MIXED VEG CURRY

MIXED VEG CURRY

WHAT YOU NEED :

Vegetables :
Beans, Cauliflower, Carrot, Capsicum - 2 cups. chopped

For the masala:

Onion - 1 big , chopped

Tomatoes - 2 , medium, chopped

Garlic - 3 cloves, chopped

Ginger - 1 inch piece. chopped

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Pepper corns - 6-8

Cloves - 2

Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon stick - a small piece

Cashew nuts - 1 handful, soak in hot milk along with its cream for 15 minutes 30 mins. ( I soaked that way)

Other ingredients:

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Dry fenugreek leaves powder / kasoori methi - 1/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Oil

MIXED VEG CURRY

HOW TO MAKE :

Grind cashew along with milk to a fine paste.

Heat kadahi with 2-3 tbsp oil. when it is hot put all the vegetables and fry on high till they are tender and crunchy. Remove and keep aside.

Keep a tbsp oil in kadahi and remove the extra.

Add cloves, cardamom, cinnamon stick and pepper corns, stir for few secs.

Then add ginger garlic, coriander seeds, jeera seeds, saute a while.

Then add chopped onions, fry them till they change the color to light brown.

Add Tomatoes, fry till they are mushy.

Once it is cooled grind it to a fine paste.

Now heat a tbsp oil in kadahi, add ground masala and fry well till they release the oil from all sides. 

Then add turmeric powder, garam masala, red chilli powder and mix well.

Add fried vegetables and mix thoroughly. Also add Kasoori methi and salt.

Now add cashew paste, saute, the masala will become very thick so add some water to make the gravy. Stir well.

Serve Mixed Vegetable Curry along with Naan/Chappti/Roti

BUTTER NAAN

BUTTER NAAN WITH MIX VEG CURRY

WHAT YOU NEED:

All purpose Flour/Maida - 2 cups

Dry yeast - 1 tsp

Sugar - 1 tsp

Warm water - 1/2 cup

Curd - 1/2 cup

Oil - 1 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Water - to make dough

BUTTER NAAN WITH MIXED VEG CURRY

HOW TO MAKE:

Take a small bowl add in warm water, sugar and yeast. Mix well and keep for 10 minutes or till it activates.

In a mixing bowl add in flour, salt, curd and yeast mixture. Mix well.

Adding little by little water make a soft and smooth dough.

Add oil and knead it for 5 minutes or till you get the soft texture.

Cover with a little wet cloth and keep for 3 to 4 hours.

Now divide the dough in to 8 portions, make balls.

Dust a little flour on the slab and roll the ball on your desired shape, like round / elongated shape.

Heat iron pan and roast naan on both sides till it is nicely cooked and it gets dark patches  on both sides.

Apply generous amount of butter on both sides.

Serve warm Butter Naan with any north Indian dishes 

CARAMELIZED GOOSEBERRIES / AMLA

Gooseberry contains lot of vitamin C. When we were children my father used to give chyavanprash, which was made of gooseberry. We didn't know why we were given this chyavanprash. But we all loved it's unique taste and enjoyed eating licking the spoon and fingers. We used to wait impatiently to the next day's turn. One day my father said if you consume this jam like thing you will not get cold and cough.

CARAMELIZED GOOSEBERRIES / AMLA

What I made is not chyavanprash, but one piece of Caramelised Amla every day can make your children's immune system strong.

BOILED BERRIES

Add caption

WHAT YOU NEED:

GOOSEBERRY - 10, Big size

Sugar - 2 cups

Ginger - 1 inch piece

Water - 2 cups

CARAMELIZED GOOSEBERRIES /AMLAS

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash gooseberry well in running water.

Put in a broad vessel and pour enough water in it, and boil till it is soft or till you see the cracks in gooseberry.

Drain and separate the seeds and segment and keep aside.

In thick bottomed vessel add 2 cups sugar and 1 cup water. Keep over the heat on high flame, stir to dissolve the sugar.

Then deduce the heat to medium and cook till it gets one thread consistency.

Now grate ginger in the syrup, stir and cook again for few seconds.

Then add gooseberry segments in it and mix well. The syrup will become watery, so again cook till you get thick syrup, little dark in color.  Not to burn.

Keep it closed overnight.

Next day it will become more thick and more dark.

Pour one more cup water in it and heat.

Keep stirring to mix all together again.

Allow to boil. Once it starts coming bubbles. Close the fire.

Close the lid and keep it overnight again or at least for 6 to 8 hours.

Store in airtight glass jar.

Serve Caramelized Amla / Gooseberry as it is/ with chappati/roti.

