Moong Dal Dosa

Moong dal dosa serves as a very healthy, nutricious and also delicious breakfast or snacks item. Here Urad dal is not used, which is an added advantage. Instead the very nutricious split moong dal and parboiled rice is used. And the best part is - it is very easy to prepare.

Ingriedients:Split green moong dal - 1 cup
Parboiled rice (Ukda rice) - 1 cup
Water
Salt as per taste
Oil for frying

Procedure:1. Soak the moong dal and the parboiled rice for at least 3 hours. I soaked it for 5 hours.
2. Drain the water and grind the moong dal and parboiled rice with little water and salt till it reaches pouring consistency.
3. Keep this for fermenting overnight or a minimum of 8 hours.
4. Heat and grease a non stick tava with oil.
5. Pour a laddle full of batter on the tava and spread it in a circular motion. Keep it on a high flame.
6. Sprinke little oil on the dosa.
7. Once the lower side is golden brown, turn to the other side. and keep on a medium or low flame.
8. Now turn it back to the original side and fold over.
9. Repeat with the remaining batter.

Serve it hot along with Corainder or Pudina chutney.

Note: The specified quantity serves around 10-12 dosas.

Pudina Chutney

There are number of ways of making the Pudina Chutney. But I really love the way my mom makes it. Its really delicious.

Ingriedients:
Half coconut - grated
Pudina - half bunch, cleaned
Tamarind - 3
Green chillies - 2
Salt - 1 teaspoon
Sugar - 1 teaspoon
Jeera - 1 teaspoon
Karipatta - 5

Procedure:
1. Grind all the ingriedients with little water.

Thats all. The Pudina Chutney is ready :) Its really awesome

It goes well with Idlis, Parathas

Note: It can be refrigerated for 3-4 days

Spaghetti

Spaghetti comes from the famous Italian cuisine. At first i was very skeptical to try out this recipe. But at the end, it turned out to be awesome. Full credit to my dear hubby.

Ingredients:
Spaghetti - 200 gms
Green Olives - 10
Chopped capcicum - 1
Sliced babycorn - 4
Chopped onions - 1
Garlic
Chilli flakes
Olive oil
Salt
Cheese

Procedure:
1. Take a vok and add water for boiling. When the water starts boiling, add the Spaghetti and pinch of salt and 1 tablespoon oil to it. Cook the Spaghetti for 15-20 mins. Once it is boiled, drain the hot water, and rinse it with cold water and keep aside.
2. Take the same pan, add 2 tablespoon olive oil. Next add garlic and saute for 2 mins till you get the fragnance.
3. Next add the chopped onions, sliced babycorn and chopped capcicum. (or any other veggies you like). Saute for 10 mins. Add a pinch of salt.
4. Next add the boiled Spaghetti to this and mix well. Add salt if required.
5. Next add the grated cheese and chilli flakes and mix for 2 mins.
6. Now take it off the gas and add the green olives.

Delicious Spaghetti is ready.
Serve it with Soya sauce or Tomato ketchup

Palak Paneer

Palak Paneer is typical North Indian delicacy. The Palak or spinach leaves is blanched and then puried to prepare the gravy and Paneer is then cooked in this gravy.

Ingredients:
Palak (Spinach) - 1 bunch
Paneer (Cottage cheese) - 200 gms
Onions - 1, finely choppes
Tomato - 1 , finely chopped
Garlic - 5 petals
Green chillies - 2
Chilli powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Garam masala - half teaspoon
Bay leaves - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - small piece
Curd - 1 tablespoon (Optional)
Ghee
Salt

Procedure:
1. Clean the Palak leaves
2. Next step is to blanch the palak.. Keep 2 glasses of water for boiling.
3. When the water starts boiling, dip 2-3 palak leaves in the boiling water for a minute and then remove it. Continue this with all the Palak leaves. This gives the perfect green color to palak paneer.
4. Once the palak cools down, Put it in a mixer, add 5 garlic petals and 2 green chillies and grind it to a thick paste. Add water if required.
5. Next cut the paneer into cubes.
6. You can deep fry the paneer cubes in oil. But this step is not mandatory. This makes the paneer crispy. I like it soft, hence I skip this step.
7. Take a vok. Add 2 tablespoon ghee. Next add cloves, cinnamon and bay leaves. .Next add the chopped onions.
8. Fry them for some time and add pinch of salt.
9. Once onion are golden brown, add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala.
9. Next add the chopped tomatoes and fry for some time till it starts to leave oil. p
10 Finally add the palak paste. Add water as required. Also add salt.
11. Add the paneer. Also add 1 tablespoon curd.
12. Boil it for 10 mins.

