Baingan Bharta
Recipe share by Suma.
This is done by roasting the brinjal on an open flame. I got idea of trying it as I had it recently in a dhaba liked it a lot. My husband is not a brinjal fan and yet, he appreciated it. Easy to prepare with less amount of ingredients
Ingredients:
One big eggplant
2 finely chopped onions and tomatoes
5 Finely chopped green chillies as per spice level
6 Finely chopped garlic cloves
Salt to taste
2 spoons of red chilli powder
3 tsp cooking oil
How to make:
Roast the eggplant on open flame. Once done allow it to cool. Remove the skin and mash it. Heat oil in a cooking vessel, add chopped onions, garlic and green chillies. Fry till pinkish brown. Add tomatoes and cook till mushy add salt redchilli pwd. Add the mashed eggplant mix well garnish with coriander leaves. Serve fresh with hot chapatis/rotis
Tomato Juice
What do you do with tomatoes during tomato season, when tomatoes are sold really cheap? Make pickles, sauce, puree, ketchup, soup etc. Tomato juice is another tasty option. The best part is that you are consuming it fresh. Recipe share by Suma.
Ingredients Used:
Six big ripened tomatoes
Few coriander leaves
Two cardamoms powdered
Sugar as per taste/requirement
Enough water to give it the consistency of milkshake
A pinch or two of salt
How to make:
Grind all the above ingredients together. Run the paste through a sieve. Serve chilled.
Rice flour Dosa
Rice flour/akki hiTTu dose is an instant dosa. The preparation style is similar to that of akki roti.
It is a breakfast/ snack item. You could eat it with any chutney/pickle of your choice.
Ingredients Used:
Rice flour 4-5 cups(for 4-5 people)
1/2 inch ginger
2-3 finely chopped green chillies
2-3 finely chopped onions
1/2 cup coriander leaves
Water for dilution
Salt to taste
How to make:
Mix all the above ingredients. Add enough water to bring it to the consistency of milk. You could keep the batter a little thicker as well if you desire slightly thicker dosas. Heat skillet/tava. Grease it with little cooking oil. Pour the batter on tava and cook with a lid on until both sides are done.
Beetroot Rice-2
This tasty recipe has been shared by Raksha. It was appreciated by her neighbours too. Thanks!
Ingredients Used:
1 onion
7-8 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger
4-5 cloves
1 inch cinnamon
1 cardamom
1/2 tsp fennel seeds(saunf)
1 tomato
1/2 bowl of methi/fenugreek leaves (kasuri methi)
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp red chilly powder
1 chopped beetroot
4-5 tsp cooking oil
1 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
Salt to taste
How to make:
In a pressure cooker, fry 1 onion (long chopped), 7-8 peeled n mashed garlic, 1/2 inch grated ginger, 4-5 cloves, 1 inch cinnamon, 1 cardamom, 1/2 tsp saunf/fennel seeds in oil. Add 1 fine chopped tomato and fry. Then add half a bowl of kasuri methi or fresh methi (optional) and fry in oil. Add 1/2 tsp turmeric and 1 tsp red chilly powder. Then, mix chopped beetroot and fry. Now add the rice and twice the amount of soaked water. Add salt. Cook for 2 whistles. Garnish with a generous helping of chopped coriander leaves.
Chanbure/kadlepuri/ riceflakes Upkari
Chanbure upkari is a snack prepared from riceflakes/kadlepuri/churmuri. Learnt it from my mom who used to prepare this, especially during vacations, when we would ask her to make different varieties of snacks for us. This is a Mangalorean speciality.
Ingredients:
6-8 cups rice flakes( crunchy )
2 small onions - finely chopped
1 cup grated coconut
1 tsp red chilly powder ( roasted)
1.5 tsp fresh coconut oil
Salt as per requirement
Coriander leaves- 1/2 cup
2 tomatoes- finely chopped (optional)
How to make:
Mix all the above ingredients. Serve fresh. Otherwise the churmuris become soggy.
P.S: You could add grated carrots as well to this.
Arbi in spinach yogurt gravy
This recipe has been shared by Deepa who loves experimenting with her cooking. She prepared the gravy version of sukhi arbi curry, the recipe of which she picked up from the internet. The curry tastes good with chapati/roti or rice.
