Aloo poha

Ingredients:

Attakalu / Poha / flattenned rice - 1 cup
Oil - for frying
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Chana dal - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Hing / Asafoetida - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - 6
Green chillies - 4
Carrot - 1/2 cup chopped
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Onion - 1/2 cup chopped
Peas - 1/4 cup
Potato - 2 medium
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Method:

1) Wash attakalu well.Soak this for around 15 mins or until soft.
2) Chop potatoes into small cubes.
3) In a pan, add 2 tbsp of oil, mustard, chana dal, urad dal, hing, curry leaves, turmeric powder, green chillies, onion followed by potato.
4) Mix well and fry until onions turn golden brown and potatos turn soft.
5) Now add soaked attakulu and fry for around 2 mins. Garnish it with coriander leaves.

Serve attakalu / Poha with fried potatoes.

Note:

1) You can also, Add fried potatoes before serving or else it softens and loses its taste.
2) Potatoes can be roasted too.
3) Other vegetables can also be added.

Beerakayi / Ridge gourd Chutney

Ingredients:

Beerakayi - 1
Onion - 1 medium
tomato - 1 medium
chilly powder - 1 tsp
Green chillies - 4
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Salt - as required
Turmeric powder - 1/4 tbsp
Chana dal - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Oil -  2 tbsp
Hing - 1/4 tbsp
Red chilly - 1
Curry leaves - few

Method:

1) Add 1 tbsp of oil and fry onion, green chillies, ginger until golden brown.
2) Remove the onion and fry tomato until soft
3) Now fry beerakayi until soft. 
4) Once all the fried ingredients are cooled down, blend this with salt, chilly powder, turmeric to a coarse or smooth paste.
5) Pour this on to a bowl.
6) Make the tempering in hot oil by adding red chilly, cumin, mustard, hing, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves until they turn golden brown.
7) Top the tampering on top of the chutney.

Note:

1) Tomatoes can be replaced with tamarind / tamarind pulp.
2) Option 1: Dry roast chana dal, urad dal, jeera, red chillies and grind them with vegetables.
3) Option 2: Dry roast Sesame seeds until golden brown with green chillies and grind it with vegetables.

Instant Pakoda

Ingredients:

Onion - 1 medium
Green chillies - 4
Salt - as required
Oil - for frying
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Gram flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 2 tbsp
Water - as required

Method:

1) Seive gram flour and rice flour.
2) Add all the ingredients except oil and mix well.
3) Add water little by little and make small balls 
4) In a pan, add oil and heat until hot.
5) Fry the small balls of the mixture in oil.

Serve hot pakodas with ketchup or coconut chutney.

Ribbon Pakoda

Ingredients

Rice flour - 2 cups 
Besan / gram flour / kadle hittu - 1 cup
Carom seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - ¼ tsp 
Hing / asafoetida - A Pinch
Salt - As required
Water - As required
Ribbon pakoda plate / achu
Oil  - deep frying

Method:

1) In a large mixing bowl take 2 cups rice flour, 1 cup besan, add carom seeds, chilli powder,  turmeric, hing and salt.
2) Combine all the ingredients well.
3) Heat 2 tbsp oil and add it to the flour mixturer.
4) Mix well with a spoon and further rub and crumble the dough well between your hands.
5) Add water little by little and start to knead the dough.
6) Knead the dough to smooth, non sticky and soft dough.
7) Take Ribbon pakoda mold and fix to the chakli maker.
8) Grease the ribbon pakoda maker with some oil, this prevents dough from sticking to mould.
9) Now make a cylindrical shape out of dough and place the dough inside maker.
also tighten the lid and heat the oil.
10) Press the ribbon pakoda by moving hand in circular motion into hot oil.
11) Flip the ribbon pakoda and fry in medium flame till they turn golden brown and crispy from both sides.
12) Drain them to the paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serve ribbon pakoda with masala tea or masala milk.

