DAHI VADA

Deep fried black gram (urad dal) balls, soaked in healthy curd!!!! What comes in your mind??? Yes, it is Dahi Vada???Dahi vada is very popular and common in almost all weddings and it is excellent when it is served chilled. Actually dahi vada is used for preparing varieties of chat.


Dahi vada will give you an excellent taste in summer. I made this for welcoming my guests few days back. I am putting down my pen to write this because summer is ahead and we should enjoy it without getting bore. I won’t debate about the origin of dhai vada since I am seeing this in every corner of India. When I was studying in Bhubaneswar I remember we used to eat this in corner of College Street along with Dum Aloo.

In Cuttack, there used to be a MELA called as “Bali yatra” and there used to be a separate place for dahi vada and Dum aloo.Have you ever tried this combination, if no then give a try you will surely love it. Anyway, here is dahi vada recipe:-

Dahi Vada

Preparation time: 30 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 40 minutes (Approximately)

Serving-6 persons

Ingredients for vada

Black gram Dal-2 cups

Fenugreek seeds-1 tsp

Salt-to taste

Green Chillies-3-4 (Finely chopped)

Grated ginger-1 tsp

Asafetida-1 tsp

Warm water-2 cups

What you need to do for making vada

• Wash and soak black gram dal with fenugreek seeds for 2 hours.

• Grind dal without adding water.

• Add salt, chopped green chillies, grated ginger and asafoetida.

• Heat oil in a pan and keep flame in low.

• Now take a small ball of urad dal paste (I do not make whole in vada but it is your’s choice) and put in hot oil in low flame.

• Fry till it is cooked but remember vadas should not get burn at all and do not become red in colour.

• Now put the fried vada in warm water for 10 minutes.

• Squeeze water from vada and keep in serving dish.

Ingredients for making curd for vada

Curd-2 cups

Salt- to taste

Sugar-1 tsp

Roasted cumin powder-1 tsp

Red chilli powder-1 tsp (or to taste)

Chat powder-1/2 tsp (optional)

How to prepare curd for vada???

• Beat curd, by hand mixer or egg beater, by adding salt and sugar.

• Now add this curd on the top of vadas.

• Then put on the top of it put cumin powder, chilli powder and chat powder.

For Seasoning

Oil-1 tsp

Mustard seeds-1 tsp

Curry leaves-few

Asafetida-1/2 tsp

Dry red chillies-1 (broken in two)

For Garnish

Coriander leaves-finely chopped

How to season the curd vada???

• Heat tsp oil in a pan.

• Add mustard seed in hot oil.

• Once mustered are cracked add the remain ingredients in this and put on the top of curd vada.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and serve chill.


MY TIPS

• If you want to make whole in vadas then use a thick plastic cover or a small piece of plantain leaf. Put little water on cover or leaf then keep a small ball of urad dal and make a small whole in this with the help of your finger. Put very carefully this vada in hot oil.

• You can also use some grated carrot for garnishing along with coriander leaves.

PANEER SCHEZWAN RICE

Me and my hubby love to eat all veg Chinese dishes and particularly which are prepared with schezwan sauce. We can hog number of plates schezwan rice and that to prepare in OLD FOX (one of restaurant in Hyderabad).We used to eat this, at least once in a week, when we were in Hyderabad.


While eating schezwan rice I always thinks that what is the difference between normal Chinese fried rice and chinese schezwan rice, my taste buds were feeling a huge difference but were unable to find out. One day, while reading something about china I came to know about the schezwan pepper corns (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sichuan_peppercorn) and you know what was my feeling, it was like my heart shouted HURREY, I got it.

Recently we went to Dragon Mall (Very big Chinese mall in Dubai) and I got these pepper corns from one of trading shop in the mall. I gave a try to the dish with veggie and cottage cheese the very next day and it was excellent (as per my beloved’s comment and for yours you need to prepare it or welcome to my home at any time), whatever I would love to share the recipe with everyone. Reposting the event for JAY for event letz relishh paneer .Have a look:-

Paneer Schezwan Rice

Preparation time: 30-35 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 40 minutes (Approximately)

Serving-4 persons

Ingredients

Jeera/Basmati Rice-2 cups (Washed)

Oil-5-6 tabs

White Onion-2 in large (Finely chopped)

Finely chopped garlic-2 tabs (optional)

Cottage Cheese (Paneer)-1 cup (Cut in small cubes)

Dry Red Chillis-2-3

Chopped vegetables -1 cup (Carrot and beans)

Salt-to taste

Schezwan sauce-6-7 tabs (or as spicy as you need)

Soya sauce-1 tabs

Ingredients for Schezwan Sauce (I am giving the quantity in large so that you can prepare and store it)

Dry Red Chillies-20

Garlic-1 pod

Vinegar-1 tabs

Schezwan pepper corns-1 tsp

Water-1 cup

Method (to prepare sauce)

• Boil one cup water in a pan and add red chillies and garlic in this.

