Sorakai palli curry

Ingredients:
Sorakai (bottle gourd) - 500 gms
Peanuts - 1/2 cup
Dry red chillies - 5
Garlic cloves - 4
Green chillies - 3
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Corainder powder - 1 spoon
Coriander leaves - 2 spoons
Salt
Water
Oil

Seasoning:
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Chana dal - 1 spoon
Urad dal - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - 15

Procedure:
Heat a pan and dry roast the dry red chillies, garlic cloves and peanuts.
Allow them to cool and grind it to fine paste.
Heat the same pan and oil into it. Once the oil is heated add the seasoning ingredients.
When the dal turns to light brown add onion, green chillies and turmeric powder.
Once the onion is fried add tomatoes, sorakai, the ground paste and little water.
Add salt as per taste and close the lid and cook for sometime.
When it is half cooked add coriander powder. Remove from heat when it is done.
Garnish with coriander leaves.

Tomato dosa

Ingredients:
Tomato - 2
Rice flour - 1 cup
Jeera - 1 spoon
Green chillies - 3
Onion - 1
Curry leaves - 10
Water
Salt

Procedure:
Grind the tomatoes and make a smooth puree of it.
Heat a pan and 1 spoon oil. Add jeera, onion, green chillies and curry leaves.
Stir fry for 5 mins and remove from heat.
Take a bowl and add the rice flour, tomato puree, water, above tempering and salt as per taste.
The batter consistency should be little thin.
Now heat the tawa and pour spoonful batter on to tawa.
Sprinkle little oil in the corners of dosa. Once the dosa is fried turn it to other side.
Remove from tawa when the other side is also done.
Now serve hot with your desired chutney :)

Tomato menthi pachadi

Ingredients:
Tomato - 4
Methi leaves - 1 cup
Green chillies - 5-6
Chana dal - 1/4 cup
Urad dal - 1/4 cup
Coriander seeds - 1 spoon
Oil

Seasoning:
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - 10
Dry red chilli - 3
Chana dal - 1 spoon
Urad dal - 1 spoon

Procedure:
Dry roast the chana dal, urad dal and coriander seeds. Cool them and grind it to fine powder.
In the same pan add 1 spoon oil and add green chillies, methi leaves and tomatoes into it.
Cook until the tomatoes are soft. Once done remove from heat and allow it to cool. Grind it to fine paste.
Now heat another pan and 2 spoons oil in it.
Once oil is heated add all the ingredients given in seasoning.
When the dals turn light brown add both the mixtures and salt. Mix properly and remove from heat.
Serve with hot rice or dosa or idli.

Dahi vada

Ingredients:
Urad dal - 1 glass
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 3
Onions
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Oil for deep frying
Curd - 1 cup
Roasted jeera powder - 1/2 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1/2 spoon
Water
Salt

Procedure:
Soak the urad dal for 3-4 hrs and grind it to fine paste. Don't add too much of water while grinding.
Add the  green chillies, cumin seeds, chopped onions and salt to the batter.
Now heat a pan and add oil in it for deep frying.
Wet your hands and take a lemon size batter in your hand. Gently flatten the batter.
Make a whole in center and slowly drop into the oil.
Fry until the vada turns golden brown and remove from oil once done.
Take a bowl and add 2 cups of water. Now drop the vada into this water.
Soak for 5-10 mins and squeeze the excess water gently by pressing in between both of your palms.
Keep this aside in a plate.
Take curd in a bowl and whisk it properly. Add salt as per taste.
Now add the soaked vada into curd. Keep this in fridge for 10-15 mins.
Remove from fridge and sprinkle jeera powder and chilli powder on top and serve.

Methi dal

Ingredients:
Methi leaves - 2 cups
Tur dal - 1 glass
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Green chilli - 4-5
Dry red chilli - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - 10
Chana dal - 1 spoon
Garlic cloves - 4
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Water
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Heat a vessel and add oil in it. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, garlic cloves, chana dal and green chillies.
Now add dry red chillies, onions and turmeric. Fry until onion turns light brown.
Add tomato now and fry for sometime and remove from stove.
Heat a pressure cooker and add the methi leaves and tur dal into it with 2 glass of water.
And also transfer the tempering prepared above into the pressure cooker and add salt.
Cook until soft for 2 whistles and remove from heat.

