Monday, September 14, 2009

Coconut Poli

Ingredients

* Maida : 1 ½ cups
* Grated coconut : 2 cups
* Jaggery : 1 ½ cups
* Semolina (roasted) : 1 tsp
* Cardamom powder : 2 tsp
* Cashew : 10
* Ghee : 2 tbsp
* Oil : ¼ cup
* Turmeric Powder : ¼ tsp

Method

Take maida, turmeric powder, 1 tbsp oil and mix with water till it forms a dough.
Set aside. Add 1/4 cup of water to jaggery and heat it on a stove.
When the jaggery melts, strain it. Grind grated coconut and cashew.
Add jaggery water to the ground paste along with cardamom powder and stir fry in a pan till the mixture is dry.
Add roasted semolina and remove from the stove.
When cool, make small balls.
Take a small ball of maida dough, make it into a cup.
Place the coconut ball into the cup and close it.
Take a small plantain leaf and smear some oil.
Place the ball on the leaf and spread it into a circle using the tip of the fingers.
Place a pan on the fire. When it is heated, put the flattened poli.
Keep the stove on medium flame.
In a few seconds the leaf can be removed.
Flip the poli add oil and ghee mixture around the sides.
Remove when cooked.

Sweet Poli

Ingredients:

Bengal Gram Dhal - 1 cup
Powdered Jaggery - 1 cup
Maida - 1 cup
Turmeric Powder - a pinch
Ghee - 5 tbs
Grated Coconut - 3/4 cup
Cardamon – 2
A pinch of salt

Method:

Soak Bengal gram dhal in water for about two to three hours.
Cook the Dhal in water till soft, but not mushy. Drain the excess water.
Grind the dhal along with jaggery, coconut and cardamom to a fine paste.
Heat up a heavy bottomed pan and add this mixture to it and stir over a medium flame till the mixture is solid. Let it cool.
Mix maida, salt and turmeric powder and make a soft dough using water little by little.
Take a plastic sheet or foil, flatten out small ball sized quantity of the maida dough.
Place a smaller sized ball of the sweet filling and cover it completely using the flattened maida dough.
Cover with another plastic sheet.
Roll it round using a rolling pin.
Heat up a tawa and when it is hot place the poli and pour a teaspoon of ghee all around and cook.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Brinjal Curry

Ingredients
Medium size brinjals -8 (not round ones)
Ginger -2inches
coriander-equal to ginger
tamarind juice( thick) -1 t.sp.
turmuric powder-1/2 t.sp.
chana dal--1 t.sp
Urud dal-1 t.sp
mustard seeds-1/2 t.sp
cumin seeds-1/2 t.sp
oil-4 t.sp.s
green chiilies 5
red chillies -3(cut into pieces)
salt to taste

Method:
1.First make a paste of green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves nicely.
2.Cut the brinjals into 2 inch pieces.
3.Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Put chana dal, urud dal, cumin seeds, mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Add red chillies and fry nicely.
4.Put the brinjal pieces, salt and turmuric.
5.Fry them for a while and cover the pan, with a plate. Put some water in the plate.
6.After the brinjals are half cooked, put the tamarind juice, ginger-coriander paste in the brinjal pieces and mix well.
7.Close the pan again, but stir it frequently.
8.After 5 or 6 minutes, the curry is ready.
9.Sprinkle the coriander leaves and serve.
10.Tastes good with white rice and ghee.

Brinjal Theeyal

Ingredients
Small Brinjal - 4 nos.
Red Chili Powder - 1 tsp
Coriander Powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric Powder - tsp
Tamarind - small piece
Mustard Seeds - 1 tsp
Grated Coconut - cup
Methi Seeds - tsp
Onion - 2 medium
Curry Leaves - few
Coconut Oil - 2 tbsp
Salt to taste

Method
Cut the brinjals into small cubes and boil it with salt.
In a pan fry the methi seeds and grated coconut with tbsp oil.
Then make a paste of this. in another pan add oil, mustard seeds and curry leaves and saute.
Add red chili, turmeric powder and coriander powder to the above.
To this add the boiled brinjal and mix well next, pour the tamarind water to this and then add coconut paste.
Mix well till dry and serve hot.