Prerequisite: Mixer/blender
Ingredients
Arbi - 200 gms, pressure cooked for one whistle, peeled and chopped (each Arbi cut into 4 pieces)
Onion - 1 no, finely chopped
Tomato (small) - 1 no, finely chopped
Yoghurt (beaten) - 1/2 cup
Kitchen King masala - 1/2 tsp
Ajwain/carom seeds - 1/2 tsp
Ginger garlic paste - 1tsp
Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp
Oil
Salt
To grind
Green chillies - 4
Palak - Half a bunch
Saunf - 1/4 tsp
Tomato - 1 small sized
Turmeric - a pinch (for flavour)
How to make:
In a pan, heat oil. Add ajwain seeds and saute. Add onion, ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes away. Add tomatoes and fry. Add kitchen king masala. Grind all the ingredients under "To grind" into a smooth paste. Add this paste to the pan. Pour yoghurt into the pan, followed by Arbi. Mix salt and water and cook on low flame for about 10 min. Garnish with kasuri methi and serve hot.
Prawn Fry
This easy recipe has been shared by Suma.
Prerequisite: 30 mins of marination
Ingredients:
250g cleaned prawns
Four spoons redchilli powder
One spoon garam masala powder
One spoon ginger garlic paste
3-4 tsp cooking oil.
Salt to taste
How to make:
Marinate the prawns for 30 min with the above given ingredients. Heat oil in a frying pan. Add prawns and cover the pan with a lid. Cooks within 5 min and leaves water. So extra is water not required.
Note: This time I added onions and tomatoes- fried them and then added prawns. Finally i added pepper powder. This is another way to prepare prawn fry.
Idli Kaallo
Idli kaallo is a breakfast/snack item made from leftover idlis. It is commonly prepared in the Konkan region of India. Mamatha shares this easy recipe with all of us. Thanks dearie!
Ingredients:
Idlis
Finely chopped green chillies
Freshly grated coconut(1/2 cup)
2 tsp fresh coconut oil
2 finely chopped onions
Salt (if required)
Finely chopped coriander leaves (optional)
How to make:
Powder the idlis. Mix the ingredients in a bowl. Serve fresh.
P.S: Consume it fresh as it contains raw onions and loses it's freshness quickly.
Green gram Drumstick leaves curry
Prerequisite: Mixer blender
Drumstick leaves and green gram curry is a nutritious recipe as it is rich in Vitamin A, iron and proteins. It is eaten with joLada roTTi, which is prepared by people who hail from regions of North Karnataka. Recipe share by Suma.
Ingredients Used:
3 fistfuls of drumstick leaves, finely cleaned and chopped
1/2 glass soaked green gram or dry green gram cooked up to five whistles
5 garlic pods (peeled)
Fistful coriander leaves
One onion chopped
Two small tomatoes
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/4 tsp Garam masala powder( I used Sunday masala)
6 green chillies ( or as per spice level requirement)
2-3 tsp cooking oil
How to make:
Cook green gram in a pressure cooker for about one whistle. Grind coriander leaves, garlic cloves, turmeric powder, green chillies and tomatoes in a mixer. Heat oil, add mustard seeds(wait till they crackle), add chopped onions and saute. Add the drumstick leaves and fry for a few minutes. Then, mix the ground masala and green gram. Pour a cup of water. Finally, add salt and garam masala powder. Bring to boil. Cook covered for 8-10 minutes on medium flame. You could add more water if you plan to eat it with rice. I remember having this curry along jolada roTTi ooTa at restaurants.
Instant Raw Mango HinDi Pickle
HinDi pickle is a tasty version of raw mango pickle. This is a Mangalorean/konkan recipe. Preparation and share by Mrs. Devyani, who is a systematic and methodical cook. The dishes she makes are consistent in taste owing to this nature of hers. Thanks!
Ingredients:
6 raw mangoes
7-8 teaspoons salt ( or as required)
Red Chillies ( byaaDgi)- 50
4-5 tsp mustard seeds
Asafoetida- 2 tsp
Turmeric powder- 2 tsp
How to make:
Roast mustard seeds and red chillies in 1 tsp of oil on low flame until the mustard seeds crackle. Dry roast the salt separately for a couple of minutes and keep aside. Then dry roast the powdered ingredients for about a minute or so. Let cool. Then powder all these except the salt together.
Chop raw mangoes into small pieces as in the picture. Mix salt and let stand for 5-10 minutes. Then add the ground dry masala. Mix well. Bottle up the pickle. This HinDi pickle stays fresh for about a month outside the refrigerator and for 2-3 months when refrigerated.
