Pudina Gajar ka Pulav \ Mint And Carrot Pulav

Here in our house in Sydney, our house owners love gardening. They grow many veggies like eggplant, Mint leaves, karipatta leaves, green chillies, Cucumber, etc, etc.

This time I picked some garden fresh mint leaves , tossed them in oil with some carrots and cooked them with rice. The result was amazing.

Ingriedients:
Pudina leaves (mint leaves) - cleaned and chopped - 1 cup
1 Carrot - chopped
Basmati rice - 1 cup
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Jeera (Cumin seeds) - half teaspoon
Garam Masala - half teaspoon
Oil
Water
Salt

Procedure:
1. Wash the rice and keep it aside for around 30 minutes.
2. In a steel pressure cooker, pour 2 tablespoon oil, add mustard and wait till it splutters.
3. Add Jeera and chopped carrots and chopped pudina.
4. Next add the washed rice and mix well. 
5. Add the garam masala  and pinch of salt and mix well.
7. Finally add 2 cups of water and required amount of salt (as per taste) and pressure cook it for 3-4 whistles.
8. Once the cooker cools down, mix it well.

Serve the hot Pudina Carrot Pulao with raita, pickle or papad.

 

Vegetable Sandwich

After moving to Sydney, the first thing that I learnt to prepare is a simple and delicious vegetable sandwich. Hence the first blog from Australia talks about sandwiches.

Here its really difficult to find vegetarian food around. So on outings, I usually like to carry some healthy sandwiches.

Relocating to Sydney ...moving to a different country...has given me a golden opportunity to try out other cuisines. More recipes to come soon.

For now...its the simplest Vegetable Sandwich

Ingredients:
Whole grain bread buns - 4
Lettuce - 1 cup
Grated carrot - half cup
Grated cabbage - 1 cup
finely chopped onion - one fourth cup
Mayonnaise
Mustard sauce
Cheese slices - 4

Procedure:
1. Slice the whole grain sandwich into two using a knife.
2. On one side of the bread, spread the lettuce, carrots, cabbage and onions.
3. Top it with Mayonnaise and Mustard sauce.
4. On the other side of bun, place the cheese slice.

5. Place this on the other side of bread.
6. Press them together.

Vegetable Sandwich is ready

Notes:
1. You can use any kind of bread buns. I prefer whole wheat or whole grain buns.
2. You can also use any other veggies.
3. In this preparation, I have used mayonnaise and mustard sauce. You can ad any other sauce like barbeque sauce, tomato sauce, etc

Goan Khatkhate\ Mix Vegetable Coconut Gravy

Khatkhate is an exotic Goan dish, which is prepared mostly during festivals and Pooja time. It is a kind of a mixed vegetable stew prepared in Goan style - which means by adding dry coconut and Kokum, which are very typical to Goan Cuisine.

The best part of it is it has loads of veggies and a wide variety of it. So its very high in nutrition. It goes well with chapati as well as rice. I usually add different set of veggies every time and usually include veggies that are not liked by my family. This is a easy way of making them happily eat the usually disliked veggies

Here goes the recipe...

Ingredients:
Onion - 1 big
Grated coconut - half cup
Cauliflower
Raw banana - 1
Carrot - 1
Cinnamon - 2 small pieces
Bay leaves - 1
Cloves - 2
Pepper corns - 4
Red chillies - 4
Jeera\ Cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Chili powder - half teaspoon
Haldi powder \ Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Garam masala - half teaspoon
Hing\ Asoefatida
Coriander Seeds - 1 teaspoon
Kokum - 2
Jaggery - as per taste
Salt
Water
Coriander leaves - chopped

Procedure:
1. Chop all the veggies into cubes and pressure cook it for 2-3 whistles till it is partially boiled.
2.Grind the grated coconut together with coriander seeds, red chillies and  haldi powder. Add little water while grinding to prepare a paste.
3. Take a kadhai, add 2 table spoon oil, add the whole spices like cinnamon, cloves, bay leaves, peppercorns.
4. Add mustard, Once it splutters, add jeera and hing
5. Next add the chopped onions and fry till golden brown. Add chili powder, haldi powder and garam masala and fry for some time.
6. Add the boiled veggies and then add the ground coconut paste and mix well.
7. Add the Kokum and jaggery.
8. Add sufficient amount of water to prepare a thick gravy.
9. Finally add salt and let it cook for 5 mins.
10. Garnish it with chopped coriander leaves.

Goan Khatkhate is ready.
Serve it hot with  rice or rotis.

Note:
1. Tamarind can be added instead of Kokum.
2. Any other veggies can be added like bottle gourd, ridge gourd, potatoes, sweet corn, babycorn, pumpkin, etc.

