stuffed Bhindi

was watching Zee khana khazana channel, and saw this dish in the 'abc all about cooking' .
tried it and it was a hit.  the peanuts and til sure make the stuffing different and also give it a heavenly aroma.
recipe from the website.

• 10-12  Lady Finger
• ½ Cup  Peanut
• 50 gms  Sesame Seeds
• 50 gms  Grated Coconut
• 3-4   Chopped Green Chilly
• ½ Tsp  Coriander Seeds
• ½ Tsp Cumin Powder
• To  Taste  Salt    \

• Slit  bhindi in vertical manner and remove half a centimetre from both ends and keep aside
• Heat oil in a pan, add Sesame seeds, Peanuts, grated Coconut and Roast them thoroughly on slow flame
• Now add finely chooped Green Chillies, Salt, Red Chilly Powder, Cumin Powder, Coriander seeds, Cumin seeds  and mix them well
• Grind everything to form a coarse mixture and stuff Lady fingers with the same mixture
• Heat oil in  a Pan and shallow fry stuffed Lady fingers til they develop dark brown colour

Methi pulao

Take oil in the pressure pan, give a tadka of rai, jeera. Fry some chopped onions ( i used spring onion for this) then add a chopped tomato. when slightly mushy, add some peas and a chopped potato. then add chopped methi leaves and fry for some time. Add red chilly powder and vangibaath powder and salt, add rice, required amount of water and a bit of lime juice. Pressure cook as you usually do for pulaos and enjoy !

Pasta in white sauce

This is just my take on white sauce pasta...
cook macroni with salt and a little oil in water till done. then drain the water.
in another pan, take some oil, add chopped spring onions, then capsicum, carrots, mushrooms ( all finely chopped, can add any vegetable of your choice). add salt, chilli flakes and pepper powder as per taste. then add a little milk and grated cheese ( i used britannia cheese which i generally have at home) and cook till the milk thickens. add the cooked macroni and mix well. add oregano and adjust seasoning.
then take in a bowl and grate cheese on top and bake at 180 deg till the cheese melts ..
this pic was taken before the last step...

dal fry - 2

This is my signature dal dish ! all time fave at home and easy to make !!

in a pressure pan take some oil and add chopped garlic ( or jeera)  when brown, add chopped green chillies,  add chopped tomato, fry for a minute. then add moong dal.  and  some haldi  salt and water.  cover and cook for one whistle and then immediately drop pressure.  mix the  dal well, add some lime and garnish with coriander leaves.

karram kurram charmuro !

this is for the hunger pangs or something light and crunchy to have with tea !!

in a big kadai take oil and add rai, jeera (optional) and chutney dal and ground nuts.  and fry till the dals are well done.  can add bits of cashews too.. add curry leaves and red chillies.  then add haldi pwd, red chilli powder and salt,  add puffed rice and mix well and fry for a couple of minutes.  check seasoning and let it cool and store in air tight containers.
can add finely cut copra pieces too while adding nuts !

Dal Fry -1

This recipe is from my friend Chandrika Kini.  She uses just tuar dal , i added a spoon of moong dal and masoor dal each, along with 2 spoons of chana dal.

Cook the dals ( i cup tuar dal and the other dals if u so wish), with haldi jeera kadi patta and salt.

then prepare a tadka of onions, jeera green chillies, hing chilli powder. add salt and simmer.
 finally add lime juice and dhania  ! ( she has said that tomatoes can be added but i have not added).

Vegetable Biryani

this is adapted from the recipe 'egg biryani'.  instead of eggs i used mixed vegetables (also soya chunks).

Make greeen masala by grinding ginger, green chillies, garlic, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

cut all vegetables and prepare the soya chunks too.

fry long chopped onions till crispy.

Heat oil and ghee in the pressure cooker (or pan).

 Add whole garam masala ( cloves, green cardamom, cinamom, start anise, mace )

add slit cashew bits and slit green chillies.  fry for a while.

Add chopped onions and when brown add chopped tomatoes and fry till mushy.

 add soaked basmati rice ( soaked for ten minutes)and fry for a minute.

add the green masala, salt, haldi and garam masala mix well. ( I used Abhi ruchi biryani powder)

add the required quantity of water and pressure cook.

serve hot with raita of your choice.

Avocado Sandwich

Sandwiches are always a delight ! something different and can be made as per individual taste !
This is the first time I am using Avocado in the sandwich !! i usually make milkshakes with them !

Bread
butter
mint chutney
mayo or sandwich spread
avocado cut into small pieces
cut olives
thinly sliced capsicum, cucumber, cabbage
can add more veggies of your choice

butter the slices, spread chutney on one and mayo on the other slice.
spread a layer of avocado and sprinkle olives on te slice covered with chutney.
then spread a layer of cucumber, cabbage and capsicum.
add pepper if required.  cover with the other slice
cut the brown edges and then into desired sphape !

