel ginger and chop it into fine small flakes. Peel garlic and chop it into fine small flakes.

Heat pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds. Let it splutter, add asafoetida. Add ginger and garlic flakes. Leave it for a minute but do not allow it to burn.

Add turmeric powder, coriander and cumin powder and mix well. Now add potatoes and allow it to cook on medium flame. Potato surface should get crispy in the oil. This will take 7-10 minutes. Do not cover the pan with lid as this will make potatoes go soft. Add salt to taste and garam masala.
Keep stirring occasionally. Serve it with roti, dal, rice anything of your choice.

Mint butter milk

2010-02-22T03:10:00.001-08:00

Chaas or butter milk is favorite drinks amongst Gujarati's. It is very traditional to have a glass of cold butter milk after lunch and dinner. The curd is set specially for this every night. It is very simple to make.

Serves: 2
Ingredients:
Plain yogurt: 4-5 table spoon
Water: 2 glass
Mint leaves chopped: 6-8
Black salt: 1 tea spoon
Cumin powder: 1 tea spoon

Preparation:
Take plain yogurt in a bowl and add water. Use hand blender and blend it together until yogurt is mixed in water. This will take less than a minute.

Add black salt, cumin powder and mint leaves. Serve in glass. Enjoy it as soon as its made.

Masala soda

2010-02-22T02:51:00.000-08:00

Masala soda is very good welcome drinks when your guest arrives. It also a good drink to have after a heavy meal or if you just need a refreshing drink masala soda is good option.
Serves 4
Ingredients:
Soda water: 4 glass

Masala:
Mint leaves: 15-20
Ginger: 1 inch
Green chili:2-3
Lime juice:3-4 table spoon
Sugar: 2-3 table spoon
Jal jeera powder: 2 table spoon OR Following:
Black salt: to taste
Salt to taste
Cumin powder: 1-2 tea spoon
Black pepper: 1 tea spoon

Preparation:
Take mint, ginger and chili in 1/4 cup of water. Using hand blender, blend it.
Filter the water. Add lime juice, jal jeera or the optional spices and sugar and mix it well.

Now add equal parts in each serving glasses with the masala mixture. Glass should be filled up to 20 percent.

Now add soda water slowly in each glass and serve chilled.

Virgin Pinna Colada

2010-02-22T02:39:00.000-08:00

Mocktails are always pleasure to drink when you are eating out. How about making them at home. It is very simple, you just need to know right ingredients.

Virgin pinna colada is my all time favorite. Have a special occasion, surprise your partner or guests with this amazing drink.

Serves 3-4
Ingredients:
Pineapple juice: 2 cups
Coconut cream: 1 cup
Pineapples: 1 cup
Ice cubes: 1 cup
Lime juice: 2 table spoon
Sugar or sugar syrup: add to your taste

Preparation:
Add all the ingredients in a blender.
[Note: If coconut cream is stored in fridge, make sure it is melted to room temperature before mixing in the blender.]

Give it a nice blend and serve in cocktail glass. Decorate glass with some pineapple pieces.

Serve cold.

Tomato chutney

2010-02-21T07:04:00.000-08:00

You have to try this recipe. I had some friends over for a weekend and I knew I can learn this chutney from the wife. I asked her to teach me this chutney as I always loved tomato chutney I get in Chennai Dosa restaurant.

This turned out to be the best tomato chutney I ever had any where.

The possibility to eat this chutney with are endless. You can eat this with dosa, idli, rice, roti, dhokla or just own its own. It is also important that you stop eating at one point :).

You can keep this chutney for 3-4 days.

Ingredients:
Bengal gram dal: 1 large spoon
White split urad dal: 1 large spoon
Peanuts: 2 spoon
Tamarind: 1 spoon
Garlic paste: 2 tea spoon
Tomato: 3 medium
Green chili: 3
Salt to taste
Oil: 3 table spoon
Coriander: handful

Preparation:
Wash tomato, chili, coriander. Rough chop them.