The delicious palak paneer is ready to serve.
Serve it hot with rice or chapati.

Tips: You can also add cream instead of curd to the palak gravy.

Phirni

It's Diwali time, Time to try out some sweet dishes.
Phirni is one of the simplest sweet I have known so far, but tastes really awesome.

Ingriedients:
Rice - 2 tablespoon
Sugar - 3 tablespoon
Elaichi (green cardamom) - 3
Milk - 1 ltr
Almonds

Procedure:
1. Soak rice for 4 hours. Drain the water and grind the soaked rice coarsely and keep aside.
2. Take a thick pan and keep the milk for boiling. Add sugar.
3. When the milk starts boiling, add the ground rice and stir.
4. Next add cardamom powder and almonds and mix well.
5. Boil this on a low flame till the rice is cooked completely.
6. Keep stirring continuously so that the rice does not stick to the bottom of the pan.
7. Once the rice is completely cooked, remove from heat.
8. Transfer it to a serving bowl and add almonds and chill in the refrigerator for 2 hours.

The delicious Phirni is ready to serve.

Bharla Vanga\ Ennegayi\ Stuffed Brinjal

Stuffed brinjal is known as Bharla Vanga in Marathi. Bharla meaning stuffed and Vanga meaning brinjal. In kannada it is known as Ennegayi.

This is very authentic preparation wherein the stuffing masala is first roasted with little oil and then ground to a paste. This is then stuffed in the brinjal and cooked.

It goes really well with Jowar roti and can also be served with chapatis and fulkas.

Ingriedients:
5 small brinjals(egg plants)
1 onion - chopped
Curry leaves
Garlic
Peanuts
Red chillies - 2
Half Coconut - grated
Tamarind - 2
Corainder leaves
Oil
Garam Masala

Procedure:
1. Take 2 tablespoon oil in a pan. Add chopped onions and fry for 2 minutes.
2. Next add curry leaves, garlic, peanuts, red chillies and grated coconut and fry for mins.
3. Keep it aside and wait till it cools down.
4. To this fried mixture, add tamarind. garam masala and corainder leaves and grind to form a paste. If required add 2 tablespoon water while grinding.
5. Slit the brinjals vertically in such a way that they are joined at one end, Stuff the ground mixture in the brinjals.
6. Take a pan and add 3 tablespoon oil and fry the brinjals till they are completely cooked. Cook it on a low flame for around 30 minutes. Also keep turning the brinjals so that they are cooked from all sides.
7. If you want to make this with gravy, Fry the same mixture which is used for stuffing in another pan with 1 tablespoon oil for 5 mins. After frying the brinjals for 15-20 mins, add this fried mixture.
8. Garnish with corainder leaves

Serve it hot with Jowar roti or chapathis or fulkas.

Notes:
1. Make sure that the brinjals are cooked completely. You can also microwave the stuffed brinjals with little oil for 10 minutes for faster cooking.
2. Jaggery can also be added to the stuffing.

Sabudana Khichdi

Sabudana Khichdi belongs to the Maharashtrian cuisine and is served mostly for breakfast or snacks.
This is also served for lunch or dinner during fasting.

Ingriedients:
Sabudana (Sabakku)- 4 cups
Ghee - 3 tablespoon
Roasted groundnut powder - 1 cup
Jeera (Cumin seeds) - 1 tablespoon
Salt
Groundnut powder
1 lemon
3 potatoes - boiled and chopped
4 green chillies - chopped

Procedure:
1. Soak the sabudana for overnight in water.
2. Next day, in the morning, add pinch of salt and groundnut powder to the soaked sabudana and keep aside.
3. Take a kadhai, add 3 tablespoon ghee.
4. Once the ghee is hot, add jeera and chopped green chillies.
5. Next add the chopped potatoes and salt as per taste and fry for 2 minutes.
6. Next add the sabudana and mix well. Keep stirring so that the sabudana does not stick to the kadhai.
7. Next add the groundnut powder and mix well.