Instant Raw Mango Pickle
Raw mango pickles are a treat along with any meal. This recipe has been shared by Mrs. Anusooya. Thanks!
4-5 raw mangoes
4 spoons mustard seeds
1.5 tsp turmeric powder
4-5 tsp salt( as required)
10 tsp red chilly powder
Asafoetida- 1 tsp
Boiled and cooled water- about 2 small bowls
How to make:
Chop raw mangoes into medium sized pieces. Add salt. Powder mustard seeds
Mix with the other ingredients. Add water and mix.
Bottle and store preferably in refrigerator for the raw mangoes to absorb the pickle mix.
P.S: Could be stored for 7-8 days outside refrigerator
Kokam KaDi
Kokum kaDi is a goan/konkan recipe. Kokum fruit is indigenous to the Western belt of India. It's fleshy fruit is edible in it's fresh form and the peel, when sundried well, could be used in curries which go well with rice or consumed as a refreshing drink. This is a very good coolant in the summer season.
Sharing with you all the refreshing appetising drink.
Ingredients:
Kokum concentrate(available in markets)
Water
1/4 of a coconut(grated)
3-4 green chillies
1/2 inch ginger
1/2 a bunch coriander leaves
Jaggery as per taste/requirement(optional)
How to make:
Grind grated coconut, green chillies, ginger and coriander leaves. Dilute kokum concentrate with water (1:20 or depending upon how much concentrated it is). Add required amount of jaggery. Mix all the above ingredients well. Serve chillied
Idli Usli
Idli Usli is a tasty snack/breakfast item. Learnt it from my mom. My family loves it. To be prepared from leftover idlis, preferably the ones made using urad dal and idli rava.
Ingredients Used:
Idlis
2-3 tsp cooking oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
2 green chillies-finely chopped
3-4 pinches hing/asafoetida
1/2 cup freshly grated coconut
How to make:
Powder the idlis using your hand. Warm oil in a frying pan/kadai/cooking pot. Add mustard seeds. Wait for them to crackle. Add curry leaves, urad dal, finely chopped green chillies, hing, the powdered idlis and grated coconut. Mix, cover with a lid and leave for 5-8 minutes until the usli becomes hot and ready to serve.
KaDlepuri/Puffed rice Upma
Puffed rice upma is a tasty snack or breakfast item. Thanks Suma for sharing the recipe with us.
Ingredients Used:
1/2 pack of puffed rice
Two onions chopped
Six green chillies
Six garlic cloves finely chopped
Two big tomatoes finely chopped
Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/ jeera
2-3 tsp cooking oil
How to make:
Version 1:
Heat oil, add jeera, curry leaves, chopped green chillies, chopped onion and garlic. Fry a little. Add tomatoes. Cook till mushy. Meanwhile, soak puffed rice in water. Soak till they are soft. Squeeze the excess water and add to the mixture. Add little salt (as puffed rice already has salt content). Finally, add turmeric powder and finally add chopped coriander leaves and lemon juice.
Version 2:
Make powder of roasted bengal gram/putani/kadalepappu(4 big spoons), red chilli or chilli powder, one big spoon of dry copra and five garlic cloves.
Heat 2-3 tsp cooking oil, add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 sprig curry leaves, chopped onions and slit green chillies. Add puffed rice, the powder prepared and salt as required. Mix.
P.S: You could store this kaDlepappu powder for a month and also use this in any dry side dishes.
Tandoori Roti without tandoor
Prerequisite: The dough needs to rest for half an hour prior to preparation
Suma shares with us the recipe of making Tandoori roti without a tandoor. While the tandoori roti served in restaurants usually has all purpose flour/maida in it, you could prepare it either with whole wheat flour or both the flours in the ratio 1:1
How to make:
Knead whole wheat flour with a couple of pinches of salt and optimum amount of water to a make nice, soft and non sticky dough. Cover the dough with a lid or a wet cloth. Let it rest for 1/2 hr. Roll out the roti a little thick. Brush little water all over it's surface(so that the roti does not stick to the hot tava). Heat the tava/skillet(refer picture). Transfer the roti onto the tava once hot, with the wet surface facing the tava . Hold the handle of the tava and rotate it so that heat is distributed all over the roti. Once you see bubbles/ puffs at various points on the roti, turn the tawa upside down and keep flipping the roti every 5-10 seconds until it is cooked. Serve fresh with curry of your choice.