• Boil it for 5 minutes then drain water and allow it to get cool down.

• Now remove the seeds from red chillies very carefully so that later on you don’t get hand burning.

• Now in a mixer jar add boiled chilli and garlic along with vinegar and schezwan pepper corn,

• Grind it fine paste and keep in freeze for future use.

Method (For preparing schezwan rice)

• Boil around six cups of water in a wide and large mouth vessel.

• Once water starts boiling then add washed rice till it is ¾ done.

• Now drain water from rice.

• Add one tabs oil in rice and keep aside.

• Now heat rest of oil in a large pan and add dry red chillies in that.

• Allow it to turn black in high flame.

• Add chopped onion and fry till onion turned to golden colour.

• Now add finely chopped vegetables along with ½ tsp salt and cook till they are done half.

• Now add cubed cottage cheese, soya sauce and prepared schezwan sauce.

• Fry well, for 5 minutes, in high flame, but remember it should not get burn.

• Now add cooked rice and salt and mix well.

• Fry till you get nice aroma of schezwan pepper corn.

• Serve hot with any Chinese side dish.

MY TIPS

• You get these schezwan pepper corns in Chinese store but in case you don’t get these you can just avoid putting it in sauce.(But you might not get the nice aroma of shezwan rice)

• Be careful while putting salt in rice because soya sauce has salt in it.

• The dish is very spicy that is why be careful while adding prepared schezwan sauce.

• You can store this sauce in freeze for preparing any schezwan recipe.

PEAS MASALA

I love to make and eat Panjabi recipes because their recipe gives real taste of India with butter and cream. I remember, when I was in Chennai before my wedding, me and my beloved, use to go one dhaba vey frequently. The name of dhaba is Sachin ka dhaba.Believe me the food they serve, It’s extremely good. I loved peas masala their very much and whenever I visit that place I surely order this dish.


Last week, my husband called some of his office colleagues for dinner and I made this dish. The dish was not exactly like that dhaba but it was good. You can also give a try:-

Peas Masala

Preparation time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving-4 persons

Ingredients

Green Peas-2 cups (I have used frozen peas)

Butter-2 tabs

Crushed whole garam masala-1 tsp

Bay leaf-1

Onion-2

Ginger garlic paste-2 tsp

Tomato paste-1/2 cup

Curd-4 tabs

Turmeric powder-1 tsp

Chilli Powder-2 tsp (or as spicy as you need)

Coriander powder-2 tsp

Cumin Powder-1 tsp

Salt-to taste

Coriander leaves-for garnishing

Method

• Take a pan and boiled around 2-3 cups of water.

• Peel and cut onion roughly.

• Once water starts boiling then add cut onion in this and boil it for 3-4 minutes.

• Drain the water and allow it to cool down.

• Make a paste from this boiled onion. Keep aside.

• Now heat a pan and add butter in this.

• Once butter start melting add bay leaf and crushed whole gram masala.

• Fry for few seconds and then, add onion paste in this.

• Fry till it turns to golden brown colour.

• Then add ginger garlic paste.

• Fry till butter start leaving from masala.

• Add tomato paste in this and all dry masala except salt.

• Keep steering the masala till it becomes thick then add curd.

• Fry till you get nice consistency like cream and now add green peas in this along with salt.

• Fry for 5 minutes then add 1 ½ cups water and put lid on pan.

• Let it get boil in low flame till peas are cooked and the gravy is thick enough as you wish.

• Garnish it with coriander leaves and serve with any Indian bread.

MY TIPS

• Whenever you try any Panjabi recipe, try to cook in unsalted butter. It really gives perfect taste to your dish.

• How to prepare crushed garam masala??

Cardamom-2, Clove-4, Cinnamon -1 inch, Black cardamom-1, Javitri-1, Roast this in a pan and crushed this.

SOYA CHUNKS PULAO

Soya, know as textured vegetable protein. I can eat anything which is prepared with soya chunks but honestly I don’t like soya milk. My husband always takes a cup of soya milk in his breakfast, even sometimes my daughter also. Some of veg people don’t eat soya chunks because it gives the feeling of meat. I would advise people who are suffering from diabetic or cancer they must eat this because it has lots of medicinal affect in this.


Whenever I visit my in laws place ”Chennai”, my father in law always brings one soya chunks packet for making pulao or curry. Even my hubby like’s soya chunks pulao.I made very recently for dinner took a pic but forgot to put the recipe in blog. Today when I was transferring all data to my personal folder then I got the picture of this and thought of posting it today. So hope you will enjoy the high protein dinner or lunch.



