Pakodas

I found this snap as I was going through my old photos and decided to upload it to my blog and include the recipe. Pakodas are so famous in the Indian household that you just need an excuse to make them. We make it during the monsoon a lot and also nice to eat them on a cold day with a cup of chai.



Ingredients

2 cups Besan (Chickpea) flour
salt to taste
1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1/2 tsp turmeric powder
1 green chilly chopped
1/2 tsp cumin powder
1/2 tsp coriander powder
1 onion chopped
I have used onions here but you can use almost any vegetable.
oil to fry

Method:

Mix besan, the spice powders and salt with enough water to make a thick batter.
Add the chopped onion into the batter.
Heat oil to fry.
Scoop up a spoon of the onion batter and pour into the oil.
Fry till crisp and red.
Enjoy with ketchup.

Puris

Ahh Puris ! My mom used to make them on a weekend and we would devour them by the dozens. It is best eaten hot with a nice spicy gravy dish. I made it a fortnight ago with a dish called Alu Tamatar Rasedar (Potatoes in tomato gravy) which unfortunately I forgot to take a good snap of. So the recipe will have to wait until I make it next time. The below snap has a small bowl of it.




Ingredients:

2 cups wheat flour
water to knead
1 tsp ghee (clarified butter)
Oil for frying

Method:

Knead the wheat flour with the water to make a nice soft dough.
Add the ghee to the dough and knead it together.
Roll the dough into small balls.



Roll it with a rolling pin into a flat circle.



Heat oil in a thick pan.
Fry the puris and serve hot with a spicy gravy dish.

Jeera Pulav (Cumin Pilaf)

I make this pulav when I am lost as to what to cook for dinner. This is so easy to make and also so tasty that one cannot go wrong. You can eat it with daal or even with a pickle and raita.



Ingredients:

1 cup basmati rice washed and soaked for 30 mins.
salt to taste
2 bay leaves
4 cloves
1 inch cinnamon stick
4 green cardamoms
2 tsp cumin seeds
1 green chilly
2 cups water
2 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)

Method:

Heat ghee in a pan.
Add the cumin seeds, green chillies, cloves, cardamoms, bay leaves and cinnamon.
Saute for a few minutes.
Optional : Add 1 onlion sliced and saute till pink.
Add the drained rice and salt.
Saute for a couple of minutes.
Add the 2 cups of water.
Cover and cook on medium flame.

Serve hot and enjoy.

Ravai Uppma (Semolina)

This is one of my all time easy to make and hence most made breakfast. I usually always have a packet of frozen mixed vegetables in the freezer and Roasted Rava is always in my pantry. You can use different veggies for this uppma. I make it with just onions some days and also sometimes with just peas.


Ingredients:

2 cups Roasted Uppma ravai
1 cup mixed vegetables (beans,carrot,peas)
1 inch piece of ginger sliced
water
salt to taste
2 tbsp oil
2 green chillies chopped
1 red chilly cut in half
a sprig of curry leaves
1 tsp urad daal (black gram)
1 tsp chana daal(bengal gram)
1/4 tsp Hing (Asafoetida)

Method:

Heat oil in a pan.
Add the mustard seeds, urad daal, chana daal, curry leaves and red chilly.
Add the mixed vegetables and saute for a few minutes.
Add the green chillies, ginger and hing.
Add enough water to cook the vegetables and salt. (I usually boil water in the kettle and pour as needed)
When the vegetables are cooked, add the roasted ravai.
Reduced to low heat and cover to cook.
Serve hot.

Plum Jam

I have a plum tree in my backyard which is dropping plums by the bagful. This year I decided to try out making plum jam and it is my first attempt at making any kind of jam. So pretty thrilled that it came out so well.



Ingredients:

2 cups plums chopped, pitted and peeled
2 cups sugar (Add more according to your taste)
lemon

Method:

Pit the plums, peel and chop them .



Take 2 cups chopped plum and squeeze a little bit of lemon juice.




Cook the plums in a nonstick vessel for about 20 odd minutes on medium heat. Keep stirring.



Add the sugar and cook until it thickens to a jelly like consistency.

Take off from gas and allow to cool.