Bread upma

Today I was thinking what should I prepare for dinner then I saw the bread packet with today's expiry date. My friends are out for a trip so I alone cannot eat full packet of bread :P so thought I'll prepare upma with bread. Here is my trail with it :)

Ingredients:
Bread slices - 10-15
Aloo - 2
Carrot - 1
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Chana dal - 1 spoon
Lemon - 1/2
Green chillies - 3
Curry leaves - 10
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Oil
Salt

Procedure:
Crumble the bread slices into a wide bowl. Squeeze the lemon and sprinkle little water to moist the bread but don't add too much of water. Keep this aside for 10 mins.
Heat a vessel and add oil into it. Once the oil is heated add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chana dal, curry leaves and green chillies.
Now add onions and turmeric into it. When onion turns light brown add aloo and carrot.
When the aloo and carrot are cooked add the crumbled bread pieces and salt into it.
Stir it finely and cook for 5 mins. Remove from heat and serve hot.

Learning veg carving along with cooking :D Here is the rose made of tomato skin.

Beetroot kheer

Ingredients:
Beetroot - 1
Milk - 2 cups
Sugar - 1 cup
Cardamom powder - a pinch
Almonds - 4
Kaju - 4
Ghee - 1 spoon

Procedure:
Grate the beetroot and keep aside.
Heat a vessel and add the ghee. Once ghee is heated add the beetroot.
Once the raw smell of it is gone add the milk.
When the milk starts boiling add sugar and cardamom powder.
Remove from heat once it is done.
Roast the dry fruits in ghee and serve it with kheer.

Ragi sankati/mudde with menthi pulusu

Ingredients:
Ragi flour - 1 cup
Water - 4 cups
Rice - 3 spoons
Salt
Ghee - 1 spoon

Procedure:
Heat a vessel, add water and rice in it. Cook the rice until soft.
Take a bowl add ragi flour and 1/2 cup water into it such that no lumps are formed.
Now add the above mixture, salt and ghee to the cooked rice.
Stir the mixture continuously so that bottom is not burnt.
Once it is cooked remove from heat. Wet your palms with water and take a big mixture of ragi.
Make a round ball and serve hot with sambar or any pulusu.

I had the ragi sankati with menthi pulusu :)

Menthi pulusu
Ingredients:
Dry red chilli - 5
Rice - 1 spoon
Coriander seeds - 1 spoon
Dry coconut - 2 spoons
Methi seeds - 1 spoon
Methi leaves - 1 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Chana dal - 1 spoon
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Garlic cloves - 2
Onion - 1
Tamarind pulp - 2 spoons
Salt
Water
Oil

Procedure:
Dry roast the dry red chillies, coriander seeds, rice and methi seeds.
Remove from heat and allow it to cool. Later grind it to fine powder.
Heat another pan and add oil in it.
Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, 2 dry red chillies and chana dal.
When dal turns light brown add onion, turmeric and garlic into it. Stir for 5 mins.
Now add methi leaves, ground powder, tamarind pulp, water and salt.
Boil for 10-15 mins and remove from heat.

Ragi ambali/malt

When I say Ragi ambali I remember my mother. She likes this very much and prepares it mostly in summer as this is an amazing cooler. During my childhood my mom used to give me to drink but I would make excuses to drink this :P But now I started liking ragi when my friend prepared ragi sevai. Since very long I was planning to prepare ragi recipes so here is my first attempt with ragi flour.

Ingredients:
Ragi flour - 1 cup
Water - 3 cups
Curd or buttermilk - 1 cup
Salt

Procedure:
Heat a vessel and add water into it. Bring the water to boil.
Take a bowl add ragi flour into it and pour 1/2 cup water. Mix the flour such that there are no lumps.
Now add this mixture into water and stir it continuously.
Reduce the flame and boil the ragi properly.
Once its done remove from flame.
Now take half glass ragi mixture, salt and add curd or buttermilk.
Mix properly and serve.