Ambadyache Sasav\ Hog Plums Curry

Ambade is a seasonal vegetable and is found mostly in Goa. It has a sweet and sour taste and hence used in the preparation of Sasav, which is also very typical to Goan cuisine. Ambade is also known as hog plums or amtekayi or ambazhanga.

Ingriedients:
Ambade\ Hog plums - 4
Grated coconut - 1 cup
Red chillies - 2
Methi seeds - 1/4 teaspoon
Urad dal - 1/4 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - 1 teaspoon
Jaggery - 1 tablespoon
Asafoetida/Hing - 1/2 teaspoon
Water
Oil
Salt

Procedure:
1. Peel the ambade. If they are little bigger in size, cut them into two and boil them in a cooker with little water till they become soft. Also add a pinch of salt while boiling.

Ambade

2. Grind the grated coconut, 2 red chillies, methi seeds, Urad dal and 1/4 spoon mustard seeds to a fine paste. Add water while grinding.
3. Take a vok and add oil. Add the remaining mustard seeds. Once they splutter, add hing.
4. Next add the boiled ambades
5. Next add 1 cup of water and let it cook in the gravy for 5 minutes. Also add a pinch of salt.
7. Finally add the ground masala and jaggery and let it cook for another 5 minutes.
8. Adjust the amount of jaggery depending on the sourness of the ambade.
9. Also add salt or water if necessary.

The delicious Ambadyache sasav is ready.
Serve it hot with steamed rice.

Shankarpali\ Shakkar Parra

Its festive time!! Dusherra and Diwali round the corner.
Time to prepare some sweet savories or faral.
This time, We started faral with our all time favorite Shankarpali :)

Below is the capture of shankarpali, along with some art work by my daughter which she learnt for her Dushera camp.

Ingredients:
Maida\ all purpose flour - half kg
Fine rava - one forth kg
Ghee - half cup
Milk - 1 cup
Jeera\ Cumin seeds - 2 tablespoon
Powdered sugar - one cup
Water - to knead the dough
Oil - for deep frying

Procedure:
1. Take a big bowl or a plate and mix the maida, rava, ghee, milk, jeera and powdered sugar.
2. Next add water to prepare a dough and keep it aside for about 4 hours.

3. Make small balls and roll each ball to form a round circle.
4. Using a shankarpali cutter or a knife, cut it into small diamonds.
5. Deep fry in oil for 5 minutes till golden brown.

Shankarpali is ready.
Enjoy a few hot shankarpali and pack the rest in a air tight container.

Chunna Roti\ Coconut-Jaggery Stuffed Parathas

While I was a kid, my mom used to prepare this delicious Chunna Roti for evenings snacks and serve it to us hot and nice directly from the tava. Mom used to also tell us about her childhood stories and how her mom used to serve all her 6 siblings hot delicious food :). After staying for years in Bangalore, How much I miss my mom made food and also my dear mom.

Coming to the recipe, Chunna Roti is a kind of roti stuffed with a sweet filling prepared using grated coconut and jaggery. It is typically prepared in Goan homes.

Last week I just gave a try to this Chunna Roti. It did not come as best as hers, but still delicious.

Here goes the recipe

Ingriedients:
Grated coconut - half cup
Grated jaggery - little less than half cup
Salt - a pinch
Wheat flour
Water
Ghee

Procedure:
1. Mix the grated coconut and grated jaggery with a pich of salt and keep aside.This is the stuffing. It is also called as Chunn in konkani
2. Prepare the usual chapathi dough by mixing wheat flour, water and a pinch of salt.
3. Prepare round balls.
4. Roll it to spread a little and then stuff the chunn and pack it. Finally roll it again such that the stuffing is evenly spread across. This is similar to how we prepare the aloo paratha.
5. Place it on a tava, grease it with ghee. Flip to the other side and apply ghee. Once it turns golden brown, its done.

Chunna Roti is ready. Serve it hot to your loved ones.

Tavshyahi Bhakri\ Kakdiche Thalipeeth\ Cucumber Pancakes



Cucumber Pancakes serves as a very easy and healthy breakfast option.

It is known as Kakdiche Thalipeeth in Marathi and Tavshyachi Bhakri in Konkani. Kakdi and Tavshe both standing for cucumber in Marathi and Konkani respectively.

It tastes best when served hot and crispy. You can also back it for lunch box, which would be then the softer version but yet delicious.

Ingriedients
Rice flour - 2 cups
Rava - 2 table spoon
Chopped Onion - 1
Grated Cucumber - 1
Chilli powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Coriander leaves - finely chopped
Salt
Oil - for frying


Procedure
1. In a bowl, add all the above ingredients except oil and mix well.
2. The grated cucumber will leave water, so no need to add water to prepare the dough. If it leaves to much water, add some rice flour.
3. Make small round balls of the dough.
4. Next take a pan and add a pinch of oil. place one round ball on the pan. and pat it with your hand till it becomes round and thin.

