Sunday, July 28, 2013

Vegetable Kurma

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   Ingredients          

   Mixed vegetables (cubed and par boiled/half boiled): cauliflower, potato, carrots, beans, peas, etc. 3-4 small cups
   Onion medium size 1
   Tomato medium size 1
   Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
   Garam masala 1/2 tsp
   Red chilli powder 1 to 2 tsp
   Coriander powder 1/2 to 1 tsp
   Thick yoghurt/curds 1 to 2 tablespoon
   Chopped coriander leaves for garnishing 1 tablespoon
   Salt to taste
   Oil 2 tablespoon
   Curry leaves 1 string stripped
   Bay leaves 1

 Masala for grinding (grind with a little water in a mixer)
   Fresh grated coconut 1/2 cup or 3-4 tablespoon
   Cashew 5 to 6
   Poppy seeds (khus khus or gasgase) 1 tsp
   Saunf (fennel seeds) 1/4 tsp
   Green chillies 2 to 3
   Fried gram (dahlia/putani)  2 to 3 tsp
   Cinnamon 1 small piece.

   Cardamom 1
   Cloves 2 to 3


 
Procedure
  • Heat oil in a pan. Add bay leaves and curry leves.
  • Add chopped onion and fry a little. Add ginger garlic paste, fry a little.
  • Add tomato and mix well. Add red chilli powder, Garam masala and coriander powder. Fry until tomato is cooked.
  • Add ground masala paste and 1 cup of water. Fry in a low flame until raw masala smell vanishes.
  • Add vegetables and salt, mix well and boil in a medium flame until the consistency is thick. Add a little water if necessary.
  • Add yoghurt/curds, mix well and boil for 1 to 2 minutes.
  • Garnish with coriander leaves and serve with Pooris or Dosas.

Poori


   Ingredients          
   
   Wheat flour 250 grams
   Maida (all purpose flour) 3 tsp
   Chiroti rava (Soji) 2 tsp
   Salt to taste
   Yoghurt/Curds 2 tsp
   Oil for dough (hot) 2 to 3 tsp
   Rice flour 2 tsp
   Oil for deep frying 


 
Procedure
  • Mix all the above ingredients except rice flour and oil for frying. Add water little by little and make soft dough.
  • Cover it and keep it in the refrigerator for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • Take it out, add rice floor and knead well.
  • Take a small ball of dough. Roll it into 3-4 inch circle with medium thickness. (Don't make it too thin, else it will come out too crispy.) Roll 5-6 pooris before starting frying. Don't roll all the pooris at once as they will start drying and not puff while frying.
  • Heat oil for deep frying. To check oil is hot enough, drop a small piece of dough into oil. It should fry up immediately and come to the surface. 
  • Add a rolled poori to the frying pan. Press the top of the poori with a skimmer so that the poori puffs up with steam.
  • Turn over and cook till both sides are light brown. Remove it and place it on a paper napkin to absorb excess oil. 
  • Serve hot with vegetable kurma.

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Soft dosa



  Ingredients         
    
  Dosa rice (medium grained rice in the US)  5 small cups
  Urd dal (split black gram) 1 small cup
  Methi (fenugreek) seeds 1 tsp
    (soak the above three ingredients in hot water for 5 to 6 hours)
  Medium thick poha (avalakki) 5 table spoon
  Puffed rice (murmura) 5 table spoon
  Plain oats 5 table spoon
    (soak the above 3 ingredient in water 1/2 hour before grinding)
  Oil (optional)
  Butter for topping (optional)
  Salt to taste
  Suger 1 to 2 tsp
 
Procedure
  • Drain the first six ingredients off all water.
  • Grind them together in a mixer/grinder with some water to make a slightly thick batter. (Approximately 20-25 minutes in a grinder, 10-15 minutes in a mixer. Divide into two portions if grinding in a mixer.). 
  • Keep it aside overnight (longer in winter, maybe 2 days). Next day morning before preparing the dosas, mix sugar and salt to the batter.
  • Heat tava/griddle. Sprinkle with a little water and wipe it with a cloth or tissue paper (every time).
  • Pour 1 to 1 1/2 ladle of dosa batter. Spread a little in a circular motion (it should be thick, see picture).
  • Add 1 to 2 tsp oil (optional). Bake it. Then turn  it onto the other side and bake a little. Turn back, and add a little butter (optional) and let it melt. Remove from the griddle
  • Serve with chutney and onion curry
For the "iyer hotel" way, place the onion curry in a small plate leaving some space in the center, pour chutney in the center, heat ghee until it starts smoking and pour it onto the chutney. Mix the ghee with the chutney and onion curry with the dosa and enjoy!