KADAMBA CHUTNEY

KADAMBA CHUTNEY

A delicacy from Tamilnadu.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Onion - 1 chopped

Tomato -1, chopped

Garlic - 4-5 cloves, chopped

Ginger - 1 inch piece, chopped

Green chilli - 1

Dried red chilli - 3

Coconut gratings - 1/2 cup

Udad dal - 2 tsp

Chana dal - 2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprigs

Mint leaves - 5-6

Tamarind - 2 pieces

Salt - to taste

FROM THE HOME OF TAMIL NADU - KADAMBA CHUTNEY

FOR SEASONING :

Mustard seeds - 1/2 tsp

Curry leaves - 1 sprig

HOW TO MAKE:

Heat a tbsp oil in kadahi.

Add udad dal and chana dal, fry till light brown.

Add ginger, garlic, green chilli, red chilli and 1 sprig curry leaves. Fry for few seconds.

Then add onion, fry till they are translucent, add tomato, mint leaves and saute well.

Now add coconut gratings, stir fry for few more seconds.

Allow to cool down. 

Once it is cooled grind the fried ingredients along with tamarind and salt to a smooth paste.

Heat a small pan with a tsp oil.

Add mustard, when it splutters add 1 sprig curry leaves, then pour it over the Kadamba chutney.

Serve Kadamba Chutney along with Dosa/roti,/Chappati.

SPICY BHATH

Rice is the staple food for Indians, not a single day is passed without rice. You will find varieties of rice in the market. People have learned to make different types of food with rice, adding spices makes the rice more flavorful. Each part of the world has their own way of preparation with the rice. Here is the recipe of spicy rice.

SPICY BHATH

WHAT YOU NEED:

Basmati rice/ jeera/ pulav rice,- 1 1/2 cups, you can use any variety of the rice

Vegetables - 1 cup, like carrot, cabbage, cauliflower, bell pepper etc

Onion - 1 big, finely chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp chopped

Garlic - 1 tsp chopped

Green chilli - 1 , chopped or slit

Coriander powder - 2 tsp

Garam Masala powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Tomato - 2, chopped

Cloves - 2

Cardamom - 2

Cinnamon stick - a small piece

Salt - to taste

SPICY BHATH

HOW TO MAKE:

Wash and soak the rice for 15 minutes. Drain and keep aside.

Heat a tbsp oil in kadahi.

When hot add cardamom, cloves and cinnamon stick. Saute.

Then add ginger and garlic. Also add green chilli. Saute till u get the aroma.

Add chopped onion, fry well till it changes the color to slightly brown.

Now add tomatoes, saute again.

Then add garam Masala powder, turneric powder, cardamom powder and red chilli powder. Saute for few minutes.

Now add the vegetables, mix well with the Masala and stir fry for few seconds more.

Add the drained rice, mix nicely. Stir fry for  4-5 minutes on low fire.

Now add 3 and half cups water, salt and a tbsp of ghee. Mix. Increase the heat to maximum.

 Once it starts bubbling reduce the heat to minimum. Cover and cook till it is done.

Serve spicy bhath along with raitha and pickle.

DUM ALU

DRY CHAPPATI AND DUM ALU

WHAT YOU NEED :

Baby potatoes - 20

Onion - 1, chopped

Tomatoes - 2, medium, chopped

Ginger - 1 tsp , chopped

Garlic - 1 1/2 tsp, chopped

Coriander seeds - 2 tsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Garam masala powder - 1 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Red chilly powder - 1 tsp

Curd - 1/2 cup

Salt - to taste

Kasoori methi - 1/2 tsp, powdered

Coriander leaves - to garnish

DRY CHAPPATI AND DUM ALU

HOW TO MAKE:

Pressure cook the baby potatoes for 10 minutes. Peel it and keep aside.

Heat 2 tbsp oil in kadahi, fry peeled potatoes till brownish.

Remove and keep aside.

In the same kadahi add coriander seeds and jeera seeds, when it splutters all ginger and garlic. Saute till you get aroma.

Then add chopped onion, fry till they are translucent.

Add tomatoes and suate till they are mushy.

Make a paste when it cools down.

Now add little oil in the kadahi, If there is enough oil no need to add.

When oil is hot add ground masala, fry for 5 minutes or till the masala leaves the oil around and till the raw smell disappears.

Then add turmeric powder, garam masala powder, chilly powder, mix well and fry for few seconds. If the masala is too thick add little water.

Now add cooked and fried potatoes in it. Mix thoroughly.

Add salt and also kasoori methi. Stir again.

Lastly add curd and saute well. If needed add some water. Cook for few minutes.

Garnish Dum Alu with Coriander leaves.

Serve Dum Alu with Chappatis/ rotis/ naan.

RICE KARO/ RICE KHARA KADDI

I just made this savory with rice powder and chana powder that is besan. It has become so crisp and very tasty too. Normally this is made of besan only, I just twisted the ingredients. You can prepare this without spending much time on it. And a right Diwali savory  for your guests.