5. Make a small hole at the centre and pour little oil in it. Also add oil from all sides.
6. Fry on a median flame. After 3-4 mins, turn the thalipeeth other way round, still maintaining the medium flame. Fry for another 3 minutes.

Kakdiche Thalipeeth is ready to be served.

Serve it hot with a dollop of butter or with green chutney.

Tips:
1. In case you are not comfortable patting the thalipeeth with your hands directly on the hot tawa, you can take a clean plastic and pat it on that. Once it is done, place it on the tawa and fry it as mentioned in the steps 6 and 7.
2.You can add green chilies instead of chili powder. I usually avoid green chillies for my little daughter.

Flower Batatacha Rassa\ Cauliflower Potato Curry

Flower Batatacha Rassa is a simple curry with potatoes and cauliflower cooked in onion tomato gravy. What makes this special is the addition of peanut powder and jaggery, the combination of which makes it delicious. This is a typical Marathi preparation of curries

Ingredients:
Cauliflower
Potatoes - 1 (boiled)
Onion -1
Tomatoes - 1
Garam masala - half teaspoon
Chilli powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon

Mustard seeds -  - half teaspoon

Jeera\ Cumin seeds - half teaspoon

Peanutpowder - 2 tablespoon
Ginger - garlic paste - 1 teaspoon

Jaggery - 1 teaspoon
Hing

Salt

Oil

Water

Coriander leaves - finely chopped (for garnishing)

 

Procedure:
1. Wash and clean the cauliflower and chop it into small pieces.
2. Chop the boiled potatoes into small cubes
3. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a kadhai. Add mustard seeds.
4. Once it splutters, add jeera, hing and ginger garlic paste.
5. Finely added chopped onion, Fry it till golden brown.
6. Next add Chilli powder, Turmeric powder and Garam masala.
7. Next add chopped tomatoes and later add boiled potatoes.
8. Finally add the cauliflower florets.
9. Add 1 cup water and sufficient salt.
10. Add jaggery and groundnut powder and let it cook for 15 minutes.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Serve the delicious Flower batatacha rassa with roti or chapatis.

Notes:
1. If you do not have boiled potatoes readily available, You can add the raw ones. Just slice it into thinner slices (maybe around 2 mm thick).
2. For peanut powder preparation, click on the link Peanut Powder




 

Cold Coffee

This is the one and the only recipe that I learnt from my brother in law (as of today). So it has to be a really simple one. Yet this simple cold coffee is really refreshing to the mind as well as the body. That's the reason, its on my blog now :)

Ingriedients:
Milk - 1 litre (chilled)
Instant coffee mix - 10gm
Sugar - half cup (or as per taste)

Procedure:
1. Mix all the ingredients in the juicer and run it on high speed for a minute.
2. Repeat this one more time.

The Cold Coffee is ready

Notes:
1. Adjust the sugar and instant coffee as per your taste.

Danyachi Kut\ Peanut Powder

Danyachi Kut is a commanly used kitchen ingredient in all the Marathi homes. When added to curries, gravies, and even in dry sabjis like bhindi (ladies finger) or pumpkin, it really enhances the taste. I usually prepare and store it in a airtight container for ready to use.

In many of my earlier recipes, you would have found this ingredient. So here goes its simple preparation style.

Ingredients:
Peanuts - half kg

Procedure:
1. Dry roast the peanuts for around 10 minutes, till it is properly raosted.
2. Once it cools down, remove the skin of the roasted peanuts.
3. Grind it in the mixer to a coarse powder.

Danyachi Kut or Peanut Powder is ready.

Store it in a airtight container.

Turai Aloo Ki Sabji\ Ridge Gourd Potato Curry (cooked with moong dal)

Ridge gourd is not usually an easy favorite. Hence I keep experimenting with it to cook some recipe which my hubby and daughter would at least like, may not be really love.

This time I had a small ridge gourd at home. So I tossed it with some potatoes and cooked it with yellow moong dal. And guess what, it turned out awesome. Everyone just loved it :)

Ingredients:
Turai\ Ridge gourd - 1 small
Potatoes - 1 boiled
Yellow moong dal - half cup
Onion - 1 (finely chopped)
Groundnut powder - 2 tablespoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Jeera seeds - half teaspoon
Jaggery - 1 teaspoon
Hing
Oil - 2 teaspoon
Salt
Water
Coriander leaves - finely chopped (for garnishing)

Procedure:
1. Wash and soak the yellow moong dal for half an hour in water
2. Wash the ridge gourd and peel the skin. Chop the ridge gourd and keep aside. Do not discard the skin. You can prepare peel chutney. For recipe click link Ridge Gourd Peel Chutney
3. Cut the boiled potatoes into cubes. 
4. Take a kadhai, add 2 teaspoon oil, next add mustard seeds.
5. Once they splutter, add jeera and then hing
6. Finely added chopped onion, Fry it till golden brown.
7. Next add Chilli powder, Turmeric powder and Garam masala.
8. Next add chopped ridge gourd and potatoes and finally soaked moong dal.
9. Add 1 cup water and sufficient salt.
10. Add jaggery and groundnut powder and let it cook for 10 minutes.
11. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Turai Aloo ki sabji is ready.
Serve it hot with rice or rotis.

