Peas Gravy (for ragda, for masala Puri )

Chaats are an all time favourite .  Masala puri and paani puri and sev dahi batata puri !  Puris i followed the recipe from Hebbars Kitchen.  this peas gravy is an adaptation of the peas gravy from my friend Saigeetha's blog. 

Ingredients :

Masala : 

1.  Coriander leaves 

2.  Mint leaves

3.  Green chillies 

4.. Ginger

5.  Garlic

6.  Cinamom

7. Cloves

8. Garam Masala (optional) 

9. cashews

10. poppy seeds (optional)

11. tamarind

Dried peas (soak overnight and pressures cook)

haldi

salt

garam masala 

tomatoes

oil

Tadka :oil, mustard, jeera, curry leaves

Procedure

Masala :

In a pan take some oil or ghee and fry all the ingredients .

when cooled grind to a smooth paste. 

In a pan , Prepare the tadka the add chopped tomatoes and fry till the tomatoes are pulpy.  then add the masala. and fry till the oil leaves.  Add the boiled peas and salt and some water... and boil .

add haldi pwd, and a bit of garam masala .  

Molaga Pudi

Whenever we go to an adhra restaurant , we are usually in a dilemma whether to have the biryani or the meal, as we would ge the famous pappu and the molaga pudi with ghee !! Super yumm with pappad !!  Always wanted to make the molaga podi and finally did it today !!  Checked many recipes and finally zeroed in the recipe from Hebbars kitchen.  It came out perfect just the way I wanted it..

Ingredients :
1.  Tuar dal :  1/2 cup
2.  Chutney dal : 1/2 cup
3.  Jeera : 1 tsp
4.  Pepper : 1/2 tsp
5..  Curry Leaves  : few
6.. Garlic : 5 cloves
7.  Dry Tamarind powder : 1/2 tsp
8.  Red Chilles  : 6 - 7 (depends on spice level)
9.  Hing : a pinch
10. Salt as per taste

Procedure :

1..Dry roast the tuar dal on low flame till it turns aromatic.  Remove from flame.
2.  In the pan, add the jeera, pepper and curry leavs and roast till the leaves become crisp.
3.  Add the chutney dal and roast for a minute or two.3
4.  Remove from flame onto the plate.
5.  Add a teaspoon of oil in the pan and roast eh finely chopped garlic and roast tillit becomes red.
6. Remove from flame.  add the hing.
7. put all the roasted ingredients in the mixer and add the salt and tamarind powder.  grind till it becomes a fine powder.  check seasoning and add salt as per taste.
8.  remove into a airtight jar.

Green Pulao 

As a kid Pulao was my all time favourite... Mom used to make it for one of the days of Diwali, I just loved it... So, of course, that was one of the first things i learnt to make and it was also my signature dish till I learnt the other types of pulao and fried rice.  But it still is my fave and my comfort food.  

Now, I make this dish only on very very special occasions..

Ingredients :

Masala :

             Grated coconut : 2 tbsp

             green chillies : 3 -4 ( as per taste)

             Ginger : 1 'inch piece 

             garlic   : 5 -6 cloves 

             whole garam masala : cloves - 3

                                     cinamom - 1 inch

                                      star anise , stone flower cardamom

            onion : 1 medium chopped roughly

            tamarind : very little

           coriander leaves _ 

           mint leaves 

 Rice : 2 cups

salt : as per taste

Chopped vegetables : (Beans , carrot, capsicum, gobhi , peas) one cup

water : 4 1/4 cup

cashews : 10- 15 broken

bay leaves _ 1

Method : .

1. grind the ingredients under masala to a fine paste sing very little water ( can also use curd )

2.  In a cooker , add 1 1/2 tbsp oil, (can also use a mix of oil and ghee)

3.  Add the tej patta , and then add the ground masala and fry well till a good smell comes. 

4.  Add the cashews and fry for a minute, then add the chopped vegetables and fry for a few seconds.  add some salt and mix well

5.  Add the washed and drined rice and mix gently.  

6.  Add the required quantity of water and mox throuughly and check the seasoning.

&.. close the cooker and cook for two whistles ( i generally keep it on sim aer tht and give another whistle)

7.  Switch off and wait till the pressure drops and enjoy with raita and pappad.

Note : .

1.  can also use soya chunks and paneer.

Whole Wheat Banana Muffins

A healthy muffin recipe using whole wheat and ripe bananas.  Have used jaggery powder in place of brown sugar and was very happy with the result.  this is from the site sonlicious.com

Ingredients : 

whole wheat flour :  1 cup

over ripe banans :   2

brown sugar  : 1/3 cup   (used jaggery pwd)( can add more or less as per taste and

                                                                        sweetness of bananas)

cinnamon pwd : 1/2 tsp

nutmeg pwd : 1/4 pwd

baking pwd : 1/2 tsp

baking soda : 1/2 tsp

vanilla essence : 1/2 tsp

oil   : 1/3 cup

milk : 1/4 cup

chocochips  : for garnish

salt : pinch  (did not use )

cocoa pwd : 1tsp ( i used to give flavour and a uniform colour to the muffins)

Procedure 

1.  preheat oven to 180 deg . line the muffin tray with liners.

2.  shift the dry ingredients ( flour, cocoa, baking pwd, baking soda, salt)

3.  in a bowl mash the bananas till smooth.

4. add oil, and sugar.  mix well.

