This is one example where a fast cooked meal doesn’t have to be bad for your health. You can make your own recipe with little additions or deletions and availability of ingredients.
Ingredients:
1 cup Dosa flour (preferably well risen, say overnight and half a day).
3 tsps of rava .
2 tsps of gram flour.
1 tsp of ragi (optional).
1 tsp of cashews.
½ tsp of broken channa dal.
½ tsp of broken ural dal.
2 tsps of curd (if the dosa flour is not old enough).
Salt as needed.
1 green chilli finely chopped.
1 finely chopped onion.
½ grated carrot.
½ finely chopped tomato.
½ chopped capsicum.
2 tsps coriander leaves.
1 twig of curry leaves.
¼ tsp of mustard seeds.
Oil for cooking.
Preparation:
1. Make a batter of dosa like consistency with the dosa flour, rava, ragi, gram flour and curd with salt as need and keep aside for 5 minutes.
2. Meanwhile gather other ingredients , wash and chop.
3. Now in a pan, add two tsps of oil, when oil is hot add the mustard seeds when it sputters, add the urad dal, channa dal, after a beat add cashews, the onions and curry leaves, stir for 2 seconds, add the chillies, capsicum and finally the carrot sauté for 5 seconds and remove from fire and mix with the batter.
4. Heat the tava, grease it. Laddle two deep spoons of the batter into the tava. Spread slightly (the spread shoundt show). Lower the flame.
5. Pour oil on the sides. Sprinkle the tomatoes and coriander on topn of the batter when its still cooking. Cover with a lid.
6. After 10 seconds remove the lid and turn the dosa to cook the other side.
7. After cooking both sides serve hot with chutney or a piece of Jaggery. Oh I want to eat it now….
Note: The vegetables are all your choice.. But the above combination is time tested.
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Peas n Aloo balls.
I think this is a Rajasthani or Gujarathi dish, I made it after tasting it at a restaurant. Can’t remember the exact name, but it tastes good. Only one hitch, this dish is a deep fried one, so prepare and eat one and enjoy, give the rest to people who are very thin, it will do them good!!
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes boiled and mashed and dry with a little salt.
1 green chilli finely chopped.
3 tsp of coriander.
4 tsp of peas.
Salt for taste.
2 tsps of Corn flour.
Oil for deep frying.
1 tsp of finely chopped ginger and garlic.
Preparation:
1. In a pan, add two tsps of oil, fry the ginger and garlic, green chilli and peas. Cook the peas till soft.
2. Then add the salt and coriander and mash the peas till tiny bits.
3. Make small cups with the aloo and place a tsp of the peas stuff into it and close it to make a ball.
4. Roll the ball on the dry corn flour (this will give it extra crispness).
5. Now deep fry the balls till a slight brown on the outside.
6. Drain and serve with tomato sauce. Yummmy, it will be.
Ingredients:
4 large potatoes boiled and mashed and dry with a little salt.
1 green chilli finely chopped.
3 tsp of coriander.
4 tsp of peas.
Salt for taste.
2 tsps of Corn flour.
Oil for deep frying.
1 tsp of finely chopped ginger and garlic.
Preparation:
1. In a pan, add two tsps of oil, fry the ginger and garlic, green chilli and peas. Cook the peas till soft.
2. Then add the salt and coriander and mash the peas till tiny bits.
3. Make small cups with the aloo and place a tsp of the peas stuff into it and close it to make a ball.
4. Roll the ball on the dry corn flour (this will give it extra crispness).
5. Now deep fry the balls till a slight brown on the outside.
6. Drain and serve with tomato sauce. Yummmy, it will be.
Aloo stuffed Paratha.
After eating this in restaurants, I pestered my mother to make it. She refused so I made it. Luckily it was good, a little spicy to suit my taste. Here I have the measurements for 4 parathas.
Ingredients:
2 medium sixed potatoes cooked and mashed.