The sweet version of this can also be prepared. Instead of adding salt and buttermilk you can add sugar, cardamom powder and any dry fruit nuts.

Vada, bendi sambar and coconut chutney

This long weekend we thought to have vada for breakfast. But morning we noticed that oil was not enough for deep frying so had this for dinner after bringing oil from market. I never used to get the vada in ring style but later after practice I started getting the ring style vada :) We had this vada with the combination of bendi sambar and coconut chutney.

Vada
Ingredients:
Urad dal - 1.5 glass
Onion - 1
Green chillies - 3
Coriander leaves - 1 cup
Curry leaves - 15
Salt
Oil for deep frying

Procedure:
Soak the urad dal for 3-4 hrs and grind it to fine paste. Don't add too much of water while grinding.
Add the chopped onions, green chillies, curry leaves and coriander leaves and salt to the batter.
Now heat a pan and add oil in it for deep frying.
Wet your hands and take a lemon size batter in your hand. Gently flatten the batter.
Make a whole in center and slowly drop into the oil.
Fry until the vada turns golden brown and remove from oil once done.
Proceed the same for remaining batter.

Bendi sambar
Ingredients:
Bendi - 15
Tur dal - 1 glass
Tamarind pulp - 3 spoons
Tomato - 1
Onion -1
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Dry red chilli - 3
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Sambar powder - 2 spoons
Garlic cloves -3
Curry leaves - 15
Coriander leaves - for garnishing
Water
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Pressure cook the tur dal and keep aside.
Heat a vessel and oil in it. Once oil is heated add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chilli, curry leaves and garlic cloves.
Now add onions, turmeric, bendi and cook until onion turns light brown.
Add tomato, chilli powder, sambar powder, salt and tamarind pulp. Boil the mixture for 4-5 mins.
Now add the cooked tur dal and add water as you require.
Boil for another 5-6 mins and remove from heat.

Coconut chutney
Ingredients:
Fresh coconut - 1 cup
Roasted chana - 1/2 cup
Green chilli - 3
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 spoon
Chana dal - 1 spoon
Dry red chilli - 3
Curry leaves - 10
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Dry roast the green chillies and roasted chana dal. Grind it to a fine paste along with coconut, salt and keep aside.
Heat the pan and add oil in it. Add the cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry red chillies, curry leaves and chana dal.
When chana dal turns light brown remove from heat and mix the seasoning to the ground paste.

Aloo soya mince rice

Ingredients:
Aloo - 2
Soya mince - 1 cup
Onion - 1
Frozen peas - 2 spoons
Cooked rice - 2 cups
Cloves - 2
Bay leaves - 1
Cinamom stick - 1
Green chllies - 3-4
Garlic cloves - 3
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - 10
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Heat a pan and add oil in it. Once the oil is heated add the cumin seeds, cinamom stick, garlic cloves, cloves, green chillies and bay leaves.
Stir fry for 2 mins and add onions, curry leaves, turmeric and frozen peas.
Soak the soya mince in water. After 10 mins squeeze the excess water and keep aside.
When the oil turns light brown add the aloo, soaked soya mince and salt.
Cook until aloo is soft and now add the cooked rice. Mix properly and close the lid.
Remove from heat after 5 mins and serve hot.

Stuffed egg snack

Ingredients:
Boiled eggs - 5
Onion - 1
Tomato - 1
Boiled potato - 1
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Coriander powder - 1 spoon
Garam masala - 1/2 spoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Cut the boiled eggs into half  remove the yellow yolks, mash them and keep aside.
Heat a pan and oil in it. Once the oil is heated add the onions and ginger garlic paste.
When the onion turns light brown add tomato, boiled aloo, chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.
Once the tomato turns soft add the mashed yellow yolks and mix properly.
Cook for 2-3 mins and keep aside.
Now take a spoonful of the mixture and fill in the eggs which are cut into half.
When all the eggs are filled with the mixture heat a pan and little oil.
Saute the eggs for 5 mins and serve hot.

