Pav Bhaji

Pav-Bhaji brings in lots of fond memories. I picture our college canteen during Engg. and group of friends occupying the last two tables. Making enough of noise and drawing attention from everyone around.

You Need:

Pav/Bun

Potato - 3-to-4, medium

Onion - 1, finely chopped

Tomato - 2, finely chopped

Green Bell pepper/Capsicum - 1, finely chopped

Carrot - 1, finely chopped

Green Peas - 1/2 cup

Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1 tsp

MTR Pav Bhaji masala - 2 tsp

Coriander pwdr - 1 tsp

Garam masala - 1 tsp

Mustard-Cumin - 1 tsp, each

Salt - to taste

Butter

Cilantro - to garnish

You Do:

• Place potatoes in Microwave on HIGH for 7-8 min. Let cool, peel and mash.
• Melt about a tbsp of butter in a wok/kadai, add mustard-cumin. When they begin to dance, add Ginger-Garlic paste and saute for a minute.
• Add chopped onion. Saute till they turn translucent.
• Add Carrot, Bell pepper, Peas, Tomatoes - cook till they turn soft n mushy.
• Now add all dry ingredients. Salt to taste.
• Add mashed Potatoes with 1 cup of water, bring to a boil.
• As the bhaji is being cooked, roast pav on a tawa with butter.
• Serve Pav with delicious bhaji garnished with finely chopped onion and cilantro.
• Enjoy!

Akki Rotti

While just browsing for recipes and treating my eyes with lovely foodie pics,(which happens to be my every afternoon routine!) I stumbled upon this blog 'Cooking4allseasons' by Srivalli. I see an event being hosted 'Roti Mela' and it ends in 2 days. I was excited. Very first recipe that came to my mind was Akki Rotti. I just love it when lots 'n lots of veggie is added.

Thus Akki rotti & Pudina chutney is our lunch today.

You Need:

Rice flour - 2 cup
Carrot - 2 cup, grated
Onion - 1 small, finely chopped
Green chilly - 3-4, finely chopped
Cilantro - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Ginger - about an inch, finely chopped
Cumin - 1 tbsp
Salt - 1 tsp or to taste

You Do:

• Mix-in all the above ingredients. Now add about 1-1/2 cup of water, bring everything together to form dough.
• Add 1 tbsp of Oil, gently knead. Resulting dough will be soft.
• Smear oil onto a tava. Take about a ball-sized dough, place it at the centre of tava. Flatten with fingers until it is round. (wet fingers with oil, to avoid dough sticking to it.)
• Cook on med-high until you see edges separating from tava. Turn it and roast on the other side for few minutes.
• Serve hot with chutney. Enjoy!

Stuffed Mushroom

I was introduced to these tiny little wonders, when me & Hubby had dinner one day at OliveGardens. To date it still remains one of my fav appetizers. But after that stint it was long forgotten until recently. We both religiously follow the sitcom "Everybody Loves Raymond" every evening with cuppa. In one of the episodes, Raymond's mommy Marrie serves the family stuffed mushroom! and there I was recollecting my first encounter with stuffed mushroom. But this time I wanted to try my hands at making them, so I googled. There were hundreds of links as search results and I stumbled upon this easy recipe. Though I feel its a bit time consuming, but its worth every minute.

You Need:

Tiny Mushroom - 10-12
Spring Onions - 1 bunch, finely chopped
Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Butter - 1 tsp
Fresh Bread Crumbs - 1 cup
Cilantro/Parsley - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Cheese - 1/2 cup, shredded
Salt & Pepper - to taste
Dry Oregano - 1 tbsp (This is my improvisation. Any other herbs - Thyme, Sage can be used)

You Do:-

• Pre-heat Oven to 350 deg F.
• Carefully break-off mushroom stems. Wash thoroughly and pat dry.
• Melt butter in a microwave safe bowl, 30 sec
• Add all the remaining ingredients, mix thoroughly.
• Fill each cap with the mixture. Sprinkle extra cheese on top.
• Bake for 10-15 min or until cheese melts completely.
• Enjoy!!

Pineapple Gojju

You Need:

Pineapple - 1 cup, diced
Toor dal - 1 tbsp
Urad dal - 1/2 tbsp
Mustard-Cumin - 1 tbsp
Red chilli pwdr - 1 tsp
Coconut - 2 tbsp, shredded
Salt - to taste
Oil
Cilantro - for garnishing

You Do:

• In a wok/kadai, heat 1 tsp of oil, roast Toor dal & Urad dal until they turn golden brown. Let it cool.
• Grind to a coarse paste - Toor dal, Urad dal, coconut, Red chilli pwdr.
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a pan, add mustard-cumin. Once they splutter, add pineapple cubes.
• Cook for 5-6 min, add ground paste. Mix thoroughly.
• Add water to reach desired consistency. Add salt, simmer for 10-15 min.
• Garnish with cilantro. Serve with Rice / Chapati. Enjoy!