¼ tsp of red chilli powder. (optional)
¼ tsp of turmeric. (optional)
Salt as needed.
1 tsp of chopped coriander leaves.
1 cup wheat flour.
2 tsp of maida.
3 tsp of curd.
1 tsp of ghee or melted butter.
Luke warm water.
Preparation:
1. Mix the mashed potatoes, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander leaves. (Add a pinch of asafetida if its ok , actually adding is good)
2. Make the dough with wheat flour, maida, ghee, curd with luke warm water and keep it covered in a wet cloth for at least 20 minutes. This will make it soft and partially cook it. So that we need not worry about it not being cooked properly.
3. Now make a ball of the dough and flatten it with hand to make a small saucer.
4. Keep a gooseberry size of the stuffing inside the saucer, close the edges make a closed ball again.
5. Gently roll them, dusting with dry flour as needed so that the wheat flour will be on the outside and the stuffing won’t come out. This will come properly if you do twice or thrice. If not make two thin chapathis, place the stuffing in between, spread evenly and close the egdes. Slightly roll the rolling pin over it.
6. Now cook the parathas with little ghee in medium flame till brown spots appear on both sides. In some places bubbles will be formed. Cook both sides.
7. When done, serve hot with any side dish you prefer and raita.
Ingredients:
2 medium sixed potatoes cooked and mashed.
¼ tsp of red chilli powder. (optional)
¼ tsp of turmeric. (optional)
Salt as needed.
1 tsp of chopped coriander leaves.
1 cup wheat flour.
2 tsp of maida.
3 tsp of curd.
1 tsp of ghee or melted butter.
Luke warm water.
Preparation:
1. Mix the mashed potatoes, salt, chilli powder, turmeric and coriander leaves. (Add a pinch of asafetida if its ok , actually adding is good)
2. Make the dough with wheat flour, maida, ghee, curd with luke warm water and keep it covered in a wet cloth for at least 20 minutes. This will make it soft and partially cook it. So that we need not worry about it not being cooked properly.
3. Now make a ball of the dough and flatten it with hand to make a small saucer.
4. Keep a gooseberry size of the stuffing inside the saucer, close the edges make a closed ball again.
5. Gently roll them, dusting with dry flour as needed so that the wheat flour will be on the outside and the stuffing won’t come out. This will come properly if you do twice or thrice. If not make two thin chapathis, place the stuffing in between, spread evenly and close the egdes. Slightly roll the rolling pin over it.
6. Now cook the parathas with little ghee in medium flame till brown spots appear on both sides. In some places bubbles will be formed. Cook both sides.
7. When done, serve hot with any side dish you prefer and raita.
Kara Kezhvaraghu(Ragi) Adai.
This is as old as the land itself. This adai is made for evening munching before tea.
Ingredients:
1 cup of ragi flour.
1 tsp salt.
1 pinch of baking soda.
1 onion, chopped finely.
3-4 dry red chillies (de-seeded and shredded into small pieces).
A handful of drumstick leaves.
Some chopped coriander leaves.
1 tsp of curd.
2 tsp of shredded coconut.
Oil for frying.
Preparation:
1. Mix the ragi flour, salt, curd, baking soda with water a thick batter (more like idli mavu with little less water). Leave the contents for 10 minutes.
2. In a little oil fry the onions and coconut for 5 seconds.
3. Add the fried contents, drumstick leaves, chillies and coriander leaves to the batterand mix thoroughly.
4. Now in a heated tava, grease with oil and pour a the batter using a deep spoon. Spread it a little. Don’t spread it like dosai, more like kal dosai.
5. Pour some oil and cook it in medium flame till done. Both sides should be golden brown.
6. Remove and eat it hot with coconut chutney.
Ingredients:
1 cup of ragi flour.
1 tsp salt.
1 pinch of baking soda.
1 onion, chopped finely.
3-4 dry red chillies (de-seeded and shredded into small pieces).
