Beetroot pakodi

 

#pakodi #indianfavorite #monsoonspecial #beetroot #healthandtaste #moongbade

Ingredients: 1 cup moong dal mogar (washed and soaked at least an hour before), 2 tbsp beetroot chips, 2 garlic cloves, 1 dry red chilly (optional), 2 tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds, 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp asafoetida or hing, salt to taste, 2 tsp oil, oil to deep fry

Preparation Time: 20 min (serves 4)

Recipe:

  1. Drain out excess of water from the soaked dal. Add this to mixer pot. To this add the beetroot chips, dry red chilly and garlic. I haven't used green chilly or coriander to retain the red color of the batter. Ground it to coarse and thick paste.

2. Transfer this paste to a mixing bowl. To this, add sesame seeds, fennel seeds, 2 tsp oil, red chilli powder, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt to taste. Mix it well (preferably with your hand) for a minute or two and keep aside for a while (at least 15 - 20 min). This allows all the flavours to mix in well and let their distinct flavor come out. This is your pakodi mixture.

3. Now, in a small kadhai heat about 2 cups of oil for deep frying. Once you see fumes, turn the gas low and add the mixture with the help of a tsp such that you drop in 8 -10 pakodis at a time in the kadhai. Be careful with the oil as it is very hot. Use a jhaara/ strainer to turn the pakodis until golden brown. Remove the pakodis on an absorbent.

4. Serve them hot with green chutney/ coconut chutney or ketchup!

Tips: In lieu of beetroot, you may use roughly chopped spinach/ cabbage/ onion.

Stuffed capsicum

#capsicum #stuffed #bengalgram #besan #steamed #lessoily

Ingredients: 8-10 small (about an inch sized) capsicums, 2 heaped tbsp of bengal gram flour i.e. besan, 2 tbsp oil, 2-3 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 3 tsp dry mango powder or amchur, 1 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp fennel seeds, 3-4 tsp sesame seeds, 2 tsp garam masala,  1 tbsp freshly chopped coriander leaves for garnishing

Preparation Time: 25 min (serves 4-5)

Recipe:

1. In a pan, heat a tbsp of oil. Season it with mustard seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, sesame seeds and asafoetida. Upon cracking, add besan (flour) to this and mix well. Keep the gas flame at low to medium and stir the flour intermittently for 3-4 minutes

2. In the meantime, scoop out the crown and the inner seeds of the capsicums with a pointed knife and keep aside.

3. Check on the flour mixture on the gas. Add all the spices to it and salt to taste. Mix well. Sprinkle little water so that the mixture is soft and can be held together. Cover with a lid to allow cooking and mixing of spices thoroughly for a minute or so. Ensure that the gas flame is low. Switch off the gas later.

4. Check on the flour mixture by pressing it with your fingers. It should be easily binding. Now, divide this mixture in number of portions = number of capsicums. 

5. Stuff the capsicums with these portions each and keep aside.

6. In a shallow pan, add a tbsp of oil and heat on medium flame. Now, carefully place the stuffed capsicums in the pan. Sprinkle a pinch of salt and cover with a lid. After half a minute, remove the lid and toss/ turn the capsicums gently. Cover with lid and repeat the process every half a minute. This would result in even cooking of the capsicums. 

7. when the capsicums' skin gets wrinkles and color changes, insert a knife to check if cooked well. If the knife can be pierced through easily, then bingo, the capsicums are ready!

8. Plate the capsicums and garnish with coriander! You may sprinkle some chaat masala if you like to enhance the tangy taste.You need not re-heat it while serving.

Tips: Stuffed capsicums go best as a side dish with Kadhi, pulao, puran poli or dashmi.

Masala wada

#wada #masalawada #proteindiet #snacks #chatpate #nashte

Ingredients: 2 cups chickpeas lentils, 1/2 cup green lentils, 1/2 cup yellow lentils i.e. mogar dal, a handful of split pigeon peas i.e. tur dal, 1-2 green chilli, 8-10 curry leaves, 1/2 tbsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp asafoetida, 3-4 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 2 tsp dhaniya or coriander powder, 1 tbsp chopped coriander, 1 tsp ginger paste, 3-4 cloves of garlic, salt to taste, 1/2 tbsp oil, oil to deep fry

Preparation time: 25 min

Recipe:

1. Mix all the dals/ lentils in a utensil. Wash it and soak it for an hour at least.

2. Remove the excess water from soaked dals. In a grinder, add the green chilli, ginger, garlic, curry leaves and grind it to a smooth paste. Now, to this add the soaked dal in tranches and grind it to thick paste (dardara) such that most of the split chickpeas is as is.