Heat the pan and add oil. Add Bengal gram and urad dal.
After a minute add peanuts.
Cook until peanuts start to fry and skin cracks.
Remove it in a bowl or plate without oil.
We will use the oil to saute tomatoes. Heat the same pan with the remaining oil again. Add garlic, chilies, and tomatoes.
Cook for 2-3 minutes until tomatoes are soft. Add coriander and tamarind.

And remove from heat. Let the dal and tomato cool off before blending into chutney for 10-20 minutes.

First we will crush the dals and peanuts.
Add tomatoes in and salt to taste. Crush again to make a smooth paste.
Take it out in a storing container.
Serve with dosa or anything of your choice.

Puliyogare

2010-02-21T06:19:00.001-08:00

Puliyogare is a very yummy tamarind rice recipe. Famous in south of India. This is good for lunch with plain yogurt of any curry of your choice.

This is good for picnics or party.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:

Tamarind paste:
Bengal gram dal: 1 large spoon
White split urad dal: 1 large spoon
Mustard seeds: 2 tea spoon
Peanuts: 1-2 spoon
Cashew nuts pieces: 2 table spoon
Green chilies: 3-4
Curry leaves: 12-15
Red chili whole: 2-3 (cut it into small pieces if its a big one)
Tamarind: 2 large spoon (handful)
Oil: 2 large spoon
Jaggery: 1 table spoon
Asafoetida: pinch

Salt to taste

Rice:
Turmeric: 1/2 tea spoon
Oil few drops
Rice: 3 cups
Water: 6cups

Preparation:

Tamarind paste:
Wash and slit green chilies.

Remove seeds from tamarind and soak it for 1-2 hours in warm water. Squeeze the tamarind and remove any hard skin and stone if any. Add jaggary in the tamarind paste and allow it to melt.

Heat a pan and add oil. Add Bengal gram dal in hot oil and urad dal. Let them change color and add mustard seeds.
When seeds starts to splutter add asafoetida. Add peanuts and cashew nuts. Add red chili whole.
After they start to change color add green chilies and curry leaves.
When chilies start to cook add tamarind paste.
We will cook this on medium - high flame and allow it to cook until water is evaporated and oil starts to come out of the tamarind paste.

This will take 7-10 minutes. Towards the end add salt to taste. Keep stirring occasionally.
Rice:
Wash and soak rice for 20 minutes. Allow it to cook in double amount of water. Add turmeric and few drops of oil in the water before adding the rice in boiling water.
[Note: if you want rice grains to stay separate and not stick to each other, add cold water as soon as the rice is cooked and drain it off]

Rice will be cooked in 10 minutes of so.

Mix tamarind paste in the rice and with gently mix it into rice. Keep aside for 20 minutes of so to allow flavour to absorb in the rice.
Serve hot with plain yogurt of any curry of your choice.

Punjabi samosa

2010-02-17T12:33:00.000-08:00

It is a treat to have Punjabi samosa ready made but I just don't get satisfying samosa in London. So here I go with my Punjabi samosa recipe.

If the weather gets rainy and you just want to pump up your mood go for Punjabi samosa and masala tea :). You sure will forget the rain.

Try it and you will love it.

Ingredients:

Samosa filling:
Potato: 3 large (On an average one large potato will make about 3-4 samosa depending on size)
Green peas: 1 cup
Mint leaves: handful
Coriander seeds: 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds: 2 tea spoon
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon
Ginger chili paste: 1-2 table spoon
Pomegranate seed powder: 1 tea spoon
Dry mango powder: 1-2 table spoon
Salt to taste
Turmeric powder: 1-2 tea spoon
Garam masala powder: 1 tea spoon
Oil: 1 table spoon

Samosa Coating:
I prefer to add little bit of wheat flour in my coating but it is entirely up to you.
Plain flour/maida: 2 cups
Wheat flour: 1/2 cup
Clarified cold butter/ unmelted ghee: 3 large spoon
Lime juice: 1 table spoon
Sugar: 1 tea spoon
[Note: lime juice, sugar and ghee combination will make the coating crispy]
Salt to taste
Ajwaeen/ carom seeds: 3 tea spoon (optional)
Oil: 1 table spoon
Water

Oil to fry samosa

Preparation:

Samosa filling:
Wash and boil potato. Peel the skin off and mesh them.
Clean and wash mint leaves and fine chop them.

