Monday, April 17, 2006

METHI & DAAL SUBZI

Ingredients:

1 Cup of Channa Daal
Pinch of Asafoetida
2 tsp Jeera
Turmeric Powder
6-7 Red Chillies
Salt To Taste
1 Cup - Washed and Finely Chopped Methi Leaves
Fresh Grated Coconut (optional)

Method:

Soak the channa daal for 2 hours. Grind the channa daal, asafoetida, jeera, turmeric powder, red chillies and salt to a coarse mixture with as less water as possible.

Mix the cut methi leaves with the above mixture, put it in a cooker vessel. Steam this mixture for 15 minutes.

Put a little oil in Kadai and add mustard seeds. Once it starts spluttering, add the steamed Methi mixture and cook it on low fire. Add coconut in the end.

Serve hot with Chapathi.

Peas Masala

(From Banu's Cookbook)


Ingredients:

2 Cardamom
2 Cloves
Small Piece of Cinnamon
2-3 Tomatoes or equivalent amount of tomato puree
1 tsp Dhania powder
1 tsp Garama Masala
1/2 - 1 small bunch of Corriander Leaves
1 Small Green Chilli
1/4 Tsp Red Chilli Powder
Turmeric Powder
Salt to Taste
1 Tablespoon of Curd
1 Packet of Frozen Peas

Method:
Heat some Oil in a kadai, put cloves, cardamom and Cinnamon and fry a little. Then add the chopped onions and tomato and roast them until the onions are transparent and tomatoes are roasted.

Grind the roasted masala with rest of the ingredients.

Heat a little oil in Kadai. Put jeera seeds seasoning, then ground masala and fry for some time. Then add the frozen peas and cook well.

Serve hot with Chapathi and rice.

Tuesday, April 11, 2006

ONION CHUTNEY

Ingredients
1 big onion chopped into big pieces
1 tablespoon Oil
2-3 Whole Green chillies
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric
Salt, tamarind and jaggery to taste

For seasoning:
2 tablespoons Oil
4 teaspoons Chana daal
4 teaspoons Urad daal
2 teaspoons Mustard seeds
4-5 Whole Red chillies
1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida



Method

In a saucepan, saute the onion pieces with oil, until they turn golden brown and set it aside to cool.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. When the oil is heated, add the chana daal, urad daal, mustard seeds, red chillies and asafoetida. Roast it until the daal turns golden brown. Let this cool.

In a dry grinder, first grind the seasoning without adding any water. Once it is done, add green chillies, tamrind, jaggery, turmeric, salt and grind again. In the end add the sauted onions and if you want the chutney to be a little liquidy, add some water (very little, because we are using the dry grinder) and grind it until it becomes a paste.

Mix everything nicely after removing from the grinder and the onion chutney is ready.

GINGER CHUTNEY

Ingredients
2-3 4" Ginger pieces chopped into big pieces
1 tablespoon Oil
2-3 Whole Green chillies
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric powder
Salt, tamarind and jaggery to taste

For seasoning:

2 tablespoons Oil
4 teaspoons Chana daal
4 teaspoons Urad daal
2 teaspoons Mustard seeds
4-5 Whole Red chillies
1/4 teaspoon Asafoetida


Method

Heat the 2 tablespoons of oil in a saucepan. When the oil is heated, add the chana daal, urad daal, mustard seeds, red chillies and asafoetida. Roast it until the daal turn golden brown. Let this cool.

In a dry grinder, first grind the seasoning without adding any water. Once it is done, add green chillies, tamrind, jaggery, turmeric, salt and grind again. In the end add the ginger pieces and if you want the chutney to be a little liquidy, add some water (very little, because we are using the dry grinder) and grind it until it becomes a paste.

Mix everything nicly after removing from the grinder and the ginger chutney is ready.

Note: Add slightly more tamarind and jaggery for this chutney.

COCONUT CHUTNEY (TYPE 1)

Ingredients
1 cup dessicated coconut or 1/2 cup fresh coconut scraped
4 to 6 Green Chillies (depending on how hot you want it)
1 small bunch of corriander leaves
1/2 cup Fried Graam Daal
Tamarind and Salt to taste


For Seasoning:

1/4 teaspoon of Mustard Seeds
1/4 teaspoon of Urad Daal
3 pinches of Asafoetida


Method

Cut the green chillies and fry them in a small pan with little oil. Mix it with coconut, fried graam daal, corriander leaves, tamrind and salt. Grind this to a fine paste. Pour it into a saucepan and garnish with seasoning.