Spinach - Carrot Pulao

You Need:

Basmati Rice - 1 cup
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Spinach - 2 cups, chopped
Carrot - 1 cup, grated
Red chilli pwdr - 1 tsp
Coriander pwdr - 1 tsp
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp
Mustard-Cumin - 1 tbsp
Salt - to taste
Oil

You Do:

• Cook rice with 1:2 water
• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok/kadai, add mustard-cumin, wait till they splutter.
• Add onion, saute till they turn light brown. Add ginger-garlic paste.
• Add carrot-spinach, cook till soft. These get cooked fast.
• Add all the dry ingredients and mix-in.
• Now add cooked rice and mix well.
• Serve hot with boondi raitha. Enjoy!!

Stuffed Capsicum

You Need:

Capsicum / Bell Pepper - 2

Potato - 2

Onion - 1, finely chopped

Green Chillies - 2

Tomato - 2, ripe, pureed

Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 tsp

Mustard-Cumin - 1 tbsp

Bay leaf - 1

Red Chilli Pwdr - 1 tsp

Corriander Pwdr - 1 tsp

Garam Masala - 1/2 tsp

Salt - to taste

Cilantro - for garnishing

Oil

You Do:

• Cook and mash potatoes. (Just place potatoes in microwave oven, cook on HIGH for 6-8 min. This makes things so simple)
• In a wok/kadai, heat about 1 tbsp of oil. Add mustard and cumin, wait till they splutter
• Add finely chopped green chillies, fry for a few seconds.
• Add mashed potato, salt, turmeric pwdr and toss it all together. Stuffing is ready!!
• Cut-off the tops of capsicum, deseed and fill it with the stuffing.
• Place them in microwave oven for about 8-10 min.
• Meanwhile, lets prepare some gravy to go with it...
• Heat 1 tsp of oil in a wok/kadai, add bay leaf, ginger-garlic paste. Saute for 2-3 min
• Add tomato puree and allow it cook for another 2-3 min.
• Add Red chilli pwdr, garam masala, salt and 1 cup of water. Cook on medium for 10-15 min
• Transfer gravy on to a serving dish, carefully place capsicum, garnish with cilantro.
• Serve with Chapathi/Parantha. Enjoy!!

Rajma Curry

You Need:

Rajma (Red Kidney Beans) - 1cup
Onion - 1 medium, finely chopped
Tomato - 3, pureed
Potato - 1, medium, peeled & diced
Ginger, Garlic paste - 1 tbsp
Red chilli pwdr - 1 tsp
Garam masala - 1tsp
Dhaniya pwdr (Coriander pwdr) - 1 tbsp
Turmeric pwdr - 1tsp
Salt - 1.5 tsp or to taste
Cilantro - for garnishing

You Do:

• Soak rajma overnight.
• Pressure cook soaked rajma with 2 cups of water on high for 1 whistle. Then simmer for 10 min
• In a wok or kadai, fry chopped onion in 2 tbsp oil, until slightly golden brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste and saute for some more time.
• Add all the dry ingredients, mix-in properly and fry for about 5 min.
• Now add pureed tomato, cook for few min or until oil separates from the mixture.
• Add chopped potato, 1 cup water. Give it a proper stir and cook on medium heat for about 10 min. Potato at this stage is partly-cooked.
• Add cooked rajma, 1 cup of water (here you can use water in which rajma was cooked). Bring to a boil and simmer it for about 15 min.
• Serve hot with rice / chapati. Enjoy!

Eggplant Pachadi

You Need:

Eggplant - 1, big

Green Chillies - 3 to 4

Curd / Buttermilk - 1 cup

Cummin, Mustard - for seasoning

Jaljeera pwdr - 1 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil

Cilantro - for garnishing

You Do:

• Roast eggplant utill it is cooked. I usually place eggplant on the stove. Look at the pic.
• Turn eggplant once in a while so that its completely cooked.
• Let it cool, peel off the skin. Mash.
• Mix in mashed eggplant, buttermilk, jaljeera pwdr.
• Prepare seasoning - Oil, Cumin, Mustard, green chillies.
• Add seasoning to the mashed mixture, garnish with cilantro
• Serve with Chapati / Parantha. Enjoy !

Egg Curry

I did not want to make Dal or Sambar today. Actually cant have them daily. So what do I make today? Hmm.. some Rice / Pulav with Boondi raitha ( which I totally love! ) or Majjigehuli.
But then I saw we had enough of eggs in the fridge. So why not Egg Curry... It had been awhile since we had Egg Curry. Theek hai.. decided, its gonna be Egg Curry !!



You Need:

Egg - 6 nos.
Onion - 2, finely chopped
Tomato - 3-4, pureed
Ginger-Garlic Paste - 1tsp
Red Chilli pwdr - 1 tsp
Coriander pwdr - 1 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Cumin - 1 tsp
Salt - to taste
Oil
Cilantro - for garnishing

You Do:

• Hard boil Eggs.
• While the eggs are being boiled, prepare seasoning in a pan.
• Saute chopped Onions till they turn golden brown.
• Add ginger-garlic paste, mix-in.
• Add pureed tomatoes, red chilli pwdr, coriander pwdr, salt. Bring it to boil.
• Now put in the boiled eggs, simmer for 3-4 min.
• Garnish with Coriander.
• Serve with Rice / Chapati. Enjoy!