Moong dal varn

This recipe is from my friend Sujata, with whom I used to have long conversations literally everyday in Muscat. 

Had this recipe from a long time before I finally tried it out today and it tastes yumm!  Something other than the dal, rasam, sambhar to have with rice ! 

Ingredients 

Moong dal one cup

Coconut grated   Little more than 1/4 cup

Green chillies as per taste

Fried red chillies. 2

Tamarind a scrape

Haldi a pinch

Jeera 1 1/2 tsp

Salt

Tadka ghee rai curry leaves and red chillies

Grind coconut chilles tamarind  haldi and jeera to a smooth paste.

Dry roast moong dal, till slightly red, wash and cook and then mash.

Add the masala, enough water to get the required thickness and salt and boil. 

Finally give tadka !

Aloo bhajunu upkari

This is a typical aamchi side dish.  Fave at most homes and usually made with rice and daalithoy !  My daughter loves it and it goes well with rotis too ! 

Aloo cut like chips ( using the thick side of the chips cutter ) 

Oil for seasoning

Rai 

Green chillies cut fine as per taste

Curry leaves

Hing

Salt as per taste 

In a kadai heat oil and prepare seasoning of rai green chillies and curry leaves. 

Add the cut aloo and salt and stir well. 

Cover and cook till done stirring occasionally. 

Serve hot ! 

Crispy Paper Dosa

Another Dosa ! yes, another dosa !! this is from Nandini Kini's blog, Kini's kitchen.  made the batter in the mixie ! though i keep searching for different dosa recipes, i usually tye the ones for which i can use the mixie rather than the grinder !!

dosa rice 1 cup
urad dal 1 cup
moong dal 3\4 cup
maida 1 cup
rice flour 1 cup
methi (soak with rice ) 1 tsp
salt to taste and oil to make dosa

soak rice and the dals separately and then grind to a smooth batter mix well.
keep for fermentation.
mix maida and flour and add water and keep it also separately.
in the morning, throw away the clear water above the flour mixture and mix it with
the fermented batter.  add salt to taste and make thin crisp dosas !!

Masoor dal dosa

This is another dosa recipe, which i tried from Cooking with Shobana blog.  I am always on the lookout of different types of dosas for breakfast.  the dosas were crisp and great.

Masoor dal  2 cups
raw rice ( i used dosa rice) 1 cup
methti 1 tsp
red chillies 2 -4 ( used green chillies)
salt
oil to make dosa

Soak dal and rice with methi separately .
grind dal first and then the rice with the chillies.
mix well and ferment.
add salt and make dosas !!

Oreo Nutella bites

This is from Rekha Vishwanath Nayak's blog.

Nutella : 1 cup
eggs 2
 maida 10 tbsp
salt 1/4 tsp
oreos 12
vanilla 1 tsp
preheat oven to 180 deg
Beat eggs, add flour, nuttella and salt and essence. mix well.

use a scoop and spoon 2tsp of batter into ramekins or muffin moulds.  place an oreo and top with batter.  bake for 12 -1 3 minutes. ( can micro for 4 minutes).  This batch was baked.
I could make only 6 !!

Egg Dum Biryani

This is inspired by Vidya Nayak Shenoy's post on face book.  

Make greeen masala by grinding ginger, green chillies, garlic, coriander leaves and mint leaves.

Boil eggs

fry long chopped onions till crispy.

Heat oil and ghee in the pressure cooker (or pan).

 Add whole garam masala ( cloves, green cardamom, cinamom, start anise, mace )

add slit cashew bits and slit green chillies.  fry for a while.

Add chopped onions and when brown add chopped tomatoes and fry till mushy.

 add soaked basmati rice ( soaked for ten minutes)and fry for a minute.

add the green masala, salt, haldi and garam masala mix well.

add the required quantity of water and pressure cook.

Now make a layer of rice + onions+ cut egg halves in a microwave safe bowl.  finish off with a layer of rice.  

microwave for five minutes.

Serve with raita of your choice.

Carrot walnut cake

This is one of my earliest cakes , recipe. Is from the book 'vegetarian menus'. 

Again a simple and easy cake and delicious too ! 

Ingredients : 

eggs : 2

oil 3/4 cup ( i used 2/3 cup)

sugar 1 cup ( or less)

vanilla  : 1/2 tsp

flour  1 cup

soda 1 tsp

carrots grated fine 1 1/2 cup

chopped walnuts 1/2 cup

Method

1.  Beat eggs, oil and sugar

2.  add the other ingredients and fold in.

3.  bake at 180 deg for 40- 45  minutes till done.

