Sunday, August 26, 2012

Dal


   
   Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

   Toor dal 1 small cup.
   Chopped onion medium size 1
   Chopped tomato 1
   Green chillies 1
   Ginger 1/4 inch
   Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
   Jeera 1/4 tsp
   Red chilli powder 1/4 tsp
   Oil 2 tsp
   Coriander leaves
   Nimbu juice 1 tsp
   Salt to taste
   Turmeric powder a pinch
   Hing a pinch


Procedure
  • Cook toor dal in pressure cooker by adding little turmeric powder and oil to make dal soft (5-6 whistles).
  • Heat oil in a Kadai. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter
  • Add jeera, green chilies and Hing. Fry a little. 
  • Add onion and ginger. Fry for 1-2 min. 
  • Add tomato and fry until cooked.
  • Add cooked dal, red chilly powder and salt. Mix well. Boil for 1-2 min.
  • Add coriander leaves and lemon juice
  • Serve with chapati or rice.
  •  

Bendi fry


   
   Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         
   
   Bendi/Ladies Finger/Okra 1/4 kg  cut into thin round shape.
   Tamarind marble size( soaked in water & squeezed)
   Oil 3 table spoon
   Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
   Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
   Curry leaves
   Vangi bath powder 3tsp (Mtr or recipe available in blog)
   Salt to taste
   Grated coconut 2-3 tsp


Procedure
  • Heat oil in kadai. Add mustard seeds. Allow to splutter.
  • Add turmeric powder, curry leaves and Bende. Fry in low flame for 3-4 min.
  • Add tamarind juice (this avoids sticking) and fry until soft.
  • Add vangi bath powder, grated coconut and salt to taste. Mix well
  • Serve with rice or chapati.
  • Variation/Tips: Capsicum and onion can be added while frying before adding Bende.
  • Instead of vangi bath powder, red chilli powder & Garam masala powder (1/2 tsp each) can be used.
  • Crushed tofu can be mixed to enhance the taste as a healthier option.
  • While frying mix 2-3 tsp of curds to avoid okra becoming gummy.
  • Before cutting okra wipe water completely with cloth to prevent it from being sticky.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Nelli Bajji (Amla/Gooseberry Raitha)



   Ingredients 

   Dried amla (nellikai or gooseberry) 10 pieces (available in "grandige" stores) Or Fresh amla (cut & cooked)
  Grated coconut 3-4 tsp
  Ghee 1/2 tsp
  Jeera 1/4 tsp
  Fenugreek (methi) seeds 1/4 tsp (very little)
  Green chillies 1-2
  Coriander leaves a little
  Curds/Yoghurt 3-4 tsp
  Salt to taste
  Oil 1 tsp
  Mustard 1/4 tsp



Procedure
  • Soak dry amla over night in water Or use cut & cooked fresh amla.
  • Heat ghee & add methi seeds, jeera and green chillies. Fry a little.
  • In a mixer add fried items, amla, grated coconut, salt and coriander leaves. Grind it to make a smooth paste.
  • Mix the ground paste with curds/yoghurt. Season it with mustard seeds

Poha (Avalakki oggarane)


   
  Ingredients         

  Poha (beaten rice/ rice flakes) 4 small cups - medium thick
  Chopped onion 2 small
  Chopped green chillies 2-3
  Chopped tomato 2 small
  Curry leaves 1 stick
  Chana dal 1 tsp
  Peanuts 2-3 table spoon
  Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
  Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
  Salt to taste
  Oil 4-5 table spoon
  Coriander leaves chopped
  Lemon juice 2 tsp
  Grated coconut 3-4 table spoon



Procedure
  • Heat oil in kadai (pan). Add mustard seeds & allow to splutter.
  • Add green chillies and curry leaves, fry a little. Add turmeric, peanuts and chana dal. Fry until brown.
  • Add onion and fry a little. Add tomato and fry until softened.
  • Soak poha in water for 2-3 minutes. Squeeze excess water out and add to above. Mix and heat well.
  • Add salt, coriander leaves, grated coconut and lemon juice. Stir well.
  • Adjust the ingredients to get it to your taste by balancing the salt, spice and sourness.