Aloo palak curry

Ingredients:
Aloo - 3
Palak - 2 cups
Tomato - 1
Onion - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Garam Masala - 1 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Water
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Heat a pan and add oil. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, onion and turmeric.
When onion turns light brown add palak and stir fry for sometime.
Now add the aloo, tomato, red chilli powder, garam masala, salt and little water.
Cook until the aloo is cooked and remove from heat.

Cauliflower rice

Ingredients:

Cauliflower - 2 cups

Cooked rice - 3 cups

Chana dal - 1 spoon

Onion - 1

Red chilli powder - 1 spoon

Garam masala - 1/2 spoon¨

Cumin seeds - 1 spoon

Mustard seeds - 1 spoon

Turmeric - 1/2 spoon

Coriander leaves - 2 spoons

Grated ginger - 1/2 spoon

Salt

Oil

Procedure:

Heat a pan and add oil. When oil is heated add onions, turmeric, grated ginger, cumin seeds and mustard seeds.

Once the onion turns light brown add the cauliflower florets, red chilli powder, garam masala and salt as per taste.

When the cauliflower is cooked well add the rice and mix well.

Garnish with coriander and serve hot.

Fluffy pulkas

After seeing this post I guess my husband and lavanya's husband would be surprised :D I never used to get such fluffy pulkas earlier. I still remember the first attempt of my chapati after marraige. When we sat for dinner after making all the chapatis it was almost like pappads lol :D


But now I feel am good in making chapati, pulkas or parathas. Credit goes to my tutors Prathibha, Smita and ofcourse my MIL :) Feels great that now am the tutor for lavanya in making the below fluffy pulkas have a look at it :


Ingredients:
Whole Wheat Flour - 1 ½ cups
Salt - a pinch
Water - ¾ to 1 cup


Procedure:
Add flour, salt, oil mix with hand then add water and roll it into a soft dough.
Apply ¼tsp oil over the dough, cover with lid and keep it aside for 30 mins.
Take the dough make lemon size balls.
Take a ball dust with flour and roll it like thin round shape.
Heat the tawa and place the chapati on tawa once it is heated.
Once small bubbles are seen on the chapati turn it on other side.
Now press the chapati with a dry cloth by turning it all around.
Reverse the chapati and slighthly press again it will puff up.
Continue same process on the rest of the dough.
If you want apply ghee or oil.
Serve hot with any side dish.

Palak with urad dal

Ingredients:
Palak - 2 bunches
Soaked urad dal - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
Water
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Heat a vessel and oil in it.
Once the oil is heated add the ginger garlic paste and turmeric.
Stir fry for 2 mins. Now add the palak and saute for another minute.
Add soaked urad dal, tomato, red chilli powder, salt and 1 glass water.
Close the lid and cook until the dal is soft. 
Once the dal is cooked remove from heat.

Spring onions with chana dal

Ingredients:
Spring onions - 2 bunch
Soaked chana dal - 1/2 cup
Tomato - 1
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
Water
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Heat the pressure cooker and oil in it.
Once the oil is heated add the ginger garlic paste and turmeric.
Stir fry for 2 mins. Now add the spring onions and saute for another minute.
Add soaked chana dal, tomato, red chilli powder, salt and 1 glass water.
Pressure the curry for 2 whistles and remove from heat.

Pav bhaji

Ingredients:
Boiled potatoes - 4
Tomatoes - 3
Onions - 2
Green capsicum - 1
Cauliflower grated - 1 cup
Frozen green peas - 1/4 cup
Ginger garlic paste - 1 spoon
Green chillies - 3
Pav bhaji masala - 1.5 spoons
Salt to taste
Butter 3 tablespoons
Pav 8
Coriander leaves - 1/4 cup
Lemons, cut into wedges 2
Oil 3 tablespoons

Procedure:
Heat oil in a pan and add three fourth quantity of onions. Saute till light brown.
Add green chillies and ginger-garlic paste. Stir-fry for half a minute.
Add tomatoes and cook on medium heat for 3-4 mins, stirring continuously or till oil separates from the masala.
Add capsicum, frozen peas, cauliflower, potatoes and one and half cups of water.
Bring it to a boil and simmer for ten minutes, pressing with back of the spoon a few times, till all the vegetables are completely mashed.
Add pavbhaji masala and salt. Cook on medium heat for two minutes, stirring continuously.
Heat half of the butter in a thick-bottomed tawa. Slice pav horizontally into two and pan fry in butter for half a minute, pressing two or three times or till pav is crisp and light brown.
Garnish the bhaji with chopped coriander leaves, remaining butter and serve hot with pav accompanied with remaining chopped onion and lemon wedges.

