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.

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.

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.

Cabbage kootu

Love this Cabbage kootu. It in itself is an entire dish. So flavorful and so easy to make.I make this dish very often and for me it comes inside one of my comfort food categories.My mom makes this very often too and I can eat it with rotis, rice or just a big bowl of it by itself especially on cold days.

Ingredients:
1/2 head of cabbage chopped
1/4 cup split moong daal

Grind:
3 green chillies
1/4 cup coconut
1 tsp cumin seeds
water

Seasoning:
2 tsp Oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp bengal gram daal (chana daal)
2 pinches Asafoetida/ hing
5-6 curry leaves
1 red chilli cut into 2


Method:

Pressure cook the cabbage and the daal for 3 whistles.
In the meantime , grind the chillies ,coconut, cumin seeds adding water to a paste.

Combine the ground mixture and the cabbage and daal in a pan.
Add salt
Bring to a boil and switch off the gas.

Heat oil in a small pan for the seasoning.
Add ingredients for seasoning and saute till the daal turns golden.

Add to the kootu.

Enjoy hot with rice and pappad.

Stuffed Paratha

I love to eat parathas dipped in yogurt and pickle but lately have been lazy and making do with store bought frozen ones. Everytime I feel the need to snack, I pick out a couple of parathas and accompany them with either yogurt or plain old tomato ketchup. So when I saw the Hara Bhara paratha in the Chef In You blog, I decided to try it out .This is my version.

Ingredients:
For the paratha:
3 cups chappati flour
water
salt
1 bunch spinach
1 cup yogurt

For the stuffing:
1/2 head of cauliflower steamed
1 potato steamed, peeled and mashed
2 cups paneer grated
1/4 bunch coriander leaves chopped
2 green chillies chopped
Grind the coriander and green chillies.(That way you won't get pieces of spicy chillies on your tongue)
salt
2 tsp coriander powder
2 tsp cumin powder

Method:
For the Paratha:
Grind the spinach with the yogurt in a blender.


Knead in a dough adding salt and water if required.
Cover with a wet cloth or tissue for 15 minutes.



In the meanwhile, make the stuffing:
In a mixing bowl, add the steamed cauliflower, mashed boiled potatoes and grated paneer.
To that add the coriander and green chilli mixture.
Add salt and blend together by hand.


Heat a pan.
Roll out the paratha .
Place a ball of stuffing in the middle.


Close the stuffing with the paratha and pinch it.


Flatten the stuffed ball with your hand.
Sprinkle flour as you need and flatten it into a round shape.
I find it easier to use my hand than a rolling pin just because it is easier to judge the stuffing inside and spread it evenly.



Place the paratha on the hot pan and cook it for a few minutes on either side.
Brush with ghee and flip it over.


Enjoy hot with yogurt and pickle of your choice.

Ragda Patties

I've been meaning to make Ragda patties since forever but somehow it didn't happen till this morning. All charged up since soaking for the ragda last night, I couldn't wait for this morning to come. Does that say how much I love chaat.. The chaat place near my home in India used to deliver at home only after 4 p.m and I was always their first customer calling to place an order on the dot at 4. Me and my brother used to order our usual favorites and I am so glad that itty bitty place is still around and every time I go home, I enjoy my chaat like I never left.Sigh, I so miss home.

Ingredients:

For the Ragda:
3/4th cup white vatana (dried white peas)
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
A pinch of Asafoetida/hing
1/4 tsp Turmeric powder
Salt to taste
Oil

For the patties:
2 cups boiled, peeled and mashed Potatoes
2 tsp cornflour
1/4 tsp Turmeric
Salt to taste
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste ( I ground 3 green chillies and a small chunk of ginger in the spice mixer)
2 tsp ghee for cooking

Dry Red Masala:
2 tbsp chilli powder
3 tbsp coriander powder
1 tbsp black salt
1 tbsp salt
Mix together in a bowl

For serving
3/4 cup meetha/sweet chutney
1/3 cup teekha/spicy chutney

4 tsp Wet Garlic chutney (geela lasoon chutney):
1 cup peeled and coarsely chopped garlic
3 tbsp red chilli powder
salt to taste.Makes 3/4 cup.

