Friday, December 28, 2007

Dum Ka Karela

Serves: Four
Time required: One hour 15 minutes plus baking time
12 bitter grounds (karelas)
Salt to taste
15 g ginger paste
15 g garlic paste
1 tsp (5 g) turmeric powder
Butter for basting and greasing.
For the filling:
150 g paneer, grated
60 g groundnuts
1 tbs (15 g) sesame seeds
15 g coconut
1 tsp (5 g) cummin seeds
2 (120 g) large onions
5 cm ginger, julienned
1 1/2 tsp (7 g) coriander powder
1 tsp (5 g) chilli powder
Salt to taste
2 tbs (30 ml) tamarind pulp
15 g jaggery, crushed
For the tempering:
3 tbs (45 ml) sesame oil
1/2 tsp (2 g) cummin seeds
1/2 tsp (2 g) mustard seeds
1/4 tsp (1 g) fenugreek seeds
24 curry leaves
WASH and slit the bitter gourds on one side. Remove the seeds and rub with salt.
Arrange on a tilting tray and keep aside for at least an hour. (Keep the bitter gourds overnight if you prefer them to be even less bitter).
Put enough water in a pan. Add salt, ginger paste, garlic paste, and turmeric powder.
Stir and bring to a boil. Add the bitter gourds and blanch them until soft. Drain and keep aside.
To prepare the filling:
Remove the brown skin and roughly chop the coconut. Dry roast the coconut,
groundnuts, sesame seeds and cummin seeds in a frying pan until each emits its unique aroma. Hold the onions with tongs and roast them directly over the flame until the skin is charred. Cool, peel and roughly chop the onions. Grind all these ingredients, except paneer, with 1/4th cup water to fine paste.Add paneer, ginger, jaggery, corriander powder and chilli powder to the paste and mix well.
To prepare the tempering:
Heat oil in a frying pan and season with cummin seeds, mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds. Stir over medium heat until they begin to crackle. Add curry leaves and stir.
Pour over the paste, mix well and divide into 12 equal portions. Put a portion of the filling into each of the blanched bitter gourds. Arrange them in a greased roasting tray
with the slit side on top. Cover with foil. Punch a few holes in the foil and cook on dum in the pre-heated oven at 275oF for 30 minutes, basting at regular intervals. Remove and uncover.
To serve: Remove to a serving dish and serve with cummin-tempered whole potatoes and buttered seasonal vegetables on the side.

Khatti Arvi Ka Saalan

Serves: Four
Time required: 50 minutes
16 medium sized arvi
2 tsp (10 ml) lemon juice
5 tbs (75 ml) oil
8 flakes (16 g) garlic
1/2-tsp (2 g) mustard seeds
1/2-tsp (2 g) cummin seeds
1 tsp (5 g) urad dal
4 whole dried red chillies
16 curry leaves
200 g onions, chopped fine
3/4 cup (180 ml) fresh tomato puree
4 tbs (60 ml) Tamarind pulp
3 tsp (15 g) coriander powder
1 1/2 tsp (7 g) chilli powder
1 tsp (5 g) turmeric powder
1 tbs (15 g) jaggery
Salt to taste
WASH the arvi thoroughly and cook with enough water till done. Add lemon juice and bring to a boil again. Drain. When cool, peel and quarter lengthwise and reserve in a panful of water.
Grate the jaggery and reserve in three tbs water.
Heat oil in a pan. Add garlic and saut over medium heat until light brown. Add mustard seeds, cummin seeds, urad dal and whole red chillies. Stir until the seeds begin to crackle. Add curry leaves. Stir for a minute. Add onions and saut until golden. Add tomato puree, tamarind pulp, chilli powder and turmeric powder. Stir-fry until the oil floats on top. Add salt and three cups water. Bring it to a boil. Lower the heat, add arvi and jaggery. Bring it to a boil again. Lower the heat, simmer, stirring occasionally, until the gravy reaches thin sauce consistency. Remove and adjust the seasoning.
To serve: Remove to a serving bowl and serve with steamed rice.