Masala Bhaat with vegetables

Ingredients:
Basmati rice - 1.5 cup
Cauliflower - 1 cup
Carrots - 2
Aloo - 3
Dry red chillies - 6-7
Coriander seeds - 2 poons
Dry coconut (kopra), grated - 1/2 cup
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Oil - 4 spoons
Cloves - 5-6
Green cardamoms - 2-3
Bay leaves - 2
Turmeric powder - 1 spoon
Cashewnuts, roasted - 10
Coriander leaves - 1/2 bunch


Procedure:
Soak rice in water for thirty minutes. Drain and set aside.
Roast whole red chillies, coriander seeds, grated dry coconut and cumin seeds separately and then grind into a fine paste with a little water.
Heat oil in a pan. Add cloves, cardamom, bay leaves and stir-fry for a few seconds.
Add ground masala, cook for two to three minutes on medium heat, stirring continuously.
Add vegetables and turmeric powder, cook for 2 mins. Add rice and mix gently. Add three cups of water and salt.
Cook on high heat for five minutes, stirring frequently. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and continue to cook covered until rice is done and all the water is absorbed.
Remove from heat and serve hot, garnished with roasted cashewnuts and chopped coriander leaves.


This technique of cooking rice is learnt from my friend Sushma. This way we get the grainy rice which is supposed to be good for biryani or any pulao.


Thanks to Sushma :)

Egg fry

Ingredients:
Boiled eggs - 6
Coriander powder - 2 spoons
Garam masala - 1 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Ginger garlix paste - 1 spoon
Turmeric - a pinch
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Curry leaves - 10-15
Salt
Water
Oil - 2 spoons

Procedure:
Cut the boiled eggs into half and keep aside.
Take a bowl and add coriander powder, garam masala, red chilli powder, ginger garlic paste, turmeric and salt.
Add 1-2 spoons of water in the above mixture to get the consistency of paste. Don't add too much of water.
Now apply this mixture to the eggs nicely and keep aside.
Heat a pan and add oil in it. Once the oil is heated add cumin seeds and curry leaves.
When they start to splutter add the eggs into it.
Stir fry the eggs until the raw smell of the mixture is gone.
Once its done remove from heat and serve hot.

Boiled egg curry

Ingredients:
Boiled eggs - 6
Coconut milk - 1 cup
Onions - 2
Tomato - 1
Coriander powder - 2 spoons
Cumin powder - 1 spoon
Garam masala powder - 1 spoon
Bay leaves - 2
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1.5 spoon
Garlic cloves - 2
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Water
Salt
Oil


Procedure:
Grind the onions and make into a fine paste.
Heat a vessel and add oil in it. Toast the boiled eggs for 2-3 mins and keep aside.
In the same vessel add cumin seeds, turmeric, chopped garlic, onion paste and bay leaves.
When onion turns light brown add tomato, red chilli powder, coriander powder, cumin powder and garam masala.
Now add water, coconut milk, boiled eggs and cook for sometime.
Remove from heat when oil separates.

Palak fry

Ingredients:
Palak - 500 gms
Onion - 1
Cumin seeds - 1 spoon
Dry red chilli - 2
Green chilli - 2
Urad dal - 1 spoon
Salt
Oil

Procedure:
Heat a pan and oil in it. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, onion, turmeric, urad dal, green chilli and dry red chilli.
Stir until the onion turns brown. Now add the palak and salt into it.
Cook until the palak separates from oil or its cooked.
Remove from heat and serve with hot rice or chapati.

