Tuesday, February 28, 2017

Baked Masala Vadas


Ingredients:

Moong Dal -1 cup
Green chillies - 2
Dry Red chillies/Red Chilly Powder - 2 or 1 tsp
Coriander - 1 cup(Finely chopped)
Curry leaves - few
Saunf(Fennel Seeds) - 1 tsp
Ginger, grated -1/2 tsp
Coriander powder - 1 tsp
Salt - As Required

Method: 

1) Soak Moong dal for 4-6 hours.
2) Grind soaked moongdal to coarse paste. 
3) Now add Fennel seeds, chilly powder, green chillies, coriander leaves, curry leaves and grated ginger. Mix well.
4) Line a try with Parchment/wax paper, brush the parchment and make the small balls of the grinded mixture and flatten them to form mini rounds(pan cake size) brush the top with oil.
5) Preheat oven at 200 C / 392 F.
6) Bake them for abt 20 mins, by flipping sides in between.

Hot Vada's are ready to be served with dips/chutneys of choice. Tastes better when consumed hot.

Friday, February 24, 2017

Cooking rice with excess water over stove top


Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 1/2 cups
Vessel

Method: 

1) After washing, soaking rice for 30 mins and draining all the water.
2) In a vessel take a bit more water (say 2 1/2 cups of water for 1 cup rice) and bring it to boil. 
3) Add drained rice, keep the flame low and cook. Once it is cooked, drain the excess water in a colander. Make sure that the water is completely drained before using the rice for any rice preparation.

Note:


If the rice is not used for any sweet preparation, a pinch of salt and whole spices can be added in it while cooking to add more flavor to the rice.

Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Cook Basmati rice in Rice cooker


Ingredients:

Basmati rice - 1 cup
Water - 2 cups
Rice cooker

Method:

1) Wash, soak rice for 30 minutes and drain the water. 
2) Add 2 cups of water to 1 cup of rice in the vessel that comes with the rice cooker and switch on the rice cooker. 
3) It will switch off automatically once done or else you switch off the rice cooker once the rice is cooked.

Rice is ready to be served.

Cook basmati rice in a pan over stove top


Ingredients:

Basmati rice -1 cup
A pan with a lid  

Method:

1) Wash, soak rice for 30 minutes and drain the water completely.
2) Bring 2 cups of water to boil. Add drained rice.
3) Keep the flame in low and close it with a lid. Let it cook 
4) Once the rice gets cooked, switch off the flame and let it sit for 5 minutes.Then open the lid and fluff the rice with a fork .

Rice is ready to be served as required.



Cook Basmati rice in pressure cooker


Ingredients:

Pressure cooker

Basmati rice - 1 cup  

Method: 

1) Wash basmati rice well to remove all the starch and soak it for half an hour.
2) Drain the water completely.
3) Add water in the ratio 1:2 ( ie) For 1 cup of rice, add 2 cups of water  and pressure cook for 3 whistles and switch it off .
4) When the pressure subsides, open the cooker and fluff the rice gently with a fork so that the grains do not break.

Serve this with curry or to make any masala rice.

Tawa Lauki / Bottle gourd


Ingredients:

Bottle gourd - 
Salt - As required
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Turmeric - 1/4 tbsp
Oil - 4 tbsp
Jeera / Cumin seeds - 1/4 tbsp
Green chillies - 2
Ginger - 1/2 inch
Tomato - 1 medium
Coriander powder - 1/4 tbsp
Garam masala - 1/4 tbsp

Method:

1) Take young firm good quality bottle gourd which does not have too many seeds inside and the pulp is nice n firm.
2) Peel and cut into thick roundels.
3) Sprinkle lauki slices lightly with salt, red chili pwdr and haldi. Toss to combine.
4) Heat oil, sear the Lauki till slightly golden on both sides. Keep it aside.
5) Now, in a kadai, heat oil, add jeera, minced ginger and green chillies and sauté for a min.
6) Crush tomato and add to this and cook till the tomato reduces.
7) Now add bottle gourd with the tomato. Mix well.
8) Add Coriander powder, salt and garam masala.
9) Cook for 2 mins or until the bottle gourd pieces are coated with the masala. Turn off the flame.

Tawa lauki is ready to be served with roti, chapathi, or rice.

Masala puri - Indian Street chat


Ingredients:

Batani / Green peas - 1 cup
Potato - 1 medium
Onion - 1 medium
Tomato - 1 medium
Ginger - 1 inch
Garlic - 4
Coriander jeera powder - 1/4 tbsp
Garam masala powder - 1/4 tsp
Siracha sauce - 1/2 tbsp
Chilly sauce - 1/2 tbsp
Red chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Amchur powder -  1/4 tbsp
Chat masala - 1/2 tbsp
Jaggery - 2 tbsp
Salt - As Required

To Assemble:

Small puri's - As required
Plain sev - as required
Cilantro / Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Finely chopped Onion - 1/2 cup
Grated carrot - 1 cup

Method:

1) Cook batani , potato, in a pan with sufficient water.
2) Fry onion, garlic, ginger, tomato until completely done.
3) Grind this mixture along with all the powder, fist of green peas and make a smooth paste.
4) Mash potato into fine paste.
5) Mix the masala and potato paste into the cooked batani along with the same water.
6) Add jaggery to this mixture along with siracha and chilly sauce and salt.
7) Stir well. Add more water to adjust consistency.

To Serve:

1) Mash puri's roughly, 
2) Add the boiled masala, top it up with finely chopped onion, coriander leaves. and grated carrot.
3) Garnish it with sev before serving.

