Saturday, November 24, 2012

Besan & Methi Paratha

Hi Readers,

This yet another experiment of mine with Paratha. I tried to blend the taste of Besan and Methi to make this innovative Paratha.

Ingredients :- 1- 2 cup wheat flour
2- 1/2 cup besan or chickpea flour
3- Methi leafs
4- 1 teaspoon ajwain
5- 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder
5- 1/2 teaspoon chat masala
6- pinch of turmeric
7- pinch of salt

Method :- Take all the ingredients and knead into a soft dough. Divide the dough into small portions and make flat round Indian breads as shown in picture below.


Heat a pan. and cook the breads till they are done. Add little oil to grease both the sides and then remove from flame. Serve hot.



Gajar , methi and pyaj Paratha

Hi Readers,

This is a typical paratha that I have come about. This is my own innovation in paratha making. I hope you too would like this.

Ingredients :- 1- wheat flour - 100 gm
2- turmeric powder - 1 tea spoon
3- 1 carrot shredded
4- 1 onion chopped
5- Methi chopped
3- 1 teaspoon ajwain
4- 1 teaspoon kalaunji
5- pinch of asafoetida
6- 1 teaspoon red chili powder
7- pinch of chat masala
8- salt
9- Oil or ghee for paratha

Method :- Knead the dough with all the ingredients and make a good dough for paratha.Divide the dough into small portions and make thin paratha's as shown in pic.



Heat a pan and cook the paratha, when its done add oil or ghee and remove from flame and serve hot with tomato chutney.

Traditional Mix veg curry with Mustard paste

Hi Readers,

This is a traditional curry made with mustard paste. It is a Odia dish that is usually made in summers.

Ingredients :- 1- Bindi/Ladies finger 100 gm cut into long pieces
2- brinjal/egg plant -50 gm cut into 4 pieces
3- 2 potato cut into small cubes
4- Badi / urad dal badi fried
5- mustard paste
6- 1 chopped onion
7- 1 green chili chopped
8- 1 tomato chopped / 1 dried mango piece (ambula)
9- turmeric
10- salt
11- oil to fry
12 - cumin and mustard seeds



Method :- Fry Bindi, brinjal and potato in oil. Fry till its half done. Do not over fry. Remove from flame. Add oil in a pan. Add cumin & mustard seeds. Add onion, green chili and cook till onion turns brown. Add tomato or the mango paste made with dried mango in water. Cook till tomato is cooked. Add vegetables and badi to it. Add mustard paste and little water to make a gravy. Cook over medium flame till all vegetables are cooked. Serve hot with rice.



Sabut moong ki lehsuni dal

Hi Readers,

This is  dal variety with strong use of garlic for taste.

Ingredients :- 1- Moong dal or green gram dal - 100 gm
2- turmeric
3- salt
4- 6 flakes of garlic chopped
5- mustard, cumin seeds
6- 1 red chili
7- oil



Method :- In a pressure cooker, add the green gram dal, water, salt and turmeric. Cook till pressure cooker gives 3 whistles over low flame. Remove from heat. in another pan , add little oil. Add cumin and mustard seeds. Add red chili, garlic and add the dal to it. Serve hot with rice. 

Onion dosha

Hi Readers,

This is healthy breakfast option. 

Ingredients :- 1- rice and urad dal batter. This is made with 3 portion rice and 1 portion urad soaked overnight. Then grind it to make a thick batter. Add salt to it before making dosha.
3- 1 onion chopped
4- coriander chopped
5-1 green chili chopped
6- oil


Method ;- In a pan add little oil and add the batter, spread the batter in round shape. Add the onion , chilli and coriander as shown in picture. And cook it till one side is done, over turn and cook till other side is also cooked. Serve hot with chutney.

Paneer sandwich

Hi Readers,

This is healthy and filling breakfast with lots of protein. I generally serve this with salads.