Tomato rice

Ingredients:
Tomato - 3
Green chillies - 2
Curry leaves - 10
Chana dal - 1 spoon
Peanuts - 1 spoon
Ginger garlic paste - 1/2 spoon
Cumin seeds - 1/2 spoon
Mustard seeds  -1/2 spoon
Cooked rice - 2 cups
Turmeric - 1/2 spoon
Coriander leaves
Salt
Oil


Procedure:
Heat a pan and add oil. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chana dal, peanuts, ginger garlic paste and green chillies.
Once chana dal turns light brown add curry leaves, turmeric powder, tomatoes and salt.
Cook until oil separates and remove from heat once done.
Mix this with cooked rice and garnish with coriander leaves.

Aloo fry with kobbari karam podi

I normally didn't knew before that podis (powders) are used in curries as well. Else we would use them only with combination of idli or dosas. My friend Pallavi when she was here with me she prepared this with the kobbari karam podi (coconut red chilli powder). It was really awesome.  Its instant and very easy to prepare. Very soon will post the recipes for all kinds of powders.


Ingredients:
Aloo - 5
Kobbari karam podi - 2 spoons
Salt
Oil


Procedure:
Heat a pan and add oil in it.
Add aloo once the oil is heated. Fry the aloo until it turns ligth brown.
Now add the kobbari karam podi and salt. Stir fry for 5 mins.
Remove from heat and serve with roti or ice.

Red beans masala curry

Ingredients:
Red beans (bobbarlu) - 2 cups
Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
Onion - 1
Garlic clovesn - 5
Ginger - 1 inch
Green chillies - 2
Tomatoes - 3
Corainder powder - 1 spoon
Red chilli powder - 1 spoon
Garam masala - 1/2 spoon
Corainder leaves - 1/2 cup
Oil
Salt


Procedure:
Soak red beans overnight. Wash and pressure cook the beans. Keep aside.
Heat oil in a pan, add ginger, garlic and chillies. Fry until they turn brown.
Add onions and tomatoes. Cook until masala separates from oil.
Add salt, turmeric powder and mix well.
Add the boiled red beans, red chilli powder, corainder powder, garam masala and stir.
Cook on low flame until a thick gravy is formed.
Remove from flame. Garnish red beans with corainder leaves and serve hot with chapatis or rice.

Soya chunk manchuria

Ingredients:

Soya chunks – 1 cup

Capsicum – 1

Soy sauce – 2 spoons

Tomato ketchup – 1 spoon

Green chilli paste – ½ spoon

Green chilli sauce – ½ spoon

Spring onions – 1 spoon

Corn flour – 4 spoons

Venigar – 1 spoon

Garlic cloves – 3

Ginger – 1 inch

Onions – 1

Water

Salt

Oil

Procedure:

Mix soya chunks, salt, two spoons cornflour, green chilli paste and soy sauce in a bowl.

Heat half spoon oil in a pan, add the soya chunks and saute for two to three minutes. Take them into a bowl.

Add the remaining oil to the same pan and fry the onions, spring onions, ginger and garlic for 2-3 minutes.

Add soy sauce, green chilli sauce and tomato ketchup and mix properly.

Add two cups of water and let the mixture come to a boil.

Add the soya chunks and cook for five more minutes.

Add salt and mix. Add remaining cornflour dissolved in two spoons of water and cook till the mixture thickens slightly.

Add capsicum, vinegar and take it off from the heat. Garnish with spring onion greens and serve hot with fried rice or noodles.

Vankaya masala

The ingredients used for this are somewhat similar to gutti vankaya curry in which we use small brinjals and stuff them with the masala. This recipe is with the big brinjals which are mainly used for making baigan ka bartha curry and this brinjal is chopped into cubes.

Ingredients:

Vankaya (Birnjal) – 1 big size (500 gms)

Peanuts – ½ cup

Sesame seeds – 2 spoons

Poppy seeds – 1 spoon

Coriander powder – 1 spoon

Garam masala – 1 spoon

Tamarind pulp – 2 spoons

Red chilli powder – 1.5 spoon

Ginger garlic paste – 1 spoon

Turmeric – ½ spoon

Onion – 1

Cumin seeds – 1 spoon

Curry leaves – 10

Salt

Oil

Procedure:

Dry roast the peanuts, sesame seeds and poppy seeds. Allow them to cool and grind them to paste.