Soya Chunks Pulao

Preparation time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 20-30 minutes (Approximately)

Serving-4 persons

Ingredients

Rice-2 cups (you can also use Basmati Rice)

Soya Chunks-2 cups (soaked in warm water for 30 minutes)

Green Peas-1/2 cup (I have used frozen)

Oil-4-5 tabs

Pulao Cumin Seeds-1 tsp (Called as shahi jeera)

Bay Leaf-1

Cinnamon-1 inch

Green Cardamom-2

Clove-2

Black Cardamom-1

Javitri-1

Anise flower-1

Onion-2 medium in size (Finely chopped)

Slit green chillies-2

Salt-to taste

Garam Masala-1 tsp (optional)

Hot water-4 cups

Method

• Wash the rice and keep aside.

• Wash soaked soya chunks for 4-5 times in fresh water by squeezing again and again.

• Fry this soya chunks with 1 tabs oil in a pan for about 5 minutes and keep aside.

• Take a large wide vessel or pressure cooker (I used) and heat oil in this.

• Now add cumin and whole garam masalas.

• Once cumin seeds are changed in colour, add chopped onion and green chillies in this.

• Fry till onion turn to golden brown colour.

• Now add soya chunks and green peas in this and fry for couple of minutes.

• Now add washed rice and fry for another 5 minutes.

• Put 4 cups of hot water along with salt and gram masala powder.

• Mix well, and let it cook with lid, for 10-15 minutes or till rice is tender and cooked.

• If you are preparing this in pressure cooker then close the lid and allow one whistles to come in low flame.

• Serve with raitha.I don’t want anything with this.



MY TIPS

• You can also use 2 tsp of ginger garlic paste. If you desire.

• Instead of oil unsalted butter also can be used.

• Put little salt while frying it .By doing so onion will get cooked faster.

IDLI UPMA

Few days back I made something which was advised by my mother in law over phone. The story begins here:-


I made Idli for dinner along with some coconut chutney, onion samber and chutney podi but my husband had his dinner outside with his office colleague without any prior information. Till 10 pm in night, I was thinking what to do with those remain idli because samber can be heated up in the morning and eat with rice but idli noooooooooooooooo.I can’t eat idli which is not fresh ,even no one at my home. Fortunately I got to speak to my MIL for some issues and while speaking to her, I told that there is 8-10 idli is remain and i askd her, what to do with that, then she gave me an idea. Guess what it could be????? IDLI UPMA!!!!!

I was totally new to the recipe and gave a try next day morning for breakfast. It was fantastic. I liked it very much and even he. I know my all south Indian friend will be aware of this recipe but for me it was an experiment. So here is the result:-

IDLI UPMA

Preparation time: 10 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Serving-2 persons

Ingredients

Idli-8-10 (Not the fresh one)

Onion-1 large (Cut in small cubes)

Green Chillies-2 sliced

Carrot-1 grated

Curry Leaves-few (For Seasoning)

Grated ginger-1 tsp

Split Black Gram (Urad) Dal-1 tsp

Bengal Gram (Channa) Dal-1 tsp

Mustard Seeds (Rai)-1 tsp

Dry red Chillies-1 broken in 2-3 pieces

Asafetida-1/2 tsp

chutney podi- 3 tabs

Oil-2 tabs

Salt-to taste

Method

• Break all idli by hand in rough shape.

• Heat oil in a pan.

• Put mustered, Bengal gram, black gram, asafetida, curry leaves and dry red chilli.

• Once mustered cracked add onion, green chillies and ginger in this.

• Once onion turned to golden brown colour add broken idli, salt and chutney podi in this.

• Mix well and fry them for about 10 minutes then add grated carrot in this.

• Fry another couple of minutes.

• Serve hot by garnishing coriander leaves.

MY TIPS

• My chutney powder recipe is here but if you want you can use readymade.

• Instead of chutney podi you can also use chilli powder.

• For additional flavour you can add little gram masal or chat masal in this.

• Crushed roasted peanut also will give nice flavour to the dish.

CHATPATI METHI MIRCH

I have got another a recipe for SE (cooking wit seeds-fenugreek) I made this last week since I was busy in my personal routine so could not post it. Hope Priya and SE will like the recipe.


Chatpati Methi Mirch

Preparation time: 2 hrs 20 minutes (Approximately)


Cooking time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Serving-6 persons

Ingredients

Soaked Fenugreek seeds-1 cup

Green Chillies-1/2 cup (Try to get chillies which are not too spicy)

Salt- to taste

Oil-2 Tabs

Cumin seeds-1 tsp

Coriander Powder-2 tabs

Lemon juice-5-6 tabs

Jaggery-1/8 cup

Method

• Heat oil in a pan and add cumin seeds in that.

