Kadhi Pakori

Ingredients
Gram flour – 2tbps
Sour Curd – 2 cups
Salt as per taste
Haldi – ½ tsp
Red chilli powder – 1 tsp
Dhania powder – 1tsp
Garlic – 5-6 cloves
Onion – 2 med cut long.
Methi seeds – 1tsp
Jeera seeds – 1tsp
Mustard seeds – 1tsp
Hing – a pinch
Curry leaves - 4-5
Oil – 2 tbsp

For the pakories

Gram flour – 200 grms
Salt as per taste
Saunf – 1tsp
Ajwain – 1tsp
Red chilli powder- ½ tsp
Haldi powder – ½ tsp
Jeera powder – 1tsp
Chaat masala – ½ tsp
Onion – 2 cut small
Green chilies - 2 cut small
Potato – 1 cut small
Oil to deep fry.

Procedure
1. Take a big kadai with thick bottom. Pour the curd. Add 2 cups of water. Add 2 tbsp of gram flour and mix thoroughly.
2. Add all the spices ie , salt haldi, red chilly and coriander powder.
3. Keep on the stove and cook till the gram flour is cooked. It may take around 20 to 25 minutes to cook. Switch off the gas.
4. Take another pan. Add 2tbsp of oil. As the oil heats add pinch of hing, mustard seeds, jeera seeds and methi seeds. As they crackle add the grated ginger, garlic and onion and curry leaves. Sauté for some time. Let the onion brown.
5. Mix the sauté to the kadhi.
6. For the pakori –Mix all the above ingredients with little water and make a thick batter.
7. Heat a kadai , pour sufficient oil to deep fry.
8. Put a table spoon ful of batter. Put as many in the kadai to make pakories. Remove when golden brown on both sides.
9. Remove the pakories and add to the kadhi.
10. Garnish with green coriander leaves or rings of onions.
11. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Methi Ka Parantha

How I learnt it – Love for learning new and different dishes. All the credit goes to my father. He is not only a great!!! Cook but also a wonderful father and husband. At the tender age of 13 he taught me how to make round chapattis. To be frank, I just knew how to make good phulkas before marriage.
It is an easy recipe for professionals. Due to lack of time they are unable to make stuffed paranthas. Add the fresh green methi leaves to the flour with all the spices and make the paranthas. They taste heavenly!!!!


Ingredients


Methi – 1 cup (chopped fine)
Wheat Flour – 3 cups.
Green chilies – 2 chopped fine
Onion – 1 chopped fine.
Ginger – 1” grated
Salt – as per taste.
Turmeric powder – ¼ tsp
Saunf ( fennel seeds) – 2 tsp
Refined oil – 2 tbsp



Procedure



1. Wash the fresh green methi (fenugreek) leaves thoroughly.
2. Chop them fine.
3. Add the methi leaves to the wheat flour.
4. Add all the above spices and onion, ginger and green chilies.
5. All the ingredients should be mixed well.
6. Add 2 tbsp of oil. Make the dough using little water.
7. Place a girdle/ tawa on the gas stove.
8. Take a small ball of dough. Dust it with the wheat flour.
9. Make a circular/ square shaped pancake.
10. Put it on tawa and cook it. Turn the other side after few seconds.
11. Splatter some refined oil/ ghee on both sides and cook.
12. Remove from heat and serve hot with yogurt/ butter or pickle.




Tip - The salt should be little on the higher side. We have to take into consideration both the quantity of methi leaves and the wheat flour.

Pindi Chole

Ingredients


Kabuli chana – 200 grms
Soda bicarbonate – ¼ tsp
Chana masala – 4 tsp (available in supermarkets)
Green chilies – 2 ( slit half).
Oil – 3 tsp
Onions – 3
Tomatoes – 2
Ginger – 1”
Garlic - 4-5 pods
Methi leaves – few sprigs
Coriander leaves – 2-3 sprigs
Sugar – 1 tsp
Amchur powder/ chaat masala – 1tsp
Salt – as per taste
Tea leaves – 1tbsp



Procedure


1. Wash and soak gram overnight with soda bicarbonate.
2. Take a muslin cloth and put a tablespoon of tea leaves and make a tight knot. Keep inside the pressure cooker along with the gram.
3. Add equal quantities of water to the gram and salt to taste.
4. Pressure cook till the gram is tender.
5. Remove the muslin cloth.
6. Make a paste of onion, tomatoes, ginger and garlic in the grinder.
7. Take a deep pan/ kadai. Pour oil. Heat it.
8. Add the above paste and green chilies. Add the ready chana masala, amchur powder and sugar.
9. Sauté for 4 to 5 minutes at low heat. Add the finely chopped methi leaves.
10. Add a very little salt as you have already added to the gram earlier. When the oil leaves the sides of the kadai, put the paste into the pressure cooker.
11. You can add more water depending on the consistency of the gravy you desire.
12. Pressure cook till one whistle.
13. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
14. Serve hot with steamed rice or bhaturas and raita.

Tamatar Bhaath ( Tomato Rice)

How I learnt it - It was my first microwave dish which I made at home. The sweet sour taste was awesome. My hubby liked it so much that invariably for few days he would insist me to make the same tomato rice. It is a very easy recipe for the professionals who are always on the run.



