Mixed Vegetable Curry

How I learnt it - My school friend, a fighter pilot, Rakesh spends a lot of time in the kitchen when he is not flying. He loves to cook and try different recipes. According to him cooking is a great stress buster. I cooked his recipe and found its taste incredible….
Now, It’s for all you friends to enter the kitchen and enjoy the finger licking dish yourself.

Ingredients

Green peas – 2 cups (200 grms)
Beans – 7-8 cut long
Capsicum – 1 big (cut into squares)
Cauliflower – 1 cup (cut small)
Carrot – 2 med (cut into semi circles)
Butter/ veg oil – 3 tbsp
Sugar – 1tsp


Masala to grind and make puree

Onions – 2
Tomatoes – 3 med
Green chilly – 2
Ginger – 1” long
Garlic – 3-4 cloves
Salt – 1 ½ tsp
Red chilly powder – 1tsp
Coriander powder – 1tsp
Cumin powder- 1tsp
Garam masala – 1tsp




Procedure


1. Wash the vegetables thoroughly and cut them.
2. Take a kadai. Heat 2 tbsp butter/oil at low flame.
3. Add all the vegetables and cover it. Remove the vegetables after three minutes.
4. Put 1 tbsp of butter/ oil in the same kadai and heat it.
5. Add the masala which has been ground to puree.
6. Stir it and cook till the masala leaves the sides of the kadai.
7. Now add the vegetables, 2 tbsp of fresh cream and 1 tsp of sugar.
8. Add a cup of water and cook for 8 to 10 mins or till the vegetables are cooked.
9. Garnish with coriander leaves or onion roundels.
10. Serve hot with paranthas.


Tip – To make the gravy richer, you can add 2 tsp of cashew/ almond paste.

Italian Pizza

How I learnt it - She is one of my friend who’s been almost together throughout my married life. Jyothsana is a great cook and has keen interests in finance, taxation, beauty products and contemporary styling. I learnt the intricacies of good pizza making while celebrating her daughter’s 1st birthday.

Ingredients

Pizza base – 3 medium

Tomato – 3-4 (chopped fine)

Sugar – 1tsp

Onion – 1 (chopped fine)

Capsicum (finely chopped) – 4-5 tbsp

Butter – 2 tbsp

Oregano powder – 1tsp

Veg/ refined oil – 1tbsp

Cheddar / parmesan Cheese – 1 cup (grated)

Salt – a pinch

Seasoning

Red chilly flakes

Mustard sauce

Tomato sauce

Procedure

1. Take a pan, pour oil. Heat it. Add finely chopped tomatoes.

2. Add sugar, a pinch of salt and oregano powder.

3. Mix well. Cook it till it leaves water and becomes a smooth paste.

4. Switch off the stove. Add chopped capsicum, onion and finely grated cheese.

5. Take the pizza base; spread little butter on the top.

6. Spread the prepared topping over it.

7. Microwave each at 600 degree centigrade on grill + cook mode for 2 minutes.

8. Remove and cut into four.

9. Serve hot with one’s preferred seasoning.

Tip

1. To make the pizza crispier, keep on the tawa for few seconds till it becomes golden brown.

2. Paneer, chicken bits, baby corn and mushroom can be used to make the toppings. They are optional depending on the availability in the market.

3. Already cheese has enough salt so it can be used judiciously.

Hari Chutney

How I learnt it– I always used to make the pudina chutney using sugar and lemon. One day my neighbor suggested why don’t you add jaggery and tamarind instead. It tasted great! Everybody appreciated my chutney in all my parties after that. You too can try it and get applauds.

Ingredients

Mint leaves (Pudina) – 1 cup Coriander leaves – 1 cup

Onion – 1 medium peeled Garlic – 5-6

Green chillies – 3-4 jagerry – 1 ball lemon sized

Tamarind paste – 2 tbsp salt to taste

Procedure

1. Take coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies. Wash them and chop them.

2. Peel the onion, garlic and wash them.

3. Put all the above ingredients in the grinding jar.

4. Add salt to taste, jaggery and tamarind paste.

5. Grind it to a fine paste. There is no need to add any water.

6. It is an excellent accompaniment with samosa and kababs.

Tip - To make the chutney last for 3-4 days add a tea spoon of veg oil and mix it thoroughly.

Vangi Bhaath (Brinjal rice)

 

Ingredients –

rice – 2 cups  

 Brinjal – 3 med size               

Bay leaves – 2

green chilies – 2-3 (slit)

onion – 1 chop fine      

tomato puree – ¾ cup    oil – ½ cup

fresh grated coconut – 4 tbsp

fresh coriander leaves – 2tbsp.

 

Masala to grind

 

Coriander powder -1tbsp   

Cumin powder – 1tsp

Red chilly powder – 1tsp

Pepper powder – ¼ tsp

Garlic – 3-4                   ginger – 1 inch

Cardamom – 2               clove – 2-3

Lemon juice- 2tsp

1. Add the above masalas with grated coconut, fresh coriander leaves and grind it in the mixer to a fine paste.

Procedure

 

1. Soak rice in water for sometime.

2. Wash the brinjal and cut them round shape .  Apply salt to brinjal and keep aside.

3. Heat oil in a pan and fry the brinjal pieces. Fry till golden brown.

4. Take a heavy bottomed pan . Add the remaining oil. Sauté with bay leaves, chopped onion, and green chilies. Mix well.

5. Add the ground masala paste, tomato puree and salt to taste. Stir it and keep moving till the oil leaves the side of the pan.