Whole Wheat Mango Cake (Eggless)

This time it was dear hubby birthday. Since he loves mangoes, the option was very simple - Mango cake

This time, I thought I should try with a healthier variety. I used whole wheat instead of maida. And trust me, the taste was just awesome. None of us could make out that it was a whole wheat cake. It was as delicious and as soft as the maida cake. Probably milkmaid had done its trick :)

 

Ingredients:
Whole wheat flour/atta - 1.5 cups
Baking powder - 1 tsp
Baking soda - ½ tsp
Oil \ one-forth cup or ½ cup chopped chilled butter
Milkmaid - 200 grams/half a tin
Mangoo puree - 1 cup
Sugar - 4 tsp
Vanilla essense - 1 tsp

Mango mousse icing: (optional)
Mango puree - one forth cup
Whipping cream - one forth cup
Icing sugar - 2 tsp

Procedure:

Preparing the cake:
1.seive 1.5 cups whole wheat flour/atta, 1 tsp baking powder and ½ tsp baking soda in a bowl. Keep the sieved dry ingredients aside.
2.Take a bowl, add oil to it. Add Milkmaid and beat well. Next add the mango puree and beat it again.
3. Add also the vanilla essence and sugar and then add the sieved wheat flour along with baking powder and baking soda.
4.Beat it well for about 5-10 mins
5. Grease ghee to the baking tray and pour thi into the tray.
6. Preheat the oven at 160 degress for 5 mins and then place this baking tray in the oven for about 40 mins.
7. Insert the spoon in the cake. If the spoon comes out clean, the baking is completed and cake is ready.
8. Once it cools down, decorate it with mango mousse icing.
Preparing mango mousse icing:
1.Mix the cream with sugar and mango puree and beat it well
2. Spread it over the cake once it has cooled down.

 That's my little naughty daughter who has painted the Mango icing over the mango cake for her dad.
Its just like her other painting ;)

Notes:
1. To prepare the mango puree, I have used 2 mangoes and extracted its pulp and then pureed it in the juicer with 2 tsp sugar. The same puree I used also for the icing.
2. As usual, I have prepared this cake in Kenstar OxyFryer. You can also use any convection oven for the same.

Parwal Ki Sabzi\ Pointed Gourd Curry

Parwal is also known as Pointed Gourd and is not a very common ingredient in our kitchens. It is mostly used in North Indian cooking.

It has many health benefits. It is rich in Vitamin A, B1, B2, and C and also Magnesium, Calcium, Potassium, Phosphorous and lots of other micronutrients. It helps lower cholesterol. It is easy to digest and is recommended for people suffering from stomach ailments.  In Ayurveda, Parwal is used to treat the gastric problems. It helps in weight loss and act as a blood purifier.

These immense health benefits made me to try out this recipe. I learnt this recipe from one of my colleague. It turned out very delicious and was just loved by my hubby. Taste Bhi , Health Bhi :)

 

Ingredients:
Parwal\ Pointed Gourd - 5
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Jeera\ Cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Chilly powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Garam Masala - one teaspoon
Oil -  1 tablespoon
Salt
Water
Coriander leaves - chopped finely

Procedure:
1. Grind the onion and tomato in the mixer to prepare onion tomato paste and keep it aside.
2. Wash the parwal and peel the skin. Trim both its ends. Chop it horizontally and keep aside. Parwal usually has a white center along with tender seeds but sometimes they are a bit yellowish and have hard seeds. If the seeds are hard then discard the seeds.
3. Take a kadhai and add 1 tablespoon oil. Next add mustard seeds and once they splutter, add jeera.
4. Next add the onion tomato paste and fry for some time. Also add pinch of salt.
5. Once the raw taste of onion disappears, add the turmeric powder, chilly powder and garam masala.
6. Finally add the chopped parwal. Add sufficient water and salt.
7. Let it cook for 10 minutes till the parwal is cooked.
8. Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.

