Palak & moong daal ki sabji (spinach & moong daal)

Ingredients:

1 cup Moong Dal (wash it and soak it for 20 min with hot water)

1 cup Spinch leaves (wash it and chopped it)

1 Onion (finely chopped)

1/2 tsp Garlic paste

4 Green Chilis (slit the chilis in the middle)

1/2 tsp Turmeric powder

1 tsp Coriander powder

2 table spoon Oil

1/2 tea spoon cumin seeds

pinch of asafoetida

Salt to taste

Method:

Heat the oil in a frying pan and add turmeric powder, cumin seeds, asafoetida, garlic paste, chillis and onion, fry till they are little brown. Now add soaked Moong daal and chopped spinach, mix all the ingredients properly, cover the pan and cook for few minutes.

Now add salt and coriander powder and cook for 5-10 mins on a low flame (dont cover the pan) on stirring occassionally. We have to wait till water gets evaporated. The recipe is almost ready….Garnish with coriander leaves….Enjoy palak moong daal sabji with pulkas or rice.

Coconut chutney

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons grated coconut

1″ piece ginger peeled and chopped

4 tablespoons fresh coriander leaves chopped

4 green chilies chopped

1 teaspoon each of mustard seeds and udat dal

½ teaspoon asafoetida powder

4 curry leaves

1 red chili broken into bits

2 tablespoon oil

lemon juice and salt to taste

Method:

Grind the coconut, green chilies, coriander leaves and ginger to a fine paste using a little water. Pour the paste / chutney into a bowl and adjust the consistency using suitable amount of water. Add salt and lemon juice to the chutney.

Heat the oil in a pan on medium level for about 2 minutes till it is hot enough. Add the mustard seeds. Let them splutter and then add the udat dal, red chilies, curry leaves and asafoetida powder. Fry briefly till the gram turns red and pour it on the chutney.

Groundnut chutney

Ingredients:

A small cup of Raw Groundnut.

Half Lemon.

1 small cut Onions.

1 pod Garlic (optional)

4 or 5 Green Chillies.(increase or decrease according to the Taste)

Salt to taste.

2 cloves of Garlic

Method:

In a pan with little oil fry the groundnuts till the skin comes off.

Peel off the skin throughly by rubbing with your hands, when the ground nuts are taken off from the stove.

In a pan add little oil and saute, Green chillies & Garlic.

Grind together groundnuts, garlic,green chillies, Lemon juice, salt with enough water to fecilitate grinding.

Take oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,red chillies,few curry leaves jeera and few split udat daal. After the mustard seeds splutter and split, season the ground paste with it.

Beerakaya pachadi( chutney )

Ingredients:

One medium Size Ridge Gourd (Peel the outer skin and cut into cubes)

6 small Green chilies

Few pieces of tamrind

1/4th tsp turmeric

Salt to taste

1 tbsp Oil

1 tsp sesame seeds

1/2 tsp cumin seeds

2 pods garlic

Method:

Heat oil in a pan and add garlic,cumin seeds,sesame seeds,green chilies,turmeric,tamrind and ridge gourd, roast them till little brown. Add them in a mixie jar with salt and grind them.

Mix the pachadi with rice and ghee.

Red-Bell Pepper chutney

Ingredients:

1 Big Red Bell Pepper

6 shallots

1 clove Garlic

3 Dry chillies

2 tsp Roasted Peanut

1 marble size Tamrind

2 tbsp oil

salt to taste

Method:

Wash the bell pepper, cut it lengthwise and remove all seeds. Soak the tamarind in little water and squeeze it to get the pulp. Dry roast the peanuts and keep them aside too. Heat oil in a pan and fry the dry red chilli along with shallots, bell pepper and garlic until they turn dark brown. Now grind this with roasted peanuts, tamarind pulp and salt to a fine paste. Seasoning not required, but if you wish, can can splutter mustard and some curry leaves. in a tsp of oil and add it to the chutney.