5. add essence, cinnamon pwd and nutmeg pwd.  mix well.

6.  fold in the dry mixture alternately with milk.  the batter was of dropping consistency.

     make sure there are no lumps in the batter.

7.  fill the muffin cups with 3/4 batter.  sprinkle chcochips on top.

bake at 180 deg for about 20 min. or till done.

enjoy.

Green Peas Masala

This is an adaptation of my friend Sai's recipe.  Perfect to be had with pav, like misal. The measurement are all not very accurate and can be slightly varied.
This can be made with green peas (dried type ), or also as a mixed vegetable.

Ingredients :

Masala :

Coconut grated    : 2 tbsp
green Chillies       : 7 - 8 ( depending on choice)
ginger                   : 1 inch piece
garlic cloves          : 6
cinamom               : 1 inch
Cloves                   : 4
cardamom             : 1
cashews                 : 6 - 7 ( soak in water ) ( i also added two spoons of melon seeds)
coriander leaves     : a handful
mint leaves             : 1 tbsp
onion                       : 1 medium chopped
Ghee                        : 2 tsp

tamarind                  : 1 pea size
haldi                        : 1 pinch
garam masala          : 1  tsp
salt                           : as per taste
sugar                        : a pinch

oil                             : 2 tsp
tomato                       : 1 medium chopped
green vatana             : 1 cup soaked overnight and cooked.

Procedure :

1.   Masala : 
heat ghee in a pan, add the spices ( clove, cinamom, cardamom ) then add the garlic fry for a minute, then add ginger and chopped onion.
fry till light brown.  then add slit green chillies and fry for a minute.
Then add the coriander leaves and mint leaves.  fry for another minute.
Add coconut and switch off gas.  add haldi powder and half the garam masala.
cool a bit and grind to a smooth paste with the soaked cashews and tamarind.

2.  In a pan , add oil and then the chopped tomato.  fry till the tomato is a bit soft.
3.  Add the masala, and fry , add the cooked vatana, salt and sugar.  Add some water to adjust the consistency.  let it boil .  add the garam masala and mix well

Notes : can add potatoes and or cauliflower and or carrots.  keep the vegetables a bit crunchy.
             can also make the masala and freeze it and use when required.

Coffee Chocochip bundt cake

This is the first Bundt cake I tried.  This can also be baked in a loaf tin.
The recipe is from my friend Sai's blog (Geeths Dawat).  It has my favourite flavours of coffee and chocolate in a cake.  Perfect for tea time or anytime.

Ingredients :

Plain flour or self raising flour   :  1 1/2 cup ( used self raising flour)
Baking powder                           :  1/2 tsp
Baking soda                                :  1/4 tsp
Salt                                             : 1/2 tsp
Unsalted butter                           : 1/2 cup (at room temperature)
Vanilla or plain sugar                  : 1 cup    (powdered)
Eggs                                            : 2
Buttermilk                                   : 100 ml  ( refer Notes)
Vanilla Essence                           : 1 tsp
Instant Coffee pwd                      : 1 tsp  ( Nescafe)
Warm water                                 : 1 tsp
Chocolate Chips                          : 1/4 cup
Cinnamom pow                           : 1 tsp  (optional)

Procedure :

1.  Preheat oven 10170 deg C.
2.  Grease and flour a six cup bundt pan or prepare a baking tin.
3.  Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4.  Mix together instant coffee powder and warm water and keep aside.
5.  Cream together butter and sugar.  beat in the eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla essence and
     coffee mixture.
6.  Add flour and buttermilk in 3 lots and beat on low speed.
7.  Mix the chocolate chips with a tsp of flour and fold into the mixture.
     Mix in the cinnamom powder.
8.  Pour into the prepared tin and bake for 50 - 60 minutes or till done.



Notes :  
to make100 ml  buttermilk : Mix  50 ml milk and 50 ml curd, till smooth.

German Chocolate Cake

Got this recipe from one of my fb food groups. (Rajeshwari Annamalai ,Ovenderful Mom Bakers Community) This is a healthy whole wheat recipe.  it is also an eggless cake recipe.  The cake is super soft and delicious and is very easy to make.

Ingredients

whole wheat flour  : 1 1/2 cups

cocoa pwd              : 1/4 cup

baking soda            : 1tsp

caster sugar            : 1 cup 

(or cane sugar)

oil                           : 1/3 cup

water                       : 1 cup

vinegar                    : 1 tsp (used Apple cider vinegar)

vanilla                     : 1 tsp

salt                           : 1 pinch (did not use)

Procedure  :

1.   Sieve flour, cocoa, baking soda and salt thrice.

2.   Dissolve sugar in water and add vinegar.

3.   Mix oil and vanilla.

4.   Preheat oven at 180 deg and prepare a cake tin.

5.   Add flour mixture to the oil sugar solution and combine till smooth.

6.   pour the cake batter into ṭhe prepared tin and bake for 40 min or so.

Frosting :

milk                   1 cup

coconut milk     1/3 cup

corn flour          1/3 cup

caster sugar       1/2 cup

vanilla               1 tsp

coconut flakes   1 3/4 cup

chopped walnuts     3/4 cup ( or pecans)

procedure :

1.  mix all ingredients except coconut and walnuts. there should be no lumps.

2. boil till it thickens ( takes a few minutes).

3. Stir in coconut and walnuts.

4. Allow to cool ( lukewarm).

5. Spread evenly on cake.