Veg Kurma(restaurant style)

Veg kurma/Veg korma is the popular indian curry.This veg kurma can be made into 2 styles one is north indian style where in curd is used as curry base and the other one is south indian style in which coconut paste is used as curry base.Today i will show the south indian style of making kurma.This exotic veg curry can be prepared with all the easily available ingredients at home and goes very well with paratha,roti or even puri or pulao.

          Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 4 tbsp grated coconut
• 8-10 cashewnuts
• 2 tsp poppy seeds
• 1/4 th tsp fennel seeds(saunf)
• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 star anise
• Few strands of mace (javitri)
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds(jeera)
• 2 green cardamoms(elaichi)
• 2-3 cloves(lavang)
• 1 inch cinnamon stick(dalchini)
• 2 medium size onion (chopped)
• 2 tsp ginger garlic paste
• 2 medium size tomato(made into puree) 
• salt (as per taste)
• 5-6 french beans(cut into 1/2''pieces)
• 1 carrot(cut into cubes)
• 5-6 cauliflower florets(cut into halves)
• 1 medium size potato (cut into cubes)
• 1/4 th cup green peas
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp garam masala
• coriander leaves( for garnishing)
• water(as per requirement)
• 2-3 tablespoons milk cream

          Method of preparation

• Soak poppy seeds and cashewnuts in some warm water for half an hour.
• Make the paste of grated coconut,fennel seeds,soaked cashewnuts and poppy seeds by adding little water and keep it aside.
• Heat a pan and add some oil,fry all the dry spices(cumin,cinnamon,cardamom,cloves,bay leaf,mace,star anise)until they sizzle.
• Next to the pan add chopped onions and shallow fry until it becomes translucent.
• Now add ginger garlic paste and saute till raw smell goes off.
• Put tomato puree into the pan saute till raw smell goes off.
• Add all the chopped veggies as well as the masala powders(chilli powder and garam masala)  to the pan.
• Add salt as per taste.
• Also add the ground masala to the pan.
• Mix everything together add little water if required and let it cook covered on low medium flame for 10-12 minutes.
• After 8-10 minutes uncover the pan and check if the veggies are cooked properly.
• Once the veggies are done finally add the milk cream, mix and cook for 2-3 minutes more.
• Put off the flame and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with paratha,puri or pulao.

          Note

• I have used tomato puree in my recipe but you can substitute it with chopped tomatoes also.
• If you want kurma to be more spicy you may increase the amount of garam and chilli powder.
• You can use the veggies of your choice to make this recipe.
• In the absence of cashewnuts you can use soaked almond.

Dalitoy (konkani style dal)

                                                                                 

Dali toy is the konkani style dal It's the comfort food for konkani people just the way "dal fry/dal tadka"is to north indians and "varan"to maharashtrians.I inherited this recipe from my aai who is native from karnataka.Actually it's the simple dal preparation without complex flavors or masalas.Dalitoy accompanied with rice and Batata fodi  (potato rava fry) is the ultimate combination.The asafoetida,ginger and green chilli add a prominant flavor to this simple dal preparation.Friends do try this simple and healthy dal recipe.

          Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 1 cup toor dal
• 3-4 green chillies(slit)
• 1 inch piece ginger(crushed or grated)
• 1/4 th tsp turmeric powder
• 2-3 tsp ghee or coconut oil
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• 2 red chillies(I used bedgi chillies)
• 2-3 pinches asafoetida
• 4-5 curry leaves
• Salt(as per taste)
• Water ( as per requirement)

          
          Method of preparation

• Soak tur dal in water for atleast 1 hour.
• Cook dal in enough water,add slit green chillies and grated ginger while cooking.
• Once the dal is cooked, mix it nicely using a whisk.At this point add little water if required to adjust the consistency.
• In another pan heat ghee/oil and give tempering with asafoetida,mustard seeds,curry leaves and red chillies.
• Now add the cooked dal in the pan slowly.
• Add turmeric powder and salt,mix well.
• Let it cook for another 3-4 minutes.
• Turn off the flame and serve hot with rice.

          
          Note

• You can garnish this dal with some chopped coriander and grated coconut but it's optional.
• Some people don't add turmeric in the dal but it's again a personal choice.
• You can also add crushed garlic while tempering if you like.

         Happy cooking !

Mugachi usli

This is the authentic goan vegetarian side dish.You can also refer to it as sprouted green gram curry(dry).I love this recipe as it's very tasty and healthy and requires very little time to prepare.Moong or green gram are the most healthy and easy to digest legume among all other legume as per ayurveda.This recipe requires sprouted moong.Sprouted moong are rich source of proteins and fiber in our diet.This recipe can be served with fulka for breakfast or along with rice and dal for lunch/dinner.It can also serve as the healthy option for kids tiffin box.I personally like to have a bowl of this Moong usli as it is for my breakfast.

          Ingredients( serves 3-4)

• 2 cups sprouted moong (green gram)
• 2 tsp ghee/oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 4-5 curry leaves
• 1/2 tsp asafoetida
• 1 green chilli
• 2 tablespoons grated coconut
• Salt as per taste
• 1-2 tsp jaggery
• 1-2 peppercorn
• 1/2 tsp tamarind pulp
• Water (2-3 tablespoons as per need)

          Method to prepare sprouted moong 

• To get sprouts to moong(green gram),wash them and soak in water for around 6-8 hours.Then after 8 hours remove the excess water and tie them in a muslin cloth and keep in a warm place for at least 12 hours.After opening this muslin cloth, you will see sprouted moong. This sprouted moong can be used in the cooking.