• Once cumin seeds are changed its colour add fenugreek seeds and chillies along salt and coriander powder.

• Cook in the low flame till chillies and fenugreek seeds are tender.

• Add jiggery and cook till jiggery is melted and mix well with chillies.

• Add lemon juice.

• Serve with any Indian bread.

EGGLESS MARBLE CAKE

Ohh My God


I cannot believe that my first trial of eggless marble cake has turn so great. I was so sacred while mixing the flour that whether it will come out properly or not. I just prayed and kept the cake bowl inside the oven and it was wonder after 35 minutes.

I got this idea while browsing some eggless cake recipe but whichever site I opened they have mentioned egg inside the recipe. The idea of marble cake has generated yesterday night around 10.00 pm so thought of giving a trial today. I do not remember that which and all site I have visited to get this idea but thanks to everyone who has posted marble cake recipe in their site and blog. My daughter loved this so much  because of the colour that she had in her breakfast only this cake today.I am so happy that I could not control myself putting my pen down immediately. I am also sending this recipe to kids delight wholesome.So here is my recipe:-

Eggless Marble Cake.

Preparation time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 35-45 minutes (Approximately)

Serving-6 persons

Ingredients

Self Raising Flour-2 ½ cups

Baking Powder-1 ½ tsp

Baking Soda-1/2 tsp

Vanilla powder or essence-1 tsp

Unsalted butter-1 tabs (In room temperature)

Vegetable Oil-4-5 tabs (I used 4 ½ tabs)

Powdered Sugar/Sugar Free-1/8 cup (I used Sugar Free)

Condensed Milk-200 ml

Milk-1/2 cup (Optional)

Drinking Soda-1/4 cup (Optional)

Eatable Red colour-1 tsp

Eatable Green Colour-1 tsp

Strawberry essence-1/2 tsp

Pista or almond extract-1 tsp

Salt-a pinch

Method

• Pre heat oven in 200 degree C.

• Grease the cake pan with oil or butter keep aside (I used the bread loaf pan).

• Mix baking soda, baking powder, powdered sugar, salt and self raising flour together.

• Sieve this mixture. Keep aside.

• Now in a mixing bowl, put butter ,vegetable oil and condensed milk.

• Beat this mixture, by hand beater or electrical hand mixer, till it becomes puffy and light.

• Now in the same bowl, start adding the flour, one by one spoon, and mix well

• If the mixture starts getting very thick then add little milk and drinking soda.

• Prepare the cake batter. Add Vanilla powder or extract with batter.

• Now take another two mixing bowl and divide the batter in three equal portion.

• In one bowl mix well, red colour and strawberry essence. .

• In the second bowl mix green colour and pista or almond extract.

• Third bowl will be as it is.

• Now take the baking dish.

• Put one tabs spoon of strawberry batter in baking dish, then one tabs of plain vanilla batter and the third is green colour pista or almond batter.

• Place the whole batter in to baking dish with the same sequence. Do not use your hand or spoon for setting batter. If the batter has been prepared properly it will get settled in 5 minutes its own.

• Keep the tray in preheated oven for 25 min in 200 degree C.

• Then reduced the temperature to 150 degree C and put for 15 minutes.

• Check by inserting a tooth pick in the centre of cake, if it comes out clean then it is done.

• Allow cake to cool down 10-15 minutes. Serve warm or in room temperature.

MY TIPS

• Eggless cake takes time to get cook that’s why always try to prepare in small quantity.

• Do not remove the cake immediately from oven after switching off the oven.

• You can put some almond and pista flakes on the top of batter before keeping the baking dish inside the oven.

RAS MALAI

Hi


I am back with another recipe to my blog after 2 days. In last two days I was just looking my dashboard with some new recipes from my  fellow bloggers but was not having enough strength to write down a post.

 I have made ras malai twice or thrice in India and experienced every time a different taste with respect to rasguulas. Twice I made in Bangalore and it came out extremely well but when I have tried in Chennai and Dubai the rasgulla was not as much as spongy like Bangalore one but the taste was same. I concluded that it was milk fault because the whole milk of Bangalore is extremely good, but in Chennai and Dubai, I didn’t find a single time cream (malai) was on top of milk pan, after boiling it. Still I tried again this time with the special whole milk of AMUL what I got in nearby a super market and it turned ok but again not like Bangalore so if someone has suggestions how to make rasgullas spongier, then please let me know. So here is recipe for it hope you will like this:-

Ras Malai

Preparation time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 1 hrs 30 minutes (Approximately)

Makes-10-11 Ras malai

Ingredients

Whole Milk-2 litres

Sugar- 1 ½ to 1 ¾ cups

Almond and pista flakes-1/4 cup

Safforon-1/4 tsp

Cardamom Powder-1 tsp

Lemon juice -2 tabs

Method

For making ras malai we need to make fresh paneer or called as chenna in India so here is how to make chenna???