Masala Brinjal

Ingredients for Curried eggplant :
500 gm brinjals
3 tbsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 sprig curry leaf
salt to taste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder
a lemon-sized piece of tamarind

Roast in tsp oil and powder
2 tbsp sesame seeds
1 tbsp gram dal
1 tbsp coriander seeds
4 dried red chillies
1/4 tsp asafoetida

Method:
1. Wash and cut the brinjals into fours. Extract the pulp from the tamarind by boiling it in some water and then squeezing.
2. Heat the oil, and add the mustard and curry leaf. When done, add the brinjals and turmeric, and fry on a low fire. Sprinkle a little water, cover the vessel and cook on low heat until the brinjals turn soft.
3. Add the tamarind extract, salt and cook for some more time until almost all the water has evaporated. Add the masala powder and stir for a few minutes. Remove and serve hot.

Friday, September 11, 2009

Cabbage Poriyal

Ingredients:

Cabbage - one small size or one medium size cut piece
Bengal Gram Dhal - 2 tablespoons
Coconut gratings - 1 tablespoon
Onion - 1 medium size
Green Chillies - 2 or 3 depending on the size
Curry leaves - few
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Mustard - 1/2 teaspoon
Urad dhal - 1 teaspoon
Salt – ½ teaspoon or as per taste

Method:

Cut the cabbage into fine bits. Chop the onion, curry leaves and green chillies.

Cook the bengal gram dhal along with a pinch of turmeric powder till soft and drain the excess water.

In a kadai put the oil and when it is hot add mustard. When it pops up, add urad dhal and fry till it turns light brown. Then add chopped onion, green chillies and curry leaves and fry for two minutes. Add cabbage and mix well. Cover with a lid and cook on low flame. No need to add water. Stir now and then till it is cooked. Now add the cooked dhal along with salt and stir for few seconds. Then add coconut gratings and mix well.

Cabbage Dosa

Ingredients
Cabbage - 1/4 kg
(shredded)
Raw rice(pachari) - 1/4 kg
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Chilly powder - 2 tsp
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp
Asafoetida(Kayam) - 1/4 tsp
Salt - As reqd
Oil for applying on the tawa

Preparation Method
1)Boil the shredded cabbage.

2)Soak rice for 2 hours and grind it.

3)Add the cooked cabbage, coconut, chilly powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt. Mix well.

4)Make dosas instantly.

:- The batter should be poured a bit thick.

5)Apply oil on the sides and cover the pan and cook your dosa

Cabbage Rice

Ingredients:
2 cups rice
1 cabbage, chopped
4 greenchillies
Salt and turmeric as required

For powder(Fry below ingredients and make powder):
3 tsp chanadal
2 tsp urad dal
4 redchillies
3 tsp dry coconut powder
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp coriander seeds
Garlic pieces
salt.

Method:
1. Cook rice.
2. Heat oil in a pan and add green chillies, fry it then add cabbage and salt and turmeric and fry it.
3. Now add the rice and fry for 2-3 minutes and remove from heat.

Serve hot.

Thursday, September 10, 2009

Potato Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup Samwat rice (also known as Parsai ke chaawal)
2 tbsp. Ghee
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 cloves
A tiny piece of cinnamon
2 green cardamom
1 large potato (diced in small pieces)
2 tsp. rock salt
1/2 tsp. red chilli powder
3 cup water
Green coriander to garnish

Method:

* Heat ghee in a pan
* Add cumin seeds, cloves, cardamom and cinnamon.
* When they give off fragrance, add potato and rice.
* Stir-fry to a light brown color.
* Add rock salt, chilli powder and water and boil.
* Cover the pan and let it simmer on low flame for about 15 minutes.
* Garnish with green coriander.
* Serve hot.

Potato Podimas

Ingredients:
Potatoes - 3
Onion - 1 small (optional)
Turmeric powder - 1 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/4 tsp
Oil

Method:
1. Boil the potatoes in water ( to which a pinch of turmeric is added ).
2. Cut the onions finely. Smash the potatoes well and add the turmeric powder, mix well and set aside.
3. Heat oil in a kadai and splutter mustards. Add onions & fry till transparent.
4. Add the smashed potatoes and fry well till the masala smell goes.
5. Serve hot with chapathi.