Ganji Saaru
Ganji rasam( kadagu saaru). Kadagu in Telugu means wash. Basically, rice water/stock is used to prepare this rasam.
Basmati rice could be used if you want the rasam to have a special aroma. Suma shares this interesting recipe with all of us.
Ingredients Used:
Lemon sized tamarind
Two chopped tomatoes
Four slit green chillies
One small sliced onion
1 tsp coriander powder
Few fenugreek leaves or palak leaves (finely chopped)
Seasoning ( 2 tsp oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, 1/2 tsp each of coarsely ground jeera, pepper, 7-8 peeled garlic cloves and 4-5 curry leaves)
How to make:
Heat pan. Add tamarind water, rice water stock, chopped tomatoes, green chillies, onions, dhaniya powder, few palak leaves and cook till done. Heat oil. Prepare seasoning and mix it with the rasam
Tips: You could also soak tomatoes, chillies, onions in the stock for 10-15 minutes, squeeze out the pulp and season it.
P.S: You could use rasam powder instead of ground jeera, pepper, garlic and curry leaves.
Pavakkai
Pavakkai refers to bittergourd curry in Tamil. Shobha learnt this recipe from her father-in-law.
Thanks Shobha!
Ingredients:
Bitter gourd 1-2 nos
Onion chopped (big) 1-2 finely chopped
Red chilli powder
Coriander powder 1tblsp
Jaggery-very little
Curry leaves few
Mustard seeds 1 tblsp oil 2tsp
Salt as required
How to make:
Heat oil. Add mustard and when they sputter, add chopped onions and fry till brown. Add chilly and coriander powder fry till the raw smell of masala disappears. Add bitter gourd and stir fry for sometime. Add jaggery, curry leaves and salt. Allow it to boil until the water evaporates. Add oil and fry the contents . Bitter gourd fry is ready to eat and serve .
Tindora/Gherkin Chutney
Tindora chutney is one of the numerous chutneys which teluguites prepare. This chutney is eaten with chapatis. Recipe share by Suma.
Ingredients Used:
150 gms of tindora sliced into thin round pieces
3 tsp oil
Five garlic cloves
Jeera half spoon
Six green chillies
1/4 inch tamarind
Salt to taste
2 pinches of turmeric powder
How to make:
Fry tindora in 3 teapoons of oil. Cook till it turns slightly brown. Set aside. In the same pan, add jeera and green chillies. Saute a bit. Allow to cool. Grind all the other ingredients with tamarind and salt. You could add a little water too if required. Add chopped onions.
Tomato Chutney
Tomato chutney has different versions. This recipe contribution is by Kasturi. Shared by Suma. Goes well with dosas and idli.
Ingredients Used:
Two ripened tomatoes
Two spoons of grated coconut ( use less tomatoes shld b more)
4 red chillies
1/4 inch tamarind as we are using tomatoes
Salt
Hing/asafoetida
1 tsp oil.
How to make:
Heat oil. Add hing and chopped tomatoes. Fry well till mushy and grind along with grated coconut , tamarind and red chillies. Add salt to taste. Serve fresh.
Mushroom Peas Bhuththi
Bhuththi is a konkani style preparation which tastes good with plain white rice or dosas.
This is usually prepared with Gherkins/ Tondekai/ Tendle but I tried it with mushrooms and peas. You could substitute chutney with this when you eat your dosas.
Ingredients Used:
1/4 coconut
250 g mushrooms cleaned and cut into big squares
1 cup fresh green peas
1/4 inch tamarind
1 big onion chopped into big squares
1/4 tsp fenugreek/methi seeds
3 tsp coriander seeds
5-6 dry red chillies (byaaDgi variety)
Water for dilution
Salt as per requirement
2 tsp cooking oil
5-6 curry leaves
How to Make:
Dry roast methi and coriander seeds. Grind with grated coconut, red chillies, tamarind and salt into a fine paste(masala).
Warm oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Then add curry leaves, chopped onions and fry till pink. Next, add mushrooms, peas and little salt. Sauté. After 5 minutes, add the masala, 1/2 cup water and cook for ten minutes on medium flame.