• Boil 1 litre milk in a pan and wait till it starts boiling.

• Once it starts boiling reduce heat and add lemon juice slowly.

• Now when milk fat gets separated from water then filter this with a cotton thin cloth and add some cold water.

• Adding cold water will help you to make soft chenna and even the lemon smell also will go off.

• Now squeeze the whole water or you can hang up the cloth, putting a knot in that, for few minutes.

• After draining the water completely, remove the chenna on a wider plate or put on a clean surface, mash up with hand nicely (you can use food processor also for smoothing up the chenna).

• Once you mashed up the chenna nicely, then it will turn like roti daugh and you can make balls easily from it.



Now we need to make rasgullas from chenna.

• Take a wide mouth pan with lid and add 5 cups of water along with 1 cup of sugar. Boil it.

• Make equal size of balls from chenna daugh and flatten it with your hand. While making balls remember that size of rasgulla will become double once it goes to boiling sugar water.

• Now add this flat rasgullas in boiling sugar water and boil in high flame for about 20-25 minutes or till it is cooked and double in size.

• Then remove it from sugar water and allow it to cool down.

• Once rasgullas are cooled then take each rasgulla in between your two palms and squeezes the water from it.

• Keep in serving bowl.

Method for making Rasa

• Now take a heavy bottom pan and add another liter of milk along with ½ to ¾ cup of sugar.

• Put it on medium flame and keep steering it till it becomes half in quantity.

• In middle when milk has reduced ¼ quantities then add safforn, cardmom powder and half of dry fruits.

• Once milk is halved in quantity switch off the flame and add this rasa on top of rasgullas.

• Keep in fridge for about 25-45 minutes.

• Serve this with garnish of dry fruits.

MY TIPS

• I you want to make ras malai in 30 minutes then use readymade rasgullas.Squezze the sugar syrup and make the rasa and add it in this.

• The chenna water you can use for making curry, roti and parathas, it will be very tasty.

• Always use fresh whole milk for making chenna.

• The quantity of sugar for making rasa is as per my family taste you can reduce or increase as per your taste.

MY FIRST AWARDS

These are my first awards and these are given by MEENA.Thanks alot to her.I would like to share these two awards with Billy, saappadu and Jagruthi

MUNG KA HALWA (SPLIT GREEN GRAM INDIAN DESSERTS)

Mung ka halwa, very tasty and rich Indian desserts. In winter, the dish is more popular in Punjab and Rajasthan .Since in these dish lots of ghee and sugar is used that is why it is very high in calories.


You need to have lots of passion to prepare this dessert since it takes long time and labour to get cook but it is very tasty.

Mung ka halwa (Split Green Gram Indian Desserts)

Preparation time: 3-4 hours (Approximately)

Cooking time: 50 minutes to 1 hours (Approximately)

Serving: 6 -8persons

Ingredients

Split Green Gram (Mung) Dal-1 ½ cups

Ghee-1 ½ -2 cups

Sugar-1 ½ cups

Cardamom Powder-2 tsp

Mava or khova-1/4 cup

Milk-1 cup

Dry Fruits-1/4 cup (Blenched almond, broken cashew nut, pista etc. Whatever you like)

Method

• Wash and soak the green gram for about 2-3 hours.

• Grind the dal in mixer without adding water.

• The paste should give you feeling of touching salt in your hand.

• Now heat a tick bottom pan and add ghee in this.

• Put the green gram paste in this and keep steering it.

• In about 20-30 minutes the dal will get cook and ghee will start separating from the paste.

• Once the mixture is cooked it will not stick to pan and colour will turn to light pink colour.

• Now add milk and khova in this and cook by steering it continuously till it is thick again.

• Meanwhile heat another pan and add 1 cup water and sugar in this.

• Boil till you get 1 wire consistency. Add slowly to halwa and keep steering it.

• Add cardamom powder and dry fruits

• Cook till halwa is thick enough and ghee is separated.

MY TIPS

• Instead of milk and mava you can use condensed milk but if, you are using condensed milk then reduce sugar quantity.

• For an extra flavour you can add little saffron in halwa.

• You can keep this halwa till 3 months.

• Since the halwa is very high in calorie don’t eat too much.

• The dish can be enjoyed with a scoop of Vanilla Ice Cream.

