Quick Dhal

Simple & quick dhal...

Ingredients

Thoor dhal - 1 cup
Tomato (chopped) - 1
Onions (chopped) - 1
Green chilies - 2
Tamarind juice - extracted from 1 small Amla size tamarind
Coriander powder - less than 1/4 tea spoon
Chilly powder - less than 1/4 tea spoon
Turmeric powder -  pinch
Cumin seeds - 10- 15 pieces.
Hing - pinch
Salt to taste.

1. Clean and cook dhal with some water, turmeric powder, chilly powder, coriander powder

2. Once cooked, mash thoroughly.

3. Heat oil in kadai, add mustard seeds once it splutters add cumin seeds,hing, green chilies, curry leaves, onions and fry until onion turn brown.

4. Add tomato, mash and fry until the raw flavor goes.

5. Add cooked dhal, tamarind extract, salt and some water. Let this boil for 3 minutes and remove as a semi solid gravy.. Serve with rice..

Gongura Pachadi

Gongura / Pulicha Keerai Pachadi recipe..

Ingredients

Gongura leaves - 1 medium sized bunch
Cumin seeds - 1 tea spoon
Coriander seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Broken Urud dhal - 2 tea spoon
Mustard seeds - 1 tea spoon
Methi (Fenugreek) seeds - 1/2 tea spoon
Red chilies - 7
Gingelly oil - for frying
Tamarind - lemon size
Shallots (small onions)  - 15 pieces or 1 big onion (optional)
Garlic - 30 pieces
Salt to taste


1. Wash gongura leaves thoroughly in water.Drain them under fan for 1 hour by spreading the leaves.
No water should be left out.

2. Heat 2 tea spoon of gingelly oil (cooking oil as an alternative) and add cumin seeds, coriander seeds, broken urud dhal, methi seeds , red chilies and fry them until they turn brown..(No over frying). At the end add mustard seeds and fry for a minute.

                               { The tea spoon which I use to measure is depicted above... }

3. Remove the fried items and in the same kadai, fry peeled garlic.

4. Fry the small onions till they turn brown,remove them and keep aside..

5. Now add 2 tea spoon of gingelly oil and fry gongura leaves. Fry till they shrink and turn completely brown.

6. Grind all the fried items from step 2 into smooth powder. Do not add water.

7. Now add gongura leaves ,3/4 th  of fried garlic pieces,salt , tamarind extract .

8.  Mix well with spoon and grind to a coarse paste. No addition of water.
Note:  No over grinding...gongura leaves should look like mashed..

9. Finally add fried onions and whip the mixer 2 rounds.
Note : Adding onions is optional.

10. Transfer the contents to bowl. Heat 8 tea spoon of gingelly oil and add to the ground pachadi.

11. Add remaining 1/4 th of fried garlic pieces.

12. Mix well and serve with rice.

Note : Add some more hot oil to preserve this for 1 week...

Paneer Butter Masala

Paneer Butter masala without adding milk cream...

Ingredients

Paneer - 200 g
Butter - 50 g
Cumin seeds - 1/4 tea spoon
Ginger Garlic paste - 4 tea spoon
Tomato - 3
Onions - 2
Garam Masala - 1.25 tea spoon
Coriander powder  - 1 tea spoon
Chilly powder -1 tea spoon
Cumin powder - 1 tea spoon
Turmeric powder -1/4 tea spoon
Curd - 1 cup
Cashew nuts - 50g
Salt to taste
Coriander and curry leaves - some

1. Boil some water and cook the tomatoes. Allow it to cool and peel the skin.

2. Blend them to make tomato puree..

3. Heat some butter in kadai and gently fry the paneer cubes. This is done to make them soft. Optionally we can also dip them in curd, in case you do not want to fry..

4. Chop onions and grind cashew nuts into smooth paste.

5. Heat the remaining butter in the kadai and add cumin seeds.

6. Add chopped onions and fry them til they turn brown. { Optional: Bit of cinnamon and cloves }

7. Add ginger garlic paste and fry them for 3 minutes.

8. Now add tomato puree to it and boil for few minutes till the raw flavor goes.

9. Add garam masala, cumin powder, coriander powder, chilly powder , pinch of turmeric and salt.

10. Add whipped curd slowly, and mix them well.

Note : Curd should be whipped otherwise it may form solids.. add slowly by mixing well..

