Category: Recipies

Coconut chutney

Ingredients

½ cup fresh coconut chopped

2 tbsp Bengal gram (Chana Dal roasted)

2 green chilies

¼ tbsp. cumin

¼ tsp lime juice

Salt to taste

Water as required

¼ cup coriander leaves (optional)

For Tempering:

1tsp coconut oil

3-4 curry leaves

¼ tsp red chilli powder

¼ tsp mustard seeds

¼ tsp urad dal (split black gram husked)

Pinch of asafetida (heeng)

Method:

Add the coconut, cumin ,green chilies ,roasted gram, lime juice and salt to a blender .Blend the ingredients well without adding water first .then add water little by little to get a smooth coconut chutney. Taste and adjust the salt. Transfer the chutney to a bowl.

Tempering Coconut Chutney

In a pan heat coconut oil on medium flame, add urad dal, stir for 1-2 minutes until the dal turns a little red. Then add a pinch of hing, mustard seeds. When mustard seeds crackle add curry leaves and red chili powder. Pour this over the coconut chutney.

Medu Wada

Ingredients:

1 cup split washed urad dal (split black gram)

1/8 teaspoon asafoetida (hing)

1 tablespoon green chili chopped

2 tablespoons cilantro chopped (hara dhania)

1 teaspoon salt

Oil to fry

Method:

Wash and soak dal in about 3 cups of water for about 4-6 hours. Drain the water and grind dal to smooth paste using very little water just enough to grind. Blend for another 2 minutes to whip dal to make fluffy. Transfer the batter in a bowl.

Add all the ingredients to the dal batter, cilantro, green chili, coriander, asafetida and salt, beat the batter for 2-3 minutes this will make the batter light and fluffy. To make sure batter is ready put one drop of batter in a bowl of water, batter should float.

Keeping the right consistency of batter is very important; add water as needed batter should be soft but not runny. When you put the batter on your palm batter should hold its shape.

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium high heat.

To check if the oil is ready, put one drop of batter in oil. The batter should sizzle and come up but not change color right away.

Wet the palms and take golf size batter and place over your palm, flatten to round shape and make hole in the center looking like donut now with other hand wet fingers slowly slide Vada into the hot oil.Fry the Vadas from both sides till golden brown. Take them out over paper towel to drain access oil.

Serve with Coconut Chutney, and sambar .

Hot Steamed Idli

Ingredients:

1 cup urad dal(black lentil) (whole with husk)

4 cups idly rice

1tbsp fenugreek seeds

1 tbsp. salt

Method for preparing batter

Soak fenugreek seeds, urad dal and idli rice separately in lots of water for minimum 4 hrs. Soaked black lentil should be washed thoroughly.

Grinding

Grind the soaked fenugreek seeds in ½ cup of water for 3-4 minutes , grind until fine paste. Then grind Black lentil (urad dal) by adding water little by little. This lets the dal to fluff up well. The dal should be fluffy and fill the mixer grinder. Transfer the dal mixture in a bowl. Keep aside. And last it is the turn of idli rice, grind the soaked and drained idli rice till the rice is smooth, add enough water while grinding. Transfer the batter to the lentil and fenugreek mixture and mix well. Take a bigger bowl which has enough space for the batter to expand while fermenting. Ferment the batter for overnight. Add the salt after fermentation. Once fermented the batter should have increased in volume. Mix the batter well.

Put some water in an idly vessel and put it on medium flame. Cover the vessel in order to form some steam. Oil the idli plate and gently fill the rounds with the batter. Put it inside the idly vessel and let it steam for 6-7 minutes on medium flame. Once the idlis are done remove the idli plate from the vessel. Leave it undisturbed for 4-5 minutes and then spoon it out (Do not remove the idlis immediately as they might stick) Serve hot with your favorite chutney and sambar.

Dal Vada(Fried Lentil Dumplings)

Ingredients:

250 gm. Chana dal (Bengal gram)

½ tbsp. fennel seeds

4 red chilies

250 gm. onions (chopped)

½ inch piece of ginger

2 sprigs of curry leaves

Oil for deep frying

Salt to taste

Method:

Put dal in a pan, add fennel seeds and red chilies cover with enough water and keep aside for about 2 hours.