Pepper Chicken Dry (Boneless)
Chicken pepper dry is a tasty starter. It is a big hit in Suma's family. She has shared the recipe with us to try and enjoy. Thanks Suma.
Ingredients Used:
250 gms chicken cut into small pieces
1 small capsicum
1 one onion chopped or cubed
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
4 slit green chillies
Salt
1 teaspoon each of red chilli powder, dhaniya/coriander powder and turmeric powder
1 tsp coarsely ground pepper
3-4 tsp cooking oil
How to make:
Heat oil in a pan. Add onion, Curry leaves, ginger garlic paste and fry till raw smell goes away. Add chopped capsicum and chicken. Do not add water. Cover with a lid. It cooks within five minutes if fresh and capsicum also stays crunchy. Then add spice powders and salt. Garnish with coriander leaves. Add curry leaves after onions to retain color.
I have not marinated chicken. I prepared this dish for snacks within 15 minutes when my son was hungry.
Green Rice( Coriander leaves rice)
Coriander leaves rice is a tasty rice dish. You could prepare it either as a lunchbox item or in your regular meals. This recipe has been shared by Shobha.
Ingredients Used:
Half bunch coriander leaves
Leftover or freshly cooked rice
4 green chillies ( or as per spice requirement)
Salt
Few fenugreek seeds(5-6)
1 sprig curry leaves(optional)
2 spoons of grated coconut
1 cup green peas ( optional)
2-3 tsp grated coconut
2-3 tsp cooking oil/ghee(clarified)
If u want can add water.
How to make:
Grind coriander leaves, green chillies, grated coconut and curry leaves into a fine paste.
Heat oil. Add fenugreek seeds, the paste, green peas and fry. Mix required amount of salt and rice. Serve as it is or with raita of your choice.
Bittergourd Fry
Raksha shares this recipe for bittergourd lovers.
Method 1:
Ingredients Used:
2-3 medium sized bitter gourds
Salt to taste
3-4 tsp sugar
4-5 tblsp of cooking oil
8-10 peeled and chopped garlic cloves
1/2 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1/2 tsp fennel seeds/saunf
1 tsp coriander powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 pinch asafoetida
1 pinch garam masala powder
Finely chopped coriander leaves.
How to make:
Wash 2-3 medium bitter gourds. Chop them into thin circular slices and put them in a bowl. Add salt and 3-4 spoons of sugar. Set aside for 15-20 min.
Take 4-5 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add 8-10 peeled chopped garlic cloves and only half fry. Then add 1/2 tsp zeera, 1/2 tsp fennel seeds, 1 tsp zeera powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1/2 tsp turmeric powder and a pinch of asafoetida. Now squeeze all the water out of the chopped bitter gourd pieces and mix it with the prepared seasoning. Cook in a closed pan on medium to high flame with occasional stirring. Add salt/ sugar as needed. Sprinkle a pinch or two of garam masala powder (optional). Once it is fried, garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.
This dish serves as a starter/side dish in meals or with rice if you have a taste for dry curries with rice.
Method 2:
To convert the same into a thick gravy-curry-
Make a seasoning of 2-3 tbsp cooking oil, 1/2 tsp mustard seeds, one sprig curry leaves and asafoetida. Add 2-3 medium chopped tomatoes and fry in oil for sometime. Add 1/2 cup of water and bring it to boil. Add 2 tbsp sambar powder and salt. Add the fried bitter gourd(as prepares in the above recipe) to this gravy.
Serve hot with chapathi or rice.
Dal Fry
Dal fry is an easy North Indian recipe. This is one of the versions of dal fry which I learnt from Rati. Tastes good with fried/jeera rice and Rotis/chapatis. She calls it PahaDi dal.
Ingredients Used:
1 fistful each of tuvar dal, urad dal, masoor dal, moong dal and 1.5 fistfuls of chana dal
1-2 tsp ghee(clarified butter)/oil
2 chopped onions
7-8 peeled and chopped garlic cloves
2-3 green chillies, finely chopped
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 tsp mustard seeds ( optional)
1 tsp cumin seeds/jeera
1 tsp coriander powder (optional)
2 pinches of asafoetida/hing
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing
Water for dilution
Salt to taste
How to make:
Warm oil/ghee in a pressure cooker. Crackle mustard seeds and cumin seeds in it. Add chopped green chillies, chopped garlic, onions and fry till light brown. Then add the tomatoes, the powders and fry till the tomatoes almost blend into the paste. Mix the cleaned dals, thrice the amount of water, salt as per requirement and pressure cook upto 3 whistles on medium flame. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
Bread Upma
Bread Upma is one of the easiest snacks/breakfast items one can make. Kids love eating it. We prepare it rarely though as it is made out of maida/all purpose flour which is comparatively less nutritious.
