Noone Vankaiye - Spicy Brinjal Fry

Ingredients:

Make a dry powder mix of:
Coriander seeds - 3 tsp
Poppy seeds - 1 tsp
Whole Cloves - 6
Cardamom - 6
Cinnamon stick - 1 inch

Onion - 1 and 1/2 large no. (finely chopped)
Ginger Garlic Paste - 2 tsp
Tomato paste - 1/2 tsp
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp
Chilli powder - 1 and 1/2 tsp
Brown Jaggery - small lime size
Small purple eggplants - 6 (slit like a flower in the center)
Oil
Salt

Method:

Heat oil in a deep nonstick pan,  fry the above on low flame until the oil seperates from the masala. Add the jaggery last. In a seperate pan, fry the eggplant for about 30 seconds. Once cooled, stuff the eggplants with the masala. Place these stuffed eggplants with the rest of the masala and cook for sometime.

Best eaten with White rice and rasam, my favorite combination!

Aloo paratha

Masala Vada

Ingredients :

Split Bengal gram - 1.5 cup ( soak in water for about 4 hours)
Onion - 1 medium size (chop very finely)
5-6 finely chopped curry leaves

1 tsp ginger-garlic paste

5 finely chopped green chillies

2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1/2 tsp cumin seeds

Salt to taste

Oil for deep frying

Method :

Drain the water from the Channa(Bengal gram). First grind 2 tbsp dal to a fine paste without adding water. Now add the remaining dal and grind coarsely.(for 5-6 seconds) . Keep aside 2 spoons of the dal-mix it later with the other ingredients.
Mix all the other ingredients into it. Make medium sized dumplings, flatten and deep fry till they turn golden brown on both sides. Best served along with 'Payisam'.

Payisam - South Indian sweet dish!

Ingredients :

Vermicelli - Semiya - 1 cup
Sugar - 1 and a1/2 cup
Milk - 2 cup
Cardamom - 3 pods
Cashew - 3
Raisins - 6
Ghee - 2 tbsp

Method :

Fry the Semiya in ghee until slightly golden brown. To this add milk and sugar, stir continuously. Add the powdered cardamom. Mix well. Fry the cashews in the remaining ghee and add to the payisam along with the raisins.

Bruschetta ...!

Ingredients :

Sour dough bread - 1 loaf - cut into slices
Onions - 2 - finely chopped
Tomato - 2 - finely chopped
Mozzarella cheese - grated - cup
Garlic and herb seasoning.

Method :

Just assemble the above ingredients as shown in the picture. Preheat oven to 300 degrees, place the bruschetta in it. Remove it once the cheese starts to melt and turns slight yellowish in color.

Schezwan noodle soup

An easy, tasty and healthy recipe!

Cook a packet of chow mein noodles and keep it aside separately .
Next, slice, (thin and long), vegetables of your choice - I have used broccoli, red bell peppers, onions, finely chopped thai chillies and basil leaves.
Meats (Optional) - I used Chicken breast - cut into cubes and stir fried.
One small can of 'Singapore curry paste' -(can be found in Chinese or Thai stores)/ any broth based soup - Pour this into a saucepan, add some broth and let it boil for sometime.(the longer it cooks, the more flavorful).
Take a bowl, add the noodles, then add the vegetables, soya sauce and last, pour the hot soup over everything. Serve hot.
You use sambal or other asian chillie paste to make the soup spicier!

Uttappam

For batter :
Soak - for minimum 3 hours
Urad dal - 3/4 cup
Sona masoori rice or jasmine rice - 2 cups
Blend the above with 1 cup of 'Avalakki', into a paste (don't make it very smooth).
Add some baking powder and salt, and let it ferment for about 8 hours.

Rest of the ingredients - toppings:
Onions, tomato, green chillies, coriander leaves and curry leaves - very finely chopped. Add a pinch of salt and a pinch of jeera powder for taste. Mix them all in a separate bowl.

Take a dosa pan, preferably a flat one, pour a small cup size of the batter on it, (spread it evenly like a flat pancake). The thickness of the dosa needs to be slightly thicker than the normal masala dosa. Immidiately spread the toppings all over the batter and sprinkle oil generously on it. Once it turns dark brown, flip it. Leave it on for about a minute and transfer it to a plate. Serve hot along with some coconut and mint chutney.

Thai Panang fried rice.