Ingredients ;- 1 - brown bread
2- 100 gm paneer
3- green peas - 50 gm
4- salt
5- turmeric




Method ;- In a pan add little oil, add the peas and paneer. Add turmeric powder and salt to it. Cook till peas are done. Take the brads stuff them with this mixture. You can also add cheese to it. Then grill these breads and serve with salads.

Cucumber Raita

Hi Readers,

This is easy to make dish that is healthy and add flavors to whole meal. Raita helps in digestion too. 

Ingredients :- 1 cup yogurt/curd
2- 1 cucumber chopped thinly
3- salt to taste
4- cumin and chili powder


Method :-  To make the coriander and chili powder, add the cumin and chili into a hot pan. Roast cumin till it turns brown. Remove and grind to make a smooth mixture. In a bowl take the curd and blend it to make a smooth paste. Add the cucumber, salt and cumin and chili powder. Serve with rice.

Paneer matar bhurji

Hi Readers,

This is yet another variety of Paneer and matar. 

Ingredients :- 1- 200 gm Paneer/Cottage cheese shredded.
2- 100 gm green peas
3- 1 tomato chopped
2- 1 tbsp onion garlic & ginger paste
3- green/ red chili chopped
4- 2 tbsp oil
5- salt to taste
6- 1 teaspoon turmeric
7- cumin seeds


Method :-  in a pan add oil. Add cumin seeds, chili and onion, garlic & ginger paste. Cook till the smell of onion disappears. Add chopped tomato and cook till mixture starts separating oil. Add green peas, paneer, turmeric powder and salt. Cook till green peas are cooked . Server hot with rice or roti. 

Beet root Dal fry

Hi Readers,

As we all know beet root is very nutritious , but having beet root in only salad is not adequate. So, this is a dish that not only provides the healthy beet root in your dish , but also blends flavor to it. There are some common beet root dishes that is usually made in South India. This is one among them which I like the most.

Ingredients :-  1- 1 beet root chopped thinly
2- 100 gm Masoor dal/ red lentils
3- 1 onion chopped
4- 3 flakes of garlic chopped
5- 1 tomato chopped
6- 1 green chili chopped
7- pinch of asfoetida
8- pinch of turmeric
9- 1 tbsp oil
10- salt to taste
11- cumin seeds, mustard seeds - 1 tbsp



Method :-  In a pressure cooker add the lentil, beet root, turmeric, salt and water. Cook over low flame till 2 whistles. Remove from flame. In another pan, add oil, add cumin and mustard seeds. When it stars cracking add onion, garlic, tomato and asfoetida. Cook till onion is translucent and add the dal to it. Serve hot with rice.

Baby corn chinese chili

Hi Reader,

This is Chinese dish that is easy to make.

Ingredient :- 1- 200 gm baby corn cut in thin strips
2- 2 capsicum cut into thin strips
3- 4 tbsp corn flour
5- red chili powder - 1 tbsp
6- 1 tbsp soy sauce
7- 1 tbsp tomato sauce
8- ground black pepper 
9- salt to taste


Method :- Take the corn flour make a paste with water, salt and 1/2 tbsp red chili powder. Add the baby corns to this paste and fry them in a pan. Remove them and add little oil to pan. Add the chopped capsicum and fried baby corn. Add the soy sauce, tomato sauce and black pepper powder. cook till capsicum is cooked. Serve hot.

Sabudana Kichdi

Hi Readers,

Today I am going to post Sabudana kichdi, this is a dish that is part of Navaratri feasting. This is easy to digest and instant energy provider, so this dish is made for the nine day long fast that people break n the evening with this.

Ingredients ;-  1- Sabu dana 250 gms, soaked for 4 hrs
2- peanuts - 50 gms
3- green chilli - 1 chopped
4- Sendha namak - sea salt as per taste
5- oil 1 tbsp
6- 1 small potato chopped
7- chopped coriander to garnish
8- ground black pepper

Method :-  Add oil to a pan. Add the green chilli, potato and peanuts. Cook till potato starts turning brown. Add Sabu dana and sendha namak and black pepper powder. Cook till Sabu dana is done. Add the chopped coriander. Serve hot with green chutney.


