Simple Uthappam

If you have dosa batter ready at home,this is one of the easiest and quickest breakfast or any meal.You can use your imagination and creativity as far as this dish goes.

Ingredients

Dosa batter- 1 ladle for 1 uthappam,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Tomato- 1 finely chopped,
Coriander leaves- 2-3 tbspn chopped,
Salt- as reqd,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Idly chilli powder- as reqd,
Ghee- as reqd.


Method

Mix the onion,tomato,coriander leaves,salt and chilly powder together well.Keep the tawa on the stove and let it become hot.Now,pour 1 ladle and spread it to form a big pancake like shape.Keep it slightly thick only.Now,sprinkle the onion-tomato mixture and sprinkle a tsp of idly chilli powder.Pour a tsp of ghee around it and press the vegetables in a little.Cook both sides for approximately 1 min.

Serve hot.

Dosa with sambhar and tomato chutney

My favourite dish ever is dosa.Mostly south indians can have dosa with any side dish.My mom used to make dosa with chicken curry.That used to be our sunday night dinner.Just thinking about it,I feel I'm in heaven.My mom used to make sambhar very often.I used to hate it.Every time she made,my brother and I always used to put on long faces.So,when I finally married a north indian,I thought good riddance to sambhar.Little did I know that I would miss it so much.I guess we take a lot of our daily dishes for granted.Only when we don't have access to it do we realise how much we need it.I guess its the same with people also.Anyway, my hubby loves this but he is only open to eating dosa with sambhar.He wont even give the other side dishes a chance.So,I dedicate this recipe to my mom from whom I inherited this passion for cooking and to my MIL who is my kitchen guru and who is desperate to taste this dish.Don't worry Mummy-ji,only 3 more months to go.


Dosa
Ingredients

Rice- 2 cups,
Whole white urad dal- 1/2 cup,
Aval or flat rice flakes- 1/2 cup,
Methi or fenugreek seeds- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Oil- as reqd.

Method

Wash the rice well and soak it with sufficient water.Wash the urad dal,aval&methi seeds together and soak.The rice and the dal should be soaked seperately atleast for 6-7hrs.I normally soak it first thing in the morning and grind it just before going to bed.Now,grind the dal mixture till it feels soft and buttery to touch.Add adequate water.Now grind the rice also till it becomes soft.Then,mix the dal and the rice mixture together till the blend together as one mixture.Leave it outside overnight.Put it in the fridge in the morning after,mixing it again well with your hand.Just before making the dosa,add sufficient salt.Always use a seperate tawa for dosa preferably a non-stick one.Make sure the tawa is hot.Now,using a big ladle with a hole,spoon in a small amount of batter and rotate the batter to form one big circle.Pour a spoon of oil over the middle and the sides of the dosa.Wait for a minute or so till it gets cooked on one side and flip it over.After,the other side is cooked,remove from flame.Serve hot with sambhar and chutney.


Sambhar

Ingredients

Vegetables chopped- 1-2 cups,
Toor or arahar dal- 3/4 cup,
Onion- 1 chopped,
Tomatoes- 3 roughly chopped,
Curry leaves - few sprigs,
G.chillies- 1-2 whole,
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp,
Coriander leaves- 2-3tblsps,
Turmeric powder- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Sambhar powder- 2 tblsps(Aachi sambhar powder),
Tamarind- a small lime size,
Salt- as reqd,
Oil- as reqd.

Method

Wash and soak the dal for 10-15 mins.Put the dal,vegetables,turmeric powder,little salt,tomatoes in a pressure cooker and cook for 3 whistles.In a pan, add oil and splatter mustard seeds.Fry onions and curry leaves and chillies.Put all the dry powders and fry for a few mins taking care not to burn it.Now,add the dal mixture and mix well.Check salt and add more if reqd.Soak tamarind in lukewarm water for a little while.Now,squeeze the tamarind and discard the pulp.Add the tamarind to the boiling sambhar and mix well.The tamarind and salt ratio is very important as that brings out the true taste of the sambhar.Simmer it for 10-15 mins and garnish with coriander leaves.

Serve hot with idli,dosa or rice.Its a good side dish for venn pongal and vadai too.



Tomato chutney

Ingredients

Tomatoes- 3-4,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Mustard seeds- 1 tsp,
Oil- as reqd.

Method

Wash the tomatoes and make a small "X" shaped insicion at the back.Place the tomatoes in boiling water for 10-11 mins.Once the cool down a little,peel the skin off and blend them to a smooth paste.In a kadai,take oil and splatter mustard seeds.Fry onions and add the tomato mixture and put salt and chilli powder.Simmer it till it thickens.