          Method of preparation of usli

• In the mixer grind grated coconut,green chilli,peppercorns,tamarind pulp by adding just 1-2 tsp of water to make course paste and keep aside.
• Heat oil in a heavy bottom pan.Once the oil is hot, add asafoetida,mustard seeds and curry leaves and give tempering.
• Now add sprouted moong to the pan,also add turmeric,cover the lid and cook on the medium flame.
• Add very little water at this stage to avoid burning.
• Keep on stirring the moong gently while cooking.
• After around 10 minutes add the grated coconut paste we had already ground.
• Also add salt, jaggery as per taste.Mix well.
• Cover and cook for another 7-8 minutes.Stir in between couple of times gently.
• Once the usli is ready put off the flame and serve hot with Roti or Dal rice.

         Note

• You can also make this recipe with unsprouted moong too. In this case you will have to cook the moong in double the amount of water in pressure cooker. Rest all procedure remains to be the same.
• If you want the usli to be more spicy increase the amount of chilli to the recipe.
• Similarly like mugachi usli you can repeat the procedure to make Masur (red lentil) or Chana(white peas)usli etc.

       

         Happy cooking !

Poached egg curry/ Egg drop curry

                                                                               

Two years back we were invited by my husband's boss for dinner.His wife(native from andhra) is a great cook so along with other dishes she had prepared the delicious andhra style poached egg curry(egg drop curry).As i am always inquisitive about new recipes i had asked her the basic process of making this curry.She had used tomato base to make the curry.Here in this recipe, i have made the same egg drop curry with  coconut base giving it goan touch.This curry tastes super yummy when served with roti,bread or rice.It's a perfect dish for party or potluck.

This curry doesn’t require boiled eggs, so you don’t need to worry about boiling the eggs first and then wait for them to cool down a bit before peeling the shells.
For this curry, the raw eggs are directly dropped into the gravy instead of adding boiled eggs.Thus, this reduces the cooking time. So a tasty curry can be served under 30 minutes.The eggs are cooked in spicy gravy, so they absorb all the spices and curry tastes much more flavorful than regular boiled egg curry.This curry is the best to cook at times when you have unexpected guests and you don’t have much time to prepare food, but you still want to impress them with something really exotic then this curry comes to the rescue.

          Ingredients (serves 3-4)

• 6 eggs
• 2 medium size onions (chopped)
• 1 tomato (chopped)
• 3-4 tablespoons oil 
• 2 tablespoons ginger garlic paste
• 1 bayleaf
• 1/2 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 inch cinnamon piece
• salt (as per taste)
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 cup grated coconut
• Few coriander leaves chopped(to garnish)

          Method of preparation 

• In a frying pan take some oil (around 2 tablespoons)and fry 1 medium size chopped onion till it becomes translucent.
• Next in the same pan add grated coconut and shallow fry it nicely until coconut turns light brown and aromatic.
• Switch off the gas and let it cool down.
• After some time take this fried onion and coconut mixture and put in a blender,also add 1 tsp garam masala,1 tsp chilli powder and 1/2 tsp of turmeric powder.Grind altogether to make fine paste and keep aside.
• In the same frying pan take some oil,into that add 1/2 tsp of jeera,small peice of cinnamon and 1 bayleaf and saute it for a while.
• Then add ginger garlic paste and saute for a while.
• Take the flat bottom pan and add 1 medium size chopped onion and fry nicely till golden brown.
• Then add chopped tomato and fry till raw mell dissapears.Add little water if required.
• Then add the coconut gravy to the pan,also add salt and sugar and mix well and cook nicely for 3-4 minutes till it starts boiling.
• Reduce the flame to medium low and slowly crack the egg one by one and put in gravy keeping some gap between two eggs.
• Cover and cook on low medium flame for 8-10 minutes.
• Do not stir in between.After 10 minutes eggs will be cooked nicely then flip on the other side using spoon.
• Cook for couple of minutes more.Stir gently if required.
• Switch off the gas and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve hot with Roti/Pav/Rice.

          
          Note

• Instead of chopped tomato you can also use tomato puree.
• Dont stir the curry once the eggs are added.
• You can use the same recipe and add boiled eggs instead of adding the raw eggs directly into the curry.

          Happy cooking !

Chole biryani/ Kabuli Chana biryani

                                                                                                                                                                             

I have already posted Vegetable biryani post earlier on my blog.Commonly we make chole from this kabuli chana but this time i wanted to try kabuli chana biryani. The Kabuli Chana Biryani is a delicious one-dish meal made using  rice and white chick peas.This biryani is served with curd raita and pickle to make a tasty,healthy and satisfying meal for lunch or dinner.This biryani can be suitable for party or picnic.