Heat pan and add one table spoon of oil. Let the oil heat up. Add coriander seeds and wait till they start to change color.
Add cumin seeds and mustard seeds. Once they splutter add ginger chili paste and add turmeric. Stir for a minute.
Add this mixture to meshed potatoes. If you are using frozen peas, warm it up a bit and drain off excess water. Add this to potato.
Add rest of the ingredients like mint, salt to taste, dry mango powder, garam masala, pomegranate seed powder. Pomegranate seeds is known for its sourness and so is dry mango powder. Add little bit at a time and taste to alter the spices.
Mix well.
Take a little taste and alter the spices as per need. Mix well. Set aside for 20 minutes to absorb all the flavours.

Take small balls as it will be easier to fill them up in samosa coating.

Samosa Coating:
It is very important to get the quantity of filling and quantity of coating right. Else you will end up with left overs of either filling or coating.

In either case, just don't worry make parathas of coating or make yummy toast sandwich of the filling :).

I always make the filling in advance and depending on how many balls I get I will take flour.

Mix plain flour and wheat flour in a mixing bowl. Make a well in the middle and add ghee, lime juice and sugar.

Using hand mix it thoroughly with the flour.
Once that is done. Add little bit of water at a time mixing it into the flour. Idea is to make medium hard dough. So do not rush in with lots of water.

Keep mixing and take your sweet time. Once all flour start getting into solid state stop adding any more water.
Add table spoon of oil and massage the dough this time apply your force.Until you get smooth texture keep doing so.

Cover the dough with moist (not too wet) cloth for 20 minutes.
Remove it from the cloth and do massage for 2-3 minutes. Apply little oil if required. Because the dough is hard you might required to apply more force. This is the most challenging part in making best samosa. If you coating is soggy after frying you will not enjoy the taste. So give it your best.
Divide dough into small balls and its ready for filling.

Folding samosa:
Take one ball and press it. Roll it in oval shape just shown in the photo.
Cut it along the longer side.
Apply slight water on the cut edges. Water layer helps coating to join properly and avoids chance of splitting open in the oil. Fold it in a cone shape.
Add samosa filling ball and press it down.
Apply slight water again on one of the open edge from inside and joint it together. Water on flour makes a good sealing agent.
Samosa's are ready.
Repeat the same for rest of the samosa. Keep them covered to avoid drying.
Heat the oil when 4-6 samosa's are ready to be fried. Add a little bit of dough in the heating oil when you think oil is ready to fry. The dough should come up on the surface in no time that's when oil is ready.

We are going to fry samosa on low to medium flame. This will allow coating to get fried nicely. Otherwise it will remain row from inside.
Once samosa is starts to turn brownish red, take them out. Keep them on absorbent tissue before serving.
Serve with sweet tamarind chutney or tomato sauce.

Bottle gourd soup

2010-02-16T14:18:00.000-08:00

Bottle gourd or lauki or dudhi is amazing vegetable with tons of health benefits. It is rich in iron, vitamins, fibers and yet low in fat. It is light on stomach so very good for people who wants to lose weight.

If you have had a heavy meal or party previous day, have this for your dinner and you will balance out your weight gain.

This soup is very good for people with stomach problems.

Once again pick and mix what you want to add for flavour.

Ingredients:
Bottle gourd: 1 small or 1/2 large
Tomato: 1 medium
Yellow split mung dal:1/2 cup
Ginger: 1 inch
Salt to taste

For garnish:
Freshly crushed pepper
Asafoetida
Lime juice
Cumin seeds

Preparation:
Wash and cut bottle gourd with the skin on.
Wash and rough chop tomato. Rough chop ginger after peeling the skin off.