Milkmaid Seviyan Kheer\ Milkmaid Vermicelli Payasam

I had this milkmaid lying in my refrigerator for quite some time now. I guess I had brought it for some cake preparation in the past. It was high time I use it. Finally I thought of preparing the seviyan kheer with milkmaid. It was very long since I last prepared kheer.

Seviyan kheer with milkmaid turned out really delicious and creamy. The unusual sweetness of the milkmaid when added to the kheer will just melt your tongue :)

Ingredients
Seviyan (Vermicelli) - half cup
Milk - 2.5 cups
Elaichi (Cardomom powder) - half teaspoon
Cashew nuts
Badam (Almonds)
Milkmaid - 4 tablespoon
Ghee - to roast the dry fruits and vermicelli
Saffron - 3-4 strands

Procedure
1. Boil the milk and keep aside. Soak 3-4 strands of saffron in half cup of milk for around 20 mins.
2. Roast the cashew nuts and almonds  in little ghee till golden brown and keep aside.
3. Next roast the vermicelli till golden brown.
4. Add the 2 cups boiled milk and let the vermicelli cook in the milk for some time
5. Next add the elaichi powder and stir well. Also add the saffron along with the milk.
6. Finally add the milkmaid and let it cook for another 2 minutes.
7. Add the roasted dry fruits.

Milkmaid Seviyan Kheer is ready
Serve it either hot or chilled.

Notes:
1. After some time, kheer starts to become dry. Add one teaspoon milkmaid or hot milk.
2. Adjust the sweetness with sugar. I usually don't add sugar when I add milkmaid.

Vanilla Sponge Cake (Eggless)

It was more than a month since I last baked a cake.
Long weekend time and we are stuck at home as my hubby dear has broken his leg.
So lets spice our life by baking a cake.

I was tired of preparing the chocolate cakes.
Now it was time for something different.
Lets prepare Vanilla cake.

As usual my daughter got the honor of cutting the cake.
Every month, she celebrates her birthday!!

Ingredients
All purpose Flour\ Maida - 1 cup
Butter\ Ghee - 1/4 cup
Condensed Milk - 200 gm / 1/2 tin
Baking powder- 1 tsp
Baking Soda 1/2 tsp
Milk - 1 cup
Lemon Juice - 2 tsp
Vanilla Extract - 1 tsp

Procedure:
1. Using a sieve, sift the Maida, baking powder and baking soda and keep aside.
2. Keep the butter at room temperature till it softens a bit. Beat the butter together with condensed milk till you get a creamy mix.
3. Next add the vanilla essence and gently blend in.
4. Add the sifted Maida, baking powder and baking soda and beat it well till no lumps are formed.
5. Finally add the milk and continue beating slowly.
6. Add the lemon juice.
7. The mixture should be now of poring consistency.
8. Grease the baking tray with ghee and pour the batter in this.
9. Pre heat the oven for 5 mins at 160 degrees.
10. Place the baking tin in the oven\Oxy fryer and bake it at 170 degrees for 30 mins.
11. Remove from oven and let it cool for 5 minutes.
12. Invert it and gently pat on the back of the tray. It will easily come out.

For the Icing:
Ingredients:
Powdered sugar - 1 cup
Melted ghee - 3 tablespoon
Gems
Cashew nuts

Procedure:
1. Mix the powdered sugar with the ghee till it forms a paste.
2. Decorate the cake with gems and cashew nuts

Rajma Masala\ Kidney Beans Curry

Rajma Chawal is extremely popular in North India. Rajma meaning kidney beans curry and Chawal meaning rice.
Rajwa goes really well with rice. But it can be had with rotis also.

Here is a simple Rajma recipe. Try it out and I am quite sure you will fall in love with it :)

Ingriedients:
Rajma\ Red kidney beans - 2 cups
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 1
Cashewnuts- around 8
Chilli powder - half teaspoon
Turmeric powder - half teaspoon
Garam Masala\ Chole Masala - half teaspoon
Ginger-Garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Cloves - 2
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Fresh Cream - 1tablespoon (Optional)
Chopped coriander leaves
Oil
Salt
Water

Procedure:
1. Soak the Rajma for at least 8 hours and boil it with little salt in the pressure cooker.
2. Next Soak the cashewnuts in 2 tablespoon water for about half an hour.
3. In the meantime, grind the onions to a coarse paste in the mixer. Keep this aside.
4. Next grind the tomatoes to prepare a puree and keep it aside.
5. Finally grind the cashewnuts along with the water.
6. Take a kadhai, add 2 tablespoon oil. Add the cloves and cinnamon
7. Next add the ground onion paste. Add a pinch of salt and fry it for around 5 minutes till the raw taste of onions goes away.
8. Next add the chilli powder, turmeric powder and garam masala\ chole masala.
9. Finally add the tomato puree and fry nicely till it starts leaving oil.
10. Finally add the boiled rajma. Add sufficient salt and mix well.
11. Next add the fresh cream. This is optional.
12. Let it boil for 5 more minutes.
Garnish with chopped coriander leaves.
Serve it hot with Rice or Roti.