Instant Chakli - Version 1

Ingredients

Rice flour - 2 cups 
Besan / gram flour / kadle hittu - 1 cup
Carom seeds - 1 tbsp
Red chilli powder - 1 tbsp
Turmeric - ¼ tsp 
Hing / asafoetida - A Pinch
Salt - As required
Water - As required
Chakli plate / achu
Oil  - deep frying

Method:

1) In a large mixing bowl take 2 cups rice flour, 1 cup besan, add carom seeds, chilli powder,  turmeric, hing and salt.
2) Combine all the ingredients well.
3) Heat 2 tbsp oil and add it to the flour mixturer.
4) Mix well with a spoon and further rub and crumble the dough well between your hands.
5) Add water little by little and start to knead the dough.
6) Knead the dough to smooth, non sticky and soft dough.
7) Take Chakli mold and fix to the chakli maker.
8) Grease the chakli maker with some oil, this prevents dough from sticking to mould.
9) Now make a cylindrical shape out of dough and place the dough inside maker.
also tighten the lid and heat the oil.
10) Press the chakli onto butter / Parchment paper moving hand in circular motion.and then leave each chakli into hot oil.
11) Flip the chakli and fry in medium flame till they turn golden brown and crispy from both sides.
12) Drain them to the paper towel to remove excess oil.

Serve Chakli with masala tea or masala milk.

Pepper rasam / Miriyala chaaru - Version 2

Ingredients:

Garlic pods - 6 to 8
Tamarind - 1 small gooseberry sized 
Pepper corns - 3/4 tbsp
Jaggery - 1 tbsp grated (Optional)
Turmeric powder - A Pinch
Coconut Oil - 1 tbap
Salt  - As required
Mustard seeds (Optional)
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Red chili - 1 broken
Curry leaves - few 
Asafoetida - A Pinch
Tomato - 1 medium
Onion - 1 medium

Method:

1) Soak tamarind in water or microwave it with little water for 40 seconds and extract the pulp and keep it aside.
2) Crush peppercorns into a coarse powder and also press the garlic pods slightly to release the flavor.
3) Heat oil and add jeera. Add curry leaves,broken red chilli and asafoetida and fry for half a minute.
4) Now add onion. Fry until golden brown. Add crushed garlic pods and fry well.
5) Now add chopped tomato and crushed pepper powder. Fry until soft.
6) Add tamarind pulp to it and add enough water(approx 1 1/2 - 2 cups of water) to it.
7) Add grated jaggery,turmeric powder,salt to it and let it come to a boil.Taste rasam at this point and balance with sweetness and salt required for rasam.
8) Boil for some more time and switch off the flame.

Serve it hot with hot plain rice with any fry as a side dish and papad.

Note:

1) Addition of rasam powder is optional, Add it to make the rasam thick otherwise pepper rasam would be very watery.
2) Increase the quantity of pepper corns to make it more spicy and also adjust jaggery and salt according to your taste.
3) You can skip garlic pods in the recipe,but It is highly recommend to use it.

Tips to grow Methi / fenugreek at home

Ingredients:

Fenugreek seeds - 1 cup
Water 

Method:

1) Wash the dry fenugreek seeds.
2) Fill the water just above the fenugreek seeds and soak them overnight.
3) Rinse well and keep it in a air tight container with its lid 3/4 covered for over 1 days.
4) Clean the soil and keep it ready.
5) Sow the soaked fenugreek and cover it up with soil on top. Make sure the seeds are placed such that the gap between them is around 1 inch.
6) Water it slowly everyday for around week or two. Fenugreek leaves would start showing up.

Note:

1) Same method can be followed to grow cilantro at home.

Savoury mini Phyllo bites

Ingredients:

Mini Phyllo Tarts - 1 pack, 15 numbers
Mozrella Cheese - 1 pack
Brown chana - 1/2 cup (Boiled)
Boiled poatatoes - 1 medium
Onion - 1/2 cup (Finely chopped)
Green chillies - 1 
Salt - As required
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Lemon juice - 1/4 tbsp
Cilantro - 1/4 cup (Finely chopped)

Method: 

1) Mash potato in to smooth paste. Add onion, chopped green chillies, chana, cilantro, red chilly powder, lemon juice and salt. Mix well.
2) Pre-heat the oven to 350 deg.F.
3) Line the tart cups in a baking tray or cookie sheet. Divide the potato mixture among the tart cups. 
4) Top it up with cilantro and mozrella cheese.Bake for 7-8 minutes.
5) Remove from oven and Serve immediately.

Note:

1) Pre-baked mini phyllo tarts are available in the freezer section of your local grocery. There is no need to thaw them before baking.
2) Potato mixture and cheese can be replace with any Jam and cream cheese and top it up with thyme  or rosemary.