Serve hot as side dish.

Tomato Biriyani

Finally I'm reaching south indian dishes.Tomato rice is one of the fastest south indian dish cooked in almost all households.Yet,its not very popular in the north.Not many are aware of this dish.So,when I finally made it,it was an immediate hit.Today,I shall make tomato biriyani-a slight richer version of tomato rice.

Ingredients

Basmathi rice- 2 cups,
Onion- 1 big sliced,
Tomato- 3-4 chopped,
Ginger-garlic paste- 2 tsp,
Oil- 2-3 tblspns,
G.chillies- 3-4 nos slit,
Green peas- 1 cup,
Pudina leaves - 1 bunch minced,
Coriander leaves- 1 bunch minced,
Curd- 1 cup,
Cloves- 2nos,
Cinnamon- 1no,
Cardamom- 1 no,
Star Anise- 1 no,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Cumin powder- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Ghee- 1 tblsp.

Method

Wash and soak the rice for an hour.In a pressure cooker add the oil and ghee.Splatter the cloves,cinnamon,cardamom and star anise.Fry the onions in it till transparent.Then, fry the ginger-garlic paste till the raw smell disappears.Now, add the minced pudina and dhania leaves.Cook for roughly about 2-3 mins.Then,add the tomatoes till they become soft.Add the green peas and cook till the water evaporates.Put the rice in and cook till all the water evaporates and almost starts sticking to the bottom.Now,add curd and 2 1/2 cups of water.Dont close the lid tightly but keep the lid on top with a little tilt to let the hot air out.After the rice is 80% done,close the lid and put the weight on and cook for 8-10 mins in sim flame.

Serve hot with onion raita and potato chips.

Aloo-Gobi Ki Subji

This is one of the more common of dishes in many north indian households.It is very simple and easy to make.It hardly takes about 15 mins.The preparation alone takes another 15 mins.

Ingredients

Cauliflower- 1medium size(cut into equal florets),
Potato- 3-4(cut into cubes),
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Garlic- 4-5 pods finely chopped,
Tomatoes- 2finely chopped,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp,
Asafoetida(hing)- a pinch,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Garam masala- 1tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Kasoori methi- 1tblsp,
Aamchoor- 1 tsp,
Oil.

Method

Put the cauliflower in hot water and boil it for a while till it is 50% done.Drain and keep aside.In a kadai,take some oil and splatter cumin seeds.Fry onions and garlic till done.Add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft.Now add the masala powders except kasoori methi and aamchoor.Fry the masala for a minute or so taking care not to burn it.Then,add the potatoes and cauliflower and mix well.Cook on medium flame till done.When its almost done add the kassori methi and mix well.Now,switch off the flame and add the aamchoor.
Serve hot with rotis or rice.

Moong Dal

After all the deep fried and mushrooms and prontis,I thought I needed a break from all the heavy food.So, what else is lite and healthy and tasty??of course,its DAL...But unfortunately,my husband hates dal.That's actually a benefit in disguise.My hubby also hates coriander leaves.So,I loaded the Moong dal with dhania and enjoyed a guilt free pleasure.Moong dal is also full of proteins.For vegetarians,it is very important that they include dal in their diet at least 2-3 times a week.

Ingredients

Moong dal- 1 cup,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Garlic- 2-3 chopped,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Tomato- 1 finely chopped,
Turmeric- 1/2 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Oil.

Method

Wash the dal well and soak it in water for a few mins.In a pressure cooker,put oil and splatter cumin seeds.Fry the onions and garlic for a few mins until done.Add the tomatoes and cook till they become soft.Now,add all the dry powders and mix well.Don't let the spices burn.Add water if necessary.Add the dal and water.Let it boil for a few mins.Put the lid on and cook for 2 whistles on high flame.Reduce the flame to sim and simmer it for a fewmins.Switch off the flame and wait till the pressure leaves.
Serve hot with rotis or rice.It tastes best with curd,pickle and onions.

Curd

Another basic and simple dish in all Indian households is curd.I never got it right for so long.After endless advices and searching through the net I finally got it right.So,here goes.....

Ingredients

Milk- 1 litre,
Curd- 3-4 tblsps.

Method

Boil milk.Let it cool down for a few mins.Feel it with your finger.It should be lukewarm.For a few days until you get used to the right heat,you can use a thermometer and check the temp. to be 105-110 degree fahrenheit.Then,mix a few big spoons of curd into the milk.Make sure the curd is completely dissolved in the milk.Now,let it sit till it becomes curd.Preferably,do it overnight.