Aloo Gobhi Methi Ka Tuk

Serves: Four
Time required: 35 minutes
4 (500 g) large potatoes with skin
200 g fenugreek
Salt to taste
5 tbs (75 ml) oil
2 g mustard seeds
24 curry leaves
20 g ginger paste, strained
10 g garlic paste, strained
800 g cauliflower, cut into medium sized flowerettes
1 tsp (9 g) yellow chilli powder
1 tsp (9 g) amchur powder
1/2 tsp (2 g) cummin powder
1/2 tsp (1.5 g) fresh black pepper powder, coarsely ground
A generous pinch of kasuri methi
For the garnishing: 30 g fresh pomegranate seeds
QUARTER the potatoes and then halve each quarter lengthwise. Blanch in salted
boiling water until al dente (almost cooked, but not soft and squishy). Drain and keep aside. Sprinkle salt over the fenugreek and rub between the palms to reduce some of the bitterness. Wash in running water, drain and keep aside.
Heat oil in a kadai or wok and season with mustard seeds. When they crackle, add curry leaves. Stir for some time. Add the ginger paste and garlic paste. Stir-fry until the moisture evaporates. Then add fenugreek and stir for a few seconds. Add cauliflower, yellow chilli powder and salt. Stir well. Lower the heat. Cover and cook (for about six minutes) until al dente. Uncover and increase to medium heat. Add potatoes and stir-fry for five minutes. Sprinkle amchur powder, cummin powder, pepper powder and kasuri methi. Stir well. Check the seasoning and remove from heat.
To serve:Remove to a serving dish, garnish with pomegranate and serve with tandoori paratha, bidari paratha or puri.

Bhakar Wadi

(Spicy gram flour snack)
Serves: Four
Time required: One hour
240 g. gram flour
120 g. wheat flour
salt to taste
a pinch of asafoetida
oil for deep frying
100 g. grated coconut
60 g. sesame seeds
60 g. poppy seeds
a pinch of sugar
salt and chilli powder to taste
100 g. coriander leaves, chopped fine
a marble sized ball of tamarind, soaked in a little water
black masala powder (branded curry powder) to taste
MIX together gram flour and wheat flour. Add salt, asafoetida, 60 ml. hot oil and
enough water. Knead to a stiff dough. Keep it aside.
Roast the grated coconut, sesame seeds and poppy seeds and grind to a powder.
Add sugar, salt, chilli powder and coriander leaves to the masala powder to
prepare the filling for bhakar wadi. Add tamarind pulp and black masala powder
and mix well. Divide the dough into small portions and roll each portion into a thin rectangular shaped chappati. Spread the filling all over the chappati and roll up the dough with the filling into a tight cylindrical shape. Seal the edges with a little water.
Cut into three cm. long pieces and deep fry in hot oil till brown and crisp. Remove
from oil and store in an airtight container.

Ravva Dosa

Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Serves: 3-4
Required Ingredients:
Yoghurt (preferably sour)-1 cup
Rice flour --1/2 cup
Moida --1/4 cup
Semolina (Bombay Ravva)-1 cup
Chopped Ginger --1 inch piece
Chopped Coriander --fistful
Crushed Cashew nuts --15
Finely Chopped Green Chilies--2 (about 1.5 tsp)
Chopped Fresh Coconut--2 tbsp (very small pieces)
Cumin Seeds --1 tsp
Oil for cooking
Salt to taste
Mix everything except oil. Add enough amount of water and mix well such
that when you pour batter on the frying pan, all you have to do is tilt the frying
pan for the batter to spread out thinly and evenly. You shouldn't use an
implement to spread the batter. It should spread on its own.