Ingredients :

Coconut cream and milk - 1 can
Peanut butter - 2 tbsp
Vegetables - Bamboo, red bell peppers, onions, carrot, green onions - cut long
Long grain rice - 4 cups (150ml each)
Salt
Sugar - 1tsp
Tomato - sliced round
Basil leaves - sliced long
Madras curry masala - 2 tbsp
Optional - shredded chicken breast pieces.

Method :

Cook the rice separately and keep aside. Heat little oil in a wok, add the coconut cream and milk. Then add the peanut butter, madras curry masala, bamboo and sugar, while stirring constantly. Cook until bamboo is done. In a separate pan, heat oil and add the vegetables and some salt, and fry till they are almost done. Now add the rice and vegetables into the wok, sprinkling some oil, and stir fry. Add the basil leaves few minutes below removing from heat. Garnish with tomato.

Garlic Bread

Ingredients :

Sour dough bread - 1 Loaf
Garlic - freshly peeled, handful
Chilli flakes - 2tsps
Butter - 1 long cube
Salt and herb seasoning - 1 tbsp
Onions - finely chopped
Mozzarella cheese

Method :

Blend the garlic, butter and the seasoning together into a paste. Apply this evenly on the bread along with cheese, onions and the chilli flakes sprinkled below it. Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Remove the bread when the cheese starts to turn a slight golden brown color.

Vegeteable Korma

Ingredients :

Vegetables - carrot, peas, lima beans, cauliflower, green beans - chopped.
1 small onion, sliced
2-3 tbsp ghee (clarified butter)
Salt to taste
Coriander leaves for garnishing.

For the gravy, blend the following into a very smooth paste: 1/2 a coconut, shredded, 1 small onion, 5-6 flakes garlic, 1" piece ginger, 2 tbsp curd (plain yogurt), 1/2 tsp poppy seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 1 tsp coriander seeds, 3 green chillies, 2 dry red chillies, 2-3 peppercorns, 1/2 tsp saunf (fennel), 1 small stick cinnamon, 1 cardammom, 2-3 cloves, 1 tbsp cashewnuts, 1 small tomato, 2 tsp thick tamarind juice or 2 tsp lemon juice.

Method :

Steam the vegetables till they are about half done.Remove and set aside.Heat the ghee and fry the sliced onion tillit starts changing color.Now add the blended masala and fry till the oil separates. This will take a minimum of 15 minutes. The more the masala fries, the better the flavour. Lowerthe heat and sprinkle a little water and continue frying and stirring continuously.When the masala is fried well and turns aromatic, add the half cooked vegetables and salt. Add some water and mix well.Put it back on the stove and bring it to a boil on low heat.
Once the vegetables are done, remove from heat. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot with chapatis or plain rice

Diwali breakfast - Bisi Bele Bath (Divesh's favourite!)

Ingredients for the masala powder:

Dhania: 100gms
Red chillies : 100gms
Chana dal(Bengal gram dhal): 100gms
Urad dhal: 100gms
Dry coconut: 100gms
Cinnamon : 10 gms
Marathi moggu: 5 pieces
Cloves: 1 tsp.
Dry roast all the ingredients except coconut separately and grind to a fine powder.
The quantity of red chillies may be increased or decreased according to personal taste.

Ingredients:
Carrot: 50 gms, French beans: 50 gms, Green peas: 50gms, Lima beans: 50gms
Tomato: 150 gms
Curry leaves : few sprig
Coriander leaves: few
Tamarind paste: 1 tsp.

Rice : 1cup
Toor dal: 1 cup
Bisis bele bath powder: 2 tbsp.
Salt to taste
For garnishing:
Ghee: 1 tbsp.
Mustard seeds: 2 tsp.
Red chillies: 2 nos.
Cashew nuts (optional) : few
Hing : 1 tsp.

Method:

Wash and Chop all vegetables. Wash and drain the rice and dal. Soak the tamarind in ½ cup of warm water.Accordingly add 3 cups of water for each cup of rice, 2 cups of water for each cup of dal and one cup of water for each cup of vegetables.Boil water according to the above proportion in a pressure cooker and add all the vegetables, rice, dal and turmeric powder and close the pressure cooker. Put the weight on and cook until 3 whistles.
Allow the pressure cooker to cool. Open the lid and check if the rice is cooked well and there is enough water content. If not add one more cup of water and boil, bisibele bath powder and salt. Extract the juice out of soaked tamarind and add to the boiling rice. Add half the ghee also to the mixture. Boil for 5- 10 minutes stirring well taking care not to burn the contents.
For garnishing:
Heat the remaining ghee in a pan. When the ghee is hot, add the hing powder, mustard, cashew nuts, broken red chillies and few curry leaves. When the mustard seeds stop spluttering and the cashew nuts turn to a pink color, add the contents to the prepared rice. Garnish with finely cut coriander leaves .

