GOBI MUSSALLAM

Ingredients

Gobi (cauliflower) 500 gm
Onion 2 big (grated)
Tomato 2 big (puree)
Cumin 1 tsp
Turmeric ½ tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Garam masala powder ½ tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp
Cream 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil

Preparation

Cut the gobi into florets and wash. To the boiling water add these florets and turmeric. Cook till florets done. Strain all the water and keep gobi florets aside.

Heat oil. Add jeera and onion. Sauté for 3 min. Add tomato puree, coriander powder, red chilli powder and garam masala powder. Sauté for 5 min till the masala leaves out a good aroma. Add gobi florets and salt. Add a little water to make a thick gravy. Cover and cook for 2 min. Add cream and cook for 1 min.

Serve with roti or chapati.

TOMATO PULAV WITH ONION CHUTNEY

This is my favorite dish since my school days. Very filling and delicious, and a very easy way to get away from vegetables.

Ingredients

For Pulav:
Basmati rice 2 cups
Onion 1 big (chopped)
Tomato puree 1 cup
Cardamom 3
Cinnamon 1 inch
Cloves 2
Green chillies 3
Salt to taste
Oil
Water (boiling hot) 4 cups

For onion chutney:

Onions 4 (sliced length wise)
Mustard seeds ½ tsp
Asafoetida a pinch
Urad dal ½ tsp
Green chillies 2 (slit)
Curry leaves 7-8
Coconut 2 tbsp grated (optional)
Yoghurt (thick) 1 ½ cups
Salt to taste
Oil

Preparation

Wash and soak basmati rice for 15 min.

Heat oil, add cardamom, cinnamon, and cloves. Add onions, green chillies and sauté. Add basmati rice and tomato puree. Sauté for 1 min. add boiling water, salt. Cover and cook till done.

For chutney, heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add hing, urad dal, curry leaves, green chillies and onions. Sauté till onions done. Add coconut. Mix well. Let the mixture cool. Add salt and yoghurt. Add a little water if needed. Mix well.

Serve hot tomato pulav with this onion chutney and some roasted papad.

PANEER CAPSICUM

This is a very delicious sabzi to be used in veg rolls. A very easy picnic food.

Ingredients

Paneer 200 gm
Capsicum 2 big
Onion 2 big (grated)
Ginger garlic paste 1 tsp
Cumin 1 tsp
Turmeric ½ tsp
Garam masala powder ¾ tsp
Red chilli powder ½ tsp
Salt to taste
Oil

Preparation

Deseed capsicum, wash and cut capsicum into cubes.

Cut paneer the same size.

Chopped onions can be used but grated onions give a different taste as they coat well with masalas on paneer & capsicum.

Heat oil. Add cumin. Add onion and ginger garlic paste. Sauté for 3 min. Add capsicum. Mix, cover and cook till done. Add turmeric, garam masala and chilli powder. Fry. Add paneer pieces and salt. Cover and cook for 2 min.

To serve, spread cheese spread/mayonnaise and tomato ketchup on rotis. Spread a little bit of the prepared sabzi in middle and prepare a roll. Use any sauce of your choice. Tastes good with chapatis also.

BATATA TALASANI

(POTATO SABZI)

This is my family’s favorite sabzi. A very good option when you run out of vegetables, potatoes always come in handy.

Ingredients

Potato 4 big

Curry leaves 10-12

Garlic cloves 2 (optional)

Mustard seeds 1 tsp

Asafoetida (hing) a pinch

Cumin ½ tsp

Fenugreek seeds (methi) ¼ tsp

Black gram dal (urad dal) ½ tsp

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Red chilli powder 1 ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil 4 tbsp

Preparation

Peel potatoes, wash and cut them length wise into thin strips (like French fries).

Heat oil. Add mustard seeds. When they splutter, add hing, urad dal, methi, cumin and curry leaves (if adding garlic, crush and add them at this point). Sauté. Add potatoes, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Mix well. Sprinkle a little water, cover and cook till done.

Serve with any rice and dal.

CHUTNEY PITTO

(CHUTNEY POWDER)

This is a must in any South Indian kitchen. We eat it with idli, dosa, roti, bread etc.