Masala Vada

Cooking time: 30 minutes (with soaking time of 1.5 hours)
Serves 4-5
Required ingredients:
Split Bengal Gram (channa dal)-1 cup
Split Green Gram (moong dal) --1/4 cup
Cinnamon -half inch stick
Cloves--3
Coriander Seeds Powder (dhaniya powder) --1 tsp.
Ginger Paste --1 tsp.
Garlic --1 tsp.
Nutmeg Powder-1/4 tsp.
Chopped Onion -1/2 cup
Chopped Green Chili --1 tsp.
Salt to taste
Oil to deep fry
Mix the two dals and soak for 1.5 hours.
Drain water from the soaked soal. Add salt to taste and put it in a mixture and grind into a semi-soft paste (do not make too soft; do not add any water).
Crush cinnamon stick and cloves into powder and add to the paste. Add coriander seeds powder, nutmeg powder, onion, garlic, ginger and green chili. Mix well. Make this dough into small balls (roughly half the size of a
golf ball) and keep aside.
In a deep skillet warm oil and deep fry the balls on lo w heat until brown.

Pulihora (Tamarind Rice)

Preparation time: 40 minutes
Serves: 4
Required ingredients:
Rice --3 cups
Tamarind Extract--5 tbsp.
Split Bengal Gram --2 tbsp.
Peanuts-0.5 cup
Mustard Seeds --0.5 tsp.
Dried Red Chile--5
Green Chile --4
Black Pepper Corns --8
Turmeric Powder --0.5 tsp.
Oil --0.5 cup
Water --5 cups
Coriander Leaves --1 bunch
Curry Leaves --20
Sesame Seeds --1 tbsp. (powdered)
Asafoetida --0.5 tsp.
Salt to taste
In a large bowl, add water and rice and cook until well done. Remove from heat and in a wide, large bowl spread out the rice. Add turmeric, half of the curry leaves and three tablespoons of oil to the rice and mix thoroughly. Keep it aside.
Meanwhile in a skillet, heat remaining oil on low heat. To this add black mustard seeds, split bengal gram, red chile, pepper corns and peanuts. When the bengal gram turns light brown, add coriander leaves,remaining curry leaves,asafoetida, sliced green chiles and tamarind extract. Stir well. Remove from heat. Now add salt and sesame seed powder to the skillet and add it all to the bowl containing rice. Mix thoroughly. Serve with Verusanagapappu Pacchadi or plain yoghurt.
Note: You can adjust the amount of tamarind extract according to your taste.

Aratikaaya Masala Pulusu (Spiced Raw Banana Curry)

Preparation time: 30 minutes
Serves: 4
Required ingredients:
Oil --3 tbsp
Black Mustard Seeds --1/4 tsp
Curry Leaves --8
Red Chili Powder --1/2 tsp
Turmeric--1/4 tsp
Salt to Taste
Set 1
Raw Bananas (different than unripe bananas we eat)-4
Tamarind Paste --1.5 tbsp
Set 2
Cumin Seeds --1 tsp
Garlic --4 cloves
Ginger --1/2 inch piece
Cloves--2
Uncooked Rice -1 tsp
Make Set 2 into a paste (adding a few drops of water) and keep aside.
Raw bananas should be cut into four pieces each. Remove the skin and keep aside. In a deep skillet heat oil, add mustard seeds and when seeds start popping add curry leaves and the above paste (of Set 2). Fry on moderate heat for one minute. Add 1.5 cups water, tamarind paste, and the banana pieces. Also add red chili powder, tumeric and salt. Let cook on low heat for 15 minutes or until the gravy thickens.
Note: Some tamarind paste can be very sour, so you may need to adjust according to your taste. You can add a spoon of sugar just before removing from heat.

Onion Rice

Ingredients
1 cup rice.
1 medium sized onion.
1/2 cup green peas.
3 minced green chillies.
little garlic.
Mustard and cumin seeds for seasoning.
cut coriander leaves.
salt to taste.
Method
1.Cut onions into thin long slices.
2.Boil the rice separately.
3.Heat oil in a pan and season with mustard and cumin seeds.
4.Add cut onions and green chillies , fry until onion is light brown in
color and add green peas. Pour little water and allow the mixture to
boil till the mixture is dry.
5.Add the boiled rice and coriander leaves into the mixture and mix
well.