3. In the meantime, heat the oil for frying.

4. Now transfer the paste or thick batter to a vessel. Add the fennel seeds, asafoetida, red chilli powder,  turmeric powder, 1/2 tbsp oil and salt to taste. Mix all the ingredients well.

5. Make small cutlet shaped roundlets i.e. wada from the batter and add to the heated oil 2-3 at a time. Allow the wada to cook from one side for a minute on low gas. Now turn the wada. Repeat this till golden brown. Remove the wadas on an absorbent napkin. It is recommended to make the wadas fresh.

6. Serve them hot with idli chutney or pudina chutney.

Besan k gatte/ gatta

#gatta #dal_baati #gate_ki_sabzi #variety #sabzi #gatta_with_a_twist

 

Ingredients: 2 cups of gram flour, 2 tsp turmeric powder and red chilli powder each, salt to taste, 1 tbsp oil, 2 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp asafoetida, 1 green chillies chopped, 1 tsp red chilli powder and turmeric powder each for gravy, 2 tsp amchur or dry mango powder, 1 tsp garam masala, ½ cup finely chopped coriander, 1/2 cup medium sized green bell pepper diced, 1 cup onion diced  

Preparation time: 30 min


Recipe:

1. Take the gram flour in a mixing bowl. Add 2 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chilli powder, 1/4 tbsp oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds and salt to taste. Add water in parts to make extremely (in order to make rolls) tight dough as shown in pic. Keep it aside for 5 min to mix all the flavours.

2.  Take the dough and apply 1/4 tbsp oil to it and massage it properly. If it is proper tight, it will not stick to your hand. However, if it sticks, then sprinkle some wheat flour and massage properly.

3. Heat 4 cups water and bring it to boil. In the meantime, make 4-5 portions of the dough and roll them out on platform with your palms to approx. 15 cm long pipes. Add these rolls to the boiling water (if too long cut them to halves). Cover with a lid and allow boiling for 15 min. Check if cooked (with a knife, if the tip easily goes throw and comes out clean, then the besan rolls or gatta are cooked) else allow cooking for some more time. If cooked, sieve the gattas and allow cooling to cut the rolls in 1.5 cm sized gattas.

4. In the meantime, in another pan, add 1/2 tbsp. oil and heat for seasoning. Now, add mustard seeds, cumin seeds and asafoetida to this. Allow popping for 1/2 a min. then add onion to this and sauté till golden in color.

5. After this, add capsicum to it, saute and allow cooking for 3-4 min until capcisum changes its color.

6. Add garam masala, 1 tsp of turmeric and red chilli powder each, amchur powder and mix well. keep the gas on low flame and allow cooking for 2 min.

7. Add the gattas to this and mix well. Add 3-4 cups of water and salt to taste. Cover with lid and allow cooking for 5 min.

8. Serve it hot garnished with coriander! TAstes great when coupled with fulkas or parathas.

Sweet chillas

#sweets #sweetchillas #tiffin #homemadesweets

Ingredients: 1 cup sugar, 3 cups water, 3 cups wheat flour, 1 tbsp fennel seeds, 2 tsp cardomom powder, 1-2 tbsp ghee, a pinch of eating soda

Preparation time: 20min

Recipe: 

1. First dissolve the sugar in water by heating it. This process helps to make the batter consistent later instead of allowing the sugar to dissolve at room temperature. Allow the syrup to cool down.

2. Now add the wheat flour to the syrup in parts using one hand, whereas continuously stirring the mixture with another hand. Keep dissolving the lumps with your hand if any.

3. Now add fennel seeds, cardomom powder and soda to this. Stir it well and check consistency by dropping the batter with spoon from 15cm height. It should be thin than the idli batter.