Add everything in the cooker and add 1/2 cup of water. Pressure cook until 3-4 pressures on medium heat.
Let the cooker cool off and open it when it is safe to open.

Using hand blender make a smooth paste. I am not going to filter any fibers. You can do it if you wish.
Add salt to taste, pepper, lime juice, asafoetida, cumin seeds and mix well.

Heat on medium flame for one boil and serve hot. Garnish more pepper if you wish. You will surely love it.

Spinach tofu kofta

2010-02-16T12:57:00.000-08:00

Tofu is rich in protein hence the good choice for vegetarians. I don't like tofu taste so I try to find different ways to add grated tofu in my meals.

I used to make this recipe with paneer/ cottage cheese but when I tried it with Tofu it was so tasty and decided to share it with you all.

Makes: about 11 koftas
Ingredients:

For kofta:
Tofu: 50gms
Spinach/ Palak: 1 cup
Boiled potato: 1 large
Ginger chili paste: 2 tea spoon (1inch ginger + 3 green chilies)
Salt to taste
Corn flour: to roll on
Oil to fry

For gravy:
Onion: 1 large
Tomato: 2 large
Ginger garlic paste: 2 tea spoon (1inch ginger + 2-3 clove garlic)
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Oil: 1 table spoon
Turmeric: 1 tea spoon
Coriander and cumin powder: 1 table spoon
Red chili powder: 2 tea spoon
Garam masala: 1 tea spoon
Milk: 1 cup
Peanut powder / almond powder: 2 large spoon

Preparation:
For kofta:
Wash and fine chop spinach. Boil, peel and mesh potato. Grate tofu.
Mix all together. Add ginger chili paste and salt to taste. With your palm gently mesh the mixture for 4-5 minutes. This process will make kofta softer.

Take little bit kofta mix and roll them into rectangle round shape.
Roll koftas into corn flour before frying. This will avoid of split koftas in the oil.
Heat the frying pan with oil on medium hot flame. Add a small piece to test if the oil is at frying temperature. Small pieces should come frying up on the oil surface when as soon as you drop it.

Tip: Test with one kofta before adding all in the oil. Check that kofta doesn't split in the oil.
If kofta doesn't split fry rest of them until golden brown.
For gravy:
Peel onion, rough chop it. Make a smooth paste in a blender. Take it out in a bowl.

Wash and rough chop tomatoes. Make a smooth paste in a blender and take it out in a bowl.

Heat the pan, add oil and cumin seeds once the oil is hot. Add onion gravy when cumin starts to splutter. Let it cook on medium heat until the color starts to change. Add tomato gravy and cook with lid on for 4-5 minutes. Add ginger garlic paste and stir well.
Add salt to taste, turmeric powder, cumin and coriander powder and red chili powder. Let it cook for further 3-4 minutes.
Make a paste of peanut powder and milk. When gravy starts to thicken add milk and peanut powder paste.
Cover the lid and let it cook on low flame for 10minutes. Add garam masala after 5minutes and stir a little.

After 10 minutes add 1/2 cup of water to and stir for 2 minutes.
Add kofta gently and cover them with gravy. Stop the heat and cover the lid and let it stand for 10minutes before serving.

Do not stir the gravy after adding kofta else kofta will break.

When you want to serve take one kofta at a time and place it in serving plate.

I am serving it with salad onion and triangle paratha.

Palak paneer gravy quick

2010-02-16T11:58:00.000-08:00

Lot of people like one pot recipes. Making curry in one pot is next to impossible. Specially spinach/ saag/ palak gravy. You make onion and tomato gravy in blender. Boil palak separately and crush it. This adds up to lot of vessels and pots to wash.

This is a very quick and one pot recipe. I learnt this from a friend was delighted to find out how quick it is and saves so much washing up later on. The taste is even better and color of spinach turned out fabulously green.