Tomato Avial

Ingredients for Tomato Avial:
Tomatoes: 1/4 kg
Green chillies: 8
Half a coconut
Oil - 1 tbsp
A few curry leaves
A pinch of turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Curd - 1 spoon
Bombay onion - 1
1/2 tsp asafoetida powder
fenugreek powder - 1/2tsp
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp

Method to make Tomato Avial:
1. Clean the tomatoes and cut them into small pieces.
2. Scrape the coconut and grind it with the green chillies into a fine paste.
3. Add salt and turmeric powder to the cut tomatoes and boil.
4. Add a little oil to it and then add the sliced bombay onion and saute
5. Then add the asafoetida powder and fenugreek powder.
6. Mix the curd with the coconut paste and pour it into the tomatoes and boil.
7. If it is too thick add a little water.
8. Put a little oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
9. When it splutters pour the tomato aviyal and put the curry leaves.
10. Add 1 tablespoon of oil. Mix well and remove from fire

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Mushroom Manchurian

Ingredients
Fresh Mushroom 200 gm
Ajinomotto 1 pinch
Ginger Garlic paste 2 tsp
Soy Sauce 1 1/2 tsp
Vinegar 1 tsp
White pepper powder 1/2 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Egg One
Corn flour 2 tsp
Chopped green chillies 2 tsp
Chopped garlic 2 tsp
Oil To fry
Salt According to taste
Spring onions To garnish

Method
Marinate mushrooms with soy sauce with salt, 1 tsp chilli powder, pepper powder, ajinomotto, soy sauce, vinegar and ginger garlic paste
Keep aside for 3-4 hours.
Beat the egg, add the remaining chillipowder, salt, and corn flour (the mixture should not be too thick…so add flour carefully) and mix well.
Put the marinated mushrooms in the egg mixture and mix well until all the mushrooms are well coated.
Heat the oil in a pan (high flame), and deep fry the mushrooms. Fry them for one minute.
Heat a little oil, add the chopped green chillies and garlic for a minute and add the fried mushrooms and fry for another minute.
Garnish with chopped green part of the spring onions. Goes well with fried rice or as a teatime snack.

Mushroom Biriyani

Ingredients:

Basmati Rice- 4 cups
Mushroom - 1 to 2 lbs (16-32 oz)
Oil & ghee (melted butter)-3/4 cup
Lemon -1
Chopped Ginger - 3 tsp
Garlic - 7 cloves
Green chillies - 4
Onion - 2 (cut in lengthwise)
Soy Sauce - 2 tsp (soya sauce in India)
Tomatoes -3
Chilly powder - 1 &1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 3 tsp
Cinnamon - 3
Cardamom - 3
Cloves-3
Salt to taste
Cilantro (coriander leaves), mint leaves (pudhina) for garnishing

Method:

Soak rice for 1 hour.
Wash and cut Mushrooms into big pieces.
Cut onions, chillies, tomatoes.
Grind cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger, garlic into a paste.
In a pressure Cooker, heat the oil and ghee, fry ground masala and the onion till golden brown. To this add all other ingredients, mushrooms and stir for 10 minutes. Add 7 cups water and allow it to boil, add the soaked rice and stir when rice level and water level are the same, pressure cook (with whistle on it) in low flame for 15 minutes

Mushroom Fried Rice

Ingredients

Diced mushroom 1 cup
Diced onions 1/2 cup
Green peas 1/4 cup
Tomato 1
Chilly powder 1 spoon
Dania powder 1 spoon
Cashews 5
Coriander chopped to garnish
Cooked rice
Salt to taste
Oil as required

Method


Heat oil in tawa. Fry cashewnuts and onions. Then add mushrooms, chilly powder, salt, dania powder, green peas and tomatoes.
Add 1/4 cup of water in it. Fry till oil separates from the mixture.
Then mix cooked rice and garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Cauliflower Rice

Ingredients
cauliflower - 1/2
jeera - 1 spoon
cloves - 2
salt
coriander - 1/2 bunch
green chillies - 2
tomato ketchup - 2 spoons
basmathi rice - 1 1/4 cup

Method
Fry cloves,jeera ,green chillies in oil.
Add cauliflower and fry till it turns brown.
Add salt and tomato ketchup.add coriander leaves.
Cook basmathi rice separately and mix the rice with the cauliflower.
Enjoy!