    Coconut & Fried gram (Dahlia/Putani) chutney


      Ingredients          
        
      Fresh grated coconut 1 cup
      Green chillies 2 to 3
      Coriander leaves chopped 2 to 3 tsp
      Pudina (mint) leaves chopped 2 to 3 tsp
      Tamarind small piece 1
      Salt to taste
      Jaggery small piece 1
      Fried gram (dahlia or putani) 3 to 4 table spoon

      For seasoning
           Oil 1 tsp
           Mustard 1/2 tsp
           Hing (asafoetida ) a pinch
     
    Procedure
    • Powder fried gram in a mixer/grinder. 
    • Heat a pan. Add green chillies, pudina and coconut. Stir fry a little and cool it.
    • Take the above two in a mixer. Add tamarind, salt, jaggery and some water. Grind it.
    • Season it by heating oil in a small pan, add mustard, allow it to splutter and add hing. Mix it to the chutney. 
    • Serve with dosa

    Onion Curry


      Ingredients          
      
      Onion 1/2 kg (sliced thin and lengthy )
      Green chillies 2-3
      Coriander leaves a small bunch 

      Oil 2 table spoon
      Mustard 1/2 tsp
      Turmeric 1/4 tsp
      Salt to taste
      Lemon juice 1 tsp
      Sugar 1/4 tsp
     
    Procedure
    • Heat oil in a pan and add mustard. Allow it to splutter. Add green chillies and fry a little.
    • Add turmeric powder and stir. Add sliced onion and mix well. Add salt and sugar.
    • Stir fry in a medium flame until cooked.
    • To finish, add lemon juice and coriander leaves and mix. 
    • This makes an excellent accompaniment for a dosa.

      Tips-microwave onion for 3 to 4 minutes before adding for quick cooking. 

    Sunday, July 14, 2013

    Baingan Bartha


      Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

      Big brinjal (eggplant)  1
      Red chilli powder 1/2 tsp
      Salt to taste
      Jeera powder 1/4 tsp
      Jeera 1/4 tsp
      Garam masala 1/2 tsp
      Turmeric powder 1/4 tsp
      Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp (garlic is optional)
      Chopped onion big size 1
      Sliced tomato medium size 2
      Ghee 2 tsp
      Oil 3 tsp
      Coriander leaves for garnish 

     
    Procedure
    • Apply a little oil on the brinjal and burn it directly on a flame. Turn it frequently until it becomes soft. Cool it, remove the skin, mash it and keep it aside in a container.
    • Heat ghee and oil in a pan. Add jeera, allow it to splutter, add ginger garlic paste and onion, and fry till brown. 
    • Add tomato and fry until soft. 
    • Add turmeric powder, jeera powder, red chilli powder, garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix well and fry a little.
    • Add mashed brinjal to the above and mix well. Garnish with coriander leaves.
    • Serve it with chapati, Roti, etc.

    Sunday, July 7, 2013

    Sutta Badanekayi Bajji (Baingan/Eggplant Bartha Bangalore Style)


      Ingredients - Serves around 4 people         

      Big brinjal/eggplant 1
      Green chillies 2
      Red chillies 2
      Salt to taste
      Coriander leaves
      Tamarind 1 marble size. Soak in hot water and extract juice. (Instead you can also use yoghurt/curds 4-5 table spoon)
      Mustard 1/4 tsp
      Oil 2 tsp

     
    Procedure
    • Apply a little oil on the brinjal and burn it directly on a flame by turning frequently until it becomes soft.
    • (Instead, you can also cook it in a pressure cooker for 1-2 whistle with a little water.)
    • Cool it, remove skin, smash it and keep it aside in a container.
    • Add tamarind juice, salt and coriander leaves to the above and mix well.
    • Seasoning -- heat oil in a small pan, add mustard and allow it to splutter. Add both red and green chillies and fry a little . Add to the above and mix well.
    • Serve with ragi rotti, rice rotti, chapatis, etc.