Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Pineapple chutney


Ingredients:

Chopped pineapple
Jaggery
Asafoetida
Turmeric powder
Coriander seeds
Methi seeds
Cumin
Red chili - 2
Green chilies - 2
Curry leaves
Pepper - 1/4 tbsp
Salt
Water
Oil

Method :

1) Dry roast  Coriander seeds, Methi seeds, Cumin, Curry leaves, Pepper and add it to a mixer jar
2) Roast Red chili, Green chilies until hot and add to the same Mixie.
3) Add Jaggery, salt, and Hing to the jar and grind into a rough or fine powder
4) Now add chopped pineapple into the jar and run into a fine paste.
5) In a pan, add oil/ghee and now add the paste and cook for around 5mins and turn off flame.


Note:

1) Sambhar powder, Coconut, Channa dal, Urad dal can also be added
2) Water can be added if necessary.


Squash majjige huli


Ingredients:

Sour Buttermilk / Beaten Curd - 1 cup or slightly more
Salt  - As required
Bengal Gram/channa dal - 3 teaspoons 
Grated coconut - 1/2 cup
Green chilies - 4-6 
Coriander Seeds / Dhania - 2 tsp
Cumin Seeds/jeera - 1/2 tsp
Ginger -1 inch piece
Turmeric / Haldi - 1/2 tsp
Asafoetida / Hing - 1/2 tbsp
Oil - 2 tsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Broken Red Chilly - 1
Curry leaves - few
Squash - 2 cups (Roughly chopped pieces)

Method :

1) Soak channa dal in little water for 20 minutes or until soft.
2) Meanwhile, boil the Squash and keep it aside.
3) Grind the soaked Bengal gram, coconut, green chilies, coriander seeds, jeera, ginger turmeric, hing to a very very smooth paste adding little water.
4) Add masala paste, salt in a vessel. Boil for 2 mins.
5) Add the boiled squash for 2 mins. Now add buttermilk and mix such that the masala and buttermilk blend well. Add some water to get the desired consistency. Let the mixture to come to a boil. You will see that as it boils, the gravy thickens. Stir for 1-2 mins and switch off. 
6) Heat oil in a small pan. Temper with mustard seeds, hing & curry leaves.When the mustard crackles, pour the tempering over the curry.

Squash majjige Huli is ready to serve.

Enjoy it with steamed rice along with some sun-dried chilies/ spicy pappad / spicy chutney.

Note:

1) Instead of soaking chana dal and grinding, you can use a few tsp of besan too. Add it by dissolving in curd/buttermilk such that no lumps are formed.
2) The amount of chana dal changes the consistency of the final product. The more the chana dal thicker the gravy.
3) Majjige Huli tastes best when the yogurt is sour, so do not use fresh curds in this recipe.
4) Don't over boil this curry. It will curdle the curry and lose its creamy texture. If you are reheating also, do it mildly.
5) Don't forget to grind the masala to a very very smooth paste. This helps in blending well.
6) Coriander and jeera can be replaced with sambhar powder too.
7) Make sure to adjust salt and spice level as per your taste 

Wednesday, September 11, 2019

Kokum Rasam


Ingredients:

Sun-dried kokum - 4
Black pepper powder - 1/4 tbsp
Ghee - 1 tsp
Jeera - 1/4 tbsp
Green Chilli - 1 (Optional)
Curry leaves - few
Cilantro - few
Jaggery - 1 tsp
Water - As required
Salt - As required

Method:

1) Soak the kokum peels in a cup of hot water for 30 minutes, or until it becomes soft. 
2) Squeeze the kokum juice from the soaked kokum.
3) In a pan, add ghee and cumin seeds.
4) When they splutter immediately pour the kokam extract.
5) Adjust water accordingly, salt, curry leaves, and green chili.
6) Boil well and keep it in low flame for 10 minutes once it starts boiling.
7) Add a tsp of jaggery and mix well. Top it with cilantro and crushed black pepper. stir well and get to a boil.

Tasty Kokum Rasam is ready to be served with Hot Rice.


Paneer Pakoda


Ingredients:

Paneer - 1 Cup (2 * 2 pieces each)
Chilly powder - 1/4 tbsp
Jeera Powder - 1/4 tbsp
Amchur powder - 1/4 tbsp
Turmeric powder - A Pinch
Salt - as required
Oil - for deep frying
Gram flour / chickpea flour - 1 cup
Rice flour - 1/4 cup or 1 tbsp
Baking soda - a pinch
Hing / Asafoetida- 1/4 tbsp

Method:

1) Chop Paneer into thin slices.
2) In a bowl, add chilly powder, amchur powder, turmeric powder, salt, jeera powder and Paneer pieces. Marinate well and let it rest for 10mins.
3) In a bowl, mix gram flour, rice flour, salt, red chilly powder (a pinch), hing, baking soda and mix with water adding very little by little to get the flowing consistency.
4) In another pan, add oil and wait for it to be heated up.
5) Dip the marinated paneer pieces in the gram flour batter and deep fry in oil until golden brown.

Paneer Pakoda is ready to be served.

Note:

1) Chilly powder can be replaced with sambhar powder.
2) Bottle gourd, bitter gourd, Beerakayi, Palakayi, sweet potato, potato can also be used.
3) Yogurt can also be added for marination.