Tomato Chutney

Ingredients:

2 Nice red tomatoes ( cut them into 4 slices)

9-10 Green chilies ((I used nice spicy Thai chilies, you can use any kind of chilies according to your taste)

Salt to taste

1 tsp Turmeric powder

2 tsp cunin seeds

3 tsp Sessme seeds

1 tbsp Tamrind paste

3-4 Garlic pods

4 tsp Oil

5 Cloves

Method:

Heat oil in a deep pan on a medium flame; now add cumin seeds, turmeric powder, whole garlic, chilies and put a lid on the pan. Let the green chilies splutter after five minutes add tomatoes, salt, tamarind paste, cloves and sesame seeds and put a lid on the pan and increase the flame to little high.

Let the tomatoes cook properly, after 15-20 minutes take out the tomato mixture from the heat and let it cool.

After the tomato mixture cools down grind the mixture into a nice paste. The chutney should turn into yellowish color like mustard yellow color.

That’s it tomato chutney is ready … You don’t need to add thadka …. But if you like You can do that but it might change the taste.

ALOO BONDA

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon(s) oil

4 green chillies chopped fine

4 flakes of garlic crushed well

4 large potatoes

½ teaspoon(s) turmeric powder

salt to taste

4 tablespoons chopped coriander leaves

For the batter:

2 cup(s) bengal gram flour (chickpea flour or besan)

1 teaspoon(s) red chilli powder

a pinch of soda bi-carbonate and asafoetida powder

salt to taste

oil to deep fry

Method:

Cook the potatoes in a large pot of water for about 10 minute(s) or till done. Cool, peel and cube them.

Heat the oil in a pan. Add the green chillies and crushed garlic. Fry on medium heat for about 2 minute(s) or just till the raw smell of the garlic is gone. The garlic should remain white in color.

Add the potato cubes, half the turmeric powder and salt to taste. Mix well whilst mashing half of the potatoes with the back of the ladle on medium heat for about 4 minutes. Put off the flame and let cool. Mix in the coriander leaves. Make lemon-sized balls.

To make the batter, mix together the gramflour, red chilli powder, remaining turmeric powder, soda bicarbonate, asafoetida powder and salt to taste with water just enough to make a thick batter. Dip each ball in the batter and deep fry in hot oil in batches on medium flame till light golden brown in color. Remove onto a paper towel.

Medhu vadai

Soak 1 cup urud dal in sufficient amt of water for 1 hour and grind into a thick fine flour.

Add 1 tsp salt, 2-3 chopped green chillies, 1 tsp whole black peppers, a bunch of curry leaves and mix well.

On a plastic piece of paper place a ball of this and flatten it by hand.

Deep fry this in oil and turn over until the vada turns golden brown

Serve vadai with coconut chutney and/or Sambhar

PESARATTU

Ingredients :

1 Cup ( about 250 ml ) whole MOONG

4 green chilies

1/2 inch. ginger piece

1 teaspoon salt

1 cup oil

Method:

soak 1 cup of whole Moong in water for 24 hours. Remove the water and grind the Moong, ginger piece,salt and green chilies with a little water to a smooth paste. Keep the frying pan on medium heat and Pour half of paste on it and spread it into a thin round layer like a pan cake and drizzle 1 tea spoon of oil for diet consious people use oil spray around the edges of Pesarattu.

(Optional sprinkle small quantity of chopped onions, cummin seeds and green chilies on the Pesarattu.)

Cook until the edges become brown. Then flip the Pesarattu & cook it for a minute. Remove from the pan, and Serve it hot with Upma and Ginger chutney.

Sprinkle a little water on the pan and use the same proceedure for making your next Pesarattu.

Methi Roti

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat Floour

As required Salt

2 cup Fenugreek (Methi) Leaves (finely Chopped)

A pinch of Turmeric Powder

A pinch of Sodium bi Carbonate

Green chilli or Red chilli powder (optional)

Aam Chur (Optional)

2 tblsp Ghee

3 tblsp Ghee for shallow frying

Method:

Wash the fenugreek leaves and chop them finely.

Boil the leaves with a little of the turmeric and the soda -bi carb in a sauce pan till the leaves are soft.

Drain, cool the leaves.

Sieve the flour along with the salt in a basin.