Note:

 Alternatively,

1) Carrot  can also be added along with potato
2) Fresh powder can be added. 
Coriander seeds - 1 tbsp, Cumin seeds - 1 tbsp, pepper - 8, Fennel - 1/2 tbsp, Redchillies- 4
Dry roast all the ingredients and then grind into fine powder.

Paalu obbatu / Haalu obbattu


Ingredients:

For poli/happala/puri:


Chiroti Rawa (very fine semolina) - 1 cup 

Ghee - 1 tbsp 
Salt - a Pinch
Water - To mix
Rice flour - To roll

For Kayi Halu/Coconut-Poppy seed payasam:


Grated fresh / Dry Coconut - 1 cup 

Poppy seeds - 2 tbsp 
Cashew nuts - 6 to 8 
Milk - 1 1/2 cup 
Water - 1/2 cup
Grated Jaggery - 1 1/4 cup 
Cardamom powder - 1/4 tsp

Method:


1) Take chiroti rawa in a wide bowl and add ghee and salt to it and mix it with finger tips.

2) Add enough water and knead it into a stiff dough which should be similar to poori dough.
3) Smear ghee on top of it and cover it with a lid and leave it aside for half an hour.
4) Take a very small gooseberry sized ball and roll it into a very thin roti,almost as thin as a papad. Sprinkle rice flour while rolling which makes it quite easy to roll.This is very important step,roll it as thin as possible.
5) Fold the roti into half and press on the four points using a fore finger.This will make sure that it does not open up while frying.
6) Roll all the happalas(puris) and spread them separately on a plate or paper.They do not take much time to fry and that is why you need to roll everything before you actually start frying.
7) Heat oil in a kadai(big enough) to fry the happalas, add one happala(puri) at a time and deep fry on low-medium flame until they are crisp on both sides.drain them into a colander.


For Kayi Haalu/ Coconut-Poppy Seed payasam:



1) Dry roast cashew nuts until golden brown.

2) Dry roast Poppy seeds until you get the aroma of it. Turn off the stove and then add coconut and fry until warm.
3) Grind ,poppy seeds,grated coconut and cardamom into a fine paste.
4) Mean while add grated jaggery to 1/2 cup of water and boil until jaggery melts and strain this mixture.
5) Boil the jaggery mixture again and add the ground coconut-poppy seed mixture.Cook it on low flame until it comes to a boil.
6) Add milk and cook for another 2 mins and remove it from the stove.

How to serve Halu Holige:


1) When you are ready to serve, heat the kayi halu mixture and dip each happala in it carefully and place it in the serving plate.

2) Pour some more kayi halu on top of it.It is ideal to dip the happalas in the payasam just before serving,this way it tastes nice and slightly crisp.If you dip it for longer they will become very soft and slightly soggy.

Note:


1)  Chiroti rava is a very finer variety of rava(sooji) which is usually used in making Holiges.The Happalas which are made up of chiroti rava are more crispier and tastier.

2) Chiroti rawa you can replace with maida,but they would not be as crispier and tastier as the ones made with chiroti rava.
3) One can even make the happalas with 1:1 proportion of chiroti rava and maida to make happalas.
4) if you have leftover happalas you can use them in chaats like bhel puri,sev puri,masala puri instead of regular pani puris(small sized puris).
5) You can replace Jaggery with sugar in the Kayi halu/Payasam recipe.
6) Once they are cool store them carefully in a air-tight container.They stay good and crispy for 10-15 days.
7) Do not boil kayi haalu for more time as it might curdle.
8) Picture below has Paneer curry , Soft Puri, Kayi haalu, Chrisp puri for obbattu.


Bitter gourd Sambhar


Ingredients:

Bitter gourd - 4 medium
Tomato / Tomato paste - 2 medium / 4 tbsp
Toor dal - 2 cups
Mixed Vegetables - 1/2 cup
Sambhar powder - 2 tbsp
Salt - As required
Tamarind pulp - 1 cup

Method:

1) Soak bitter gourd in salt and warm water for around 4 hours.
2) Cook Dal and mixed vegetables in cooker or in a pan and keep it aside.
3) Squeeze all the water and fry bittergourd with 2 tbsp of oil until chrisp.
4) To this chrispy bitter gourd, add romato paste and mix well. leave it for 2 mins.
5) Add half of the tamarind pulp and add cooked dal n vegetables. Mix well and cook for 2mins.
6) Now add remaining tamarind pulp, sambhar powder, salt and mix well.
7) Boil this for just 5 mins and turn off the flame.

Bitter gourd sambhar is ready to be served.

Note:

1) Turmeric can also be added to soak bitter gourd pieces.
2) Bitter gourd must be very chrispy.
3) Do not boil for long, as there are chances of the sambhar to get bitter if they are not fried chrispy.

Appe huli


Ingredients:

Mango - 1 medium
Jaggery - 4 tbsp
Salt - As Required
Green chillies - 2

Method:

1) Add water in a bowl and boil Mango until soft.
2) When the mango is slightly warm, squeeze all the pulp from it.
3) Add salt, jaggery, finely chopped green chillies to the pulp.
4) Add sufficient water to make it bit runny / Rasam consistency.
5) Boil this mixture until one boil and turn off the flame.

Yummy Appe huli is ready to be served.

Note: 

1) Mango needs to be bit sour and sweet.
2) Red chilly powder is optional.
3) Coriander leaves can be used for garnishing.
4) Jeera / cumin seeds can be dry roasted and grinded into fine powder and added too for flavor.