         Ingredients

• Basmati Rice 1 cups
• Water as per requirement 
• White peas(kabuli chana)1 cup
• 1 Medium size Onion(chopped)
• Salt to taste
• Green cardamons 2
• Black cardamom 1
• Cloves (5-6)
• Black pepper(5-6)
• Cinnamon 1/2 inch stick
• Bay leaf(1-2)
• Caraway seeds (shahi jeera) 1 teaspoon
• Ginger-garlic paste 2 teaspoons
• Turmeric powder(1/4 tsp)
• Red chilli powder( 1 tsp) 
• Coriander powder (1 tsp)
• Jeera powder(1 tsp)
• Yogurt(1/2 cup)
• Saffron (kesar) a few strands
• Some milk for soaking saffron
• Garam masala powder (1 -2 tsp)
• Fresh coriander leaves chopped 2 tablespoons
• Fresh mint leaves chopped 2 tablespoons
• Fried onion(for layering)
• 1-2 tablespoon Ghee (for layering)
• 3-4 tablespoon oil
• 1-2 tsp Ghee (clarified butter)
• 2 tsp Lemon juice 

          Method of preparation 

• Boil rice in four cups of salted boiling water with green cardamoms,black cardamom,cloves,cinnamon,pepper,caraway seeds,lemon juice,2 tsp oil,bayleaf until three-fourth done.Drain excess water and set aside.
• For making fried onion add oil in a wok and heat it,when the oil is heated up, add the sliced onions.Stir for a while,fry the onions on sim flame.Fry them until a golden brown color is observed.Keep stirring in between so that all the onions are fried well and evenly attain the golden brown color.When the onions are fried well strain them out.Place them on a tissue paper and spread them loosely.
• Soak saffron in some warm milk and keep it aside.
• Soak kabuli chana previous night,next day cook them nicely with some salt and keep aside.You can use pressure cooker to cook peas.
• In a pan heat oil in a pan.Add onions and saute for a while,then add ginger garlic paste and saute again.Once this is done then add cooked white peas.
• Sprinkle salt,cover and cook on medium heat for two minutes. 
• Add turmeric powder,red chilli powder,coriander powder,jeera powder,yogurt and  garam masala and mix well.
• Simmer and cook for around 10 minutes.Add little water if required.after 10 minutes switch off the flame and let it cool for a while.
• Last and important step is layering all the things.
• Arrange a layer of biryani rice at the bottom.
• Over that arrange kabuli chana gravy(thick).
• In each layer sprinkle garam masala,coriander leaves,mint leaves,ghee,fried onion and saffron soaked in milk.
• Arrange 2-3 layers similarly finally cover the pan with the aluminium foil/dough and then put the lid.
• Keep the pan on hot tawa/flat frying pan and cook for around 5-7 minutes on medium flame.
• You can also heat it in microwave by putting biryani in micowave safe pan for 5-7 minutes on High power.
• Let it stand for five minutes.Serve hot with curd raita.

          Happy cooking !

Tomato salsa

         
I love this salsa,because its simple to make,yet delicious to taste !This salsa goes perfect with tortilla chips,crackers or even our papad! They can also be used as topping for burrito or in sandwichs also.Salsa refers to a Mexican style sauce with tomato as its main ingredient.The tomatoes added can be fresh or cooked.When salsa is made with fresh tomatoes, it is known as raw salsa or Mexican fresh sauce.

This may not be an authentic Mexican salsa recipe because,I have my own tweaks in this recipe.These days salsa is available in jars in supermarkets with spice levels ranging from mild to hot.Store bought salsa has so many scary preservatives and tons of sugar.Hence i prefer to make fresh homemade salsa rather than buying from store as you can make your healthy blend.It tastes better too! Try it and i am sure you will love it.

         Ingredients

• 3 medium size blanched tomatoes(finely chopped)
• 1 medium size Onion(finely chopped)
• 1 Green Chillies (finely chopped)
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1/4 teaspoon roasted Cumin powder
• 1 tablespoon Coriander leaves(chopped)
• 2-3 tablespoons tomato ketchup
• 1-2 tsp Lemon juice
• 1-2 teaspoon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
• Salt (as per taste)
• 1-2 tsp Sugar

          (Serves 3-4)

          
          Method of preparation

• To begin making the Salsa Recipe,first blanch the tomatoes and remove the skin. Blanching tomatoes are important, as it partially cooks the tomatoes and also gives a good taste to the salsa. 
• Once the tomatoes are blanched,chop them nicely.During this step i don't remove seeds of tomato but if you want you can do so.
• In a mixing bowl take the chopped tomatoes and then add one by one chopped onion,chopped green chilli,cumin powder,red chilli powder,salt,sugar,tomato ketchup,olive oil,lemon juice,chopped coriander leaves and mix nicely.
• Check the salt and spice levels and adjust to suit your taste.
• Salsa is now ready to be served along with tortillas chips.

          Note

• If you don't have time to blanch tomatoes then you can directly use the chopped raw tomatoes.
• You can increase or decrease the quantity of green chilli as per your taste.
• Before adding onion into the mixture you can store this salsa in an airtight container in fridge for couple of days. Add onion before serving.

          Happy cooking !

Corn dhokla cupcakes

                                                                             

I had prepared this dish for an goan foodmania competition last year.I had seen this recipe in Tarla dalal madam's website,but i have made few changes in the proportion of ingredients as per my need.The main innovation in my recipe is i have tried making these dhoklas in cupcakes.

It's a must try healthy recipe for the people who love dhokla,corn and cupcakes! It can be best served for breakfast,tiffin or as evening snack.I know that this simple recipe will win you many praises.Specially kids will love this recipe because of it's attractive shape.