Sabudana khichdi is ready to be served.

Serve the sabudana khichdi with curd. While serving, sprinkle lemon juice.

Notes:
1. To prepare Roasted groundnut powder(Danyaychi Kut), dry roast the groundnuts for 5 minutes. Once it cools down, rub them in between your palms to remove the outer skin. Then grind it to a coarse powder in the mixer.

Chanyache Tondak (Chana Masala)

Chanyache Tondak is typical Goan style of preparing the Chana Masala. It is prepared using coconut which is very typical in Goan cuisine.

Ingriedients:
Kabuli chana
Half coconut - grated
4 cloves
1 small cinnamon(tikhi)
Dagad phool (stone flower)
10 corainder seeds (dhania)
Turmeric powder
Chilli powder
1 onion - finely chopped
1 tomato - finely chopped
Salt
Oil
Mustard seeds
Jeera seeds
Potato - boiled and chopped
Corainder leaves

Procedure:
1. Soak the kabuli chana overnight and boil the soaked chana and keep aside.
2. Grind the grated coconut, cloves, cinnamon, coriander, dagad phool, 1 tablespoon turmeric, pinch of salt and water. Grind to a fine paste and keep aside.
3. In a Vok (Kadhai), pour 2 tablespoon oil, add mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add jeera seeds.
4. Next add onions and fry till golden brown. Add a pinch of salt
5. Add turmeric powder, Chilli powder and Chole Masala and fry for 2 mins.
6. Next add the ground coconut paste and fry for 2 mins.
7. Add the chopped tomatoes, boiled potatoes and the boiled chana.
8. Add salt as per taste and boil for 10 mins.
9. Garnish with coraiander.

Chanyche Tondak is ready to serve.

It is served with roties.

Note: Instead of kabuli chana, other types of grams or sprouts can also be used. Additionally veggies like cauli flower, raw banana, soyabeans can also be added along with potatoes.

Peda

Khoya Pedas...A very simple recipe and a great Indian Dessert Delicacy

Ingriedients:
Khoya (Khova) - 500 gms
Sugar - powdered - 200 gms
Almonds - grated
Cardomom powder

Procedure:
1. Mash the khoya and keep aside.
2. Take a thick Kadai (Vok) and stir fry khoya till it softens.
3. Add 2 tablespoon sugar and continue frying till it is light brown.
4. Keep this aside for around 2 hours till it cools down.
5. Once it is cooled down, add the grated almonds, powdered sugar and cardomom powder(elaichi) and mix well.
6. Make small balls of the combined mixture.
7. Take the lid of a small container. Sprinkle the grated almond and cardomom powder and place one of the ball and press it so that it becomes flat to get the shape of a peda.
8. In the similar fasion, shape the remaining pedas.

Delicious Khoya Pedas are ready.

Tip: Keep the pedas in the open for some time before packing them

Gajar ka Halwa

Gajar ka Halwa is one of the most loved sweet dish.

Ingriedients:Carrots - 1 kg - grated
Milk - 1 litre
Ghee - 4 tablespoon
Sugar - half cup
Almonds - crushed
Cashewnuts - crushed
Khova - 50 gm

Procedure:1. Fry the grated carrots in 4 tablespoon ghee till it becomes dry.
2. Next add boiling milk and cook the carrots in the milk.
3. Cook it till the entire milk is soaked by the carrots. Keep stirring occasionally.
4. Once this is done, add khova, sugar, crushed almonds and crushed cashewnuts and mix well.

Gajar ka Halwa is ready to serve.

It can be served both hot or chilled.