Serves: 4
Ingredients:
Spinach/ Palak: 300gms
Onion: 1 large
Tomato: 2-3 large
Ginger: 1 inch
Garlic: 3-4 cloves
Oil: 1 table spoon
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon

Prepration:
Peel onions, garlic and ginger. Rough chop it.

Wash tomatoes and palak leaves nicely.

Rough chop tomatoes.

Heat the pan, add oil. Once the oil is hot add cumin seeds and let it splutter. Add garlic and ginger pieces. Let it cook for 1 minutes and add onions.

Stir onions until they are translucent.

Add tomatoes and cook until they are soft.
Now add palak leaves and add half cup of water and cover the lid and let it cook on low flame for 4-5 minutes. Cook until palak leaves get tender.

Take the lid off and using hand blender make a smooth paste.

Add more water if required.
Now flavour the curry the way you want by adding salt and different spices. Add paneer, chole and corn etc.

Pasta in courgette sauce

2010-02-05T05:21:00.000-08:00

Courgette or zucchini are the name of same vegetable. I have been eating pasta in tomato or white sauce. I love this recipe as this has given me all together a different pasta experience.

This is mild recipe and full of flavours.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
For sauce:
Courgette: 1 large
Spring onion: 4 (just the onion part)
Garlic clove:1
Rosemary: 1/2 tea spoon
Sea salt to taste
Olive oil: 1-2 table spoon

Rest of the ingredients:
Pasta: 1 cup
[Note: After making sauce, it is your choice to make your pasta as simple or rich. You can select to add more courgette or any other thing you want.]
Red onion: 1 medium
Red capsicum: 1/2
Green olives: 5-6
Salt to taste

For garnish:
Parmesan cheese
Freshly crushed pepper

Preparation:
Courgette sauce:
Wash and using vegetable grater slice courgette thin. Wash and chop off the onion part of spring onion and slice it thin. Remove skin off garlic clove.
Heat the pan. Add 1 to 2 table spoon of oil. Add rosemary in before oil gets too hot and also garlic. Garlic shouldn't get brunt. It should just be able to leave mild flavour.
Add spring onions and stir well for a minute.
Add courgette and stir well.
Once courgette starts to thaw add sea salt to taste.
Remove the garlic clove from the pan.

Remove other bits in a bowl and using blender make it into fine paste. Add water if required.
Boil pasta in the mean time. Check out how to cook pasta blog for more details.

Peel and thin slices red onions. Cut olives into half pieces. Wash capsicum and cut it into thin slices. Remove skin off garlic clove.
Heat the pan add olive oil, before oil gets too hot add garlic clove. Let it leave mild flavours. Add red onions, after a minute, add red capsicum and after another minute add olives.
Stir until onions and capsicums are soft. Add salt to taste. Add courgette sauce and mix well.
Add pasta and little bit pasta liquor.
Toss well.
Garnish with cheese and freshly crushed pepper.
[Note: I went to buy parmesan cheese and I learnt it is now being sold by the name of Parmigiano Reggiano]

Serve hot.

Curry leaves and coconut chutney

2010-02-05T05:02:00.001-08:00

Ingredients:
Grated coconut: 1/2 cup
Green chili: 3-4
Roasted bengal gram: 1/2 cup
Curry leaves: 20-25
Salt to taste
Plain yogurt: 2-3 table spoon
Water: as needed

For tempering:
Oil: 1 tea spoon
Bengal gram dal/ chana dal: 5-6
White split urad dal: 1 tea spoon
Mustard seeds: 1 tea spoon

Preparation:
Take grated coconut, green chili, curry leaves, salt to taste and roasted bengal gram dal in mixture and grind it to make coarse paste.
This is very good to prepare in advance and use it when ever you want for dosa, idli etc. This will last in cold weather for 1-2 week.
When you want to eat along with dosa do the following.

Add plain yogurt and mix well.
Add Water and mix well.
For tempering, take a small round vessel and heat it on medium flame. Add 1 tea spoon of oil. Add urad and channa dal in hot oil.
When dal starts to change color add mustard seeds once splutter add it to chutney.
This chutney can last in cold weather for 2 days.