Add the fenugreek leaves and mix the flour.

Add sufficient water if required and make a stiff dough.

Keep the dough aside for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into even sized balls.

Roll the balls into rounds 3″ in diameter for roti.

Cook on both sides on a tawa using a little ghee on a medium flame till cooked and brown spots starts appearing on the methi roti.

Serve hot with lemon pickle or with dahi (plain yoghurt)

Pulkas

Ingredients:

1 cup Wheat Flour

As required Salt

Method:

Sift the flour and salt together in a basin mix thoroughly.

Add a little warm water and form a stiff dough and set aside for at least half an hour.

Form into balls.

Roll the balls into rounds 2″ in diameter for pulka’s.

Cook on both sides on a tawa then put it on the flame till cooked and black spots starts appearing on the phulka

Serve hot

POORI

Ingredients:

1 cup Whole Wheat Flour

As required Salt

2 cup Refined Oil for deep frying

Method:

Sieve the flour along with the salt in a basin.

Add sufficient water if required and make a stiff dough.

Keep the dough aside for 20 minutes.

Divide the dough into even sized balls.

Roll the balls into pooris.

Heat the oil in a kadai.

Add the pooris and fry them until they puff up and are golden brown in colour.

ALOO KI PARATHA

Ingredients for Stuffing:

2 Large Idaho Potatoes

1 tbsp Fresh Ginger (Peeled and Minced)

1/4 cup finely chopped Coriander leaves

1 tbsp Red Chilli Powder or you can green Chilli paste

2 tbsp Coriander Powder

2 tbsp Mango Powder

1 tbsp Pomegranate seeds

Salt to taste

Oil or Butter to brush on top of the Paratha

For Dough:

2 cup Durum whole wheat flour

little salt

About 3/4 cup water

2 to 3 tbsp Oil

Method:

Boil the potatoes in lightly salted water to cover until tender about 20 minutes. Then peel and mash them in a bowl. Mix all the ingredients together. In a food Processor , add all the dough ingredients and little oil except water and process until everything is smooth. Then with the motor running, add the warm water in a slow, steady stream until the dough gathers into a smooth ball and cleans the sides of the work bowl , add more flour if the dough seems sticky and more water if it seems too dry. ( I am using warm water because it keeps the dough and paratha’s soft when they are done). Now lightly oil your hands and transfer the dough to a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap or the lid on the bowl and let it rest for 1 to 2 hours. Divide the dough equally into 10 to 12 balls . Working with each ball of dough separately, transfer to the bowl with the dry flour, press lightly to form a disc, coat generously with dry flour and roll into a 4 to 5 inch circle. Place the stuffing in the center , bring the edges together, pinch to seal , then shape into a ball once again.

Flatten and coat this stuffed ball with flour and roll it into a 7 to 8 inch circle of even thickness. As you roll, keep turning and dusting the dough with flour or it may stick to the rolling surface. If the stuffing has excess moisture, the parathas may develop tiny or large holes as they stretch while rolling. If that happens , seal the holes by putting a little dry flour over them or pinch them together.

Place the rolled paratha’s on the hot tava. Turn it over when it is slightly cooked and dotted with tiny golden spots on the bottom, about 1 minute. When the other side is covered with larger brown dots, turn it over and brush lightly with oil. Flip it over again and gry the oiled side about 30 seconds. Similarly base and gry the other side another 30 seconds. There should be a total of 4 turns. Remove from the griddle and serve with hot spicy lemon pickle or Mango pickle and Masala Yoghurt (Add pinch of mango Powder, red chilli powder and salt in Plain yoghurt and mix it properly)

Ragada Chaat

Patis:
2 large cooked potatoes (peeled and mashing)
A pinch turmeric
1/2 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp chaat powder

Method:
Mix all ingredients and Make small balls of it, flatten on the palm of your hand and grill the patiss or just fry them with little oil in the pan

channa:
1 cup grabanzo beans (I choose canned one)
little chillie Powder
1/2 tsp Channa masala
A pinch turmeric
Salt

Method:
Cook the Grabanzo beans with turmeric and salt till they are soft and mushy(not too much little is ok).