          Ingredients

• For dhokla mixture
• 1 Cup- Sweet corn kernels
• 1 Cup- Rava/sooji
• 1/2 -Cup yogurt/curd
• Salt - as per taste
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1 tsp -Green chilli and ginger paste
• 2 -Teaspoon Fruit salt/Eno
• 2-Teaspoon Lemon juice
• 1- tsp oil(for greasing)
• 1/2 cup Water

          For tempering

• 2 tsp-oil
• 1 tsp- mustard seeds
• 1 tsp- white sesame seeds
• 1/4- tsp hing

          For garnishing

• Finely chopped coriander (handful)
• Grated coconut 1 Tablespoon

          Servings (makes around 6 normal size cupcakes)

          Method of preparation

• Make a smooth paste of corn kernels and tranfer it in the bowl.
• In the same bowl add curd,semolina, salt, ginger green chili,turmeric powder paste and ½ cup of water.
• Then add lemon juice and fruit salt.Once you add fruit salt bubbles will start forming on the surface.
• Grease the cupcake moulds with some oil.
• Gently mix it and transfer the batter into cupcake moulds.
• Place the cupcake moulds with batter in steamer and steam for around 15-20 minutes.
• Once they are done check by pricking toothpick in the cupcakes.
• Once it's cooled unmould dhokla.
• Prepare tempering using hing,mustard seeds,sesame seeds, and oil.Pour it evenly on dhokla cupcakes.
• Garnish with coriander and  grated coconut.
• Serve with green chutney.

          Note

• If you don't like to make dhokla in cupcakes you can make it in thali.

          Happy steaming !

Dahi bhindi

Dahi Bhindi is a great way to enjoy okra in tangy creamy sauce.Dahi Bhindi is simply delicious, and easy to make.This goes well with Jeera Rice,or paratha.
This dish is made in south indian style.It's my personal favorite.

As i have already mentioned in my other posts i am a great fan of Tarla dalal madam and this is her recipe.Even though the basic ingredients is same like her recipe,i have made necessary changes in ingredients proportions and method of preparation as per my need.

         Ingredients

• 2 cups okra(cut into 1/2"pieces)
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp urad dal
• 2 red bedgi/kashmiri chillies(broken into pieces)
• 5 to 6 curry leaves
• 1 medium onion(chopped)
• 1 medium tomto(chopped)
• 1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
• 1/2 cup fresh curds (dahi)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

          Make paste using following ingredients

• 1 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder 
• 1/4 cup freshly grated coconut
• 2 tbsp broken cashewnuts

          Serves (2-3)

          Method of preparation

• Clean and cut the okra in 1/2 inch pieces.
• Apply little salt to it and mix nicely.
• Heat the oil in a pan and saute the okra in oil.
• Shallow fry on medium flame until crisp.Remove it from pan.
• Heat the oil again and give tempering with hing,cumin seeds,mustard seeds, urad dal, red chillies and curry leaves.Saute for a while.
• Add the onions and saute until it is golden brown in colour.
• Add the tomatoes and saute for 2-3 minutes then and paste made using coconut,chilli powder, turmeric powder,and cashewnut.Mix well together.
• Add the sauted bhindi and cook for a few minutes on medium flame.
• Also add some sugar to the mixture.
• Add 1 cup of water to the curds, beat well and add it to the mixture.
• Add salt and cook for around 5 minutes.
• Serve hot.

          Note

• You can even deep fry bhendi till it becomes crisp but i feel shallow frying is the healthy option.
• I had applied some salt to bhendi while frying so adjust salt accordingly after adding curd.

          Happy cooking !

Tandoori roti in bread toaster

 


Tandoori Roti is an Indian unleavened whole wheat bread traditionally made in a clay oven or tandoor.Normally we eat tandoori roti in restaurants however it is not feasible solution to have and maintain the tandoor oven and hence there has been several clever ideas to prepare it.One such idea is to make roti in bread toaster.

I saw this thrifty roti making technique while surfing on google and gave it a try.The roti cooked in toaster would not have the same texture as baked in restaurants or tandoor oven but still an easy option to satisfy the strong craving of roti.These healthy rotis can be served with any gravy based veg or non veg dish.You can also apply butter to turn the simple roti to butter roti but it's completely optional.
                                                                             
                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  
                              
     
          Ingredients

• 2 cups wheat flour/atta
• salt to taste
• 1 tbsp oil
• water as required(to knead)
• wheat flour/atta to dust 
• 2-3 tbsp butter for brushing (optional)

         (Serves 3-4)

                                                                            

 

        

          Method of preparation 

• In a large mixing bowl take 2 cups of wheat flour.
• Then add salt to taste.
• Add  1 tbsp of oil to the mixture.
• Combine all the ingredients well.
• Add water as required and knead for 5-10 minutes to form the soft dough.
• Cover with the moist cloth and rest for 20 minutes.
• After 20 minutes again knead slightly,making sure the dough is smooth and soft.
• Pinch a small ball sized dough.
• Make a ball and flatten it slightly.
• Dust with wheat flour before rolling.
• Roll the dough slightly thick to around 4-5 inch diameter.(depending on the size of toaster)
• Place rolled roti on to heated non-stick pan, turn it around when you see brown dots on one side.
• When roti is half done on both the sides transfer the half cooked roti into the toaster and turn on the toaster. 
• Keep the meter between 2-3 ,adjust the meter accordingly and it takes the same heat as required to toast the bread.
• Wait till the tandoori roti pops up and puffs up.
• Transfer the roti to plate using the forceps.
• Brush with some butter if you like to make butter roti.
• Serve hot with veg or non-veg gravy dish.