Carrot Kosambri


   
  Ingredients          
  
  Carrot, grated 2
  Lemon juice 1 tsp
  Salt to taste
  Grated coconut 1/2 cup
  Coriander leaves 2 tsp
 

For seasoning
  Oil 1 tsp
  Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
  Hing (Asafoetida) a pinch
  Red chillies or green chillies 1

Procedure
  • Mix carrot, lemon juice, salt, grated coconut, coriander leaves
  • Season it as follows. Heat oil. Add mustard, allow to splutter. Add Hing, red or green chillies. Fry a little. Add to above.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Bread Upma



   
  Ingredients (Serves 3-4)         

  Salted/plain bread 1 loaf
  Onion sliced 3-4
  Green chilli 3-4
  Curry leaves
  Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
  Chana dal 2 tsp
  Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
  Oil 3-4 tbsp
  Coriander leaves
  Lemon juice 2-3 tsp

Procedure
  • Cut bread into small chunks.
  • Heat oil in a kadai.Add mustard seeds to it and heat till they splutter.
  • Add green chillies, curry leaves, chana dal and turmeric power .Fry until the added contents turn brown.
  • Add chopped onions and fry until they turn golden brown.
  • Add bread pieces with salt.Mix well.Heat in low flame for some time.
  • Add lemon juice. Mix and garnish with coriander leaves. Do not heat the upma after adding lemon juice.


Sunday, August 12, 2012

Hirekayi Tovve (Ridge Gourd Dal)


   
  Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

  Ridge gourd (big one)
  Moong dal (hesaru bele) 1cup-100/150grams
  Green chillies 1 or 2
  Jeera 1/2 teaspoon
  Mustard seeds 1/2 teaspoon
  Ginger (grated) 1 small piece
  Turmeric powde 1/4 teaspoon
  Coriander leaves to garnish
  Salt to taste
  Onion 1small
  Tomato 1 small
  Lemon juice 1 teaspoon
  Oil 2-3 tea spoon
  Red chilli powder 1/2 teaspoon



Procedure
  • Cook moong dal in cooker.
  • Heat oil in kadai & add mustard, jeera, turmeric (after mustard splutters) and green chillies (after jeera is roasted). 
  • Add onion and ginger and fry until brown.  
  • Add chopped tomatoes and fry until it is soft. 
  • Add sliced ridge gourd (with skin removed) and fry until it is cooked. 
  • Add cooked moong dal, salt, red chilli powder and mix well. 
  • Then add lemon juice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Ridge Gourd Chutney


   
  Ingredients          

  Ridge gourd 1
  Onion medium size 1
  Green chillies 2
  Garlic 3 cloves
  Coriander leaves
  Jeera 1/2 teaspoon
  Jaggery to taste
  Salt to taste
  Oil 1/2 tea spoon

  Tamarind 1 marble size


Procedure
  • Cut ridge gaurd with skin, onion & garlic. 
  • Cook in cooker with little water until it whistles once. Cool the mixture.
  • Fry jeera & green chillies in the oil. 
  • Mix all the ingredients including coriander leaves, salt, jaggery in mixer &grind it to make a smooth paste

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Simple curry (Pallya)



   
   Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         
   Cabbage alone or mixed vegetable (mixed vegetable includes   
   cabbage, carrot, beans, potato, onion, peas) approx. 250-300    
   grams

   For seasoning
   Green or red chilli 1
   Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
   Hing a pinch
   Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
   Chana dal 1/4 tsp
   Urad dal 1/4 tsp
   Oil 2tsp
   Salt to taste
   Grated coconut 4tsp
   Jaggery or suger (small quantity for taste)
   Vangi bath powder can be added last for taste


Procedure
  • The dish can be prepared in pressure cooker for mixed vegetables/ in microwave for cabbage.
  • Add oil to the cooker.
  • Add mustard seeds and wait till they splutter.
  • Add green or red chilli, curry leaves, Hing, turmeric powder, Chana dal and Urad dal. Fry untill brown.
  • Add mixed vegetables/cabbage and fry for a minute.
  • Add salt, jaggery (or sugar).
  • Cook in pressure cooker until one whistle only (even also before whistle starts. If not it will be over cooked).
  • Cool it and add grated coconut.
  • Serve with rice, roti or chapati.
  • For microwave cooking with cabbage:
  • Cook cabbage in microwave for 3-4 min. with salt & sugar or jagery. Do not add water.
  • Season it as above and add grated coconut.
  • Variant: Add tofu for a high protein diet. 