Kozukkattai (Stuffed Rice Balls)

Ingredients
Rice flour 1 cup
Water 1 1/4 cup
a pinch of salt
1 tsp oil
Method
1.Boil the water adding the salt and the oil.
2.Add the rice flour and stir it until it forms a lump.
3.Cooking the rice flour should take only 2 mts.
4.As soon as it is done, cover it for about 10 mts.
5.Knead it well until its very smooth.
6.Make little cups and stuff it with the stuffing you have prepared and
steam it for about 10 mts.
Stuffing:
1.There are many varieties of stuffing. The most popular is sweet
coconut stuffing. 2 cups fresh coconut grated, 1/2 cup jaggery powder,
one pinch of cardomom powder.
2.Put all these ingredients in a heavy bottomed kadai with 2 table spoon
of water and keep on stirring for about 10 mts or until the moisture
dries. It should not be too dry either. Make small balls about the size
of a cherry. This can be prepared a day or two ahead and stored in the
refregirator.

Baigan fry Recipe

Ingredients
1 Large Baigan (Eggplant)
2 tbsp Besan (Gram flour)
3 tbsp red chilli powder
pinch of turmeric powder
salt to taste
1/4 cup Peanut oil
Method
1.Cut the baigan into thin round slices.
2.Mix chilli powder, turmeric powder and salt thoroughly.
3.Heat the frying pan with the peanut oil.
4.Take one slice of baigan at a time apply the mixture to both the sides
and fry it.
5.Serve it hot with chapatis.

Green Pulao

Ingredients
One bunch of fresh coriander leaves, finely chopped
A handful of fresh mint leaves
green chillies 8 nos
ginger and garlic paste 1 tspn.
garam masala 1 tsp
salt to taste
onion 2 chopped finely
oil 4 tspns
rice 2 cups (boiled beforehand)
water
green peas a handful
boiled potatoes -fried in oil
Method
1.Grind coriander leaves, mint leaves, green chilies, together with a little
water. Keep aside.
2.Fry onions till golden brown, add garam masala and ginger and garlic
paste.
3.Fry till oil seperates then add the ground ingredients with a little water.
4.Let it cook till you get a nice aroma and it should thicken.
5.Add salt to taste. Then you can add peas and the fried potatoes.
6.Take rice which should be boiled well before and let it cool.
7.Then you add the masala and stir well till the masala has spread out on
the rice.
8.Serve hot with any veg or non-veg dish.

Brinjal Curry

Ingredients
Medium size brinjals -8(not round ones)
Ginger -2inches
coriander-equal to ginger
tamarind juice( thick) -1 t.sp.
turmuric powder-1/2 t.sp.
chana dal--1 t.sp
Urud dal-1 t.sp
mustard seeds-1/2 t.sp
cumin seeds-1/2 t.sp
oil-4 t.sp.
green chiilies 5
red chillies -3(cut into pieces)
salt to taste
Method:
1.First make a paste of green chillies, ginger, coriander leaves nicely.
2.Cut the brinjals into 2 inch pieces.
3.Heat oil in a thick bottom pan. Put chana dal, urud dal, cumin seeds,
mustard seeds. Allow to splutter. Add red chillies and fry nicely.
4.Put the brinjal pieces, salt and turmuric.
5.Fry them for a while and cover the pan, with a plate. Put some water
in the plate.
6.After the brinjals are half cooked, put the tamarind juice,
ginger-coriander paste in the brinjal pieces and mix well.
7.Close the pan again, but stir it frequently.
8.After 5 or 6 minutes, the curry is ready.
9.Sprinkle the coriander leaves and serve.
10.Tastes good with white rice and ghee.