Cauliflower 65

Ingredients:
250 gms cauliflower floretes
1.5 tbsp plain all purpose flour
1.5 tbsp besan
1 tbsp garlic-ginger paste
2 pinches of china salt ( ajinomoto)
salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
Pinch of red color
For seasoning:
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 onion chopped
3 green chillies
Few curry leaves

Instructions:
1. Take the florettes in a bowl and add hot water mixed with 1 tsp salt for 30 mins.
2. Prepare batter by mixing besan flour, all purpose flour, salt, ginger garlic paste, chili powder, china salt, red color and make a fine batter with required quantity of water.
3. Add the floretes to this mixture.
4. Deep fry the florettes in oil.
5. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in another pan. Season with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, chopped green chilies, onions and fry for a minute.
6. Now add the fried cauliflower pieces to the seasoning mixture and mix well.

Serve hot.

Cauliflower Chilli Fry

Ingredients:
1 cup diced cauliflower
3 tsp curd
2 green chillies
4-5 curry leaves

For the batter
2 tbsp Rice flour
red chilli powder to season
salt to taste
water
oil to deep fry

Method:
Mix all ingredients to make a thick batter or paste. To this add the cauliflower and deep fry. Keep aside.

Heat oil in a pan and lightly saute the curry leaves. Add green chillies and curd.

Finally add the cauliflower, mix well and serve.

Monday, September 7, 2009

Puli Inji

Ingredients
2" piece of ginger
2 large balls of tamarind
12 cloves of garlic
3 red chillies
3 green chillies
1/2 tsp methi (fenugreek) seeds, roasted finely
1 tsp mustard seeds, for seasoning
1 tsp cumin seeds
A small piece of jaggery
Salt to taste

Method
Roast the cumin seeds lightly and powder to a fine paste with the red chillies and half the fenugreek and garlic.
Chop the ginger, green chillies and remaining garlic.
Soak the tamarind in some hot water and extract the juice.
Put in the chopped ingredients and continue boiling.
In a pan, heat 3 tsp oil and add the mustard seeds and the remaining fenugreek seeds.
When the mustard crackles, add the ground masala and fry till the masala turns color.
Put in the chopped ingredients, jaggery, salt to taste and tamarind juice.
Bring to a boil and boil till the juice is thick.
Bottle when cool.
Should keep for about a week.

Erissery

Ingredients:
green bananas or plantains, cubed
1 tsp turmeric powder
1 tsp chili powder
½ tsp cumin seeds
¼ tsp mustard seeds
¼ tsp urad dal
½ cup coconut, grated (may substitute with desiccated coconut)
1 tbsp coconut for garnishing
¼ tsp black pepper
a few curry leaves
salt to taste
1 tsp oil

Method:
Soak the cut plantains in warm water mixed with ½ a tsp of turmeric for 10 minutes.
Drain and cook the plantains with the remaining turmeric and salt.
Grind the coconut well with cumin and add to the cooked plantains.
Meanwhile, heat the oil and pop the mustard seeds.
Add the urad dal and the coconut reserved for garnish and stir till brown.
Add this mixture to the Erissery and mix in the curry leaves

Theeyal

Ingredients:

1 Cup Baby onions
5 Curry leaves
1/2 teaspoon Mustard seeds
2 tablespoons Tamarind paste
1/2 teaspoon Sugar
1 Pinch Asafoetida
1/2 cup Grated coconut
7 Red chillies
1 tablespoon Coriander seeds
1/4 teaspoon Cumin seeds
7 Black peppercorns
1/4 teaspoon Turmeric powder
3 tablespoons Oil
Salt

Method:

* Heat 1 tbsp. oil in a small pan and saute coconut till it is light brown.
* Add 5 red chillies, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, peppercorns and fry till it emits an aroma.
* Add the turmeric powder. Stir-fry for 2-3 seconds.
* Keep aside to cool. Grind into a coarse powder.
* Heat 2 tbsp. oil and add the mustard seeds, curry leaves and remaining red chillies.
* When the seeds start spluttering, add asafoetida and onions.
* Saute for 5 minutes on a medium flame.
* Add the ground masala powder and cook for a few seconds.
* Add water, tamarind extract, salt and sugar and bring to a boil.
* Simmer for 5-7 minutes. Serve hot with steamed rice.