RICE KARO /RICE KHARAKADDI

WHAT YOU NEED:

Rice powder - 1 1/2 cup

Chana powder/ Besan - 1 cup

Red chilli powder - 3/4 tsp

Salt - to taste

Butter - 3-4 tsp

Warm oil - 1 tbsp

Asafoetida - little

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Ajwain seeds - 1 tsp

Water - to make dough

RICE KARO

HOW TO MAKE:

In a big bowl add rice, chana powder, red chilli powder, cumin seeds, ajwain seeds, asafoetida, butter, oil and salt mix well.

Add little by little water and mix again. And form a soft dough.

Take a chakli maker with a little big holes. Fill some of the dough.

Heat a kadahi with enough oil in it.

When the oil is hot press the chakli maker directly in the oil, and turn spiral way to make one round.

Reduce the heat and fry till it is crisp and change to color to brown.

Remove when it is done to a plate.

Store Rice Karo when it comes to the room temperature in an air tight container.

Serve Rice Karo as snack.

PANEER COCONUT LADDU

Diwali is a celebration of  lights of happiness. It is a festival of lights and of course, eating lots 

and lots of sweets. We exchange the sweets with our friends family. The first and foremost 

sweet is Phova which is dipped in jaggery syrup and lots of scraped coconut; and is a sweet

which cannot be neglected in our menu. This time I made a special sweet, which was accidental, I can say.

I was preparing Roshgulla yesterday. When I was putting the balls in sugar syrup, it broke and spread all over in the syrup. I was disappointed to see the state of Roshgullas. Thus I thought of taking all the broken balls and making this sweet. And yes, I am happy with the outcome. It is an awesome sweet, one can try this for Diwali.

PANEER COCONUT LADDU

WHAT YOU NEED:

Paneer  - 1 cup, scrambled

Coconut - 1/2 of the big coconut, finely grated, about 2 cups

Sugar - 1 1/2 cups or according to your taste

Cardamom powder - 1 tsp

Ghee- 3-4 tbsp

Food orange color

PANEER COCONUT LADDU

HOW TO MAKE:

Add sugar and one cup water in a kadahi and melt it over heat.

When the sugar syrup becomes one thread consistency add paneer and cook for few minutes.

Then add coconut gratings and stir well. Here the syrup becomes watery again.

Allow to cook till all the water goes off.

Add food color, mix well. When again the sugar syrup starts forming one thread consistency add ghee and cardamom powder. Mix well. Put off the heat.

It will be too hot to touch with your bear hand, so allow to cool a little bit.

When it is still warm start making laddus, applying some ghee on your palms.

Store in a airtight containers when it comes to room temperature.

VANILLA CUSTARD PUDDING

I had vanilla custard powder packet in my fridge, which i had forgotten completely. A few days back while cleaning the fridge shelf I found this packet, unopened. Last week I had guests so prepared pudding and they liked it very much. Here is the  recipe that how I made...

VANILLA CUSTARD PUDDING

WHAT YOU NEED :

Vanilla custard powder - 2 heaped tbsp

Milk - 2 and 1/2 cups

Sugar - 5-6 tbsp

Butter - 1 tsp

Fruits - Kela, Apple.. (per your wish)

VANILLA CUSTARD PUDDING

HOW TO MAKE:

Take a 1/2 cup milk and mix vanilla custard powder in it.

Heat 2 cups milk. Add sugar and stir to dissolve.

Now add custard mixture in the boiling milk and stir. Keep stirring while adding the mixture otherwise it starts getting lumps. To avoid lumps keep stirring till the milk becomes smooth. 

The milk becomes thick then put off the flame. Continue stirring.

At this stage add a tsp butter, give a quick stir.

Transfer the mixture in a mould.

Allow it to cool down.

Once it is cooled refrigerate for 3-4 hours or till it is set. I was in a hurry so I kept it in the freezer for one hour.

While serving put few fruit pieces in the bowl, then on the top put vanilla custard pudding. 

CAPSICUM PIZZA- 3

CAPSICUM PIZZA

WHAT YOU NEED :

Pizza base - 1 ( for the base recipe go through Pizza Label -1)

Pizza sauce - You will get the recipe of sauce in the same label 

Mozzarella cheese

For the topping:

Onion - 1 - roundels 

Tomatoes - 1 big, roundels

Capsicum - 1, roundels 

Red chilly flakes - 1/2 tsp

Oregano dried powder - 1/2 tsp

CAPSICUM PIZZA

HOW TO MAKE :

Heat a kadahi with tsp oil. When hot add onion rounds, saute it just a few seconds. Remove

Then add tomato roundels and capsicum roundels. Just saute few seconds, not to get change the color. It should be very crisp. Sprinkle little salt over it and saute again.