Seasoning:

In a small frying pan, heat oil. Add mustard seeds, Urad daal and asafoetida. When the urad daal turns golden brown, remove from fire and add it to chutney.

Note:
(*) If fried graam daal is not availabe then, dry roast channa daal and use it.
(**) Lemon juice can be used instead of tamarind.

ALOO FRY

Ingredients
4 medium Potatoes chopped into small pieces
1 big onion chopped finely
1 teaspoon mashed Garlic
2 teaspoons Jeera Seeds
2 teaspoon Kasoori Methi

For Masala:

3 teaspoons Besan Flour
1/2 teaspoon Dhania Powder
1/2 teaspoon Jeera Powder
1/2 teaspoon Turmeric Powder
1/2 teaspoon Chilli Powder
1/4 teaspoon Garam Masala Powder
Salt to taste

For Seasoning:

1 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1/2 cup finely chopped corriander leaves

Method

Mix all the ingredients for the masala and keep it aside. In a saucepan, heat the oil and add jeera seeds. Once it splutters, add the chopped onions and garlic and fry them until they are 3/4 done. Then add the potatoes, sprinkle some water and cover it. The potatoes are getting cooked by the steam. This way the potatoes can be cooked without having to use a whole lot of oil. Keep checking them often and add some more water if necessary.

Once the potatoes are cooked, sprinkle the masala and fry for a few minutes more. In the end add lemon juice and chopped fresh corrainder leaves and mix together nicely. Aloo fry can be served hot with Poori or Chapathi.

SAUNF PANEER TIKKA

Ingredients
250 g paneer
salt to taste
1/2 tsp white pepper powder
1 tsp ginger paste
1 tsp brown onion paste
1 1/2 tsp (7 g) saunf paste

Method
Cut the paneer into 10 cm. square slices.
Mix together salt, pepper powder, ginger paste, brown onion paste and saunf paste.
Apply it to the paneer slices and keep aside for 15 minutes, so that the paneer absorbs the flavour and taste of the marinade.
Arrange them on skewers (sheekh) and cook in a clay oven (tandoor) till you get the aroma of saunf.


Serve hot with tomato slices, lettuce and green chutney.

METHI RICE

Ingredients

2 cups of Precooked and cooled rice
1 medium sized Onion, chopped
1 medium sized Potato, chopped into small pieces
1-2 Cups of Methi Leaves, washed and chopped
1 tablespoon Vanghibhaath Powder
1 teaspoon of Mustard Seed
Few Curry Leaves
1/2 teaspoon of Turmeric Powder
Tamarind and salt to taste.


Method

Heat oil in a saucepan and add the seasoning of mustard seeds, curry leaves and turmeric powder. Once the mustard seeds splutter, add onion and fry until golden brown.

Then add potatoes, add a little water and a pinch of salt. Once the potatoes are cooked, add the cut methi leaves and roast it for few mins. Then add tamarind, vangibhaath powder and salt. Mix with the rice after it cools.

You can eat it either with plain yogurt or Tomato Cucumber Raita.

Akki Rotti

(From Banu's Cookbook)

Ingredients:

2 cups of Rice Flour
2 tablespoon of Maida Flour
2 medium sized Onions, finely chopped
1 small bunch of corriander leaves, finely chopped
4 Green Chillies, finely chopped
2 teaspoons Jeera
1/2 cup dessicated coconut
2 teaspoons of oil for the dough
Oil for cooking
salt to taste


Method:

Dry roast the maida flour until it is light brown and sieve it with rice flour into a mixing bowl. Add jeera, salt and oil. Mix it thoroughly. This is very important as the oil binds the flour. Add the chopped onions, green chillies, coriander leaves, coconut. Mix this thoroughly. Add water and mix the flour to chapathi atta consistency.

Wipe the tawa dry. Add 1 or 2 teaspoons of oil and spread it. Take a small ball of the dough and press it into the tawa to make a thin(not too thin or it may tear!) rotti. You can wet your hands in water to press the rotti easily. Cook it on slow heat. Once the rotti is done, remove it and rinse the base of the tawa in cold water to cool it. This way you can make the next rotti immediatly without waiting for the tawa to cool down.

Akki Rotti can be eaten with Chutney Powder or Coconut Chutney.