Kozhakattai

1 full coconut
200 gm grated coconut
2 or 3 spoons water
mix all 3 and keep n sim in stove. Powder elaichi and add ghee before bringing down.
When you touch water and then the jaggery, it should not stick.
2/3 cup water, little salt, 1 big spoon oil, rice flour
allow water to boil, add flour, keep in sim and cook till it sweats.
When steam comes, stop and bring down.
Mix the batter, it will roll into a boll. Leave for 15 minutes.
Then stuff and steam kozhakattai in cooker.

Motichoor Ladoo

Ingredients
For boondi:
2 1/2 cups gram flour (not superfine variety)
500 ml. milk
1/2 tsp. cardamom powder
3 cups ghee for deep frying
a fineholed shallow strainer spoon
For syrup:
2 1/2 cups sugar
3 1/2 cups water
2 tbsp. milk
few drops saffron (kesri) colour
Method
For syrup:
1.Put sugar and water in a vessel and boil.
2.When sugar dissolves, add milk.
3.Boil for 5 minutes till scum forms on top.
4.Strain and return to fire.
5.Add colour and boil till sticky but no thread has formed.
6.Add cardamom powder and mix. Keep aside.
For boondi:
1.Mix flour and milk to a smooth batter.
2.Heat ghee in a heavy frying pan.
3.Hold strainer on top with one hand.
4.With the other pour some batter all over the holes.
5.Tap gently till all batter has fallen into hot ghee.
6.Stir with another strainer and remove when light golden.
7.Keep aside. Repeat for remaining batter.
8.Immerse boondi in syrup.
9.Drain any excess syrup.
10.Spread in a large plate. Sprinkle few tsp. hot water over it.
11.Cover and keep for 5 minutes.
12.Shape in laddoos with moist palms.
13.Cool and keep open to dry, before storing in containers.

Thenkuzhal

Rice flour - 250g, urud powder - 4 tsp, cumin seeds, sesame seeds - each 1 tsp
Mix the ingredients first with a tsp of ghee and then with minimum water into a
thick paste. Then place a large ball of this in thenkuzhal achu(medium sized round
holes) and squeeze in boiling oil as in curd murukku .
Urud powder
Dry roast urud dal and grind into a very nice powder.

Thattai

Soak 4 tsp of gram dal for one hour.
Slightly dry roast 500 g of rice flour. Add 1 cup grated coconut, 2 tsp red chilli
powder, 2 tsp ghee, 1/2 tsp asafoetida, 1 tsp salt, 4 tsp sesame seeds, to the rice
flour and mix well.Add the soaked dal and minimum water to this and make into a
thick paste. Take a ball of this paste and pat it on a plastic sheet of paper . Make it
thin. Deep fry these in boiling oil. Turn over until it is fully cooked and crisp.

Seedai

rice flour-500g, grated coconut - 1 cup, red chillie powder - 1 tsp, urud flour - 4 tsp,
salt - 1 tsp, sesame seeds - 4 tsp, ghee-2 tsp, asafoetida - 1/2 tsp,
Slightly heat the rice flour in a dry pan. Add other ingredients and mix well. Add
little water so that the mixture becomes a solid paste. Make very small balls using
this flour and deep fry in oil.

Omappodi

Soak omam for 1/2 hour and grind into a very smooth paste.Drain the water
completely. Mix gram flour 500g, rice flour - 3 tsp, omam paste 2 tsp, salt, 2 tsp
ghee and 1/2 tsp asafoetida and mix well. Use this flour and omappodi achu(very
small holes) and squeeze out the flour in boiling oil and turn over until fully cooked and crisp.

Ribbon Murukku

Gram flour - 300 g
Rice flour -200 g
red chillie powder - 1 tsp
salt -1 tsp
sesame seeds, cumin seeds -2 tsps
Ghee - 2 tsp
asafoetida- 1/2 tsp
Mix all the ingredients into a thick paste and make murukku as in curd murukku.