FENUGREEK SEEDS (METHI DANA) DAL

I got opportunity to share my recipes with event cooking with seeds -fenugreek and cooking with seeds announcing new event


SE has taken a great step towards the event. I know many people know about the benefits of fenugreek seeds, but few people use large quantity of it, in their cooking. Fenugreek seeds are bitter in taste but the health benefits are really very sweet. My granny use to say that fenugreek seeds give very good effect to women who have white discharge problems. If, you bite one tsp of fenugreek seeds along with one glass of butter milk, then your stomach remain cool. These are home remedies which you can try because it does not have any side effects.

I am putting my pen down for a very healthy and tasty recipe today. The Idea of the recipe has been given by my grandmother in law Smt. R Vathsala but I have made some changes in the main idea which I will disclose in my Tips section. So here is the recipe of Fenugreek Seeds Dal:-

Fenugreek seeds Dal

Preparation time: 2-3 hrs minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4-6 persons

Ingredients

Red Gram Dal-2 cups

Fenugreek Seeds-1/2 cup

Turmeric Powder-1 -2 tsp

Salt-to taste

Oil-2 tabs

Mustard Seeds-1 tsp

Cumin Seeds-1 tsp

Dry Red Chilli-1

Onion-2 medium (Chopped)-Optional

Tomatoes-2 (Finely chopped)

Ginger-1 tsp (Grated)

Green Chillies-4 (Finely chopped)

Coriander powder-1 tsp (Optional)

Garam Masala-1/2 tsp (Optional)

Chilli powder-1 tsp (optional)

Lemon -3 (Juice extracted)

Coriander Leaves-for garnish

Method

• Wash and soak fenugreek seeds for about 2-3 hours.

• Wash and soak red gram dal for 30 minutes.

• Once fenugreek seeds are soaked then cook dal and fenugreek seeds along with turmeric powder. If you use pressure cooker then, cooking time will be 5-10 minutes.

• Now heat oil in a pan and add mustard and cumin seeds in this.

• Once mustard is cracked then add red chilli, chopped onion, grated ginger and green chillies in this.

• Fry till onions are cooked and changes it's colour to golden brown.

• Now add chopped tomatoes along with all dry masala.

• Cook till tomatoes are half cooked.

• Then add cooked dal in this seasoning along with salt.

• Cook till dal is thick enough.

• Add lemon juice and mix well for a minute.

• Garnish with coriander leaves and server with Roti, Parathas and Rice.

MY TIPS

• My grandmother in law has not used onion in this recipe if you don’t want to put onion in the dal even you can avoid.Instead of onion you can use 1/2 tsp asafoetida powder in this.

• She has not used coriander and gram masala powder and again it is your choice.

• You can soak fenugreek seeds in night and make the dal in morning it will save your time.

• If your taste is mild then you can reduce your chillies or can avoid chilli powder.

• If you don’t have red gram dal or want to change the dal you can also use masoor dal.

ONION VADAI

Do you like Onion Vada?? I love them. Very good evening snacks. Easy to make and you will really like it.


So without wasting time I will share the recipe of it

Onion Vadai

Preparation time: 3-4 Hours (Approximately)


Cooking time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 6-7 persons

Ingredients

Whole Black Gram Dal-2 cups

Fenugreek Seeds-1 tsp

Onion-6 (Finely chopped)

Curry leaves-10-12 (Chopped)

Green Chillies-6-7 (Finely Chopped)

Grated ginger-2 tsp

Asafoetida powder- 1 tsp

Salt-to taste

Oil-For deep frying

Method

• Wash and soak the dal and fenugreek seeds for about 2-3 hours.

• Then remove water and grind the dal without adding water.

• Add all rest ingredients in the dal paste.

• Heat oil in a pan.

• Now take a banana leaf or some thick plastic cover and wash it with water.

• Put dal paste as big as like medium onion and flatten it by your hand.

• Make a small whole in centre.

• Now remove it from leaf or cover and put very carefully in hot oil.

• Deep fry this in medium heat.

• Fry till both sides are in golden colour.

• Put the fried vadai on kitchen towel and drain the excess oil.

• Make rest vadai also like that.

• Serve with Chutney and Samber.

MY TIPS

• If you want make crispier vadai then add 2 tabs rice flour in dal paste.

MIXED VEGETABLE CURRY (WITHOUT ADDING FAT)

Knowingly or unknowingly we add lots of fat and calories to our daily food. Our food should be based on 2000-2500 calorie per day, if you maintain standard health, but if you count your calorie contain, it must be in higher side. Honestly even I do so. When I was in Bhubaneswar my sister use to prepare a mix curry without adding a drop of oil and believe me it is amezed.The delicious taste of my sister‘s hand I can never forget. Recently I prepared that dish and somehow it was up to my satisfaction but not like my sis made. HE HE HE!!!!