Ingredients used:
2 tsp cooking oil
2-3 medium sized onions chopped
2 tomatoes chopped
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp urad dal
1 sprig curry leaves
1 green chilly chopped into fine pieces
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1/2 tsp red chilly powder
Salt to taste
2 tsp sugar
1 pound bakery bread cut into small cubes.
1/2 cup chopped coriander leaves
How to make:
Stack 4-5 slices of bread at a time. Cut with a sharp knife into medium sized cubes. Repeat the same with the entire loaf.
In a frying pan, heat oil. Let mustard seeds crackle. Add urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies, chopped onions and tomatoes and the powders. Fry well. Then add the bread pieces, salt and sugar. Mix well. Do not cook after adding the bread. Heating it up is enough. Otherwise, they become crumpled and soggy. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot
P.S: You could add spinach leaves to the same while frying onions and make it healthier.
Snakegourd Chutney
Snakegourd chutney is a sidedish item/ chutney item which is meant to be eaten either like a pickle or with fresh rotis/chapatis. Recipe shared by Suma Satish.
Ingredients Used:
3 small tender snakegourds(deskinned)
Six ripened green chillies (this gives unique taste and color)
Few fenugreek seeds(about 1/4 tsp)
Tamarind- about 3-4 cm length
Salt to taste
5 garlic cloves
2 tsp cooking oil
How to make:
Heat 1 tsp oil. Fry snakegourd which is finely chopped. Fry till cooked and looks light brown (will hardly take five minutes).
Grind ripened green chillies with salt and tamarind.
Then add snakegourd. Grind this coarsely. Heat 1 tsp oil, add mustard, jeera, crushed garlic cloves, few fenugreek seeds. Pour over chutney. Mix. This chutney tastes like mango chutney. Serve fresh.
Idli Fry
Idli Fry is an instant breakfast or snack option which is loved by most. Learnt it from my mom.
Ingredients used:
Idlis
Knife
Cooking oil, preferably coconut oil
How to make:
Slice 1 idli horizontally into three slices. This gives a crispy texture to the idlis when fried. Heat a tava/skillet. Keep the idli slices. Pour 1/4 tsp of oil around each piece(or as per your requirement) and fry on both sides till golden brown. Serve fresh.
Instant Mixed Veg Dry Sabzi
Mixed veg sabzi dry is a simple and tasty curry which goes well with rotis or chapatis. Recipe contribution by Raksha, who is an excellent cook.
Ingredients
2 onions chopped thin lengthwise
2 capsicums chopped thin lengthwise
One packet of mushrooms cleaned and chopped lengthwise
Florets of 1/2 a cauliflower
Crushed garlic cloves cut into medium sized pieces(10-12)
Cooking oil 2-3 tsp
For marination:
2 tsp curds
1/4 tsp jeera/cumin powder
1/4 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
2 pinches garam masala
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
Salt as per requirement
How to make:
Marinate mushrooms in the above marinade mix. Until then, fry onions, garlic pieces and veggies on a high flame in a wok, using desired amount of salt until pink. Add the mushroom marinade. Mix, cover with a lid and cook till done. Serve with fresh Roti's/chapatis.
Mor Kolambu
Mor koLambu is a tamilian preparation (mor means buttermilk in Tamil) This curry is usually eaten with plain white rice. Recipe contribution by Suma.
How to make:
Version 1-
One big spoon grated coconut
One small spoon each of chanadal and tuvardal
Raw rice 1/2 tsp
If you combine all these ingredients, it should be one big spoon. Soak them in water for 15 minutes.
Then grind along with grated coconut, green chillies (4), garlic cloves(4), coriander seeds (1/2 tsp).
Blend curd nicely with salt and turmeric powder. Add the ground masala .Heat oil, add mustard seeds, curry leaves add curds and bring to a boil.
P.S:You could use red chillies also or both green and red chillies for colour.