Remove and reserve 50 gm. of the soaked Chana dal. Drain and put the remaining dal, fennel and red chilies in the blender and grind into a coarse paste. Remove, add all the other ingredients, including the reserved dal, and salt, mix well, divide into equal portions and flatten between the palms into patties of 2 inch diameter.

Heat enough oil to deep fry add the vada patties and deep fry over medium heat until golden brown. Remove to absorbent paper to drain the excess fat. Serve with chutney and sāmbar.

Masala Dosa (Stuffed Rice – Lentil Pan Cake)

Ingredients:

For Dosa:

3 cup rice (uncooked)

1 cup urad dal (black lentil)

2 tbsp oil

¼ tbsp chana dal(bengal gram) or urad dal(black lentil)

For Masala:

250 gm potatoes (boiled and mashed)

1 onion (large, sliced).

¼ tbsp. red chili powder

¼ tbsp. mustard seeds

10-12 curry leaves

½ tbsp. turmeric powder

1 tbsp. lemon juice

1 cup ghee or oil

Salt to taste

Method:

Soak the rice and urad dal in enough water (separately) overnight. Grind separately then mix rice and daal pastes, add salt, cover with a damp cloth and let it ferment overnight. When ready to cook dosa, mix water to obtain a batter thick pouring consistency.

To prepare the filling, heat oil in a pan and put the mustard seeds in it with chana dal and curry leaves and stir-fry for about half a minute. Now add the onions and fry them for about 2 minutes. Add all the spices and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Finally put the potatoes mash and blend well.

Heat a non-stick flat pan or an iron griddle and brush it lightly it with a little ghee or oil. Pour 2 tbsp. of the dosa batter on it and quickly spread it evenly into a circle of about 6 inches diameter. Flatten the surface with spatula. Pour a little oil around the edges of the dosa so that it does not stick to the pan. To master the technique of making perfect dosa, lot of practice may be required. Once the top side looks translucent ,flip it over to cook the other side. Remove to a plate, place some of the filling on the centre of the dosa and fold it. Serve hot with coconut chutney and piping hot sambar.

Dhaniya Ka Paratha(Green Coriander)

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup green coriander leaves (finely chopped)

Salt

¼ tsp asafoetida (Heeng)

2 Tbsp. ghee

Cooking oil for frying

Water for kneading

¼ cup curd

FOR THE DOUGH:

In a dough kneading plate, mix the wheat flour, salt ,ghee and curd. Knead the ingredients well with water to form a soft dough. Keep aside for 10-15 mins.

Coriander stuffing:

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add asafoetida. Then add chopped green coriander and salt. Cook for about a minute. Set aside and cool.

Making coriander paratha:

Now, take out a small portion of the dough and put a griddle on medium flame. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a small puri and stuff it with the prepared coriander stuffing and fold well into a ball. Using dry flour, carefully roll the ball into a paratha and put it on griddle. Cook the paratha from both sides using oil until the texture is little brown and serve with curd or pickle, as you like.

Pyaaz Ka Paratha(Onion Paratha)

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour

1 cup onions (finely chopped)

Salt

¼ Tbsp. nigella seeds

¼ Tbsp. green chilies

¼ tsp asafoetida (asafoetida)

2 Tbsp. ghee

1 ½ Tbsp. oil

Water for kneading

¼ cup curd

FOR THE DOUGH:

In a dough kneading plate, mix the wheat flour,salt ,ghee and curd. knead the ingredients well with water to form a soft dough. keep aside for 10-15 mins.

Onion stuffing:

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add asafoetida, nigella seeds, let them splutter. then add chopped green chillies, onion and salt. Cook for about a minute. Set aside and cool.

Making onion paratha:

Now, take out a small portion of the dough and put a griddle on medium flame. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a small puri and stuff it with the prepared onion stuffing and fold well into a ball. Using a little dry flour, carefully roll the ball into a paratha and put it on griddle. Cook the paratha from both sides using a little oil until the texture is little brown and serve with curd or pickle, as you like.