Spinach soup

2010-02-05T04:47:00.000-08:00

I like to add tomato in spinach soup. To make it thick I also add mung dal or piece of pumpkin.

Spinach is very healthy and it is important to add this wonder vegetable in your diet.

Also if you have eaten wrong food previous day you can simply have just spinach soup for dinner. This will help you keep your calories balanced.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
Spinach leaves: 2 cups
Tomato: 1 large
Yellow split mung dal: handful OR Pumpkin piece: 2 inch large.
Salt to taste
Lime juice: few drops
Freshly crushed pepper
Sugar: pinch

Preparation:
Wash spinach leaves properly. Wash and rough chop tomato. Wash mung dal and boil everything in 1 cup of water until dal is soft.

I pressure cook for 2 pressures.

Let it cool off for a bit. Using blender make a smooth paste. No need to filter.

Add salt to taste, pepper, lime juice, pinch of sugar and stir well.

Heat until one boil and serve hot.

Tangy rose sparkle

2010-02-04T14:35:00.001-08:00

This is just mix of three ingredients to make it look exotic little drink for your guests to add the wow factor to your little dinner party.

Serves 4:
Ingredients:
Tang powder: 2-3 table spoon
Rose syrup: 2 table spoon
Sparkling water/soda water: 4 glass
Orange slices: 4

Preparation:
Dissolve tang in little water.
Add rose syrup.
Add equal quantity of the mix into each glass bottoms.
Now top each glass up with soda water. Taste first before serving.
Slip in some fancy straws and slices of orange and serve chilled.

Mix pakoda

2010-02-04T14:17:00.000-08:00

This recipe is ideal when you have unplanned guests. You can make use of stuff available in your kitchen and make yummy pakodas.

Serves 2-3
Ingredients:
Onion: 2 medium
Potato: 1 large
Dried fenugreek leaves / Kasoori methi: handful
Bengal gram flour/ besan: 1 cup
Medium semolina/ rava: 1 large spoon
Rice floor: 1 table spoon
Salt to taste
Green chili: 2-3
Ajwain/ Carom seeds: 2 tea spoon
Curry leaves: 10
Water
Oil to fry
Soda bicarbonate: 1/4 tea spoon, couple of pinch (too much soda will make your pokodas red and bad in taste so be careful when you add this)
Turmeric: 2 tea spoon
Red chili powder: 1-2 tea spoon

Preparation:
Peel and chop onions into small pieces not too much fine. Wash and chop potato into small pieces. Around 1/2 centimeter cube.

Wash and chop chilies into small pieces but not fine. Wash and rough chop curry leaves.

Mix all into a mixing bowl. Add besan, rice flour, semolina, kasoori methi, carom seeds, salt to taste, turmeric and red chili powder and mix well.

Give it a good mix. Add little bit water at a time and keep mixing the ingredients. Add water until you have nice wet mixture with pourable consistency. Not too hard and not too liquid, just enough to pour pakodas into oil.
Add soda at the end and mix well. You can leave this aside for 30 minutes to absorb all flavours or if you are in rush just go head with frying pakodas.

Heat good quantity of oil in the frying pan to fry pakoda. Heat on medium flame and let oil reach frying temperature.

Test that by adding small peas side pakoda batter and observe, it should come straight up.

Add small ball size quantity of pakoda batter one by one carefully in the oil. Fry pakoda on medium heat on both sides until golden brown. Do not fry on high heat else pakoda will be uncooked in the center.
Once its fried, take it out on cooking tissue.
Serve hot with mint and coriander chutney.

Butter bean vegetable toast sandwich

2010-02-04T13:43:00.000-08:00

This dish is classic street food from Mumbai. I have only made it more healthy. I am also using gas toaster to give it the authentic street look. If you do not have gas toaster, you can use electric toaster. I love cooking my sandwich in gas toaster as it makes it nice and crispy.