Diwali snack - Potato/plantain bajjis

Ingredients :

Potatoes - 1 lb
Plantain - 1 lb
Oil - 2 cups
Batter -
Cornflour
Chilli powder
Ginger-garlic paste
Rice-flour
Salt.

Method :

Heat oil in a deep pan. In the meantime, mix all the ingredients in a bowl with little water into a smooth paste. Peel and slice the potatoes and plantains into very thin round shapes. Dip them in the batter and deep fry on both sides till they turn brown.

Chicken spring rolls.

Ingredients :

Cabbage - 1 cup, grated
Carrot - 1 cup, grated
Spinach - 1 cup, grated
Scrambled eggs - 1 cup
Cooked chicken - cut into very small pieces, 1 cup
Soy sauce -2 tbsp
Chilli garlic sauce - 1 tbsp
Salt - 2 pinch
Spring roll skins - found in any Chinese stores.

Method :

Spray some oil on a saucepan. Add all of the above and fry it for a few minutes on low heat. Take a spring roll skin, place a spoonful of the mix on it and wrap it tightly into a roll. Deep fry them in oil for a minute or two each.

Vanghibath or Brinjal rice.

Ingredients :

Indian eggplant - 1lb, sliced long
Rice - 3 cups, fully cooked
Potatoes - peeled and cut into cubes
Peas - 1 cup
Coriander leaves - 1/2 cup, finely chopped
Vanghibath powder-grind
Coriander seeds -5 tbsp
Urad dal - 3 tbsp
Channa dal - 3 tbsp
Fenugreek seeds - 2 tbsp
Cumin seeds - 2 tbsp
Red chillies - 8
Cinnamon - few
cardamom - few
Cloves - few
Marati moggu - 2
(grind the above into a fine powder)
Seasoning -
Oil
Onions -2 medium, chopped
Red chillies - few
Curry leaves - 2 strands
Coriander leaves - 1 cup, finely chopped
Ginger-garlic paste - 1/2 a spoon
Turmeric powder - 1/2 spoon
Salt

Method :

After you fry all the ingredients in oil for seasoning, add the vanghibath powder and let it fry in oil on low heat for sometime. Then, add the vegetables and cook on low heat with a covered lid until done. Garnish it with coriander leaves when finished. Mix it properly with rice and serve along with raitha.

Rava Idlis

Ingredients :
Rava/ sooji/ semolina - 2 cups
Yogurt - 1.5 cups - beaten
Water - 1/2 cup
Oil - 3 tbsp
Mustard seeds - 1/2 tbsp
Cashew nuts - 1/2 cup
Urad dal - 1 tbsp
Channa dal - 1 tbsp
Curry leaves (dried or fresh) - chopped - 1 strand
Asofoetida - a pinch
Red dried chilli - 2 cut
Green chillies - 2 finely chopped
Ginger paste - 1/2 tsp
Tomato- very thinly sliced - about 1/2 an inch long
Cilantro - 1/4 cup - finely chopped, and few big leaves uncut
Salt
[Optional- can add grated carrot and cooked green peas to the mix]

Method :

First, heat oil in a pan. Add the ingredients starting from mustard seeds to the red chilli, one after the other. Now add the rava, turn off the heat and slightly roast it. Keep aside and let it cool. Meanwhile, take the yogurt, add the green chillies, ginger paste, salt, and chopped cilantro. Mix this with the rava well adding the rest of the water.
Spray some oil on the idli plates. Place a slice of tomato and a cilantro leaf in every cup on the plate. Now pour the mix and place them in the idli maker and steam cook it for about 15mins or less. Serve with coconut chutney.
(Chutney recipe will be put up in my future posts)

Vegetable pulav

Ingredients :

Basmati rice - 2 lb
Onion - 1 sliced
Cut carrat and peas - 1 cup
Spices - few each for seasoning
Pudina - 1 cup chopped
Coconut milk - 1 can
Turmeric 1/2 tbsp
Oil & salt
Grind - 1 cup of -
Coriander
Green chillies
Onion

Method :

Heat oil, add all the ingredients one by one, except for the coconut milk. Fry everything till oil separates from masala. Now add the coconut milk and cook for sometime. Add rice and pour the required amount of water and cook till its done. Garnish with coriander leaves.
(I have also put up the recipe for 'vegetable biryani' in one of my earlier posts.)