                                                                                                                                                           

                                       

          

          Note

• Add water cautiously to the flour not to make dough too soft.Dough should be hard enough to easily roll the ball with a rolling pin.You can add more dry flour to the dough if you feel dough is very soft.
• Keep rolling the dough balls into Roti while one is cooking on the pan so that next one is ready as soon as you move the first one into the toaster.

          Happy cooking !

Homemade Rusk

Indian tea rusks are crunchy yet soft snack that's enjoyed by all age groups.
I love to enjoy it with my tea.In goa we call it as 'Fati biscuit'.A super easy way to make rusks is to bake your store bought slice bread,as rusk is basically twice baked crispy bread.Apply some butter on bread slices and place then in the oven till crisp but i wanted to try this recipe from scratch.I happen to see many recipes of a baked rusk which seemed very simple with very less ingredients.So without further waiting i gave it a try and it turned out to be superb.I have also tried making wholewheat pav recipe in the past.

In this recipe rusk is very lightly sweetened and flavored with cardamom.I have used equal proportion of all purpose flour and wheat flour to make healthier version of rusk.I hope you guys give this rusk recipe a try and enjoy homemade rusks with your tea.

         Ingredients (serves around 4-5 )

• 1 cup whole wheatflour
• 1 cups Maida( all purpose flour)
• 3 tablespoons milk powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 3 tablespoons  sugar(in the flour) + 2tsp sugar(yeast proofing)
• ½ teaspoon cardamom powder(optional)
• 2-3 tablespoons oil
• Lukewarm water to knead the dough 
• 2 teaspoon active dry yeast
• Some milk for brushing 

                                                                             

Dough ready to transfer in baking pan

                                                                     

          Method of preparation 

• Take yeast in a bowl.Add 2 tsp sugar and around 2-3 tablespoons warm water, mix and set aside to activate.Yeast takes around 5-10 minutes to activate.
• You will know your yeast is proofed/active when it’s all bubbly and frothy on top.
• In another bowl mix all purpose flour,wheatflour, 3 tablespoon sugar,milk powder,cardamom powder and salt,mix well.Make a well in the center,add activated yeast and whisk well with an electric beater/by using hand.
• Add 2-3 tablespoon oil and warm water as required and knead for 8-10 minutes  to form a soft dough.
• At this point if you feel that the dough is little sticky then add little flour and knead again.
• Cover with a damp cloth/cling foil and let the dough rise for 1 hour in a warm place or till it doubles in size.
• Grease a baking tin with some butter/oil and dust with some flour.
• Transfer the dough onto worktop and knock back to release excess air.
• Transfer the dough into the greased baking tin and level it out.Cover with cling film/damp cloth and set aside to prove for 30 minutes.
• In the meantime preheat oven to 180° C.
• Brush some milk on top.Place the tin in the preheated oven and bake for 20-25 minutes.
• Remove from oven, cool and demould.
• Slice and bake again at 130° C for at least for 30 minutes by placing them nicely on baking tray.
• Keep turning the rusks in between for even baking.
• Let the rusks cool and then store in an airtight container.
• Serve with tea.

                                                                                     

Bread slices arranged on baking tray

          Note

• Always remember to choose a good brand of yeast and make sure to use lukewarm water for yeast activation.
• These milk rusks are very lightly sweetened,you may increase the amount of sugar if you like sweeter rusks.
• You can also add tutti frutti while making biscuits as per your choice.

          Happy baking !

Batata fodi/kapa (Potato rava fry)

                                                                                 

Batata fodi is one of the quickest and tasty accompaniment for lunch or dinner.Favorite among kids and adult as well.Batata fodi,turns out spicy and crispy and goes very well as a side dish with a dal or a vegetarian curry and plain rice.I have also prepared it as veg starter for a potluck here in US.

Similar to the potato you can also prepare the fodi of brinjal,raw banana,ridge gourd,lady's finger,cauliflower etc. as per your choice using similar recipe.Although this dish looks very easy i have given some important tips in notes below to make perfect crispy fodi.

          Ingredients

• 1 potato(big size)
• 3-4 tbsp rava (rava should me mixed with half tsp each of turmeric powder and chilli powder)
• 2 tsp red chilli powder
• 1 tsp haldi powder
• salt to taste
• oil for frying

          Method

• Cut the potatoes into round of 1/4 inch thickness.
• Wash, and sprinkle salt, haldi powder and red chilli powder.Keep aside.
• Heat a  flat pan/tawa on a medium flame.
• Spread the sooji on a plate.
• Add 1/2 tsp haldi powder and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji and mix well.
• Take each piece of the potato and roll it in the sooji so that the sooji coats the potato completely and place it in the pan.
• Arrange all the fodi nicely on tawa.
• Drizzle some oil all over the fodi slowly and cover the pan with a lid.
• Let the potatoes cook on a  medium low flame.
• Uncover the pan in between and flip them to fry on the opposite side, again drizzle some oil and cover them.
• After 10-15 minutes check if potatoes are cooked by using a fork or by toothpick.
• Now uncover them and fry on low flame for 1-2 minutes.Fry them till golden brown.
• Turn off the gas and transfer them on a plate.
• Serve hot with rice and dal.