So here is recipe for it:

Mixed vegetable curry (Without adding fat)

Preparation time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 40-45 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4 persons

Ingredients



Potato-1 diced

French Beans-1/2 cup

Carrot-1/4 cup

Green Peas-1/8 cup (fresh or frozen)

Tomato-1 cut in cubed

Onion-1 cut in cubed

Garlic-4-6 cloves (Crushed)

Green Chillies-1 sliced

Coriander Powder-1 Tabs

Chilli Powder-1-2 tsp (or as required)

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Salt-as required

Gram masal-1/2 tsp

Cumin Powder-1 tsp

Method

• Mix all vegetables in a bowl along with all dry masala, chillies and crushed garlic.

• Add salt also in that.

• Keep this for half an hour.

• You will see after half an hour, vegetables are little watery.

• Now heat a pan in low medium heat.

• Then add all these masala mixed vegetables.

• Cook in low flame with covering a lid till vegetables are tender.

• Then remove and add coriander leaves.

• Serve with rice or roti.

My Little Princess in Creek Park Dubai

SIVAPAN KIZHANGU KUZHUMBU (YAM SAMBER WITHOUT DAL)

Like chutney in Andhra, samber is one of main side dish for Tamil Nadu and they prepare varieties of samber but called with various name. They rarely add all vegetables in samber (Like other south Indians). Sometimes they prepare with any one vegetable or some proper combinations of vegetables. Even they prepare this without adding dal also called as vatral Kuzhumbu that means samber with dry ingredients. They prepare these kind of samber with those items which can be dried up in sun light like manathakkali, sundaka (all traditional Tamil items), peanut, kabuli channa, cluster beans sometimes they add some vegetables like lady finger, brinjal, yam etc.So here is one verity what I prepared, “yam samber”. Dry Fenugreek seeds play very important role in this because the aroma of it makes more delicious this samber.Sending this recipe to event cooking with seeds fenugreek and cooking with seeds announcing-Priya's blog


Sivapan Kizhangu Kuzhumbu (Yam Samber without adding dal)

Preparation time: 25-30 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 15-20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4-6 persons

Ingredients

Yam (Arubi)-200 grams

Samber powder-4 tabs

Ginggly oil-2 tabs

Red dry Chilli-2

Solid Asafoetida-as small as like 1”ginger

Red gram (Toor) dal-1 tabs

Bengal gram (Chann) Dal-1/2 tabs

Split black gram dal-1/2 tsp

Fenugreek seeds-1 tabs

Mustard seeds-2 tsp

Curry leaves-8-10

Tamarind-as big as an small orange (Soak in warm water and remove the pulp)

Salt-to taste

Method

• Wash and boil the yam with its jacket in sufficient water till it is tender or cooked.

• Remove the skin and cut in 2”size.Keep aside.

• Now take a pan and heat oil in this.

• Add dry red chillies and allow it to turn black in colour.

• Now add all dals along with asafoetida.

• Once all dal turns red in colour add mustard seeds and fenugreek seeds.

• Add boiled and cut yam along with curry leaves and fry it for 2 minutes.

• Now add samber powder in this and fry for another couple of minutes.

• Now add tamarind pulp along with ½ cup water and bring to boil.

• Once it starts boiling add salt.

• Boil till you get desired thickness.

• Serve with hot rice and dry potato curry.



MY TIPS

• Cook everything in medium heat for this samber then only you will get very nice smell of samber powder.

• Once you add samber powder then remember that it should not get burnt.

MIXED VEGETABLES SAMBER (ANDHRA PRADESH METHOD)

You know, South Indians prepare one item in different style. If you take, their common food like samber, then you will find that it is prepared in different way in all state. In my mother place, idli and dosa is prepared only once a while and I remember, before my marriage, me and my sisters, whenever we prepared dosa and idli we prepare with chutney and samber for our breakfast. I remember that chutney was as normal Bengal gram chutney with coconut but we were not satisfied with our samber taste. Fortunately we met with one didi who was staying in front of our house and she was from Andhra Pradesh. One day we asked her to teach us samber and she taught us her method. Samber came out very well and thereafter; whenever we prepare idli dosa at my mother place we follow her method of making samber along with it.

After my wedding, everything got changed. I got married in very traditional Tamil Iyengar family and there preparation of food is completely different from normal south Indian food. They prepare everything at home even samber powder and rasam powder. Recipes of these powders I will post very soon. Since I have started with Andhra Samber so here is recipe of it which I have learnt from Mrs. Reddy in Bhubaneswar.