NOTE : i added 2 tsps of cocoa pwd. and reduced the oil to 2/3 cup

Kela Sukka

Plantain fritters and upkari also tawa fry are what i usually make with raw plantain.  Tawa fry being the latest fave at home. last week i got some kundapur chicken masala from Vidya nayak shenoy ( who had got it from Kudpi maam) I love trying out different masalas and making sabzis with them.  as Vidya did nott have the method of how to use the masala powder i decided to check out Kudpi maam's blog, and thtere i found this recipe for kela sukka.  I had just one banana at home and had to make a side dish for dinner to go with rice and rasam.  So, i tried this.  and i really like it ... so am making a note of this.  With due credits to Kudpi maam ( many more recipes from his blog to follow ).

Ingredients :  raw plantain 1   onion 1/2 chopped fine  coconut oil 1/2 tsp,  curry leaves
Masala 1 : Red chilles  2 kashmiri and 3 red chillies (as per taste )
                 coriander seeds 1/4 tsp
                 methi seeds  3 -4
jeera 1/8 tsp
peppercorns 3 -4
 haldi a pinch
tamarind  a small piece
onion 1 small chopped
  dry roast the above and make a dry paste with very little water

masala 2
coconut  1/4 cup (as per taste)
jeera 1/4 tsp
garlic 2 -3 cloves
grind the above to a coarse paste

Method :
1. Cut plantain into one inch pieces and par boil them.
2. add masala paste 1, to the plantains and cook some more.. the plantains shud be firm and not very soft.
3.  add salt and simmer for a couple of minutes.
4.  when cooked add masala pastet 2 and mix well.  let it become as dry as desired.
5.  heat oil in another small pan prepare a seasoning of curry leaves and onions and let the onions become slightly red add coconut (1 tsp or more) fry till a nice aroma comes.
6.  add to curry and fold in gently and cover.
serve hot.

Mango Cake (with egg)

Mango season ! so lots of mangoes at home.. aam ras, aambe upkari, milkshakes and then mango cake...
have already posted a mango cake recipe, recipe given by kiranmayi, and then thought would try out this recipe from the blog Spicy Aroma.  it came out good and is definitely worth trying.....

Ingredients :  maida : 2 cups
mango pulp : 1 cup
eggs : 4
melted butter : 1/3 cup
sugar : 1 cup
baking powder : 1 tsp
baking soda : 1/2 tsp
vanilla essence : 1 tsp
milk 1/2 cup
salt 1/4 tsp

method :
sieve maida, baking powder, baking soda, salt and vanilla (if powder) and keep aside.
beat eggs in a bowl. add sugar and beat till it melts.  I usually use powdered sugar.  add melted butter and beat.  then add milk.
preheat the oven to 350 deg F.
add the flour mixture to the egg mixture and fold in.  finally add the mango pulp.
pour the batter in a readied cake tin (bundt) and bake for 35 to 40 minutes..  enjoy.

PS : can add cinnamom pwd too !

Brinjal Ennegayi

this is from the blog Aayi's recipes.  had got a lot of small matti gullas from katpady and after making sambhar, and puddi sagle, upkari.. i wanted to try something different.  remembered this yummy north karnataka dish and thought would try it out.  it came out great and will definitely try it next time with brinjals.  

Ingredients:
7 small round eggplants(brinjals)
onion  1 small
tamarind extract  1 tsp ( Thick)
jaggery   1 tsp
chopped garlic  3 - 4 flakes
coconut  2 tbsp
ground nuts(peanuts)  2 tbsp
garam masala
red chillies  5 - 6 ( as per taste)
curry leaves
coriander leaves  a few
1 tbl spn oil
Salt

Method:
Heat 1 tea spn of oil and fry onions till a little soft.  Now add curry leaves, garlic, peanuts, red chillies and coconut. Fry for some time. grind with jaggery, garam masala coriander leaves witht very little or no water.
make four slits in the brinjal and put the stuffing in them.

heat oil in a pan and put the brinjals in the pan and pour the remaining masala and cover and cook till done.  serve hot with rotis or rice.

Peas Kachori

This recipe is courtesy Suphala Shenoy !

For the outer dough : take 2 cups of maida and 2 tbsp of corn flour, 1tbsp of oil and salt in a bowl.  Make a stiff dough.  Cover with a moist cloth and keep it aside.  Adding corn flour gives it the desired texture.  

For the filling : chop onions finely.  Take oil in a kadai and add jeera. When they splutter add onions and fry till translucent.  Then add haldi, mirchi, dhania and garam masala powders.  Then add cooked peas and tomatoes ( did not add today). Then salt and chopped coriander leaves.  Mix well.  Make sure the filling is dry.  Can add a pinch of aamchoor or chat masala. Can also add some roasted cashews or groundnuts or aloo.  

Divide the dough into balls and roll them into puris.  Put some filling in the centre and fold the sides sealing the filling.  Flatten a little and deep fry on medium flame till golden brown.  Or light yellow in colour. 

Serve with sauce or dates imli chutney !