Vegetable Gojju (ladies finger/white brinjal/sweet pumpkin/onion& tomato mix)



   
  Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

  Any one vegetable mentioned in the title above
  Salt to taste


  For seasoning

  Oil 3-4tsp
  Mustard seeds
  Curry leaves
  Urad dal 1tsp
  Chana dal 1tsp
  Turmeric powder a pinch

  For grinding
  Green chilli 2-3 or byadgi chilli 4
  Jeera 1/2 tsp
  Mustard seeds 1/2 tsp
  Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
  Fried gram (putani) 2-3 tsp
  Tamarind 1 marble size
  Coriander leaves
  Jaggery small piece 



Procedure
  • Heat oil in Kadai.
  • Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter.
  • Add Chana Dal, Urad Dal, curry leaves and turmeric powder.Fry until brown on low flame.
  • Add sliced vegetable and little salt (no water to be added).Fry untill cooked
  • The ground masala is to be churned with little water in a blender. Add to the above in Kadai.
  • Add salt to taste and little water. Boil untill it is thickened
  • Note: In case of Bende (i.e. ladies finger) instead of using tamarind at the time of grinding, tamarind juice can be added at the time of frying along with bende to avoid the bende to get sticky.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Horse-gram Rasam / Hurali Saaru / Kollu Chatambda


  
  Ingredients - Serves around 4 people 

 
   Horse gram 1 small cup( 100- 150 grams)
   Rasam powder 1- 1.5 tsp(Mtr or home made)
   Jaggery powder 1-1.5 tsp
   Tomato 1 small
   Grated coconut 2 table spoon
   Tamarind marble size (soaked & squeezed)
   Curry leaves
   Coriander leaves
   Mustard seeds 1/4 tsp
   Hing pinch
   Ghee 1 tsp
   Jeera 1/4 tsp (optional)
   Green chillies (optional)
   Garlic 1 clove (optional)



Procedure
  • Soak horse gram in water for 3-4 hours.
  • Wash and cook the soaked gram in a pressure cooker with tomato. Use 3-4 small cups of water Cook for 5-6 whistles in the pressure cooker in a medium flame.
  • Once done, allow the cooker to cool.
  • Remove the tomato along with 2-3 tbsp of cooked horse gram and add it to a blender.
  • In addition, add grated coconut. Grind the mixture till it forms a paste.
  • Optional step - Fry in little oil. Add Jeera, green chillies and garlic. Grind it along with ingredients above. 
  • To the cooked horse gram, add rasam powder, jaggery and salt. Boil for 4-5 min.
  • Add grinded mixer, tamarind juice, coriander leaves and curry leaves.
  • Boil for 2-3 min.Add water if needed for consistency .
  • For seasoning, heat Ghee. Add mustard seeds and allow them to splutter. Add hing. Add this to rasam.

Variation
  • Horse gram usli (hurli usli) can be prepared as follows by cooking a little more horse gram.
  • Heat oil 1-2 tsp. Add mustard seeds and allow to splutter. Add green chillies 1-2 and curry leaves.
  • Add cooked horse gram, salt to taste, grated coconut and lemon juice 1/2 - 1 tsp.
  • Horse gram usli can be served with roti or as a side dish.

Onion tomato chutney


   
  Ingredients         

  Onion chopped medium size 3
  Tomato chopped medium size 2
  Green chillies chopped 2-3 (depending upon chillies )
  Garlic chopped 2-3 cloves ( optional )
  Coriander leaves chopped
  Jaggery 2 small pieces
  Salt to taste
  Oil 2-3 tsp
  Salt to taste

Procedure
  • Heat oil. Add green chillies.
  • After the chilies are softened, add onion, tomato and garlic.
  • Fry in a medium flame until the raw smell dissappears. Let the mixture cool.
          OR
  • All the above ingredients can be kept in a bowl and heated in a microwave for 6-7 minutes. Comparatively lesser oil can be used.
  • Add coriander leaves, jaggery, salt. Grind it in a mixer like chutney.
  • Serve with chapati, roti or dosa.