Ingredients

Chutney dal/Putani 100 gm
Sesame seeds 10 gm
Red chilli 10-15 (as per taste)
Turmeric powder 1 tsp
Sugar 1 tsp (optional)
Dry coconut 2 cups
Curry leaves 10-15
Garlic cloves 8-10
Tamarind lemon size ball
Salt to taste

Preparation

All the ingredients have to be separately dry roasted on low flame, care to be taken not to burn them. This dry roasting has to be done as follows:

1.     Dry roast putani. Keep aside. Dry roast sesame seeds. Keep aside. Dry roast red chilli. Let them cool. Make a powder of this along with turmeric and sugar. Keep aside.

2.     Dry roast khopra for 5 min. Add curry leaves, garlic cloves and tamarind. Dry roast for another 2 min. Keep aside and let it cool. Make a powder (powder will be a little sticky).

Mix both powders and add salt. Mix well. Again make a fine powder by putting in mixer. Let it cool. Keep in air tight containers.
Serve with idli, dosa, rotis, bread etc.

VEG KORMA

This veg delicacy can be quickly prepared in a short time and very ideal when you have lot of guests for lunch or dinner.

Ingredients

Vegetables (beans, carrot, potato, peas etc) 2 ½ cups

Onion 1 big (chopped)

Tomato 1 big (chopped)

Turmeric powder ½ tsp

Salt to taste

Oil

For the korma masala:

Dry coconut (khopra) ¾ cup

Cinnamon 1 inch

Cloves 3

Cardamom 3

Poppy seeds (khus-khus) ¾ tsp

Red chilli 4-5

Garlic cloves 4-5

Cashew nut 5

Coriander leaves few sprigs (optional)  

Preparation

Wash, cut and boil the vegetables of your choice.

Chop onion & tomato separately. Keep aside.

Dry roast cinnamon, cloves, cardamom, poppy seeds, and red chillies. Keep aside. Again dry roast khopra for 2 min. Grind all of this with the rest of the ingredients to a fine paste using water.

Heat oil. Add onion. When the onions turn transparent, add tomato. Fry for 2 min. Add the ground masala and turmeric powder. Cover and cook for 5 min. Add the boiled vegetables and salt. Cover and cook for 5 more min.

Serve with puris or rotis.

Serves 4.

PRAWNS BALCHAUN

I just love prawns, tried this recipe and liked it so much that I keep preparing it very often.

Ingredients
Frozen Prawns 500 gm (medium)
Onion 2
Tomato 1
Capsicum 1(optional)
Oil
Salt to taste

For the balchaun masala:

Red chilli 2
Cumin 3/4 tsp
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Turmeric powder 1/2 tsp
Cinnamon 1 inch
Cloves 2
Peppercorns 4
Garlic cloves 4
Ginger 1 inch piece
 

Preparation

Wash and devein the prawns.

Cut onions, tomatoes and capsicum into big cubes.

Prepare a thick paste by grinding all the ingredients of balchaun masala using very little water.

Heat oil. Add onions. Fry for 1 min. Add capsicum. Fry till onions are transparent. Add the balchaun masala and tomatoes. Fry for 2-3 minutes. Add prawns and salt. Cover and cook till prawns are done.

Can be served with any fried rice. Serves 6.

UTTAPPAM

The name of this recipe is “Abbubakkar dosa” as my Mom calls it and is prepared with the left over idli batter. As idli batter contains idli rava (sooji), it make the dosas crispy. Onions can be added or plain dosa can be prepared the same way.

Ingredients

Idli batter (left over) 3 cups
Onion 1 big (chopped)
Oil

For the paste:

Green chilli 2
Curry leaves 5 to 6
Ginger 1 inch
Coriander leaves a handful (optional)

Preparation

Chop the onions big or slice them.

Prepare a coarse paste with the ingredients for paste. Mix it to the idli batter.

Spread a spoonful of mixture on a hot tava and keep it a little thick. Spread onions on the dosa.

Drizzle a little oil on sides. Cover it for 1 min. Take out the lid and carefully turn the dosa the other side. Remove the dosa from tava once the onions are brown.

Serve with chutney. Serves 2.

PRAWNS HUMMAN

This recipe is inspired by my aunt Poornima pachi. She is a very good cook and this curry of hers is amazingly delicious and can be instantly prepared.