11. Add some water and let this boil for few minutes.

12. Add smooth paste of cashew nuts and mix well. Allow it to cook for few minutes.

13. Now add paneer cubes, mix well and close with a lid. Allow it to cook for 5-10 minutes.

14. Once the gravy thickens, remove from flame and garnish with curry leaves and coriander leaves.

15. Can be served with chapati/Naan.

Tomato Rice Bath

Ingredients ( Serves for 4 )

Tomato - 7
Rice - 3 cups
Onions - 3
Ginger - 2 inch piece
Garlic - 10 pieces
Green chilies -4
Cinnamon - 1 piece (3 inch)
Cloves - 5
Cardamom - 3 (optional)
Bay leaves - 3
Chilly powder - 1/2 tea spoon
Coriander powder - 1/4 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Salt to taste
Ghee - 2 tea spoon
Lemon - 1/2.
Coriander and Curry leaves - some

1. Wash tomatoes and chop into smaller pieces.

2. Rinse rice thoroughly in water and soak for 15 minutes.

3. Cut 2 onions, peeled ginger, garlic, 2 cloves, a bit of cinnamon and grind them to a coarse paste.

4. Cut remaining 1 onion  and green chilies length wise.

5. Drain the rice well. Heat 2 table spoon of ghee in cooker, fry the rice gently for 3 minutes.

6. Remove the rice from cooker and add 7 table spoon of oil , add mustard seeds, once it splutters, add green chilies, onions, remaining cinnamon, cloves, cardamon, bay leaves and fry until onions turn light brown.

7. Now add the ground coarse paste and fry until the raw flavor goes.

8. Add the tomatoes and fry them by chopping with the spatula. Fry until the tomatoes become watery and  the raw smell goes..

9. Add Chilly powder, Coriander powder, pinch of turmeric, salt and fry for another 2 minutes.

10. Add fried rice to this and mix well.

11. Now add water , half cup lesser to 1:2 of rice and water.. Meaning... for 3 cups, I added 5 1/2 cups of water and not 6 cups.. because tomatoes itself will have 1/2 cup of liquid content.. Taste and add salt.

Note : Above ratio is for Normal rice, For Basmati 1 : 1.25 of rice and water ..(reduce 1/2 cup of water)

12. Close the cooker, and cook until 3 whistles.

13. Once done, mix gently by adding some ghee and lemon extract.. Garnish with coriander leaves.

Note : Adding saffron color is optional , but I did not added any color..

14. Serve with Raita or gravy..

Ladies Finger (Okra) fry

Simple Bhindi fry recipe..

Ingredients

Ladies finger - 1/2 kg
Onions - 1 medium sized
Garlic - 5 pieces (crushed)
Chilly powder - 3/4 tea spoon
Coriander powder - 1/4 tea spoon
Turmeric powder - a pinch
Oil - 3 table spoon
Salt to taste
Curry leaves and Coriander leaves - some

1. Wash ladies finger thoroughly.

2. Chop them into smaller pieces. We can chop quickly by arranging as depicted..

3.  Chop onions and crush the garlic

4. Heat 3 table spoon of oil in non stick kadai and add mustard seeds, once it splutters add garlic, curry leaves and onions and a pinch of salt, fry until onions are cooked... (no deep frying of onions)

5. Add pinch of turmeric powder, chilly powder ,coriander powder and salt to it and mix well.

6. Now add the chopped ladies finger and mix thoroughly..

Note : It may appear very dry initially, but the veggie will leave enough moisture...

7. Close with a lid and lower the flame.

8. Cook for 15 minutes in low flame by occasionally mixing them. Taste and add salt if required..

9. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve as a side dish..

Green leaves Stir Fry

This simple & healthy recipe is common for most varieties of green leaves ... I used Arai keerai (Thotakura in Telugu ) in this recipe. 

Ingredients

Green leaves - 2 bunches

Onions -1 medium sized

Garlic - 4 pieces (crushed)

Chilly powder - 1 tea spoon

Coriander powder - 1/4 tea spoon

Turmeric powder - a pinch

Hing - a pinch

Grated coconut - some

Salt to taste

1. Clean the green leaves, remove the wider stem and the root part.

2. Wash them thoroughly, 3-4 times( to wash off mud substance, if any) and drain. 

3. Heat 2 table spoon of oil, add mustard seeds, once splutters add 1 red chilly , pinch of hing, garlic and onions and fry till onions turn brown.

4.  Add chilly powder, coriander powder, salt and pinch of turmeric powder. Mix well..

Note : Generally green leaves does not require much salt...

5. Add the drained green leaves to it and mix until the leaves shrink

6. Close it with a lid and cook for 15 minutes in low flame. No need to add water as there will be enogh moisture from the green leaves.(Do not over fry as it may change the taste)

7. Once the green leaves are cooked, add some grated coconut and remove from the flame.

{ Groundnut powder can also substitute coconut.. }

This arai keerai poriyal can be served with rice or as a side dish..