Paneer Paratha

Ingredients:

1 cup wheat flour

Water for kneading

¼ cup curd

200 gm paneer (crumbled)

Salt

¼ Tbsp. black pepper

¼ tsp amchur powder (dry mango powder)

2 Tbsp. ghee

Cooking oil for frying

FOR THE DOUGH:

In a dough kneading plate, mix the wheat flour, salt ,ghee and curd. knead the ingredients well with water to form a soft dough. keep aside for 10-15 mins.

Paneer stuffing:

Heat oil in a pan on medium heat, add black pepper. then add crumbled paneer and salt. Cook for about a minute. Set aside and cool.

Making paneer paratha:

Now, take out a small portion of the dough and put a griddle on medium flame. Using a rolling pin, roll the dough into a small puri and stuff it with the prepared paneer stuffing and fold well into a ball. Using a little dry flour, carefully roll the ball into a paratha and put it on griddle.Cook the paratha from both sides using a little oil until the texture is little brown and serve with curd or pickle, as you like.

Methi ka Paratha (Fenugreek Leaves)

Ingredients:

2 cups Methi leaves(chopped)

1 Tbsp. oil

Big pinch of asafetida (heeng)

¼ Tbsp. cumin seeds

¼ Tbsp.. mustard seeds

1tsp ginger-garlic paste

Salt to taste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp dry mango (amchur) powder

1/2 tsp garam masala powder

Cooking Oil for frying

For making dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour 

½ teaspoon salt or add as required

1 to 2 teaspoons oil 

water as required for kneading

½ cup curd

Prepare dough for paratha:

In a bowl , take whole wheat flour, make a well in the center. add salt, oil and about half of the water.Bring the mixture together and knead into a smooth soft dough. Cover and keep the dough aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

Prepare methi stuffing:

To prepare the stuffing, chop washed methi leaves. Heat oil in a pan. Add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and a pinch of asafetida (heeng). Let them crackle .then add ginger-garlic paste, stir and add chopped methi leaves .

Cook for 2-3 minutes, till the moisture dries out. Add red chilli powder, dry mango powder (amchur), garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Check the seasoning.

To fry paratha:

Take a portion of paratha dough. Form a ball and flatten it. Roll it into a thick roti

Place a portion of stuffing in it. Seal it. And flatten it.Roll it into a thick paratha.

Put it on a hot pan. Cook on low flame till partly cooked from both the sides.

Apply cooking oil on both the sides and cook on medium flame for 1-2 minutes.

Continue to cook on medium flame till the paratha is done .the parathas should be brown and crispy. Serve with pickle of your choice and mint coriander chutney.

Bathua paratha (goose foot leaves )

Ingredients:

For stuffing:

2 cups bathua leaves (chopped, boiled and dreained)

1 Tbsp. oil

¼ Tbsp. fennel seeds (sauf)

1 tsp ajwain(carom seeds)

Big pinch of asafoetida (heeng)

Salt to taste

1 tsp red chilli powder

1 tsp dry mango (amchur) powder

1/2 tsp Spice Mix (garam masala powder)

Cooking Oil for frying

For making dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour 

½ teaspoon salt or add as required

1 to 2 teaspoons oil 

water as required for kneading

½ cup curd

Prepare dough for paratha:

In a bowl , take whole wheat flour,make a well in the center. add salt, oil and about half of the water.Bring the mixture together and knead into a smooth soft dough. Cover and keep the dough aside for 20 to 30 minutes.

Stuffing preparation:

To prepare the stuffing, heat 1 Tbsp. oil in a pan. Add ajwain seeds (carom),fennel seeds and a pinch of asafoetida (heeng). Let it crackle .Stir in chopped bathua leaves .

Cook for 2-3 minutes, till the moisture dries out. Add red chilli powder, dry mango powder (amchur), garam masala powder and salt to taste. Mix well and cook for 3-4 minutes. Check the seasoning.

To fry paratha:

Take a portion of paratha dough. Form a ball and flatten it. Roll it into a thick roti

Place a portion of stuffing in it. Seal it. And flatten it.Roll it into a thick paratha.

Put it on a hot pan. Cook on low flame till partly cooked from both the sides.

Apply cooking oil on both the sides and cook on medium flame for 1-2 minutes.

Continue to cook on medium flame till the paratha is done .the parathas should be brown and crispy. Serve with tamatar ki chutney (Tomato Chutney).