On the Pizza base spread pizza sauce evenly. Then spread onion rounds over it. 

Scrape mozzarella cheese over it. Then spread tomato rounds, over them spread capsicum rounds. 

Sprinkle little oregano over it and again scrape mozzarella cheese over it.

Now bake it in micro over the convection mode till done. It takes about 15 minutes maximum.  

While serving sprinkle chilly flakes and oregano over the pizza.

TANDLA VODO/ RICE VADA

TANDLA VODO / RICE VADA

My mother-in-law's snacks  were very perfect and tasty too. All our guests liked and praised her cooking skills too. I know that I am nowhere near her, still I, adapting her recipes and try to be perfect.  Here I am presenting one of hers much loved snack that is Tandla Vodo. I have heard that Mangloreans dip these vadas in Payasam and relish. But I have not tried eating that way.

WHAT YOU NEED:

Raw rice - 1 1/2 cups

Udad dal - 3 heaped tbsp

Cumin seeds - 1 tsp

Butter - 1 tbsp

Hot oil - 2-3 tbsp

Salt - to taste

Water - to make dough

TANDLA VODO

HOW TO MAKE:

Dry roast udad dal in kadahi till it becomes brown and you get the aroma. When cooled make a fine powder.

Wash rice and soak in enough water for minimum 2 hours. Drain and keep aside. When all the water dries but still has moisture, then powder it fine in a mixie bowl.

Now in a mixing bowl mix rice powder, udad powder, cumin seeds, salt with water.

Add butter and hot oil too to form a smooth but firm dough.

Spread a plastic sheet and grease with oil over it. 

Make small balls and spread or flatten them with your fingers.

Heat oil in kadahi and fry the flatten vadas on a medium heat till it changes the color and crisp.

Serve Vodo / Vada as snacks.

SHEVO /SEVIA

October and November months are full of festivals. We have Dussehra, a long 10 days festivals, following that we have Diwali. Diwali is nearing, I thought I should prepare some special  savoury and sweets. This Shevo is made of Besan and it is served along with upma, is very popular in Konkani households. The recipe is simple and no much time is required.

SHEVO /SEVIA

WHAT YOU NEED :

Besan / Chana powder - 1 cup

Asafoetida

Salt - 1/2 tsp

Chilli powder - 1/2 tsp

Turmeric powder - 1/4 tsp

Hot oil - 1 tbsp

Water - to make dough

SHEVO -- THE CLOSER VIEW...

SHEVO

HOW TO MAKE :

Take a mixing bowl. 

Add in besan, chilli powder, little asafoetida, salt and turmeric powder. Mix well.

Then add a tbsp hot oil and mix.

Now adding water little by little make a soft and smooth dough. It should be firm but soft.

Then Heat oil in deep bottomed kadahi.

Now take a shevo machine, which has thin holes, put some dough in it. 

When the oil is hot, press shevo machine directly in to the oil and pressing and turning your machine, spiral way, to make thin round shape.

Fry on medium heat. Turn the shevo with tongs and fry well.

When the bubbling stops your shevo is ready to take.

Transfer it on the paper.

When it comes to room temperature, store in a airtight container.

Serve Shevo / Sevia as snacks. 

PHOVA KESAR

 Learning  new dishes from our friends, internet, food groups etc, is really a fun filled work for 

me. This particular dish Phova Kesar, I learned from a popular food group KKAJ. They have their own blog also, which contains all Konkani traditional food. The author of this recipe is Ms Sobha Shenoi. The recipe goes like this...

PHOVA KESAR

WHAT YOU NEED:

Phova - 1 cup, thick variety

Sugar - 1/2 cup

Cashew nuts - 1 tbsp

Kishmis - 1 tbsp

Sunflower seeds - 1 -2 tsp

Kesar / Safron - few strands

Cardamom powder - 1/2 tsp

Ghee

PHOVA KESAR

HOW TO MAKE:

Soak saffron in 1/4 cup warm milk. Rub the saffrons with fingers and keep aside.

Heat a tbsp of ghee in kadahi, fry cashews and kishmis, remove and keep aside.

Fry phova in the same kadahi till crisp on medium heat. See that not to burn.

Make a coarse powder when it becomes cool.

Now in kadahi add powdered phova and 2 cups of water and heat it on medium flame.

When Phova absorbs the water and cooked then add sugar and saffron milk. Keep stirring till it become a mass.

Add nuts, kishmis, sunflower seeds and cardamom powder. Mix well. ( Keep some nuts and sunflower seeds separate to garnish later.)

Add a tbsp of ghee over it and mix again.

Garnish with Cashew bits and Sunflower seeds.

You can spread it on the plate and cut in shapes like square/ diamond.

Serve Phova kesar as dessert.