A handful of drumstick leaves.
Some chopped coriander leaves.
1 tsp of curd.
2 tsp of shredded coconut.
Oil for frying.
Preparation:
1. Mix the ragi flour, salt, curd, baking soda with water a thick batter (more like idli mavu with little less water). Leave the contents for 10 minutes.
2. In a little oil fry the onions and coconut for 5 seconds.
3. Add the fried contents, drumstick leaves, chillies and coriander leaves to the batterand mix thoroughly.
4. Now in a heated tava, grease with oil and pour a the batter using a deep spoon. Spread it a little. Don’t spread it like dosai, more like kal dosai.
5. Pour some oil and cook it in medium flame till done. Both sides should be golden brown.
6. Remove and eat it hot with coconut chutney.
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Simple prawn fry.
This is all a time hit, its impossible to make it wrong. But, there are two things you should take particular care of, one is about the prawn, the second, is also about the prawn.
1. The prawns should be fresh.
2. They should be small (don’t go for big tiger prawns).
The dish is excellent accompaniment for plain rice and dal.
Ingredients:
1 cup cleaned and de-veined prawns.
4 large tomatoes chopped.
2 large onions chopped.
1 tsp ginger garlic paste.
1 cup coriander leaves chopped.
1 ½ tsp of red chilli powder.
½ tsp turmeric.
1 twig of curry leaves.
50 ml of oil.
Salt as required.
Preparation:
1. Mix the turmeric and prawns and keep aside.
2. In a kadai, add the oil and fry the chopped onions till translucent.
3. Add the curry leaves, the ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and fry for 3 seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook it till oil separates.
5. Add the prawns now and add a little water.
6. Allow the prawns to cook. They will shrink and become round.
7. Keep stirring at intervals. Take care it doesn’t get burned.
8. When the dish turns a dark red and starts to burn slightly you know its done.Garnish with coriander and serve.
1. The prawns should be fresh.
2. They should be small (don’t go for big tiger prawns).
The dish is excellent accompaniment for plain rice and dal.
Ingredients:
1 cup cleaned and de-veined prawns.
4 large tomatoes chopped.
2 large onions chopped.
1 tsp ginger garlic paste.
1 cup coriander leaves chopped.
1 ½ tsp of red chilli powder.
½ tsp turmeric.
1 twig of curry leaves.
50 ml of oil.
Salt as required.
Preparation:
1. Mix the turmeric and prawns and keep aside.
2. In a kadai, add the oil and fry the chopped onions till translucent.
3. Add the curry leaves, the ginger garlic paste, chilli powder and fry for 3 seconds.
4. Add the tomatoes and salt and cook it till oil separates.
5. Add the prawns now and add a little water.
6. Allow the prawns to cook. They will shrink and become round.
7. Keep stirring at intervals. Take care it doesn’t get burned.
8. When the dish turns a dark red and starts to burn slightly you know its done.Garnish with coriander and serve.
Vegetable Kothu Parotta.
The famous kothu Parotta for the veggies . The measurements are for two.
Ingredients:
1 medium size carrot chopped into cubes.
6 beans chopped.
1 handful of fresh peas.
½ capsicum sliced.
1 big onion sliced.
1 tomato sliced.
1 green chilli chopped.
1 tsp of curry leaves.
1 ½ tsp of ginger garlic paste.
1 handful of chopped coriander leaves.
1 tsp of red chilli paste or powder.
½ tsp of corn flour.
Salt for taste.
Cooking oil.
1 cup of maida.
1 pinch of soda bicarbonate (baking soda).
1 tsp of curd.
¼ tsp of Turmeric powder.
For making the parotta:
1. Sift the flour with a tsp of salt and soda.
2. Add a tsp of oil and water and make a dough. The dough should have a little extra water. Leave it covered for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 mins, make balls of the size of little oranges and flatten them using a rolling pin.
