Sagu

This was a first time experiment by my husband but it came out so well that we ate it with dosas as well as rotis.This is very nutritious as we use in all the veggies.For this we need to make 2 masalas.One is dry and the other wet.

Ingredients:

1.3 cups vegetables like potatoes,beans,carrot,capsicums,
2.1 onion,finely chopped,
3.2 inch piece of coconut,
4.1 inch piece of ginger,
5.4 green chillies,
6.1 spoon coriander seeds,
7.3 cloves,
8.1 inch cinnamon,
9.2 spoons dalia(roasted chana dal),
10.1 strand curry leaves,
11.2 spoon mustard seeds,
12.coriander for garnish,
13.salt acc to taste,
14.2 spoons oil.

Procedure:

• Masalas to be made:1.grind in the ingredients from 3 to 5 along with 1 spoon mustard seeds to form a coarse paste 2.roast and grind the ingredients from 6 to 9 to form a powder.
• Take a cooker and add the oil to it.Add the remaining mustard seeds and let them splutter.Add the curry leaves.
  
• Add the onions and cook till they are translucent.
• Add the vegetables along with salt and turmeric powder.Cook till all the salt n turmeric are spread to all the vegetables.
• Now add 1/2 cup of water to the this and put the lid.
• After the vegetables are half done,add the wet masala.Let it combine with the vegetables.
• Pour some more water as reqiured for the vegetables to be completely done.
• After vegetables are cooked,add the dry masala and cook for another 5 mins till most water is evaporated.
  
• Garnish with fresh coriander leaves.
  

Crispy Rava Dosa

This is one of my favorite breakfasts but i can't afford to eat it thinking of the calories. And the main problem is that i can't use the batter ladle as it is supposed to be...So I take the help of my husband as he makes them perfect.i have never been able to learn that from him some how.

Ingredients:

3 cups rava/semolina,
1 cup rice flour,
1/4 cup maida,
1 cup sour buttermilk,
3 green chillies,
1 spoon cumin seeds,
1 spoon grated ginger,
2 spoons grated coconut(optional),
2 spoons grated carrot(optional),
oil as req,
salt as per taste.

Procedure:

• Mix all the ingredients except oil with buttermilk and use water to make into a thin consistency as shown in the picture above.
• Let it set for 30 mins.
  
• Heat the tawa and pour in a ladle full of batter on it after it is heated as shown above.This should be poured from outward direction to inward direction.
• Fill in the gaps where there is no batter.
• Pour oil as required around the dosa.
• Now keep on medium flame till the lower side is golden brown.
• Crispy Rava dosas are ready.
• Serve with chutney and sagu/sambhar.

Note:

Keep adding little water to the batter every time you are pouring for a dosa so that the batter is very thin in consistency.

Methi (Fenugreek) Paratha

On Sunday, we bought a bunch of methi leaves and I was thinking what to do with it.Suddenly,I thought of making parathas. I had made Aloo parathas but never made parathas with methi or infact any other stuffing.So I gave it a try and fortunately they came out very well and soft.

Ingredients:

2 cups methi leaves(very finely chopped),
3 cups whole wheat flour,
2 spoons cumin powder,
1/4 spoon turmeric,
1 spoon coriander powder,
salt acc to taste,
oil for frying.


Procedure:

• Finely chop the methi leaves,add in the salt,turmeric,cumin powder, coriander powder and 1 spoon of oil.
• Now mix them so as to squeeze the water in the methi leaves.
• Mix the wheat flour and keep adding little water sufficient enough to form dough.
• Make it into balls and roll them.
• Heat the tawa and put in the parathas.Smear with oil on both sides till brown.
• Serve with curd mixed with sugar and lemon pickle.

Note: Apply ghee/butter on both sides while eating.

Jhatpat Sprouts Curry

My doctor told me to eat sprouts during my pregnancy and i never liked them raw.My husband insisted me to eat them anyhow and i tried to make this simple sprouts curry which goes well with chapathi/pulkas.And that too it can be made in just 20 mins with different kinds of sprouts.For cooking things such as sprouts,mutton and chicken my Hawkins cooker comes in handy as it is fast and also the pressure releases early when compared to the normal ones.

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed sprouts,
1 cup onions,
1/2 cup tomatoes,

1 spoon dry mango pwdr(aamchur),
1 spoon red chilli pwdr,
1 spoon cumin pwdr,
1.5 spoons ginger-garlic paste,
1/2 spoon turmeric,

2 green chillies,
1 strand curry leaves,
2 spoons oil,
1 spoon cumin seeds,
1/2 spoon garam masala(opt),
salt-acc to taste,
coriander for garnish.

Procedure:

• Take a cooker and pour oil and add the cumin seeds and curry leaves.
• When they splutter, add the ginger-garlic paste,onions,green chillies and salt and saute till translucent.
• Now add the tomatoes along with the garam masala,turmeric,cumin powder,and red chilli powder.
• CClose the cooker without whistle for 3 mins.
  Now add 1.5 cups of water and sprouts to this and put the whistle.
• Let it cook till 4 whistles (cook depending on the type of sprouts).
• Remove from flameAfter the pressure is released,add the dry mango powder and mix well.
• Put on low flame till the excess water evaporates.
• Garnish with coriander and kheera.

