Egg Curry

Ingredients:

Eggs - 4 (hard boiled and peeled)

Tomatoes - 2 big (pureed)

Finely chopped onion - 1 medium

Green chilies - 3 (slit)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Bay leaf - 1

Cinnamon - 1/2 inch

Cloves - 2

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Fennel seeds - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp

Chili powder - 1/2 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 tbsp

Any chicken masala - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Coconut Milk - 1 cup

Salt - to taste

Oil - 2 tsps

Cilantro - for garnishing

Method:

Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, fennel seeds, cumin seeds.

Once the cumin seeds turn light brown add the green chilies, GG paste, onions and saute till onion light brown.

Add all the powders and saute for a minute or two.

Add tomato puree, sugar, salt and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.

Add coconut milk and bring to a boil and cook till the gravy becomes little thick.

Cut the eggs into half and add to the gravy and mix gently.

Garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve with chapathi, roti or naan.

Puran Poli(Flat bread stuffed with sweetened lentils)

Ingredients:

Stuffing:

• Chana dhal - 1 cup(soak in water for 2 hrs)
• Jaggery - 1 cup (adjust for sweetness)
• Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

For the dough:

• Maida - 3/4th cup
• Wheat flour - 1/4 cup
• Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp(optional)
• Salt - a pinch
• Ghee - as required
• or
• Oil

Method:

1. Cook chana dhal in a pressure cooker for 3 whistle by adding 2 cups of water and drain the water completely.
2. Once the dhal is cool down, add jaggery and grind it to a smooth paste.
3. Transfer it to a microwave safe bowl, add cardamom powder and cook it for 7 to 8 minutes, stirring it in between.
4. Set aside the mixture to cool down.
5. Mix flours, salt, turmeric powder water. Make very soft dough. Knead very well. Use oil to knead. Keep it aside for minimum 1 hr.
6. Divide the dough into 10 equal parts.
7. Also, make a ball of dhal mixture and divide into equal parts. Chana dhal balls should be little bigger than the flour balls.
8. With greased palms, take one portion of dough and flatten it into a disc of the size of the palm. Place a ball of "chana jaggery" mixture in the centre and fold the disc from all sides to cover the paste completely.
9. On a plastic wrap, place the ball and press it to make a circular disc of 6 inches diameter. Be very careful while pressing otherwise the mixture may come out.
10. Place the poli on a heated tawa and apply little ghee on both the sides and cook until golden brown on both the sides.
11. Can store in a airtight container for a week.

Note:

You can replace jaggery with sugar but for an authentic taste, use Jaggery.

Beans Porial

Ingredients:

• Green beans - 1 lbs (cut into small pieces)
• Onion - 1/2 (finely chopped)
• Red chilies - 2 (broken)
• Curry leaves - few
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chana dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Fresh coconut - 1/4 cup(Shredded)
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tsps

Method:

1. Heat the pan. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds.
2. Add curry leaves, red chilies, onions and cook till the onions turn golden brown.
3. Add the chopped green beans, salt, little water and cook till the beans are tender.
4. Finally add coconut and mix everything well.
5. Serve with curd rice or sambar rice.

Note:

Do not cover the beans and cook if you want to retain the green color.

Palak Paneer/Spinach With Cottage Cheese

Ingredients:

Spinach/Palak - 1 big bunch

Paneer - 125 gms

Tomato - 1 big (Blanched and pureed)

Onion - 1 medium (blanched and make a paste)

Ginger garlic paste - 1 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp

Green chilies - 2 (slit lengthwise)

Red chili powder - 1 tsp

Coriander powder - 1 1/2 tsps

Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Kasuri methi - 1/2 tsp (optional)

Salt - to taste

Heavy whipping cream - 2 tbsp (Optional)

or

Whole Milk - 2 tbsp

Oil - 2 tbsps

Ghee - 1 tsp

Method:

Discard the coarse stem of the spinach, blanch in hot water for 2 mins. Make a paste out of it and keep aside.

Fry the paneer cubes in ghee till golden brown and soak in warm water for 15 mins and drain.

Add oil in a heavy bottomed pan and splutter cumin seeds.

Add the onion paste, ginger garlic paste, slit green chilies and saute till golden brown.

Add chili powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and mix everything well.

Add the tomato puree and let it cook for 5 to 6 mins on medium heat.

Add the palak paste and cook for 6 to 7 mins till it becomes thick.

Add the fried paneer cubes and mix. Cover it and cook on medium heat for 5 mins.

Add water if the mixture is too thick. Add salt.

Add kasuri methi, garam masala, cream and mix everything well.

Cover it and cook for another 3 to 5 mins.

Serve hot with roti or naan.

Note:

You can replace heavy with half and half or milk. But if you want creamy consistency, use cream.

Sakkarai Pongal/Sweet Pongal

Ingredients:

Raw rice - 1 cup (If raw rice is not available, use sona masoori)

Split moong dhal - 1/4 cup

Ghee - 1/4 cup

Jaggery - 1 1/2 cups

Cashewnut - 10 nos

Raisins - 10 nos

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Milk - 1 cup

Water - 2 cups

Method:

Soak rice and moong dhal for 15 to 20 mins and drain the water.

Roast the cashewnut and raisins in ghee till golden brown

Pressure cook the rice and moong dhal by adding water and milk for 3 whistles.

Melt the jaggery in 1/2 cup and drain to remove the impurities.

Add the melted jaggery to the cooked rice and mix everything well.

Add ghee, cardamom powder, roasted cashewnuts, rasins and mix.

Easy Besan Bonda

Ingredients:

For the batter:

Besan flour - 1 cup

Rice flour - 3 tsps

Baking soda - 1/8 tsp

Chili powder - 1 tsp

Water - required to make a thick paste.