Vegetable fry.

Ingredients :

Vegetables - (of your choice) chopped
Dhaniya powder - 1 tbsp
Jeera powder - 1 tbsp
Madras curry masala - 1 tbsp
Onions - 1 sliced
Green chillies - 8 cut long
Tomato paste - 1tbsp
Yogurt - 1/2 cup
oil & salt

Method :

Heat oil, add onions and chillies. Now add all the above ingredients except the vegetables and fry on medium heat for sometime. Add the vegetables and cook till done. Serve hot with rice or chapaatis.

Vegetable biryani

Ingredients :

To grind-(masala)
Onion - 1/2
Ginger - 1/2 cup
Garlic - 1 cup
Coriander - 1 cup
Mint leaves - 1/4 cup
Cinnamon stick - 4
Cloves - 5
Red chillies (dry) - 8
Green chillies - 10
Moggu - 2
Garam masala - 2 tsp
Cumin powder - 1 tsp
[fry all the above ingredients in oil before grinding]

Seasoning -
Cinnamon stick, cloves, Cardamom, bay leaf - few (each)
Onion - 1 thinly sliced
Garlic - 4 flakes
Green chillies - sliced long

Basmati rice - 5 cups (150 ml cup)
Vegetables - chopped (carrot, peas, beans, lima beans, cauliflower)
Tomato - 1 small chopped
Coconut milk - 1 cup (150 ml)
Salt, Oil.

Method :

Heat oil in a large vessel. Add all the seasoning ingredients one at a time and fry on medium heat for few minutes. Add the masala and fry for sometime on medium to low heat till the oil separates from masala. Add the tomatoes and then the coconut milk.Mix the vegetables and Let it cook for sometime. Now add the rice and salt and add about 6 cups of water and cover it very tightly with a lid. Let the rice cook on very low heat for approximetly an hour. Serve with raitha!

Kara bath / Upma.

Ingredients :

Bansi rava (upma sooji) - 2 cups - roasted
Carrot - chopped finely - 1 cup
Peas - 1 cup
Onion - chopped thin and long
Green chillies - 6- cut long
Grated coconut - 1 tsp (slightly roasted)
Salt.
To grind:
Garlic - 1 flake
Onion - 1 inch
Ginger - 1/4 inch
Pepper corns - 1/4 tsp
Coriander - 1 tbsp
Seasoning :
Oil - 1/2 cup
Mustard seeds - 1 tsp
Channa dal - 1 tsp
Moggu (spice) - 3
Bay leaf - 3
Cloves - 4
Cinnamon stick - 1
Curry leaves - 1 strand
Cashewnuts - few
Turmeric - 1/2 tsp

Method :

Heat oil in a large saucepan. Add all the ingredients under 'seasoning', starting with mustard seeds. Then add the cut onions and green chillies and fry on medium heat. Add the masala paste and salt and fry till the oil separates from it. Now add the vegetables and pour 2 cups of water. Let it cook for sometime covered. Once the vegetables are done, add the rava into the pan while stirring constantly. Add water if necessary and cook it covered on very low heat.Garnish with finely chopped coriander leaves and the grated coconut. Best eaten with kesari bath(sweet dish).

Divesh's 5 minute tacos! yummmmm.....

Ingredients:

If non-veg- use ground chicken/pork/beek/shrimp (cooked in a skillet with 2 tbsp of oil, season it with salt and chilli powder)
If veg - Use mushrooms or your choice of vegetables( cook in skillet with oil and season it)
Small flour or corn tortillas (fried on a pan till both sides are hot)
Fresh tomato -cut into small fine cubes
Fresh cilantro - finely chopped
Onions - finely chopped
Fresh jalapenos - Finely chopped
Lime juice
Salt

Method:

For every taco, mix 1/2 tbsp of lime juice and sprinkle salt to the cut vegetables. Fill the tortillas starting with the seasoned and cooked ground chicken or vegetables. Then add the lime juice and vegetable mix. Use sour if you like.