Basic White Rice

White Rice is one of the basic and daily dishes prepared all over India.Its silly to even talk about the recipe or process of making it.But there are some poor souls out there like me.When my MIL was with us she taught me some of the basic cooking.Assuming that i knew how to make rice that too being a south-indian she never tried to teach me.I never had the courage to ask her how to make something as simple and as basic as rice.So,when I first tried to make it,I used 4 cups of water for 1 cup of rice and left it for 5 whistles.What I got could not even come under the rice family.It was a goop of some kind.So for people like me out there,here is the recipe or rather the process of making rice.

Ingredients

Raw rice- 1 cup,
Water- 2 cups.

Method
Wash the rice well until the starchy colour reduces and the water becomes transparent.Soak it for 15 mins.I always pressure cook it or cook it in the microwave.I personally prefer the texture of rice cooked in the pressure cooker.Put the washed and drained rice in the pressure cooker and add 2 cups of water.Cook for 2 whistles on high flame and turn off the cooker.Let it sit till the pressure leaves.Steaming hot rice is now ready.

Pronti with Omelette

Pronti with Omelette is one of the most popular breakfast dish up north especially for the punjabis.Its very very simple to make and also quite filling.When I don't feel like cooking,sometimes,I make it for lunch or dinner too.For all the north-indians this is one of the basic dishes but I will give a step-by-step instructions for all the south-indians looking for a different breakfast dish.My MIL taught me this and this is one of my husband's favourite dish.

Pronti
Ingredients
Wheat flour- 1 cup,
Water-1 cup,
Oil- as reqd.

Method


1. Make a soft atta with 1 cup flour and 3/4 cup water.Once the atta is ready,pour a tsp of oil and top and knead it against the kitchen slab till it becomes soft.


2.Now,take a little bigger ball than the average roti ball and dip it in the flour and roll it like a roti.Then,put a tsp of oil on top and spread it evenly.

3.Fold one side as shown in the pic

4.Now,fold the other side.

5.Follow the picture.

6.Now,fold it to get a square shaped roll.

7.Roll it out and retain the square shape.

8.Shallow fry the prontis with oil.

Omelette
Ingredients
Eggs- 2,
Onion- 1/2 finely chopped,
Salt- as reqd,
Chilli powder- as reqd.

Method
In a bowl,take the chopped onion and mix them with your hands so as to seperate the layers.Add salt and chilli powder and mix well.Add the eggs and beat with a fork till they are fluffy.You can use finely chopped chillies also if you wish.Now,spread a small layer of oil on the tawa and pur the egg mixture.Cook each side for approx.1 min.

Serve the Prontis with Omelette and ketchup and of course a steaming hot cup of tea.

Karela Fry

I love karela.Even though it has a very bitter taste I believe that,made right it can be one of the most yummy dishes ever.I first learnt karela from my MIL.She made this just before she left.But,it was just so good that I froze it for 3 weeks and had half a piece of it everyday,so it lasts longer.I made it myself once after that,but,it never was the same.I must definitely take a moment here to mention my MIL.She was the first person who introduced me into the kitchen.She was the one who patiently stood by me explaining how to make tea and putting up with me while my roti came out like india map.So,anyway here is the recipe.

Ingredients

Karela -2-3,
Onion- 1big(sliced),
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Tumeric- 1/2 tsp,
Salt- as reqd,
Oil- for frying.

Method

Peel the karela and cut them into thin round shapes.Use fresh tender ones,if you happen to use a ripe one,remove the seeds from within.Put some salt over it and mix well.Let it sit aside for about 20-30 mins.Now,squeeze out all the excess water and wash it again.Dry it with a towel and deep fry it until it is done.Remove and keep aside.Now fry the onions in the oil till they turn pink in colour.Remove and keep aside.Take another pan and put a poon of oil in it and splatter the cumin seeds.Then add the ginger-garlic paste and fry for 1-2 mins.Now,add the karela and all the powders and simmer for a few minutes.Serve it with roti and dal.

Since,I have not cooked this dish for a while I have posted the picture from a different website.The dish that you cook may not necessarily look like the picture above.

Mango Milkshake

Mangoes are the most luscious and sweetest of all fruits.I can't think of anybody who would not like mangoes.When we were in Delhi,the summers were just so hot.Since I was not used to the extreme heat I used to fall sick often.Everybody recommended more milk and curd.blech!! I hate both.So,to make me drink milk my FIL got into the kitchen and made this yummy,creamy mango mikshake.Eventhough I've had it so many times before,it never tasted as good as that time.Possibly because of the heat and because of the love!!!