Tips:
1. Rajma needs to be properly pressure cooked. I usually take 3 whistles on high flame and 1 whistle on low flame.
2. Rajma is available in two varieties, one red colored and the other slighter lighter one. I usually use the lighter one as it gets boiled faster.

Gongura\ Ambaadi Bhaji\ Red Sorrel Leaves Curry

The Gongura leaves holds a very special place in the Andhra cuisine. It is also consumed in other places and is known by various other names like the ambadi or pulicha keerai. It comes in two varieties namely the green leaf and the red leaf. The red variety is sourer than the green leaves.

Gongura leaves comes with many health benefits. It is a rich source of iron, vitamins, folic acid and anti-oxidants. It also helps to cool down the body and hence best for summer. It also sharpens the appetite.

I learned this recipe from one of my office friend who hails from Andhra. I loved its tangy taste and also its ample benefits. Additionally its very easy to prepare.

Ingredients:
Gongura\ Red sorrel leaves - 1 bunch
Onion - 1, finely chopped
Garlic - 4-5 petals
Jaggery - as per taste
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Karipatta - 4-5 leaves
Green chilli - 1
Jeera\ Cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Hing\Asoefatida
Oil
Salt

Procedure:
1. Clean the gongura leaves and pressure cook it for 3 whistles. Do not add water while pressure cooking as gongura leaves leave water. Also do not chop them.
2. Take a vok, add 1 tablespoon oil, next add mustard seeds.
3. Once they splutter, add jeera, garlic, hing, karipatta and green chillies
4. Then add onion and fry till it is golden brown.
5. Finally add the pressure cooked gongura leaves and fry for some time.
6. Next add the jaggery and salt as needed. Let it cok for another 5 mins.
Gongura is ready. Serve it with rice, ghee and pickle. You can also serve it with roti.

Tips:
1. Gongura leaves are very tangy, adjust the jaggery as per your taste.

Idli Sambhar

Idli Sambhar, I believe is a staple food of South India. Inspite of staying here for almost 8 years, I have missed out on this simple recipe in my blog.

Here is the simple formula to prepare soft and delicious Idlis :)

Ingriedients:
Dosa rice - 4 cups
Urad dal - One cup
Methi seeds - one-forth teaspoon
Poha\ Avalakki - one fistful
Baking soda - a small pinch
Water
Oil - for lining the idli maker

Procedure:

Preparing Idli Batter
1. Wash and soak the rice, urad dal and methi seeds atleast for 8 hours. I usually soak it in the morning and prepare the batter in the late evening.
2. Wash and soak the avalakki (Poha) 2 hours before preparing the batter.
3. To prepare the batter, grind the soaked dosa rice, urad dal, methi seeds and avalakki in the mixer. Grind the avalakki seperately in the mixer as it gets ground very fast.
4. Store this batter in a bigger conatiner as after fermentation, the dosa batter increases in quantity.
5. Add a pinch of baking soda , mix well and keep it outside for around 12 hours. I usually keep it overnight and prepare the idlis, next day morning for breakfast.

Preparing Idlis
1. Grease the idli maker with little oil.
2. Pour the idli batter in the idli maker.

3. Once it is done, fill the cooker with more water. The water level should be little below the first idli plate.
4. Remove the whistle from the rice cooker.
5. Initially keep it on a high flame for around 5 minutes as the water takes some time to start boiling.
6. Next keep it on a medium flame for another 5-10 minutes
7. Let the cooker cool down.
8. After 15 minutes, extract the idlis using a knifeand trasfer to a casserrole to keep them warm.

Serve the Idlis with Chutney and Sambhar

Notes:
1. I prepare idlis using the rice cooker as I do not have a idli maker. Rice cooker can be ofcoarse substituted by the Idli maker.
2. If some batter is left over, you can add little more and salt and prepare some dosas.
3. Idli batter needs to be little thicker than the dosa batter.
4. I usually use dosa rice to prepare idlis. You can substitute it with idli rice.
5. The quantities mentioned in the ingriedients needs to be strictly followed to prepare soft idlis.
6. Sambhar recipe is available at link to Sambhar Recipe
7. Corainder chutney recipe is available at link to Corainder Chutney Recipe

Dahi Vada

Dahi Vada or Dahi Bhalla is one of the lip smacking chaat items, which everyone just loves. Its my hubbys favourite too. Hubby dear is my inspiration for innovative and inventive cooking.