Heat a vessel and add oil in it. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, onions, ginger garlic paste, turmeric and curry leaves.

Fry until the onion turns light brown. Now add chopped brinjal into it and mix properly.

Cook for 5 mins and now add the ground paste, tamarind pulp, red chilli powder, coriander powder, garam masala and salt.

Cook until oil separates or brinjal is cooked fully.

Remove from heat and serve with hot rice or roti.

Mixed vegetable curry with badam-kaju paste

cI had some almonds and cashews left over at home so I thought to prepare something with almonds and cashew paste. So this was my experiment with the mixed vegetables in it :)

Ingredients:

Vegetables (cauliflower, beans, frozen green peas, aloo, carrot) – 1 kg

Badam (almonds) – ½ cup

Kaju (cashews) – ½ cup

Curd – ½ cup

Onion – 1

Curry leaves – 15

Cumin seeds – 1 spoon

Coriander powder – 1 spoon

Red chilli powder – 1.5 spoon

Turmeric

Water

Salt

Oil

Procedure:

Heat a vessel and add oil in it. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, curry leaves, turmeric and onions.

When onion turns light brown add the mixed vegetables. Mix properly and close the lid.

Now grind the badam & kaju to fine paste and keep aside.

Once the vegetables are half cooked add the paste into it along with red chilli powder, coriander powder, curd and salt.

Add water with the consistency you need and boil for another 10-15 mins or until it is cooked.

When they are done remove from heat.

Palak moong dal

Ingredients:

Split yellow moong dal – 1 cup

Palak leaves – 2 cups

Onion – 1

Cumin seeds – 1 spoon

Mustard seeds – 1 spoon

Garlic pods – 6

Dry red chilli – 3

Curry leaves – 10

Red chilli – 1 spoon

Turmeric – ½ spoon

Water – 1 glass

Salt

Oil

Procedure:

Pressure cook the moong dal in cooker until soft. Keep aside the dal once cooked.

Heat a vessel and add oil in it. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, dry chilli, garlic, onion, turmeric and curry leaves.

Fry until onions are light brown. Now add palak leaves in it fry until raw smell is gone.

Add cooked moong dal, water, red chilli powder and salt.

Boil for 5-10 mins and remove from heat once done.

Phirni

Ingredients:

Soaked rice - 5 spoons

Milk - 1 litre

Saffron – a pinch

Sugar - 3/4^th cup

Cardamom powder- ½ spoon

Pista sliced 10 - 15

Procedure:

Drain and grind the rice to a coarse paste.

Take a vessel and add milk into it. Bring milk to a boil.

Add rice paste dissolved in a little water or cold milk.

Cook till rice is completely cooked, stirring constantly. Add saffron and mix well.

Add sugar and cardamom powder and cook till sugar is completely dissolved.

Pour into a bowl and garnish with pista.

I didn't garnish with pista in this pics as I was in a hurry to go to office in the morning :D

Purnam Boorelu

Ingredients:

Urad dal - ½ cup

Rice - 1 cup

Chana dal – 1 cup

Jaggery - 1 cup

Cardamom powder – ½ spoon

Salt

Oil for deep frying

Procedure:

Drain water from the black gram dal and rice and grind to fine paste adding very little water. It should be like a thick dosa batter. Add a pinch of salt and mix well.

Pressure cook the chana dal with enough water. Drain any left over water from the dal after its cooked.

Take a heavy-bottomed vessel and add the ground dal paste and jaggery. Cook until the mixture becomes a thick paste. Remove from heat and allow them it to cool.

Prepare small lemon size balls with mixture of chana dal and keep aside.

Heat enough oil in a wide heavy bottomed vessel for deep frying the balls. Dip each ball in the batter and let it coat evenly and place in the oil and deep fry till golden brown.

Bobbatlu (Puran poli)

Ingredients:

Chana dal – 1 cup (soaked for an hour and drained)

Jaggery – 1 cup

Maida – 1.5 cups

Cardamom powder – ½ spoon

Salt – a pinch

Water

Procedure:

Pressure cook chana dal till the dal turns very soft. Grind to a fine paste.