Tomato juice

Ingredients:

Tomatoes - 3 medium
Lemon - 1 tbsp
Mint leaves - few
Tabasco habañero sauce - Dash of
Worcestershire sauce - Dash of (Optional)
Salt - Pinch

Method:

Mix all ingredients and blend until smooth. 

Enjoy a spicy, mildly tangy drink

Note:

Red chilly powder can also be added instead of sauce.

Mixed greens rice

Ingredients:

Rice - 1 cup (washed)
Water - 2 cups 
Peas - 1/4 cup
Palak / Spinach - 2 cup (chopped finely)
Methi / Fenugreek leaves - 1 cup (chopped finely)

Dill leaves - 1 cup (chopped finely)
Onions - 1 (chopped)
Tomatoes - 1 medium
Garlic - 2 big pods
Ginger - 1/2  inch
Green Chillies - 4 (according to your taste)
Bay leaf - 1 
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 inch 
Cardamom - 1
Oil - 3 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp
Salt - as required
Mustard - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Chana dal - 1/4 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/4 tbsp
Hing - 1/4 tbsp
Curry leaves - 6
Shredded coconut - 1/4 cup
Lemon juice - 1 tbsp (Optional)

Method:

1) Grind ginger, garlic, green chillies and tomato into smooth paste.
2) Heat oil in a pan, add mustard, jeera, hing, chana dal, urad dal, curry leaves, bay leaf, cloves and cinnamon one by one.Fry until golden brown.
3) Now add chopped onions and fry until golden brown.
4) Now add Palak, dill, and fenugreek leaves and Mushroom and fry for around 2 mins.
5) Add the paste grinded and fry for 5 minutes.
6) Now add peas and fry for next 3-4 minutes.
7) After 4 mins add turmeric, salt, washed rice and fry for around 3 mins. Now add Water to cook rice. 
8) When water starts boiling check for salt and adjust if necessary. 
9) Allow the rice to cook completely. When rice is cooked, add shredded coconut and lemon juice. 

Tasty Mixed greens rice is ready to be served with raita, coconut chutney or just as it is.

Note:

1) You can substitute peas with avarekalu or chick peas.
2) Garam masala can also be added.
3) Lemon juice is optional and can be avoided.
4) Any green leafy vegetables can be added.
5) Mushroom can be substituted with shallow fried paneer / Cottage cheese.

Bele Obattu

Ingredients:

All purpose flour / Maida - 1/2 cup
Semolina / Rava - 1 cup
Oil - As required
Salt - As required
Toor dal -1 cup
Jaggery - 3/4 cup
Salt - as required
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tbsp
Turmeric - A Pinch

Method:

1) Mix maida, rava, 1/4 tsp of salt, Pinch of turmeric in enough water (1 1/2 Cup of Water) and keep it aside atleast 4 hours. Make sure to add more oil on top before resting.
2) Boil toor dal and mash it into smooth paste.
3) Add jaggery, cardamom powder to toor dal paste and grind it.
4) Add this grinded mixture to pan and stir until thick enough to make balls. (Not too hard)

5) Take small portion of rava, maida mixture and Spread flat.

6) Insert toor dal mixture balls and cover it with the maida and rava mixture.

7) Spread as thin as possible or thick (As desired).

8) Smear some oil on tava, and roast the obattu until golden brown.

Delicious Bele / toor dal obattu is ready to be served.

Note:

1) Maida and rava mixture must not be too tight / stiff. Make sure you add more oil on top of it before leaving it for resting. 

Spicy watermelon salad

Ingredients:

Homemade masala powder - 1/4 tbsp

Watermelon pieces - 1 bowl

Method:

Sprinkle masala powder on top of cut fruit and serve it immediately.

Note:

Refer Tasty Masala Powder

Potato obattu / Khara obattu

Ingredients:

Rava - 1 cup

Maida / all purpose flour - 1/2 cup

Salt - As required

Oil -  As required

Potatoes - 4 medium

Red chilly powder - 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp

Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp

Method:

1) Mix maida, rava, 1/4 tsp of salt with a pinch of turmeric in enough water and keep it aside atleast 4 hours.

2) Boil potato, peel and mash it into smooth paste.

3) Add red chilly powder, salt, turmeric powder to mashed potato and mix well. Make small balls out of the mixture.

4) Take small portion of rava, maida mixture and Spread flat.