Bottle the jam into sterilized jars and enjoy.

Eggplant Parmigiana

I have never made Eggplant Parmigiano until last night. So I was so thrilled having found this recipe while browsing through the library and immediately wrote it down. I had no clue it would be so easy and so fabulous.

Ingredients:

3 medium eggplants
Extra virgin olive oil for deep frying
1 1/2 14 oz can of chopped tomatoes
2 garlic cloves sliced
2 cups store bought shredded parmigiano-reggiano
8 oz packet store bought shredded Mozzarella
The recipe calls for fresh cheese but I had only store bought packets at home.
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
1/2 cup Basil leaves
1 tbsp dried oregano.
I omitted both basil and oregano as I didn't have them last night.

Method:

Preheat oven to 350 deg F.

Slice the eggplants into disks.



Heat oil in a wok.
When the oil is hot and starts smoking, add the eggplants in batches.




Cook each eggplant till crisp and golden.
Drain and keep aside.
Salt each batch while still hot.



Take a medium baking dish.
Add half the can of tomatoes at the bottom and spread evenly.
Season the tomatoes with 7 garlic slices, a pinch of oregano, a little parmigiano, salt and pepper.
Tear and scatted 3-4 basil leaves over the tomatoes and then cover with a layer of eggplant, fitting the rounds snugly.



Top the eggplant with the remaining tomatoes from the first can and add 1/3rd of the mozzarella.
Cover this layer again like before with garlic, oregano,parmigiano,salt,pepper and basil.



Finish the parmigiana with the last layer of eggplant.
Add the remaining tomatoes.
Cover with the remaining mozzarella and season with the remaining garlic, oregano,parmigiano,basil, salt and pepper.

Bake uncovered for 40 mins until the cheese and sauce are bubbly.



Remove the pan from the oven and rest it for 15 mins.




Serve and enjoy.

Moru(Buttermilk) kootu with Adai

Ingredients:

1 small snake gourd chopped
2 small eggplants chopped
1/4 bottle gourd chopped
1 ripe tomato quartered
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp turmeric

Paste:
2 tsp oil
3 red chillies
2 tsp coriander seeds
1 tsp chana daal (bengal gram)
1/2 tsp fenugreek seeds
1 cup grated coconut
2 green chillies
water
1 cup curds

Seasoning:
2 tsp ghee
1 tsp mustard seeds
a few curry leaves

Method:
Paste:
Heat 2 tsp oil in a frying pan.Add res chillies, coriander seeds, chana daal and fenugreek seeds.Saute for 2 mins.Place it in an electric blender. Add coconut, green chillies and a little water. Blend to a fine paste.Keep aside.

Tempering:
Heat 2 tsp ghee in a heavy saucepan.
Add mustard seeds and a few curry leaves.
When the mustard seeds splutter, add the veggies and tomato.
Add salt, turmeric and enough water to cover the vegetables.
Cover and cook till tender.

Add the paste once the veggies are cooked and tender. Reduce the heat till lukewarm.
Add the curds.
Serve hot with rice or Adai.

Kothu Parotta (I used a Paratha)

I was craving for some kothu parotta and decided to try my friend Anu's recipe which I had been meaning to do forever.Here is the link to her recipe for spicy parotta with eggs.I have followed her measures almost exactly and the result was mouthwatering.Thanks Anu.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 plain store bought parathas
1 Onion, chopped
1 Tomato, chopped
3 Eggs, beaten
2 Green Chillies, split lengthwise
1/2 tbsp Chilli Powder
1/4 tbsp Ginger-Garlic Paste
1 tsp Coriander Powder
1/4 tsp Pepper powder
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
3-4 Curry Leaves
Cilantro leaves, for garnish

Heat oil in a saucepan.
Add the curry leaves, green chillies and onions.
Saute til onions are brown. Add the ginger-garlic paste and the powders.
Fry for 2 mins.






Add the tomato and stir fry until the tomato is cooked.
Pour in the beaten eggs and scramble with the mixture, until 3/4 done.
Add the salt and shredded parotta and mix to combine. Garnish with cilantro leaves.






The end result is a very very tasty Kothu paratha in my case.Enjoy!