4. Pre- heat a non stick pan for 3-4 min at low gas. Sprinkle a tsp of ghee on it. Now, add the sweet batter with a small tbsp. For kids, make it small size purposely. They feel spl n enjoy it. Sprinkle a few drops of ghee on each chilla. Wait till the corners turn golden then turnover. Repeat till the chillas are golden from both the sides.

5. Serve them hot.. Their combo with veg chillas or salty ones works the best.

Veg Dal Dhokli

#eveningdishes #healthyfood #wheat flour #bengalgram

Ingredients: 3 heaped cups of wheat flour, 4 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tbsp cumin seeds, 2-3 tsp asafoetida, 1.5 tbsp oil, one tomato chopped, 1 big carrot diced, 1 big capsicum diced, 2 tsp garam masala, 1 cup of cooked thick bengal gram, 1 green chilli finely chopped, 2 tsp mustard seeds,12-15 curry leaves, salt to taste and water

Preparation time: 30 min

Recipe:

1. Take flour in the mixing bowl. Add cumin seeds, 2 tsp turmeric powder, 1/2 tbsp oil and salt (about 3 tsp). Mix it well and knead it tightly with water. Keep it aside.

2. In the meantime, take a pressure cooker and heat it. Add remaining oil and heat for seasoning. Add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves and chillies.

3. Now add the tomato to this and cover with lid for 5-10 sec. Remove lid and add tge other veggies. Mix well. Add all the spices except salt. Mix well. Now add thick cooked dal/ grams to this and mix well. To this, add approximately 1.5 litres water and salt to taste about 2 tsp.. Remember u added salt to the flour which v ll b added to this). Allow it to boil on low gas for 10-12 min

4. In the meantime, divide the kneaded flour into 5 parts and make balls of each part. Roll them on a flat surface with a rolling pin to a flat bread of about 2mm. Cut the bread to get 2cm rhombus or diamonds (this can b done by first cutting the rolled bread vertically at some angle and then cutting it horizontally again at that angle as shown). Repeat step 4 for all the balls. Now add the cut pieces (dhokli) to the cooker and pressure cook for one whistle. After cooling down, check with a spoon if the dhokli has cooked or not. If no, then cook on medium flame for 5-10 more min. If u feel its too thick, add a cup or two of water till u get proper consistency.

5. Dal dhokli is ready! Serve it hot garnished with coriander, a dash of lemon and fresh onion salad

Babycorn curry

#babycorn #bellpeppers #vegcurry #mixveg #variety

Ingredients: 100gm babycorn sliced, 1 cup of diced red and yellow bell pepper each, 1 cup of chopped tomato,1 cup of chopped onion, 5-7 garlic cloves, 2 cardomoms, 2 cloves, 10- 12 jumbo cashews, 5-6 black pepper, 1 tbsp fresh cream, 2 tbsp ghee, 2 tsp garam masala, 2-3 tsp red chilli powder, salt to taste

Preparation time: 20 min

Recipe:

1. Heat a pan with 1 tbsp of ghee. Add cardomom, cloves, black pepper and garlic cloves to this followed by chopped onion and tomato. Saute well for about two min on medium flame. Add cashews to this and saute for a minute. Add garam masala and red chilli powder to this and sauté for another minute.

2. Transfer the ingredients in the pan to a mixer pot along with cream to make a paste of it. Keep it aside.

3. Heat the pan with another tbsp of ghee.   Add baby corn and the diced bell peppers to this. Add salt to taste to quicken up the cooking. Sauté for a minute and cover with a lid for 4-5 min to allow the veggies to parcook.

4. Add two cups of water to the thick paste and stir well to make it consistent and lump-free. Add this to the pan and mix well. Allow the veggies to simmer in the curry for 4-5 min.

5. Serve it hot garnished with coriander!

Tips: you can add or use paneer instead of the veggies to make pbm.

Salty Sweet potatoes

#sweetpotatoes#fastspecial#ratalurecipes#sweetpotatodishes

Ingredients: 3-4 big sweet potatoes diced, 1 carrot diced, 1 tbsp finely chopped green chilli, 1 tbsp curry leaves, 1 and half tbsp ghee, 1/4 th cup cumin seeds, salt to taste, a handful of roasted groundnuts

Preparation time: 25 min

Recipe:

1. Heat a pan and add ghee to it. Add cumin seeds. After they pop n turn golden add green chillies, curry leaves and groundnuts.