          Notes

• The thickness of the potatoes can be varied.Even if you slice them thin they taste good.
• I add 1/2 tsp of haldi and 1/2 tsp of red chilli powder to the sooji to enhance the flavours.
• You can use plain rawa also to cover fodi if you don't like to add seasoning.
• The potatoes must be moist only then will the sooji stick to the potato.If its dry add a tsp of water.
• Do not marinate the potato for too long, it will turn dark and very soft.
• One of the important tip would be sprinkle oil on rava covered fodi only after arranging them on tawa,because if u put oil first on tawa and then place fodi there is tendancy that the masala covering on fodi is detached.
• The fodi are cooked soft and crispy by covering them with lid.
• Some people sprinkle water on fodi while cooking as i feel this step will not make them very crispy so i avoid it.
• Instead of rava you can also use coarse rice flour it is called as "Aalen" in goa.

         Happy cooking !

Chicken tangdi tawa fry

                                                                             

This dish is made using chicken drumsticks.It can be served as chicken starter dish or side dish in a non-veg thali.Normally in chicken starters i prepare chicken tandoori,different types of chicken kabab etc wherein i marinate them using curd along with different spices and then grill them.
This weekend my husband wanted me to prepare simple chicken starter dish hence i innovated this simple yet delicious recipe.Very few ingredients are used in this dish which are easily avilable in the kitchen.Do try this dish and give your feedback.

          Ingredients 

• 4 Chicken drumsticks 
• Salt (as per taste)
• 1 tsp Chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Oil for frying 
• 2-3 tablespoons semolina/rawa
• Lemon for garnishing (optional)

         (Serves 2)

         Method of preparations

• Take the drumsticks,wash and clean them nicely.
• Make some cuts on the drumsticks using knief.
• Apply salt,turmeric powder and chilli powder thoroughly to the chicken and let it rest for atleast 1 hour.
• After 1 hour take a flat frying pan or tawa then shallow fry this chicken by coating it with semolina.
• Put some oil and let it fry on medium heat.
• Flip it over in between so that all the sides are equally fried.
• After around 10-15 minutes the chicken will become nice and crispy ,you will also get nice aroma from chicken.
• Switch off the flame and serve hot with salad/tomato ketchup.

          
          Note

• If you want this dish to be more spicy you can increase the amount of chilli powder.
• I have not applied lemon for marination but you can do it as per your choice.

         Happy cooking !

Capsicum raita

Capsicum raita

This tasty goan style raita is my innovation.It can be served as the side dish in veg as well as non-veg  meal or can go very well with chapati or fulka.This recipe is no onion no garlic and can be prepared with very few ingredients available in the kitchen.

          
          Ingredients

• 1 medium size capsicum(finely chopped)
• 3-4 tablespoon grated coconut
• 1/2 tsp turmeric powder
• 1/2 tsp chilli powder
• 1/2 tsp tamarind paste
• asafoetida (2-3 pinch)
• jaggery ( 1-2 tsp as per taste)
• 1/2 tsp mustard seeds
• salt(as per taste
• oil (around 2-3 tablespoon)

          (Serves 2-3 )

          
          Method of preparation

• Clean and chop capsicum.
• Apply some salt to it and shallow fry in the frying pan using someoil (on medium flame)
• Keep on stirring in between till it changes color and becomes soft.
• Switch off the gas and let it cool for a while.
• Now in a mixie take grated coconut,turmeric powder,chilli powder,tamarind paste,jaggery,salt and grind to a fine paste.(add little water as per requirement)
• Now before removing this paste from mixie put the fried capsicum in it and grind for just 4-5 seconds to coarsely grind capsicum.
• In a pan take some oil and  give tempering with oil,asafoetida and mustard seeds.
• Then in the same pan add the ground mixture.
• Mix and let it cook for 1-2 minutes.
• Serve hot. 

         Happy cooking !

Tarri poha

Tarri poha

Tarri poha is a classic street food that is popular across all parts  of maharashtra especially in Nagpur.A plate of piping hot poha is one comfort food that is healthy too.I have tasted this dish in pune.

Tarri poha is the poha which is served with tarri which is thin spicy gravy made from chickpeas(green,white or brown chickpeas as per your choice).In my recipe i have used white variety of chickpeas(kabuli chana) as i love them.This dish can be one of the best option for breakfast.


         Ingredients to prepare poha

• 2 cup thick flattened rice
• 1 medium sized onion(chopped)
• 2Green chillies(chopped)
• 1 Potato cubes
• 1 tbsp Oil
• 1 tbsp Mustard seeds
• 1 tbsp Cumin seeds
• 1/2 tsp Hing 
• 1/2 tsp Turmeric powder
• Salt to taste
• Coriander leaves(handful for garnishing)
• Grated coconut(optional for garnishing)

          
          Ingredients to prepare chickpea curry (tarri)

• 1 and 1/2 cup dried white chickpeas,soaked overnight
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp mustard seeds
• 1 tsp cumin seeds
• 1 tsp Turmeric powder
• 1 tbsp ginger garlic paste
• 1 medium sized onion(chopped)
• 1 tomato(chopped)
• Few curry leaves
• 1 tsp red chilli powder
• Salt to taste
• 1 tsp garam masala
• 1 cup water
• Coriander leaves(handful)