Preparing Dahi Vada was on my mind since quite long and this weekend I got some time to try it out. Initially I thought it might be time consuming. But its a really really simple recipe and can be prepared in no time. Only thing is you need to remember to soak the urad dal.

It is one of the healthy and quick snack and hence would have a place in my kitchen frequently now onwards. Although the picture does not look impressive, but its really delicious :)

Ingriedients:
Urad dal(white one without skin) - half cup
Ginger - small piece
Green chillies - 2
Salt
Oil for deep frying
Curd
Sugar
Chaat Masala
Tamarind Chutney

Procedure:
Preparing the Vadas
1. Soak the urad dal for atleast 3 hours. I soaked it for 5 hours.
2. Grind it togather with one small piece of ginger, 2 green chillies and salt to a fine paste. Do not add water while grinding.
3. If the soaked urad dal has some leftover water, keep it aside. You can add it later if needed.
4. Take a kadhai and keep oil for boiling.
5. Once the oil is hot enough, prepare round balls and deep fry them on a medium flame till they are golden brown.
6. You can enjoy some of vadas with chutney.

7. Remaining vadas, put them directly in warm water.
8. Keep them in the water for a minute. Then squeeze the remaining water and keep them aside.

Preparing Dahi Vada
1. Add sugar to the chilled curd and beat it well. Add little water if needed
2. Take the serving plate. Place the vada, pour the curd over it.
3. Next pour the tamarind chutney followed by the chaat masala

Tamarind Chutney recipe can be found at below link
Tamarind Chutney

Delicious Dahi vada is ready

Tips:
1. To check if oil is hot enough, dropp one small drop of the prepared batter, it should float on the oil.
2. For preparing the vadas, if the batter is sticky and you can roll them into balls, take a big spoon and drop the batter in the kadhai in the form of balls.
3. You can also sprinkle some grated carrot over the dahi vada for added taste and nutrition.

Drumsticks Gravy\ Shevgyachya Shengachi Bhaji

Drumsticks are a rich source of highly digestive proteins, calcium, iron, Vitamin C, and carotenoids. It purifies blood and lowers the blood sugar levels. It eases respiratory problems. It protects against infections. It aids in digestion.

I started this post with the health benefits of drumsticks. Most of us restrict drum sticks only to sambhars. But drumsticks can be used to prepare various kinds of gravies.

Below if a recipe of a sweet and tangy gravy prepared specially with drumsticks. Its definately worth a try for its ample health benefits and ofcoarse its awesome taste.

Ingriedients:
4 Drumsticks - cut into 1 inch long
1 Onion - finely chopped
Roasted Peanut powder - 2 tablespoon
Turmeric powder - one teaspoon
Chilli powder - one teaspoon
Garam Masala  - one teaspoon
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Cumin seeds \ Jeera - half teaspoon
Hing\ Asoefatida
Tamarind
Jaggery - 1 tablespoon
Oil - 1 tablespoon
Water - 1 cup
Salt
Corainder leaves - finely chopped

Procedure:
1. Take a kadhai and pour 1 tablespoon oil. Add mustard seeds. Once it splutters, add cumin seeds.
2. Next add hing and chopped onions.
3. Once the onion becomes translucent (golden brown), Add the turmeric powder, chilli powder and garam masala.
4. Next add the drumsticks and fry them for 2-3 mins.
5. Finally add one cup water and let it boil for 5 mins. Also add sufficient salt.
6. Add the roasted peanut powder, tamarind extract and jaggery and let it boil for another 5 minutes.
7. Garnish with chopped corainder leaves.

Serve with rice. It can be also served with roti with an additional side dish.

Simple Chocolate Cake (Eggless)

Since the time I have bought this Oxy Fryer, I have got addicted to baking cakes. Every month, I wait for some occasion to bake a cake. This month it was my brother in law's birthday. And this simple chocolate cake was especially baked for him.

It is a little hard on outside, but very soft inside. Just delicious :)

Here goes the recipe.

Ingriedients:
Maida\ All purpose flour - 1.5 cups
Powdered Sugar - 1 cup
Cocoa powder - 1/4 cup
Vanilla Extract - 1 teaspoon
Baking soda - 3/4 teaspoon
Baking powder - 1 teaspoon
Salt - 1/4 teaspoon
Lemon juice - 1 teaspoon
Ghee - 1/3 cup
Warm water - 1 cup


Procedure:
1. Sift all the dry ingriedients that is  maida with cocoa powder, powdered sugar, baking soda and baking powder. Keep it aside.
2. To this, add the wet ingriedients one by one. - ghee, lemon juice, vanilla extract and warm water
3. Beat this till you get a smooth mixture.
4. Grase the tin with ghee and pour the mixture in the tin.
5. Pre-heat Oxy Fryer for 5 minutes at 140° C. Keep the cake tin in fry basket and
close it properly. Keep the fryer at 140° C for 25 minutes. After 5 minutes de-mould the cake and let it cool completely.