Ingredients

Frozen prawns 500 gm
Onion 1 big (chopped)
Turmeric powder ½ tsp
Red chilli powder 1 ½ tsp (as per taste)
Coriander powder 1 tsp
Tamarind pulp 1 tsp
Coconut milk (thick) 2 cups
Salt to taste
Oil

Preparation

Devein the prawns, wash and keep aside.

Heat oil. Add onion. Fry for 2 min. Add prawns and sauté for 2 min. Add turmeric powder, coriander powder, chilli powder and tamarind pulp. Fry again for 2 mins. Add coconut milk (thick) and salt. Add little water to get right consistency for curry. Cover and cook till prawns done.

Serve with plain white rice.

Serves 4.

POHA UPKARI

(Flattened rice snack)

This is the easiest and tasty snack to be prepared in a few mins and goes well with hot cup of tea.

 

Ingredients

Poha (thin variety) 3 cups
Mustard seeds 2 tsp
Asafoetida ¼ tsp
Curry leaves 10 – 12
Cummin ½ tsp
Ground nuts ½ cup (increase the quantity if needed)
Putani (chutney daal) ½ cup
Coriander powder 1 tbsp
Cumin powder 1 tsp
Turmeric ¾ tsp
Red chilli powder 1 tsp (can be increased as per taste)
Salt to taste
Oil 4 tbsp

Preparation
Saute poha till crispy stirring continuously on a low heat (as poha can burn if kept on high heat) and keep aside.

Heat oil. Add mustard seeds and asafoetida. When they splutter, add ground nuts and putani. Fry for 2 mins. Add curry leaves, coriander powder, cumin powder, turmeric powder, chilli powder and salt. Switch of the heat. Add poha and mix well. Turn on the heat and keep stirring the poha. When poha blended well with masala, turn it off. Let it cool and keep in an air tight container.

Serve with coconut gratings, onions, or yogurt.

Serves 4.

PALAK RICE

PALAK RICE

This recipe is good if you want the kids to eat green leafy vegetables and trust me, this has worked wonders with my kid. Serving with papad and salads recommended.

Ingredients

·         Basmati rice 2 cups
·         Spinach (Palak) leaves 1 big bunch
·         Coriander leaves 1 small bunch
·         Mint leaves 15 to 20
·         Onion 2 medium
·         Cinnamon sticks 1 inch
·         Cloves 3
·         Black cumin 1 tsp
·         Bay leaves 1 big
·         Ginger garlic paste 1 tbsp
·         Green chillies 2
·         Garam masala powder ½ tsp
·         Lemon juice 2 tbsp
·         Ghee 2 tsp
·         Oil 2 tbsp
·         Salt to taste

Preparation

Soak basmati rice for ½ hour in water, remove the water and keep aside.

Heat ghee and add the rice to it. Roast it well for 2 min and keep aside.

Heat oil, add bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, black cumin, and slit green chillies. Fry. Add sliced onions. When the onions turn transparent, add ginger garlic paste. Stir.

Add chopped spinach leaves, mint leaves, and coriander leaves. Add garam masala powder. Fry.

Add rice. Give it a good stir and add 3 ½ cups of hot water. Add salt and lemon juice. Cover and cook till rice is done.

Garnish with tomato rings.

Serves 6.

NIPPAT

Nippat

This is my mom’s recipe, pretty easy and very crispy-tasty snack to be prepared during festivals.

Ingredients:

Rice flour 2 cup
Maida 1 cup
Groundnut (roasted & coarsely powdered)¼ cup
Sesame/Til (roasted & coarsely powdered)2 tbsp
Chutney dal/Putani (roasted & coarsely powdered) ½ cup
Chutney dal/Putani (whole) 2 tbsp
Turmeric 1 tsp
Red chilli powder 2 tsp
Curry leaves 10-12
Hot oil 2 tbsp
Salt to taste
Oil for deep frying

Preparation:

Mix all of the above ingredients and form a firm dough (like a puri dough) with water.
Grease a plastic sheet with oil (remember to grease the plastic sheet each time). Take small portions of dough and flatten on it. Make it as thin as possible. Deep fry till golden brown. Let it cool. Store in air tight containers.