Ingredients



Rice – 1 cup
Oil – 2 tbsp
Cardamoms –2 black
Cinnamon – 1’’ stick
Peppercorn – 1/2 tsp
Cloves – 2-3
Turmeric powder – a pinch
Onion (med) – 2 sliced
Garlic – 3-4 crushed
Green chillies – 2-3 slit half.
Tomato – 2 large pureed.
Salt to taste


Procedure


1. Take a heavy bottom deep pan.
2. Add oil. When hot add all the whole spices.
3. Add onion, garlic and green chilies
4. Cook till the onion is golden brown.
5. Add the tomato puree and cook for 2 minutes.
6. Add turmeric powder, rice, salt and water.
7. Let it come to a boil than keep at low heat till the rice cooks.
8. Serve hot with raita, pickle and pappad.

Egg Veg Noodles

How I learnt it – My daughter is a great noodles freak….. She loves noodles so much that I started experimenting on various Chinese dishes. I too love the authentic Chinese recipes. More over at home and for the Birthday parties, I prefer the recipe which kids love. It has to be less spicy and with out spring onions.



Ingredients

Hakka Noodles – 200 grms
Onion- 1 (chopped fine).
Carrot – 1(chopped fine)
French beans – 4-5 (chopped fine)
Eggs – 2
Salt as per taste
Pepper – ¼ tsp
Tomato sauce – 2 tbsp
Oil- 2-3 tbsp


Procedure

1. Take a deep pan. Pour 4-5 cups of water.
2. Let it come to boil. Add the noodles and cook it for 3-4 minutes or till it is semi cooked. Remove it from heat.
3. Add some cold water to it. It separates the noodles.
4. Drain the water away using a sieve.
5. Add a tablespoon of oil and stir it.
6. Take a wok or a shallow pan.
7. Pour 2 tbsp of oil. Heat it. Add chopped onions, let it fry add carrot, beans and salt and pepper.
8. Cook it for 3 to 4 min and then add the 2 eggs. Stir it till the eggs are cooked in scrambled form.
9. Add the noodles and tomato sauce.
10. Stir it to mix the veg and noodles well.
11. Remove from heat. Serve hot with different sauces.



Tips – 1. If you are cooking for small kids you can chop the veggies very small as kids now-a-days are apprehensive of eating green vegetables. In case for elders you can chop the veggies thin and long. It makes it more presentable.
2. You can use other veggies like baby corn, mushroom, capsicum etc too.

Fish Masala Fry.

How I learnt it – My brother-in- law came to visit us. He loves to eat fish. The coastal city, kochi, kerala gave him ample opportunity to relish different preparations of fish. Invariably, I made fish everyday. It allowed me to experiment few dishes. This is the one which he liked the most. Gyan this recipe is dedicated to you. Thanks for all the support and motivation shown by you.





Ingredients

Fish – 500 grms (sheer fish)
Lemon – 1 med size
Salt as per taste
Chilly powder – 1 tsp
Pepper powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1 tbsp
Ginger garlic paste – 1 tbsp
Mustard powder - ¼ tsp
Turmeric powder – ½ tsp
Corn flour – 2 tbsp.
Chaat masala. – a pinch
Oil – for shallow fry.




Procedure



1. Take the fish. Clean it thoroughly under water.
2. Cut into thin pieces to fry. Dry pat them with the tissue or muslin cloth.
3. Take out the lemon juice and add salt.
4. Apply the lemon salt to the fish on both sides.
5. Keep in the refrigerator for half an hour.
6. It marinates the fish, removes the smell and it tastes deep inside.
7. Add all the spices above with the corn flour and very little water.
8. Take out the fish, apply the spice mix on both sides.
9. Take a broad non stick pan.
10. Pour 4 to 5 tbsp of veg/ refined oil.
11. At medium heat fry the fish. Turn it when golden brown on one side. Fry the other side.
12. Once cooked on both sides, remove from heat.Sprinkle some chaat masala on the top.
13. Serve hot with green salad and lemon.





Tip - Don’t turn the fish too frequently. They are soft and tend to break. Let the one side cook and then turn after 2-3 minutes.

Soya Chunk Kababs

Ingredients


Soya chunks – 100 grms
Onion – 1 finely chopped
Chilli powder – ½ tsp
Coriander powder – 1tsp
Green chillies – 2 finely chopped
Chaat masala/ aamchur – 1 tsp
Jeera powder – 1tsp Chaat masala/ aamchur – 1 tsp Ginger – 1” (grated)
Ginger – 1” (grated)
Salt – as per taste
Bread slices – 3-4 (crumbs)
Veg oil for shallow frying.
2 table spoons of corn flour binds the mixture well. The bread slices also work well.




Procedure



1. Put soya chunks in boiling water. Drain the water when soft.
2. Once cold squeeze out the water totally.
3. Grind them coarse into a mixture.
4. Add chopped onion, finely chopped green chilies, grated ginger, chilly powder, salt, chaat masala, jeera powder, and coriander powder and salt to taste.
5. Add bread crumbs of 3 to 4 slices. It works as binding agent.
6. Make round kababs with the mixture.
7. Shallow fry on both sides on a non-stick pan.
8. Serve hot with green chutney or sauce.