1 tsp dry red masala (recipe above)
8 tbsp nylon sev (available in the Indian stores)
4 tbsp finely chopped onions

For the garnish:
4 tsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Method:

For the ragda:
Soak the white peas overnight or at least 6-8 hrs.


Drain the peas and add 2 cups of water.
Pressure cook for 5-6 whistles.

Heat oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
Add the hing, turmeric, peas, salt and 1 cup water and mash the peas lightly, using the back of a spoon.

Simmer for 10 mins or till it thickens and keep aside.

For the patties:
Combine the potatoes, cornflour, turmeric and ginger-green chilli paste and salt in a mixing bowl.Mix well.

Divide the mixture into 12 equal portions and shape each into a flat round.


Cook each patties on a griddle using 1/4 tsp ghee till they turn brown on each side.




How to serve:
Place 2 ladles of hot ragda on a plate.
Add 3 tbsp meetha chutney, 1 tbsp teekha chutney.
To that sprinkle 1 tsp lasoon chutney and 1/4 tsp dry red masala and mix lightly.

Flatten 2 patties and place on the ragda mixture.

Sprinkle 2 tbsp sev, i tbsp onions and serve immediately with 1 tsp coriander.


Enjoy !

Paneer Tikka Masala

I'm loving my weekends! The main reason is my dear husband is all enthusiastic to get cooking. I am getting pampered and I ain't complaining..:) Today lunch is Paneer Tikka Masala and Jeera Peas Pulav. The entire house is filled with this amazing aroma and I can't wait to gobble everything up.

Ingredients:
1 ladle Ghee/clarified butter
2 Red Onions sliced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger
1 tbsp grated fresh garlic
2 tsp cumin powder
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp garam masala powder
1 tsp red chilli powder (add more if you need)
1 can tomato paste
water
1 tsp salt
5 cups yogurt
paneer cut 1/2" long
coriander leaves chopped

Method:
Heat Ghee in a pan.
Add the sliced onion and caramelize it till dark brown.

Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 2-3 minutes.

Add the cumin, turmeric,garam masala, red chilli and salt

Add the canned tomato paste and dilute it with 2 cups of water.

Add the yogurt and the paneer.

Cook on high flame for 20 minutes.Keep stirring.

Take off the gas.Garnish with coriander and serve with rice.

Maharashtrian Kadhi

This Sunday was such a break for me from cooking. We decided to meet up at our cousin's place for dinner and it became a sort of potluck dinner. Our cousin is a very enthusiastic cook and tries out various recipes and the dishes always come out so delicious.He made Alu Gobi Adraki and Palak Paneer. Amazing!! and We carried my hubby's Maharashtrian kadhi and Moru Sambar . My contribution was that I made the Puris . Suffice to say, it was a feast for us.



Ingredients:
4 tbsp Chickpea flour/ Besan
3 cups yogurt
Salt
1 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tbsp oil
1/2 tsp Mustard seeds
2 tsp ginger garlic paste
2 green chillies slit
1 pinch Asafoetida/ hing
4-6 curry leaves
2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves

Method:
Combine the besan and yogurt thoroughly in a deep pan.
Add 2 cups water ,salt to taste and Turmeric powder.
Cook over low heat stirring continuously.

Heat oil in a separate pan and add the mustard seeds.
When the seeds begin to splutter, add the ginger garlic paste, hing and curry leaves.
Cook for a minute and pour the sizzling spices into the kadhi.

Mix well and cook, stirring continuously over low heat until the kadhi has thickened slightly.

Remove from heat and serve, garnished with coriander leaves.
Thank you Sanjeev Kapoor for your amazing recipe.

Moru Sambar (Curd Sambar)

This recipe is from Chandra Padmanabhan's book Southern Spice and made by my dear hubby. Being Sunday, I was chatting away with my friends and then my folks in India and my hubby decided to take cooking into his hands and made this yummy Sambar.