Koshimbir (Salad)

Ingriedients:
Carrot - grated
Cucumber - grated
Cabbage - grated
1 tablespoon urad dal
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon sugar
1 lemon
4 tablespoon groundnut powder
Finely chopped corainder leaves

To prepare groundnut powder
1. Fry the groundnuts in a pan on a medium flame for 5 minutes
2. Wait till the groundnuts cool down
3. Next grind them in a mixer to a fine powder

Procedure:
1. Soak the urad dal for half an hour.
2. In a bowl, add the grated carrots, grated cabbage, grated cucumber, soaked urad dal and finely chopped tomatoes. Mix well.
3. Next add salt, groundnut powder and sugar. and mix well.
4. Finally squeeze lime juice.
5. Garnish with corainder leaves.

It is served as a side dish with rice.

Tip: Tadka can also be added to the Koshimber to enhance its taste.
Curd can also be added to koshimbir

Methi Paratha

Ingriedients:
Methi leaves (Fenugreek leaves) - 1 big bunch
Wheat flour - 3 cups
2 table spoon salt
1 table spoon ajwain
1 tablespoon chilli powder
Water for preparing dough
Oil for frying

Procedure:
1. First seperate the methi leaves from the bunch and clean the methi leaves with water 2-3 times and then cut it and keep aside.
2. To the methi leaves, add wheat flour, salt, ajwain, chilli powder and suffucient water and prepare the dough.
3. Make small balls from the dough.
4. Take each ball and roll it into a thin paratha.
5. Fry with oil

Serve the methi parathas with curd and pickle

Seviyan Kheer

Its the month of Shravan. Its time to prepare some sweet dish.
Let start with Seviyan Kheer, easy to prepare and tastes really awesome.

Ingriedients
Milk - 0.5 ltr
Elaichi (Cardomom)- 2
Sugar - 6 table spoon
Cashew nuts
Badam (Almonds)
Khismis (Dry grapes)
Seviyan (Vermicelli)
Ghee - to roast the dry fruits

Procedure
1. Roast the seviyan in little ghee till golden brown and keep aside.
2. Next roast the cashew nuts, badam and khismis in a pinch of ghee and keep aside.
3. Bring milk to boil, Add elaichi and sugar to the milk.
4. Once the milk starts boiling, add the roasted seviyan.
5. Next add the dry fruits.
6. Let it boil for another 10 mins till the seviyan is cooked.

It can be served hot or cold.

Tips: After some time, kheer starts to become dry. You can add hot milk to the kheer.

Muli Paratha\ Raddish Paratha

Mooli or Raddish is a root crop and is little pungent in taste. And thats the reason many people do not like it. But it has many health benefits. It is very good for the liver and stomach and is a powerful detoxifier. It is also considered as a good roughage and helps in bowel movement. These are just some few benefits. There are many many more.

So the best way to include this in our diet is in the form of delicious mooli paratha. Here we cannot feel the pungent smell or taste. It tastes just awesome.

Here is the simple recipe of mooli paratha. Try it out and enjoy the health benefits of raddish.

Ingriedients
Muli (Raddish) - 2
Wheat flour - 4 cups
Jeera/ Cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Ajjwain/ Carom seeds - half teaspoon
Salt
Oil

Procedure
1. Grate the Muli(Raddish) and keep aside. Finely chop the green leaves of raddish.
2. In a vok, add 1 tabelspoon oil, add mustard. Once it splutters, add jeera and ajjwain.
3. Finally add the grated raddish and the chopped radish leaves. and let it cook till most of the water is evaporated. Also add a pinch of salt while cooking.

4. In a bowl, add the above partially cooked raddish, wheat flour and salt and mix well. Knead it to form a dough.
3. You can also add 1 table spoon oil to the dough while kneading. Do not add water. While kneading, the raddish will leave some water. Try kneading the dough without adding water.
4. Once the dough is ready, prepare small balls of the dough.
5. Roll each of the ball into round paratha.
6. Fry this on a pan by appying pinch of oil on both sides. Make sure it is completely cooked.

Serve the hot Mooli paratha with mint chutney and pickle.

Notes:
1. Do not serve Muli paratha with curd. Curd and raddish does not form a good combination.
2. Adding the green leaves of raddish is not mandatory. If the green leaves of raddish do not look good, you can prepare it with just raddish. But with the greens, it tastes more delicious and ofcoarse its healthier too.

