Saturday, July 31, 2010

Green chutney for Dhokla

I had made dhoklas as appetizers and made a quick chutney for it. I did not think of taking a snap but want to keep the chutney recipe for future use.

1 cup fresh coriander leaves
1/4 cup grated coconut
3 garlic cloves
1 inch piece ginger
1 tablespoon water
2 green chillies chopped

Grind all of the above and add salt to taste.

Goes very well with Dhoklas.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Methiwali Arhar Daal (Fenugreek leaves daal)


Very tasty and goes well with just plain rice.We had friend over on Friday for dinner and I made this daal with Pulav. My son just lapped it up and I was over the moon that it was such a success.

Ingredients:
1/2 bunch fenugreek leaves /methi
1 cup pigeon peas (toor/arhar daal)
salt
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp grated jaggery

Seasoning:
1 tspghee
1/2 hing
6 garlic cloves

Method:
Pressure cook daal wit turmeric for 3 whistles.

Add 1/2 cup water,salt, chilli powder and jaggery and bring to a boil.

For the seasoning, heat the ghee in a pan.
Add the hing and garlic cloves.
Saute till the garlic is brown.

Add the methi and saute for a few minutes.
Pour the seasoning over the daal and stir well.

Serve hot.

Paneer Frankie

This recipe was truly a hit at Dinner. My friends loved it and it is a very good dish for a summer evening.


For the rotis:
Rotis

For the stuffing:
1 1/2 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp ginger garlic paste
1 3/4 chopped paneer
3/4 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp garam masala
1/2 tsp chaal masala
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
salt to taste

To mix as masala water:
(makes 1/3rd cup)
1 1/2 tsp amchur powder (dried mango powder)
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/4 tsp garam masala
salt to taste
1/3 cup water

Other ingredients:
4 tsp ghee
1 cup chopped onion

For the stuffing:
Heat the oil in a kadai.
Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for a few seconds.

Add the paneer, chilli powder, garam masala, chaat masala, coriander and salt.
Mx well and saute for a few mins.
Keep aside.

Method:
Heat the stuffing and the rotis in the microwave or on a tava.

Place a roti on a plate.
Place the stuffing on one side of the roti.
Top with a spoon of onions.
Sprinkle masala water over it.
Roll lightly and stick a toothpick to keep the rolled roti in place.
You can even roll it with an aluminuim/paper foil instead of a toothpick.
Serve with tomato ketchup.

Tomato Chutney

Last Sunday we went to our friend PR and SK's place for lunch and they had wonderful tomatoes growing in their garden and gave them to me. Immediately I decided to make Tomato Chutney with the yummy red tomatoes.




Ingredients:

3 dry red chillies
2 onions chopped
3-4 large tomatoes finely chopped
3/4 tsp salt

Tempering:
3 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp hing
1/2 tsp urad daal (black bean)
1 tsp chana daal (bengal gram)
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

Heat oil in a deep pan.
Add the ingredients for tempering.
When themustard seeds start spluttering, add the red chillies and onions and saute till
pink.

Add the tomatoes and simmer for 15 mins till the mixture thickens.

Add salt and grind to a paste without water.

Serve with dosai.

Mysore Vadai




Since I made the tomato chutney, I had to make this vadai. This vadai goes very well with the chutney and I had never made this vadai and was very surprised by its texture.Very crunchy on the outside and soft inside.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup rice flour
1/2 cup fine semolina (I used sooji ravai)
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/4 cup ghee
4-5 green chillies finely chopped
2 onions finely chopped
1 small bunch coriander finely chopped
1/2 tsp hing
salt to taste
water as required

Method:

Mix the rice flour, semolina and plain four in a large bowl.
Add the remaining ingredients except water and mix well.



Add enough water to make a stiff batter.
Combine well.



To make vadais:
Heat oil in a deep pan.
Take the rolled balls of vadai and flatten it with hand.
Slip gently into the oil.

Deep fry till golden brown and crisp.
Serve with chutney.

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Vendakkai Thair Pachadi (Ladies finger Raita)



Who doesn't LOVE this dish! I would wait for special occasions like weddings and loved the pachadis they made.So absolutely delicious.

Heat 2 tsp oil in a pan.
Add 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp chana daal
1/2 tsp urad daal
few curry leaves
1 red chilli
2 pinches hing


Add 6-8 ladies finger chopped.


Fry well till the ladies finger is cooked .


Transfer it to a bowl.Add a pinch of salt.
Add 1 cup of yogurt.Chill in fridge for a while and enjoy with sambar rice.

Pineapple Rasam



I love eating fresh sliced pineapples coated with chilli powder. It tastes so yummy and I can never have enough.This time, I decided to make Pineapple Rasam and this is my first time making it.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup toor daal pressure cooked
2 tsp tamarind paste
1 tsp salt
3 slices pineapple cut
juice of pineapple

Spice powder
2 tsp oil
1 tsp coriander seeds
3/4 tsp cumin seeds
1/2 tsp black peppercorns
1/2 tsp hing
2-3 dry red chillies
1 tsp chana daal (bengal gram)

Tempering:
2 tsp ghee
3/4 tsp mustard seeds
1 dry red chilli
1 sprig curry leaves

Method:

Heat oil for spice powder in a pan.
Add the ingredients for the powder and fry till the spices are fragrant and the daal turns golden brown.
Remove from heat and grind into a fine powder.

Add tamarind paste in 3 cups of water in a pan.
Add salt, spice powder and simmer till the tamarind smell disappears about 10 mins.

Mix in the cooked daal.
Add more water if rasam is too thick and give it a good boil.

Stir in the pineapple and its juice.

Remove from heat.

Heat ghee for tempering in a small pan.
Add the remaining ingredients.
When the mustard starts spluttering, add the contents into the rasam.

Serve hot with plain rice.