5) Insert potato mixture balls and cover it with the maida and rava mixture.

6) Spread as thin as possible or thick (As desired).

7) Smear some oil on tava, and roast the obattu until golden brown.

Delicious Potato / Khara obattu is ready to be served.

Note:

1) Maida and rava mixture must not be too tight / stiff. Make sure you add more oil on top of it before leaving it for resting. (Same like for bele obattu)

2) Potato must be mashed such that it it possible to make small balls.

3) Finely chopped green chillies can also be added.

Cooking tips - Part 9

There are several such tips which i myself was surprised to see when i started writing it down.

To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 1
                                  Cooking tips - Part 2
                                  Cooking tips - Part 3
                                  Cooking tips - Part 4
                                  Cooking Tips - Part 5
                                  Cooking Tips - Part 6
                                  Cooking Tips - Part 7
                                   Cooking Tips - Part 8


161) Add some gram flour or semolina to wheat flour to make crisp poori's.

162) To enhance the flavour of coffee, add a pinch of salt to it.

163) To keep the biscuits fresh for long time. Take a air tight box,put some rice at the bottom. Place a tissue paper on it and put the biscuits. Cover it again with tissue paper. Close the lid.

164) while cutting ladies finger apply some lemon juice on the knife edge.Ladies finger will not be sticky.

165) while removing outer cover of the sweet corn, make a deep cut on the upper part. Cover will fall off easily.

166) While roasting papad in microwave apply some oil on the papad.Papad will be crisp like fried ones.

167) During power cuts to prevent idli batter from becoming sour keep it in a tray of water and cover it with wet cloth.Let the edges of the cloth too dip in the water.

168) To reuse oil,fry some finely chopped ginger in it.It will take away the smell.Fry large chunks of potato all the residue will stick to it.

169) While making ghee from butter put some rice in the pan.Ghee will not overflow. 

170) Always set ice cream in a aluminium vessel and cover it with foil to make it creamy.

171) Cut bread slices with a string while making sandwich. Cuts will be clean and wastage will be minimum. 

172) To sharpen blunt knife rub it on the edge of the bottom of a clay coffee mug.

Cooking tips - Part 8

There are several such tips which i myself was surprised to see when i started writing it down.

To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 1
                                  Cooking tips - Part 2
                                  Cooking tips - Part 3
                                  Cooking tips - Part 4
                                  Cooking Tips - Part 5
                                  Cooking Tips - Part 6
                                  Cooking Tips - Part 7


141) While making gravy for a kofta or paneer dish, use milk instead of water for smoother gravy.

142) If asafoetida becomes too hard, then keep a green chilli with it.

143) If you are short of tomatoes to make gravy, then add some tomato ketchup.

144) Add a little Bounvita to coffee for a delicious twist in the taste.

145) Grease leftover dough with some oil or ghee before covering and storing it in the refrigerator.

146) Add a little glycerine to the cake batter to make it more soft and moist.

147) Add some routine spices and bread to leftover rice, mash the mixture well and make crispy fritters.

148) After making cottage cheese/paneer, don't throw the whey. Use it to make roti dough or use in any curry.

149) Add a pinch of dried mint powder in tomato soup to make it more flavourful.

150) Keep an apple by potatoes. They will stay fresh and will not sprout easily.

151) If facing difficulty in rolling aloo parantha, add some dry roasted gram flour or some bread crumbs to the filling; it will not come out while rolling.

152) Try to add whole curry leaf spring in the dish. It will be easy to remove after cooking.

153) Use scissors to chop green chillies and coriander for better n fine chopping.

154) While boiling potatoes, add some salt or vinegar in the water, to avoid cracking while boiling.

155) Use white tooth powder or paste to clean your silverware and silver jewellery.

156) If you have added extra salt to a dish, don't worry; just add a peeled raw potato or a ball of wheat flour dough and boil for a minute, then discard the potato or flour ball.

157) If your rice gets burnt, don't worry; just put a slice of bread in the pan for 10 minutes. The bread will absorb the burnt flavour.

158) Freeze leftover coffee in an ice tray; and the next time you make cold coffee, use these cubes instead of plain ice cubes.

159) To remove worms from cauliflower, add some white vinegar or turmeric in the water and soak the flowerets in it for 10 minutes.

160) Add 1 t.s white vinegar to idli batter to make softer idlis.


To check More, Click Cooking tips - Part 9