3. You can also knead the dough using the grated raddish and chopped raddish leaves directly without frying it in oil. But in this case, the raddish leaves a lot of water and the dough becomes sticky. It is difficult to roll the parathas of sticky dough. Additionally after frying it in oil, the pungent taste of the raddish will go off and parathas taste more yummy.

Thalipeeth

This is a typical marathi dish, which is mostly served for breakfast.
"Dal fry" or "Pitla" can also be added while making the dough, it gives an awesome taste to Thalipeeth.

Note: "Pitla" is another marathi side dish. Recipe will be uploaded soon.

Ingriedients
wheat flour
oil
2 onions - finely chopped
2 green chillies - finely chopped
Turmeric powder (Haldi)
Chilli powder
Corainder powder
Ajwain
1 clean plastic
Jaggery (gul)

Procedure
1. In a bowl, add the chopped onions, finely chopped green chillies, wheat flour,chopped corainder leaves, grated jaggery, salt, pinch of turmeric powder,chilli powder,coriander powder, and ajwain. Mix well
2. Add water and prepare a dough. Also add little oil while preparing the dough.
3. Make small round balls of the dough.

4. Take a clean plastic sheet, place the ball(made of dough) and press it from the top till is it thin (the thickness should be little more than the parathas). Refer the picture.
5. Next take a pan and add a pinch of oil. place this on the pan.
6. Make a small hole at the centre and pour little oil in it. Also add oil from all sides.
7. Fry on a median flame without covering the pan by a lid. After 3-4 mins, turn the thalipeeth other way round, still maintaining the medium flame. Fry for another 3 minutes. Thalipeeth is ready to be served.

Serve hot with pickle and curd.

Baingan ka Bharta\ Mashed Spicy Eggplant

Baingan ka Bharta is a North Indian way of cooking the bhaingan or the brinjal. Tastes really delicious!!

Ingriendients
Bhaingan (Brinjal\ Eggplant) - 1 big
1 onion - finely chopped
1 tomato - finely chopped
Hing (Asaefatida)
Salt
Garam masala - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder (Haldi) - half teaspoon
2 Green chillies - finely chopped
Green peas (optional)
Fresh corainder - finely chopped
Jaggery (gul)
Oil - 2 tablespoon
Mustard - half teaspoon
Cumin Seeds (Jeera) - half teaspoon
Curd (optional)


Procedure
1.  Roasting the Eggplant
 On a Gas Stove: Apply oil on the baingan on all sides and roast from all sides for about 5 minutes. Make sure that the bhaingan is roasted completely. Slit it in the centre and wait till it cools down.

In the Oven: When roasting the eggplant in the oven, cut it vertically into two sections and apply oil on all the sides. Preheat the oven for 10 mins at 200 degrees. Place the baking paper on the baking tray. Place the eggplants it with the open cut side of egg plants facing the baking paper. Bake (without fan forced) it for around 25 minutes at 200 degrees.

2. Once the Eggplant is cooled down, remove the outer skin. Mash it nicely and keep aside. Also discard the seeds.

3. In a pan, pour 2 table spoon oil, Add mustard. Once the mustard crackles, add jeera, chopped onions, chopped green chillies and green peas. fry till the onions are golden brown.
4. Add turmeric powder, pinch of hing and garam masala. Fry for 2 minutes.
5. Add chopped tomatoes and fry for 2 minutes.
6. Next add the mashed baingan and stir well.
7. Add salt as per taste.
8. Next add jaggery and cook for 10 minutes.

Garnish with corainder.

Bhaigan ka bharta is ready to serve.

It can be served with Roties or Indian Bread.

Tips:
1. You can also add curd to it while serving.

Jhunka

This is a typical marathi style of cooking. The spring onion is cooked with besan, which enhances its taste.
The same can also be cooked with just onion.

Ingriedients
Spring onion - 1 bunch - finely chopped
1 onion - chopped
Cumin seeds (jeera)
Mustard
Asaefatida(hing)
1 Green chilli - chopped
Jaggery (gul)
Ajwain (owa)
Besan (gram flour) - 4 tablespoon

Procedure
1. Take 2 table spoon oil in a pan. Add mustard. Once it crackles, add cumin seeds, onion, asaefatida, green chillies and salt. Fry till the onion turns golden brown
2. Next add Ajwain, turmeric powder and garam masala.
3. Add the finely chopped spring onions. Add jagery and salt. Cook for 5 minutes
4. Add besan and cook for another 10 minutes. Keep stirring so that the besan does not stick to the pan

The delicious Jhunka is ready.