4. Apply oil generously on top of the flattened chappathi.
5. Now comes the tricky part, CONCENTRATE ..Make a hole in the center of chappathi and start rolling it outwards from the center till it looks like a ring, now cut the ring to form a long ribbon. Start rolling from either ends to form two concentric circles. The two will resemble something like a mosquito coil. Now without breaking the ribbon place one on the top of another and press lightly.
6. Now gently flatten it. The rings should not be gone while flattening.
7. Now cook the parotta in a tava with oil till its done in low flame.
8. The flour should be enough for 3 to 4 parottas.
Now, the Kothu Parotta:
1. In a kadai with heavy botton, add 3 tsps of oil.
2. When the oil heat up add the onions fry till translucent and add the curry leaves.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste, chillies and fry. Now add the turmeric powder and tomatoes and cook for 5 seconds. When half done add the vegetables and salt. Saute them for 1 minute.
4. When the beans turn a little less green, add some water (say about ½ cup) and let the vegetables cook.
5. When the vegetables are nearly done, add the curd and shredded parottas.
6. In medium flame let the contents cook until all remaining water is absorbed by the parotta. Add oil if needed at this stage.
7. Adjust salt and keep stirring continuously.
8. When all water is absorbed, sprinkle some corn flour (don’t mix with water, it will be crip then) and continue stirring for two minutes. When it starts to burn slightly, turn off the flame garnish with coriander and serve hot with raita.
Hint: Use half of maida and half of wheat flour for better taste.
Ingredients:
1 medium size carrot chopped into cubes.
6 beans chopped.
1 handful of fresh peas.
½ capsicum sliced.
1 big onion sliced.
1 tomato sliced.
1 green chilli chopped.
1 tsp of curry leaves.
1 ½ tsp of ginger garlic paste.
1 handful of chopped coriander leaves.
1 tsp of red chilli paste or powder.
½ tsp of corn flour.
Salt for taste.
Cooking oil.
1 cup of maida.
1 pinch of soda bicarbonate (baking soda).
1 tsp of curd.
¼ tsp of Turmeric powder.
For making the parotta:
1. Sift the flour with a tsp of salt and soda.
2. Add a tsp of oil and water and make a dough. The dough should have a little extra water. Leave it covered for 15 minutes.
3. After 15 mins, make balls of the size of little oranges and flatten them using a rolling pin.
4. Apply oil generously on top of the flattened chappathi.
5. Now comes the tricky part, CONCENTRATE ..Make a hole in the center of chappathi and start rolling it outwards from the center till it looks like a ring, now cut the ring to form a long ribbon. Start rolling from either ends to form two concentric circles. The two will resemble something like a mosquito coil. Now without breaking the ribbon place one on the top of another and press lightly.
6. Now gently flatten it. The rings should not be gone while flattening.
7. Now cook the parotta in a tava with oil till its done in low flame.
8. The flour should be enough for 3 to 4 parottas.
Now, the Kothu Parotta:
1. In a kadai with heavy botton, add 3 tsps of oil.
2. When the oil heat up add the onions fry till translucent and add the curry leaves.
3. Add the ginger-garlic paste, chillies and fry. Now add the turmeric powder and tomatoes and cook for 5 seconds. When half done add the vegetables and salt. Saute them for 1 minute.
4. When the beans turn a little less green, add some water (say about ½ cup) and let the vegetables cook.
5. When the vegetables are nearly done, add the curd and shredded parottas.
6. In medium flame let the contents cook until all remaining water is absorbed by the parotta. Add oil if needed at this stage.
7. Adjust salt and keep stirring continuously.
8. When all water is absorbed, sprinkle some corn flour (don’t mix with water, it will be crip then) and continue stirring for two minutes. When it starts to burn slightly, turn off the flame garnish with coriander and serve hot with raita.
Hint: Use half of maida and half of wheat flour for better taste.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Paneer Butter masala.
Ingredients:
100 gms of fresh Paneer (cubed).