Preparation Time:30 mins,Serves:3

Easy Baby Corn Manchurian

I am bored of the non-veg starters and i have started experimenting on veg starters.So u would find many posts in starters.The pleasant smell of babycorn when it is cooked is so nice that you can't resist eating it.One such recipe is Baby Corn Manchurian.

Ingredients:

6 babycorns(cut into 0.75" pieces),
3 green chillies(cut into 1"pieces),
1 spoon soya sauce,
2 spoons tomato ketchup,
1 big onion,
2 spoons cornflour,
3 spoons rice flour,
1/2 bunch spring onions,
3 pods garlic(finely cut),
1 spoon ginger-garlic paste,
oil for deep fry,
salt acc to taste.

Procedure:

• First take some water and add salt and ginger garlic paste to it.
• Let this boil and then add the babycorn pieces.
• After 5 mins remove and drain the water.
• Now add salt,garam masala,rice flour,corn flour and mix them properly.
• Now add the babycorn pieces to it and add little water so that not much batter sticks to the corn pieces.This way the corn would be cripsy.
• Deep fry the corn in oil and keep them aside.
• Take a pan and add 2 spoons of oil and add garlic pieces,green chillies,onion pieces and salt and saute till translucent.
• Add soya sauceand tomato ketchup and put it the corn pieces.
• Finally add the spring onions and cook with lid for 2 mins and garnish with fresh cilantro.

Note:Tastes good with tomato or chilli sauce.

Veg Manchurian Balls

On Saturday evening, my husband requested for some snacks.So we decided upon making Veg Manchurian.This is a healthy food as it contains vegetables and ginger and garlic which are really good for health.This can be made dry or wet depending on our taste.I made it dry and also i would be posting the recipe for wet manchurian.


Ingredients:

1 cup grated cabbage,
1 cup grated carrot,
1/2 cups beans,
2 spoons grated ginger,
5-6 spoons all purpose flour,
3 green chillies(finely chopped).
5 pods garlic(finely cut),
2 spoons soya sauce,
1/2 spoon ginger garlic paste,
1 bunch-spring onions(cut into 1 cm pieces)
salt acc to taste,
oil-for frying.

Procedure:

• Mix the grated cabbage,carrot and the beans in a bowl and remove most of the water from it.
• Now add the ginger,half of spring onions,salt and multipurpose flour and make it into a batter of thick consistency.
• Also any masala, if desired can be added according to taste.
• Make balls of the mixture of desired size and deep fry them in oil.
  
• Now take a pan with two spoons of oil and put in the garlic.
• Add the remaining spring onions and put in some soya sauce and salt and saute for a minute.
• Put in the balls and cook it covered for 3-4 mins.
• Garnish with grated carrot and cilantro.

Note:Relish with tangy tomato ketchup.

Paneer Chilli

Paneer is equally liked by both veggies and non-veggies.So here is a recipe for spicy paneer chilli.

Ingredients:

1 cup paneer cubes,
1 big capsicum (cut into small pieces),
1 big onion(finely chopped),
1 spoon soya sauce,
2 spoons tomato ketchup,
3 big green chillies(cut each into 2 pieces),
3 pods garlic(cut into small pieces),
2 spoons oil,
1 spoon ginger garlic paste,
2 strands curry leaves,
cilantro for garnish,
salt-acc to taste.


Procedure:

• Heat oil and fry the paneer cubes till golden brown.keep them aside.
• Add garlic pieces and curry leaves to the remaining oil and fry them.
• Add the onions and fry till they become translucent.
• Add the ginger garlic paste and saute for 2 mins.
• Now add the capsicum n green chilli pieces.
• Add salt and put the lid till the chillies and capsicum become soft.
  
• Now add the soya sauce and tomato ketchup and saute for 2 mins.
• Finally,add the paneer cubes and cook for 4-5 mins.(Add some water if you dont want it too dry)
  
• Garnish with cilantro and serve.

tangy egg-drumstick curry(mullakkaya-egg pulusu)

Somehow my husband likes curries with different combinations like ridgegaurd-drumstick,ridgegaurd-dry shrimp etc.Similarly,he likes this egg-drumstick curry a lot because of its spicy and tangy taste.

Ingredients:

3 boiled eggs,
12 pieces of drumsticks,
3 onions(finely chopped),
2 ripe tomatoes,
1 spoon thick tamarind pulp,
2 green chillies,
1 spoon cumin,
1 spoon mustard seeds,
1 spoon urad dal,
2 pods garlic,
2 spoons oil,
1 strand curry leaves,
1/4 spoon turmeric,
salt acc to taste,
red chilli powder acc to taste,
coriander for garnish.

Procedure:

• take a pan,heat oil and then add garlic,cumin,mustard,urad dal and curry leaves till it splutters.
• put in onions,green chillies and salt and saute till translucent.
• now add the turmeric powder and drumsticks to it and close with a lid.
• when the drumstick becomes a bit soft,add the tomatoes and red chilli powder and saute till soft.
• take the eggs and make 3-4 small slits on each of them so as to allow the penetration of the sour flavour.
  
• now add eggs and also the tamarind pulp.cook on low flame with lid for 6-7 minutes and garnish with coriander.

It tastes yummy with hot steamed rice.