Version 2 (Using ladies fingers)-
7-8 ladies fingers cut into inch long pieces
4-5 green chillies
Salt to taste
2 tsp grated coconut
1 small spoon jeera/cumin seeds
Heat one spoon cooking oil. Fry the ladies finger along with turmeric powder. Stir occasionally until fried.
Make a paste of coconut, jeera/cumin seeds and green chillies. Add this to the curds and mix well. Once the ladies finger is fried, add curds. Do not boil.
Moongdal Vada
Prerequisite:
Moongdal soaked in water for about an hour.
Mixer/Blender
Moongdal bonda is a starter prepared using moongdal or split greengram dal. Thanks Suma for sharing this interesting recipe.
Ingredients used:
Four fistfuls of moongdal soaked in warm water for 1 hr ( if you want to prepare it quickly)
5 green chillies
5 peppercorns
Chopped drumstick/spinach leaves
1 teaspoon jeera/cumin seeds
Salt
Oil for deep frying
How to make:
Grind moongdal using very little water along with green chillies. In case it becomes watery, you could use a little bengal gram flour/besan. Coarsely grind cumin seeds, peppercorns and salt. Mix well. Add finely chopped drumstick leaves.
Once the oil is hot, make small balls and deep fry. Crispy bonda is ready. Serve with coriander chutney or tomato ketchup.
Gobi Manchurian
Prerequisite: Mixer
Manchurian is a Chinese preparation which is famous throughout the world. Different countries have modified the original recipe by tweaking it a little bit to suit their palate. Suma shares the Indian version of the same below. Thanks dear!
Ingredients Used:
1Cauliflower cut into small florets- cleaned in hot water
6 tsp all purpose flour
2 tsp corn flour
Oil for deep frying
1 cup finely chopped coriander leaves
2 onions and 6-7 garlic cloves chopped Lengthwise chopped capsicum and cylindrically chopped spring onions- (optional)
4 tsp red chilli powder( to suit your palate)
Salt to taste
Tomato sauce, green chilli sauce and soya sauce (1 tsp each or depending upon your taste)
How to make :
Grind coriander leaves and green chillies. To the florets, sprinkle maida and corn flour, sprinkling very little water to bind them together. Add red chilly powder and required amount of salt. Fry in oil and make sure that the florets are separate while frying.
Heat 2 tsp of oil in a wok. Add chopped onions, garlic, cauliflower florets and sauces. Use very little salt as the sauces already contain some salt. Add the ground paste. Mix well. Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves.
Note: Do not overdo the cornflour. Otherwise the fried cauliflower florets will turn too cripsy
Beetroot Masala
Prerequisite: Mixer/blender
Beetroot masala is a curry which I learnt to make from my mom. It is eaten with chapatis. The spices in the curry reduce the natural sweetness of the vegetable, thereby making it tastier. Thanks mom!
Ingredients Used:
1/2 kg beetroot
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1-2 tsp cooking oil
1 sprig curry leaves
For masala:
2 onions
7-8 garlic cloves
2 cloves
2 pieces of cinnamon(1/4 inch)
1/4 coconut (grated)
4-5 red chillies-roasted (byaaDgi)
1/4 lemon sized tamarind
Salt to taste
1/4 cup water
How to make:
Cut beetroot into small pieces of desired shape. Grind the masala ingredients in a mixer.
Heat up cooking oil in a frying pan. Add mustard seeds and wait for them to crackle. Then add curry leaves, chopped beetroot, salt, water and cook with a lid on. When almost done, add the ground masala and cook for 5-8 minutes. Beetroot masala is ready.
Chapati Roll
Chapati roll is an easy to eat and carry lunch box/ snack item. It is a complete meal in itself. Kids enjoy eating it. You could change the vegetable used based on your taste and choice.
Ingredients Used:
Chapatis
Onions,
Ginger garlic paste
Onions finely chopped
Spring onions chopped
Finely chopped carrots
Soy Nuggets( boiled for 15-20 mins, squeezed and ground)
Paneer/ cottage cheese grated
1/4 tsp red chilly powder
Oil/ ghee to fry
Salt as per requirement
Tomato Ketchup 2-3 tsp
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp red chilly sauce
Salt to taste
How to make:
Saute onions, ginger garlic paste, chopped veggies, soy crumbs, paneer crumbs until cooked. Add the red chilly powder, sauces, salt and ketchup. Stir for a couple of minutes.
Fill each chapati with the mix and roll into wraps. Bind using toothpick. Serve fresh.