Sweet chutney:
2 tbs jaggery
1 small lemon size ball of normal tamarind (Extract the paste out of it)
6-7 dates soaked in warm water

Method:
Take jaggery and 1/4 cup water in a pan and cook till jaggery is completely dissolved. Grind dates and tamarind together. Add this mixture to boiling jaggery and allow it to cook for 5 mins till the Sweet chutney becomes thick. Cool and strain the chutney. Store the chutney in air tight container for future use.

Green chutney:
1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
1 cup chopped coriander leaves
6-8 green chilies
1 tbs lemon juice
Salt to taste

Method:
Grind all together with little water to a smooth paste.

Garnishing:
8-10 puris used for pani puri
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
4-5 strands of chopped coriander leaves
1/2 cup finely chopped tomato
Thin Sev
Yoghurt

Serving instructions:
In a serving bowl, take hot Patis, Add Channa and then add sweet and spicy chutneys depending on taste. Mix well. Now add chopped onions,chopped coriander leaves, crushed puris, tomatoes and if you like you can add thin layer of yoghurt and also add some thin sev. That’s it….Serve immediately.

Samosa Chaat

Ingredients

4 Pieces -Samosas

1/4 Cup yoghurt

4 tblsp almli-dates chutney

4 tblsp green chutney

1tblsp Mango powder

1 Green mango-finely chopped

1 Red Onion Finelly chopped

1 can grabanzo beans

1 tomato Chopped

salt to taste

corriander leaves to garnish

Method 

First Take a deep bowl and smatch the samosa in it . If you like you can add Ragada patties (optional), Then add yoghurt, green chutney and dates chutney. Sprinkle little mango powder and salt. Then Garrnish with Coriander leaves, Onion and Tomato.

curry puffs

Ingredients: 

1 Packet Puff Pastry Sheets(I got this from Micheals store – Local store in naperville)

2 Potatoes

2 Carrots

¾ cup Green Peas(I used frozen peas)

Pinch of Turmeric Powder

Salt to taste

1 tsp Red chilly powder

1 tsp Garam masala

½ tsp Coriander powder

½ tsp Cumin Powder

¼ cup Water

1 small bunch of Coriander leaves

For Seasoning:

Oil — 1 tblsn

Mustard Seeds — ¾ tsp

Cumin seeds — ½ tsp

Hing — a pinch

Method:

First take the puff pastry sheets from the freezer and keep them outside. (It should be out for 40 minutes approximately before using. So first keep them out and in the mean while start making curry. )

Peel the skin of potatoes and carrots. Clean them and chop them into very small pieces.Keep the chopped potato pieces in water. So that … the color of potatoes won’t change.

Heat a tblsn of oil in a pan.

Season it nicely with mustard seeds, cumin seeds and a pinch of hing.

Then add the chopped vegetables and cleaned green peas to the pan.

Add a pinch of turmeric powder and enough salt to the vegetables.

Add ¼ cup of water.

Cover it and cook till they are half done.Stir occasionally.

In the mean while, chop coriander leaves. Keep them aside.

Add a tsp of red chilly powder, a tsp of garam masala, ½ a tsp of dhania powder and ½ a tsp of jeera powder. Add water if needed.

Again cover it and cook till done. Stir occasionally

Add chopped coriander leaves … cook for a while and turn off the heat.

Now take the puffs and cut nicely wherever there is a folding. You will 6 sheets from one packet. Again cut each sheet into half. Then you will get 12 pieces from one full packet.

Take a sheet and test it. The sheets should not be hard. It should be soft and foldable. Then it is right to use. If it’s not … wait for some more time till you are able to fold it.

Pre-heat the oven at bake and 350 degree.

Take water in a small bowl. Dip one of your fingers into the water and apply water to the 4 edges of the piece.

Now take full spoon of the curry and place it on the sheet.

Close the edges nicely. Make sure the edges of puff stick properly.

In the same manner stuff the curry into the puffs.

Place the stuffed puffs in an aluminum foil or cake pan or persulin plate. Anything is fine.