6. Add rice and mix well for 1-2 min.

7. Add 4 cups of water and let it come to boil.

8. Add  the lemon juice and cover the pan half and let it cook.

9. Cut few brinjal roundels into four pieces and add to the rice after the rice is almost done.

10. Once the rice is cooked garnish with the remaining fried brinjals on the top.

11. Serve hot with raita, pickle and pappad.

 

 

 

 

 

Pulihara (Tamarind Rice)

 

An Andhra recipe cooked during festivals……..

 

HOW  I LEARNT IT -   My colleague in Bangalore college used to get this dish in her lunch box. She used the traditional spices and it tasted so good that we would swap our lunch boxes. One day she came home and cooked it for me.

 

Ingredients

 

Rice-  1 cup (cooked)

Tamarind  paste – 4 tbsp

Jaggery – lemon sized

Ground nut – 3 tbsp

Urd dal –  1tsp

Channa dal – 1tsp

Red chillies – 3-4

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp

Asafoetida (hing)– a pinch

Ginger paste-  1 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves-  6-7

Salt to taste

Oil – 3 tbsp 

 

Procedure

 

1. Make the tamarind paste by boiling tamarind pulp.

2. Once the pulp thickens into paste, add some salt, turmeric powder and jaggery in the paste

3. Boil for some more time.

 

Saute

 

1. Heat groundnut oil/ refined oil in a pan .Add mustard seeds, Red chilies and Asafoetida (hing).

2. Add a bit of urad dal, channa dal and ground nuts. Roast properly.

3. Add curry leaves and a paste of ginger and green chilies into the pan Fry them properly in oil.

4. Add the tamarind paste. If the paste is thick add little water to it. Cook it till it leaves oil on the sides of the pan. Add the cooked rice along with the tamarind paste. Mix well.(Salt can be further added according to taste)

 

 

Tip: Can roast a bit of fenugreek seeds (methi) and mustard seeds, powder them and add them to the paste and then mix with rice. It adds a good flavour but turns bitter if the quantity of mustard or fenugreek seeds (methi) is more.

 

Samosa

 

One of the favorite among children and elders in all the birthday parties…..

How I learnt it - My neighbors mom-in – law had come from Delhi. She happens to be the chef for Sonia Gandhi. Aunty travels with her wherever she goes for campaigning. She had done a mouth licking menu for her grand daughters Birthday. The Samosas were instant hit. Aunty promised us to teach us how to make it. I had to get up early in the morning to learn the samosas as aunty was leaving back for Delhi that day.

 

Ingredients  for Dough

Maida – ½ kg                                        salt – ½ tsp

Ajwain – 1 tsp                                       oil – 2-3 tbsp

 Ingredients for the filling

Boiled Potatoes – 1 kg                             green chilies – 3-4

boiled green peas – ½ cup (optional)   ginger – 2 inches  

salt to taste                                               turmeric – ½ tsp

Chaat masala – 1 tbsp                          coriander powder – 1 tsp

Jeera powder – 1 tsp                       red chilly powder – ½  tsp

Veg oil for sauté and frying the samosa.  

Anaardaana – 1 tsp (opt)

Procedure

To make the dough

 

1.  Take maida, add salt, veg oil, and ajwain. Rub the flour till the ingredients are evenly mixed.   

2. Take a handful of the flour press it in the palm. The flour mixture should not break.

3. If it breaks in the hand add some more oil and mix well.

4. Add little water to make the dough. It should neither be too hard nor too soft.                                                    

 

To make the filling

1. Take 3 tbps of veg/refined oil/ ghee in a kadai.

2   Put crushed ginger and green chilies into the pan. Sauté it for some time.

3 Add the mashed boiled potatoes and boiled green peas.

4. Add jeera, coriander powder, salt to taste, turmeric powder, red chilly powder, chaat masala, and anaardaana. 

5. Mix it well and cook till the kadai leaves oil on the sides.

 6. Remove from heat. Cool it.

 

To make the Samosa.

 

1. Take a lemon sized dough. Spread it evenly on a flat surface. It should be as thin as possible.

2. Cut it into two halves.

3. Take one part of the semi circle. Apply water on the diameter side and stick it one over other so as to make a cone.

4. Close the lower end by folding it.

5. Fill the dough with the filling already prepared.

6. Once all the samosa are made take a kadai and pour oil into it.

7. Keep the stove at medium heat.

8. Put samosa  in the kadai to deep fry them.

9. When golden brown remove them from the kadai.

10. Serve hot with hari chutney or tomato sauce.

 

  

Tip-  Raisins, cashews can be added so as to enhance the taste.It is optional

Khandavi

 

 

Ingredients

 

Besan/gram flour – 1 cup                               Hing – a pinch

Curd/ yogurt – 2 tps                                        Salt  - as per taste

Red chilli powder -  ½ tsp                              Water – 3 cups

 

Garnish

 

Mustard seeds – 1 tsp                                      Green chillies – 2 (chopped finely)

Sesame seeds  - 1 tsp                                       Fresh coconut – 1 tsp (grated)

Oil – 1tsp                                                        

 

Method

 

1. Take besan/ gram flour in a bowl.

2. Add hing, salt, red chilli powder, curd and water.

3.  Mix well so that there are no lumps.

4.  Heat a kadai, pour the mixture cook at medium heat.

5.  Cook the mixture till it is a semi solid consistency.

6.  Remove from heat.

7.  Take a thali, apply oil at the back. Spread the mixture on the plate evenly forming a thin layer.

8.  Cut it into half .

9.  Once cool roll it. Cut it into small pieces.

10. Take oil in a small pan and heat. Put mustard seeds, sesame seeds, finely chopped green chillies and grated fresh coconut.

11. Turn off the gas stove immediately.

12. Garnish the Khandavi and serve with  coconut/ groundnut chutney.