Ingredients:
1/4 cup Toor dal
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
1 tsp Salt
1 potato cut into 1/2" cubes
4-5 pieces drumstick
2 eggplants cut into 1/2" cubes
2 tomatoes quartered
1 cup curd whisked

Spice paste:
3 tsp Sesame oil
1/2 tsp fenugreek seed
3 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp Asafoetida powder/ hing
3-4 dry red chillies
2 tsp bengal gram / chana daal
2 green chillies chopped
3/4 cup grated coconut

Tempering:
2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp cumin seeds
1 dry red chilli, halved
1 sprig curry leaves

Garlish:
2 tbsp finely chopped coriander leaves

Spice paste:
Heat oil in a deep frying pan over moderate heat.
Add all the ingredients for spice paste except coconut.
Fry till the daal turns golden.

Remove from heat, mix in coconut and grind to a smooth paste with 4 tbsp water.

Sambar:
Wash daal and drain.
Pressure cook with 1/2 cup water for 3 whistles.

Combine turmeric,salt and 2 cups water in the pan and bring to boil over high heat.
Add vegetables, lower heat and cover pan.
Simmer for 10-12 minutes till the vegetables are tender.

Stir in the spice paste and cooked daal.
Simmer uncovered for 5 mins, stirring occasionally, till well blended.

Mix in curd and heat through for 1 min.

Heat oil for tempering in a small pan over moderate heat.
Add the remaining ingredients for tempering.
When the mustard seeds start spluttering, stir contents of the pan into the sambar.

Garnish with coriander leaves and serve hot with plain rice.

Misal Pav

I had a very boring Thursday afternoon and was wondering what to make for dinner.And after going through some blogs, I decided to try making Pav from my friend Anu's blog and found a Misal recipe from here

PAV (Indian Bread roll)

Ingredients:

3 1/2 cups All-Purpose Flour
1 tbsp Yeast
2 tbsp Sugar
1 1/2 cups warm Water
1 tsp Salt
2 tbsp Olive Oil

Method :

Mix together the yeast, sugar and water. Set aside for 10 minutes until the yeast is activated and frothy.

Add the oil, salt and 2 cups of flour to the yeast mixture and combine. Add the flour a little at a time until the dough begins to come together and leaves the edges of the bowl.

Empty the dough out onto a kneading surface and knead for 7-8 minutes until it begins to feel smooth and oh-so-silky. Transfer the dough into a lightly greased bowl and cover with a thin cloth or plastic wrap. Let the dough rise to double its size for an hour.

Gently deflate the dough and turn out onto the kneading surface. Divide the dough into 10 equal parts and roll each into a ball. Place them on a baking tray a couple of inches apart. Cover with a damp cloth for about 45 minutes. Preheat oven to 400 deg F.

After 45 mins, the dough will cover the space between them and look like this.




Bake for 12 minutes until golden brown.For a soft crust, brush the hot rolls with some melted butter as soon as they come out of the oven.



The pav came out so soft and fluffy.Definitely a recipe to make again and again.


Misal



One of Bombay's street food, Misal Pav is probably one of the most eaten dishes and it is so yummy.The spice and the flavor that you find at the roadside stalls is beyond yummy.I have memories of my family and me dipping the pav in hot spicy misal and tearing up at the spice level. So spicy but oh so yummy. Always want more.

This recipe that I have made , I did not make it as spicy as you would get outside only because it was my first time making it and also because the misal was going to be my 4 yr old's daal for the night.So if you need it to be spicy, you need to add double the chilli powder that I have added.

Ingredients:
3 cups sprouted moong (Soak whole green gram dal overnight and sprout )
3 medium size Boiled Potatoes (peeled & cut into cubes)
1 1/2 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp sugar
Salt
1 tsp tamarind pulp
3-4 tbsp oil

Tempering:
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp asafoetida/ hing
1 tsp turmeric powder

Grind to powder
1 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp coriander seeds
2 cloves
2-3 black peppercorn
1/2 inch cinnamon

Grind to paste
1/2 cup chopped onion
4 garlic cloves
1/2 inch ginger piece
10-15 mint leaves (i omitted this)
3/4 cup grated coconut

Toppings for misal:
1 cup chopped tomato
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup chopped fresh green coriander
sev/ pharsan



Method:
Pressure Cook the sprouted pulses & potato for 2 whistles.
Heat oil in a pan .
Add mustard.
When it starts to crackle, add asafoetida and turmeric.
Add ground paste and saute till the oil seperates.
Add red chilli powder, tamarind paste, sugar, salt & ground masala powder.
Saute for 2-3 minutes.
Add cooked sprouts, potato and add 2-3 cups water.
Bring it to a boil and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes.