When the oven is pre-heated, keep the plates in the oven carefully.

Keep the thicker one on the bottom grill of the oven and keep the aluminum foil on the top of grill.

Bake it for 30-35 minutes till the upper layer of the puffs turn to brown color and crispy.

Turn off the oven switches, keep the oven open and wait for 10 minutes

Take the plates carefully from the oven.Wait for 5 more minutes.

Have them or serve them with tomato ketchup.Look the layers of the puff.

Enjoy the taste of curry puffs….yummmmmmmmmmmyyyyyyy

Onion Bhaji

Ingredients:

1 Large Onion

1tsp Cummin seeds

4tbsp All Purpose Flour

1/2 cup Curd

3 Chopped Green Chilis

Salt to taste

Coriander leaves Chopped

Method:

Cut onion thin length wise. Add salt to it and curd to it. Keep aside for one hour

Add Jeera,All Purpose flour, Chopped green Chillies and chopped coriander leaves to onion and keep aside for one more hour

Mix nicely. (Dont use water Onion mixed with salt leaves water). Don’t make the batter too dilute.

In kadai heat oil. Put one spoon full of batter in to oil. Fry until brown in colour.

Serve with Chutney/Tomato Ketchup.

Tasty snack for tea time.

sundal with baby lettuce

Ingredients:

1 cup chickpeas brown soaked overnight

4-5 green chillies sliced fine

1/2 cup fresh coconut scraped

1/4 tsp. mustard seeds

1/2 tsp. cumin seeds

1 stalk curry leaves

1 tsp. coriander leaves finely chopped

2 tsp. lemon juice

2-3 pinches asafoetida

salt to taste

1 tbsp. oil

Method:

Pressure cook peas till tender.

Drain and keep aside.

Heat oil, add seeds allow to splutter.

Add chillies, curry leaves and stir.

Add peas, coconut and other ingredients, except coriander.

Stir cook till the water is evaporated.

Serve hot or cold with lettuce

Pani Puri

Pani Poori Water: 

1 bunch ( 8 to 9 leaves) Mint Leaves

7 to 8 cups of Cold Water

3 teaspoons Black pepper powder

3 teaspoons Black Salt

3 teaspoons Salt

1/2 teaspoon clove powder

2 teaspoons Cumin powder

1 inch piece of Fresh Ginger

1 1/2 teaspoons of Lemon juice

Wash the mint leaves . Grind all of the above ingredients in a blender with a little of the clod water. Add the rest of the cold water. Store in an airtight container. Chill in the refrigerator. Make this a day ahead.

To Make Pani Poori:

1/2 cup Boiled Green Moong (lentils) sprouts

2 medium Potatoes

1 cup Tamarind chutney

Method:

Boil the moong till just tender. Cool.

Boil the potatoes and chop coarsely. Cool.

Tap the Poori at the center lightly to make a half inch hole in it.

Add about 1/2 teaspoon of the potatoes and 1/2 teaspoon of the boiled Moong.

Now add 1 tbsp of the Tamarind chutney.

Dip the filled Poori into the chilled pani puri water and serve.

You can add the above ingredients into the Poori according to your taste. Many people like to have only the sweet tamarind chutney, some like it hot and therefore adding the potatoes and lentils they dip the poori into the Pani Poori water. Some only add the moong/lentils while others favor the potatoes. Make your favorite combination

Mixed Pulses Chaat

Ingredients:

1-1/2 cup Gram flour

1/2 tsp Chili powder

1 tsp Jeera

4-5 Finger Peppers

salt to taste

1/2 cup water

small Bowl

Vegetable Oil

Method:

First take a small bowl and pour the Gram flour add the chili powder, jeera, salt for taste.

Next pour the water for this mix and the mix should be very thick.

After that Cut the Finger Pepper into two and if you like to eat very spicy chili baji then do not remove seeds otherwise remove it.

Then take all the pieces of Finger Pepper and soak in the mixture. Finally boil the Vegetable oil and drop the 2-3 pieces of soaked Finger Pepper in boiled oil, using spatula fry both side of the Mirchi baje ………and serve with hot MASALA TEA