          To garnish tarri poha

• Coriander leaves(optional) 
• Chopped onion(Optional)
• Lemon juice
• Sev

          
         Method of preparation of poha 

• Heat oil in a  wok on medium flame.
• Add mustard, cumin seeds and hing. 
• Add the onion & green chillies, saute till the onion becomes translucent. (You can brown it also if you want)
• Add turmeric powder and salt. Mix well.
• Once it starts splutter, add potatoes.
• Cover the lid and let it fry till potatoes are cooked.
• Take flattened rice in a bowl,add water and soak them
• Drain the water immediately. 
• Now add this soaked flattened rice in the wok.
• Saute the poha for 5 mins on medium flame. 
• Garnish the poha with grated coconut and coriander leaves

          
         Method of preparation of tarri (chickpea curry)

• Wash the soaked chickpeas and cook them till they are soft.
• Heat oil in a wok. Add mustard & cumin seeds.
• Once it starts spluttering, add the curry leaves, chopped onion & saute till the onion turns golden brown.
• Add the garlic-ginger paste & saute till the raw aroma goes away.
• Add the turmeric powder & red chilli powder. 
• Add chopped tomato,saute till it melts.
• Add garam masala.
• Add salt to taste and add the cooked chickpeas.
• Add one cup water & let it boil for 5-10 mins.
• Tarri is ready let it cool down a bit before plating .

         
         Final step for plating tarri poha

• Place the poha on the plate. 
• Pour the curry(tarri)over the poha slowly.
• Garnish with some sev, chopped onion and coriander leaves.
• You can add lemon juice, if you want.
• Serve hot.

         Happy cooking !
     

Carrot curd raita/ Carrot pachdi

                                                                                   

Carrot raita/Carrot pachdi

Carrot raitha/Pachdi  is a great way to include raw carrots in our diet and also can be prepared in a few minutes.Carrot adds crunch plus lovely orange color to this raita along with little sweetness. It is very quick to make and goes very well with parathas,rotis or even biryani.

Pachdi can be considered as synonym of raita.Pachadis are tongue-tickling accompaniments, the preparation involves combining curds with veggies and/or spices and tempering it with mustard seeds, urad dal and curry leaves.Pachdi is very common in south indian cuisine.This raita is easy and can be made using few ingredients easily available in our kitchen.


         Ingredients

• Chilled Curd/Yogurt – 1 cup
• Carrot grated – 3/4 cup
• Coriander leaves – few leaves finely chopped(optional)
• Chat Masala powder – 1/4 tsp
• Cumin powder- 1/4 tsp
• Salt – to taste

          Serves 2-3 people

         For tempering

• Oil – 2 tsp
• Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp
• Cumin seeds– 1/2 tsp
• Green Chillies – 1 chopped
• Few karipatta leaves
• Hing – a small pinch

         Method of preparation

• Wash, peel the skin and grate the carrot. 
• Take curd in a mixing bowl and beat it nicely, add grated carrot to it and mix well.
• Now prepare tempering. Heat oil in a pan, add mustard seeds,cumin seeds,udad dal,hing,karipatta and chopped chillies.Once it splutters, Saute for a minute and remove from flame.
• Pour the tempering into the carrot curd mixture along with required salt, chat masala and cumin powder.Mix well and garnish with coriander leaves.
• Serve chilled.

          Note

• Carrot should be fresh for raita.
• I have not added sugar in this recipe but if you want you can add as per your taste.
• As this recipe involves curd it can not be stored at room temperature for long time.You can keep leftover raita in fridge.

          Happy Cooking !

Corn Pulao

                    

 

Corn Pulao

Corn Pulao is my personal favorite.This pulao is very easy to prepare and tastes great.I love one pot meals very much as it is so easy to prepare and is a complete meal by itself. This is one of the most simplest pulao recipe.This is great dish for small get-togethers and parties.Kids will love it for sure. It also makes a perfect lunch box recipe.

This rice  dish is quick to make with all the ingredients easily available.This pulao can be served with curd raita or some veg  gravy dish.Normally while making pulav people usually cook veggies along with rice but i don't like it this way as i feel the rice preparation becomes little sticky in this method. 

I am from goa and in goa the traditional method of cooking rice is by filteration method i.e by draining excess water in which rice is cooked.My way of cooking the pula0 is in two parts first prepare rice with dry masala  and then in the second part saute the veggies for pulao,finally mix them together.I feel cooking in this way makes restaurant style pulao.I inherited this method from my mother,you can try this style and give me your feedback. 