Serves 4
Ingredients:
Butter bean boiled: 350gms
Boiled potato: 1 medium or large
Onion: 1 medium
Carrot: 1 medium
French beans: handful
Ginger: 1 inch
Green chili: 3-4 (take less if you wish)
Sweet corn: handful
Green peas: handful
Salt to taste
Pepper
Coriander
Lime juice: 2-3 table spoon
Garam masala: 1/2 tea spoon (optional)
Turmeric: 1/2 tea spoon
Sugar: 1/2 tea spoon
Wheat breads
Olive oil
Hard cheese of your choice
Bread crumbs: as per the need
Chat masala for garnish (optional)
Tomato: 1 medium

Preparation:
If you have boiled beans and potato, this will take minutes to cook.

I have used tinned butter bean for this recipe. You can soak hard butter beans for 4-6 hours and boil in water until soft.

Peel onions, ginger, carrot and fine chop it. Wash and cut ends of french beans and fine chop it.

Clean and wash coriander and fine chop it.

Boil, peel potato and mesh it.

In a food processor add onions, carrot, french beans, sweet corn, green peas, sugar, salt to taste, ginger and green chillies. Churn it until smooth.

Take it out in a mixing bowl. Add it to meshed potatoes. Add turmeric, lime juice, garam masala and give it a good mix.
Take butter beans,
salt to taste, coriander and pepper in food processor,
churn it until coarse paste and mix it with other mixture. If you think mixture is loose add little bit of bread crumbs. Taste the mixture and adjust the spices accordingly.

I am not using any butter on bread slices to make it healthy and low fat. If you want add lots of butter to give it additional flavour.

Take good handful quantity of filler and apply a nice thick layer on top of a bread slice.
Top it up with tomato and cheese slices. Sprinkle little chat masala.
Note: You can add any of cucumber, onion, boiled beet root, capsicum slices.

Add a bread slice on top.
Apply olive oil as grease on both sides of gas toaster.
Place the sandwich in toaster and close the toaster.
Cook on medium heat for 1 minute each side.
Open up to check if sandwich is toasted. Take it out on a plate and cut in the middle.
Serve hot with coriander chutney or tomato sauce.

Hot tomato soup

2010-02-04T13:24:00.000-08:00

This is one of my favorite soup recipes I have learnt. I love it during the winter months. It gives the kick with hot spices like ginger, pepper and red chili and surely clears your nasal. Its very easy to make and tastes so good. Try it, you will love it.

Serves 2
Ingredients:
Tomato: 3 large
Onion: 1 medium
Ginger: 1 inch
Garlic: 1 clove
Cumin seeds: 1 tea spoon
Red chili powder: 1-2 tea spoon
Cinnamon stick: 1 inch
Clove: 2
Clarified butter: 1 tea spoon
Asafoetida: pinch or two
Salt to taste
Freshly crushed pepper: 1-2 tea spoon
Sugar: pinch or two

Preparation:
Wash and cut tomatoes into large pieces. Peel and chop onion, garlic and ginger into large pieces.
Add 2 cups of water.
This soup is thinner than what I normally make. Adjust the water amount accordingly. Boil it until soft. I pressure cook it for two pressures.
Let it cool down for 10 minutes and using hand blender make a smooth paste. Before you crush everything down, remove access water just in case. You can add this back to the pot.

Using large holes sieve, filter the soup.
Let large fibers comes off the soup to give it smooth texture.
Pour the liquid in the pot and heat it on low flame. Add red chili powder, salt, sugar, pepper and stir.
For tempering, take a small round vessel, heat it on medium flame. Add clarified butter and once hot add cloves, cinnamon, cumin seeds.
Asafoetida and red chili powder once they start to splutter. Chili powder is added to enhance the color of the soup little bit. Add only little quantity of chili powder.

Add the tempering to the soup.
Cook until one boil.
Serve hot.

Punjabi Aloo gobi onion paratha

2010-01-28T06:19:00.000-08:00

If you are found of eating parathas like you get in dhabas or authentic Punjabi taste then here is the recipe for you.