It tastes awesome with Bhakri or Roti.

Italian Pasta

Well, its time to cook some continental food. I am here with Italian cuisine. This is my hubby's favourite and one of his inventions too !!

Ingriendients
Penne Pasta
Olive oil
Mushroom - cleaned and sliced
Corn (finely sliced babycorn can also be used instead of corn)
Tomatoes - finely chopped
Capcicum - finely chopped
Carrots - finely chopped
Pepper - fresh ground
Pasta dressing - recommend FunNFoods light Pasta Dressing

Procedure
1. Boil the Penne pasta along with salt till the pasta is soft. Drain the water and keep aside
2. In a pan, pour 2 table spoon olive oil, Add the chopped mushrooms, corn, tomatoes, capcicum and carrots and fry for 5 mins.
3. Add salt and freshly ground pepper and fry for another 2 minutes.
4. Add the boiled penne pasta. Add the grated cheese and fresh pepper.
5. Stir continuously for 5 minutes so that the cheese does not stick the pan
6. Toss the delicious pasta with the Pasta Salad Dressing

The delicious Penne Pasta is ready to serve.

Goan Muga Gathi (Coconut Based Moong Curry)

Mug means moong and gathi is a kind of gravy in konkani. Muga gathi is a typical goan recipe and is prepared mostly on auspicious occasions and festivals. When it comes to Goan cuisine, coconut is a must ingriendient.
Here the moong is cooked in coconut gravy. Similarly we can also prepare coconut gravy with other types of sprouts like Masur, Matki, Chana, etc.

Ingriendients
sprouted moong
half cocount - grated
1 potato - boiled and chopped
1 onion - chopped
mustard
jeera (cumin seeds)
hing(asaefatida)
turmeric(haldi)
2 green chillies
ginger garlic paste
garam masala
salt
water

Procedure
1. Grind the grated coconut, green chillies, haldi, little salt and some water in the mixer and keep aside
2. In a pan, pour 2 table spoon oil, add mustard, once the mustard crackles, add jeera(cumin seeds), chopped onions, hing and ginger garlic paste. Saute till the onions turn brown.
3. Add turmeric, garam masala and salt.
4. Next add the ground coconut paste.
5. Fry for 2 minutes.
6. Add the boiled potatoes, followed by the sprouted moong.
7. Add water as necessary (To make a thick gravy, add lesser water and vice versa). Boil for another 10 minutes.

The delicious Muga Gathi is ready.

Garnish with chopped corainder.

It can be served with roties or rice

Vegetable Biryani

Let us first start with a very simple recipe - Vegetable Biryani.
Very easy to make and yet very yummy...

Ingriendents:
2 table spoon ghee
1 table spoon chilli powder
1 table spoon corainder powder
1 table spoon cumin powder
1 table spoon garam masala
1 table spoon biryani masala
1 cup rice
2 cups water
3 Cloves(Laung)
Dagad Phool
Tikhi
Mushroom - cleaned and sliced
Corn
Carrots
Beans
Capcicum
Onion
Corainder Leaves
Pomogranate seeds


Procedure:
1. Wash 1 cup of rice and keep aside for half an hour
2. Boil the rice along with cloves, dagad phool, tikhi and salt
3. Chop onions , and vegies like capcicum, beans and keep aside.
4. In a pan, add 2 table spoon ghee, add badam, cashew nuts and fry for 1 minute
5. Next add the chopped onions and salt.
6. Fry till the onions are golden brown
7. Add chilli powder, corainder powder, cumin powder, garam masala, biryani masala(if available).
8. Fry for a minute
9. Add all the chopped veggies, corn and cleaned mushroom
10. Fry for 5 minutes.
11. Sprinkle some pepper
12. Next add the boiled rice to this and mix well.
13. Garnish with corainder , pomogranate seeds and cashew nuts

The Vegetable Biryani is ready.
Serve with Raita.