        
        Ingredients

• Basmati rice (1 cup)
• Onion (1/2  cup chopped)
• Corn kernels (3/4 cup)
• Ginger garlic paste ( 1-2 tablespoons)
• Green chilli (1 finely chopped)
• Garam masala powder( 1/2 tsp)
• Chilli powder (1/2 tsp)
• Oil (2-3 tablespoons)
• Cumin seeds (1 tsp)
• Bay leaf ( 1)
• Cardamom big (1)
• Water(As per requirement)
• Salt(As per taste)
• Lemon juice (2-3 tablespoons)
• Black Pepper whole (5-6)
• Cinnamon( Small piece)
• Cloves(2-3)
• Coriander leaves(handful for garnishing)
• Carrot Chopped (optional) 

          
       Method of preparation

• Wash and soak basmati rice for 1 hour.Drain the water completely.
• In a big pan take water almost half the pan and let it boil nicely,once the water starts boiling add rice into it and stir once or twice so that it doesn't get stuck to the bottom.
• Also in the boiling water add salt as per taste,1 tablespoon of oil,Cumin seeds,cloves,pepper,bayleaf,cinnamon,cardamom,Lemon juice( 1 tablespoon)
• Keep on stirring in between and let it boil on medium flame.It will take around 15-20 minutes to cook the rice.
• In between take a rice grain and press it between your fingers and check if it's done.When we cook rice for pulav it should be 3/4 th cooked. 
• Once rice is 3/4 done switch off the flame and drain all the water and then let it rest for a while.
• In another frying pan take some oil and in that put chopped green chillies and saute.Then gradually add the ginger galic paste and saute. Next is add chopped onion and fry till it's translucent.
• Then add corn kernels and saute,add little water if required. Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of lemon juice,Garam masala,Red chilli powder,salt,chopped carrot and saute for around 5-7 minutes.
• Once this is done,add  cooked rice to this.Mix gently and nicely.Cook for 2-3 minutes more on low flame so that the masala gets incorporated well with the rice,add chopped coriander to garnish and then serve hot.

           

        Notes

• Corn kernels should be fresh for best taste.
• Instead of lemon juice you can also use chopped tomatoes and saute them while cooking corn.
• You can also use this procedure to make corn pulav from leftover rice.
• If you want to make it less spicy you can skip garam masala and chili powder.
• Veggies like capsicum can also be added as per personal choice.

            

          Happy Cooking !

Banana stem stir fry(Vazhaithandu Poriyal)

     
   

The stem of the banana plant is widely used in south India which is called as Vazhaithandu.Most of the people will be unaware that banana stem is in fact edible.It has been used for a long time in Asian cuisine,especially South Indian for making soup,salad,raita and other form of curries.It is well known for its numerous health benefits and it’s highly fibrous nature.Some of the important health benefits are

• An excellent cure for Kidney stones
• Good for weight loss.
• Good for diabetic people.
• High in fibre content.
• Good in some of the stomach ailments like acidity, constipation etc.

The common recipe made using banana stem is 'vazhathandu poriyal' a dry side dish where coconut and spices like mustard, jeera etc are tempered in oil, and then freshly chopped veggies are tossed in and sautéed until cooked.The best part of a poriyal is that the tempering and spices are mild and the real flavor of the veggies is left to shine through.

Banana stem (we use only central round part) 

Banana stem is extremely high in fiber content and good for your tummy. The only hard part with this recipe is cleaning and prepping the banana stem. Once you get that done, this poriyal doesn’t take you more than 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish.I got to know about this banana stem dish from my patient cum friend Nandini who is native from kerala.Last Sunday when I had been to local vegetable market I found fresh banana stem and thought of trying the recipe,which turned out to be really delicious.

      Ingredients (serves around 3-4)

• Onion - 1/4 cup (finely chopped)
• Salt - 1/4 tsp (adjust per taste)
• Banana stem - 2 Cups (cleaned and finely chopped)
• Turmeric - 1/8 tsp
• Freshly Grated coconut - 1/4 Cup

Ingredients for seasoning

       
        For tempering

• Chopped garlic (2-3 bulbs)
• Oil - 2 tsp
• Hing – 1/8 tsp
• Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp
• Urad Dal – 1/2 tsp
• Jeera - 1/2 tsp
• Dry Red Chili - 1
• Green chili - 1 (slit)
• Curry leaves (4-5)      

                                                                                                                                                                               

Slit and Remove outer hard part

Inner soft part used for making dish

  

Inner soft part cut into discs

                               
        How to clean the banana stem

• The banana stem is usually available in 8 to 10 inches long sizes. The outer fibrous layers have to be removed.
• Lay old newspapers on the kitchen platform before starting to cut this vegetable.
• Wear an apron as this leaves stains that cannot be removed.
• Remove the outer porous layers. Sometimes you may have to discard two to three layers until you reach the hard and firm inner layer.
• Take a wide bowl and fill it with water, add the curd into this and mix and keep aside. Now you have a cylindrical inner stem, cut this into discs and put them inside the curd-water.
• After the entire stem is cut into round discs, take 2 to 3 discs and stack them on a chopping board and cut them into small pieces.
• Put the pieces back into the curd-water. Drain this water while making the dish.                                                                                                                                 

  

  Discs are then chopped and soaked in water

        Method of preparation

• Heat a pan with oil.Once the oil is hot enough add all the ingredients given in tempering one by one. Saute until the urad dal turns golden brown.
• Add the onion to the pan along with the salt and sauté until the onion turns translucent.
• Now, add the banana stem and saute for 30 secs. Add the turmeric powder, grated coconut and mix well and cook covered in medium flame for about 10-15 mins or until the banana stem is cooked nicely.
• Serve hot as a side dish with rice.

        Note

• Banana stem will appear hard because of high fiber content, but will cook quickly. You do not need to add additional water for cooking but you can add very little water if required.
• Cut banana stem into thin slices. If long, thread like fibers are seen between the slices, wind them round your forefinger and discard. Very tender stems do not have these fibers.

      

        Happy cooking !