Salt - as needed

For the bonda mixture:

Onions - 1/2 medium (finely chopped)

Green chilies - 3 (finely chopped)

Curry leaves - few (chopped)

Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup (finely chopped)

Oil - for frying

Method:

Prepare the batter by mixing the ingredients given under "For the batter".

Once the batter is ready, add all the ingredients under "For the bonda mixture" and mix everything well.

Heat the pan on medium heat. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, take a spoonful of the mixture and pour it on the hot oil. You can also use your hand.

Pour as many as you can and make sure not to over crowd the pan.

Once it turns golden brown on both the sides, remove from the pan and serve hot.

It would take 8 to 10 mins for one batch.

Note:

The batter shouldn't be too thick or too thin.

If the batter is too thick, the bonda will be hard and if it's too thin, it will absorb more oil.

Lemon rice

Ingredients:

• Rice - 1 cup
• Lemon juice - 1/4 cup
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Chana dhal - 2 tsps
• Urad dhal - 1/2 tsp
• Roasted unsalted peanuts - 1/4 cup
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Turmeric powder - 1/2 tsp
• Curry leaves - few
• Ginger - 1/2 tsp (finely chopped)
• Green chilies - 3 (finely chopped)
• Broken red chilies - 2
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsps
• Coriander leaves - for garnishing

Method:

1. Cook the rice separately and spread it on a plate by applying some oil.
2. Heat the pan. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
3. Add chana dhal, urad dhal, roasted peanuts and fry for 30 secs.
4. Add the turmeric powder, asafoetida, curry leaves, ginger, green chilies, red chilies and fry for about a minute.
5. Add salt, lemon juice and switch off the fire immediately.
6. Do not allow the mixture to boil.
7. Gently mix the rice with the above mixture and garnish with the coriander leaves.
8. Serve with pickle or potato chips.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

• Tomatoes - 4 medium size (chopped)
• Onion - 1/2 medium size (chopped)
• Garlic - 3 cloves
• Green chilies - 3 (chopped)
• Red chilies - 2
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Coriander seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Asafoetida - a pinch
• Tamarind - 1 inch piece
• or
• Tamarind paste - 1/2 tsp
• Shredded coconut - 1 tbsp (optional)
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tsp

Method:

1. Heat the pan. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, add the cumin seeds, coriander seeds and fry for 30 secs.
2. Add the asafoetida, garlic, green chilies, red chilies, onion and saute for 2 to 3 mins till onions turn golden brown.
3. Add the chopped tomatoes and saute till the tomatoes are completely cooked and water from the tomatoes are completely evaporated.
4. Finally add the salt, tamarind and shredded coconut.
5. Set aside to cool.
6. Once it is cool down, grind it to a smooth paste in a blender.
7. Serve with idli or dosa.

Note:

You can also do seasoning by adding little oil, mustard seeds, curry leaves, broken red chilies and add to the chutney.

Spinach Poriyal

Ingredients:

• Spinach - 1 bunch (chopped)
• Onion - 1 medium (chopped)
• Green chilies - 4 (chopped)
• Red chilies - 1
• Garlic - 3 cloves (crushed)
• Curry leaves - few
• Cumin seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Coconut - 1/2 cup (shredded)
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tsps

Method:

1. Clean and chop the spinach.
2. Heat a pan. Add oil. Once the oil is hot, splutter mustard seeds and cumin seeds.
3. Add in the curry leaves, crushed garlic, red chili, green chilies and onion. Cook till the onions turn brown.
4. Add the chopped spinach, salt and cook for 5 to 10 mins till the spinach is cooked completely.
5. Finally add the coconut and mix everything well.
6. Serve with rice, curd rice or with chapathi.

Capsicum Fried Rice

Ingredients:

• Cooked cold rice - 1 cup (a day old rice works best)
• Capsicum - 1 medium (chopped)
• Onion - 1/2 medium (chopped)
• Garlic - 2 cloves (crushed)
• Spring onions - 3 stalks (finely chopped for garnishing)
• Soy sauce - 2 tsps
• Red chili paste - 1 tsp
• Green chili sauce - 1 tsp
• Tomato sauce - 1 tsp
• White pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Black pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Salt - to taste
• Oil - 2 tbsps

Method:

1. Add oil to the heated pan. Once the oil is hot, add the crushed garlic and fry for 30 secs.
2. Add the chopped onions, capsicum and cook till they turns tender, but the crunch is still there.
3. Add all the sauces, pepper powders and salt.
4. Add the cooked rice and mix well.
5. Garnish with the spring onions.

Rava Dosa - My 50th post

Hi All,

Wish u a happy new year 2010.... Hope this year brings joy and peace in everybody's life.

Ingredients:

• Rava - 1 cup
• Rice flour - 1 cup
• Maida - 1/2 cup
• Salt - to taste
• Water - 3 cups or as needed
• For seasoning:
• Cumin seeds - 1 tsp
• Ginger - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
• Green chilies - 1 tsp (finely chopped)
• Onion - 1/4 medium (finely chopped)
• Curry leaves - few
• Coriander leaves - few (finely chopped)
• Pepper powder - 1/2 tsp
• Oil or ghee

Method:

1. Mix rava, maida, rice flour, salt and water to it. The batter should be watery and flowing.
2. Add the items given under "for seasoning" to the above mixture and keep aside for 30 mins to 1 hr.
3. Heat the dosa tawa and the tawa should be very hot when u pour the batter.
4. Take one ladleful of batter and spread on the tawa starting from the sides and finishing off in the middle.
5. Drizzle oil or ghee and when it becomes golden brown turn it over.
6. Serve with chutney or sambar.

Note:

If the batter is thick, its very difficult to make crispy dosa.

If the batter becomes thick after making few dosas, add little water to make it thin.