2. Add the cut sweet potatoes amd carrot to this. Toss well. Add salt and mix well. Cover with a lid and turn the flame to low.

3. Allow cooking for 5 min. Remove lid, stir thw ingredients again and see they do not stick to the pan. If so, you may add half a cup water. Cover with lid again and allow cooking till the sweet potatoes get cooked properly.

4. Serve it hot with a dash of lemon juice if you like..

Tips: this recipe is for fasting and therefore spices and  more veggies like capsicum, onion, etc. Can be added to this. But i like it naive!

Papad ki sabzi

#sabzi#papadkisabzi

#varietyveggies#fastsabzi

Ingredients: 2 papads (about 20cm dia), 1/2 tbsp ghee, 1 green chilli chopped, 1 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, a pinch of garam masala (optional), salt to taste, 1 tsp asafoetida, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 3 cups water

Preparation time: 15 min

Recipe:
1. Cut the papad in 1 inch square/ triangle/ random shape cuts.

2. Take a pan n heat it. Add ghee n heat till apt for seasoning. Add mustard seeds and asafoetida. Add green chillies.

3. Now add the cut papad and stir fry till they are semi cooked. Add water to this.

4. Add water and the spices. Less salt will be required as papad already has it.

5. Cover with lid and allow cooking for 10 min at medium flame. Check after 10 min. The papad should be cooked by now. If not amd no water, add half a cup water. Cover with lid and allow cooking.

6. Serve it hot with fulkas!

Shingode/ Besan Rings -Yummy eveningers

#eveningdishes#besandishes#traditionaldishes
#varietydaltypes#tangydishes
#standaloneineveningdishes#gravydishes

Ingredients: 3 cups of gram flour, 1/2 cup wheat and jowar flour each (optional), 5 tsp turmeric powder, salt to taste, 3 tbsp oil, 3 tsp cumin seeds, 2 tsp mustard seeds, 1 tsp asafoetida, 10 – 12 garlic cloves paste, 2 green chillies chopped, 8- 10 curry leaves, 3 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tbsp garam masala, ½ cup finely chopped coriander, 8 – 10 cups water.

Preparation time: 1.15 hour


Recipe:

1. Take the gram, wheat and jowar flour in a mixing bowl. Add 2 tsp turmeric powder, 1 tsp red chilli powder, ½ tbsp oil, 1 tsp cumin seeds and salt to taste. Add water in parts to make extremely (in order to make rings) tight dough as shown in pic. Keep it aside for 15 min to mix all the flavours.

2.  Take the dough and apply ½ tbsp oil to it and massage it properly. If it is proper tight, it will not stick to your hand. However, if it sticks, then sprinkle some wheat flour and massage properly. Oil it little more and massage.

3. Take a small part of the dough and roll it on a platform with the help of your palms to form ½ cm diameter rolls. Now, holding one side of the roll, form a ring around your index finger and cut it with the thumb. If this seems difficult, cut the roll in 1.5inch length. Of every 1.5inch piece, form a ring by joining the ends. The rings are shown in the pic.

4. Continue step 3 till the entire dough is over.

5. Take a 2 litre pressure cooker. Add the rest of oil to it and heat it for seasoning. Keep 8 cups water ready. Now add mustard seeds, asafoetida, curry leaves, green chilli and the garlic paste to this (low gas). Immediately add 3 tsp turmeric powder, 2 tsp red chilli powder and garam masala powder to this. Add water to this and turn the gas high now. Add salt to taste (less salt would be better, as the dough also has salt). Bring the water to boil. Let it boil for 2-3 minutes.

5. Now add all the rings to this. Mix well. Bring it to a boil before covering it with the cooker lid.

6. Pressure cooks it with first 4 whistles on high gas, followed by 2 whistles on low gas and 1 on medium. This would help to cook the rings properly and evenly while thickening the gravy.  

7. Serve it hot, garnished with coriander and lemon.

Tips: Lemon adds tangy taste to this. Also, couple this with onion salad to have the proper taste.