The delicious cake is ready.

Cabbage Kofta Curry

I had some leftover cabbage sabji from previous day.  Usually we do not like to eat the same sabji again. I was thinking what to do with this left over sabji. Something best out of the waste(not really waste though). I thought, lets prepare cabbage koftas and see how it works.

And guess what, It was just awesome!! Really one of the best kofta curry I had ever had!!

You can also prepare koftas with chopped cabbage. Cooked cabbage(sabji) is not really mandatory.

Additionally I prepared the koftas in the Oxy Fryer so that its oil free. You can ofcoarse deep fry them if you dont have an Air Fryer.

Ingriedients:
Cabbage - chopped finely
Onions - 2
Tomatoes - 2
Cloves - 3
Cinnamon - 1 small piece
Bayleaf - 1
Ginger garlic paste - 1 teaspoon
Jeera\ cumin seeds - half teaspoon
Mustard seeds - half teaspoon
Besan\ Gram flour - 4 tablespoon
Hing\ asaefatida - 1 teaspoon
Chilli powder - 3 teaspoon
Turmeric powder\ haldi - 1 teaspoon
Garam masala - 1 teaspoon
Coriander powder -half teaspoon
Cumin\ Jeera powder - half teaspoon
Ajwain\ Carom seeds - 1 teaspoon
Coarinder leaves - finely chopped
Baking soda - one forth teaspoon

Procedure:
Preparing Gravy
1. Grind the onions and tomatoes to a paste using a mixer.
2. Take a kadhai, add 1 tablespoon oil. Add cloves, cinnamon and bayleaf. Next add mustard and wait till it splutters.
3. Next add the jeera.
4. Next add the hing and the ground onion tomato paste and fry it for till the raw taste of onion  dissapears.
5. Next add the ginger garlic paste and fry it till the raw taste of garlic dissapears.
6. Next add 1 teaspoon turmeric powder, 1 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon garam masala, half teaspoon corainder powder, half teaspoon jeera powder and mix well. Fry it till it starts to leave oil.
6. Finally add 2 cups of water and let it cook for 10 minutes. Also add sufficient salt.
7. Gravy is ready. Keep it aside.

Preparing Cabbage dumplings (Kofta)
1. Take a mixing bowl, add the chopped cabbage (or cabbage sabji), besan, 2 teaspoon chilli powder, 1 teaspoon ajwain, pinch of baking soda and salt and mix well.Make small balls as shown in picture below

2.. Heat oil for deep frying. Leave this prepared balls in the kadhi to prepare the pakodas or dumplings.
4. Once done, take it on a tissue and keep it aside. You can enjoy some of these for starters.

Preparing Cabbage Kofta curry
1. Add the cabbage dumplings to the prepared gravy.
2. Garnish it with chopped corainder leaves.

Serve it with Roti or Rice.

Tips:
1. Adjust the water added to the gravy as per your needed consistency.

2. If you have a Oxy Fryer, you can prepare the dumplings in that with low or no oil. I usually prepare the koftas in the oxy fryer. Trust me, the taste is just the same as the deep fried version.

Rava Cake\ Semolina Cake (Eggless)

I heard about this recipe from one of my friend and I could not really believe that we can actually prepare cake with rava and curd. I thought of giving it a try this weekend and it was worth the try.

This is one of the few traditional cake recipes and hence it is very simple to prepare. As it uses rava rather than maida, it is healthy too. I guess you can prepare this also with cooker using sand.

The addition of curd makes it really soft. So just enjoy baking.

Ingriedients
Rava\ Semolina- 1 cup unroasted
Fresh Curd - 1 cup
Sugar - two-third cup
Ghee - 3 tablespoon
Baking soda - one forth teaspoon
Cardamom\ Elaichi powder - half teaspoon
Saffron - a pinch
Vanilla extract - half teaspoon (optional)
Cashewnuts - crushed - 2 tablespoon (optional)
Raisins - 1 tablespoon (optional)

Procedure:
1. In a medium bowl, whisk together rava, yogurt and sugar. Add softened ghee and mix everything until batter is formed. Let it rest for 30 minutes to an hour.
2. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees / 180 degree Celsius.
3. Add the remaining ingriedients to the batter and mix well.
4. Grease the baking tray with ghee and pour the batter in the tray. Add the saffron strands on the top.

5. Bake this at 180 degree Celsius for around 25-30 mins.

The delicious rava cake is ready.
Let it cool down before serving it.

Tips:
1. Use only fresh curd. If the curd is sour, the cake may also become a little sour.
2. I have baked this in Oxy Fryer, you can also use microwave.