Hmm... I loved the rich curry color. Also must say, it tasted goooood. Yippie !! I also made Cabbage palya and Chapati. Good meal accomplished.

Avocado Chapati

Avocados caught my eyes the very first time I went to a store in the US. I grew curious as to how would it taste. One day, I actually bought one but to my disappointment it was too bland. What do I do of it now? Sometime back I had come across this recipe of chapati using avocado in Indira's site Mahanandi. Good that I wouldnt have to throw it away. I gave it a try and it turned out real soft and smooth. Thank you Indira.
But I wonder if I will buy avocados again ;)



You Need:

Wheat Flour - 1 cup
Ripe Avocado - 1
Salt - 1/2 tsp
Red chilly powder - 1/2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1/2 tsp
Water - enough to make dough
Oil


You Do:

• Cut the avocado in half lengthwise. Remove the pit, either with a spoon or by spearing with the tip of a knife. Scoop out the flesh using a spoon and mash into a smooth paste.
• Mix in all the dry ingredients and avocado paste, to knead a smooth dough. Rest dough for 15-20 min
• Make chapati as usual. Enjoy!

Brinjal Curry

I just love this brinjal curry. The recipe comes from the northern region of Karnataka, India. We all loved it at home when my mother made. Now my dearest hubby loves it when I make. Thanks amma !



You Need:

Brinjal - 1 Kg, cut lengthwise
Onion - 2, cut lengthwise
Green chillies - 4-5
Garlic - 3-4 cloves
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Cummin - 2 tbsp
Turmeric - 1 tsp
Cilantro - 1/2 cup
Salt - to taste
Oil

You Do:

• Heat Oil in a pan, add Onion, saute till soft.


• Add chopped brinjal. Cook untill soft.


• While the onion and brinjal is being cooked, grind to paste - peanuts, garlic, green chilles, cilantro, turmeric, cummin.


• Add ground paste to the cooked onion and brinjal.


• Add salt. Gently mix-in paste and veggies.


• Cook till done. Serve with Chapati.

Sorekayi Kootu (Bottle gourd Curry)

You Need:

Bottle gourd (Sorekayi) - 2 cup, peeled, diced
White Lentils (Uddina bele) - 2 tbsp
Moong Dal (Hesaru bele) - 1/2 cup
Green Chillies - 3-4
Black Pepper Powder - 1 tsp
Freshly grated Coconut - 1/4 cup
Cilantro (Kottambari) - 1/4 cup

Curry leaves - 1 strand
Turmeric (Haldi) - 1/4 tsp
Cummin,Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
Peanut - 1/4 cup (optional)

Salt - to taste or 1 tsp
Oil

You Do:

• Roast Urad dal until it turns golden brown and you sense the aroma.


• After the dal cools down, grind into a paste along with Green chillies, grated Coconut, Cilantro.


• In a Wok (Kadai), add 1 tbsp of Oil along with Cummin and Mustard. Once they start to splutter add Moong dal, roast until golden brown.


• Add diced Bottle gourd, cook until tender.


• Add ground paste along with Salt & 1-1/2 cups of water or desired consistency. Bring it to boil.


• Serve with Rice / Chapati. Enjoy!

Trivia:

The Bottle gourd probably originated in Africa and from there was widely distributed in pre-Columbian times, perhaps by floating on the seas. It traveled to India, where it has evolved into numerous local varieties, and from India to China, Indonesia, and as far as New Zealand. Archaeological remains show that the bottle gourd was used in Egypt about 3500 to 3300 B.C.
Bottle gourd also traveled to the New World. The dried gourds with viable seeds have survived in seawater for at least 200 days. Remains found in Mexico date from 7000 to 5500 B.C. and in Peru from about 10,000 B.C. The bottle gourd is thus an ancient crop, widespread and well used, from warm parts of the temperate zone throughout the dry and wet tropics. It is the only crop known to have been cultivated in pre-Columbian times in both the Old and New World. Recently, seeds and other remains of the gourd have turned up in several archaeological digs in Florida.

Coconut Burfi

You Need:

Dry Coconut Powder 1 cup
Sugar 1 cup
Milk 1/4 cup
Ghee 3 tablespoon
Cardamom 5
Cashew nuts a few

You Do:

• Heat the pan and fry the Dry Coconut Powder in ghee, after 3 min add sugar and milk. Stir constantly at low heat.
• Add grounded cardamom powder and mix.
• Take a plate/tray and rub its surface with ghee.
• Pour the cooked mixture over plate and allow it to cool for about 3 minutes until the mixture becomes semi-solid.
• Now cut into square pieces, place roasted cashew nut on each.