To Serve the Misal
Place a couple of spoonfuls of Misal in a bowl.
Top it with a spoonful of sev or pharsan.
Garnish with 1-2 tsp chopped onion, tomato, coriander.
Add pav on a side dish.
Your Misal Pav is ready to serve.

Toasted Stuffed Potato Sandwich

I had leftover Alu Sabji from lastnight's Bread Pakoda and so decided to make a hot sandwich for brunch today.

Ingredients:

Alu Sabji (recipe is in the above link.)
4 slices bread buttered on one side


Method:
Spread Alu sabji on the one side of the bread.
Cover with the other slice.
Toast with the buttered side up until golden brown.
Serve hot with ketchup.
Enjoy

Bread Pakoda

This Friday is my husband's turn to take breakfast for his breakfast club at work.And we were wondering what to make that would stand out. So Last night, I tried out making Bread Pakoda which all us Mumbaikars have gorged on for so many years. I have memories of eating hot Bread Pakodas bought on the train ride to Pune.

Ingredients:
4 slices bread

Alu sabji (Potato Filling):
5 Potatoes boiled, peeled and mashed
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tbsp Red Chilli powder
1 tsp Cumin powder
Salt to taste
1 tsp Turmeric
1 tsp ginger garlic paste
5-6 curry leaves
Oil to fry

Besan Batter (Chickpea batter):
2 cups Chickpea Flour
2 cups water
salt
1 tsp red chilli powder
1 tsp coriander powder
turmeric 1 tsp

Garlic Green Chutney(Spicy chutney):
Grind together in a blender:
1 tbsp garlic sliced
5 green chillies chopped
1 1/2 cups coriander leaves chopped
1 tbsp spinach chopped
1/4 cup coconut grated
salt to taste
lemon

Meetha Chutney (sweet chutney):
100 g Dates, boiled
1 marble-sized ball of Tamarind
1 tsp Chilli Powder
1 pinch Black Pepper
1 pinch Salt

Grind all ingredients together in a food process and keep aside.I use the same chutney for my Pani Puris .

Alu sabji:
Heat 3 tbsp oil in a pan.
Add mustard seeds and turmeric.
Add curry leaves and salt.Add all the other spices.
Blend well for 2 minutes.
Take off the stove and keep aside.



Method:
Heat oil for frying.
Cut off the edges off the bread .
Spread one slice with alu sabji.
Press the other slice on top.
Cut it diagonally.



Dip the bread into the Chickpea batter.




Coat it thick all over and fry until golden brown.




Drain it on paper towels.
Serve warm with meetha and teekha chutneys.


The batch of bread pakodas that went to my husbands breakfast club on Friday.

Kanda Poha (Flattened Rice flakes snack)

I love Maharashtrian food mainly because I have been born and brought up there and it is comfort food for me right after my mom's South Indian fare. Needless to say at my mom's, our daily food was a fusion of both South Indian and Maharashtrian food.Poha and Varan are made just as often as Uppma and Rasam. So this Sunday morning, I decided to make and blog Kanda Poha.

Ingredients:

4 cups Thick poha
1 small onion chopped
2 green chilies chopped
4-5 curry leaves
1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
2 pinches Hing
Salt to taste
optional : sugar
3 tsps Oil
1/2 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 tsp Cumin seeds
2 tsp chopped coriander
2 tsp chopped coconut
lemon

Method:

Wash the Poha in water and drain. Add salt and sugar and mix well. Keep aside for 5 minutes.
In the meantime, heat oil and season with mustard, cumin and hing.
Add the green chillies, turmeric powder and curry leaves.
Add the onion and saute till nice and golden.
Add the Poha and cover. Cook for a few minutes in medium.
Garnish with coriander and coconut.
Squeeze lemon and enjoy hot.