This paratha is larger than normal paratha I make at home. I am going to use all the rolling space and cooking surface I can to cook this paratha.

I hope you also make this at home and enjoy like my husband did when I made this for him :).

Makes 4 large paratha
Filling:
Ingredients:
Potato: 4 medium
Onion: 1 medium
Cauliflower / Gobi: 5-6 florets
Ginger : 1-2 inch
Green chili: 4-5 (take more or less depending on your taste)
Dried mango powder/ Aamchur: 1 table spoon
Garam masala: pinch or two.
Salt to taste
Oil
Cumin seeds: 1/2 table spoon

Preparation:
Wash, clean and grate gobi forets.
Peel and fine chop onions.
Wash, boil, peel skin off potatoes and mesh it.

Heat pan and add 1 table spoon of oil. Add cumin seeds and when it splutter add ginger and chili paste. After a minute add onions and let it turn slightly brown.
Add grated gobi and stir. Let it cook for 2-3 minutes. Add salt to taste. At the end add aamchur and garam masala. Mix well. Turn off the heat and let the mixture cool off.
Add it to meshed potatoes and mix well.
Paratha dough:
Ingredients:
Plain flour/ maida: 1.5 cup
Wheat flour: 1.5 cup
Salt to taste
Ghee/ clarified butter: 1 table spoon
Oil: 1 table spoon
Water

Preparation:
Mix both flour and make a well in the flour. Add salt, ghee, oil in the middle. Using hand mix it with flour and rub the oil in flour. Slowly add water and keep mixing until you get medium soft dough.

Knead well for 3-4 minutes. Cover with moist cloth and keep aside for 15 minutes.
Knead again and apply oil if required.

Paratha:
Take a large dough ball and roll it on the platform to make uniform texture. Spread flour on the platform and roll the dough to have thick in the middle and thin around the edges.
Apply little oil on paratha dough and spread it.

Take a stuffing ball large enough to fill up the paratha dough
and cover it and press it well.
Roll out as thin as possible but don't break paratha. Take enough flour to aid rolling of the paratha.
Heat the pan on medium flame and once its hot place paratha and cook on both sides with butter/ ghee or oil until its brown.
[Note: just so you get the size difference between normal paratha and large punjabi paratha below is the normal sized paratha, I hope you can get to see how large paratha I am trying to refere.]
Serve hot with curd or raita or pickle of your choice.

Mung dal dhokla

2010-01-28T03:49:00.000-08:00

Mag/mung ni dal na dhokla are so healthy, full of fiber, protein and easy to make. These are also very filling.

Ingredients:
Green split mung dal: 1 cup
Green chili:3-4
Ginger: 1 inch
Salt to taste
Curry leaves: 5-6
Medium semolina: 1-2 large spoon
Plain yogurt: 1 table spoon
Fruit salt: Eno: 1 table spoon

Preparation:
Wash and soak mung dal for 3-4 hours. Remove water and add fresh water to mung dal just about enough to grind the dal. The dhokla batter should be thick. So add very little water.
Take the dal in grinder, add green chilies, ginger, salt to taste, as little water as possible, curry leaves and grind it. Make a smooth paste.

Pour the batter into a bowl, add 1 large spoon of semolina, yogurt and mix well. Add more semolina if batter is not enough thick.
When you are ready to steam dhoklas add Eno and stir until you get small bubbles in the batter.
Oil the deep dish and pour the batter.
Keep the steamer ready and when water boils
place the dish in the steamer.
Steam it for 15 minutes on medium flame and let it cook.

After 15 minutes let the steamer cool off before you open it and insert the knife to see if knife comes out clean.
Cut dhoklas into small square and take it off the dish.
You can temper the dhokals to add more flavour. In hot oil (1table spoon), add mustard seeds, sesame seeds, curry leaves and once it splutters add over dhoklas and also garnish with fine chopped coriander, grated coconut.

Serve hot with coriander chutney or any chutney of your choice. Dhokalas will come out nice fluffy and soft.