Mixed Vegetable Samber (Recipe from Spicy Andhra)

Preparation time: 15 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 20 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4-6 persons



Ingredients

Red Gram Dal- 1 ½ cups (Washed and Soaked)

Turmeric powder-1/2 tsp

Water-2 ½ cups

Tamarind- as big as medium lemon (soak in warm water and take it pulp from it)

Oil-1 tabs

Mustard Seeds-1 tsp

Fenugreek seeds-1/2 tsp

Spilt black gram dal-1/2 tsp

Asafetida-1/2 tsp

Curry leaves-6-7

Onion-1 cut in cubes

Green chillies-2 sliced

Mix vegetables-1 to 2 cups (you can put any vegetables for this except bitter guard)

Samber powder-2 tsp

Grated coconut-1/2 cup

Dry red chillies-6-7

Coriander Seeds-2 tabs

Salt- to taste

Coriander leaves-For garnish

Method

• Pressures cook the soaked dal along with 2 ½ cups water and turmeric powder till it is cooked.

• Allow pressure cooker to get cool down its own.

• Now heat a pan with oil.

• Add mustard seeds, split black gram dal, fenugreek seeds, and asafoetida and curry leaves.

• Once mustard seeds are cracked then add cubed onion and sliced chillies.

• Cook onion till it is half done.

• Add all washed and cut vegetables and little salt 9which should be sufficient for vegetables).

• Till vegetables are cooked mix tamarind pulp to cook dal.

• Once vegetables are cooked add tamarind dal in this.

• Then add salt (remember you have put salt for vegetables also) and samber powder.

• Bring it boil.

• While samber is boiling, take a grinder jar and put grated coconut, red chillies and coriander seeds.

• Grind it to fine paste.

• Once samber start boiling add this paste to dal and cook for 5 minutes.

• Garnish with coriander leaves.

• Serve with rice, idli, dosa or whatever.

MY TIPS FOR THE RECIPE

• For choosing vegetables for this samber then choose vegetables like drum sticks,raddish, yellow pumpkin, brijal,lady fingers, these vegetables give very nice flavour to samber.

• This samber will be really very spicy but according to taste you can just increase or decrease quantity of chillies.

COCONUT CHUTNEY

Very common and easy to make coconut chutney is a best combination for any Tiffin items in south India. It is a very tradition companion with idli and dosa.Since coconut is very high in calories I use very rarely in my dishes but once in a month I make this chutney for changing our taste buds. If, you are healthy enough and can take more calorie in your food then you can prepare this chutney with your south Indian breakfast at any time.


First Time, when my mother has visited Chennai and we had our breakfast in one very small hotel, then they have also served this chutney with our each breakfast, we have ordered. My mother liked this chutney a lot and she has asked me the recipe but that day I could not answer her. After my marriage I got the opportunity to learn all south Indian dishes from my Grand Mother in law Smt. R.Vathsala) and mother in law (Mrs. K Sulochana). Now whenever I visit my mother place (Bhubaneswar) I make this chutney for her. Will you try this??

Coconut Chutney

Preparation time: 5 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 5 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 3-4 persons

Ingredients

Grated Coconut-1 cup

Roasted Bengal Gram Dal-1/4 cup (Optional)

Green Chillies-5-6 (if you want chutney more spicy then you can put more chillies)

Salt-to Taste

For Seasoning

Oil-1 tsp

Split black gram dal-1/2 tsp

Mustard seeds (Rai Dana)-1/2 tsp

Dry red Chillies-1

Asafetida-2-3 pinch

Curry Leaves-3-4

Method

• First put in mixer jar grated coconut and green chilli and grind it to fine.

• Then if you want then add roasted Bengal gram dal along with salt and little water and grind it to fine paste.

• If you don’t want to add roasted Bengal gram dal then add little water with salt and grind it.

• Now heat a pan and add oil in this.

• Add all seasoning items and allow mustard seeds to crack.

• Then add this seasoning to chutney.

• Serve this chutney with any south Indian dish.



MY TIPS

• If you want, for additional taste, you can use little tamarind water in this.

• I have heard from my husband’s uncle that if you remove the outer skin (the brown one) then your calorie count also will get reduces, I do this even you can try this.

SUJI KA HALWA

Suji Ka Halwa


Preparation time: 5 minutes (Approximately)

Cooking time: 10 minutes (Approximately)

Serving: 4-6 persons

Ingredients

Bombay rava/Suji/Semolina-2 cups

Hot Water-4 cups

Ghee-2 tabs

Sugar-1/2 cup

Cardamom Powder-1 tsp

Cashew Nut-10

Raisine-7-8

Method

• Heat a pan and put ghee in this keeping 1 tsp ghee aside.

• Once ghee is hot add semolina in this and fry this till it turns to light pink in colour.

• Then add hot water in this and keep steering the rava simultaneously.

• Once water is dried up add sugar and cardamom powder in this.

• Now in another pan heat 1 tsp ghee and fry all dry fruits.

• Add the fried dried fruits to halwa.