Heat a cooking vessel, add the ground dal paste and jaggery and cook till they blend and form a thick lump like paste with no moisture left. Keep stirring on slow flame. Add cardamom pwd and salt and combine.

Combine maida, pinch of salt, oil and enough water to make a very soft dough. Knead well and keep aside for one or two hours.

Take small portion of dough and flatten it to little chapati. Place a lemon size of chana dal stuffing in the centre and draw the edges of the dough from all sides to cover the stuffing completely.

Take a plastic sheet gently flatten each ball carefully with your fingers to a flat circular roti.

Heat a tawa and fry it on low flame such that it’s roasted on both sides till light brown.

Serve warm with ghee.

Idli

Ingredients:

Rice (idli rava) – 2 glasses

Urad dal – 1 glass

Baking soda – ½ spoon

Poha – 2 spoons

Water

Oil

Salt

Procedure:

Soak rice and urad dal separately in water for 3-4 hrs.

Grind both of them and mix them into a bowl. Keep the batter for overnight for fermentation at warm place.

Check the batter in the morning it will raise half the size.

Now add the salt and baking powder in the batter and mix properly.

Take the idli plates and grease them with little oil.

Take one big spoonful of mixture and pour them into the plate.

Steam the idlis for 10 mins and remove from heat.

Serve the hot idlis with groundnut chutney or tomato chutney or with any powders (like curry leaves, roasted chana dal).

Chintapandu pulihora (Tamarind rice)

First I would like to wish everyone "A Very Happy Ugadi to all of you". Last year I still remember the ugadi celebrations with my friends Prathibha and Keerthi sitting late in the night and pressing the Dry fruit laddus :D For lunch we prepared mango rice and for dessert we had Dates payasam by Prathibha which was awesome. I miss both of you this time :(

This year my ugadi celebrations are with two other friends Nandita and Sushma. It feels nice to have good friends around you celebrating festival together as a family when you are miles away from your loved ones :)

I didn't get raw mango this time so I prepared tamarind rice. And the sweet preparations are still in process but I would still like to post them and update the pics later :) Hope you'll like and try them out.

Ingredients:

Cooked rice – 2 glasses

Tamarind – 1 big lemon size

Green chilli – 4

Curry leaves – 15-20

Dry red chilli – 2

Chana dal – 1 spoon

Urad dal – 1 spoon

Peanuts – 2 spoons

Cumin seeds – 1 spoon

Mustard seeds – 1 spoon

Asafoetida – a pinch

Turmeric – ½ pinch

Salt

Oil

Procedure:

Soak the tamarind in cup water. Heat a vessel and add the tamarind water by squeezing out the tamarind pulp.

Cook the tamarind until you get thick tamarind paste. Remove from heat once done.

Heat another pan and add oil in it. Once the oil is heated add cumin seeds, mustard seeds, chana dal, urad dal, peanuts, green chillies, curry leaves and dry red chillies.

Fry until the dal turns light brown. Now add turmeric and asafetida into the seasoning.

Remove from heat after 2-3 mins.

Now add the seasoning and tamarind pulp to the rice. Add salt as per taste and mix properly.

Brocolli aloo

Today's dinner with my new roomies at new place :) Nandita is back and promised her mom that this time she'll learn south indian cusine and come back. So this curry is instructed by me and prepared by nandita :)

Ingredients:

Brocolli – 1

Aloo – 3

Coriander powder – 1 spoon

Turmeric – ½ spoon

Red chilli powder – 1 spoon

Tomato – 1

Onion – 1

Cumin seeds – 1 spoon

Oil

Water

Salt

Procedure:

Heat a vessel and add oil in it. Once oil is heated add cumin seeds and onions.

Once onions turn light brown add aloo and tomato.

Now add red chilli powder, coriander powder and salt to it. Cook until aloo is half cooked.

When aloo is cooked add broccoli and mix properly.

Add ½ glass of water and close the lid.

Cook until broccoli is soft and remove from heat.

And yes the chapatis in this pic are also prepared by nandita with the help of sushma of course :P