Ingredients

Mango- 1(peeled and cut),
Sugar- 3-4tblspn(depending upon your taste),
Milk- 2 glasses.

Method

Peel the mango and cut the flesh.It does not have to be uniform as we are just going to blend it.Put the mango,sugar and the milk in the blender and blend it till it becomes a smooth drink.Add little water if its too thick.It should be a little thick but drinkable consistency.

Maggie with a Twist

Maggie Noodles is one of the most common dish in a household.Everybody loves Maggie,except me :-(But after marriage I realised I need to find a way to like it because it makes life easier.So,I decided to add a little twist to it.And Voila!!It turned out great.My husband was a great maggie lover but now he cannot eat the plain maggie.Anyway,those who love maggie,keep on loving it.Those who are looking for a slight change in it,try this.

Ingredients

Maggie noodles- 1 packet,
Maggie masala- 1 sachet,
Water- 1 1/2 cups,
Soya sauce- 1 tblsp,
G.Chilli sauce- 1 tblsp,
Dried Oregano- 1 tsp,
Dried Basil leaves- 1tsp,
Aji-no-motto- a pinch.

Method

Make maggie the usual way according to the packet instructions.After adding the masala to the noodles and dissolving it add the other ingredients and mix well till the water evaporates.Serve hot with ketchup or hot and sweet sauce.

Mushroom Pakoda

The most awesome thing about mushrooms is that even though they are considered as food for special occasions but they can also be incredibly easy and fast to cook.Here is an easy snack with mushroom which can be enjoyed with ketchup or chilli sauce and a hot cup of tea or coffee.

Ingredients


Mushrooms- 1 cup sliced,
Besan or chickpea flour or kadalai maavu- 1 cup,
Maida- 1/2 cup,
Cornflour- 2 tblspns,
Baking soda- a pinch,
Ginger-garlic paste- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Kasoori methi- 1tsp,
salt- as reqd,
oil- for frying.
Method.

In a vessel, combine all the above mentioned ingredients except mushrooms and the oil.Add water and mix well so that there are no lumps and a thick batter is formed.Slice the mushrooms into uniform sized pieces.Pour oil in a kadai and wait till it becomes hot.Dip the mushrooms in the batter and drop it in the hot oil one by one.Cook each side approximately 1-2 minutes and remove from oil.Sprinkle some Aamchoor(dry mango)powder and lime and serve hot with ketchup or chutney.
Tips: If you feel that the mushrooms are absorbing too much oil skip the maida.Use only besan.

Mushroom peas masala

Mushrooms are the nature's best supplement for Non-veg.I simply love them.They are very quick to cook as well.When I have guests at home.I always make non-veg dishes.If my guests are vegetarians,then its always mushrooms and paneer. Its so simple and yet so tasty.There are hundreds of dishes both south indian,north indian and international recipes that can be cooked with mushrooms.This is a recipe that i made as it came to me and it turned out quite nice.It is not out of the ordinary but very similar to many mushroom dishes I have tried and tasted with just a little twist to it.Here goes....

Ingredients.

Mushrooms- 2 packets(400gms),
Peas- 1 cup,
Onion- 1 finely chopped,
Tomatoes- 3 finely chopped,
Asafoetida(hing)- a pinch,
Turmeric powder- 1/2 tsp,
Garam masala- 1 tsp,
Coriander powder- 1 tsp,
Cumin powder- 1 tsp,
Kasoori methi- 1 tsp,
Chilli powder- 1 tsp,
Ginger-garlic paste- 2tsps,
Salt - as reqd,
Oil- 2 tblspns,
Butter- 1 tblsp,
Cumin seeds- 1 tsp,
Sugar- 1 tsp.


Method

Slice the mushrooms into equal medium sized pieces.In a kadai,take some oil and splatter some cumin seeds.Now put the hing and the onions and saute well.Add some salt to this so that the onions don't burn and the oil usage is not much.Once the onions are transparent, add the ginger-garlic paste.Fry for 2 mins until the raw smell disappears.Then add the tomatoes and cook them till they are soft and most of the moisture evaporates.Then add the masala powders except kasoori methi and sugar.Don't let the spices burn.Reduce the flame and cook till the oil seperates.Add little water if necessary.Now add the mushrooms and peas and mix well so that the masala is well distributed.Put the lid on and cook till the vegetables are done and it becomes a thick gravy.Now,add the kasoori methi and the sugar and the butter and mix well for 2-3 mins.Now,switch off the flame and serve hot with rice.

Tips:You can also make mushroom sandwich the next day with this masala.Just spoon some masala on one side of the bread slice and toast it with ghee or dry.This can be had as a snack or even during breakfast.