Stuffed Brinjal

Hi Readers,

I am going to post Stuffed brinjal which is a good add on to main course. This is easy to cook.

Ingredients :- 1- Small round brinjals or eggplant - 250gms
2- 2 tbsp besan /chickpea flour
3- 1 tbsp cashew paste
4- turmeric
5- red chilli powder
6- salt
7-1/2 tbsp coriander powder
8- little kasuri methi
9- 1 tbsp chat masala
10 - 2 tbsp oil
11- mustard seeds
12- cumin seeds



Method :- Stuff :- Add 1 tbsp oil to a pan. When oil is hot add mustard and cumin seeds. When it starts to crack, add besan, cashew paste, turmeric, red chilli powder, kasuri methi, chat masala and salt. Cook for 5 mins till the mixture is properly blended. Remove it from the flame and let it cool down.



  Wash the brinjals and put 4 slits into the brinjal keeping the stem intact. Stuff the masala in them. Add the remaining oil in the pan. Place these brinjals in it, cover and cook in low flame. When  one side is turn , turn it upside down. Cook till all the sides are properly cooked. Serve hot with rice or roti.


Friday, November 23, 2012

Paneer matar butter masala

Hi Readers,

I am sharing a dish that I have modified by adding Matar to Paneer butter masala curry. This is very healthy as it is rich with protein content from both Paneer /cottage cheese and Matar/ green peas. 

Ingredients :- 1- 200 gm green peas 
2- 200 gm Paneer/ cottage cheese cut into thin pieces
3- 1 onion chopped
4- Onion,garlic, ginger paste - 2 tbsp
5- 1/2 tbsp garam masala
6- 1 bay leaf
7- 3 tomato chopped
8- turmeric powder
7- 1 tbsp Kitchen king masala
8- coriander seeds - 1 tea spoon
9- chopped coriander leaf
10- Butter - 10 gms
11- 1 tbsp refine oil
12- salt to taste
13- 1/2 tbsp red chili powder



Method:- Onion , garlic,ginger paste :- Heat oil in a pan, add little coriander. When it starts cracking add roughly chopped onion, garlic and ginger and green chili. Cook till onion turns pink. Remove from heat and make a mixture. 
Cooking method :- Add the remaining oil into the pan. Add the chopped onion and bay leaf & cook till onion turns translucent. Add the onion, garlic ginger paste and cook till the smell is gone. Add chopped tomato, turmeric, salt, garam masala, kitchen king masala and cook by covering the mixture. When tomato is soft and the gravy is done, add green peas ,paneer and butter to it.Add a little water and cook in low flame till peas are cooked. Serve by topping the gravy with coriander leafs.

Instant Rava uttapam



Hi Readers,

I want to share a easy to make south Indian breakfast. This is instant Rava Uttapam. Now a days, you can get the uttapam mix pack from any Indian store. Mainly MTR has launched these negative labor packs. However, trust me it does not take much time to make this Uttapam. Moreover, if you do not go for these ready mix packs , you will save a good amount. The ingredients are very simple ones and easily available in kitchen.

Ingredients :- 1- Rava/ Suji - 250 gms
2- Curd /Yogurt - 1 cup
3- 1 tomato thinly chopped
4- 2 green chili chopped
5- 1 onion chopped
6- few curry leaves
7- chopped coriander leaves
8- salt to taste
9- oil to fry





Method :- Mix curd and Rava in a bowl, make a thick consistency. Add a little water if its too thick. Heat a pan, add little oil to grease it. Put some batter and spread it in circular fashion. Add the chopped vegetables to its top. When the bottom side is cooked, over turn and cook for few more minutes. When both sides are done, serve hot with Chuttney.

Thanks