4 large tomatoes (the less seeded Bangalore variety) or 1 ½ cup Tomato puree.
4 tsp of fresh cream (malai).
2 tsp of cooking butter.
1 tsp of cashews (optional)
¼ tsp of sugar or jaggery (optional).
2 large onions.
½ tsp of saunf (sombu).
1 tsp of red chilli powder.
½ tsp ginger garlic paste.
Salt for taste.
1 handful of chopped Coriander.
Cooking oil.
For the gravy:
1. Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water, remove after 5 second.
2. Peel the skin of the tomatoes.
3. Fry the onions and saunf in little butter till slightly brown and cool it.
4. Using a mixie grind the browned onions and saunf for 15 seconds without water, now add the blanched tomatoes or puree, cashews and whip till a smooth paste. The puree is ready.
Preparation:
1. Take a pan and add 2 tsps of oil and 1 tsp of butter. When the oil heats up, add the cubed paneer and fry till the sides turn brown (The milk smell should be gone).
2. Fry the paneer in batches, remove from the pan and drain them.
3. In the same pan, add the ginger garlic paste, reduce the flame to simmer and add the red chilli powder followed by the puree made earlier. (If the flame is higher the puree will start bursting out of the pan).
4. Cook the sauce in low flame for 5 minutes. When its starts to form holes, add ½ cup of water , salt, more chilli powder if needed, the sugar or jaggery and the fried paneer.
5. Cover and let the paneer cook till soft and the oil seperates from the gravy, don’t increase the flame, cook it in medium flame.
6. When oil starts separating turn off the stove, add the fresh whipped cream and remaining butter and garnish with coriander. Paneer butter masala is ready.
Note: Onions should always be lesser than tomatoes in the puree and fried before blending, otherwise it will take forever to cook. Add less water if you prefer.
Hint: For the diet conscious you can substitute malai paneer with soy paneer or tofu and fresh cream with soy milk.
100 gms of fresh Paneer (cubed).
4 large tomatoes (the less seeded Bangalore variety) or 1 ½ cup Tomato puree.
4 tsp of fresh cream (malai).
2 tsp of cooking butter.
1 tsp of cashews (optional)
¼ tsp of sugar or jaggery (optional).
2 large onions.
½ tsp of saunf (sombu).
1 tsp of red chilli powder.
½ tsp ginger garlic paste.
Salt for taste.
1 handful of chopped Coriander.
Cooking oil.
For the gravy:
1. Immerse the tomatoes in boiling water, remove after 5 second.
2. Peel the skin of the tomatoes.
3. Fry the onions and saunf in little butter till slightly brown and cool it.
4. Using a mixie grind the browned onions and saunf for 15 seconds without water, now add the blanched tomatoes or puree, cashews and whip till a smooth paste. The puree is ready.
Preparation:
1. Take a pan and add 2 tsps of oil and 1 tsp of butter. When the oil heats up, add the cubed paneer and fry till the sides turn brown (The milk smell should be gone).
2. Fry the paneer in batches, remove from the pan and drain them.
3. In the same pan, add the ginger garlic paste, reduce the flame to simmer and add the red chilli powder followed by the puree made earlier. (If the flame is higher the puree will start bursting out of the pan).
4. Cook the sauce in low flame for 5 minutes. When its starts to form holes, add ½ cup of water , salt, more chilli powder if needed, the sugar or jaggery and the fried paneer.
5. Cover and let the paneer cook till soft and the oil seperates from the gravy, don’t increase the flame, cook it in medium flame.
6. When oil starts separating turn off the stove, add the fresh whipped cream and remaining butter and garnish with coriander. Paneer butter masala is ready.
Note: Onions should always be lesser than tomatoes in the puree and fried before blending, otherwise it will take forever to cook. Add less water if you prefer.
Hint: For the diet conscious you can substitute malai paneer with soy paneer or tofu and fresh cream with soy milk.
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